........ we have had a frequent visitor to the garden, an occasional visitor, and some little birds that I have only seen in the garden once before in the seven years we have been here! So first, the frequent visitor, the robin
next the occasional visitor, the nuthatch
then, this afternoon, some long-tailed tits swooped into the garden. I just had time to take two photos before they flew off again. The only other time I have seen them in the garden, several years ago, they swooped in, attacked the fat balls and flew off again. Fingers crossed I don't have to wait so long to see them again
now for the sewing! Yesterday I made Stuart's camera bag. Fortunately he has the same camera as me, so there was no problem with getting the measurements
to start, I got out my project book, and tape measure
I measured the circumference
then used my 6" ruler to measure the height
I cut the fabric to size and stitched the short seam, finishing it with a zigzag stitch
I centred the seam and stitched across the bottom seam, again finishing it with zigzag stitching
next, I folded over the top edge a quarter of an inch and pressed it, then folded it over another half an inch and pressed it. I opened out and flattened the seam at the top, and stitched round the opening for the cord
I flattened the corners, and marked a line to stitch
after stitching, I cut off the corners
the finished bag
I have written the details down in my project book, so that I can make a bag for my camera
next was a little bit of repair work. This is a little Cath Kidston bag, which was a free gift some time ago with a magazine. I keep it in my handbag, and we had used it to put driftwood in when we had our walk on the beach at Berwick recently. However, the amount of driftwood we crammed in was obviously too much for the little bag and the seams gave way
so after washing the bag, a quick session restitching the seams, and the little bag was ready to go back in my handbag
a quick change of thread in the sewing machine, and I got on with the little Linus quilt. I stitched the outer blocks together, and stitched the side strips on
when I added the top and bottom strips, as you can see, they didn't quite fit
but a quick trim with the rotary cutter, and the top was finished
I still have a pile of leftovers .........
I got out this little top, which was the prototype for my Country Cottages pattern. I added this colourful boder, and once it is quilted, it will be another quilt for Linus
before Christmas, I offerred to make a quilt top for Lucie , which she will then longarm quilt. Then she will give the quilt to a very worthwhile cause, Quilts for Comfort. Some years ago I made a quilt using black and red fabrics for Malcolm's Dad, which was very striking (it was so well loved and used, that by the time he died it had worn away into holes in places!), so I looked out these fabrics. I think I will use the same design, which was half square triangles
last night so many of us turned up for Abbey Quilters' monthly meeting that more tables and chairs had to be brought into the room! We were embroidering name badges for the exhibition in the summer
we always stop for a cuppa (and possibly a biscuit might have been consumed!)
I think Sheila should be promoted from beginner to fully fledged quilter after making this lovely bag!
ps - how did I take photos of my camera? I unearthed my little Fuji from the depths of my camera bag!