DELIVERING THE BABY QUILT

I'm off up to Yorkshire tomorrow to deliver they personalised baby quilt that I have just finished.

To be honest, I can visit my two little Grandsons while I am up there so the journey is not as odd as it might sound to deliver one quilt.

  All my quilts are made to the requirements of my customer.  This one was in a pink and cream colourway with the baby's name appliqued down the plain panels but I am happy to do any colourway and to put name, date of birth or just a little message on the plain panels.  It's up to you what you want.

HOT AND HUMID

It's so hot and humid here today that quilting was not the most popular past time here at Woodbine Cottage Quilts;  making Loganberry Sorbet was more the thing.

I love it here in the country.  From the guest room I could see Farmer Wilcox cutting his hay.  Driving up and down, up and down the field.  by the time the early evening had come he was baling.

We have all the windows open and the smell is delightful.  He will continue until the dusk is so dusky that he won't be able to see in spite of his strong headlights.  When I used to work it was an eerie thing as I drove home to see the tractors going up and down the field with their headlights picking out the way.

With our weather you have to make the most of every day of sunshine to get the harvest in.

SLIPPERY SILK

I do sometimes wonder about teachers.  I have spent this afternoon machine sewing all four sides of some silk squares for our local primary school.  The pupils have done lovely dragon designs on them but, being silk, they are fraying really badly.

Woodbine Cottage Quilts to the rescue.  I was quite glad of an inside project today as the temperatures are soaring to 30 degrees and the sun is so intense it is not a good idea to sit outside and quilt.

Next thing to do is to make my sandwich for the Ladybug wall hanging so that I can quilt it and post it off to the States in time for September.  I sometimes think that the postal service in England is going back to the cleft stick method of delivering mail after a 1st class letter to 8 days to reach its destination. :-)

PORK PIE INSTEAD OF QUILTING

So far this morning all I have done is make a Gluten-free Pork Pie for my dear Hubby.  He has been a coeliac for 35 years and one of his regrets about his condition was the lack of pork pies; then along came Phil Vickery who is the Coeliac UK's envoy for all things cooking.  He published his recipe in the magazine a few weeks ago and this will be the second pie I have made.  Asw you will reaqlise, it has been a great success at the cottage.

It was not really the best thing to do today as my kitchen is very hot; mainly due to our AGA which is the heart of our cottage.  It is a faithful friend and very cosy to sit by in Winter with hand quilting to do.  I like hand quilting in Winter as it keeps your knees warm.

I have finished yet another Advent Calendar now so watch out for Ebay and my sales on here.  I shall shortly publish photos of all the calendars I have on offer at present.

I have to do two sick visits this afternoon to two of my MU members who are in our local cottage hospital but when I get back I have promised myself I shall finish the embellishments on the Ladybug wall hanging I am making for Tilly's fourth birthday. 

When we were last out in Seattle I visited my friend Linda Hitchcock of Undercover Quilts in Pike Place Market and I took Tilly with me.  She fell in love with this hanging that Linda had displayed in her shop so I bought the pattern, (it's by Betty Laughlin for Pieced Together Consulting and Design), and have made it for her.

PERSONALISED BABY QUILTS

This is an example of one of my personalised Baby Quilts.  Every one is made specially for the baby in your life. 

Made with 100% pure cotton in my Cotswold  cottage here in England.

All cottons are washed before use with non-bio, non-detergent special quilt soap.  I use low loft batting which is specially recommended for baby quilts and then hand finish each one with a personalised label on the back to commemorate the birth or other similar occasion.

Names and birth dates can be incorporated if required.    A very special heirloom for the baby in your life to hand down to her own children when the time comes.

Prices from £ 49.99 + postage worldwide.  I am sorry to have to charge postage but the rates over here have gone up astronomically recently.  Local collection is also available.

Payment in advance.

HERE WE GO

Harry Barnett of Barnett's Laptop Hoops asked me to send him some photos of me quilting using my hoop.  I had hoped to send some of me sitting under our ancient apple tree while it was covered with blossom but, unfortunately, the weather deteriorated during June and most of July so I finally got to do the photos today.

I love my Barnett's Laptop Quilting Hoop.  It enable me to quilt where ever I choose.  I brought it back from the States last September in an Amazon sack.  I could not believe how easy it was to get it through.  The bottom is covered with magnets to enable attachment to the floor stand but they did not activate the x-ray machine at the airport nor did they even ask me whatever I was carrying in a blue and yellow sack!  It stowed easily in the overhead luggage rack and made the 10 and three-quarter-hour journey from Seattle quite safely.

I call this quilt Diamonte Dill's Dazzling Diamonds.  I made it after a workshop using all scraps of material and a few fat quarters.  It now resides on our bed during the summer.