Christmas Through the Year

I managed to make one little gift this month. I used the pattern for the ear bud pouch that I got from Erin's blog Dog Under My Desk. I noticed that she had a cute heart pouch along the same lines. Cute idea. I'm sure you could work out the pattern based on the ear buds purse.
I think I need two of these. One for each daughter.

You can see what others have made at Darlene's Quilting Daze.

This is an automated post while I am away. I will enjoy reading your comments but I won't be able to reply this time. I am just trying to cut down on the emailing while I am busy touring :)

Happy Quilting,
Val

Union square San francisco

Union square San francisco, a photo by valspiers on Flickr.

Not finding much time to post. The weather is great and the shopping is great. I have bought some lovely silks and a fabulous larger than life great horned owl puppet that has a moving head and blinking eyes and i bought a tea set. Trying hard to keep to my budget. We set off for Portland tomorrow Monday 27th. I will be staying at the same hotel here in SF on the way home and they have agreed to hold some of my purchases til I get back. Phew. Just as well. They are getting heavy.
Happy quilting,
Val

1 Christmas Item a Month

I needed something quick and easy this month so I made a few coasters to go with the place mats I made last year. I used the big baubles printed on the fabric and put in a bit of wadding. I also interfaced the top fabric. I made a jigsaw wadding piece from my scraps and did the same with my interfacing scraps. They probably wouldn't withstand machine washing but that is OK.

Raw edge. Wadding can be seen.

No turning. Just sew around the rough cut pieces then trim close to the stitching.

You can see what others are making over at Narelle's blog Pins and Whiskers.

This is an automated post while I am away. I will enjoy reading your comments but I won't be able to reply this time. I am just trying to cut down on the emailing while I am busy touring :)

Happy Quilting,
Val

Tuesday Treasures

I pulled out a few more of my favorite children's books when I put the others away. Both the girls loved these books. The first is Winifred's Bed by Lynn and Richard Howell.

As you can see on the cover she has a cot that is too small.

It has beautiful end papers

As you turn each page another toy hops off the shelf and into her new bed.

They push her over each time.

Until finally her cat gets in and she falls on the floor.

The second is There Was an Old Woman by Stephen Wyllie and Maureen Roffey. They are both great books to encourage young readers to join in.

All the things have flaps ...

with cute pictures underneath.

She buys all sorts of animals to stop the noise that is keeping her awake.

Why not share some treasures. Link up at The House on the Side of the Hill with the lovely Melody.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Trying to blog on my iPad

, a photo by valspiers on Flickr.

I can share a photo through Flickr directly to my blog but I can't just add photos to a normal post.

Tea and books

I made a little tea time wallet a while back but it is only big enough for about 4 wrapped tea bags. Since I want to take a few more with me on my trip I used up some scraps to make another teabag holder for the extras.

I also saw the tutorials on Polka dots and Rick rack and couldn't resist immediately making a tissue pocket. Trouble is I was being so careful to put the backing right side in that I forgot that the folded pieces would be turned as well and lined up the nicest bits of the pattern facing me instead of facing down. Ah well.  It still looks OK and does the job. I think I will have time to make a few of them for my Christmas club. I still have to make something Christmassy. I need some new coasters and hey! I can use the tissue pocket design to make them. I just thought of that as I was writing and it will be perfect.
I finished two more books. Once I get reading I tend to have 2 or 3 going at once so I finished all three this week. I have plenty on my iPad for the trip as well as two Stitch magazines.

I love all the Judge Knott books. Nice murder mysteries with a bit of romance.

I have read this one a long time ago and couldn't remember most of it. It is a good crime story. Suspenseful and good characters.

I will do a post on Tuesday for Tuesday Treasures and then I am going to turn off the send comments to email function. While I am away I will make some posts and comment on blogs but I am not going to try to reply to comments.
I just got news that one of our US tour party had to opt out this week because she broke her upper arm a little while ago and it is in a splint that makes it impossible for her to do things for herself. 3 months she will have the splint on! Everything is go for me - touch wood.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Tuesday Treasures

I went looking for The Patchwork Cat because I wanted to see what her quilt was like. It is kept in a box of my favourite story books from when the girls were little plus a few of my childhood favourites. If you have never read Knock Three Times I can highly recommend it for adults and children alike. We always called it The Rolling Pumpkin :) I still have the one I read as a child. DD2 bought her own paperback when she was a teenager.
I had seen it was Tuesday Treasure day on blogger and wondered what I could post about. When I saw the books in the box I just had to pull some out and I knew I had found my treasures to post about. Which ones to show? I love them all. Here are just three.

Keep You Mouth Closed, Dear by Aliki.
The little crocodile accidently swallows things that he gets close to and his mother is afraid for his safety. It all ends happily when he swallows the vacuum cleaner hose and all the things are sucked out.

Down in the Woods by Nicola Smee
The toy bear always has muddy feet in the morning so the little boy follows him and sees that he is having a teddy bear picnic in the woods. The little boy dresses up like a bear and joins the party. When his mask comes off he is concerned he will scare them all but his teddy bear vouches for him and they all have a good time. DD1 liked this one because her bunyip would have dirty feet sometimes and this explained it.

The Patchwork Cat by Nicola Bayley and William Mayne.
Because the quilt is dirty and torn it gets thrown away. The cat follows it to the tip then on her way home the milko sees her and recognising her he takes her home with her quilt. Realising how important the quilt is her owner washes and mends it.

Melody is the host for Tuesday Treasures. Why not find a treasure and join in or just check out all the treasures in the linky.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Card case design and free pattern

On my US tour I am going to collect business cards from each place we visit and from the vendors at the sewing expo. On previous shopping tours I have tried to collect some cards but when I got home they were in various parcels and got put onto various tables. I had no plan for them. This time I have made a special card case to keep them together and when I get home I will put them in a folder page to keep in my sewing room. I also want to write on the back of each card as I get it the item or items I might want to buy or top up at a later date.

I drew up a design and made it up in some cute postcard fabric I recently bought. The fabric is Christmas fabric but the post cards are so cute and perfect for a card case. The size of the pockets is a bit bigger than ones I have seen online. They are deep enough to completely cover the card and enough ease in the width to hold a decent pile of cards. The tab is long and has extra loop velcro so it can expand with the case.

I made one for myself and it was so easy I decided to make 5 more for my traveling buddies. There are only six of us on the tour. I played around with my signature bird and made some special tags for them.

When I get back I will use the case for all my loyalty cards and library card etc. All those cards that just won't fit in the purse. I have had a separate card case for more than a year now and it works really well. Time for a nice new one though :)

I have a photo tutorial and pattern to cut out with instructions in Googledocs. Feel free to download it.

Card Case Pattern

While you are in the mood to download why not download my  yoga basic routine  and my special hip exercises.  No matter how stiff you are you can approximate the positions til you get more flexible. You will be surprised how much tension you hold in your hips and it affects the circulation in your legs. Two reasons I added the hip exercises - I had pain in my hips like arthritis and it is now gone, I was getting clots in my calves that were inflamed and very painful, none since I have been stretching my hips.

Check out the cute zippy purse links in my side bar. I love the macaroon. Not very useful but very cute.

50 books in 50 weeks
Nearly forgot to add that I have finished another book. Another cosy mystery but it has both quilts and cats this time. The main character is 41 and recently widowed after she moves to a small town. I enjoyed it. The Cat, the Quilt and the Corpse by Leann Sweeney. There are two others in the series I think. I have read 5 books this year.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Happy Quilting,
Val

Round up

I have been doing quite a few things this last week.
I had a play in google+ which is a bit like facebook.
I saw Stitched Around the Block on Pins and Whiskers and added the link to my side bar. It is finished now but Helen at Hugs'n'Kisses has kindly left the design up still. I like the look of it and have printed it out ready to start :)
I made myself a mug bag to take my mug to the quilting group.

I had a play with some tiny squares that I got from the group. There are hundreds of them all a bit bigger than 1 1/2 inches so they need to be trimmed first. I am making another kitchen mat.

I have finalised the planning for the US trip. Now all I have to do is finish my blazer and trousers. I have only cut the trousers out and I have to put the lining in the blazer.

I finished a light knit top to take as well.

I made another book mark and finished another book.

I am making another book mark with a teapot at one end and a mug at the other. Just a bit more to do on that one.
Don't forget to have a look at the links in my side bar. There may just be something you can't live without. The miniature knits are just so cute and the quick table runner looks great. I will have to send the picture of the owl cupcakes to DD2. She likes making cup cakes and I thought the year of the dragon stitchery was something I might have a go at. Maybe put it on a notebook.
Everything that makes it to the side bar gets archived in the Favourite Finds page. I haven't bothered putting in the pictures just the links and a title.
I am sure you have seen this page before but just in case you haven't it is a great long list of free patterns for all sorts of things. Have a look at Think Liz - free sewing patterns.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend and get lots of sewing done.

Happy Quilting,
Val