Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Monday 11 June 2012

When a quilt is not a quilt!


 Hello and welcome to my new followers Ali at Ali Bee Creations,Lynne at Pieceful, Faye at Cartwheels & Bubbles,Trudy at Playing in the Attic and Meredith at Mereknits,hope you enjoy visiting my blog.
Many Many thanks to all for your warm comments on my last post....it was really an awful week.

Last Saturday I received a lovely surprise when I returned from my five hours class in the Business College, my giveaway prize from Alison/Dormouse had arrived, all the way from France. Good delivery timing.

My first prize and I am so pleased.
Dear Alison....it must be telepathy ...how did you know that I needed a book marker....my last one got decidedly mangled by Willie when he was having a kittenish day and attacked the tassel on the end of the marker and then sucked and chewed it to a disgusting mess. Then he started to choke on the threads from the tassel and was sick ,so book marker went straight in the bin.

I love this book marker you have sent me, its far better than the last one.


As for the cookery book well I am always looking for new recipes and although I speak only a little French I have no problem understanding it as I speak some Valenciano (the language of this province)and its really similar to French. Although should I have problems Sr P will be of great help because he speaks some French which he picked up when staying with his family in Le Harve.
 So in all its a lovely gift...thank you :-)


I am totally and utterly jealous to the gills of people who make quilts and patchwork ones at that. I have been seeing some REALLY impressive ones out there in blog land.
However I know this isn't the real thing but this was my effort at making something similar to a quilt,patchwork or a duvet cover.
Back in April 2000 when my daughter phoned me from Chicago to give me the wonderful news that she was expecting well I just couldn't keep still and wait I had to get cracking doing something crafty for that grandchild. Therefore before I even knew it was going to be a girl or boy I started the duvet cover. I wanted to do a big project because it was for a big event in my life and I also wanted to do something my grand-child could keep for the great grand-children.


As I said I started it before I knew if the babe was boy or girl so I picked teddy bears because I am a Winnie the Pooh Fan (may he live for ever)and also every child loves a Teddy.

 It took me nine months to complete.


 I had no sewing machine so after tacking it all together how I wanted it to look, I took it along to a sewing lady to finish it off for me.



I also made a rectangle cushion in the same material with a hidden purse inside for the tooth fairy but as yet I don't know what has happened to that. Its 11 years old now and wearing well but my Cookie Baby thinks its too babyish for her .......which is understandable at 11 so it'll be put away for my next grand-child or my first great-grandchild.

All the love and excitement and the waiting was wound into those threads ...and I made it to last. I traveled to Chicago in November 2000 to be with my daughter at the birth and gave it to her then,  ....as my old Aunty May down in Somerset would have said  "er were right struck with it!"

Better looking week ahead for me than last one I am pleased to say ....hope its going to be a good one for you all too.
Amanda :-)






36 comments:

  1. Dear Amanda,
    I love your duvet cover and the hours it must have taken you! There are many talented people out there in blogland as you say - oh to be able to create!
    Have a good week!
    June

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello June,

      Isn't that just so!!! I am amazed at the beautiful things so many bloggers are creating.

      Thanks for your comments

      Amanda x

      Delete
  2. Dear Amanda,

    Well done you! Lucky, lucky grandchild and your daughter will adore it. There is painstaking effort and heaps of love in that.

    Have a beautiful week. And if you ever need help translating your recipe book, I'm your woman! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks Stephanie....I may take up on that...dread to think if I put salt in instead of sugar!!!! :-)

      A x

      Delete
  3. It's beautiful Amanda a true labour of love :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Linda,
      Thanks. I think so too....and I hope one day my grand-daughter will use it for her child or children.

      Amanda :-)

      Delete
  4. I admire the work you put into that quilt and it seems like it's very well loved. A proper heirloom!
    Well done, you for winning the giveaway too!
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Missy,

      Many thanks. It is and even Cookie baby when she was small loved it . When I babysat for my daughter I used to tell her stories about the bears during those few minutes we would have together before tucking her in. She loved them.

      Amnada x

      Delete
  5. What an amazing heirloom you are giving that lucky child. It is absolutely beautiful, simply gorgeous.
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks Meredith.....even as a small child she loved it but now she is 11 it has to go away...hopefully my Cookie baby will have a brother or sister in the near future who will appreciate it too.

      Amanda :-)

      Delete
  6. Tha's beautiful, so personal and made with love ... a real Family Heirloom! Aunty May sounds fun too! Have a lovely week, Claire xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Claire,

      ahhha! My Aunty May she was quite a character....she had a farm down in Wiveliscombe Somerset and she was very broad Zummerset....I loved to hear her speak.

      Amanda :-)

      Delete
  7. A beautiful quilt, stitched with love. Your quilt is definitely a family heirloom to be proud of. It is thrilling when you learn there is to be a grandchild, I ordered canvases and got doing some nursery paintings, to allow me to turn the excitement into something tangible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly Elaine....like yourself I just had to do something...I had to put all that sentiment and motivation into something I could look back on to remember those wonderful feelings.

      Amanda :-)

      Delete
  8. What a gorgeous quilt and a lovely story.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great prize! Lovely quilt too Amanda!
    Victoria xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. How sweet and utterly perfect are the colours and patterns of this quilt! Good choice, Amanda. It must mean so much to your daughter and knowing it will be in your family for years to come is satisfying in itself.

    Isn't it amazing every time one begins with a blank slate and goes on to create such wonders?!

    Poppy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Poppy
      I was very pleased with it I finished just in time too.

      Thanks for your comments

      Amanda :-)

      Delete
  11. Amanda.. very nice work. I love quilts!! Congrats on the new baby!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Shari,
      Me too....and that was the only way I could do one.
      Sorry ....but there has been a bit of a misunderstanding the baby is no baby anymore but an 11 year old now.

      Amanda :-)

      Delete
  12. What a beautiful quilt! Jx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jan....but I still wish I could make some of the wonderful quilts I've been seeing that other bloggers have made.

      Amanda x

      Delete
  13. Congratulations to you and your family on your news! It is a lovely quilt, you should be very pleased with it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooops! bit of a misunderstanding I think, there's no new born baby she's 11 now.
      I am quite pleased with it thanks considering I find it hard to do big makes.

      Amanda x

      Delete
  14. I'm glad you like your prize, Amanda!

    What a lovely quilt you have made...very talented!

    ReplyDelete
  15. She was Jooles at the time and she's been careful with it too all these years and now its put away for the next grand-child

    Amanda x

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a lovely keepsake. The teddies were a perfect choice.
    I'm sure your granddaughter will want it back if she has
    children of her own. Have a lovely week.
    Ali x

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Amanda, I know I should write something intelligent and/or witty but I can't stop giggling at your line "decidedly mangled by Willie" tee hee I'm such a child and I do apologise :o) lots of love xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He! He! but not so funny when you have to extract bits of sodden paper and the threads of the tassel from a cats throat,stupid animal was choking on it.....that was my best description of the gooey mess that Willie turned my old book marker into. :-)
      Gad it made you laugh though!

      Amanda :-)

      Delete
  18. Because it is so nice, I'd say
    that the baby should give it to his baby!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Amanada, please pop over to my blog I have left something there for you. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Amanda..I also left a little something for you.. Are you feeling special today?? Come visit me as well!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a beautiful quilt cover, a real heirloom, and a wonderful gift for your grandchild who must have had 11 happy years enjoying it before, reluctantly I expect,deciding she has outgrown it!
    Wonderful gifts too - lucky you!

    Gill xx

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments. I do read them and try to reply to all as well.Please keep them coming. Amanda :-)