It's Grow Your Blog (and giveaway) time again . . .

Yes, it's that time of the year again when the lovely Vicky over at 2 Bags Full hosts the fun & fabulous "Grow Your Blog" Party. 

Just for today, regular service is interrupted.  Frequent visitors will know that I'm currently on a mission to finish off as many WIPs as I possibly can, by the end of January - so be not alarmed, the quest continues and normal updates will resume again soon.

So, if you're a new visitor popping in for the party - welcome, it's lovely to meet you and do feel free to have a little wander around.  It's been almost 3 years since I started this little crafty blog of mine and I continue to be amazed and delighted by how much fun it is to be a part of this worldwide group of lovely fellow bloggy peeps.  Thank you to every one of you who regularly take the time to stop by and say hello - I love having you visit & having a little natter too.

Home is currently the midlands of England in the beautiful county of Worcestershire, where I live with one handsome Hubby and two most-adorable-pups-in-the-world - all of whom keep me on my toes & out of mischief, but always encourage & support my love of all things crafty.

Aren't they adorable ?

Mostly here at   "gilly makes . . ."   I like to make things.
(Yes, the clue is in the title.) 

 All sorts of things, really. 

 Anything creative appeals to me, but right now I am loving knitting, crochet, quilting and improving my sewing & dressmaking skills. 

So, what would a party be without pressies, right?   I do love a wee giveaway or two . . . or three . . .

No. 1 is for the sewaholics out there . . . 

 . . . so if sewing or quilting is your thing, then how would you like a little bundle of four fun, cool British-themed fat quarters and one of these fab shopping or project bags from Sew Me Something? 

  Sew Me Something is my local (and favourite, I might add) haberdashery in pretty Stratford upon Avon, home also to all-things William Shakespeare, and I do so love this little parody of the quote from Henry V: "Once more unto the fabric shop, dear friends, once more"

Giveaway No.1  (Chair, cushion & throw not included)

No. 2 parcel has another bundle of four fat quarters, and lovely mug just waiting to be filled with delicious coffee or yummy hot chocolate . . . or whatever tipple you fancy really.  

The words on the mug are another little twist of words, this time from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night : " If sewing be the food of love, stitch on"

No. 2

And if you're more of a yarny peep than a sewist or a quilter, then pressie No. 3 is for you:

Four balls of Lily's Sugar & Cream Stripes yarn, and a book by one of my favourite crafty designers, Nicki Trench - filled with a myriad of lovely crafty projects.

No.3

So do please pop over and have a little peek at all the other lovely blogs that are joining the party - Vicki will post a list over HERE sometime on Sunday, 25th January.

And if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning one of my little giveaway pressies then all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post, let me know which parcel you fancy (1, 2 or 3), and ensure I have a way of contacting you.  

Especially if you're a no-reply blogger (see this post if you're unsure), then please include your email or a link to your blog.

The giveaway is open worldwide, and to all... regulars & newbies  : - )

You don't have to be a follower to enter, but if you'd like to follow along with my crafty adventures, you'd be very welcome.  All the links are in the sidebar: Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin' - the choice is yours.

Closing date is Sunday, 15th February 2015 and I'll do the lucky draw asap thereafter. The 3 winners will be announced on my blog.

Good luck,
 thanks again for popping by and have a happy weekend.

I'm off to have cake now, for indeed what is a party without cake too ?

: - )

'til next time,

xoxo

ps. Thanks again to Vicki for hosting this annual bloggy party, and big thanks too to lovely Jules for the giveaway gifts of the lovely bag & mug.

**** Thank you for popping by - this giveaway is now closed. **** 

Around the World Blog Hop . . .

 Hello, and welcome . . .  today it's my turn to take part in the Around the World Blog Hop.  The lovely Sarah from A Little Happy Place kindly invited me (have a wee peek at her post here) and the brief is to answer a few questions about your creative process & makes, and then to pass the baton on to another crafty bloggy peep or three.

So here goes:

What am I working on?

Is there such a thing as having too many WIPs on the go ?  Usually I like things to be orderly and tidy, and love to tick things off a list, but it seems that when it comes to making things, all that goes out the window, and I always seem to be juggling a variety of projects simultaneously. 

 So first up is a Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt which seems to have been in the making for absolutely ages.

Finally last week I finished all the blocks so the next step is to play around with the layout , arrange them into one pretty quilt top, add a simple border and complete the backing/quilting/binding process.  I will get there . . . one day . . . hopefully in the not too distant future.

 Next up is the making of 150 little bags in this fun London fabric - this is my priority at the moment and I'm trying to sew a few each day as this project has a deadline that I have to meet.

 I have to confess however that I'm a wee bit behind schedule as yesterday I chain-sewed a batch of 15 and when I came to turn them right-side out, I realised (much to my annoyance . . . the word "eejit" springs to mind) that I'd sewn them all the wrong way around.  Aaarghhh... (this being the polite way of expressing above-mentioned annoyance)

 These bags are a commission from the Hubby - they will eventually each contain a little mechanical puzzle.  The good news is that the cost of this fabric was deducted from his puzzle budget and not my fabric budget and I'm sure he way over-estimated the amount of fabric I'd need so there should be a decent amount left over for me afterwards.   Ssshhh . . . ; - )

And then there's a bit more of these fun British fabrics that I have all sorts of plans for - but I really must finish those 150 wee bags first.

Also on the almost-finished list at the moment is the vintage-style Juliet dress (another design from Sew Me Something) which just needs the armhole binding and the hem taken up . . .

. . . and another little Sewing Machine pincushion 

just like the one I made here.

 

And on my needles ?

 I've made a tiny bit of progress on this lovely lacy poncho.  It has something like 324 stitches and after almost 10 rows I realised I'd made a horrid mistake way back at the beginning so had to frog it and start again.  But again . . . like with all my WIPs . . . I will get there eventually.

How does my work differ from others of its genre ?

Hmmm . . . that's an interesting question, because I think that everyone's work and makes are unique to them.  Whilst lots of us may sew, quilt, knit, crochet etc etc, we each have our own individual styles and techniques that make each project different.  It always strikes me as amazing when I'm doing a crafty workshop or course, that there could be six of us making exactly the same thing, but each one's project will have a different look about it.  I love that about the art of making. 

Why do I create what I do ?

That's an easy one to answer:  Because I love to make things and learn new skills.  I'm inspired by the makes of others a lot, but if I see something that I like, I want to try and make it.  Sometimes my expectations and enthusiasm exceeds my ability, but I like to give things a go anyway.  You'll never know, if you don't try : - )

How does my writing/creating process work ?

A few years ago, we moved across the equator from the tip of Africa to this little island of Great Britain which we now call home, so I started my blog as a way of keeping a record of what I was making, and sharing it with my lovely crafty friends that I'd left behind.  Little did I know then how much I would come to love blogging and how many other lovely crafty friends I would come to know and meet in this wonderful blogland space. 

 I don't plan posts in advance, and very rarely do I sit down and draft one for publishing at a later date.  I tend to just take some pics and write around those, then hit the publish button. 

I sometimes wish I was more organized, and I always wish there was more time in the day to be able to visit all the other fabulous blogs that I follow & love to read.  But I know we're all in the same boat and rowing as fast as we can : - )

As for how my creating process works - I always want to start something new as soon as, and I do usually get around to completing things . . . although I will admit to having a few WIPs lurking in the depths of cupboards, in bags and under tables . . . 

Sigh . . . one day . . .

So that's it from me today, and without further ado, I'd like to send you off on your travels

. . .  please hop all the way south to Tasmania and pop in to the oh-so-fabulous Sarah Lizzies.  Kim creates just the most beautiful things and I'm constantly in awe of her makes.  Seriously, pop over, you'll see what I mean . . .

. . . then staying in the southern hemisphere, hop on to the tiny remote island of St Helena and say hello to the lovely Eleanor at Stitches & Seeds.  Eleanor blogs about her adventures - crafty & otherwise - on this south Atlantic island.  She makes some great things, sometimes with very limited resources that many of us take for granted -  I think the supply ship only visits the island once a month . . . but I could be wrong.  Rather pop over and ask Eleanor herself . . .

. . . then head back over the equator to the UK and visit the talented Jo at Three Stories High.  Jo makes something every day.  Seriously, she really does.  She amazes me with her creativity, I know you'll enjoy your visit.


Bon voyage lovelies,
thanks for stopping by.

'til next time
xoxo

Grow your blog . . .

Hello, happy weekend and a big welcome too if you're visiting here for the first time and joining in the party over at
 2 Bags Full . . .

It's been almost 2 years since I started this little crafty blog of mine and I am constantly amazed and delighted by how much fun it is to be a part of this worldwide group of lovely fellow bloggy peeps.

So, the short version is thus:

I'm Gilly, currently happily ensconced in the midlands of England, UK with my loved ones: The Hubby and The Two-Most-Adorable-Pups-in-the-World.

aren't they just adorable ?

 And I love to make things.  Baking, knitting, quilting, crocheting and a fairly new-found love of sewing are my current favourites . . . and here at  gilly makes. . . HQ,  there's always something on the go . . .

. . .a quilt label to be sewn,

a quilt to be posted, a bag of yarn to be crocheted and a pup to be cuddled/walked/fed,

fabric to be cut & pressed,

a dress to be finished, and a bag of knitting to be sewn up !

It's all just one big W I P . . .

So please do have a wee wander around and I hope you enjoy your visit. 

Ooh, and to join in the spirit of the party, I've got a little giveaway too . . .

Now I know that not everybody likes to knit or crochet or sew etc etc, but everyone has a home, and most of us have to do the housework at some stage, right ? 

So, how about some pretty things to brighten up those chore days ?

a little bundle of Cath Kidston prettiness . . .

If you'd like to enter, all you have to do is leave a comment and make sure I can contact you if you're the lucky winner.  (If you're usually a No-reply Blogger, please add your email address).  

That's it - simples.

Entries will close on Friday, 14th Feb 2014 and the winner will be announced on Saturday, 15th Feb 2014.

Vicky from 2 Bags Full has done a great job in organizing this blog hop, so do pop over here - she will post the full list of participants on Saturday 25th Jan.

Enjoy the party. . . 

xoxo

And the winner is . . .

Firstly a HUGE thanks to everyone who left me such lovely comments and entered my wee giveaway - I hope you enjoyed the Blog Hop and discovered some new & wonderful blogs to follow along the way. 

And then, a big & hearty welcome to my new followers - it's lovely to have you here and I do hope you enjoy sharing in my crafty adventures.

Here at gilly makes . . . HQ we aren't too fussed about technical things, we like to do things the traditional way. But writing out 218 names and finding a hat big enough to accommodate them seemed like an onerous task so early in the morning - SO, just as the Hubby was on his way out the door,  I asked him to "randomly pick a number between 1 and 218". He's an actuary and they're supposedly good with numbers, so it's like having my own in-house Random Number Generator  ; - ) 

Right, so, the result you're waiting for ?   

As he headed out into the cold outside, he called out "17" and hi-ho, hi-ho, off to work he went . . .

And so,

 CONGRATS to the lovely Dorothy*
from Dorothy's Room - a Crochet, Knitting, Sewing Blog, 

who is the lucky commenter no. 17. 

Please do one more hop and pop in to say hello to Dorothy too - she's fairly new to this lovely crafty malarkey, and I know she'll give you a warm welcome.

Thanks again, lovely peeps, I really do appreciate and love to read all your sweet notes.

I'll be back very soon, just as soon as I come out from under the pile of "must-finish-before-Christmas" makes that are currently swamping my little craft room.

There are parcels to be posted, jimmy-jammies to be made, blocks to be pieced, embroidery to be hooped, appliqué to be sewn, little stockings to be created etc etc etc.  They are waiting patiently on the table 'til their number is called - and all watched over by the sweetest little Christmas Badgel you ever did see.   Her name is Bessie and she hails from the fabulous Vanilla Squirrel  - I just couldn't resist her.
"A badgel ??",  I hear you ask.
Yes indeed, pop over to visit the lovely Squirrel and she'll tell you all about them here.

Bye-bye for now,

xoxo

 *{Dorothy I've just left a wee note on your blog, please let me have your mailing address and I'll pop your parcel in the post to you.}

Hop to it . . . {and a little giveaway}

Life seems to be speeding by at a rate of knots, hurtling towards the end of the year, don't you think ?

I'm really trying to pace myself, but at the same time, get through my

 "To Make for Christmas" List too.  

It's do-able, if one just remembers to eat & sit down & breathe occasionally.

But first . . . 

Today I'm joining in the fun at The Quilting Gallery's
 "Thank You" Blog Hop

and taking this opportunity to say a BIG THANKS to all you lovely peeps out there . .  friends, family, followers and fellow bloggers.  You encourage and inspire me.  Thank YOU for taking the time to not only read my bloggy warblings, but also for all your sweet & gracious comments.

You are truly so very kind and much appreciated.

So, to share the joy and express my thanks, how's about a wee giveaway ?

fancy a wee bundle of yumminess ?

In the bundle, there's a charm pack of 40 various pretty Tilda 5" squares, co-ordinated Tilda ribbon, 2 reels of Cath Kidston cotton thread, 2 rolls of ric-rac and a partridge in a pear tree little bag of mini Tilda clothespins.

If you'd like your name popped in the hat for a chance of winning, then all you have to do is leave a little comment below - ensuring to include your name & email contact details if you're a no-reply blogger - sometime before midnight (GMT) next Tuesday, 26 November 2013.  I'll do the lucky draw and announce the winner asap thereafter.

You don't need to be a follower to be included in the giveaway, but if you'd like to then it'd be lovely to have you along on my crafty adventures. 

And on the topic of quilting and adventures - here's a little glimpse of what I'm working on this week: 

. . . a new quilt for a special young someone who's having her boudoir redecorated in shades of purple. 

So far I've cut out all the squares and pieced the rows together, so now the fun bit begins.

It's going to look quite different by the time I'm finished the top, so I promise to show you more once it's done.

I just love all these pretty fabrics though - this sweet birdie one is probably my favourite.   I do hope she likes it, but if she doesn't, I just know that her mama will ; - )

Right, so I'm going to have a little break for lunch now then it's back to sewing for me.

 Enjoy the Blog Hop - the list of other participating blogs should be available via this link from midday EST today.

http://quiltinggallery.com/quilters-fun/quilters-blog-hop-party/

Have fun, and happy hopping.

xoxo

ps.  Don't forget to enter the giveaway - no matter where in the world you are, so long as Royal Mail gets there, I'll post it : - )
Good luck . . .


* * * *   THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED  * * * *
(27/11/2013)
Thanks for all your lovely comments and for joining in the fun of the Blog Hop. Stay tuned, the winner has been drawn and will be announced shortly  : - )

We have a winner . . .

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by to say hello on the "Beat the Winter Blues" blog hop , and a warm & happy welcome to my new followers.  

Thanks too for entering my little giveaway - I was overwhelmed at the amount of entries, so whilst I've usually just written all the names on wee pieces of paper and popped them in the hat for a lucky draw, this time I had an Independent Adjudicator (aka The Hubby - he's an Actuary, so numbers are his forte) set up a random number generator in Xcel.

So, that said, the winner is . . . . 

{drum roll, please}

no. 27  Kathy at Kwilty Pleasures

Congratulations Kathy, I've sent you an email, so let me have your details and I'll pop your bundle of pretty Cabbages & Roses fabric into the post a.s.a.p, and I look forward to seeing what fabulousness you create with it
: - )

****************

I'm off to help a friend move house now, so have a happy Friday and we'll chat again soon.
xoxo

Hop to it . . .

*** This giveaway is now closed - thanks for taking part. ***

***********************

Spring is almost upon us [she says wishfully, despite the current weather forecast predicting snow again this weekend ] so it's time to join in the Beat the Winter blues Blog Hop over at The Quilting Gallery.

I've been so busy crocheting, knitting and sewing this past little while, that my two WIP quilts are just hanging on the rail in my craft room waiting for me to notice them again.

The tops are (just about) all done - that's the fun bit, isn't it ? But I still need to do the 3 Bs . . backing, basting and binding.

 And of course I can't wait to start my next project already. . .  that lovely Rouenneries Deux fabric
 is tempting me  ; - )

Anyway . . .  so if you've just hopped over from the Quilting Gallery,
welcome and thanks for stopping by.

Here in my little blog space,  it's pretty much about sharing the joy of all sorts of things, but mainly crafts - oh, and the two most-adorable-pups-in-the-world who usually manage to sneak their sweet little snouts into a pic or two three.

Please do have  a wee look around, read a post or two, and enter the little giveaway if you like . . .

How would you like the chance to win a little bundle** of the oh-so-pretty lavender range of Cabbages & Roses fabrics ?  

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post sometime before next Thursday, 14th March, and shortly thereafter, I'll pop your name in the hat and do the lucky draw.
 I'm happy to post it anywhere, but please ensure that I'm able to contact you either via your blog link or email.
And if you'd like to follow along with my crafty adventures at gilly makes..., just click the Google Friend Connect on the sidebar - it would be lovely to welcome you.

Good luck . . .

Thanks again for popping in today

and hope to see you again soon.

Happy hopping and have a fun (and hopefully crafty) weekend

xoxo

**the bundle consists of approximately 10 x 10" squares, 22 x 6" squares and 22 x 2.5" strips.

Day, interrupted . . .

Somehow I've lost a day again . . .

 So if you've popped in from over at Vicki's 2 Bags Full Blog Hop - welcome, and please accept my apologies for being a day behind  : - )

 I really meant to post yesterday, but Saturday just flew by amidst a flurry of activities : 

 digging ourselves out from under a whole heap of snow,

joining in with the happy band of neighbours to clear our street,  

 enjoying a lovely long walk in the woods with the Hubby & the pups . . .

 . . . and then suddenly it was Sunday already.

* * * * * * *

 So, if you are visiting for the first time, here's the short version:
I live in the heart of the English midlands with my lovely Hubby and the two most-adorable-pups-in-the-world, and have been blogging here at 

{signage by Chipper Nelly}

 for almost a year now [wow, time really does fly when you're having fun]. With the exception of an occasional diversion , it's mostly all about sharing the joy of making stuff.
I love all manner of crafty things, but at the moment quilting, sewing, baking, knitting & (learning to) crochet are pretty much my thing.
 That said, without further ado, here's what else I've been up to this weekend . . .

Piecing together a pretty pastel Cabbages & Roses quilt top, 

a little bit of impromptu stash knitting, 

and cutting up the truly oh-so-sweet Sweetest Thing fabric for my next quilt.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend too - and if it's a snowy one, stay safe & warm.
: - )

Hopping around today with: 

www.vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.co.uk

[thanks for all your hard work and effort, Vicki - you've done an amazing job]

xoxo