Moving on

Considering the heat in the sun room over the weekend, to make progress on the pinks quilt I decided to get up early and get as much done on the quilt as possible before the sun came around and started turning the room into a furnace.  And, it worked - quilting is complete, the quilt has been trimmed and the binding is on.

Now I'm pacing myself because it's awkward holding the binding in place with my left hand as I hand sew the binding down on the back.  It looks like I'll have it completed for the talk on Monday night at Threave - yipee.  Just the hand out's to complete and the range of samples to gather up to accompany me.


So, on to new things - I will be playing around with making samples for the tree quilt - the Setacolor paints have arrived, and I'll share my failures and successes with you in due course, but, last Thursday night I cut out a stack of batik curves 

so I'll be sewing these up and creating some fabric strips for a new bed quilt.  I have an idea for the quilt doodled on a post-it, but it will be pretty much a develop as I stitch type of quilt.

Exercising my hand

Over the last week, after having dyed the silk yarn I've been trying to crochet a few rows each night to exercise my left hand.  The crocheting has been working a real treat and my fingers are getting stronger having to hold the yarn in position, especially as there are a lot of US style trebles needed in this pattern.


Here's the progress so far.

And, here's the progress on my hand. 

The wound has healed up nicely, only one small section of dried skin to come away.  The skin on my hand is very flaky and dry, even with lots of moisturiser, but I think I'll be able to use a home made skin scrub on it soon and it should improve immensely after that.


I've also been getting an hour or two of quilting on the pinks quilt in, over this last week, but unfortunately that's also included some hours of picking out some FMQ'ing as the backing fabric hasn't been as tightly basted as I'd have liked, and there have been a few tucks sewn in.  Some worse than others, that I just couldn't live with.


I'm hoping to have this quilt fully quilted by the end of the week, so fingers crossed I'll be able to share it with you all soon.

Spring Bloggers Quilt Festival

This time around I'm sharing Jacaranda Dreams Quilt.  See all entries here.

This quilt was the direct outcome from a comment made on Marjorie's quilt which she shared with us in the Autumn Bloggers Quilt Festival back in 2010.


I've always admired needle turn appliqué and tried it on a few occasions, but have never actually completed a NTA project.


I like a more contemporary / modern approach to designs generally now, and wouldn't consider every doing say a Baltimore or Little Brown Bird NTA quilt, actually haven't for some time.  Don't get me wrong they are beautiful quilts, but just not my thing.


I've done lots of exploring and hunting for inspiration and have found some beautiful appliqué designs - but those are for sharing another time.  However in my search for inspiration to address the NTA Challenge that Marjorie issued after my comment back in 2010, I kept being drawn to Maori tattoos, surf board art, curling / wavy lines, which eventually lead to this design.

Which inspired me to create the quilt from this design.  I hand dyed my fabrics and drew out the pattern on a large piece of paper.  Transferred the pattern onto the appliqué fabric, (in one piece as I couldn't envisage how I'd place all the pieces properly if cut separately).  The fabric to be appliquéd was placed over the background fabric and each shape was basted into position then the excess fabric was cut away from around the shape a piece at a time and turned and stitched down.

Slowly, and surely every panel was cut and sewn down - the design was extended from the original central section to encompass the fullest extent of the fabric.  Backing fabric was dyed a slightly darker tone and sections of that were cut and NTA stitched around to form a 'frame' to the appliquéd section.  

I did at one point buy and even dye some embroidery threads with the intention of adding  some seed stitching to the secondary frame within the appliqué section, but as the FMQ was completed, I decided that less is more.

I hope you enjoy sharing my journey in creating this quilt, I love it and am treasuring it, here at home.

It's underway

The spring Bloggers Quilt Festival for 2012 has started over on Amy's Creative Side.

This is one Festival I welcome - you can wizz around the world and visit blogs you've never heard of and see masterpiece quilts, throws, art quilts of every imaginable type to inspire, encourage and frankly amaze the socks right off you.


Later today I'll be preparing my entry for the Festival, and suggest you do the same if you can.  


But if you don't have a blog please visit the Festival and go on a journey of exploration and delight, you will love it.

Quilting and playtime

Yesterday was the last day of the Spinners, Weavers and Dyers Exhibition at Gracefield Arts Centre.  It seems to have been a very busy 3 weeks with plenty of visitors and some really lovely encouraging comments. 


A guild member, who runs the yarn shop at Linton Tweeds, Carlisle - Sue, brought me up some lovely scrumptious silk yarn.  Well I couldn't resist, last night I had a play session and dyed it - Kingfisher blue and black.  This is the result.  

I'm now waiting impatiently for it to fully dry.  It's earmarked for a crochet cloche hat.


Other than that I've been slipping in a half hour here and there FMQ'ing the pinks quilt.  It's coming along nicely and now probably about 35% complete.  


Hopefully if I keep going at this pace it will be ready for squaring up and binding at the end of next weekend.

Sew Kind of Wonderful Giveaway

If you haven't seen Jenny's awesome bag, made using her quick curve ruler - you should check it out.


Added to which there's a giveaway, with a special extra for those of you in the US attending Quilt Market in a few weeks time - visit here to check out more - and in the meantime a tempting photo .......

and by spreading the word any of us not going to Quilt Market get a chance to have Jenny make us a custom coloured / quilted bag - even better - this sort of makes me glad I can't jump across the pond to enter the draw on site for this delicious bag as is - but to have the chance of other colours, oh yes please.

A birthday present

After creating John's blocks on Sunday, I thought that I'd use some of the scrap batting for a wee QAYG play time.  I had been considering a Kindle cover (for when I get one), but, having mentioning it to Jeanette in passing, she asked if I could make her one for her Kobo for her birthday.


OK her birthday is this week and there is NO way it will be complete in time, but she is prepared to wait.


The batting scraps have been sewn together, a possible hand dyed fabric (by Jeanette) has been chosen for the cover, but it looks like it will be a completely different project from the QSYG one I'd originally thought about.


I've hunted out some scrap fabrics, some threads, considered some beads and am looking at a fibre inspiration inspiration pack to create a monogram on the front of the cover. 

Here's hoping that this all goes together, and that it doesn't look like a dogs breakfast once it's finished.

I've the inner section to sort out - pockets for discs, cards and a stylus, as well as the corners to secure the Kobo reader.  Then I've got to add some bling - beads, sequins and some thread work.

Free Bee - May

Yeeha - back to sewing.


This morning I put together 3 blocks for John (Quilt Dad).

They came together a real treat - my only problem is .... maybe I should have altered the sashing fabric colours.  So I may revisit this block and alter it before sending it off.

Free Bee block/s for May

This month is John's month (Quilt Dad) and he's after a set of 3 Totem Blocks.


This is another month with Erin Wilson influence and you can see her totem blocks here.


We are to make a stack of 3 blocks, and, Lynne (Lily's Quilts) has already got two of her blocks made.

 

May - Free Bee block 1/3 by Lily's Quilts

May - Free Bee block 2/3 by Lily's Quilts

In thinking about it I could possibly draw inspiration from Janeth's Block a Day 2011 series.  And there are some interesting improv block tutorials here on this blog Teresa Down Under, and some lovely improv blocks on Make Something with more block images here.

This should be a fun set of blocks to complete.  Come on hand heal so I can start playing in earnest.

Some experimenting ahead

Whilst surfing for quilting inspiration one day some weeks ago I found a beautiful, simple image.  My friend and colleague at work commented on the image saying, 'she'd love it for her birthday in September'


Well, being up for a challenge, over the intervening weeks I've been considering various techniques as to how I could transform the basics here into an art quilt.

linneaheideart etsy shop

My first thoughts on how to create the grey/black areas were:- 

• thread painting - very time consuming and possibly too heavy
• a dyeing / mixed media technique - but how to you achieve the negative space - freezer paper, OK. The black/grey - dye would creep, paints, OK, but, how do I apply them, brush, maybe, comb, would I end up with blobs at the start?

Last night I hit on another possible alternative - confetti quilting - lots and lots of little fabric pieces, like mini matchsticks.  Layered over the fabric, or white felt and sandwiched below either a very fine tulle/veil mesh or even a very fine organza.

So, I might be hunting out some scrap fabric, playing with paints and scrap fabrics to play with before too long, to see what gives the best results.

Tree wise I think I'll be considering various images, but I do love the silhouette of a Scots Pine.

A week on

A week on and mobility in my hand is improving.  The open wound is slowly healing, and an outpatient appointment is scheduled for tomorrow.


I've still not attempted any sewing, either by hand or machine, as I think the extra pressure put on the hand to hold and manipulate fabric, is probably too much of a challenge at present.  I am however doing some fibre spinning.


This is making me work the fingers and flex the hand without any weight or excessive grip being required.  Add the fact that the Spinner, Weavers and Dyers exhibition is on, and, I've got schedule stewarding slots to fill, I can take my spinning wheel with me and work away for an hour or two.  


So whilst I have some fibre spinning under way, but will have to set aside until I'm able to get a hold of some more of the teal shade, I've had a hunt on line for something to work on this coming Saturday.  Two batches of merino/silk blend fibre have been ordered.

Nightfall 

Blackberry

I understand they are being posted today, hopefully before the end of the week I'll be able to play with one of these lovely soft bundles.

Jacaranda Dreams

Over the last 12-18 months I've been working away on this quilt.  Up to now it's been called my Appliqué Challenge quilt.  


After making a comment on Marjorie's quilt, shown in the Bloggers Quilt Festival Autumn 2010.  Marjorie challenged me to make an appliqué quilt.  So after numerous searches for inspiration (blogged about here), I eventually used one of the as inspiration and doodled this.


Over 2011 I made progress with the design, did lots of hand basting, lots of careful fabric cutting and needle turn appliqué.  The design has developed and grown from the original concept, to maximise the usage of hand dyed fabric, and after a lull I decided on a possible free motion quilting design to quilt the panel and completed it in time for the Textile Exhibition here at Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries. 


So here's a photo of it hanging in place.

But, I have to say a bit thank you to my friend Jeanette who gathered up all exhibit entries, including this panel, and got them down to the Centre, when I was laid up in hospital.

Painful - an update!

A lot has happened since I put the post up on Tuesday.  Thank you all for you kind wishes, it touches me to the core - bless you all.


So - what has happened.


As Tuesday progressed the swelling of my hand remained pretty constant (even with constant soaking in cold water), and the heat in the hand never abated either.


We have been keeping a close eye on it, since it happened, and since we saw the Dr at the hospital Accident and Emergency Dept. on Sunday night, about 1 hr after it happened.  But, as Tuesday went on we could see a redness creeping up my arm.  By 6pm Tuesday night I was back up at A&E, and at 10-45pm I was being wheeled into theatre to have the back of my hand opened up for the bacteria to be washed out.


It's now Saturday evening - I'm still in hospital (but now have my laptop to play on, and catch up).  


Yesterday there was another trip to theatre, an increase in wound size, another clean up, and a partial wound closure.  Everything hinges on a ward exam of my hand tomorrow.  But they are taking the extra precaution of fasting me in-case another trip to theatre is required.


I'll update you all, when I know ;o) and in the meantime I promise no more gory photos.

Painful!

Can I recommend to you all, that you take care and think twice when trying to guide an old dog - who's hard if hearing and has impaired sight issues - or you could end up like this .....

So take care and think twice when working/helping old frail pets - a person or child wanting  to be left alone can swat you hand away - a dog - well, no so - if you are unlucky like me, it's crunch ....

Here's hoping the swelling goes down soon an I get to mire mobility in my fingers, hand and wrist.

At least it's not the top of a finger from a rotary cutter mishap!

Beautiful week

Thanks to everyone over this last week, who have made this last week a beautiful week.


Last Saturday it started with a day of quilting and basting.  A friend had hired a hall for the day, so there was lots of space, multiple tables grouped together for quilting - perfect for spreading out backing, batting and flimsy for basting - a workstation set up with plenty of space for quilting.  So great progress was made.  

'Pinks' quilt was basted

major progress was made on the purple appliqué quilt

Next, do I add the French knots or leave it as it is - the quilt needs to be handed over next Thursday..... and I have other things to finish off - typical.

Even better when the day ended in a surprise birthday party.


With having the sewing machine away on Saturday, I decided to set up in the Sun Room so that the quilt was handy for a quick bobbin of quilting throughout the week.  That worked perfectly, because on Saturday the quilting (except for a couple of small missed areas) was complete.  And on Sunday, the binding was cut, stitched and sewn into position.  I've even got 50% of it hand stitched into position.  Perfect!


Add to that the fact that I received 2 yards of beautiful soft batik fabric for my birthday ..... and, the inspiration wires and buzzing away in my head.  That means I really want to get 'pinks' quilted so I can play with Jenny's curved ruler and the design that I've doodled.

I'd been surfing the internet for complimenting batiks only to realise that I had a super stash of 1/8ths and scraps that would work really well with the 2 birthday fabrics.   Great.  Now what solid colour do I go with - I had been thinking of Glacier but now am considering a dark purple, for example:  Berry, Hibiscus or Raisin.


Thank you all, who sent birthday wishes, I had a great time and was one very lucky 'lady'.

'Tagged' by Karen

It's always great to share a little more about yourself in your blog, but often you don't know what folk who read / visit you want to know.  Well today I've been tagged by Karen of Lisnaweary Quilts.

She's posted 11 questions for me to answer and share with you all.  So here goes.......

1. What is your most treasured possession?

My engagement ring.

2. Chocolate or crisps? Coffee or tea?

Good chocolate.  Coffee.

3. Do you have any other crafty interests apart from patchwork/quilting?

I also spin fibre (and dye it), and hope to get a handle on weaving.

4. Dogs or cats?

Dogs - German Shepherds

5. What was your favourite subject at school?

Art

6. What is on your sewing machine at the minute?

I'm sewing up a self designed quilt for our local guild talk in June - hopefully it will be complete in time

7. Who is your favourite singer/group?

I've such a mixed taste in music, and pick according to mood - but love instrumental, classic and pop.

8. Does your nearest and dearest know how much fabric you really have?

Erhhhh, no!

9. What is your favourite all time film?

One film I'll happily watch again and again is The Quiet Man - lovely Irish countryside and great comedy hidden in a 1950's gem.

10. Where is your favourite holiday destination?

We need to find a new one to try, but we loved Yalikavak.

11. What's your favourite thing you have ever made?

This changes with each new thing made - currently it would be my purple appliqué quilt (still a WIP).

I'm not passing this around blogland with out personal requests, so if you want me to tag you just leave a comment with a request.  Once I get a few requests I'll make up a list of questions.

New Online Shop

We in the UK are limited with the range of quilting supplies and online shops, so it's great to hear of someone offering some lovely patterned fabric FQ's and some delicious fabric bundles, but add to that the fact that they also stock about 50 Kona Solids - well it's something to add to your online store list.

I haven't actually ordered from Annie yet, but with this latest selection of bundles, I could be breaking my fabric diet, sooner rather than later.

So go along and check out what's available and keep the Village Haberdashery in mind for possible future purchases.