Heat Waves and Hot Water Bottles!

Obviously if you want the sky to look like this..

you need to make some of these!!

I decided to recycle some old pyjamas to make some hot water bottle covers ready for the winter. I have been saving the dinosaur ones for a couple of years now as they were a favourite and I wanted to recycle them in some way. The covers aren't particularly pretty but they are functional. I basically just made a quilt sandwich with pyjama, blanket and cotton lining, which I quilted together. Then I sewed them up and attached a button at the top.

(Notice the lovely bee that tried to get in on the action!)

 

Maybe I'll make some more in the hope that the sunshine stays.

Afternoon sunshine.

Finally managed to catch some afternoon sunshine between the clouds and get some photos.

I have been working on a glasses case design and this is it so far..

I'm not sure about the button loop and would really like a buttonhole but I can't quite work out how to get it where it needs to be. I will keep trying.

While the sun was out I did a quick look at other things in the garden..

The quince is starting to turn golden.

The Ivy looks good, I love the flower heads.

The tomatoes are still going.

And the Acer looks like it is enjoying the burst of sunshine as much as me!

A flock of robbins.

 

I have finished a ?flock? of Aroma Robbins. Is that what you call a group of robbins? I'm not sure.

And I hastily put together a neck pad requested  for the strap of a saxophone using some of the lovely new fabric that arrived from Fabric Rehab last week
(you should be able to just click on that Mum and get to the shop).
 I backed it with a piece of recycled fleece jumper and added a velcro fastening.

It does the job.

An apron for the boys, maybe not!

I was asked by my husband if he could have an apron to wear while cooking as he felt the others were a tad girly. So i chopped up some old black linen trousers and recycled them to make what I thought was a more manly looking apron..

Only trouble was I neglected to think about the fact that he is slightly larger than I am and the apron didn't fit!

Never mind, it goes nicely with the nasturtiums..

And it fits me!

An Apple Apron.

I finished this earlier in the week but had to wait until after a certain birthday before showing you as she might have peeped!

I used the apple applique technique learned at the recent Cowslip Workshop I spoke about here.

The pocket style is one I designed before and I like the way I can use up scraps for the petals.

 I really enjoy doing these apples so there may be a few more cropping up before Autumn is over.

Aroma Robbins...

I have been trying to come up with another variation on the lavender bag along the same lines as my Smelly Nellies, and this is it...

Aroma Robbins!

I was racking my brain to come up with a name for the robbins and happened to ask my husband who came up with Aroma fairly instantly. I had been thinking about it for weeks and he took a couple of minutes, so he must have an extra bit of brain that I don't!

I wasn't sure about the beak, but have decided that I like the filled in brown one best.

I have been creating a bit of an assembly line as I think they will be good for christmas pressies.

In a patch of sunshine between the clouds I decided to introduce Aroma One to the garden..

Aroma in the Holly Tree.

Aroma in the raspberries.

And Aroma and the rosehips.

I am happy to try and do a tutorial if anyone wants one!

Ta Dah....

Finally finished having started it back in April . The design came from the book Applique Outside the Lines by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins. I have made it slighly smaller than their design but otherwise followed the book. I used shirts from my stock for the backgrounds and odds and ends for the leaves. I decided to hand quilt it which took a while but I like the way it makes the quilt so soft. It is backed with a recycled flannelette sheet and I have added a sleeve for a cane for hanging it, although it may just end up on the sofa!

As you know, I like to do a bit of a 'photo shoot' and while I was trying the 'across the hedge Kaffe Fassett style' shot, I got some helpers!

 

Then there was a brief burst of sunshine so I thought I'd try 'leaves with leaves' ..

 

It was a really fun quilt to do.

One of those days!

I still have no picture of the finished quilt as it has been one of those days!

Instead I will show you another little phone case made as a present. The recipient starts secondary school tomorrow so good luck to her and to anyone else doing the same.



I have been working this evening on a new lavender bag with a winter theme...more soon.

A sneaky peek.

I finally finished it!

Unfortunately I didn't beat the fading light so I will try to get a proper picture tomorrow.

Enjoying the sunshine.

A lone sunflower that managed to escape the slugs enjoying the evening sunshine.

I too was outside, slicing beans, and came across a really big stringy tough one which I decided to open up..

I never realised they were so pretty tucked away in their little cocoons.

Apple wall hanging

It is finished. I decided that I don't have time to do a quilt just now so it has turned into a 4 apple wall hanging. I enjoyed learning the wonky log cabin and will definitely be using that again. I wonder if the blue is a bit bright and I think that recycled shirts would be good for a big quilt. That's one for the 'when I have more time list'.

Must get back to enjoying the lovely sunshine outside!