December, beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.....

There was no missing that it is nearly Christmas when we rocked up to today's Quirky Quilting day...

It wouldn't be a quilter's home unless there was a Christmas quilt.....or three.....

 

 

Or indeed a table runner coordinating with a wall hanging....

 

Having admired  them we needed a restorative fairy cake before getting on with the main business of the day...

Admiring show and tell completed projects, an amigurumi robin and fabulous bargello quilt from CD...

On with the work....more petals on dahlia quilt from CB....

An ambitious start to a fabulous blanket as AB motors on with advancing her crochet skills...

Hand quilting North country strippy quilting for both HW (green) and CD (blue) 

and charm squares within squares for HT

We stopped for the traditional lunch of soup, homemade bread and superb banoffie pie desert from AB, continuing to reawaken baking skills...

 

 

Winter really showed itself as the sun dropped behind the houses opposite and more of us switched into crochet... HW crochet-a-long cosy blanket

 AB's blanket taking shape...

and some more crochet bits for CD's crochet wreath....

See, I told you it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!

November

Another wonderful day with great company, great food and progression from all of us...starting the day with three (the bees calling the loudest for time) but finishing with four and a pop in from our missing friend in the USA.  Our final member enjoying family time on the half term break with children, grand children and several other family members!!

The day started with a massive show and tell - whoop whoop finished items!! For some of us it does happen but not very often! And some very close to finish....

Finished 1st Granny Square from AB - a gift of a little dolls blanket

Practise Sample from CD

First Half of a wall hanging CD

Quilt As you Go - Layered together ready for final quilting CD

Small Crochet Blanket CB - Donation for SANDS

Work In Progress for the day.....

Third layer finished, onto the forth  of the Giant Dahlia- CB

New crochet project from AB - Practise sample first

Crochet Poppy from CD (Along with some hand quilting)

Hand Quilting from HW

(D has just asked why I'm putting a bowl of sou up lol - we are mad!!) Great lunch as usual - lovely soup with home made bread yum yum...

Pavlova from AB from dessert ....nom nom

We also had gifts and a cake for CB's birthday (missed a picture of the cake D'oh) - amazing gifts and a chorus of Happy Birthday! Christmas meal was confirmed, and a decision made on Christmas gifts this year!

The a new year fast approaching, we will need to bring diaries to the next meeting to book our dates!

October 11th 2014

This month saw a full house of group members, granted one was via the internet in Florida USA. The day started with tea and a show and tell, then down to work. AB is progressing nicely with her granny square crochet.
 

AB Granny square

HW continues with  her strippy quilt started at a workshop in Durham with Lilian Hedley at the end of September. CB and CD also attended this course but were getting on with other projects.

HW Durham strippy

CB chose to work on another workshop project from earlier on this year, Giant Dahlia with Paula Doyle. It is coming along nicely.

CB Giant dahlia

CD was working on some samples for a workshop she is giving a WI group in November. HT was working on a bag for a quilt she has made her grand daughter. As remembering to take photos is not my strong point, I do not have pictures of either of these projects.

Lunch time approaches, pea and mint soup with bread, all home made, followed by jelly with fruit and apricot tart.

Yummy deserts

Back to work until 3pm, when it is time to say Hello to EL, the birthday girl, in Florida. We had sent out some birthday gifts, which she opened with us. We also had a tour of the condo with an update on her refurbishment saga and a view of the beach, at least that looks lovely. We then sang Happy Birthday and blew out the candles on her cake, which we then ate assuring EL that it tasted really good (home made). We said goodbye to EL and got back to a bit more work. CB showed us a giant granny square that she was crocheting from some very chunky yarn her mother had given her. Although not a particularly inspiring colour, we discussed several ways it could be made more interesting, so we look forward to seeing how it develops.

CB chunky Granny square

Some one mentioned the time was 5.15pm and we started to think about going home. yet another great day shared with like minded friends. We can recommend this kind of day, they are very productive for working, developing ideas and generally catching up. Roll on the next one.

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Sunshine

A beautiful day, chairs in the garden, three out of six QQ's - a great day for chatting, sewing (well one sewer and two hookers) and even a little walk around the shops! One QQ in the USA, one QQ making a celebration cake and the final QQ heading off to the FoQ.

CB - having been given an amount of grey (rough) wool - she was trying to produce something exciting!

HW - continued with her Dahlia - finishing her last round with the hand dyed fabric - more dyed fabric required before she can continue - looking lovely.

AB - persevered with her crochet granny square - getting there! It'll be a blanket before long!

Refreshments to keep us going.....

And lunchtime treats......

A stroll after lunch to Hobbycraft allowed us to pick up some bargain fabric - CB getting very excited by HW's idea of bunting - nothing wrong with stealing someone else's idea - especially as there is no chance that the bunting will be produced by CB before the year 2020 - and HW will have hers up before the end of the week!!!

And then late afternoon we were joined a rather large friend - where's the macro lens when you need it!!

Very lucky with the weather - very lovely relaxing day.

Near & Far

How far would one travel to a QQ meeting...... walk, car, plane? Yes this month we managed all six of us together (it does seem to get harder and harder!!), and for those of you who are regular readers, you will know this was no mean feat - as one of the group is now based in the USA!!!

Meeting at Christine's, always a treat, and with all six of us, we knew we were in for a great day whatever the weather!

Show and Tell first, and with several finished items,  it motivated us all with our current projects!

Project Linus Quilt - Christine

Baby Quilt, and a matching bag - Taggy

Ripple Blanket - Carole

Current Projects -

Dahlia - Helen

Dahlia - Christine

Granny Square - Annie

Poppy Project - Taggy

Quilt As You Go - Christine

 

 

Winter Shawl - Ellen

Min Bee Hives - Stephen (our newest QQ part time member!!)

Retirement - with great jealousy (!!) we celebrated Christine's retirement - with a magnificent lunch, bubbles, trifle and cake!

Retirement gifts - flowers from Hampton Court Flower Show, awaiting their position in the garden. Crafty Gnome - who kindly whistles when you move past him.

Mini Me - did take a bit of a shine to him - not sure if she has experienced whistles before!! Look at her sitting in the smarties - any one would think you can't get them in the USA!!

And of course the day would not be complete without a walk around the wonderful garden!!

And finally - I seem to chase this one round the garden for a long time - only for him to land when my focus was else where! Not quick enough to get him sadly - back half amazing - you can just start to see the detail in the wings - but head completely out of focus - next time maybe!!!!

Great day once again!!

Happy sewing - next meeting only three weeks!! Bonus!