Monday 31 January 2011

Obsessive, compulsive quilter....!!!!

My goodness, it has been busy in the Running Chicken house lately!  In an effort to learn really quickly all there is to know about my new Statler Stitcher on Gerty Gammill, I have been burning the midnight oil.  Lots of quilts later, I am beginning to get there!!  And combining both computerised work and freehand work is magical!!  However, just when I think I have mastered one thing, there is always another challenge...I am not hugely technically minded and you might sympathise when I explain that the three people in my life are very good with computers and so I have lived with ...."oh Mum/Karen, its like this..." and with the twiddle of a few buttons, my problems are solved....I have not found the need to worry about my inadequacies in this department!!!  NO MORE ......quilting beckons and if using a computer is a thing I have to do, I will learn to do it!!!! And secretly I am sort of enjoying it, despite lots of tantrums and name calling (only to the computer, you understand) 

Here are some of the latest pieces of work
Janice's beautiful baby quilt...lots of freehand work combined with blocks on the computer.

Gill's lovely red and white huge quilt!


Close up of some freehand/computer work

I have also had a little time to do some designing and my bright chicken quilt is still progressing, all be it very slowly

I am having such fun with this one....












I have also been organising some very lovely Lecien fabrics to sell on my website



Meanwhile, I am sitting here with all these ideas in my head and still lots of do...but feeling very horrid with an awful cold.  Snivelling and sniffing is not very attractive!!!!  The woolly monsters and I are waiting for Mr RC to come home right now....until next time...

Monday 17 January 2011

Farnham and all change....

We have just had a very busy few days here....Farnham Maltings Quilting Sale yesterday came and went in a flash of fabrics, boxes, quilts and bags!  Always very busy but great for meeting up with all my regular customers and meeting new ones!  Margaret picked up her gorgeous red and cream quilt and Janet dropped off her pink creation..
The quilting was hand guided custom work and took ages! 
In the week before Farnham a huge box arrived in our home.....of course, it had to be investigated

Zach cannot understand why Charlie cat just adores boxes!!!  But he loves Charlie....It was my turn to explore the content of the box later.  I have been wondering whether to upgrade my Gammill for ages, and I have just taken the plunge...my Statler has arrived and Gerty is now looking a little more modern!


This will make it a touch quicker to do edge to edge patterns and also hand guide my machine with ease.  But there is so much to learn, it is a bit daunting.  I haven't been up to the studio for a day or so, but I have plenty of things to read and learn about the new system and it is all too exciting!!  The woolly monsters and I are relaxing in the living room and putting off any serious hard work at present!!  Poor Mr Running chicken had to go back to work this morning!
Christmas seems a long way away now, but loading some photos, I came across a rare piccie of all the family together....wonderful memories of a lovely meal in The Royal Oak in Yattendon

I'm sure I was made to have this sort of lifestyle every day!!!!!  Hey ho....guilt is setting in and work needs to be faced with enthusiasm and positive energy!!  Yawn for now......

Thursday 6 January 2011

New Year!!!!

Well time has got the better of me.....Happy new year to my friends in blogland!!! A bit late but sentiment is the same. We had a busy and happy Christmas and it seems a long way away now. I am back to work now and currently custom quilting a beautiful red and cream quilt. Piccies to follow.