Monday 31 October 2011

Hallowe'en colours


Such fun to make....little pumpkin pincushions!  Lovely Autumn colours too....

It is rather a dull grey day here today, but quite unseasonably warm!  Strange weather....

Now that the clocks have gone back, it will get dark so early, so a shift in the dog walking pattern must be made!

I have had a customer call to pick up her quilt this morning...she came with a friend and we chatted for nearly two hours!!!  E's quilt was lovely and again, full of autumn colour, acorns and oak leaves...




One of these will be sent off to my mum for her sewing box....

Detail of acorns in centre of quilt...


















Monday 17 October 2011

A quilting weekend!

Saturday saw me at Tikki patchwork in London, teaching my chicken block...four lovely ladies put up with me for a few hours, having some fun choosing fabrics to create individual chickens..and they all looked different!
It was a bit scary driving up to Kew, but I made it safely and found a precious parking space!!  Only trouble was that I had forgotten to take lunch, so by the time I arrived home later in the afternoon, I was starving!!  Anyway, I hope everyone had a lovely day.

On Sunday, we had been invited to a quilt show, held in a village hall near Uffington, Oxon.  I had long arm quilted the raffle quilts and various others on show, so it was really good to see them again!  And wow!! what talent there was on show...the colours used, the piecing and the appliqué was superb.
Hazels quilt


















Another of Hazels quilts
Beautiful!!
We stayed for quite a while, enjoying coffee and cake.  Then spent a happy few moments catching up with Clare Kingslake who was signing her book Folk quilt appliqué and comparing the behaviour of our Australian labradoodles!!!  Sock eating seemed to feature quite a lot!!
Clare is very talented and her book is really lovely!!

 



Until next time.....

Wednesday 12 October 2011

A busy week ahead...

Oh, why do I keep a diary if I don't bother to look in it!!!
I am usually fairly efficient and I write things in my appointments diary so I know what I should be doing and where I should be doing it...but the system only works if you read the thing! Last week, i forgot to go to a supply teaching day and happily spent a lovely day working in my fabric room (normally dining room) and making a new quilt.  I have been more careful this week and I keep my diary open on my living room table just in case.....
Weekends have been just as busy...this weekend I am teaching up at Tikki Patchwork in Kew and the last couple of weekends have seen us visiting gardens and properties owned by the National Trust.  Stowe landscape gardens is lovely and welcomes dogs...it is beautiful and there are lots of 'temples' dotted around the grounds.  Very old and quite amazing.    I have tried to make a photo collage using some new software on my computer...it is not brilliant and I have lots to learn, but I will get there!!!
Now back to work...I have a lovely bright coloured quilt on the machine today from a lady in London, so that should cheer up a rather grey windy day ...until next time

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Late summer heat and lots of sewing....

We have had a heatwave this last week which I think has just broken today....a bit damp out there now!  I have struggled to work in my studio as it has been so hot, so I have been busy getting things made for my trading stand at the quilters guild event at Ashtead, Surrey on 22nd October.
Tea cosy

This tea cosy was fun to make..the idea came from a Japanese book but it needed to be sized up and the squares are rotary cut rather than using templates (because I hate cutting using templates!!)..I think it worked quite well.


I have also been thinking about what to do with charm packs or 5" squares, so using Petit Poulet range of charms, I cut and sliced and ended up with this...
It is a little difficult to see the quilting because of the sunlight and shadow, but it is a sunflower pattern with cross hatching in the centre panel.  I used gingham to bind the quilt.  I should have photographed the back as I used chicken fabric!!  I will try and remember to include it later...
The woollies have been loving the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and we have done a lot of walking...


Happy sewing.....