Relaxing with EPP

I have managed to squeeze in a few days away and have spent the time wisely

 I have finished my ferris wheel.  I have love piecing this together: remember that one sunny weekend we had: I sat in the garden and worked away at this.  I love how it has turned out and would like to make it in to some kind of wall hanging

I have also done these:

In our retreat goodie bag we received a mini pack (2.5" square) of charms of Walk in the woods.  They are so cute and I knew straight away I wanted to EPP them.  I threw in a couple of bits of ruby as well to make up the pattern.  This will become a cushion cover, once I have decided what colour to 'fill in' with. I am thinking a darker colour to show up the pattern

I have signed up for Nickys purse swap as well, which I am really excited about and can't wait to get started on. I just need to go and sort out my mosiac for that!

Water

Its been great to read all the FQ blog posts and relive the experience.  When I was at home on Sunday and everyone was still at the retreat I finished off my Union flag pillow top, which I love (picture to follow)
On Monday evening, I happened to glance at my kitchen wall (as you do) and saw, in horror, at large damp patch coming down from the bathroom. I located the leak, turned off the water and rang the insurance company emergency cover call out.  That was 8pm on Monday.  I rang again 7am Tuesday.  On Wednesday at about midday the plumber rang me, to ask what the problem was and when I would be home. I said 'now'. 'Oh' he replied, 'I have left Tiptree for the day, when else can I come out'.  I may have lost my temper slightly at this point (my water having been turned off nearly 30 hours previously) - told him where to stick his phone call, and rang someone locally. I will be asking the insurance company for a refund. Not the best end to the weekend

 We got together with my brother and his family this week and took some family pics, part of my dads fathers day present

 It took a very long time to get these pictures, there were a LOT of out-takes!! But we did have a laugh

 I have a few finishes and WIPs to show from this week (I have had the week off), so I will download the pictures tomorrow to show.
Hope you are not all drowning in this awful weather!

FQ retreat

Well, yesterday was an AMAZING day - and very surreal.  Sitting next to someone that you chat to over a blog and suddenly you find yourself on a Saturday in June chatting away with them in real life whilst you sew.

 

getting to know everyone



The morning started with everyone trickling in to the main hall after having received an amazing goodie bag.  There were lots of squeals and hugs and peeking at name badges to check that it really was who you thought it was!  I got to meet all my bloggy friends, some just for a few minutes, but mostly I got to have a good chat with them all! And I met new people, some of whom don't blog, some who do. And I got to know others a whole lot better than I did

 

lots of chatting





the FQ team

There was lots of time for sitting and chatting between classes. My first class was frame purses with Katy, which started at 11, so I sat with Fiona (Poppy makes) and Jo (life in lists) :two lovely lovely ladies, while we waited for the class and we sewed and chatted, while others around us did their classes

Freezer paper class (look theres Lucy!!)

 Fiona and I did Katys class.  We got to chose a FQ of Libertys new fabric: there was a lot of oooohing and aaaaahing.  This was my finished article
 

finished purse




finished purse

  Katy was an amazing teacher and Fiona was very helpful, showing me where I had gone wrong when I couldn't figure it out!!
 

everyone threading their purses




Its not a neat job



 I also got to know Di a lot better yesterday. I only discovered her blog recently and it transpires that she lives about 10 mins away from my brother and her son and my nephew go to the same school!!  It was great getting to know her and chatting away, it really didn't seem like we had just met!  

The afternoon class was Lynnes paper piecing.  This was fun and once I got my head around cutting pieces to size rather than using scraps I was fine.  There were some amazing finishes (which of course I didn't get pictures of!!)

 

Lynnes class



finished article - well, a quarter of it anyway

 

My day was topped off by this win in the raffle

I won a jelly roll!!

 The raffle was the most generous one that I have ever taken part in, and I didn't have to purchase the ticket! 

I left at about 7ish.  The journey home was tedious as I don't like the tube and caught the bus, which took forever as London was beyond heaving!

The day was amazing, I really hope the FQ team do it again next year.  I would really like to thank them for all their hard work because without them it would never have happened and I hope they know just how successful it has been

1st of the month



So here we are, the 1st of June: how did that happen!! Its time to link up with

I always seem to fail miserably with mosiacs, so am doing this 'long hand'

Kindle cover

practise ferris wheel EPP

bee blessed blocks

actual ferris wheel EPP

quilt for the hospice charity

scrappy star blocks (love these!)



lots of cathedral pincushions



And finally, my mystery quilt. Finished at last!!

Tomorrow I am heading to London to the FQ retreat-I am only there for the day.  I am so excited to meet all those people that I blog with and sorry for those that I also chat to that can't make it: maybe next year.  I have downloaded my train times.  I also hate going on the tube at any time, so am giving myself lots of time to get the bus: it adds another 30 mins to the journey, but I know I will get the best views of all the jubilee decorations.  I will be taking loads of photos, so I hope I don't bore you on my return!

Jubilee kindle

As some of you may have read on in Sundays post, I bought myself a kindle at the weekend.  Having spent money on that, I wasn't keen to fork out £30 for a cover: so I made my own

 This is the jubilee edition, especially for taking on the train with me this weekend to FQ2012.  As a first design there are some changes I would make and when I do my next one (I have decided that you can't have too many kindle covers) I will make the changes

I used thickish wadding and a heavy bag interfacing for protection.  My kindle is nice and snug in there.  And you know that its ok when your 18 year old says 'cool, can you make me one'!

Chilled out

I honestly can;t remember the last time I had such a lazy weekend: it's been wonderful!  I had a night out on Friday as one of our team was retiring, there were about 20 of us went out for something to eat and we had lots of laughs.

And the weather... how lovely has it been! But not at all condusive to a lot of sewing!

 All of this I did last weekend, but didn't get to blog.  This is the (nearly) completed quilt for the Farleigh Hospice ladies.  I basted it and FMQ'd it in big loops, I was really pleased with how it turned out. Just need to bind it

 And then I got out my spray baste again (amazing stuff) and made a start on my Stained quilt (please dont look at all that ironing on the side!!)

 I also started to quilt it, which you can just about see: I am just going to do waves going across, as this has a seaside theme

I bought a kindle this weekend, just the basic one. I am hooked!! I have downloaded heaps of freebies, one of which I have finished this weekend and was unputdownable. I need to make a cover before the next weekend as it will be great for the train, when I am feeling sick with nerves & excitement......!!

FQ Linky party

so, this time next week ......

I am ridiculously excited to be finally meeting all my virtual bloggy friends for real!  I am taking this opportunity to introduce myself via the FQ London 2012 link. This is me

 .... but I don't think that photo will help you out, so try this instead..


I would like to think I don't always look this gormless, but who knows...



I have been blogging for about 18 months now and have loved every minute of getting to know folks and learning lots of new techniques. I live in Essex, up in the North part, near the sea - in Tiptree, where the jam comes from.  I am a single mum with two fabulous teenage daughters, 15 and 18, and live is good.  I have a great job, although at the moment the hours are long.  I am also studying for my AAT exams and am in my last year, with two exams left to go!!

I am taking the framed purse class on Saturday morning and the paper pieced pillows on Saturday afternoon.  I am only there for the day, but a whole day is so much better than not being there at all.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lynne and Tacha for helping me out today with my supplies list.  They both must have thought they were dealing with a complete idiot (which they were) as I began to panic today when reading about everyones supplies list.  I didnt have one.  I checked back on my original email and on the attachement and could only see a basic list and which classes I was doing.  Several emails back and forth and I still wasn't getting a list.  It wasn't until I actually opened the attachement on my laptop INSTEAD of my blackberry that I realised there was more than one page to the attachment and the other pages listed everything that I would need.  What a complete idiot I am - I need to do some panic buying now.  Thank you so much ladies for your patience.

So, thats me .... thanks for stopping by and can't wait to meet you next week