Such an amazing journey!

My quilt is to go to Houston!

The above is a link, this will take you to the AAQI web site where all mini quilts are held for sale, auction etc.  I made a quilt for them, it actually took me a very long time to get it right, and to get the scene set on it.

There it is, quilt number 11506, I had expected it to go onto the wall for max $10.  I never think much of my own work.  I was very worried because I couldn't find it, maybe they have taken it down because it was so terrible..?

No, I searched on the quilt number and there she was, Two Tree's heading off to the Houston 2012 International Quilt Festival!!!! OMG!!! an international quilt festival!!!!

You have no idea how extremely pleased, happy, elated, over the moon.. and any other way you could describe a  deliriously happy woman.

Happy Quilting all, and may the Challenge go smoothly for you all x

J x

The End is Nigh...

The challenge ends tomorrow, at midnight on the Western most reach of the world.

Which is approx 11 hours behind the GMT, I will confirm this first before I close all entries, but I am fairly certain this is the case.

I have finished my erm item.  It was put together under stressful circumstances, and was a huge rush job as other things have take top priority... Babies quilts for Xmas, making a skirt from a huge pair of linen trousers!... I mean huge! (why I thought they would fit me god only knows)

Paper printing for the price tags ready for the Craft sale on the 13th, getting in the equipment ready to make paper with my daughter and step daughter - I really can not wait for this one! It is difficult to separate the adult and child sometimes.

To make life even more unbearable, my beloved Silver Viscount 20HD is still in the 'repairs' and until yesterday I was left hanging around waiting to find out whether the cost of repair would still have to be forfeited by myself (on a two week old machine?), or if it could come under the warranty...

You will never ever guess what caused the problem, and it was a big problem. Due to it being stuck in the bobbin race, the needle shaft was bent, several internal bits were bent and bruised, so say it was a battle to get her repaired... they did and on Friday I got the good news that she would be home most likely on Monday.  Oh yes the offending item...?

A piece of cotton thread!   Can you believe it? a piece of cotton thread like any other had caused a professional machine to go totally belly up!   and yes it came under warranty... so I can look forward to £29 in my bank some time whenever... (after the banks have stored it in their off shore accounts accruing millions of interest on other peoples money before they allow it to go into the real owner's account)

Anyway!..... 

I will give you a peek at what I did... remember I like liberated quilting, formality isn't necessarily the best way for ward, fluid thoughts produce fluid outcomes and that is what came from me....  I could only use the things I had to hand, I used what ever I could get my grubby hands on too ;-)

What Have I Done?

Look carefully at the numbers

You will see 4 clear quarters....

This one shows summer going into spring....

Number ten..... 

 There you have it,  My item, I have used a clock face and have basically made it my own.

Time doesn't flow as you'd expect and the seasons aren't all they should be either, But that is the beauty of falling back in time!  Things won't be as they should because time space continuum has been compromised thus leaving a wobbly whirly world... 

That is my take...

What is yours?  Oh and if you have any comments re my creation, please leave them, though abusive ones will be removed  so don't do it ! 

Be nice, smile and hug those that need it x

J x

How is the challenge going?

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I hope this finds you all extremely and fabulously well.

The very lovely and talented ladies at Pin it and Stitch have donated two fat quarters for this month, adding that to the three items in the basket already it is making for a great little package for one lucky reader/crafter.

To whet your appetite for October's challenge we already have a confirmed prize of a quilt pattern from the talented Izzy at creative quilting, she has donated her quilt Jessie to the foray of bits and bops cumulating to bring a stunning package for another lucky crafter.

Remember 30th Sept is the cut off time for this months challenge, the theme of falling back in time, or anything around that area should be enough to get some fantastic pieces put together x

take care and I can't wait to see what you are all doing x j x 

Give away pictures

Thank you Pin and Stitch

Contact them direct for details on their other items

This is a lovely duck egg blue, the photo doesn't do it justice 

The ivory rose is equally as beautiful, so much so that I bought one myself...

There are loads of projects in this delightful book to keep any crafter busy for a while

Embellishing a jacket

adding a collar and cuffs to another!

Resin photo frame, any little lady or not so little lady will suit this frame completely 

Extra items in the giveaway!!!

Wow you are in for a real treat this month!

In addition to the book, adhesive spray, picture frame....

I have now taken receipt of two fat quarters of......

Moda 1/4M Fabric - Felicity Aqua Blossoms Sentimental Studios

Ivory and Blue...!

The lovely ladies at,

Pin it and Stitch - on Ebay

Pin it and Stitch - Website

very generously agreed to take part in the giveaway!  

I will be a repeat customer to this very pretty shop, Moda fabrics to quilt all the way to the moon with!   

Moda Layer Cake - Coquette by Chez Moi  has really taken my eye and once I have done a fall back in time item (Shamballa bracelets for a local Craft Fayre have taken my time up!), I will most definitely be buying this 10" square package!

What are you doing so far?  I still haven't quite decided what item I will make, whether to quilt, make a dress, felted item, piece of jewellery or even a card?  The options are huge and whet my taste buds just thinking about it! ;-)

Email me if you have any questions,

Take care and speak soon 

J x

September Give Away Goodies so far

So far I have tallied up... (from my stash alone!)

Hard Back copy of the book Jazzy Jeans by Micky Baskett

Use the patterns to transform your clothes

Really pretty additions to a simple coat can be surprisingly stylish

Pink Cup Cake photo frame

Resin molded I believe. 

September Give-away

I have spent many an hour wondering what this months give-away - and indeed the first of  my blog give-away's; would involve.

The item to be won isn't such a problem when you consider all the online shops, and crafty items that would interest anyone with half a crafty gene in their make up.

This problem had me tossing and turning at night when I should have been sleeping or breast feeding my youngest boy.

All things considered though, I have fallen on the Autumn season and time of year.

In the UK, we term this season as Autumn, in the southern hemisphere you are tripping nicely into spring....  In the US and Canada, it is called 'Fall'.... 

I ran with this and have settled on a creation incorporating time falling backwards... 

so a clock with the numbers going anti clockwise, or maybe a clock falling off a wall.... anything you can come up with...

AND

it can be in any format, Quilted, painted, crafted in dough, knitted or crochet, cards and paper... you name it, the choice is entirely yours.

One proviso though,  it has to be something that you would allow others to use, or allow others to make.

We have until the 30th Sept (Midnight GMT) to create and photograph, 

post your entries to my Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/Bagsocharm

With your permission I will then post your photographs onto my flickr page too.

Once all the entries are in, I will then ask an independent assessor to select the best of the bunch. (via Flickr)

The entire bundle of things to be won has yet to be totalled up, but....

at the moment I have ready to put in the parcel

a hardback copy of 'Jazzy Jeans' by Micky Baskett

and a

pink cupcake picture frame, which can either be hung or placed on a shelf.

I am courting many fabric sellers to see if they are willing to part with some fabric bundles for this months 'challenge'.

Good luck and this is open to the entire world, no boundaries... though I may have to draw the line at martian entries x

J x

Out of synch entries...

The post just below this one is from last week, the one below that again was written yesterday!

I have no idea what has pushed the oldest to the top, but it is a touch annoying, especially as events in the top one most definatly couldn't have happened after the youngest entry!

If anyone can tell me how to rectify the problem please do so x

J x

New Sewing Machine and a Journal Cover

As the title would suggest my new sewing machine arrived this week,  having sold my brother PE-150 and all the software that goes with it, I bought a new machine that reflects the amount of use it gets each day.

The one that finally got my seal of approval was :-

Silver Viscount 20HD See here for details

Oh my goodness it is a fantastic beast.  I have fallen totally and utterly in love with it.

The mechanical action is smooth, there is noise but not much, obviously the Air compressed Elna's do have the medal for the quietest, however, as this one has so many in built stitches, memory, alphabet and other inbuilt functions that are computerised and make the sewing time cut in half, meaning ... I can sew many many more items.

I have even used the machine to sew a decorative seam along the tail end of our bed runner with my youngest daughter in my arms, 'helping me sew'... however, I do not suggest you do this at home.

So now onto the prize that Jean has selected...

There isn't an Ipad for the cover, so she has selected a journal cover with the journal (of course!)

Thank you all for staying in touch, I will be sorting out my tutorials tomorrow so watch this space for more items, 

AND

I will be announcing my next give away this week, date and items on offer... not a hoop in sight, so don't worry about jumping through them.

Take care of you and yours

J x

A week to end all weeks...

You may have read in my previous blog entries, or from my facebook page that my oldest and dearest dog, Badger had been partially diagnosed with a Lymphoma.

I was due to take him back this week for more tests to find out if it was for definite, He however had different ideas. On Weds night when DP got all the dogs in for the night, Badger was just laid in the doorway of the shed he had made into his own kennel. (unusual space for him to lay in) He was brought into the house and was readied for his nappy (elderly incontinence), before DP could get his nappy onto him, Badger laid down on the floor.  DP checked Badgers gums, they were white, he tried to perform chest compressions but they didn't work.... Badger had gone.  It was his time.

He has been a true friend and companion to me for 15 years.  He has saved my life on many an occassion, and my (then 18 month old) daughter too, when she took herself out of my In-law's house for a walk down a main road they lived on.  A truly remarkable dog, one in a million.  He can never be replaced, his memory will live on in our lives and in the scar on my ankle from training him to lay and stay and my then husband interfering. 

I love him very much and wish to have him back, one day we will walk the path again, but it isn't my time just yet.

That in itself has made the week a very sad and dare say, depressing one... however!

My two week old, and very expensive sewing machine has broken down!  The bobbin race has dropped out of synch with the needle, resulting in the needle attempting to go through solid metal.... obviously that doesn't work.  To compound matters I have had to pay for the return and the postage!

Two weeks old, and it breaks down, I get told by the sales chappy that the money will only be refunded if it is deemed to be a warranty issue.  For god's sake, what can not be a warranty issue?  The needle arm and the bobbin race shouldn't be able to jump out of synch let alone do so and render the machine totally and utterly useless.   Not to worry, it is all boxed up again in the original box (I keep all large buys and expensive ones), ready to be collected on Monday.  One issue... it is too heavy for me to lift alone! I nearly popped another disc getting it back into the blinking box in the first place!

Then.... putting the babies to bed, I managed to pour my daughters drink all down me and all over my newly laundered PJ's... quick change.

Thinking that nothing else could really go wrong, I continue to make my Mother's Xmas Cushions.

I bought some French General by Moda from Eclectic Maker.  Just the right colours for her palette.

I chose to make the Friendship Star block for the cushions.  I sewed the patches together with my Toyota Quilt Master 50. Not as capable as the Silver Viscount 20hd, but suitable enough to sew in a straight line.  Amazed at the speed that I had rattled through the first block, and was very happy with the end results, that was until I actually looked at the pattern in detail and then looked at what I had sewn together...  Lets see

The second attempt.

The instructions I should have paid more attention too.

Can you spot the deliberate mistakes?

Charm packaging.

The second and most accurate block

As you can see from the photo's there are differences, and whilst the first attempt wasn't quite spot on  pattern wize, it is still very pretty and will suit Mother quite well enough.  When I have quilted it with the Silver 20HD, and have finished the cushion edges...{ I am thinking of maybe prairie's.. though that may be too much for the patterns... luckily Xmas is a way off yet... plenty of time to decide!}

the both of them will look complementary enough to suit the job.

I hope this little entry finds all of you well, 

I would love to see some of your blocks you are putting together, or even try the Friendship Star your selfs?

I used 5" squares, obviously cut the triangles through the middle, and use the squares with a 1/4" seam allowance.  The pattern is self explanatory, no triangles should be on the corners!  DOH!

Email me at

Janey @bagsocharm.co.uk or go to my web site

www.bagsocharm.co.uk

Take great care of you and all of yours x

Be safe and Be happy x

J x

Winning Entrant

I will take this opportunity to thank from the bottom of my heart all who entered into my giveaway. You are all welcome back at any time of course.

Of course there is only one winner and that is

Jean Kritenbrink

Congratulations you lucky lady x

I will be holding more giveaways in the future, as I had so much fun doing this one, though in the up and coming ones I will not only be giving away a personal item, but fabrics, books, quilting essentials so on and so forth.

I have used the blog hop to make friends, and find inspiration for my own creations.

Truly scrumptious is exactly what I found.  Every one is very warm, and welcoming. 

Treat as you'd like to be treated is my moto and I can say that is all I have found on this journey 

Thanks again, 

Janey x

Only Two and a half hours.

Until I notify you all of the lucky winner of the Blog Hop...

The winner will also be notified individually this evening post draw.

It will be via the notification that you will get to choose what you'd prefer me to put together for you, I have added a Journal cover to the list of possibilities as not everyone has an Ipad or Android Tablet.  And again colours will be selected then also,

Thanks for following my blog, and good luck 

J x 

Blog Hop - And the winner is....

Going to be posted tomorrow afternoon (1800 GMT).

Sorry for the delay, I have had some devastating news and trying to come to terms with it...

My old dog has (it would appear) Lymphoma, treatment will prolong his life (depending upon how affected he is) however, it is always a fatal cancer,.... so prolonging may not necessarily be the right thing for him.  

Thanks for being here, and you are all in my mind, so its a warm comfort that the quilting community is here in my study too x

J x

Blog Hop Stop!!!

The Blog Hop is now over, no more entries will be accepted

(I have printed off all the entrants now and these are the ones that I'll use)

Thanks for coming over, be sure to like us and follow our path / journey along a stitched road x

x j x