2011 July (2)

Some sewing

I have stitched the (hopefully) last block for the texture quilt, but no photo yet.  It is a mosaic type, raw edge applique, so needs to go through the wash and tumble drier before it looks right.

I have done some repairs on some silk and velvet pillow cases from Laura Ashley.    They had been marked down as waste as the silk had frayed at the seams, and the caretaker at school's daughter had been able to get them for her mum for free.

I had some pleated fabric in the right sort of colour, so added a strip to each pillowcase.

Very satisfying to do!

School's Out For Summer ... and Nine Patch blocks

School finished (for me) at 6pm yesterday, so I now have six weeks with almost nothing to do apart from sewing, yippee!

I managed to get to the fabric shop yesterday morning, and got 3m of white cotton for the Nine Patch project.  About 3am I woke up thinking that I didn't much like the planned layout.

 I am planning to make two quilts with the fabric, one will be alternating random 2.5" squares of Aunt Grace fabrics with white and I'm happy with that one.  The other is so far equal number of  4 white/5 coloured, and 5 white/4 coloured 9 patches which I was going to arrange randomly

But it doesn't read (to me) as nine patches, but as not-quite-random 2.5 inch block and white

So I thought I might go for a colour wash Irish Chain with the 4xwhite blocks (do these have a proper name?)

and perhaps a diagonal arrangement of the 5xwhite blocks

I have plenty of time to make up my mind, and I have another 17 strips of  white to cut, 17 pairs of white & coloured strips to sew together, 17 hours of ironing and trimming ... good job I don't have to go to work!

Cut. Stitch. Press. Repeat

A lovely day yesterday :-)

I came back to working on the Aunt Grace's Flowers jelly roll, and made up strips for 9 patch blocks, and a random alternating-with-white quilt.

I tried to explain my time saving method last time, and certainly confused Hadley, so here it is again with pictures!

Pick up a strip of white, and a strip from the jelly roll.  Cut 8 inches off the end of both.

Stitch together the long lengths that are left.  Then at one end add the short piece of white (so create a section which is white-coloured-white) and at the other end add the short piece from the jelly roll (coloured-white-coloured)

and then trim off the two ends where the triple section is. Press everything. The middle section can be trimmed into 2.5" pairs, and put to one side until there are about a zillion of them

Trim the two triple pieces each into three triple strips each at 2.5".  Now you have enough to make two nine patch blocks, one with white corners, one with coloured corners

Clear as mud?

Anyway, new topic - shopping!!!

I want to start a hand sewing project in grey and red for the sofa, and decided to do log cabin using foundation by the yard.  Good plan, but f-b-t-y log cabin doesn't exist, and I really didn't fancy drawing out each foundation block by hand, so I have switched to court house steps.  The foundation fabric arrived today, along with (well if I was paying P&P I might as well add some more stuff???) some f-b-t-y flying geese for the Fun With Fabric course, and a cutting board that I have been lusting after - one that turns, so it's much easier to always cut away from me.

Now off to a job interviw and then an afternoon shopping with Mum and Lisa :-)

Foundation Pieced Flying Geese

I came home tonight to an email from Sally, the Assistant Curator at Chertsey Museum.  She wrote "I forgot to ask… What is the topic for next time?"

I was so tempted to reply telling her that the next topic would be Foundation Pieced Flying Geese, and see what she made of that, but she is too lovely for me to be that mean! (and if she started using archaeological terms to me, I would lose very quickly!)

So I have started a sample and can send her a photo. 

Not too bad for an hour's work :-) I will finish it before the August class.  Oh, and the Museum have just confirmed dates through to the end of 2012! 


Yay!

And... off topic - I had an interview at a lovely little school today.  They really want someone all day every day, but i cant do that, so I'm starting temping for them in September and they'll see how that goes until October half term, so at least I have work for 7 weeks - yippee

Bloggy Influences

I'm not usually one for joining in projects and schemes run by other bloggers, but this week I have taken on board two ideas.

Trudy, at Quilting Prolifically has set herself a target of 12 finishes in 12 days.  I certainly have at least that number of UFOs, and thought it was a really good plan, but didn't want to aim too high - so I went for 1 finish in 1 day!

We had family over for a meal yesterday so I actually got the dining table cleared, so I was able to start Lisa's curtains ...

and almost finish Lisa's curtains!!!

They do need pressing and hemming, but next week she is back to Uni so I can set up the ironing board in her room and get them finished..  We actually rather like the strip of pink at the bottom (from the lining) so the current plan is to keep the lining longer than the curtains.

The lovely fabric is from IKEA.  Although you can only see the white walls in the photo, the wall to the left is shocking pink, and the wall opposite the window is blue, so the fabric is quite suitable

The other influence I had from blogland was to share a photo of my work space Nova from A Cuppa and a Catch up has posted a pic of her workspace, with links to other people's: they mostly seem to have a bit more space than me, but (yes, Hadley, I know) at least I do have my own 4 square metres!

This is the dining room - the  largest space in the house, and is ideal for cutting large lengths of fabric and for basting quilts etc, so it is sort of part of my work space.

(This is  before I started the curtains.  Admittedly this is a rare photo, but it proves I can do tidy.)

HOWEVER

I think anyone of a nervous disposition should look away from the next photo as this is my 'real' workspace

Bookshelves to the left and the far right, and the computer is in a little cupboard front right.  Two machines are set up in here: one for sewing and one for embroidery, another is at the bottom of the stairs hoping for a service, and one is on loan to a neighbour leaving (embarrassed cough) three in the shed

Sad time for Norway

It is now nearly a week since the awful events in Norway, and still I don't think they have sunk in.

We have been very lucky that none of our friends or family were themselves killed or injured, although two  nieces lost three friends: two confirmed as dead, and one still missing - how can any parent cope with that situation?

My thoughts and prayers are with the whole nation, especially those who have lost someone close.

I want to share with you words I received from my aunt in Norway.  I have edited it slightly only because English is not her first language.  The sentiment and compassion is all hers, but seems to be all of Norway's too

Hi everyone.

What happened last night, (Monday), is just incredible. In every public place, big or small, people gathered in big masses in streets and plazas, walking together with torches and roses in remembrance of the victims and their families. 150000 or more in front of City Hall in Oslo - all the people had flowers, they held them up in the air and waved them. The Crown Prince opened the event, he said "today the streets are filled with  love".  The Crown  Princess was there - her stepbrother was the first victim, as a policeman in civil clothes, there to take care of the youths in the camp. He saved a five year old boy, but was brutally  killed. The Prime Minister's speech reminded us all to stay together, to hold and love each other and not let the hatred of this monster take over.  Tonight Oslo is covered with flowers in front of the City Hall and the Dome, where there have been several  services, and at 12 noon today, one minute silence. The whole of Scandinavia and many governments and organizations all over the world recognised this - in respect, sorrow and empathy, the world stopped for one minute.

The Mayor of Oslo suggested the best kind of revenge to the inhuman killer: we should show more generosity, more tolerance, more democracy, more friendliness, and be more open to other people,.

The young leader of the party's young members spoke to all the people, he said: "We, Norway, shall not hate, not seek revenge. We shall use our voting rights, not weapons. Our youths did not die to lead us to  hate. Consideration and  responsibility to build the community  we will take this with us into the future."

Today, Tuesday, we see that thousands and thousand of people could not manage to get to that place because of the crowds. They stopped and put down their flowers in the explosion place and around the streets, until Oslo was covered in roses ... in streets, fences, windows.....everywhere. Lorries with roses arrived in Oslo from all over the country.

Three days after the assault so many fantastic things happened. The crowds everywhere: an ordinary salesman's idea to go to facebook to ask people to join together to mark their grief and empathy. Before the night of Friday he had 10000 YES, before Monday evening hundreds of thousands of people had joined the movement, and this enormous happening took place, with oceans of roses all over Norway, candles, torches, flags, written messages and children's favourite toys. Never before has a whole population and friends all over the world marked such a horrid event in such a peaceful, quiet, loving way ... that this has been responded to with dignity and love, not with hatred and revenge shows that there´s still hope for Norway and humanity!!!!!!!! We stand together in the way we did when peace came to Norway May 8th, 1945! That time people hugged each other everywhere, even strangers, in happiness. This time they hug in the same way, but in joined grief. It helps....

The gunman was taken to court yesterday. He will be interned with serious restrictions for 8 weeks. He has admitted to the killings, but not to guilt..............He wanted to appear in his uniform  and read from his manifest where he explains himself as the world's saviour. He was not permitted either. The court was closed, outside there were journalists from all over the world. This man wants all the publicity he can get, and he was denied it. People turn against him everywhere, so lets hope there´s not many out there to follow him. They now say he may be sentenced for criminality towards humanity, a 30 years punishment without pardon.  This is more serious than life imprisonment, 21 years, which can even lead to pardon some years before.

This horrible event led to a people joined in sorrow and despair, and after a few days a people joined in a hope that this will lead to more fellowship, tolerance and love.The grief over the good, gifted and engaged youths and their massacre will never be forgotten.

Thanks to all for your warm thoughts and consideration and friendship.

Lots of love from Turid

Texture Quilt

The texture quilt blocks have all been finished, ironed, trimmed and arranged

For anyone new to this quilt, I KNOW it looks bland, and that is the whole point!  It is being made for a friend of mum's who is blind.  She has really sensitive fingers and the hope is that she will be able to feel the details far better than her husband and kids can see them!  There will be some very thin sashing, in a rusty orangy fabric, and this will also be the backing and the binding.

From left to right, the blocks are...
TOP ROW: twisted pleats / machine embroidery / pin wheel with inset log cabin border / woven rik rak / ripped layers / folder prairie points
NEXT ROW: machine embroidered braille / folded log cabin / trapunto flower / quilted on point / machine embroidered rope coil / antique button heart
THIRD ROW: Log cabin / quilted postage stamp (1 inch blocks) / folded flying geese / hand pieced hexagon flower / honeycomb smocking / machine embroidered Labrador puppy
BOTTOM ROW: Bias binding Celtic knot / machine applique Labrador dog / beaded lace / mosaic blocks (raw edge applique) Suffolk punches ("yoyos") / folded pleats.

Mega thanks to Lisa who helped me, spending hours auditioning each and every block.  It may look random (and is supposed to look random) but every piece belongs in that precise location, and in that rotation

Now they just need to be stitched together!!!

Today ... and a while ago

When I started the texture blocks I was planning to use the Quilt As You Go method using Welsh Quilter's method (click here), so I made each one with the three layers (cotton, wadding, backing fabric) ready to sash them together.

Then after 8 blocks I changed my mind and made the rest without the backing fabric (I didn't really think it through did I?)

So now I have some which need backing, and others that will be really thick if I do back them (I am using curtain fabric to back them: it seemed like a good idea at the time!)

I have a cunning plan (which will be revealed if it works!)!

Today's achievement has attached the eight middle blocks (all the QAYG blocks) into two strips

The front sashing is stitched onto the front of one block as the same time as sashing is stitched onto the back.  This block is joined to the next block Go to Welsh Quilters post, she explains it much better than me!  Now I need to press the sashing, and then hand sew the backing sashings down on these blocks and then I can do the horizontal sashing.

Then I can see whether the cunning plan will work!!!

A while ago I made a baby quilt that I was sure I had posted about ... but I cant find the post, so I'll tell you about it now.

My little village (pop 800) and the neighbouring village (pop 3800) each have a church, but we share one vicar, and lots of church events are organised for both parishes.  There are a number of 'house groups' and I attend one in the other village on a Sunday night.  Our group is all mums, mostly of teenagers and students, but one mum, Phoebe, has two littlies (6 and 3 ish) and is expecting number 3.  She know she is having a girl, and she is going to be called Grace (beautiful name).   One session that Phoebe was unable to attend, I tentatively suggested a quilt from the rest of us.  It was tentative as I know some people don't respect hand made stuff, but luckily the others loved that idea (and two had been wondering how to ask me if I'd mind!!!)

Se here is Grace's quilt, with her name on the front and a label on the back.

and we are just waiting for Grace to arrive!

2011 July (1)

Too busy to blog!

I have been busy making stuff, and busy being lead down dead ends trying to revive the SLIKstitches blog.  The making has been fun, trying to get to communicate with someone at blogger reminds me of the saying "the impossible I can do at once, miracles take a little longer!

Anyway, enough whinging - I've mostly been working on blocks for the texture quilt, just 4 more to go, then I need to work out how to arrange them.  Here are some photos

Suffolk punches from A at Stitching Science (thank you A)

Not sure if this is smocking or pleating, but it seems to be called honeycomb smocking

This block is four squares of corduroy with the nap in four different directions

This is a very loose woven fabric given to me

This one is ripped fabrics with some extra threads pulled out.  The strip is made by alternating back and front of the fabric

and finally a pleated one where I have stitched the pleats down so there is a twist

Where did the mojo go?

I still haven't really got my blogging mojo back: I really would rather be blogging at SLIKstitches, but still blogger ignore my communication attempts, so I have no idea what to do next :-(

I'm having a generally bleugh day anyway, as school have finally told me that although they have the funding, they are not going to extend my Extended Schools Co-Ordinator contract, so that leaves me with just three hours a week from September, so for the first time in about (gulp) 25 years I am actually looking at the vacancies section of the local papers.  Until now I've been lucky enough to hear about a job that I wanted - at a time that I was ready to work those hours - and get it, so this is a whole new ball game!

Anyways, enough of the whinging ... I HAVE been sewing!  I have pieced together some 8" squares to make an I-Spy quilt, just to have for when it's needed:

I have also taken this fairly simple flimsy,

and with the help of my little template

have turned it into this yummy Whirly Gig or Square Dance flimsey.

Annoyingly I did type out 90% of the instructions about a month ago ... and saved them on the old blog, but I think I can copy and paste so if you want them just let me know.

I have also been doing some lesson planning for Fun With Fabrics next weekend: The ladies asked for Stained Glass, and I had three methods in mind, so I have done samples using two methods and am half way through the third.  I chose owls for the image, and wondered how best to display them

When I next checked in at Hadley's blog (Flying Blind On A Rocket Cycle ... What does that mean?) I got inspiration, so here are two of my owls, just waiting for for number three.  (Pink is created using the cut-away method, and Yellow is made using the fusible bias binding method.  Red hasn't fully hatched yet, but will be made with the mosaic, or needle turn method)

Instructions are available if you are interested

something pretty

Lisa suggested I sew something pretty, just because!

I picked up this jelly roll from Fabric Freedom (Aunt Grace, Circle of Friends, SOOOO pretty! It reminds me of summer dresses from childhood) and pulled out some white to go with it.

Did I want to do nine patch blocks?

Or scatter the patterned squares randomly amongst the white?

I started stitching each strip to white, and then had a brain wave.  I cut 8" off each pair, then stitched the remainder together.  At one end I added the patterned to the white to make an 8" strip of patterned / white  /patterned which I cut off, then I added the white to the other end (making white / patterned / white) so i made enough for two nine patches and left enough for 6 or 7  white / patterned pairs. (Makes sense to me anyway!)

 

Yes Mum, I know I'm supposed to do Hilary's textures first, but I needed some therapy!  I've had to stop with the circle of friends because I ran out of white fabric, so I did this one for Hilary: woven strips.

I think it's just a few more to go, so I think log cabin (maybe uneven log cabin? and maybe ticker tape (raw edge applique)

I'm also doing some liberated sizteen patch for Block Lotto, so I'll show those when they are done.

9 patches and Block Lotto

I have done ten blocks for the July Block Lotto.  I loved doing the blocks (each pair is done together, and one is the opposite of the other) but the ironing was a pain.

 

Having not done enough squares for the day (!) I then made up a whole load of nine patches.  Lots more summery fabrics waiting to be used as soon as I get a chance to go the the shops