Good afternoon everyone,
I had a little surprise waiting for me when I came home last week. I’d been away for a while so what could be a better welcome than a little package all the way from my friend Claire who lives in France. I know little packages from France always contain nice things! I opened it first.
It was my unbirthday….Wow!
What a lovely surprise to find a pack of ten gorgeous fabrics, all slightly larger than 10 x 10 inches and all coordinating beautifully.
Plus a little fabric tray which Claire had made herself from charm squares. It now proudly sits on my bedside table 🙂 I love the fabric inside. These trays are such a clever idea.
And finally, a vintage design seaside postcard.
I remember spending ages reading these cheeky postcards outside candy floss kiosks when I was away on holiday at the seaside as a child. There was often a “double entendre” joke which seemed very naughty to me at that young age. Was it just the UK where those postcards were sold? I was never allowed to buy candy floss in case I got it all over my best clothes boohoo, but I did get candy rock with the name of the seaside location running all the way through it. We even went to see how it was made once and that was amazing! My favourite flavour was aniseed. I can taste and smell it now as well as the fish and chips with salt and loads of vinegar served in newspaper. Oh yes, and those triangular shaped bags of chips always collected the copious amounts of vinegar in the bottom and if you waited until you’d eaten all the chips, not to mention the scrumptious batter, you could make a tiny hole in the bottom of the bag and drink all the vinegar from it LOL. Those were the days 🙂
Thank you so much for thinking of me Claire. I know you were exchanging secret emails with my daughter about this. She kept your secret safe 🙂 It really was a lovely surprise and it has rekindled some lovely old memories too.
Well, all that nostalgia sent me off on a tangent didn’t it? Back to the fabric.
After squaring up the fabrics to 10 x 10 inches, I cut them all into quarters so I had forty 5 x 5 inch squares to play with. Aren’t they lovely?
I’ve teamed them up with white and started to make some saw tooth stars with four patch centres. I plan to make a quilt which I reckon will be lovely for Springtime. So fresh and clean looking. Each block will be 6.5 inches when finished.
It was such fun to get a lovely surprise. I’d been missing my sewing machine and I couldn’t wait to get back at the pedal 🙂
I hope you are getting time to craft this weekend.
Avis x
Oh Sew Tempting 
adaisygarden
/ August 1, 2015Happy unbirthday! 🙂 The fabrics are so pretty and the blocks look great. Your story made me smile and remember some of my own memories of childhood treats like a special anise-flavored snow cone I’d buy from the ice cream truck. It was wonderful and I’ve never been able to find it again.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 1, 2015Oooh! That sounds delicious 🙂
Quilt Musings
/ August 1, 2015Happy unbirthday! What great gifts to get, and what a wonderful friendship!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 1, 2015Exactly, and we’ve never actually met in person 🙂
claire93
/ August 1, 2015your points and triangles are so precise as always – I knew these colours were right up your street ^^
I wasn’t allowed candy floss either, we used to enjoy buying ice-cream cornets from the van. 99s they were called I believe, with a stick of flakey chocolate :d
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 1, 2015Oh yes, 99’s. I didn’t get those unless Aunt Edith was around to spoil me. I used to keep the flake until all the ice cream was gone and then push it to the bottom of the cone before chomping from the pointy end. There’s a theme developing here LOL. Just remembered about the monkey’s blood too. It was even better with monkey’s blood!
Elizabeth
/ August 1, 2015What lovely fabrics! Happy Unbirthday!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 1, 2015Thank you Elizabeth 🙂
katechiconi
/ August 1, 2015I had a little bet with myself that those fabrics were for you… I’d be rich if I’d put any proper money on it! It’s going to make a lovely quilt – keep us posted on its progress.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 1, 2015Yep, you know me. I like solids and blenders, stripes and dots a lot 🙂 It will be a nice quilt but progress is slow. I’ve only got 8 blocks made so far.
katechiconi
/ August 1, 2015Oh, *ONLY* 8 blocks, when the fabrics arrived when, exactly…? 🙂
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 1, 2015I came home to find them on Saturday and I sewed 6 blocks over Sunday and Monday then nothing until today. Maybe tomorrow 😉
katechiconi
/ August 1, 2015The case rests, your Honour… You work at the speed of light. and this quilt will be ready a lot faster than most of us will expect to see it.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 1, 2015Is that you betting again? LOL These blocks are only 6.5 inches finished. I promise you, it’ll take a while. No doubt you’ll point right back here when it is done 😉
Carole
/ August 1, 2015I remember those seaside postcards too. I loved looking at them, and finding all the humorous ones.
Those fabrics are gorgeous. I love the blocks you’re making with them – so fresh and clean-looking 🙂
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 3, 2015I’ve got eleven blocks made now but it’s time to move onto something else 😉
dezertsuz
/ August 1, 2015What a great friend. She obviously knows your taste, too. Those fabrics are such fabulous colors, and I love the stars you made. What fun!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 3, 2015Yes, I prefer plain fabrics and blenders, nothing too busy or flowery. That’s what’s great about fabric. There’s something to suit all tastes 🙂
Kate
/ August 2, 2015Such a delightful un-birthday gift!! I love what you’re doing with the fabric. ^^
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 3, 2015Thank you Kate. I do enjoy making star blocks 🙂
Debbierose
/ August 2, 2015Lovely colour way, you are so quick to whip up projects
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 3, 2015What Claire didn’t realise was that I’d just bought several solid fabrics that match these colours perfectly.
witchylin
/ August 4, 2015What a lovely thought and lovely fabric from Claire. Definately your colours. Your quilt will be gorgeous and it will remind you of Claire and her friendship each time you see it. I do like the blocks you have made so far, the colours all fit so well with the white. What a fabulous welcome home unbirthday present. I remember the seaside postcards too. We used to read them hanging outside the shops when we stayed in Blackpool each year to see the illuminations. I wasn’t allowed candy floss either but did enjoy the rock. Once we went to see how it was made and I thought it was magic. My favourite was a green lime flavour. You certainly sent me on a trip down memory lane after reading your blog today. Thank you for that, it gave me a little break from all the things I should be doing today. 🙂
Oh Sew Tempting
/ August 5, 2015I’m very lucky to have great crafty friends 🙂 Isn’t it strange how something as simple as a postcard can bring back so many lovely memories?