Perfection?

We all seek perfection in our work I'm sure... I know I do. Being fairly new at this patchwork, quilting and stitching thing and not having any real life quilting friends or access to bricks and mortar workshops I'm pretty much out on a limb. So, like many others,  I use the internet and magazine for inspiration and tutorials. I'm not 100% confident in my skills but I do love trying out a new technique... challenging myself. My huge bookmark list labelled 'tutorials and inspiration' is testament to this :)

So I gather my supplies, read the instructions and check out any photos. All good. Till I notice that mine doesn't look quite right. That line isn't quite straight.. that corner doesn't quite match up... oops. So I either carry on until I get a passable result.. though often it doesn't look like the perfectly aligned, perfectly stitched and finished example... or I start again.  I appreciate that practise makes perfect, but there's only so many times I can rip something out before the fabric falls apart!

I know that many people do achieve perfection.. creating breathtaking projects, having their work published and winning ribbons too... I so admire them all. I am a long, long way from perfection, but I have come to realise that if my work is the best that I can do right now, then that's how it is. I'm happy to make things for family and friends, and more recently for swaps too. Nothing is 'perfect', but I have so much fun up here in my sewing room that it really doesn't seem to matter.  I've learned not to expect too much of myself... why stress myself out? I'm happy with what I do. I'm in a happy place :)

So what's the point of this 'perfection' post? Well, last Friday a package arrived.. from my younger daughter. Inside was a note (I have checked with her if it's ok to share it with you)...

And this.....

Beautiful yes? And I know that she will have designed it herself, traced it onto the fabric and spent hours working all those teensy, tiny stitches before sewing it up... all that for me. My heart melted when I read her note.....

Mum, I made this for Mother's Day and was so disappointed...
First, I realised that I sewed the word 'cherish' twice...
Then I couldn't find the matching ribbon...
Then the ribbon sewed on wonky..
Then I sewed the heart up wonky....
I threw it on one side...
Then the cat slept on it!!!
I spotted it yesterday..
And then I thought that, no matter how rubbish it is, you will love it anyway...
Let's face it,  I have loads of flaws too... and you still love me loads!!
Love you too xxx

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder... well perfection must be too. All I see is the hours of work, the carefully chosen colours, the tiny stitches... and the love and thought that went into this. And I'm so happy and proud that my daughter knows me well enough to know that I will cherish this gift.

I'm so glad she sent it to me... it's perfect :)

Chris :)

phew... it's finished!

My  Garden Journal quilt is finished...!!!!  I decided on straight line quilting in the end, outlining all the patches (even those teeny-tiny 1.5" squares)...  and echoed that in the border quilting.

I am so happy to have it all quilted and done, but I'm also a little sad. This quilt has kept me company for quite a few months as I've stitched on the sofa every evening . I have so enjoyed seeing the pile of completed stitcheries growing. I really thought it would take me a lot longer but it is such a lovely quilt to work on that I looked forward to spending some time on it each evening.

And now there is nothing left to do on it...
I feel a bit lost and my sofa is a bit lonely without it...
the scraps have been stored away and the sewing machine de-fluffed...
it's's too tidy in my sewing room...
my desk looks a bit bare too...

Time for a new project I think... good job I have lots of ideas whirling round in my head :)

Hope you all have a great weekend,
we have a Bank Holiday in the UK this Monday (May Day Holiday)
I may just spend it messing up my sewing room again!
Chris :)

so what was in that parcel....

the one that the clerk told me would get there in 5 days... and has actually taken almost 3 weeks? I was almost besides myself with worry, thinking it might be lost... gasp! The parcel was a Quilter's Day Swap for Bobbi at Crafty Vegas Mom and at last it has arrived at Bobbi's house! This is what I made for her...

A needle case with a pocket inside. a zippered pouch and a Cathedral Window pincushion.

I used some of the pretty fabrics I bought recently at the NEC.

and I added a few goodies... there is a box of English Breakfast Tea inside that London fat quarter :) I had the most wonderful email from Bobbi this morning, it really made my day.. I'm sitting here grinning as I type this :)))

Hope everyone is having a great week

Chris :)

Garden Journal top is done!

I seem to have been stitching, scrap-cutting and piecing forever... but finally the top is done :) We've had heavy rain day after day for weeks now but this morning was fairly dry and not too windy, so I managed to get this photo. It's still very overcast and dull, not ideal... but with even more heavy rain forecast for the rest of the week I might not get another opportunity. I don't think I'll be getting the grass cut anytime soon either... eek!!

I love all the different size patches in this quilt, even though those fiddly 1.5" squares drove me nuts at times. Still, I have managed to use a whole heap of scraps, the only yardage I bought was for the borders. Most of it is Nancy Halvorsen fabric with scraps from my Welcome Home pillow thrown in too. Next comes the layering, pinning and quilting. I'm not sure yet how I'll be quilting this. At 54" square it's about as big as I can manage under my machine so I'm thinking I may just stitch in the ditch, for the central part anyway. We'll see....

Hope everyone is having a good week
Chris :)

a parcel and a pincushion...

I've just been to the Post Office to send this swap parcel on it's way.... the clerk said it would take about 5 days to arrive.

If you signed up for Heidi's Quilters Day Swap.. then this might be for you! I had such fun sewing and putting this parcel together, I really hope my swap partner likes what I sent. I did remember to take photos before I wrapped everything up so I will post those once it has been received... I don't want to spoil the surprise!


I'm almost finished with the stitchery of the last block on my Garden Journal Quilt.. then I have two more blocks to piece before I can put the top together. Trouble is, I keep seeing other projects I'd like to try and it's so hard to keep focused when I am so near to finishing this quilt top! I must be strong.... I must not start anything else just now... sound familiar?


But I confess I had a little break to make this sweet Cathedral Window pincushion.

I've seen some lovely Cathedral Window cushions in my wanderings around blogland and wondered just how difficult they are to construct. I came across this tutorial on the My Go-Go Life blog and thought it would be a great project to try! The tutorial is excellent, with very clear instructions and lots of close up photos.  The pincushion really is lovely and because of all the layers of fabrics, it really holds on tight to those pins and needles :)


I might just have a go at a Cathedral Window cushion one day...
but not today..
I have a quilt top to finish :)

Quilting Mumma - Mug Rug Swap

I just spotted this and signed up right away... I love mug rugs :)

Sign ups are open until Monday 16th April 2012
Mug Rugs must be posted by Monday 14th May 2012

Click HERE to visit Quilting Mumma's blog for full details and sign up.

Hope you're all having a great weekend :)

Progress....

I've been working on a few things over the last couple of weeks and didn't realise how long it is since I updated my blog... oops!!

I have finished all the sewing for Heidi's 'Quilters Day' swap, I just need to get it all packaged up and posted.  The deadline for posting is the 1st May, but as my parcel is going overseas I'll be posting it next week. We also have a family wedding at the end of the month... there will probably be some last minute running around and I don't want to ruin my first swap by forgetting to post the parcel!

I've pieced a couple more blocks on the Garden Journal quilt... the border fabric has been ordered and I am working on the last of the stitcheries.... yay!!

I have cut all the fabrics for the 'Cinnamon Toast' quilt and they are all in labelled baggies, ready for me to start stitching.

And... I have finished the 'Flowers For The Bees' wall quilt!!! I have struggled to get a decent photo of it but I hope to get a better one once my hubby gets the wall fixings in place and I can hang it on the lounge wall :)

Not a very good pic at all, it really doesn't show up the details well... but it's the best I can do for now. My camera has distorted the delphinium colours, they are not that bright really!

These next three photos show the colours much better... the delphiniums flowers are paler towards the top.

with more intense colours at the base of the flower stems. I lost count of all the yo-yos I made... I just know there were lots! I found this lovely handmade ladybird button... just perfect :)

The vines scrambling up the wooden post are worked in chain stitch and the daisies have button centres. The quilting is swirly loops... a bit like the bees as they bumble around my garden :)

So that's what I've been doing over the last week or so...

Happy stitching.... Chris :)