Not quilty but a cause for celebration

I promise you will never have to see my feet again but I needed proof that I have done it.
When I got on the scales and I weighed 13st 13 3/4lbs I was a bit horrified and decided I did not want to be 14 st and had to do something about it.
I did do something (mostly not eat fattening foods between meals and use a small plate at tea time) and today here is the proof I have lost 3 stone. Yay When I started I could not have seen 3 st as an achievable weight loss goal (and I am usually really poor at sticking to diets) but first half a stone then stone by stone it goes. I am still only just inside "normal" weight for my height so I think 10st 10lbs will be the next goal by christmas.
On the fabric side of life I have made myself a dress this week from some fabric I bought on e-bay. I like t-shirt dresses at the moment, with plenty of stretch, I have given away almost all my clothes because they are too big and I dont have a lot of money to replace them so t-shirt dresses are a good solution. I would love to find a good dressmaker locally who could help me with fitting I would like to make some flattering trousers but I can't see the back and Hubby really won't do!
I am off to the model engineering exhibition today so I will have a good day, hope you do to Liz

Piecemakers show and a happy man

This is what I have been working on for the last few weeks. It is a birthday gift for my son who happened to come home for the weekend. He asked if I had finally finnished his quilt (as he often does) and was very supprised when I said I had, but not so pleased when he asked if he could see it and was told it was hanging in a quilt exhibition. He had to wait till the following day to see it. Thankfully he thought it was worth the wait.

I can't tell you how over the moon I was that some people had chosen it as their favorite quilt in the show. It is now living in Nottingham.

I was also pleased (and a little relieved) that the bag I had made for the raffle had some tickets in by the time I left on Saturday lunchtime. I wonder who liked it enough to buy a ticket and who has won it. I will be looking out for it. I might have to make another one.

I had made some fabric flower pins for the sales table, someone who bought one said thay had to undo it to see how it was made. How silly, I would have shown them first if they had asked and have since taken a worksheet to them. I was asked and might offer to do a demonstration at the AGM next meeting. Till next time Liz

Last weekend I was busy

Who is driving that loco, hiding behind all that steam?

Who is that hiding behind that drivers hat and underneath all those layers?

Honestly it is me, although my own father only recognised me by my boots! I did my driver training at Rainsbrook Valley Railway last weekend. Thank you Ed. It was a really cold day. I am glad I did it but will have to wait for next year now for the next part as sections of the track are due to be replaced soon.

Next weekend will be fun too! Till then Liz X

What a difference a needle makes

At the weekend I went to a quilt show and met the lovely ladies from Asding. We had a chat (as you do) and I was saying how I was enjoying a little quilting project and about how fab their quilting gloves are but I was having some bearding problems.

You need a topstitch needle she said. She was right. Will my photos do justice to the problem?

Here is an autumnal coloured quilt with quilted leavesHere is the center of the quilt back with significant bearding.Here is a photo of the back of the border, look no bearding.

Thankyou ladies from Asding for excellent advice and Topstitch needles.

I hope to have this quilt quilted in time for our quilt show in a couple of weeks time. It is a belated gift for my son's birthday. I am not going to admit how belated, but in a way I am glad because I know I have made a better job of it now than I would have done then. Thats my excuse and I will be sticking to it.

Quilt blog inspiration

Thanks to a tip from someone on BQL I have been inspired to quilt by Leah Day. She has a blog and a challenge to create a new free motion quilt design every day for a year. Not only that but she shows a short film of herself doing it.
I have a quilt that has been thrown over my wall for ages, I could not decide exactly how to quilt it. I had an idea based on the fabric colours of autumn leaves but I could not quite get it together and make a start. This lady gave me the kick I needed and the results I am quite pleased with. I hope to show you soon but in the mean time please look at
freemotionquilting.blogspot.com

fabric flowers

I was asked at the weekend if I had given up blogging and it looked like it, but my mother told me if you have nothing good to say then say nothing. As I have not been very productive and have nothing I am pleased with to show, then I have nothing to blog about.

Saturday was spent at Rocheberrie Quilters and as usual there was plenty of inspiration. I took these flowers to make into broches and several people said they liked them so I thought I would try to photograph (with a new to me camera) and post about them. I made some a while ago and had to make a couple more to remind myself how they were done.

I bought a bag of buttons on Saturday and used some of them for flower centers. My sister says I have a bit of a button fettish which I deny but find it difficult to pass a bag without having a good look. Buying or even better being given old buttons makes me happy. I am smiling just thinking about them. Is there a club for people like me? My name is Liz I am a button addict.

Till next time, be patient Liz

Two things I am pleased with!

I am perhaps sad but I had to photograph this because I wasn't sure I believed it. Here is the proof that I have indeed now lost exactly two stones in weight. I have waited a long time to see 11 something. Only half a stone to go and I will nolonger be `overweight`.

Now quilty things. I made this bag because my husband is a koi keeper and we were going to the koi show in Newark. I found this fabric ages ago and finally found a use for it. The pattern is from a magazine the latest one with loads of bag patterns but I have lent it to a friend so can't tell you whch one. It is shown in neutral checks, but I altered it anyway by making the opening wider. I really like it and although it is not pieced it has got lots of free motion quilting round the fish and following the water pattern. It made a great swimming kit bag yesterday.