Patches and Puppies

Welcome to this week's TGIFF link party. Your chance to celebrate that great feeling which comes with finishing a project or two!


Regular readers will know that recently I have been stitching away for the gorgeous new man in my life and today's finish is no exception :)

I mentioned last month that I had been trying out a New to Me method of constructing nine patch blocks courtesy of Generations Quilt Patterns and this is what they were destined for.



I found the delightful doggy fabric at the closing down sale of a LQS before our move and knew instantly that it would be perfect for a quilt for that new little man. I couldn't make up my mind how to use it until a fellow quilter recently suggested intersecting fussy cut blocks with co-ordinating nine patch blocks and that light bulb went off in my head!

With only 1m of the doggy fabric it was a real brain teaser making sure that I had enough fussy cut blocks without having to resort to blocks of half a dog here and there, but thankfully it all worked out in the end without any poor half-cut pooches making up the numbers :)

I have some lovely linen in similar colours that I am thinking of using for the back but that is another day's work.


Now it is your turn to link up your fabulous finishes, grab that button and include a link back to the TGIFF party in your post so your readers can find us and join the party too!

An InLinkz Link-up

Of course if your finish is Christmas themed don't forget to head on over to Sandra Sews :) for this month's Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew link party. There is a great novelty purse pattern up for grabs for one lucky linker :)

A very special New to Me!

Welcome to another New to Me link party. In my part of the world September is traditionally the month for starting new activities and taking up new hobbies, so plenty of opportunity for lots of New to Me's :)

In keeping with that New to Me feeling in the air I have joined a new patchwork group, who are making lap quilts for wheelchair bound local children. The final quilts will be 39" square and seemed to be the perfect excuse to use up some Bee blocks that have been hanging around my sewing room.

So, in no time at all here is my first quilt top for the group! Now that kind of speedy turnaround of a project is most definitely New to Me :)

I have enough blocks from the Scrappy Trip Along Bee to make one and, perhaps, two more quilt tops so it looks like the Christmas deadline for the quilts will be a breeze to meet!

You have already seen my New to Me recycled shirt quilt

 but I forgot to show you the back of the quilt.

I used a cute bunny flannel that was in my stash. It was the first time that I had used flannel to back a quilt, but it was straightforward to stitch up so I will definitely be using it again. If I had more to hand I might have used it to back the lap quilt for the charity group, but I don't so I will have to see what else I can come up with.

Of course, our most special New to Me this month was this gorgeous little man!

We are heading back down his way for more cuddles soon, and can't wait to see him!



So that's my New to Me's this month, now it is your turn to share the highs and lows of trying out something for the first time. As ever please help to spread the word by linking back to this post in your post and/or adding the blog button to your sidebar.








Check out the other links too and, maybe, leave an encouraging comment along the way. The emphasis of this link party is to celebrate the trying so a little encouragement here and there would not go amiss! 
The link will remain open until 23.59GMT on September 30th, so you have some time yet to try something new and link up and join the party :)


If your New to Me involves a Christmas or Holiday make then don't forget to link it up at this month's Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew Link Party over at Sandra Sews :) You could be the lucky winner of this great pattern!

Looking forward to seeing what you have tried this month.

An InLinkz Link-up

Something old for somebody new - Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew

Welcome to the September Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew Link Party! Despite the glorious sunshine here yesterday, we are definitely on the run-in to that big holiday at the end of the year, so what better time to get started on those crafty gifts and decorations that you have been meaning to start since January :)

If you are lacking inspiration, each month we add a brand-new Christmas or Holiday project to the Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew archive. Click on the button at the top of the page to see all of the brilliant projects dreamt up to date by our fabulously talented guest hosts and be inspired!

As an added incentive to get cracking on that crafting every month there is a great giveaway prize for one lucky linker and this month's prize, courtesy of Stephanie at Elephant in my Handbag is a cracker!

I am sure that you can all think of someone who would love a coin purse from this great pattern!

Not only has Stephanie donated the perfect pattern for gift crafting, but she is also giving all budding Ho, Ho, Ho'ers a 10% discount on their first purchase from her lovely online store. The discount code is naturally enough HOHOHO and is suitable for one time use between now and when this month's link party ends on September 30th.

Our guest hostess this month, Sandra, has been known to whip up a novelty purse or two in her time, so there couldn't have been a better fit of hostess and giveaway :)

My own Christmas crafting revolves around the arrival of this little fellow

our gorgeous grandson!

We have already managed to hurtle down the road for one visit and are busy planning the next, but in the meantime I have been working on a project to keep him warm and cosy this winter.

My new patchwork class were working on log cabin blocks and I decided to use that as an opportunity to do something that I have been meaning to do for a long time; make a quilt from my stash of used shirts. The shirts in question were discarded by my husband and sons, so there are some of grandpa's and uncles shirts as well as the new dad's!

I used all 100% cotton shirts except for one which was a linen and cotton mix, so I presume they will all be able to stand up to whatever our gorgeous grandson can throw at them :)

I am thrilled to bits with how this turned out, and can't wait to see the new man in my life wrapped up in it come Christmas.

So that's my Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew project sorted, now it is your turn so head on over to Sandra
and link up your Christmas and holiday makes for September and be in with a chance to win that brilliant novelty purse pattern. The link closes at 23.59GMT on September 30th so you have plenty of time to get that project finished and linked up, and don't forget to take advantage of that 10% discount code too.



Thanks again to all of these lovely sponsors who have provided such great giveaway prizes as an extra incentive to get those gifts done and dusted.