Recent days and weekend plans

Still struggling with those post titles...

Anyway, life has been doing that thing, rolling along merrily, so time for an update.

I had another go at my beach hut block, this time after purchasing a little stack of Liberty fat quarters specifically for that purpose.

I changed the block a bit as I was seeing 'shed' more than 'beach hut'.  I am still seeing shed, and have realised that the steepness of my roof is at least partly to blame.  Design number three required!

Clare and Emily for the sand
Rosy Blue for the sky
Betsy for the shed hut walls
Petal and bud for the door

I started a new blog!  I needed somewhere to put details of my workshops and suppliers that I use, maybe even a few tutorials.  You can find it here if you fancy a look!

Last Friday was a momentous day for Miss U-t-B, as she received her first 'proper' pay packet!  She has actually been working since late November as a tutor in an 'Explore Learning' centre.  She loves the work, almost always coming out from her shifts cheerful and full of what she enjoyed (even the ones that start straight after college and continue till 8pm). But due to some administrative problems, she hadn't yet received any pay... A few tears had been shed, mainly when the sales were on - she refused to borrow any money to allow herself to buy a few treats so missed out on the bargains.

On Friday morning before college, there was a whoop of joy as she looked at her bank balance to find she had finally been paid!  She said it was a fairly painless way of having saved up nearly £500, and later treated Mr U-t-B and I to a fish and chip supper to celebrate!  Bless!

Sunday was Mr U-t-B's birthday.  I normally do a big family meal, but with all sorts going on on Saturday, decided to treat him (and me, in that I wouldn't be doing the cooking...) to a pub lunch.  Instead of the lunch, we had a little tea party - I did some baking whilst Miss U-t-B took him to the cinema to see 'Non-Stop' which they both really enjoyed.  He then had the company of his two eldest, their partners and his two grandchildren, with tea and sweet treats thrown in. 

I made these ginger cookies to use up the stem ginger that was in the fridge.  The recipe is Chris Evans' wife Tash's and I can heartily recommend it.  Just don't overcook them, because they are gorgeous when still a bit soft.

(They're still very good when they've had a couple of minutes more in the oven, just watch out for your teeth!)

I also made a nice Genoese-type sponge, which I filled with cream and some blueberries from the freezer.  

This weekend I plan to be making this...

The Family Reunion Dress
Picture courtesy of Oliver and S

I have loved this pattern for a considerable while but have, it is true, always baulked at the price.  But with certain little misses in the family at the age when this dress would be irresistibly cute, I could hold off no longer, and I also came up with a dressmaking challenge which I'd like to do once a month.  My plan is to choose a pattern and fabric early on a Thursday morning, order it before nine from some unwitting online supplier and see if they can deliver in time for a weekend of stitching!  Quite a tall order, but I know some suppliers turn orders round really quickly, and I want to know who they are!

This is the fabric I have chosen for the Family Reunion dress...

'Pretty Floral' from the Yay Day collection by Emily Isabella
Picture courtesy of BirchFabrics

I have chosen a supplier who has given me fast delivery before, so my fingers are crossed, my pins are ready and the sewing machine is warming up!  

Hope you have something good planned for the weekend - I hear it might be time to crack out the barbecues on Sunday!

Liberty Tana Lawn Patchwork Needlecase

So here are a couple of the things I have made so far with some little pieces of that lovely Tana lawn.

(Yes - I do struggle to cut into it, but I steel myself as otherwise I couldn't justify having bought it!)

Some little, patchwork-y, ricrac-y needlecases.

I learnt a new technique for piecing small patchworks, courtesy of Very Berry Handmade's Rainbow Coaster tutorial.

It's so much easier than the way I would have done it before and ends up so much neater, even though the pieces are so small and fiddly (only 1" square in the finished article).

Here's how I made the needlecases...

Next on the list, a coordinating scissor case...

Fabric-alicious friday

Work being finished for the time being, I felt I could treat myself to a little bit of fabric indulgence.  

Liberty Tana lawn indulgence!

Some patchwork is planned, so lots of little bits were required.

Pinks and turquoises...

And then LOTS of purple-y hues, to go with a suitcase I plan on doing out as a sewing basket.

I tried to be clever putting the names on the photos, but it was impossible to choose a colour that showed up for some.  

This one is called Poppy and Daisy, Petal and Bud.  

It is the same print as Poppy and Daisy but on a smaller scale.  I am very taken with this one, which I hadn't seen before, and feel a tunic might be required!  Tana lawn may not be the cheapest of fabrics, but I know that it lasts and lasts, so it is worth the investment.

This is the Poppy and Daisy that is normally seen...

'Pepper' is the first Liberty print I ever remember buying - from 'Galeries Lafayette' in Paris when I was eighteen!  Ooh la-la! 

Wiltshire

Thorpe

Today I will be working with the one and a half inch squares I cut yesterday. Back with the results soon!

If you like Liberty prints and want small pieces to work with, I can highly recommend the following two links, both of which have given me super fast service.

Very Berry Fabrics 

Alice Caroline

And if you're after metres of the lovely stuff, it's worth visiting

Shaukat

for discounted prices (just remember the price on the website is without VAT).

Off to do some stitching!