This little wall hanging was made by a dear friend. I love the Suffolk Puffs as we call them in the UK and these are made special by a lovely selection of buttons, some rather unusual.

 

Quilt of the season

Braid "filler".



Wonky piecing round centre square.



Asymmetric star

On the bed

My "Silent Stars" quilt went on the bed on Christmas Eve. From a 2003 pattern by Gwenfai Rees Griffiths in British Patchwork and Quilting magazine, it contained several inventive blocks; it was wonderful to make and will always be one of my favourites.

Final finish

This is my last finish of 2012, another "Just my Size" project.
I made it using a technique used for one of Dorothy's mysteries on her "Pocketful of Mysteries" lists and patterns for past mysteries can be purchased from her.

Christmas cushions

These make an appearance every year. A lady in Quay Quilters, Doreen, led a workshop when I made the one on the right. I liked the technique so much I made another. Because of the shape I had to make the cushion pads too.
I have slowed down down. My machine is packed away and I am pottering, on holiday from retirement routines! My family descend in batches after Christmas so I'm enjoying the pause.

Memories of childhood

Earlier in the year  I took part in a jolly block swap with transatlantic quilters. We made little people inspired by Kleine Meisje Quilts and for many of us these little people took on lives of their own. I had made some extras and when I remembered our Christmas challenge was memories of childhood I decided to make more little girls wearing old Lancashire cotton apron prints from my late mother's stash. It took one whole day of my quilt retreat. When I got home I pieced them in rows, quilted simply then added writing round the edge including the title "fabric of childhood". Then I gave each a name using my machine's alphabet facility, names common in the classrooms of my childhood but seldom seen now. Motley buttons completed the look

.

It was good to see the other challenges and realise a couple of members had an African childhood more common in the days of "Empire". A very clever one, a many sided ball with each side a faded black and white photo was very tactile; it got picked up quite a lot. But on this never to be repeated occasion my piece won; I was utterly delighted especially as my prize was a Christmas cake  made by excellent cook Vanessa. Alan was pleased too when I got home. We've already broached it and it's delicious.

Sister Santa

The Usual suspects is a group that swaps presents at Christmas - each buys something for one of the others. I am so thrilled with mine. It's a pincushion armchair though whether I can ever bring myself to stick pins in it is a moot point. If I do Judi gave me some lovely fine ones ready to hand plus some marker pins just right for me as I am always arranging and labelling blocks.
Meanwhile the Christmas Elf fancies some R&R.

The seat conceals a secret compartment.

Christmas Elf keeping an eye on the presents in comfort

 

Lunch with the Jolly Snowmen

It was the Ladies-who-lunch Christmas lunch today, only four as one of was ill. We were at Eastwell Manor, Victorian baronial splendour, once the home of one Queen Victoria's spare sons, the Duke of Cumberland, I think. Anyway we had a lovely lunch accompanied by soft piano music from the far corner and stayed long after everyone else with lots to talk about especially as we are in touch with Mel only rarely. I plan to return in high summer with my husband as I believe the grounds are lovely too.
Anyway Mel brought a quilt she has masterminded with her group. They all took a basic snowman and did with it what you will. Mel was responsible for the bikini clad snowlady defying the elements. The group are to raffle it between themselves. What a joy. It makes one want to cheat! Mel has backed and quilted it just right.

And the piano player played on. . .

24 jolly snow people

Flying in the air, with legs.

Who's cold?

We like our scarves.

Just Your Size

Using up some of my old fashioned stash to make blocks using Pocketful of Mysteries "just my size" technique. This is a charity project.

Trip Around the World

I finished the rest of the top I made as a class sample. It's Moda again and very pleasing too. Unadventurous but pleasing. Now I'm wondering how I should quilt it.

Winter Warmer

Currently on the bed is what I think of as my advent quilt.Made from Moda fabrics I thought  it rather boring when I first finished it but I've come to like it very much, especially the hand quilting, viyella back and wool/cotton wadding.


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Trip around the world

Ten of the U3A girls were working on Trip around the World quilts today. This pattern arises naturally from the other work they have been doing this term, particularly Bargello. I'm amazed at how few examples I have to show but here they are:

Sheila's

Gina's using just three fabrics

Janet's
 

Retreat pictures

Heather worked on these one day based on Erin Wilson's site

Here are some of the things my fellow retreaters were working on and yes I did say to tell me if they didn't want pictures on my blog. I do understand there are lots of reasons why someone might not like this.



I think this was Isabel's but not sure.

Definitely Shirley's

Again now not sure - I loved this one.

Julie was finishing someone else's project - the large table was useful here.



Julie's - I liked the block design.
 

Back in earnest

Many thanks toVivin France who took the trouble to check whether my blog was functioning. I found I could get on it intermittently but then it and the blogs of others would be partially dismantled again. Today a very nice man who advertises in our parish magazine came round and sorted us out on several fronts including our TV internet access. I am so pleased! It was a problem with my computer. I could see everything all right on other people's.
Anyway today I finally got round to photographing some more 2012 finishes. The "No simplex stars please" was a transarlantic block swap in 2003. We exchanged batik stars on black, one cold colours and one warm. The participants all made an effort and did lovely work. I discovered my pale green block did not play well with others so it's on the back with more spares. Maggie K. quilted it for me.

Detail - I think these two lovelies are Judi's.

The back

Buzzsaw quilt

detail

The other was started in a jelly roll workshop with Jo Baddleley of Puddleducks and while I quickly completed the blocks I was puzzled how to quilt it. Once Maggie had got her Gammill, problem solved. I think it looks good.

The other good news is that once again I can upload pictures from my computer and don't have to upload them first into Picasa and onto my blog from there. Whew!

Quilting retreat

Manipulated squares

Taking shape

Little people

Car laden

Trip around the World top

My quilt on my bed

I'm just back from a quilting retreat Earlier today my blog was inaccessible. Now it's back. Weird. I made a set of little girls wearing my mothers fabrics for a challenge. I also had fun manipulating squares though this has some distance to go. I also completed a Trip Around the World top and another in stages as a sample.