More Stains!
I've had a bit of time to play with my Australian fabrics: making more 15 inch blocks for the Stained Down Under quilt
They are looking much brighter in the photos than they really are. I am really enjoying making them, enjoying the maths of them and the different arrangements for the sashing
(I will get round to trimming them eventually - at least these have been ironed!)
SOOO glad I didn't have to get out of the car on the way to school
They are looking much brighter in the photos than they really are. I am really enjoying making them, enjoying the maths of them and the different arrangements for the sashing
(I will get round to trimming them eventually - at least these have been ironed!)
Yesterday was World Book Day, and all the children came to school dressed as their favourite character. One of the draw-backs of working in a school . . . is that staff were expected to come dress up as their fave too. I had lent out my Winnie The Pooh outfit, so toyed with Pippi Longstocking, but finally went as Joseph and his Amazing Technicoloured Dream Coat:
SOOO glad I didn't have to get out of the car on the way to school
Mola applique technique
One of the ladies who comes to Chertsey Museum's Fun With Fabric class brought in this panel that her mum had brought back from a holiday
It's quite amazing - reverse applique in that ever decreasing shapes are cut away to make the coloured outlines, and also needle turn applique in that the raw edges of each layer have needle-turned under and stitched. Additional detail is then hand quilted on.
I googled the technique (Mola), and found that these usually have between 3 and 7 layers of fabrics: nearly all have black layers, but the other layers are usually brightly coloured
I only went for 3 layers in my trial sample, and used fleece so I could avoid the needle turn bit, and think I need to take a bit more care cutting away the shapes, but I quite enjoyed doing it, so will be getting a few more pieces of felt over the weekend, to have a better go
Last weekend husband and I took both mothers (!) to Bletchely Park. Partly to see the history of the code (cypher) breaking during WWII, but also to see the quilt exhibition.
This fab map of the site was on show as were loads of other great quilts using the theme of secret codes.
I loved most of them, but this one particularly caught my attention as I have also used braille in a quilt recently. Some great interpretations of the theme.
It's quite amazing - reverse applique in that ever decreasing shapes are cut away to make the coloured outlines, and also needle turn applique in that the raw edges of each layer have needle-turned under and stitched. Additional detail is then hand quilted on.
I googled the technique (Mola), and found that these usually have between 3 and 7 layers of fabrics: nearly all have black layers, but the other layers are usually brightly coloured
I only went for 3 layers in my trial sample, and used fleece so I could avoid the needle turn bit, and think I need to take a bit more care cutting away the shapes, but I quite enjoyed doing it, so will be getting a few more pieces of felt over the weekend, to have a better go
Last weekend husband and I took both mothers (!) to Bletchely Park. Partly to see the history of the code (cypher) breaking during WWII, but also to see the quilt exhibition.
This fab map of the site was on show as were loads of other great quilts using the theme of secret codes.
I loved most of them, but this one particularly caught my attention as I have also used braille in a quilt recently. Some great interpretations of the theme.
Creative weekend
I haven't switched on the sewing machine, or even picked up a needle . .. Instead we've used hammer, chisel and jack hammer, and created a door from a window!!!
4 trips to the tip with rubble yesterday, and cleaning thick orange dust off everything in the two rooms today!
4 trips to the tip with rubble yesterday, and cleaning thick orange dust off everything in the two rooms today!
Broom Farm sewing
At last I remembered to take photos of the creative loveliness that is happening at the Adult Education class I teach at the Broom Farm Army camp on a Monday afternoon:
Monika is working on two pirate pieces which will become floor cushion covers
Jane brought some traditional sampler blocks last week, but this week wanted to work on this advent calendar. The work was unpicking rather than stitching, but she's much happier with it now
Sally is working on a craft caddy for a mug - I'll get a photo of a mug 'wearing' a caddy, then it will make lots more sense! This was a 'back of a cupboard' for two years but she's steaming ahead now . . .
and has inspired Katie to make one too!
Monika is working on two pirate pieces which will become floor cushion covers
Jane brought some traditional sampler blocks last week, but this week wanted to work on this advent calendar. The work was unpicking rather than stitching, but she's much happier with it now
Sally is working on a craft caddy for a mug - I'll get a photo of a mug 'wearing' a caddy, then it will make lots more sense! This was a 'back of a cupboard' for two years but she's steaming ahead now . . .
and has inspired Katie to make one too!
Creating with Colour
It seems ironic that my house is covered in a thin layer of orange brick dust, as most of Australia looks orange as you fly over it, and I've been working with my Australian Fabrics (and ignoring the brick dust!)
I now have 20 completed 15 inch blocks, so am heading for a Stained Down Under quilt about 60" x 75" (about 150 x 180cm) which should make a good sofa snooze quilt. I'm not sure it qualifies for the Stained Quilt-a-long as I haven't even looked at Sarah's instructions - instead I looked at photos of her two quilts and then made it all up
I'll be taking all the blocks to mum's on Sunday to lay them out on her floor and play the auditioning / speed dating game while she helps me decide which block goes where, but meanwhile here are all 20
(apologies for the awful photos - artificial light and flash :-( and the phone was changing its mind about the focusing, and the colours it wanted to show!)
Hopefully I'll be able to post photos of the final layout, taken in natural light, after the weekend
I now have 20 completed 15 inch blocks, so am heading for a Stained Down Under quilt about 60" x 75" (about 150 x 180cm) which should make a good sofa snooze quilt. I'm not sure it qualifies for the Stained Quilt-a-long as I haven't even looked at Sarah's instructions - instead I looked at photos of her two quilts and then made it all up
I'll be taking all the blocks to mum's on Sunday to lay them out on her floor and play the auditioning / speed dating game while she helps me decide which block goes where, but meanwhile here are all 20
(apologies for the awful photos - artificial light and flash :-( and the phone was changing its mind about the focusing, and the colours it wanted to show!)
Hopefully I'll be able to post photos of the final layout, taken in natural light, after the weekend
School Story Sacks
Last week the Literacy (English) Co-Ordinator (senior teacher) spoke to me about Story Sacks - a sack that contains a number of items that are used as prompts for making up stories. She's looked into buying some but instead emailed me . . ."You can buy story sacks which are basically like your year group medical/ inhaler bags but much less pretty. The idea is you fill the bag with random items and pull them out to make up a random story. Of course you could use any bag but how much more exciting would it be to have one of your specials."
So now that she had the creeping out of the way, could I please make 10 Story Sacks, a bit like the medical bags that I made a while ago
So today I designed a book embroidery,
and stitched it out on bag fronts in (eventually) ten different colours
And started to make ten bags - Now I just need to stitch the cord channel
So now that she had the creeping out of the way, could I please make 10 Story Sacks, a bit like the medical bags that I made a while ago
So today I designed a book embroidery,
and stitched it out on bag fronts in (eventually) ten different colours
And started to make ten bags - Now I just need to stitch the cord channel
Bits and Bobs
I have been doing some sewing - an I spy quilt for a customer, but I haven't yet taken a photo of it (and its downstairs waiting for the binding to be stitched on next time I watch TV and I'm upstairs!!!)
But I can show you the layout of Stained Down Under (which needs to be imagined with black sashing, not mother's cream carpet sashing)
And one of the Fun With Fabric ladies' finished floor cushion
And my very exciting new template ruler from Jill at TabSlot that arrived this morning. Jill sells acrylic templates and rulers from her ETSY shop, and will cut them to size. I quite understand that this looks a strange template . . .
I wanted 73/4 inch sides, (13.5 inches side to side), but Jill's acrylic sheets are 12 x 24, so she couldn't cut the size I wanted. If you look closely at the two right hand side corners (marked in white) she has cut the start of the final two sides, so I can use the template to cut 4 sides, then flip it around, swapping the two yellow angles with the two white angles, and cut the final two sides.
Less hassle than it sounds,and VERY exciting as not having had this template has resulted in my long planned hexagonal calender quilt being mothballed for several years, and now I can start working on it again - yippee!
While I was window shopping at Creative Grids a few days ago (possibly really shopping too, oops) I saw these "Row Marking Safety Pins"
Advertised as "Perfect way to keep your rows in order as you sew" they came with instructions to . . .
1. Place letter beads on safety pin
2. Pin into rows in alphabetical order to keep in sequence
3. Sew rows together in alphabetical order
For a Price of £4.96 I thought they were a really good idea, far better than the scraps of paper I usually use, but I was worried that the beads would fall off when I opened the pins again. Eventually I had a Eureka moment . . .
Do I have alphabet beads? Yes, loads . . . Do I have safety pins? Yes, loads
And I even have mini split rings, so look what I made
(Not that I think I'll ever made a quilt with 26 rows!)
But I can show you the layout of Stained Down Under (which needs to be imagined with black sashing, not mother's cream carpet sashing)
And one of the Fun With Fabric ladies' finished floor cushion
And my very exciting new template ruler from Jill at TabSlot that arrived this morning. Jill sells acrylic templates and rulers from her ETSY shop, and will cut them to size. I quite understand that this looks a strange template . . .
I wanted 73/4 inch sides, (13.5 inches side to side), but Jill's acrylic sheets are 12 x 24, so she couldn't cut the size I wanted. If you look closely at the two right hand side corners (marked in white) she has cut the start of the final two sides, so I can use the template to cut 4 sides, then flip it around, swapping the two yellow angles with the two white angles, and cut the final two sides.
I Spy a finished quilt
Olivia's quilt, finished, bound, and embroidered.
The backing is the same measly pink with red spots as the binding and the name patch.
Got to love Ikea fabrics!
The backing is the same measly pink with red spots as the binding and the name patch.
Got to love Ikea fabrics!
Did it myself
While I was window shopping at Creative Grids a few days ago (possibly really shopping too, oops) I saw these "Row Marking Safety Pins"
Advertised as "Perfect way to keep your rows in order as you sew" they came with instructions to . . .
1. Place letter beads on safety pin
2. Pin into rows in alphabetical order to keep in sequence
3. Sew rows together in alphabetical order
For a Price of £4.96 I thought they were a really good idea, far better than the scraps of paper I usually use, but I was worried that the beads would fall off when I opened the pins again. Eventually I had a Eureka moment . . .
Do I have alphabet beads? Yes, loads . . . Do I have safety pins? Yes, loads
And I even have mini split rings, so look what I made
(Not that I think I'll ever made a quilt with 26 rows!)
Mellow Yellow
Once a month I host a class at a local (ish) museum, and it was arranged by the assistant curator, Sally. Sally has just gone on maternity leave, and the group decided we would make some yellow and white blocks to create a quilt for the baby.
I got photos of a few under construction last Friday
(it is coincidence that these are both foundation pieced flying geese)
And the first finished block arrived in the post yesterday - it's lovely Deborah, I'm so glad you felt you could part with it!
I got photos of a few under construction last Friday
(it is coincidence that these are both foundation pieced flying geese)
And the first finished block arrived in the post yesterday - it's lovely Deborah, I'm so glad you felt you could part with it!
M I A (without the A)
Missing In Action - but practically no action! I wish I could claim to have been too busy sewing to blog, but I've hardly picked up a needle for two weeks. So what are my excuses?
. . . We have been to the Cruise Show at Olympia, and we have decided on our treat for having put up with each other for 25 years next spring - and are off to cruise the fjords of Norway, hopefully with light displays from the Northern Lights
. . . and thanks to serendipity and technology we met the lovely Scott and Slavka in Covent Garden. Scott was working on the developing of Lattitude for phones (locating your friends by smart phone maps) in the late 1990s, and this was the first time he had used it to meet friends or family without planning in advance. Hope you had a fab birthday Slavka!
. . .and we have spoon fed anti-biotics laced meal worms to a poorly hedgehog who now seems to be on the mend
. . . and I have machine embroidered Grace's name onto this buggy seat lining
. . . and I have discovered that the backing fabric on the Diamond Quilt is just too short in one place so I'm having to flaff around, post quilting, to add on a strip so I have something to stitch the binding too. No, no photos, not that will stop some of you being entertained by it (H, K, J, R - you know who you are!!!)
. . . We have been to the Cruise Show at Olympia, and we have decided on our treat for having put up with each other for 25 years next spring - and are off to cruise the fjords of Norway, hopefully with light displays from the Northern Lights
. . . and thanks to serendipity and technology we met the lovely Scott and Slavka in Covent Garden. Scott was working on the developing of Lattitude for phones (locating your friends by smart phone maps) in the late 1990s, and this was the first time he had used it to meet friends or family without planning in advance. Hope you had a fab birthday Slavka!
. . .and we have spoon fed anti-biotics laced meal worms to a poorly hedgehog who now seems to be on the mend
. . . and I have machine embroidered Grace's name onto this buggy seat lining
. . . and I have discovered that the backing fabric on the Diamond Quilt is just too short in one place so I'm having to flaff around, post quilting, to add on a strip so I have something to stitch the binding too. No, no photos, not that will stop some of you being entertained by it (H, K, J, R - you know who you are!!!)
More Yummy Yellow
The Chertsey Museum ladies have been busy again - and these three fab blocks came through my letter box
dreadful photos - but fab blocks towards the baby quilt, thanks Kay and Deborah - wish I'd got further than part way through mine!!!
dreadful photos - but fab blocks towards the baby quilt, thanks Kay and Deborah - wish I'd got further than part way through mine!!!
