May 2026

 The time is whizzing past again and we find ourselves in June.  The heat has been a *little* out of my comfort zone, but I did do some making:

The Chertsey ladies made these woven bowls (thanks Plum)

Two lovely lads did a great job on the last chunk of garden finishing my courtyard

We added new garden furniture and a recycled shed for the cushions.

The Tula Pink giant hexie flimsy was finally finished, and has gone to Sharon to be layered and quilted . . .

. . . which meant I could start on a batik FQ pack she gave me last year.  This is going to be a hand-sewing-on-holiday patchwork, and luckily I was away first with colleagues from over 30 years ago

Half square triangles, 

Flying geese

and 1/4 circle of flying geese

I also took along a sewing project for them to make a vinyl pouch - all completed

A few Gingers for various National days: nurses

bee keepers,

and National Smile month

One of my bonus daughters had a baby boy, so James needed a quilt

Then I went away on holiday again!  I went to Croatia with friends from the girls' primary school.  We all had children in the same 3 or 3 school years, and we all worked as teaching assistants at the school.  It was hot outside, but cool in the house so I had time for sewing alongside the chatting!

Mixed EPP hexies

New York Beauty block

EPP plus blocks

and beach huts

No holidays now until September, so there might be some at-home-in-front-of-the-TV sewing.  I'm not really sure where it's going, but I'm loving the colours!

Keep cool

2020 Wk 17 - This Virtual world

"Kay" and I wanted to make a lemon drizzle cake - my friend Carol sent me her m-i-l's recipe, but I had to have a virtual lesson -

We go there in the end

but she had to cover some fairly basic instructions!!!  Like lemon rind?  Is that the same as zest?  Can I use this?

(the answer is no, better to use one of these

Is this enough? (the answer is yes)

Does it matter that the tin looks too big? (the answer is no)

Anyway, we got there in the end and it's delicious!

I attended a virtual 5th birthday party (lovely to see the bunting behind the birthday family (top right))

And Jackie and I did some more shared work on this lovely quilt - adding flying geese and then  border to finish the design - LOVE this!!!

 And a finish!!!!

This has been ongoing for quite a while (looks like the flowers started September 2014), and the finishing was a real pain, but it's done! Hand sewn, hand quilted and hand finished

Back Up A Bit

I was so excited to show you some of the sewing that Jackie and I did, and then the squishies that arrived, that I missed Friday's Fun With fabric class and then Monday's sewing with Jackie!

Jackie is great a making quilt blocks, and quite often puts them together, and even gets them quilted occasionally, but I think she'll agree that they sit around in various stages not actually getting to the 'finished' stage.  Don't get me wrong - I'm not having a dig - I have just as many UFOs, and none are are beautiful, or as complicated, as hers, but I feel they should be finished so they can be used and loved (or put in the 'finished' cupboard!)

So on Monday we turned our attention to these three beauties

We found fabric, pressed it, cut it, joined it, pressed it again and machined it to the front. Now Jackie can sit and sew and they'll be done in no time!

On Friday I introduced the Chertsey Museum ladies to Foundation Piecing.  There was a variety of options for them: I had some Courthouse Step foundation fabric, some pineapple block, and some ordinary Flying Geese - all bought from here  which some ladies wanted to use,

The others felt brave enough to try either the 1/4 New York Beauty or the 1/4 Circle of Flying Geese - or even both!

They didn't get far as it's only a 90 minute session and there was lots of ooooh-ing and ahhhh-ing over the samples (especially Jen's stunning wall hanging)

But all have gone home with homework and at least one piece of foundation fabric, if not 4!!!!

New York Geese!

A few months ago one of the ladies at Richmond and Kew quilters brought us a whole load of Thermofax screens and inks (see their web site here) and we had great fun printing

I have a few of these screens myself, and have had great fun with them. I got really excited when I read they make custom screens . . . What could I have custom made?

One of the ladies at Chertsey museum asked if they could do a circle of flying geese. I tend to think of circles of geese and New York beauty blocks as belonging together (but as the proud owner of this you can see why!)

Eventually the idea of the geese, the NYB and the thermofax screen all merged and I designed this.

(EDIT: my plan is to print the lines onto the fabric then foundation piece on using the lines. A bit like the "foundation by the yard" you can buy, but with a design *I* want! By having a screen the students (and I) can print themselves several sections and build up either a full circle for a mini quilt or a larger design, knowing each foundation will be the same size and shape)

But before I get it converted into a thermofax screen I ought to try making it. I'm not very good with EPP, but I do like foundation piecing; my plan is to print this into a fine cotton. For this trial I traced the details onto the cotton.

The New York Beauty block worked well

And the flying geese went well too

But have you seen the problem?

Sigh!

So I've remade the NYB, and although it's a bit messy, I think they are looking good together -

 

I think I'm ready to spend some money on a new screen!

 

 

 

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