Yes I am still here!

I haven't blogged for a long time and unfortunately I haven't sewed in quite a while either.  So this post is simply my better late than never link up post for the Fat Quarterly Retreat in London.


I have been scanning through all the lovely posts this morning and there are lots of pictures of all the preparation that has been going on and the lovely things people have made for sample swap, gorgeous name tags and handmade pouches.  I have no such photos to show you.  My preparation started at 9pm last night, involved a glass of wine, a list and a lot of tweeting.

I am 30, live in Bath and when I'm not quilting I am a solicitor!   I started quilting when I finished studying 3 years ago as I didn't know what to do with my free time.  It has been pointed out to me that there are no photos of me anywhere on here and in fact even my name isn't on this blog. Sorry to disappoint but I am not a secret quilting celebrity!   As I don't have a name tag for the weekend I suppose I had better tell you my name and post a photo or people may think I just wondered in off the street to the Retreat by accident.

So here I am


Amanda

Ok my train leaves in half an hour so I need to go!  I will be tweeting @scissorsandthread and posting pictures on Instagram @scissorsandthread  See you in London!

March in Review

Lots of cushions, some hand sewing and my first and second finished quilts of the year.

Linking up with Fresh Sewing Day on Lily Quilts.

A tower of cushions

New sofas at the beginning of March meant new cushions were needed!

Husband had recently suggested I make "something useful" (as if my quilts aren't useful!)  So the new sofas gave me an excuse to cut into the hoarded decorator weight fabric.

I have spent the last couple of weeks sat on said new sofas hand sewing the binding onto these (I am very slow at hand sewing!)

Fabrics (all from the stash): Amy Butler Nigella & Joel Dewberry Ginseng from Millie Moon
Bindings are various Kona solids from Simply Solids 



Linking up with Finish it up Friday

A post of 3 random things

1. Cushions for the niece and nephew with their baby sister's quilt

Made to match this quilt

Made to match this quilt

2. The start of a new quilt top

3. Tag

This game of tag has been going around blog land.  I thought I had escaped but Sarah caught me.  I'm not passing it on directly but if you want to play or answer one of the questions randomly in the comments feel free to do so!

1.  What was the first music single you bought for yourself?  If you're a wee young thing, what was the first download you bought?

I didn't buy singles - I saved up for Albums and the first CD was The Cranberries No Need to Argue.

2.  If you could elect President of the World, who would get your vote?

I wouldn't - I think it would be too much power for one person to hold.

3.  Which TV show would you outlaw?

Big Brother

4.  If you could visit one place you've never been to before, where would it be?

South America (anywhere!)

5.  What sewing or quilting pattern/design have you not tried that you would really love to?

I really want to do Single Girl and to FMQ a quilt

6.  What is your idea of a perfect Saturday afternoon?

Lunch (preferably a picnic with a bottle of fizz) followed by an afternoon spent reading my favourite book and hand sewing in the sun.

7.  At school what was your favourite subject?

English

8.  If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be of? (I know you may never in a million years choose to do this, but just for fun ...)

Not my thing so I'm not sure, maybe a really quote like "Regret the things you do, not the things you don't"

9.  Which piece of technology do you most fear/hate?

I still can't connect the photos from the new camera to the new computer without asking my husband to help!

10. If you could put one item that you have made into a time capsule, which would it be (please show us a pic)?

Though if it were in a time capsule I wouldn't get to use it so . . . . .

11.  When I was little I wanted to change my name to Stephanie (it seemed more interesting and sophisticated somehow).  Have you ever wanted to change your name, and what to?

Someone pointed out to me recently that my name isn't on my blog!  For those of you who don't know its Amanda, always Amanda and never Mandy.  I've always liked my name and never wanted to change it!

The Lazy Stash Quilt

When I first started quilting I saw  beautiful quilts made from this fabric on Crazy Mom Quilts.  I loved the fabric and hunted it down.  

This stack of fabric then sat on my shelf for a very long time.  I was too scared to do anything with it.  I needed to find the right quilt, the one that would show off the fabric beautifully, the perfect quilt design.  

Then at the start of the year I decided that this was going to be The Year of the Stash.  I was going to cut into this and lots of other fabrics. I still have half yard cuts of most of the prints but I cut the rest up into useable squares and strips and then I sewed lots of 8" squares together.  I made some of the squares up of 4 smaller squares to add a little detail. 

It came together really quickly and quilted easily.  More Hushabye was used on the back and for the binding.

It's my perfect spring quilt.

Linking up with Finish it up Friday

WIP Wednesday - all about hand sewing

This week is all about hand sewing.

Hand sewing binding onto cushions for the new sofas.

Fussy cutting fabrics and papers for Katy's Spring Carnival design.

And hexagon piecing, lots of hexagon piecing *
* These have been made over the last 2 years not the last week!



Linking up with Work in Progress Wednesdays

3 random things & 3 lovely blogs

1. My Hexagon Bathmat - Fat Quarterly

The pattern for this was in Issue 3 of Fat Quarterly but I was lucky enough to do a workshop with the lovely Fat Quarterly girls at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham last year.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to finish as it was super easy but here it is finally in situ.

2. Spring Carnival Templates - I'm a Ginger Monkey

(Rubbish photo taken with my phone)

I like these a lot.  Obviously I haven't used them yet.  I am looking at them a lot and eyeing up fabrics through the templates and contemplating using the triangle one as a self-defence weapon.  Katy has made all sort of lovely things from it like this and this.


3. Meeting blog friends in real life - Shiner's View

Last weekend I was lucky enough to meet up with Lisa who blogs at Shiner's View.  I was in a Bee with Lisa and she makes fabulous quilts like this one and this one.  It was lovely to spend a couple of hours chatting with her.

This obviously is not a photo of Lisa (I forgot my camera) but the first tulip in my garden

However for those of you who have ever wondered what I look like (or those of you who wondered if you were communicating with a celebrity) there may or may not be a picture of me on Lisa's blog.