November 2020

 Back into lockdown, so no golf and plenty of sewing. I made some mug rugs as birthday gifts for friends.

Mug rugs from The Patchsmith's Sampler Quilt Blocks
Amanda Weatherill

Patchsmith Patterns Rainbow mug rugs 
Amanda Weatherill

As our monthly quilting group have not had a meeting since the beginning of March, we (the Committee) thought it would be nice to set some challenges to keep our members engaged as a group. I love making Christmas decorations and wrote some patterns for a few. I did get a bit carried away with sampling them, here are the results. I have written patterns for all but two of them. Ideas came from looking  at pictures on Pinterest. I have a few more ideas for next year, if needed. 

I have also crocheted these baskets from a book with lots of lovely Christmas projects, it is called Christmas Stitchery by Jenny Chippendale and Kate Thorp. I have made lots of projects from this book, I don't think there is anything in this book I wouldn't want to make. The book appears to have been published in 1990, which is possibly how long I have had it.

 I have put several layers of wadding, a piece of beige felt and a Christmas present topper with added beads and frosted felt balls in each basket. I have made three of each and they will look lovely hanging on the tree. I also used a hot glue gun for the first time on this project.

While on the subject of Christmas. A friend gave me a Gail Lawther pattern as a present a couple of years ago. I have looked at it several times and never got around to making it up until now. I really enjoyed making this, it was a lot of sewing for the bias binding, but it went really well.

Bethlehem (25 inches square)

One of my friends had to clear her Mum's sewing room recently and asked me if I would like a box of pink fabric, some of which had been cut into squares. I said 'Yes please' even though pink is a colour I am not keen on. I like a challenge and working out of your comfort zone can be exactly that. This is the result, largely pink with a bit of beige (not a keen colour either). I am very pleased with the result and will be backing it with a pink and cream fleece with hearts on it, a very pretty quilt.