Contemporary Quilt

I belong to a group called 'Contemporary Quilt' and
each year a challenge is issued to the members to
produce a journal quilt every month for a year. I
I always begin the year with good intentions and make
a start but something always happens to stop the
creative flow. After making, and finishing, the raggy
quilt I decided to finish some old journal quilts. Not
much needed doing really - little bit of hand stitching
and some edge finishing.
I like taking something ordinary and using it in a different
way. These four were a series based on buttonholes.

The fabric was an old, hardly used linen tea towel

from an army surplus store, a finer cotton fabric

for the binding and the backing was my OH old work

shirts. The wadding was the thinnest I had. I used two

types of thread - an ordinary polyester sewing thread for

hand and machine stitching; a thicker silk thread for hand

stitching. The silk thread is a pale duck egg blue and this

dictated the colour of the lino print. Polyester organza

was used to suggest buttons.

I've made one!

I've made a quilt..................
I decided a few years ago that I wanted to make a
quilt though it was no good me piecing a top then
hand or machine quilting it. It would never be completed.
I began keeping my eyes open for a technique that would
suit my needs. I found it at the Malvern spring quilt show
2 or 3 years ago. I probably had seen it before but never
cottoned onto it. The 'Raggy' quilt was the technique for me.
I sorted my stash and filled a bag with fat quarter and
dressmaking leftovers. There were also some Liberty prints
I bought from someone who used to work in a factory making
boxer shorts (the money she made went into her embroiderers
guild kitty) - included were offcuts of my favourite Liberty
print, Ianthe.
The technique:
Wadding - I used supermarket fleece blanket! cut into 6''
squares.
Fabrics - cut into 7'' squares.
Threads - I used lots of ends of reels of ordinary polyester
thread.
The blocks - a sandwich of a wadding piece in between
2 fabric pieces then free motion stitched with 1/2'' seams.
I used a daisy design though I did start playing with
different ideas.
After all the free motion quilting was completed and all the
blocks were stitched together this is what I ended up with.
The binding was made up of some of the leftovers as I
didn't want anything left at all. In this photo (below) the seams
still need snipping. I sat down one afternoon and snipped all
the seams whilst watching Love Actually! All that snipping makes
your fingers ache but it's worth it.
So, I've done it, I've made a bed quilt. Am I a real quilter now?

New bag, new toy

I had a new toy this week it's for taking pics,
hopefully better ones!
I also made these to give away for a fund raising event.
I hope they'll be okay. I've just re-read the email about it
and the theme is supposed to be the area where the
event is being hosted. There's plenty of time so maybe
I'll so some research before I send them off.
I found this bag here before Christmas and I've just
got round to making it up. I never completely follow
patterns exactly. I wanted to try the 'raggy' technique
and I also wanted to try using polyester fleece for
quilting the blocks. Both worked well.

However, I did make the house rather smelly inorder

to be able to finish the bag. I tea dyed some webbing

to make a more serviceable colour.

And of course I always make one unplanned detour

from the plan or a mistake (the brain stopped

functioning). I meant to stitch the handles on before

I stitched in the lining. No worries, at least the lining is

secure. I don't like shoulder bags that are open so I put

a zip in.

This small project ticked a few boxes:

- new technique, polyester fleece wadding, secure bag,

- used supplies from the stash, satisfaction on completion.

Sketchbook Project

Last autumn after much thought I decided to take the
plunge and send off for a sketchbook from here: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject
I read and thought alot about it. I kept thinking three things:
1. I do fabric and thread, particularly free machine work;
2. I think it's good to touch textiles when it's appropriate;
3. I'm rubbish at doing sketchbooks. I tend to work straight
into fabric and do loads of samples.
So, why do it?
It's a great opportunity to allow people to touch textiles and to
show how I work.
I did loads of samples to find out the best fabric combo to
stitch into. It had to be a cotton fabric with a stabiliser.
The fabric was pfd cotton that I had snow dyed at the
beginning of December. As for the stabiliserLutradur won
- firm without the thickness of vylene. I was able to machine
embroider with this combination without the fuss of a hoop!
This is a page from the book, the colours aren't great -
apologies for that.
I seem to draw better with a needle but you might
disagree with that!
Doing this project has made me think how I want to take
my work this year. It's also made me realise that
working straight into fabric is okay. What I need to do
is to formalise all my bits of samples - somehow -
instead of shoving them in a folder never to see the light
of day again.
I like the thought of never having my sketchbook in my
hands again.
Well, it's gone now and it's onto other things.
Journal quilts, postcards, put 'em in's and my own stuff.

Snow Dyeing

As promised, the results of my snow dyeing

I want to do some more!

I know the snow and the low temperatures have been a pain

....but.....it would be good to have another go!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year.......................
It was cold but pretty and the snow had frost!

Snow Dyeing

Yet again, a long blogging gap.

It's snowed!!

Decided not to miss out on the opportunity this time.

On Sunday I put some fabric to soda soak. Then came

the problem of what containers to use for the process.

I like to use what I've got.

I've got - a load of small-ish heavy duty plastic bags

and lots of cat litter trays in two sizes.

Plastic bags - snip holes in the bottom for drainage.

Use small litter tray, upturned and in the larger one -

to catch the dye and melted snow.

What I've learned - get organised before you add snow,

wear warm gloves then rubber gloves ot move the snow,

make sure you have enough room to leave the trays (not

on top of the freezer!).

Results later, waiting to do more dyeing.

Patience, they tell me, is a virtue!!!!