the doors

Today we have two new doors*

not just new doors but new doors with new rooms behind!

*vintage doors from 'house of reclaim' in Fordingbridge

chair from 'the dump' (painted by me)

cute vintage patchwork cushion from local carboot sale...

don't you love her madly?

just..

hanging out with the guys!

didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to the Olympics

 So this is where I spent last Friday!

I'll let the pictures do the talking...

 *Yohan Blake....swoon

What an amazing day and a wonderful Olympics,

thank you to all the brilliant volunteers and all the Athletes of course!

*ps. I seem to have developed a teensy bit of a crush on Yohan Blake...lush!

a creative slump..

It seems it's not just me who's having a creative fugg...

 goodness knows how long it's been like this,

thank heavens for country living magazine,

what a great support!

 So you can see why I have creators block,

but you can't hear why..

if you could you would hear

 workmen knocking through our dining room wall,

high pitched singing

and lots of spine chilling drilling.

Roll on 4 o'clock when I can tiptoe downstairs to take a looky!

building materials..

 Never under estimate the stress of building work

or...

the generosity of bloggers.

I have Deb from Simply Miss Luella

to thank for all these lovely florals

all the way from California!

Deb you have rescued me from a land of noise and disruption,

now to find my creative mojo...

a word from my sponsors

 Being an independent quilter I don't rely on sponsor's*

for my fabrics.

However I do have my own fabric sponsors

they are my family and friends.

 Last week was my birthday week

and it was overflowing with fabric.

The first was a luscious bundle across the pond from my pal Mary

from Molly Flanders

I'm sure you have all met her by now,

but if not go take a look,

she is a true inspiration.

Thank you Mary!!

 Another bloggy friend who is never empty handed

Lisa from Jumble and Jelly

gave me these two above.

Fabric is fabric,

I don't care if they've had a past life,

I can give them new lives.

The turquoise has already been chopped!

 The very pretty rose floral is a huge pair of  rescued curtains

courtesy of my Mother in law.

I thought they would make great outdoor cushions or

hang them as they are!!

That was until I found this beauty.

£5 from a charity shop!

I think it's vintage...it's called anemone from fothergay.

There is at least 5 metres of  it.

I think it would make an awesome door curtain for our new extension,

just don't tell the old man!
How lucky am I?
I think I shall make a new resolution
that my birthday week will always
contain fabric in some form or other.

*ps I'm not immune to the idea of a fabric sponsor,

I'll do anything for fabric!

project gingham reveal : crosstown traffic

 cross town traffic or candy boy?

 I'd love to say that the creating of this runner was all good...

whilst I loved working with the jazzy gingham

I did not enjoy working with the polycotton 

and neither did my machine!
It really should be called Calamity Jane.

 As I am only using fabric from my stash this year,

I've used an old flannelette pillowcase for the backing.

It was actually a bad purchase from ebay,
when it turned up

it was one of those 'I'm never going to use that' moments

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

 I've not used wadding for frugal reasons...

I drew lines with a ruler and a water soluble pen  

hand quilted with two shades of turquoise perle cotton.

In an effort to find the brightest part of the house,

I've been going from room to room,

and have just realised these two above go so well together,

hence the 'candy boy'.

More gingham reveals can be found here

If you've been inspired to give gingham a go

remember to use a cotton gingham,

you wont regret it!

ps.

Happy 4th of July.

pps.

don't be tempted to bind with stretch gingham

it's not clever and never pretty....