2020 Wk 2 - memories quilt

I’ve finally stitched together what looks like a fairly basic quilt

The Janet Clare fabrics really spoke to me and with her help I created some FMQ embroidered blocks of images that I associate with holidays with my father.  I added some embroidery machine designs I created that also “belonged” and put them all together this afternoon

The fabrics show very nautical images - lots of different boats - and trees and red cottages, and birds and seaweed from the island, and weather; particularly wind and rain which the west coast of Norway is well known for

There are ten or eleven embroidered squares - this Viking ship and the rose are reminders of his memorial service 18 months ago.

 These are the FMQ blocks from before

Now I just need to find time to bind it!!

I have also finished the temperature embroidery, (difficult to photograph 15 foot x 2 inches!)

 And the Red Velvet crochet has grown a bit

And a final gingerbread man has finished some weaving - and will be a pressie for a young lady who helped me with a weaving project!

2019 Wk 51 - a day in my happy place

I actually had pretty much a whole day to sew on Thursday - unheard of!!!

And my extra fabric from Janet Clare arrived too so guess what I did!!!

It’s all cut and speed dated, the pieces are mostly joined into strips, and I am loving it!!! The (few) free motioned pictures are included, and the fabrics are all chosen to remind me of my father, the family holiday cottage south of Bergen, and Bergen itself.  There will be enough fabric left over to make a smaller one for my step mum too

And Luna clearly gives it her seal of approval!

This was supposed to be the last Christmas pressie - a bag for the tiles for a favourite game of Lisa’s

But then I got the urge to make rope bowls.  I hadn’t made a totally scrappy one before, I’m really happy with the result.  Niki can use it for bathroom stuff,  food or rubbish!!!

And then I made a much subtle one for Lisa. I’ve bought her a crochet pattern and the wool for Christmas and I think this will be a good size basket to keep it all in.

What I don’t understand is how they decide for themselves what shape they will take! I swear I made these the same but they came out very different shapes - at the end I decided Lisa’s needed handles too

One of husband’s nieces sent me this pic - I made a sack for her oldest daughter Chloe ten years ago when she was a baby - and now one for the much younger new little sister Olivia

And this arrived in the post from Jackie.  I’m sure the inside will be awesome, but at the moment I’m happy looking at the outside - it reminds me of our “small world” that hangs in my bedroom

2018 Wk 33 - mostly Rainbows

Just look at these lush threads I used today!

My old Boss has been training to become a Methodist Minister and starts this on 2nd September.  I was honoured to be asked to make him a stole, but then panicked and have procrastinated for several months.  However 2nd if September isn't that far away, so today I pulled on my big girl pants and cut the first two pieces, and embroidered them.  He was a maths teacher before being a Head Teacher and now Minister so a cross made of triangles was ideal for this side.

The other side will be purple, and I'll do a Celtic cross for that side - maybe next weekend!

At the same time as embroidering the rainbows, and Lizzie was embroidering some uniforms, I was sizzixing card pieces for a WW1 project starting next weekend, and sizzixing fabric for Chertsey Museum in a few week's time - my lovely new big desk is only just big enough to hold everything!

These hexies are the start of a rainbow quilt-as-you-go project for Chertsey

I got a bit further with them tonight but they need stitching together still

I also did some patches for aprons for Monty's Popdog stand

And embroidered over 50 pieces of school uniform . . .which made a *bit* of a dent in the pile - just 125 left to go!

And earlier this week I finished hand quilting the last block (Australia) and put together the pieces from my interchange applique.  I decided to make two mini quilts rather than one big one as I only wanted one of each shape on the quilt.  I can't remember how to finish the edges so I'm hoping a R&Q friend will remind me (that's probably you, Plum!)

In case you can't make out the shapes, they are, from top left to bottom right . . .

• Scissors, Boris the skink, Halsnøy Island (south of Bergen), husband's spanner
• Button, wine glass, coffee cup (UK), Mr Twiglet the hedgehog
• Daffodil, Viking ship, Cat (representing the 7 we've had over the years), Tango the rabbit
• EPP Hexies, husband's hammer, sewing machine, coffee cup (Ireland)
• Australia, St Michael's Church, a bee (one of 4: we live at 4B) and a budgie (representing 4 budgies and two+ lovebirds over the years (they were a breeding pair: 14 chicks in total I think)

And the same again, but inverse design, and different placement

 Back to work tomorrow for a rest I think!

The One About An Artist In Residence

While we were in Norway, on the island of Halsnøy, we visited a museum very close to the cottage.  I love that an island with a population of less than 3000 has a museum (and a fire station and two schools!)

Every year they have an Artist in Residence, and this year was Lois Walpole and she has been weaving with scrap ropes. Not only was there some fab exhibits, but I'm teaching very similar bowls on Wednesday next week so it as great to see hers, and to buy a copy of her book.  I'm really sorry I wasn't able to meet her

Sorry lots of photos to follow!

The bowls

She also made two huge wall hangings - this one in the 'dining room'

 

 

And this one in the 'sitting room'

 

And the book

The Lighthouse has Landed

The on-going saga of the Lighthouse quilt has now ended - it has been delivered to its owner who was very happy with it!

The aunts were delighted with their washing line bowls (although there is clearly a translation problem!)

 

And our host loved his shirt quilts

 

We had a fab long weekend in Norway and even less crafting than usual has occurred!

(I did hand sew bunting on the plane for the party - thank you Amo!!!)