Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad......

I always make cards for my Mum and Dad.

This is the latest, for their wedding anniversary today.

Phone pouch

I made this today for my OH's mum. She had a new mobile
phone for Christmas for when she takes the dog a walk but
she always forgets it. She also can't hear it very well is it's
in her pocket. I said I'd make her a pouch to put round
her neck. Hope it's okay!

She likes poppies and wears a red coat. I knew that poppy

fabric would come in handy one day! Having a stash is good!

Christmas Presents

What do you get someone who has everything they need or
want?.....................Cushions!!!!
It gets more difficult every year deciding what to get people
doesn't it. I made these cushions for my OH's parents for
Christmas. I had the fabric printed with the images I'd taken
at different times. I just emailed the pictures and instructions
to the company. I only had a metre printed and I kept back a
couple of the large images for later. Space was filled in with
smaller images, each about 10cm square. They'll be used for
birthday cards and other gifts I'll make.
The fabric was steam fixed and they assure me it's fast. They've
produced it for upholstery projects and fashion fabrics.
I was impressed with the results.

The images were slightly different sizes, my fault. I had

to stitch a border round each image to make them all the

same size. Each large image was approximately 16 inches

square without the borders. I used 18 inch cushion pads.

I was pleased with the results and so were the recipients.

It was an interesting exercise and one I would consider again

for quilting purposes. I don't even do small scale printing at

home, we don't have an inkjet printer just a laser printer.

P4P's more detail

A few extras -
This is the pennant of 2 halves, not a lesser pennant.
The join can just about be seen - it's a utility stitch. I thought
it would be better than a normal zigzag stitch. I did think
of putting another backing on to stabilize the pennant
but it's not the done thing to cover the backof your quilting.

Now then, I'm in a quandry! I read somewhere the other day

that someone was having difficulty with the edges of their

pennant and there was plenty of good advice - duly noted

and taken on board. However, a comment was made to the

effect of judges don't like corded and zigzagged edges.

Oh dear, the zigzagged edges on my pennants won't go

down well. But then I thought, they're not being judged so

does it actually matter.

I'm a fan of zigzagged edges. I'm rubbish at satin stitch,

it doesn't matter how hard try, I'm still rubbish. I do layers of

zigzagging using all the colours I've used in the piece and an

open zigzag. I don't get lumps and bumps and the overall finish

is more subtle. I have used this sort of edge for years on items

that have to be hard wearing. In this instance I use a polyester

thread. I know this edge is not suitable for every quilted item.

Surely choices such as appropriateness of fabric, thread and

technique, are made with the end use in mind.

My pennants nearly got consigned to the recycling bin

but then I remembered the spirit in which we are being

asked to so this. So my pennants will posted just as soon

as the finishing touches are done. I hope they fullfil the

brief set. By the way, I enjoyed making them - should

have been doing Christmas stuff!!

P4P's

After the success of the 'Little Gems' (Aug 2009) and the
Bag tombola (Aug 2008) at the FOQ, what would come next?
It's 'Pennants for Patchworkers'.
I'd already decided to take part what ever it was going
to be. So here goes, this is my take on it.........
I wanted to be able to produce a series of pieces, here's
how I started. The pennants are A4. I started with an
A3 piece of paper and divided it into 3 pennants and
2 halves - below..........
I hate being wasteful so put the 2 halves together - logical!!

This was the result. I think I'm pleased............................

They just need labels, more photographs then sending to

the appropriate person.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day and time for some fresh air and a walk.
As it's Saturday aswell my OH suggested a walk with his
mate as usual. Off we went to Calke Abbey, very cold but sunny.
We had a walk together then it was time for the big boys walk
and I went home in the car. They weren't stranded, they were
going to walk home.

The wanderers return. I had already had a phone call to

ask me to run a bath for the dog. Being a little chap with

a low undercarriage he gets filthy. He doesn't like it but

he doesn't like being dirty either!

A good time was had by all!!....................

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas ..............
Well, it's nearly time. Just been to do the last bit of shopping,
nothing absolutely essential but it's all done. Just got to do a few
final jobs.
I am a fan of Gisella Grahams christmas decorations and I try
to buy just one each year. This year, though, I haven't seen any
I really like but perhaps it's because buyers haven't chosen
the ones I like and the price - they aren't cheap (the ones I like).

My tree..... I don't do huge amounts of decorations. It may not

be big but I like it to be OTT.

I was up early this morning (not the only one I'm certain) and

got started with some jobs on todays list. One job was to make

a trifle. After using what cake I needed I put the rest out for the

birds. I caught this chap having a taste when it got light. Not a

good photo I know, sorry. I also saw a blackbird and a magpie.

If it's not on the list and I haven't thought of it by now, tough!!

We'll survive!!

Have a good holiday. Be safe if you have to travel.

Happy Birthday Gloria

Happy 50th Birthday Gloria

Hope you have a brilliant day.

I was given this beautiful card on my 50th birthday last year
and thought I'd share it with you. .

My OH was 50 in June this year. He climbed Ben Nevis in
Scotland on his birthday! - on his own!

Have a good one!

Inchies

Thought you might be interested in this........
A few years ago it was the 25th birthday of a local textile
group. They issued a challenge to produce a piece to

celebrate the occasion. If I remember correctly there was
a size limit, can't remember what it was. I racked my

brains and eventually came up with the idea of a charm
bracelet using inchies. It became a charm cuff.For the decorative side I bonded silver fabrics to some
vylene and machine embroidered to secure. For the
date side I marked out a grid on black fabric and
machine embroidered the dates, one in each square.
I machined the 2 sides together with 2 lines of stitching
then cut them up between the tram lines. Zigzagging
finished the edges of each square. Jewellery jump rings,
wire and beads were used to attach each inchie to a
machine stitched cord which was then handstitched
to the cuff. The cuff was a dark grey fabric and vylene.

The winner of the challenge was a beautiful machine

embroidered box. But really it was one of those occasions

when everyone was a winner. It was interesting seeing

everyones take on the challenge. Sorry no picture.

I set myself a challenge when I decided to this which was

not to spend any money! Not because I'm tight but

because I've got so much stuff I thought I'd use some of it.

I think I succeeded with the group challenge and my own.

In the past I've used inchies for making cards for all sorts

of occasions. I've used trimming from bigger pieces. I don't

like wasting anything.

New Pinny

I've been between major textile things because of the
garden but I have been busy-ish. I've been delving into piles
of fabrics and doing small projects or finishing off others.
It feels very virtuous to do these little things and the piles
are getting abit smaller, only abit though!

When I'm doing any thing messy I'm very bad at wiping my
hands down my sides. An ordinary pinny isn't substantial
enough. I was decided to re-purpose an old pair of jeans.
I seem to remember being inspired from a blog but for the
life of me I can't remember which one, so apologies for
having a bad memory and thank you for the inspiration.
I decided to make abit of a challenge out of it - to use as
much of the garment as possible and the only additional
item would be thread.
It took about an hour to de-construct the jeans sitting in the
garden in the September sunshine watching the resident
blackbird pottering about.
This was the result.............not a bad result, I think............


The front bib pocket........................

The neck strap formerly the waist band.............

The fastening at the back - more waistband..................and the

only 'extra' apart from the thread - a button for the fastening.......

The leftovers!

Gift, Patchwork

Back in April we went to see my OH's parents, they

weren't in but we were spotted by one of the neighbours.

This lady has always been a big knitter and sewer.

She gave me a large bag, said she was having a clear out

and could I make use of this?

Never one to say no, this is what I accepted.........

She had started this project back in the 70's using Laura

Ashley offcuts and adding other fabrics into the mix.

It was never completed and had been lurking in a cupboard

ever since. I was honest from the beginning and said that

I probably would never complete it either. She didn't mind

as long as it was used some how. She knows that I'm not

always traditional in my textiles!

I consider this a great gift - when you think of the hours of

work, the preparation all done by hand. Now, I don't want to

finish it but I do want to use it - is that bad?

As soon as I looked in the bag ideas started to form........

Garden

The garden has been in need of 'sorting' for a while.
We've recently spent time just cutting back to see what's
beneath. This was a clump of Crocosmia that I'd put in
about 15 years ago and should have been divided about
every 3 or 4 years - or not! This was before the clump had
been sorted. I've been giving away bags of bulbs and the
rest will go to the WI. Some have gone back in to the
same border.
The gardenis looking better but it doesn't really look like
ours any more, there's too much soil showing.

Can't remember what these are called but they're a

relative of a wild flower and seem to like it in our garden.

We have a clump of horseradish that has never been

used but has given a great display of large green leaves

each year. Something has always enjoyed these leaves -

the caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly.

They create these lacy leaves, I like them but I'm sure

a real gardener wouldn't!

I was given a marrow the other day. I made an apricot and

walnut stuffing - stuff I'd got in the cupboard - and stuffed it.

Was rather yummy! Thank you H. The rest of the stuffing got

nibbled at suring the evening and never made it to the freezer!

I stuffed the rest of the marrow with minced beef and onions

later in the week. Still yummy!

Festival of Quilts - last one!

The NEC at night, not scary but wierd! took this whilst waiting
for my lift to arrive on the Sunday evening.
The bonnet on the right is one of mine. It's for
Roses from the Heart : Christina Henri, Conceptual Artist
A worth while project.
The goodies - fabric, some for my mum and some for me!

More fat quarters - do I really need any more?

Other bits and bobs that I can't resist.

Finally, the winners, with pictures, can be found here

Congratulations to all the winners.

Also a huge congratulations to the Little Gems CQGB team

and to all those who donated or bought tickets for the massive

amount they raised with the Little Gems - I believe that £9,700

was raised.

Came home with lots to think about.

Festival of Quilts 3

Just some of the rest that caught my eye.
'Roadwork 1' by Sue Dawson - this I like because it's
the normal everyday things that we can look to for
inspiration but often get overlooked ........................
Some would argue as to whether this is a quilt or not
but I love it, Margaret Woodside's 'Pearl Essence'..........................

I love simplicity, it's always harder to achieve than it appears.

'Country Terrace' by Sarah Nicol......................

One of my favourite fabrics is denim so I love this piece,

Bea Sewell's 'The Mawkin's Coat'.................................