Blocks for Orlando

When I saw the news reports of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on 12th June I felt sad, angry and powerless. On Monday morning, as breaking news was still coming out I dropped my son off at school and went running. I plugged in my loud music and ran further than I have in a while. I have legs, I have a life, I can run. 49 innocent people will never run again, maybe more. When I got home I watched the news footage and started pulling fabric out. Before long I had made this mini quilt.

 That cotton and steel fabric came in really handy with Florida on it. The same thought occurred to me, I can create, I can make something beautiful, so I should. So many creative souls were lost on Monday, let us make the art they won't make now. This flag is a reminder for me to stand against hate and stand with my lgbtq loved ones in solidarity. 

But what more could I do? Thankfully the Orlando modern quilt guild has done what quilters do in tough times - planned a quilt of comfort, dozens and dozens of them. So I'm making blocks to go to Florida like this: 

And since I'm only one person I have invited other uk quilters to join me -  I'll be the post lady and get it all to Orlando. 

These quilts won't bring the victims back, but if they show love and bring some comfort that is the best we can hope for.

It Will Be Fine

A dear friend had something really rubbish happen to her. The kind of Pull the rug out from under her feet, life changing rubbish that no one deserves, least of all my kind lovely friend. So of course I wanted to make her a quilt. But, within a few days of the rubbish event, she had already made plans to travel, quit her job, go off by herself and have an adventure. Brave woman. 

So, not a quilt, a cushion cover that could pack down small, and be filled with jumpers if need be! 

So I pulled out some scraps, including hedgehogs- she had a pet one! - and some Cotton And Steel Lucky Strikes to wish her well, and started...

An hour later I had this 

And an hour and three quarters after that I had this 

Fully lined, quilted, with a button back.

I was pleased with my speedy work. She loved it. She has a positive, determined attitude. Life has given her a massive pile of lemons, but she will make lemonade, she will eventually be just fine.

Linking up to Le Challenge http://le-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

Swapping fun

I have had a lot of fun doing an Instagram mini quilt swap. It was a Dashwood Studios fabric theme. I made this for the lovely @imstudiolou.

Actually this is just the layout, I forgot to snap the finished item- doh!  And had a lot of fun making and collecting extras. 

 And then I received this beauty from @budsmam.

With gorgeous extras and back detail.

But best of all has been the getting to know my swap mates- it's a funny thing social media, it really is sociable sometimes!! So I'm going to link up to needle and thread Thursday to show not what I made, but what my new pal made!

http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/ntt-come-party.html?m=1

Sunday Stash March

I was very pleased to find these lovelies in the post ( I had bought them, it wasn't magic!) But nevertheless, pictures on a website is not the same as lovely fabric in your hand! 

It was a bunch of Cotton and Steel 2015 prints at bargainous prices from a place called the Fabric Guild. The thing about fabric is that it does change like fashion, but last season's prints are still really cool- and you have to snap them up when you can! 

I love my stash...!!

Instagram Whirl of Gaity

I love Instagram. Love it! The instantness of it all, millions of photos of lovely quilts and fabric and sewing machines and cats of top of all of the above - and you can show your appreciation with a tap of a screen. But the thing I love is getting to know new people! I have a few friends and family following me, but mostly total strangers, loads of them! 

Look! 100 people follow me. Wow! And I don't know most of them. They live in other countries!!! I love following them right back- it's so fascinating to see what someone is making in Japan, or Seattle or Edinburgh. Do some of those I exchange cheerful and encouraging comments with count as friends yet? I don't know, kind of I reckon.

But I do still have this lil ole blog here, so now I'm going to just stick up a ton of pics because I've been busy!

Next quilt is going to be a bigger one. In fact I have the blocks ready and waiting, so what am I waiting for? Time to put em together. 

That's it for now. Maybe I won't leave it so long next time! But until then, you'll find me trawling the sewing hashtags over on Instagram #