It's My Birthday and there are NO HOOPS

Camille Roskelley

to jump through for this.  You don't have to follow me anywhere,  though if you are new it would be nice, or like me anywhere. So today is my Birtday as my DD#1 decrees as she made a mistake many years ago and forgot the h so Birtday it has become.

Now what happens on a person's birthday?  The person gets presents but not on this person's birthday!  This person loves to give presents and my present to you this year is a Craftsy Class at half price not just for today but forever.  That's right you can take this class at half price any time you want.

Now you know I am a HUGE (huge said just like Julia Roberts says it in An Officer and a Gentleman when she tells those stuck up women in the store what a HUGE mistake they made - I LOVE that bit) fan of Craftsy and have learnt how to quilt from beginning to end from their classes.  Without Craftsy I still would be a wanna-be and not a piecer and the next thing is I will be able to quilt too thanks to them.  There aren't that many classes around and I have MS which makes attending any classes quite impractical.  Thank you so much Craftsy.

So which class I hear you ask.  Well it's like this.  I really love Camille Roskelley and especially I love her Swoon quilt.  I mean who doesn't love that quilt because it is totally gorgeous malorgeous!!  I bought the chart (pattern) when it first came out but until now I haven't had the courage to do it.  But after taking this class I now am going to make it block by block.  The really GREAT things about Craftsy is that the classes belong to you forever and that means forever and ever and you can access it whenever you want.  Just click on this LINK <LINK TO 50% OFF CLASS> and you will be taken to the right place to get 50% off forever.  That is if you come today, tomorrow or in 5 years time it will always be 1/2 price and so I am going to put this link on the side of my blog for everyone FOREVER!!!

Now I have raved about Craftsy classes in the past but this one is honestly the best I have ever taken.  Camille takes you from how to cut fabric properly (and it REALLY works) to how to finish your quilt properly.  She is one amazing teacher that is for sure.  There are 8 Lessons in this Class and I watched every single one and now when I want to do any of the things trust me I shall have the class in front of me whilst I cut and sew.  She is one amazing teacher that teaches you right from the beginning to the very end.  I think I said this before but it is so true.  Just have a look at my screen captures to see a little tiny bit of this GREAT class and there is lots more than I've shown you.  I know I've said trust me before but this time REALLY TRUST ME this is by far the best class I've taken so far.  She has taught me so much it's untrue.

This is Class Number 3 which teaches
you how to make a lovely quilt out of a Layer Cake

Class 4 - Bordering The Piece of Cake Quilt
Not just the Piece of Cake Quilt
but ANY Quilt

Class 4 - The Hashtag Quilt
I love this quilt and it is made from a Jelly Roll

Class 5 - Here Camille teaches you how to
make half squares from Charm Packs and yardage

Class 6 - the Start of the Swoon Quilt

This must be Class 8

and it is a wicked class I promise you

Well as I said above here is my birthday to you guys for being such a GREAT bunch of people.

Now what did I get?  Well my son and darling daughter-in-law took us to that restaurant Saturday night and it was very expensive so that was my birthday present from them and I loved every mouthful I can assure you.  The food was incredibly yummy.

 I got my birthday present from my dh early - I mean really early like before last Christmas when the iPad mini came out he bought me that for my combined Chanukah and birthday present.  And I love it to pieces.

DD#1 gave me a lovely bunch of flowers which are just glorious and totally unexpected.  She also took us out for coffee this morning.  It was lovely.

DD#2 is still very unwell but I did get a lovely phonecall from her.  She reallly has it tough.

See you soon I hope

Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

P.S. Julia who's blog can be found here is organising a Secret Tote Bag Swap. May will be sign up phase, June will be creation and mailing phase and July will be link-up phase. So really a swap with no pressure.  There is also a link to this on the left hand side of this blog.  Please join up I have and it's going to be so much fun.

And another 4 Blocks are on their way

Well yesterday I just say on my fat you know what watching stuff I'd recorded on my Sky box.  Just one more program was my mantra until it got to be like 6pm and I hadn't had a shower yet and we were going out to celebrate my birthday with our son James and his lovely wife Danielle who are the parents of our two youngest grandchildren.  I had no idea where we were going and James being James it was a great surprise.  He took us to a restaurant called The Delaunay.  The atmosphere was amazing and Danielle and I both started out with Campagne Cocktails as she know that Champagne is my favorite alcoholic drink.  In fact at one time that was all I would drink so I hasten to tell you I didn't drink very often.  But now I'll drink white or rose wine as well, so I'm not that expensive now.  Anyway Graham Norton was there too with some friends but the restaurant (don't be fooled by it calling itself a Cafe - trust me it is the last thing that looks like a Cafe in the whole world).

Enough of that.  I cut and sewed 4 more blocks today for the Granny Bee that I joined late.

Well these are March's blocks done and dusted.  Now I just have to cut and sew April's 4 blocks and I will be so up-to-date it isn't true.  I love sewing these blocks they are just great.  Now I've just got to see if I have the fabric for April.

So I'm off now until Tuesday when it's my birthday so I will have a birthday present for you guys.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

Have I Learned My Lesson?

Probably not.  Look I don't read instructions and I don't read side effects of anything.  I mean if you read what side effects some medicines have I might decide I have them.  I won't but I MIGHT!  You just never know.  So that's why I don't read side effects.  Why don't I read instructions?  Because it might just be easier and I prefer to lose my temper whilst trying to figure everything out.  Not really.  I just love flying by the seat of pants on stuff.  Why change the habits of a lifetime I ask?  Well I'm not going to so there.

I've remade the blocks and I have to tell you I like them so much better.  In fact I like them so much that this is how I'm going to have mine done.  So ready or not here they are:

And whilst I'm showing these two I might as well show you the other two too.  How's that two too's.  LOVE IT!!

They look way better in the sunlight and sunlight is what we have YAY!! I bet this week has been our summer.  Who wants to bet me?  And don't forget I live in England where until this week - in fact yesterday, we have had winter.  No spring but the flowers are coming up and the trees are starting to bloom and the Magnolia trees have buds on them.  I LOVE Magnolia trees.  I so should have bought one when we moved in here.  I still can I guess but I'd much rather spend the money on fabric let's be honest.

Right I'm off to the Post Office now to mail these both out.  Can't think what I'm doing tomorrow but hopefully nothing much so I can cut and stitch another four blocks.  These are really fun to make.

TTFN (that's Ta Ta For Now - BRITISH or WHAT???) hehe

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I should learn how to read

Pictures are good but I really should learn how to read.  Heck it's not that big a deal - reading I mean.  We all learned how way back when and now I just don't seem to be doing it that well.

I mean I joined another Bee on Flickr.  I love Bees and there was one place left on this one so asked.  I joined over a month late and my body has just not been very co-operative so I hadn't sewed anything and you know me .. well I hope you do.  Because my mantra is that unless I do what I'm supposed to be doing I will not allow myself to do anything else.  

Easy it was because it was the Granny Block Bee.  I went and looked at what each Queen wanted, and there are two Queens each month so that was 4 blocks.  So what did dummy here do?  Instead of looking at the photos AND reading what the Queens wanted I just looked at the pictures.  One of the Queens wanted Autumn (Fall) looking blocks and I made these after looking at the pictures (please excuse awful picture taking - I'm REALLY bad at that too):

So these were right.  I was off to a good start.  Then I made the other two without reading instructions because it would have been so much easier on me if I had.  And I made these:

I so should have looked at what the lovely Kelli actually wanted.  I was almost right but not right so I have to re-do them.  So off upstairs to my sewing room now to re-do them and then I'll be a happy bunny.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I have completed not one but ...

two, yes you heard me right, TWO whole quilt tops and they are right here.  I don't mean to brag but I am very proud of these:

These are DH's feet because
he is holding this up for me.

His feet and COAT this time.
This is a present for our youngest Granddaughter
Chloe and it's only around 17months late but ..

you know what they say 'better late than never'.  Now all I have to do is make 3 more quilts for the other grandchildren.  But that won't be hard - I just have to find the right fabric for them and voila I will be done.

On that not I am leaving you with this picture of our two youngest Grandchildren Oliver and Chloe who went on holiday (vacation) last week to Centre Parks (the Brits spell centre the wrong way I KNOW this but they do) and our son James and DDIL Danielle overheard the undermentioned conversation between them:

Oliver (age 4 in August): It's been a long hard day Chloe,
maybe we ought to get some sleep?
Chloe (17 months): Hiyaaaaaaa!

Oh yeah and there is one place left on my Japanese X and + Bee.  So last one in please turn off the light!

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

If you look on the side of my blog you will see this icon.  I am running a new bee making these blocks

You can use whatever fabrics you want to
but the X has to be in the same fabric and
the little triangles have to be in the same
fabric and the Ends of the + have to the same 

and I have 4 more spaces to fill if anybody wants to join in the fun.  It is an international Bee and here are the details:

1. It is a 12 month Bee that officially starts on May 1, 2013
2. You will be making 4 blocks a month.
3. The 4 blocks are divided into 2 block each for 2 Queens each month.
4. Each block is 8" square and when joined to another block ends up 7 1/2" square.
5. I have provided a tutorial for these blocks that is really easy to follow
6. The Blocks will be made from your stash so if you have a rogue Charm Pack that you bought but have never used now's the time to use it up.
7. When you are Queen for that month you will receive 22 blocks - or 24 if you make two for yourself as well as the Queen you are sharing your month with.
8. If you want to join then please just go here and ask to join. When we have reached 24 anybody else that wants to join will be placed on the reserve list and I will email and tell you that.

Now I'm not the fastest person in the world that is for sure.  Heck I used to call myself the Arab wife because I was always at least 10 feet behind my DH whenever we walked anywhere.  Now he has a job keeping up with me YAYYY!!!  But I have completed two blocks in just over an hour.  It is a really easy block that even I couldn't muck up.  They are always  made from 5" squares and are so much easier than they look.

This Quilt Top was made by Wanda S. Handson
and you can find her blog here

If you want to see my post about the April Blog Hop it is in the post below this one.  Hope you all have a nice weekend.

Well I'm going to go and make latkes now - two different kinds.  One kind is a Weight Watcher kind for me (recipe way down the page) and the others are traditional ones for a starters for this evening's dinner party and then I'm going upstairs to clear up my sewing room so I can sew tomorrow in a neat and tidy space.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

It's MUG RUG DAY

Oh boy I was having conniptions last night.  My mug rug was going so wrong and I just couldn't figure out how to fix it.  Here is what it looked like

and you can see how many times I tried to catch the piece of material that I couldn't.  So I wrote to Erin and said please move me in sheer panic and then as I was in bed this morning I thought all of a sudden I could fix this by undoing it and redoing it because the fabric wasn't actually too small.  So I got up early (well for me anyway) took my best and best friend right now - my seam ripper - and went for it.  Would you believe that less than an hour later here is it

Not perfect but it does depict April here in England almost except we haven't been having rain this April but SNOW!!! It's unbelievable.  We had no summer last year and now we aren't having any Spring and Spring is my favorite season.  Never mind it usually rains here in April so I thought what better to represent April than Showers in England in April.

I hope you like what I made - it's okay and not perfect but at least I had another go at binding.  I will have to do loads more before  get my two quilts back from the Long Arm Quilter.

Thank you so much for coming to my blog and seeing what a hash I made of this mug rug but do stay and have a look at what else I've done and I will be showing my latest blocks and quilt tops really soon.

Be sure to visit the others and leave comments! 

TUESDAY, APRIL 9th

Gina @ Sew Much and More

Sharon @ Vroomans Quilts

Theresa @ Bumbleberry Stitches   (That’s Me  )

Jennet @ The Feathered Nest Studio

Gene @ Gene Black – Alabama Artist

Susan @ Susan’s Scrappy Domain

Bente @ I Like to Quiltblog

Deb @ Quilting & Other Craft Therapy

Megan @ AnnieOak Designs

I really should have said that this pattern was designed by The Patchsmith who lives here in England YAY!!! You can find the pattern here and she has some more lovely ones that I have purchased as well.

See you soon
Patti xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

From The Goldfish

Sorry I can't remember what I've put in anybody's envelope.  If I have only given you one block and you want to do another then the only colour I dislike is Coral or Terracota.  I love bright colours and if you want me to send you more fabric all you have to do is ask and it will be done - just not today.  I have MS and my right arm isn't working that great sorry.  Excuses always excuses!!!  I hate blaming stuff on it but unfortunately it's my life.  But I can cut more tomorrow or the next day just not today and I really wanted to get the blocks out.  In fact I'm going to put this email on my blog.

The directions for the block are beneath this whatever it's called.  Oh yeah I remember it's a new Post!!!

Don't worry about asking me because I have tons more fabric.  All you have to do is email me and you shall have it.

Finally I am so sorry Celine I forgot (see this is why I'm called The Goldfish) to put a sticky label with my name and address on it. 

Lots of Love
The Goldfish xxx
American by birth and MOUTH
but British in every other way

I'm the QUEEN

Well April is my month to be Queen Bee!!   WOW!!!  I can’t believe it instead of just being a courtier at Queen Liz’s Court I’m actually THE Queen.  This Queen has the brains of an Goldfish!!!  I used to say Okapi but I just looked it up and it is not the dumbest animal on earth by a long shot.  The dumbest animal on earth if the Afghan Hound followed by the Goldfish.  Now the Goldfish can only remember things for 3 seconds so that is definitely more than I can remember stuff for.  So this Queen definitely has the brains of a GOLDFISH!!!  

I have given everyone enough fabric for one blocks but should you be crazy and want to do more than one block can I please ask you to either

(a)  Use your stash and surprise me or;
(b)  Email me and ask for more fabric which I will be more than happy to mail

But I would ask you to check them out once you have cut the stitched blocks into 4 because I had to trim the smallest amount you have ever seen from the small QSTs so please just check them however you usually do.  Now you are going to get more wastage than I got because I cut those squares to be 4 1/4" each and not 4 1/2" each so you have a bit more to play with.  It was easier for the GOLDFISH here to do that.  Look I got how many squares below I was sending you SO wrong so let's not tax this lamebrain too much today but I have the right number now AT LAST!!!

I have sent you 4 1/2” squares because if you look here http://whipup.net/2011/03/17/guest-blogger-series-half-square-triangles/

it will tell you exactly how to sew the blocks together so you have almost perfect 2 ½” triangles - well you would have if I had sent you 4 1/4" squares but I've sent you all 4 1/2" squares.You can find the information for the block here http://duringquiettime.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/winged-square-block-tutorial.html as Amy wanted me to give you her link to her blog where the tutorial is rather than give you the instructions directly.  I hope this is okay for all of you.

This is what the block looks like

I was actually going to put this in each of your envelopes and then decided it would be so much better just to put it on my blog.  So all you have in parcels is the fabrics and a little thing with my name and address on it.  I have really lost the plot though.  I can't count for the life of me today.  I have finallly worked out that you will need 9 of each color.  That's six of each for the HSQs and three for the middle and upper right and lower left and the reason you have 9 of each color is because you can then either put one color in or the other or any combination thereof in those three squres.  If I'm not making sense it's because I'm a goldfish today.

Hope everyone has fun with this but if you don’t please do not hesitate to contact me.  My email address is on my blog somewhere or other.  Look Queens aren’t supposed to remember trivial stuff like where things are.  But apparently the Duke of Edinburgh always carries a £20.00 note on him.  So what’s my excuse?  Ummm I don’t have a £20.00 note and being the Queen I never carry cash.

Hope you have fun!

Lots of Love
Patti xxx