Christmas Cake

Today I have finally got around to making my Christmas cake. I have made a momentous decision to change my usual recipe that I have used for the past 30 years and go withDelia Smith's classic Christmas Cake. It has been cooking all evening, about 4 hours, and is now ready for me to take it out of the tin. It certainly smells good so hopefully it will be as tasty as my old receipe. I use Delia's almond paste and mincemeat recipes and they are both good so I'm sure this cake will be equally delicious.

Applique Tutorial

Firstly having chosen your design make a card template of all the pieces.

Next select the fabric you are going to use and cut a piece slightly larger than the design. Cut a piece of Wonder Web (Bondaweb in the UK) slightly smaller than your fabric.
Press the Wonder Web to the fabric sandwiching it between two pieces of baking parchment, this will prevent your iron and ironing board from becoming sticky.
Place your template onto the right side of the fabric and draw around the template. Cut this out. Peel off the backing and place the piece onto the fabric on which you are making your applique.
Again sandwich between the baking parchment and press with the iron. The piece of your design is now attached to the fabric of your block.
I find it easier to make all the pieces and then assemble the design before pressing into place but it depends on how complicated your design is - it may be easier to do it in stages.

You can now sew around the edges of the pieces with a decorative stitch, either by machine or hand, which neatens the edges and prevents fraying and also secures the design. This can be done at this stage or later at the quilting stage.

There are several methods of applique but this is one I learnt at a recent workshop and I found it simple to do.

October Bee for Modern Tradition

October was my turn to choose a block and send the fabric to the rest of the girls in my bee, but alas I was running late and have only just got around to getting this done. I am happy to say that the fabric is all packaged and waiting to go tomorrow so here are the instructions.

I have used a Jelly Roll from Moda Verna by Kate Spain to make my blocks using a log cabin type construction. The centre block is a floral applique which I would like you to choose your own design and please use your own fabrics from your stash to co-ordinate with the fabric I have sent to you. I don't mind what design as long as it is something floral, and any type of technique is fine. I used bondaweb and then I will stitch the appliqued pieces on when I quilt it later. The centre square is 6.5 ins and the pieces around it are all 2.5ins wide and the required length.

You will need to cut the following strips from the Jelly Roll as follows:

1 x 6.5" x 2.5"
2 x 8.5" x 2.5"
2 x 10.5" x 2.5"
2 x 12.5" x 2.5"
1 x 14.5" x 2.5"

Firstly sew using 0.25" seams through out the 6.5" strip to the top of the centre block.


Working in a clockwise direction around the centre block next sew on the 2 8.5" strips.





The block will finally be completed with the last strip 14.5" making a complete block 14.5" square.


Can I ask if you have any fabric of a reasonable size left over that you return it to me as I am hoping there will be enough scraps to make the binding. If anybody is taking part in the Hexagon Charm quilt along, I know Leanne and Greta are, please feel free to keep a 2.5" square of any of the fabrics you like.

Hope you enjoy making the block. I can't wait to see what you all make for me.

Birthday Card

This is a birthday card I have designed using Serif Scrapbook Artist 2. I plan to decoupage the flowers and embellish them with gems

Catchup Time

At last I have finally finished the blocks for the Modern Tradition Quilt Bee for August and September. I really enjoyed making both of these blocks which were so different from each other. Just hope that Rebecca likes her August block and Heather her September blocks. Heather asked us to make two blocks each as the Churn Dash blocks are very quick to make and she sent the fabric precut so even quicker.

Hexi Madness

I must be mad!! After seeing Greta's post about the hexagon charm quiltalong over on Flickr I decided to join the group and start by using my Moda Bakeshop Samples which gives me fabric for my first 480 hexies and after that I may have built up my stash for the next 693!!!. It's a nice little?? project to do whilst sitting in the garden during the summer. Watch this space to see how many hexies I have completed.

April Mojo in May

Greta was a little behind in sending out her block for April for the Modern Tradition Quilt Bee so she asked us to use fabric for our stash to make the Arkansas Crossing.


If we had time she asked if we could make 4 blocks which as you can see this is exactly what I did. I enjoyed making this block and I hope that Greta approves of my choice of fabric.



Can't decide if this is my favourite or .....



is it this one?!



or maybe this one?!!