teaching sewing confidence, tip by tip

Monday 3 March 2014

That Was February, This Is March


So it's March and I've been buying some gorgeous new fabrics at Pins & Needles on the Upper East Side.
A couple of Ed Emberley "Picture Pie" for Cloud9 fabrics - you just have to love those raccoons and Michael Miller's black & white Clown Stripe.


2 yards of multi pom poms, white fleece and white french terry.


Some fat quarters - I haven't got a printed selvedge on any of them so I have no idea what I've bought, if anyone has any idea I'd love to know!


So that's what I've been doing in March but what about February and, for that matter, January?

Well in January this little guy came to live with us, his name's Watson and he's a Havanese.


Yep he's pretty much running the household and, as you can see, he's totally taken ownership of Tatty's bed!


Then in February Simon and I headed off for a week to Seville to see all the kids - that's right, ALL the kids - it's 2 years since we were all together!!!

The trip involved a lot of this -


there's half a bottle of Tanqueray gin with a thimble of tonic in my glass!

Need more evidence of how we passed our time?  
Here's Ana, Jack, Joe and Katie and a table full of our cocktails.


We didn't take many pics (see my post about my previous trip here) and a lot of what I do have are poor quality phone photos, but there's not a single one of us all together :( and turns out this is the only pic I've got of Flicky!


and this one's me with Simon.


It rained every day and although it wasn't warm it was most definitely warmer than NYC.  The sun did break through for a couple of hours one day as I snapped this pic of Joe and Katie dancing in Seville's Cathedral garden


and this is the sunny view from the top of the Cathedral's Giralda Tower.


I loved all the hand stitched scarves


and there was quilty inspiration on every floor.


Here I am on the flight home - knitting and stretching out as there were only 80 of us on the 335 seater plane.


Airplane food was, as always a trial for me - just because I'm gluten free doesn't mean I like rice cakes, I hate rice cakes.


So that's my dinner and below's my breakfast - another rice cake that someone's gone to the trouble of cutting in half - makes no difference, I still hate rice cakes.


Since I got home I've been working on a sampler for a potential class, late into the night I've been busy sewing together jelly roll strips.


Tomorrow I'm off to San Francisco till Monday and I'm looking forward to some potential sunshine instead of more of this.


Here's to Spring in New York - though I've got a feeling we'll be skipping Spring and going straight into another scorcher of a Summer!!!

I know it's terribly British of me but I'm wondering how the weather's treating you?  Answers on a postcard please or even in a comment.


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35 comments:

  1. Gorgeous purchases and photos of your family! Those tiles are pretty amazing too! NYC looks pretty cold. We are have a 32C day in Melbourne today! Have a great week .......Marie x

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  2. Crissie,
    From a fellow Hav owner, congrats on the new puppy! Adorable!

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    1. We already have a Havapoo and just love the Havanese traits so this time went for a pure Hav - they're just the best aren't they? :D

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  3. I just got my Picture Pie today in the mail box! What are you going to make, Chrissie? Love all the family photos and pics of places I'll not likely see. And those floors!!! But then - the snow and cold. No thanks. We've got lots of our own here. Put another log on the fire!

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    1. Lol Lorna, I think my raccoons are going to be a baby quilt, not 100% sure but keep coming back to that idea :D

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  4. Seville is on my list of places to go it looks lovely, hopefully next year! We have just come back from a few days in Prague where the weather was glorious, brilliant sunshine most of the time and not a raindrop or snowflake in sight :) Enjoy the sun in San Francisco.

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    1. Saw your Prague post, looks amazing and love the Post Office pic. San Fran was amazing, I'll be posting about it soon, lots of fabric and wool shopping :D

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  5. Watson is adorable - is there a Sherlock? Your photos of Seville are beautiful - the only time I visited, I was sick! The weather here (Marrakech) is starting to nudge up in to the mid-twenties (C) and that's perfect for me - no hotter!

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    1. We don't have a Sherlock but you're on the right lines. We do have a Thatcher and we debated Dennis or Reagan to be her sidekick but neither suited him so we thoguht Watson was a great sidekick name, it's perfect for him so we went with that. I envy you your mid twenties (C), we've got more snow this week and prob more next week too. I'm so done with snow! :D

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  6. You look like you had a beautiful holiday. And you know what, better to spend time with family, than time posing family for pictures and trying to make e bloody camera work properly! Lol. I have to say though, the photo of the dancing in the square is gorgeous. That has to go on a wall somewhere, for sure.
    Welcome to little Watson. How's Tatty going with the new addition? And how is Flicky enjoying uni? Is she getting a Scottish accent yet?
    E xx

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    1. Tatty is coming to terms with Watson's arrival and the realisation that he must actually be staying! We had such a fab time Erin and I love that photo too - Katie has a very similar one that I posted to Instagram as her fb cover photo. Flicky is loving uni; she hasn't developed a Scottish accent yet but she has dropped the American twang she picked up in her two years here and now speaks like an English lady again (and nothing like her mother!). She's actually coming home this Saturday just for six days and we're really looking forward to seeing her again :D

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  7. Your entire post made me smile. Thank you for sharing of slice of your life with us. :)V

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    1. Such a lovely comment Valerie, it was a lot of fun and wonderful to share and have you all enjoy and comment :D

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  8. Such fun going on in your world despite the cold!
    Weather here in Texas was warm and in the upper 70's all last week. Trees sprouting flowers, daffodils blooming, and roses leafing. Then Sunday we were invaded by Artic Air and the temperature plummeted into the teens! Poor flowers. :(

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    1. I saw your pics and was very envious and then it was such a shame that the weather then turned. We've got more snow today and more expected next week - can't wait for this Winter to end :(

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  9. So much to comment on - where to start!! LOVE those fabrics, as you know. Aren't the raccoons adorable. I'm so glad you got away from all that snow and had such a lovely time with your family in Seville. It's so funny that you photographed the tiles, because I did the same thing in a posh restaurant last week - when no one was looking I hope!! Poor you with all those rice cakes, that's not enough to feed a sparrow is it?! Looking forward to seeing your demo jelly roll quilt soon, it's already looking lovely xxx

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  10. You missed our nice weather here in San Francisco by about a week and a half. We just finally got the rain we so desperately needed. At least it wasn't snowing here!
    Loved those pics of the tiles...quilt potential!
    I'm sewing jelly roll strips together end to end. Then I'll cut off a random length and sew them side to side. It'll be interesting to see what comes of it.

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    1. I managed some okay weather for my San Fran trip, no Karl the fog and even caught the sun a bit too much on my walk from Sausalito to Cavello Point and then over the bridge. Lots of photos and a couple of posts coming soon! Hoping to see what you do with those jelly roll strips on your blog :D

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  11. Very cute raccoon fabric and the puppy is adorable. Thanks for sharing photos.

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  12. You have way too much fun.

    The weather here has been lovely. After a few days of rain, we are back to our usual sunny and 70. I heard it was even going to be 79 on Saturday!

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    1. I know I'm so lucky to get to do all my travel, but it's playing havoc with my quilting these days!! I so would swap you your warmer weather though Jen :D

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  13. Goodness me what an awful lot you have going on Chrissie! Love all these great pictures - and what a contrast between Seville and NYC. Love that picture of you in the snow!

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    1. A bit too much maybe Gertie, I'm missing out on sewing time but having lots of fun :D

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  14. It's great that you got to spend some time with your family. And I'm totally jealous of your raccoon fabric. I am hoping that my LQS gets that line, because I would love to have some of the raccoons and foxes. The weather here is cold, but at least it hasn't snowed since Sunday. Here's hoping for bright sunny days soon.

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  15. What a wonderful post and beautiful photos! You have really been busy! It snowed here in Iowa today and I'm like you.....can't wait for Spring! Thanks for sharing.
    Freemotion by the River Linky Party Tuesday

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  16. No idea on the FQ's but they are nice. Crossing my fingers to get rid of some of this white stuff this weekend!

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  17. Great pics. I enjoyed your post. The weather treated us well. We had very mild winter as it went somewhere else :-)

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  18. Such lovely pics of travel and fabrics (two of my favorite things!).

    As for your FQ photo, I only know the one on the far left. It's a Cloud9 Fabric designed by Julia Rothman and long out of print so what a find!

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    1. Thanks Nellie, with the info you given me I've discovered it's called Fishbone, thanks for your help and see you on 5th April at our next meeting :D

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  19. It is always such fun purring faces to the blogs I visit. Thanks for sharing them and all the other...even the ones with the snow. I san see all sorts of quilting patterns in those gorgeous floors. Had never thought of it before. Love your new fabrics...and I HAVE to find a place to buy some of the Picture Pie fabrics and the multi pompoms. I LVE THEM! Such a nice post this week.

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    1. Thanks Genie, you'll see quilty inspiration everywhere now I've pointed those floors out to you! Hope you've got yourself some of that fabric :D

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  20. You know me...I hate winter too. This one has been horrible. There is still more than a foot of the white stuff in the yard. I'm so jealous that you'll have a little get away to a warmer place. Enjoy!

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  21. Thanks for all the eye candy. Best wishes from Connecticut.. we've had the same snow you've had! A LOT! It has to melt soon, right? Linda

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  22. love the pics from your trip. those floors are so inspirational! lovely fabric too- I always hate when I don't have a printed selvage. When I buy fabric in person, sometimes I don't look at the bolts to know what I'm buying!

    Thanks so much for sharing at Needle and Thread Thursday!

    :) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

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  23. Beautiful photos Chrissie - thanks for taking the time to answer my apron queries too! Hope you're enjoying San Francisco, we've had beautiful sunshine so it's only fair that you get some too :-)

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Chris Dodsley


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