More progress

This single-bed commissioned quit is finally looking like a quilt! (it is square, just too big to get a straight-on shot).

I got the top together last night. I've since added borders (but it's now too big to easily photograph the whole thing) sandwiched and started quilting it.

I've arranged to have a couple of days off work next week, in the hopes of having both this, and my much-revised FSDQ done by their looming deadlines!

Next week should see three quilts in the mail.

Thankyou Leah!

My Table Runner from the EB Quilters' Swap arrived from Leah arrived this week. Imagine my confusion when the first fabric I saw when opening the package was the last one I saw when sending mine on its way to Natalie!I've been terribly slow in blogging it, because I wantred to photograph it in its new hom on our dining table, But the table is thoroughly buried, and I'm so busy trying to get a few projects done, I haven't time to clear it properly and then hunt for everything. So I sufficed by using the wooden floorboards in place of the table. And a hanging rod!Leah used some of the same range of fabric I used; Chocolate Lollipop; but the runner has a totally different feel. It's fresh and striking. And all those corner triangles? They're cleverly folded - and I forsee James and Eleanor having great fun slipping who-knows-what into them in the years to come! Plus, the back is almost as pretty as the front!

Table Runner received

Dipped in Chocolate arrived at Natalie's yesterday, so now I can show you the whole thing! Even if I do say so myself, it looks really good on her dining table; the narrow brown strips tie in nicely with her chairs and blinds.

It was quite a challenge getting the 1/4in squares in the 'sashing' to line up (most of them did in the end!). I really enjoyed using some of my Chocolate Lollipop fabric and fussy-cutting the medallions.

And a bit of fun playing with the camera!

Table Runner ready to send

This afternoon while Eleanor had her nap and James was out at the trains with Simon, I finished and photographed my table runner for the EB Quilters' swap. I can't show too much because we all read each others' blogs, but here are a couple of peeks:

And a little stash-enhancement while I was buying some backing and batting yesterday; the first two just because...

...and my main palette for the border I'm adding to AJ's Round Robin centre:

Happy Birthday my delightful princess

Happy Birthday Eleanor!

By your first birthday, you:

- Are still Mummy's little girl

- Have 6 teeth

- Weigh almost 9kg and have finally had your carseat turned

- Are walking

- Love to eat almost anything

- Wear size 00 clothes

- Can clap and wave at appropriate times

- Will say bye-bye all day

- Are James' little Princess

- Still have enormous, beautiful eyes

- Love your first BMW

- Know exactly what you want - and aren't afraid to let us know

- Have wonderful fun playing with mummy's material

- Pull your socks off at the first opportunity

- Don't like to be thrown in the air, but love to hang upside down

- Are an absolute delight

Above is Eleanor's 12-month photo on her quilt, and below is a link to an ordered Flickr set of all her monthly photos from 2-12 months:

Eleanor on her quilt; month-by-month

Today I did Eleanor's First Birthday photoshoot. Outside conditions weren't pleasant, so we set up inside and I hoped the flash and custom colour settings I played with would cooperate. I'm really pleased with the results, but will eventually have a go at photoshopping some of them.

First, Eleanor wearing the beautiful outfit Joy made for her:

And a series wearing her birthday skirt and top (the first is my absolute favourite!):

Bathtime and playtime

Be prepared for a flood of family photos over the next few days. I've been trying to sort through our hundreds of recent photos, and have still yet to do Eleanor's birthday photo shoot.

Bathtime tonight:

James pushing Eleanor in the trolley we gave her for her birthday:

As close as I'll get this year

We're just not going to make it to the snow this winter, so instead I'm trying to make do with fabric - especially snowflake fabric! Here's the latest installment - more wintergraphix:

And 18 of these arcs completed means now I just have to assemble the 1/4 circles, arcs and corners into 18 blocks and the fiddly stuff will be done.

Stash = 810m

A good mail day

Today's post made me happy...

My first 6 yards of wintergraphix:Plus a cheque for the publication of Eleanor's Quilt, AND the contract for the publication of Evening Indulgence.
And the last block for a quilt I'm putting together!
And finally, our WIGGLES tickets!

Tonight I have made a start on the table runner I'm making as part of a swap with the EB Quilters. I've altered the colours so as not to give too much away. But I will say this, every time I press a part containing some of Anna Maria's Chocolate Lollipop, I swear I smell hot chocolate!

I also want to show off some mail which arrived last week. I've been slow in doing so, but not because I don't absolutely love it! One of the mums in my online parents' group knitted this beautiful top for her daughter. When I asked if she would make me one, she sent it to me, saying she would have to knit a bigger one for her daughter anyway (remember Eleanor is tiny - still wearing size 00; which says 3-6months; at her first birthday!) and refused to accept any payment. It's hard to believe this was her first knitted garment! Thankyou so much, Kelly! At almost this very moment last year (12.38am) Eleanor was born. Happy Birthday!

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Firstly, thankyou for all the lovely comments about Eleanor's cake! I love hearing from you all! Joy mentioned she hadn't realised from the photos just how tiny some of the pieces were - the finished 'quilt' was about 7" square, so some of the pieces were under a centimetre long (and yes, I realise I'm mixing measurements!) There's not much left now - and I admit it hurt a little to cut it!

Eleanor was a good girl and as well as a morning nap, also went to sleep not long before the party and slept for over an hour, so was very happy all through it.

Eleanor with her first BMW (from my parents):

Eleanor's first dolly came with a bottle...

Simon's parents found this cross stitch when they were sorting through Nan's house, and had in framed for Eleanor:
We had 3 renditions of Happy Birthday, as Eleanor shares her birthday with my Gran and today also happens to be my mother-in-law's birthday. James got to blow out the candle with

both of them; here he is with his Nanny:

Enjoying her cake with Daddy:
With her car again:

I think he likes the dolly more than she does at this stage!

And in her new hat just before bed:

Deja vu?

Eleanor gets to have her quilt and eat it, too!

I spent hours today colouring icing, then rolling it out and cutting it into miniscule pieces. In what is both my most and least original 'quilt', I've replicated Eleanor's Quilt in icing for her birthday cake. I even used quilting rulers to help cut it straight and mark the guiding grid on the base - but drew the line at dirtying my rotary cutter! I'm pretty proud of my efforts.

It's on a marzipan base, and I'll place it on the square chocolate cake and ice the rest in white frosting tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm admiring it!

From 918 to 294

The main part of this quilt top (without borders) will have 918 pieces in it. After tonight's effort, I have joined over 600 pieces! Tonight I finished foundation-piecing 30 pairs of these half-squares to make kaleidoscope blocks. So much faster than those arcs and curves, and no unpicking tonight either!

Productivity on this quilt is about to stall while I wait for the remaining fabric, prepare and host Eleanor's First Birthday Party, and get on with a table runner and mini quilt for a couple of swaps I'm in.

It was worth it!

I've joined the first arc and quarter-circle, and was pleased with how well the seams matched, and how square it came out. There are still another 17 of these to do, then each needs a second arc (as yet unpieced - I'm waiting on the extra fabric), then the corner setting. And yes, that's the one-inch grid on my cutting mat - some of those pieces are rather tiny!