Sorry to be away for sooooooo long, but where does time fly? OMG, its nearly May already.

Any way, first up, I want to thank Faharna for the inspiration for this blankie

Masha Allah I love how you did it Faharna, see it here.

It is a very similar pattern, that I thought would be good practice for my crochet, as I haven’t done much since I was little, and then I couldn’t make granny squares, square. So I gave up, until recently.

I am working on a lap blanket at the moment and I will be… if I can get a picture of it that turns out. The pattern cannot be seen at all. I don’t know if its the colour of the wool or what.

So when it is finished if I still can’t get a good picture I will post a link so you can see what it looks like with a proper picture LOL

Speak to you all soon

Baby H’s mouse mittens

Rabbit mittens

WordPress is finally letting me add pictures again, yippee!

The mittens above are my new knitting venture. It has taken me so long to find a pattern that works I have totally missed the cold and snow for Baby H.

Never mind, I’m sure there will be more cold weather for him to wear them.

The rabbit mitts (I really don’t think that they look like rabbits) were supposed to be a birthday present for the little girl next door.

It was her 2nd birthday last week, but on the day her mum had a total freak out session on hubby, so needless to say I didn’t go to the little un’s birthday party,

so they are still sitting on my desk waiting…

I have also started making some jewelry. I am having fun making it. Its like quilting and knitting. It totally relaxes me. i have so much jewelry now that I need a second jewelry box.

Even hubby has been having a go…

This is the first thing that he made me

With these earrings to match

This is one of the first charm bracelets that I made

Turquoise is one of my favourite stones and my birthstone

If you want to see more of what I have been up to go to my Flickr page.

I even have some cards that I need to take pictures of. Will add them soon.

Hopefully I won’t be away for so long next time.

There have been abnormal cells, colposcopy clinics and antidepresant tablets, need I say more…

I haven’t even been quilting. I have made one and half quilts in four months.

I have three or four more quilt tops that are pinned and just need quilting and binding and then putting up for sale.

Be there soon.

Will be seein’ ya’ soon

You have probably noticed that I have changed my name, did it by deedpoll a couple of months ago, so no more Claire (except mum)

Hi every one still here. Just a quick post to let you know what I have been up to. Well I did go into a load of info and try to add pictures of what I have been up too, but wordpress is having a silly session, won’t upload pictures and has deleted the whole post, so hopefully I will be updating this tomorrow.

If you would like to see pics go over to my flickr page and take a look.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madebyclaire/

Hi every one, I’m still here. Just a quick post to say Merry Christmas to each and every one.

I hope that you all have a great holiday, will post pics in the new year.

Speak soon

I hope that you are all doing well. Wow, been busy. Sorry for not posting pics of the cat and mouse quilt sooner, but they are here now…

This is exactly as the pattern asks for fabric wise. The quilting is too in the center, but on the border The pattern shows quilting along every line, but as it was a custom order and I was running out of time, I just did some large stippling. It still looks ok though. I am pleased with it. The only thing that I am not pleased with is the person who bought it left no feedback what so ever. Didn’t even send me an email to say that it arrived. I know the have it though as the day they ordered this quilt they had bought another one of me, which I posted. They didn’t leave feedback or let me know that it arrived, so when it was time for posting this quilt I sent it signed for so I could track it on the internet. So I know they have this one… Aren’t some people strange…

Any way, the main reason I have been away for so long is that we went back to Bahrain for the Eid celebrations to see Hubbies family and surprise them. They were all a bit shocked. It was nice to be back for a while. But back in the UK now. It has been very wet since we got back and I’m not sure if I’m jetlagged or if I have got this SADS thingy from the depressing weather, but I can’t get my backside into gear. I am so tired. Feeling a little better now though.

The socks that I knit for Baby H, I haven’t taken pics of Hubbies socks yet (Bad blogger), let me know if you see a trillion mistakes or dropped stitches. I’m sure you knitters will see something…LOL

Baby H’s socks. They are a bit long in the leg, but I followed the pattern and this is what I got. Baby H loves them. He calls them his rainbow socks. So what can I say?

Speak soon, hopefully it won’t be as long next time.

for you to look at, as I have been busy with a cat and mouse quilt in blue. Will post you some pics when its finished so you can see what it looks like in blue. I am looking forward to seeing it finished. Any way the cards, and they are listed in my ebay shop if you would like to buy one…

This one has a matching envelope

This one is not for sale, its the card I made for Gran for her birthday, I just forgot to post about it. It is hand embroidered. Gran says she is going to frame it…

Speak soon

Take a look at my latest quilts…

The picture fabric is from France. I picked up a couple of meters while I was there and have been waiting to do something with it. I have also made a burp cloth and bib with the same fabric combo.

Number quilt. My gran sent me this with a load of fabric scraps, so I thought I would make it up.

Sales on the Mickey and Donald fabric have stopped, so I thought I would make something out of the two.

All the foliage you see on the pictures behind the hedgehog in the previous post has been removed by management maintanence, and I haven’t seen the l;ittle fellow since. Slugs are eating the bread and milk that I put out for him. I hope the little guy is ok and just had to move house…

Speak soon

This is what has been keeping me busy. It has taken me a while as it is half hand sewn and I’m not the best hand sewer in the world, but I’m getting better. I used to hate hand sewing but now I’m quilting I am beginning to like it. I am even working on some hexagon paper peicing.

Any way back to the quilt…

The young girl next door claimed it as hers after just seeing one cat. She has a daughter and the little one likes cats. As you can probably tell from the photo’s her name is Brooke.

She finally has it and squealed when she saw all the cats. LOL

Speak soon

It’s all I seem to be saying at the moment. I just can’t get my backside into gear.

As promised some pics from our little holiday in France.

This tractor belongs to the farmer from up the road. Here he has blocked the road so he can move cows. He had let Baby H in and have a go at moving the bucket up and down, but I missed it as I was talking to Hubby on the computer. Todd managed to get himself in the shot.

This is my duck, he doesn’t have a name, but he is around 4 years old now. I picked him and another (that the fox got) when I was staying with my mum before I went to Bahrain. The next picture is of my mum’s fat chickens…

My Hubby bought me a new camera before we left so I could take some good shots, not that the weather let me. But it had a macro button and I have not had this option before so I took pictures of some flowers and weeds. I don’t know the names of all of them, so you will just have to look and say OOOOHHHHH!!!!!

I don’t know what the second flower is called (mum did tell me) but I love the forget-me-nots and the rosemary.

I have been busy since I got back trying to fill the shop up again. I have finished two quilts and I am now working on a third, but I need to get some batting. The first picture and the quilt I am working on now are from half jelly rolls.

I was reading Creative little daisy’s blog and she had made a quilt out of charm squares. I had purchased a pack of 100 charms, but didn’t know what to do with them, so when I saw Autum’s blog I thought great I’ve got to do one of those to get rid of the charms. So here it is…

To finish of with, I have been making some cards, as I can do that easily around Baby H. This is one that I made for my Nan’s birthday…

Speak soon

that I haven’t posted for awhile, but I have been in an almighty low. Really tired and can’t be bothered to do any thing. Although I have still been sewing, I just couldn’t be bothered to post about them. I don’t know if its because the miscarriage dragged on for so long.

Any way here I am, bright and breezy. house is clean, laundry is done and now I have a few mins to post while Baby H watches ‘Bear in the Big Blue House, Potty Time with Bear’. I have read in a few places that it has helped with potty training. Well he’s watching…

I have been working on some new quilts and other stuff.

I have started with these two scrappy stripey pram quilts. I love making them as they are so quick. The plain one has sold already.

I made this toddler nappy/diaper bag with a matching tissue holder as you need emergency tissues as much as you need emergency nappies and wipes. There is a pocket that can fit wipes in so that the wipes are separate from the nappies.

I have also been making mother’s day present, but I can’t post you pictures of my mum’s gift as it still hasn’t arrived in France and she doesn’t want to see pics. She still has faith in the mail service. We will see.

I will post pictures of my Gran’s present when I have got them of the camera. Still not done it.

I am working on a website and new blog, but its very slow. Will post the big reveal when it is finished or at least when I am happy with it.

Speak soon

I am working on some other stuff, but you have to be patient with me as I can’t shift this miscarriage. I have been for medical management and now a D&C, so god willing we will be able to start trying again soon.

Will post as soon as I get some pictures.

Speak to you all soon

I have been busy with some new quilts. Do you remember the lily pad quilt that I did, well originally that was going to be a set, cot bumper etc. The filling of the bumper was quite expensive and I wouldn’t have made the money back on it, so I turned it into a quilt. Its the same design, just a slightly different layout.

The backing and the binding is the same as the 1st quilt.

The next quilt is a top that my Gran sent down with some fabric. Its a stack of farm animals. I had read in one of my new quilting books about quilting by outlining, and I wanted to try it. I thought that this would be a perfect quilt to try it on.

You can see the pattern very clearly on the back.

I am also working on a quilt for hubby and myself. Its called Le Moyne Star.

I will send progress pics as I go on.

Speak soon

I have been working on this quilt for a while now.It has taken awhile as I have been waiting for fabric to arrive that I have ordered from the internet.

There is also fabric that has been sent by my Mum and my Gran.

I have bought fabrics with Thomas the Tank engine, Bob the Builder, Nemo, then fabrics with fish, cars, cats, dogs, stars. You name it, its in there. I wanted him to be able to search and find things. I have seen a similar idea and its called an ‘I Spy Quilt’. So there you go, that’s what it is called.

  

I am not sure if you can see this very clearly, but it’s bright and colourful. Baby H keeps saying “Nice!!” So I think that he likes it.

I have had a new machine so I have embroidered his name on it. It’s quite large, so should last him a few years. I could probably fit under it.

I hope that you have all had a great Christmas and a happy new year. Wishing you all the very best and hope that you get what you wish for…

I am feeling much better, just waiting for everything to clear away so I can start trying again. That’s supposed to be the fun bit, right?

My hubby has been great, baby H has kept me occupied and busy. My mum has been there to listen if I need her (aren’t mum’s great?) I have been busy on a quilt, which has helped, as I go into my own little world when sewing. When my mum was over, we went to a craft fair that I had tickets for and I got some lovely material. Four different kinds, but they all go really well. The thing is it is green and I don’t usually go for green, but I must be getting old as I am starting to like it. (Had a birthday by the way, but wasn’t in the mood to celebrate it, but it means that I am getting older. I won’t say how old, but my mum knows…)

Any way here is the quilt, the photo’s aren’t great as the light has been really naff now it has got cold.

I thought I would show you the close up first, just so you can see just how colourful and bright the fabric is. You see why I fell in love with it?

I really need to take a better picture of it.

I did stitch in the ditch quilting and I am really pleased with it, the back looks as good as the front. If I may say so myself.

And one more for good luck…

Its up for sale on ebay if you want to go and have a look. It was going to be part of a set. I was doing a bumper and pillow to go with it and then changed my mind, so the bumper is a similar quilt and believe me it wants to be a bumper. It has been doomed from the get go. Its telling me to let it be a bumper, but I am saying NO, you will be a quilt. There have been lots of ripping, but it is finally getting there. It has kept me more busy than the original quilt

I have lost the baby. So if you don’t see me around for a while, its because I don’t feel like talking. I am still crafting as it helps take my mind of things. Will post as soon as I feel better. Speak soon

Claire

is finally finished, and I am really proud of it. For my first scrappy quilt I think that it has turned out ok.

I have also done a burp cloth with the left over scrappy squares that I had left over, which is also quilted. The burp cloth is not for sale. It is mine!!!! For the new baby.

Most of the fabric has come from my lovely step Gran Vi. A couple of the strips are Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine which had for Baby H. As I am doing a quilt for him.

Thanks to Claire for doing a pay-it-forward on her blog and I won. I am sorry Claire that it has taken me so long to blog this, but I am so tired with this pregnancy. It is wiping me out. Here is what I won from Claire

There are a few rules to this pay-it-forward;

1. You leave a comment here on my blog and request to join the Pay It Forward exchange.

2.The first three comments who agree to join will receive a little something from me (a surprise of course) within 365 days.

3.You return the Pay It Forward by making the same promise on your blog. How fun is that!!!

So there you go, leave a post.

I have received some fabric and scraps from my step-gran, and I have made a pram quilt with the scraps. I got the idea for this Scrap strip method tutorial from happythings blog. Just scroll down until you find it. there is lots of other great stuff too. It’s nearly finished, I just have to quilt it.

I have finally got the pictures onto the Mac. I have also made a bib and burp cloth to match the bag.

There are three pockets on the outside of the bag. A large one on the front, an elasticated on on the right side and a flapped pocket on the left side.

Inside the bag there is a large pocket along the bag of the bag, a side pocket on each side, and two elasticated pocket along the front.

There is also a shoulder pad.

The fabric is really cute, with lots of teddies and balloons.

The bib and burp cloth.

Let me know what you think. I am quite proud of it.

My mum has been to visit us while we are nearby. It was also a bit of a fly-by as she was on her way to see my grandad who is quite sick in hospital. God willing you will be better soon Grandad.

The booties have been finished for a while and are listed on Ebay . So hopefully some luck selling on there.

The pink butterfly ribbon that I spoke of before has been added to the upper and sole.

Pfaff has finally arrived from Bahrain and my mac. Welcome. I missed them both so much.

I have been woking on Bitty Booties while waiting for them to arrive.

I made these with pink and purple felt. Yippee that I can now get coloured felt. I embroidered the flowers with matching purple embroidery silk.

These were made with green and blue felt with yellow embroidered stars.

I am making some more with this fabulous, groovy butterfly ribbon.

I am sorry that its not very clear. I couldn’t get a good shot of it. Out of around a dozen pictures that I took, this is about the best one. At least you can get the idea. Will post pictures as soon as they are finished.

Speak soon