can you help?

The lovely Lynne of Lily's Quilts is organising a great charity drive on her blog at the moment, have you seen it?

Basically she's looking for donations of quilts to go to an amazing charity called Siblings Together. In a nutshell this charity runs camps across the UK during the summer for Siblings that have been estranged within the care system. These camps are amazing for such children as they get chance to spend time and have fun with their siblings with whom they have been separated from.


Lynne is hoping to get enough quilts together so that each child can have one to take home after the camp.


Checkout Lynne's posts here, here, here and here for more information on this fantastic project.


I really hope that lots of you can join in and make this summer extra special for some great kids!


PS: I'm still waiting for a baby to arrive!!! 6 days overdue now.

keeping busy

That's all I can do right now!


My due date is tomorrow and honestly I've not had any inclination at all this baby is about to put in appearance. I'm so impatient, fed up and fat!


If he doesn't appear of his own free will over the weekend I'm having my membranes swept on Monday morning (Ewww, yuk!). So wait we will have to do.


To keep busy I've done a little sewing and knitting here and there and some cross stitch too.


I made this cute little pouch for a friend who has supported me lots this last couple of months.

photo taken with iPhone

It's inspired by the 'Delightful Linen Bag' from Zakka Style. If you've not had chance to get this book then I highly recommend it, I'll be attempting a lot of the projects at some point which is unusual as often books only have the one or two projects in them that you know you'll make - or is that just me?!!


There's an exciting Sew-A-Long going on over the summer months that's been arranged by Lindsey of LR Stitched and Amy of Don't You Know Who I Am? It will go through all 24 projects in the book, each one done step by step stylie by 24 of our favourite bloggers. The Sew-A-Long kicks off on Monday 2nd April through to Monday September 10th with a new project each week. I know I'll be joining in with some of the projects for sure! There are lots of great prizes up for grabs along the way too if you needed any more persuading!!

I've also completed this cute cross stitch WIP which is going to be hung near Hunter's crib

And I've completed the March 'Dessert of the Month Club' cross stitch on my sampler too!

I've been busy knitting in between all this which I still find a slow process but I'm determined to finish this cardigan for Holly before I start knitting my first pair of socks, which I'm very excited about let me tell you!

I'm knitting the sleeves now and then all I have to do is knit the collar and stitch it all together - the end is in sight! Huzzah!

Hope you all have a great weekend and keep sending those positive birthing vibes!!!

waiting...

That's all I'm doing just now. Waiting.


I'm 39 weeks pregnant today, he's head down and engaged. Waiting. My midwife is convinced he's waiting for me to get well again, she says our bodies are amazing things and that I'll hold onto him until I'm well. Thank goodness I'm starting to feel better!


I've had a rubbish week really, thought I was in a slow labour on Monday night so went to Labour ward early on Tuesday morning.Turns out it wasn't labour but a nasty UTI/Kidney infection which they kept me in for. For the next 12 hours I was attached to a drip getting IV antibiotics and a transfusion as I am so anaemic. Marvellous.

photo taken with iPhone using Instagram app

I'm meant to be resting now until he arrives but it's easier said than done, the home birth is off due to my anaemia and I'm so impatient. If he's not arrived by Wednesday and my iron levels have reached the desired level I might be able to get a membrane sweep to start off the labour. If not I'll still be waiting!


My desire to make and craft has waned tremendously this last couple of weeks. I feel fidgety and unable to concentrate on one thing for too long. I have however managed to make a lovely receiving/swaddling blanket for 'Hunter' from some of my Anna Maria Horner stash of flannels and voiles. I hope to make a couple more as it was very simple. It measures approx 28"x45". 

photo taken on iPhone using Instagram app

I've also been working on a Super Stitchettes Cross stitch that has been a WIP for months! I'm going to get it framed in a hoop and hang near Hunter's crib. The pattern is a Wee Wonderfuls one and is very cute don't you think?

photo taken with iPhone using Instagram app

And finally for today here's a shot of Holly with her spoon man she made this morning!! She did it all herself apart from squeezing the glue on which I did under her close direction of course!

photo taken on iPhone using Instagram app

That's all for today - fingers crossed next time I type I have a baby here to keep me company!!

swoon finish & more!

There's been a fair bit going on round here since my last post! First up is I finally completed my #6 Swoon block:

photo edited in pixlr.com

I'd be lying if I said that this was easy for me! I had to unpick and re-sew numerous times simply due to lack of concentration and a fuddled baby brain!! To be honest making this quilt was becoming a chore, it was this fact that prompted me to decide whether to do the full 9 blocks or leave it at 6. After much discussion with my Twitter buddies I decide on 6 blocks with wider sashing down the longer sides.


Here's my final layout:

photo edited in pixlr.com

I really like it like this but am wondering whether to add a scrappy border in Anna Maria Horner fabrics. What do you think??


This weekend also saw me start my next quilt project, Whirlygig from Sarah Fielke's book 'From Little Things'. This is a hand appliqued lap quilt which I thought would be great for when the baby arrives and my machine time is limited! Here's a shot of scrap auditioning for the appliqued flowers and leaves:

photo taken with iPhone using Instagram app

And here's where I'm at just now:

photo edited in pixlr.com

The central background fabric is from the Reunion collection by Sweetwater, it's a red herringbone and the bias binding vines are turquoise spotty! Looking at this picture I can see some vines are longer than others so I'll have to trim them!!! So far I've hand sewn down 3/8 vines!


In non-sewing news for this weekend we collected the baby's pram. I am so in love with it, its fab!

photo edited in pixlr.com

It's an iCandy Peach in Tomato and we got the seat unit too for when Hunter's a little older. It's a really sturdy pram so I can walk the dogs without fear of them pulling it over!!


I also began to Smash in my journal, here are a couple of example pages:

photo taken with iPhone using Instagram app

photo taken with iPhone using Instagram app

Finally I just wanted to let you know that my posts may become a bit more sporadic over next couple of weeks!! I found out yesterday that I have dangerously low iron levels and am on bed rest. I have to see the Obstetric Consultant on Friday but it's looking like I'll need a transfusion and my planned home birth is off until I'm sorted and well again. Gutted does not describe how I feel right now :(

lack lustre

That's how I was feeling yesterday!! I had my 'To Do' list planned but by the time I'd seen the midwife mid-morning I'd lost all inclination to even look at it!!


Instead I spent the day pottering about online, reading and doing a little more knitting!

photo taken on iPhone using Instagram app

This photo was taken shortly after I'd cast on, there's much more completed now! Its going to be a lovely sage green cardigan for 'Little Miss H', the yarn is by Sublime and its an organic bamboo cotton double knit, it's very silky smooth. I want to get this cardigan finished so I can start my sock knitting as I know this will be a challenge, not leaving me much time for anything else to concentrate on!


Earlier in the week I was catching up on my blog reading when I came across this post from LaaLaa's blog (which by the way is a very good read!) I've been looking for a 'just me' style of scrapbooking/journalling since the beginning of the year and was until this week failing miserably!


When I saw the Smash journal Laalaa featured I knew it was for me and ordered one immediately from Amazon!!

taken with iPhone using Instagram app

There are so many great accessories that go with the journals it just screamed to the creative me!! I'll be starting the journal from today and hope to record a little of each day so we have a record of family life!!


Anyhow seen as I'm not feeling lacklustre today I'm planning on getting my Swoon block 7 done as well as some work on my appliqued Whirlygig quilt from Sarah Fielkes amazing book 'From Little Things'.


Talking of amazing quilting books I just wanted to congratulate my very good friends Katy, Tacha, Brioni and John aka The Fat Quarterly Team! Their first book 'Shape Workshop for Quilters' is due out very soon, in May! It can be pre-ordered here now!!!

photo courtesy of Katy at Monkey Do!

                                               
Have a great day!!