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Quilts and Curry

31/7/2011

Last night I was out with some of my work colleagues, at a charity fund-raising event for children in India. This was organised by the lovely Dr Debs, who is a consultant at my local hospital, shown here with Raj (one of our doctors who was now moved to London, but came back for this great evening).....

.....there was live entertainment, and we also enjoyed a wonderful selection of delicious Indian food, and as you can see we all had a great time.....

.....oh, and you might be wondering why the title of this blog post is Quilts and Curry?? Well after the meal there was an auction to raise more money, and I had donated this quilt.

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A Green Guide to Country Crafts

25/7/2011

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Hmmmm - what could be lurking inside this parcel? Brown paper packages tied up with string - this is definately one of my favourite things because just look what's inside.....

.....my very own copy of A Green Guide to Country Crafts, written by Nicola Gouldsmith and Jacqueline Mann - now, this book has appeared on several blogs, and I just NEEDED to get myself a copy too - and I certainly wasn't disappointed.....

.....Nic very kindly wrote a personal message inside - it says "To Nicola - quilting royalty! How lovely it is that the two Nicolas met - Nic x".....

.....now all I have to do is find the time to make all the lovely things that I've been inspired to fill my home with :)

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Christmas in July in Australia

24/7/2011

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If you like patterns by the Aussie designers Janelle Wind, Brenda Ryan, Melissa Grant and Bronwyn Hayes then hop over to Quilt Fabric Delights and sign up for their Christmas in July programme - I did, and can't wait for it to start:)

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Alder Carr Farm Shop

24/7/2011

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Nicola had already booked a table at the Barn Cafe as it gets really busy - it's not surprising when you read the delicious menu! Anyway, while we were waiting for our lunch, I was showing Nicola one of my quilts-in-progress, and who should pop over to say hello, but my friend Pam Lugg - her husband had spotted the quilt and apparently said to her "oh look there's someone over there with a quilt" and she just had to have a look and realised it was me!!! So we all had a lovely chat - (sorry Pam's husband - hope you didn't mind too much!!) then lunch arrived - ohhhh it was yummy - I had plumped for the grilled goats cheese crumpets served on a rocket salad with a mango drizzle, and Nicola had the pork terrine with chutney and granary toast.....

.....this was followed by the most DELICIOUS Tilapia, ginger and lemon fishcakes with a sweet chilli dip served with salad - as you can see we both had the same, washed down with a pot of tea (next time I'll get Mr F to drive us there Nic, then we can have a bottle of "that" hehe!!).....

.....and did we enjoy it? Well this picture says it all really!! We were both too stuffed for puddings today, (even with the most tempting looking desserts and cakes that you ever did see) but vowed to do puddings next time! We then had a look round the Farm Shop and The Old Piggery Pottery.
I really did have a great day out - thanks Nicola - it's great having you as a friend :)

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A Tale of Two Nicolas.....

23/7/2011

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I had a great day out today, as I drove over to Needham Market, to visit a veritable emporium of all things haberdashery, the wonderful Halfpenny Home.....

..........which is like an Aladin's cave to anyone who likes ribbons and buttons.....

.....and thread and more buttons and lace and fabric .....

.....and general all-round yumminess like this cute baby - isn't it just darling?.....

.....and of course I was also there to see my friend Nicola Gouldsmith, who with Jacqueline Mann has recently published a FAB-U-LOUS book, A Green Guide to Country Crafts which she very kindly signed for me. I'm gonna be reading this book tonight from cover to cover! We then hot-footed it off to Alder Carr Farm Shop to the Barn Cafe for lunch - more piccies of that to follow tomorrow :)

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Georgie's Sunflowers

21/7/2011

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A few weeks ago, I joined a quilt group at my local quilt shop, Quilters Haven. The club is held on Thursday evenings, and it's great to be able to meet other quilters and have some company when I'm sewing! Georgie, who works at Quilters Haven, had been busy making this sunflower wallhanging, and tonight she brought it along to show us.....

.....it really is lovely, and the 3-D petals are very realistic. The centres are embellished with Suffolk Puffs and buttons. This looks great Georgie.....

.....I love sunflowers too, and I made this wallhanging on a class at Quilters Haven about 4 years ago, and it was hung up in the hardwear store in Wickham Market during an open-air quilt show.....

...I named this wall-hanging "Stormy Sunflowers", and this pattern is from the book Stitch-and-Split-Applique by Jayme Crow and Joan Segna. The leaves are embellished with beads, and I copied the leaf motif for free-motion quilting in the borders.

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Magazines, patterns and MORE packs of fabric.....

17/7/2011

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WARNING!!! here follows a series of pictures of fabulous quilting magazines, Norwegian patterns (for runners and placemats and quilts and bags and cushions) and some absolutely-to-die-for fabrics. If you love quilting, you'll be green with envy - if you're Mr F you might have to lay down in a dark room for a few hours - anyway, let's get the party started.....

.....firstly, the Christmas in July edition of my favourite Australian quilting magazine, Homepun, from The Fat Quarters based in Northumberland, full of projects that I can't wait to get started on, and Quiltemagasinet, a Norwegian magazine that I subscribe to, and is sent to me from my friend Hanne.....

.....then this arrived in the post - a beautiful kit from Elisabeth at Lapp-Elise to make an AnnAKa pattern "Sommerblomster" (Summer Flowers) and in a parcel from Hanne, there's yet another AnnAKa pattern "Jordbærdrøm" (this one translates to Strawberry Dream) and will make a bag, placemats and potholders, and both patterns use a mixture of piecing and applique.....

.....yes yes yes, there's yet another AnnaKa pattern, "Enkel sommerløper" (Simple Summer runner) together with all the fabric to make a tablerunner - this pattern also involves piecing, applique and stichery - Hanne I'm going to be VERY busy hehe!.....

.....this beautiful pack of fabric came with the AnnAKa pattern "Britt-Lisa`s Blomsterkurver" (Britt-Lisa's Flower Baskets) and is a pattern for a tablerunner with matching cushions, again using piecing, applique and stitchery. These colours and fabrics are so beautiful - Hanne puts the most wonderful kits together....

.....and finally, some Myquilt patterns - they are a bit more difficult, and I will probably need help from my Norwegian friends Eva and Hanne to help me translate these!!

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Just being Jasper.....

13/7/2011

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Don't be fooled by those big brown puppy-dog eyes. Although he's only 3 months old, he really is a very NAUGHTY puppy!
Not only has he mastered the trick of how to jump onto the sofa, but he's also perfected the art of jumping off the back of the sofa in a death-defying leap, with a distinct devil-may-care glint in his eyes.....

....and as you can see, his favourite place for a well-earned rest is curled up asleep on Mr F's chair! It really is very exhausting being a puppy you know! Even with all these naughty shenanigans, we absolutely love him to bits :)
He's been invited to go to a "Puppy Party" tonight - goodness only knows what the veterinary nurse will think of him!

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A Free Giveaway - "A Green Guide to Country Crafts"

10/7/2011

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There's a fab giveaway over on this great blog A Thrifty Mrs - hop over there and take a look - leave a comment, or link it to your blog, or twitter about it, and you could be in with a chance of winning a copy of a FAB-U-LOUS book "A Green Guide to Country Crafts" by those wonderful girls Nicola and Jacqueline, who run a superb arts and crafts emporium over at Needham Market, called Halfpenny Home.....

.....I was really lucky and got the chance to see this book properly when I spent the day at the St Perter's Street Summer Market - Nicola from Halfpenny Home was there and let me have a little peruse of this brilliant book - it's full of great crafting ideas and how-to's and projects - and by the way, did I say it's a great book??

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Christmas in July.....

9/7/2011

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Yes, yes, yes I KNOW it's very early to think about the "C" word, but this fabric was on sale at Quilter's Cloth and I just couldn't resist it......

.....I ordered a fat quarter bundle of "Christmas Eve" by Makower, with extra fabric for the backing and binding, and will use it for a Christmas tablerunner and placemats, using my favourite tablerunner pattern, designed by AnnAKa, Kle kjokkenet i 60-tansdrakt. I'll use the bigger squares for the block centres, and will probably make a start on this on Thursday at quilt group. Hmmm - could use a metallic gold quilting thread for this one to give it a bit of sparkle :)

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<<Previous

Quilts and Curry

A Green Guide to Country Crafts

Christmas in July in Australia

Alder Carr Farm Shop

A Tale of Two Nicolas.....

Georgie's Sunflowers

Magazines, patterns and MORE packs of fabric.....

Just being Jasper.....

A Free Giveaway - "A Green Guide to Country Crafts"

Christmas in July.....

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