Baby quilt number 2

There is something very heartwarming about making a quilt for a new baby, especially when this time a year ago I was making a ‘wedding’ quilt for the little one’s parents who got married in April. 🙂 ❤

I have used two different flannel fabrics to make this quilt as it is so soft and perfect for a new baby, and have added a strip of very soft yellow cotton as the new baby’s nursery is going to be blue and yellow. Having never sewn with flannel before there are some challenges I’ve found such as it tends to stretch quite a lot, which can be both useful and a hindrance! I found it hard to keep the fabric straight, so don’t look too closely! Flannel seems to be much more popular in Canada than the UK but I’m not sure what else it is good for apart from pyjamas! 





As I will be taking this quilt with me back to the UK in April, before the little one is due in May (to save on international postage!) I am not going to be able to stitch on the baby’s date of birth, name, weight and time of brith, as I would like. Instead I’ve decided to stitch a meaningful quotation (or two) onto the quilt and have found some wonderful Winnie the Pooh sayings I can use. I’d forgotten how much I used to love Winnie the Pooh and friends. I used to live just a few miles from Hundred Acres Wood and as a child would play ‘Pooh sticks’ there!  

The difficulty is now deciding which quotations to use! Here are the possibilities, let me know which ones you like best! My top favourites are 6 and 8, but I really love them all! 

1. We made a wish and you came true.

2. Any day spent with you is my favourite day, so today is my new favourite day.

3. As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.

4. Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.

5. Once in a while someone amazing comes along…and here I am.

6. Piglet: “How do you spell love?”  Pooh: “You don’t spell it, you feel it.”

7. “If I am thinking correctly,” said Pooh, “a new baby is probably, undoubtedly, the grandest gift that could ever be.”

8. Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.

So which is your favourite quotation?! 



Bargain hunting here I come…again!

So another week and therefore another trip out to see what I can find. This time I’m going to the NE of the city (last time I went to the SE) where I have only been once. I’m going to two stores so I hope to be able to pick up a few bits and pieces. I particularly need some plain, light-weight cotton fabric which will be good for lining bags, tea cosies etc, as I’ve run out.

The charity stores in Canada are like TK Maxx stores in the UK; huge but all well laid-out and easy to navigate. They even have trollies so they’re expecting a lot of purchases from you! I will update this later on with what I find. See you then!

As you can see I found quite a few pieces of fabric! Plus I got a few lace trims and some bias binding. I can’t wait to start some new projects now!

Happy (early) Valentines surprise!

With Valentines Day fast approaching and the Canadians seeming to go in for it more than us Brits, I have been trying to think ‘out of the box’ for something special I can do for my husband. The multitude of red foil-covered chocolate hearts I keep seeing in town don’t quite seem right and so it occurred to me that as the way to my husband’s heart is through his stomach I would make my him a pie…tonight! Surprise! A chicken pot pie to be exact. I’m trying out some Canadian recipes and this seemed to feature a lot in searches online. I can testify it was very yummy, as can my husband, which is just as well as there is plenty left over for tomorrow!

Bargain hunting here I come!

Today I am off to explore a new area of the city and am going to check out a large thrift store. Shopping in Canada is quite different to the UK! I usually have a few trusted friends who enjoy a trip to the charity shops, but today it’ll just have to be me! I’m looking for some vintage fabric, ideally I’d like some lace. The beauty of these stores is you never know what you’re going to find. Top of my list is also a coffee table but as I’m going on the train I think that will have to wait, plus I still have my table and chairs to finish! One project at a time…..!

So I’m back and you can see my collection of fabrics below. No vintage lace but a lace top that had never been worn and a selection of cotton off-cuts. I am planning on setting up an etsy store with foldable tote bags and tea cosies to sell, so I think I best make a start!

Future projects

I have just received a delivery of fabric from the US and can’t wait to start designing my next project! I love it when I have to decide on the colour matches and layout of designs. I can’t say much more at this point without giving away what I’m doing, but I will post a photo after the recipients have received their gifts. Plenty of inspiration from books I got from the library-they will keep me quiet!