stitch magazine

I have been wanting to share my claim to fame for months and now I can!!    I have had a piece of my hardanger made into a project in stitch magazine and today I got my copy so can now put it on my blog.

Kathy the editor told me about 3 years ago so would like to feature a piece and finally it has all come together.  The chart and instructions were difficult to do and I was not happy with them but the magazine came up trumps and have done a great job with them, they have even done the chart in the colours of the thread.. The colours I used originally were no longer available so had to stitch it again with a different variegated thread. Here are some photos.

I did the hardanger design for the top and the bottom piece I put my initials and the date in.


to those who have requested more quilt photos I have not forgotten will put some more up soon.

Tula Pink

Last week the new book Tula Pink`s city sampler, 100 modern quilt blocks arrived and I signed up to join the group attempting these blocks.   Well yesterday I did the first 3, they are only 6" finished,   thought that is great only small blocks but then I realised I would be working with very narrow strips,     not to be put off I cut out the first one and put it together,   my cutting skills are still not fine tuned and as you can see the block is a bit off balance to say the least.

 The blocks have no names just numbers.  Block 2 tuned out a little better, like the colour way I have used here.This is still not cut accurately enough.

Now for block 3, was quite shuffed with myself re the central piece, I know it is not cut out to fit accurately but at least I tried!

As mentioned there are 100 blocks in total and I think I am meant to be doing 3 a week. There is a web site they are meant to be posted to but have not worked it out yet, have emailed for info, fingers crossed someone will get back to me.  I am disappointed with my attempts as I thought I was cutting accurately but obviously was not,   any tips I would take on board and would love to have please.

I have also signed up to do the vomit quilt and swapping squares with others through Pippa`s patch blog. Have said I will swap with 5 others and cut out the 49 squares for each swapper yesterday. I had some jelly rolls I used as they were the right width so now waiting to hear where to send them later in june.

Off this morning into Leeds to look at and hopefully buy another digital camera as mine is draining the battery and also have to force the shutters to open. They say it is cheaper to replace than have repaired. Plan to get a Canon,  nothing too pricey but will hopefully do the job and they will sell a spare rechargable battery reduced with the camera so when I go to quilt shows I will have masses of battery life,  will need it for the big show at the NEC in august, that is if I can get close to take any with all the crowds they get there.

Will try and do some more quilt photos either later today or tomorrow as one or two of your have requested "more please"

spring has sprung

Today I have been playing with picasa again using some of the latest photos I took of the garden so thought I would hare them with you here.

 most of these I can recognise but on the bottom collage the middle one on the top row is baffling me. It has come through from the next garden and is spreading at a rapid rate, however it is covering up the soil in front of the dreaded privets which surround the whole garden back and front so I am nuturing it and will move some to other bare patches as even if it is a weed it is ground covering and very pretty, hopefully it will see off the dandelions too.The bush next to it is so very pretty when in full flower, just coming into flower now but can not for the life of me remember what it is called,   can anyone else come up for the name of either of these please.

and more eye candy quilts

As requested I am adding more quilts, have worked hard this morning trying to make small collages and finally got it right. Not sure I do it the right way but managed to condense 19 photos into 3 collages.

That was so much quicker to load and success at last! Hope you do not mind them being done this way, can post photo if requested to do so if you need a closer look!

I also had one or to requests to share the fabric I bought whilst away so here are 2 more photos.

Looking at the first photo the four fabrics from top to bottom on the left were bought to use together, top 2 on the right I just could not resist, one with daffodils and one with daisies   these are all half meters and the bottom 2 fat quarters of cats, my younger daughter likes the grey one for a cushion but did not like the colour of the other one so will keep that for myself.!

The second photo is of the fabric I bought in one of the many fabric shops n Shepherds Bush, once again I bought half meters as it was such a good buy. I think next time I go to London I will have to take a bigger case as the choice of fabric is so amazing down there. Just as well I live far away.

Not sure if I mentioned I also got a cutting mat 12" by 18", struggle with the one I have as it has two dark sides, this one has one dark and one light so when cutting dark fabrics it will make life easier.Could not justify the larger size as I already have it for general use and it would have been difficult to bring it home as it took a bus, 2 undergrounds trains,a coach and final bus! But it was so so worth all the travelling, still not come down to earth from a wonderful time with Cheryl.

I found some coats crochet cotton 20`s in the market at Shepherds Bush for only £1 a ball, great buy, shame they had so few colours but will get tatting with them soon,  good to do whilst soaking up the sun in the garden, my plan for this afternoon prior to the rain that is due back tomorrow.

CQJP 2013

here is my block for the CQJP challenge for the merry month of May.   Forget me knots and daisies are out in the garden so here are some of mine,  the sheep are out grazing in the fields still with their woolly coats on and the children have been dancing around the maypole,   sorry about the stick people,   not good enough to do real ones!!.  The orange tatting is from instructions for tatted lace from Suzats,   thank you Sus. Afraid the crochet butterfly is a little on the large size but that is why one of the reasons for the block being crazy!!

Thank you for all your comments on the quilt show photos, if you want me to upload more please let me know.

more eye candy

As promised here are some more photos of the Malvern quilt show.  This is the 3rd attempt to load them,  the first I made a mistake  and deleted it, the second one I thought I had saved whilst I had some breakfast but if I had saved it I can not find it now so here goes,   3rd time lucky.
    I think I am right in saying this first quilt came overall second in the competition. This is one of the ones I like best.  I seem to be drawn to the applique ones at the moment but want to make a patchwork block one first.

the next one is all hexagons which I did not realise until I got up close they are easily seen on the light fabric but the dark mislead me.

Now these are just a selection of some of the others on display.

eye candy

This is my 100th blog, my how time has flown,   it will also be the best blog so far as I am putting on some of the 400+ photos takes at the Malvern quilt show.    sorry no names as do not know who did which but if any of you bloggers have done one please let me know.

think this is enough eye candy for one day, will add more tomorrow,  I do hope you enjoy these.

Malvern quilt show

What a lovely time I had at the quilt show on friday.   Coach trip to London went well on thursday and we arrived early. Cheryl my friend was there to meet me and we made our way on the dreaded underground back to her place where we talked and talked for hours, it was 2 am before we got to bed!

Cheryl drove to Malvern and there we were in awe  at all the quilts, between us we took over 400 photos and it would have been more but my camera died after 123, will have to get it sorted as I had fully charged the battery, never mind I had my memory stick with me so was able to load Cheryl`s photos onto it and now have them on the computer.   Along with the quilts there were also trade stalls, I managed to get a cutting mat which has one dark and one light side, find cutting out dark fabric a problem on a dark mat,   also could not resist a few half metre lengths and also some template plastic,    which reminds me I have not seen it since I got home,    will have to spend time searching, with a bit of luck it will be inside one of the books I took with me, lets hope it is not inside the one I left for Cheryl to look at.

I have come home with loads of ideas, now know I would like to do a kaleidoscope piece, and a winding roads piece but have also signed up for the Tula Pink quilt project and Pippa`s vomit quilt so not sure whether I am coming or going as I am still doing the CQJP project, started may`s block yesterday.

We had a lovely meal in Worcester prior to returning to London and then saturday we went  to the fabric shops in Shepherds Bush,   wow loads of them, we have one in Leeds! plus 2 market stalls with fabric.
Of course I was tempted with a few more fabrics,   must stop buying now.

I came home on sunday after having another late night saturday, so much to talk about and was fascinated with the EQ quilt programme C has on her computer.
Not sure what photos to show so will show the collage of C`s photos and the winning quilt for now just to tempt you and add more later.

this is rather mean but do not know how to make a collage of fewer than what was taken!

unfortunately in my rush to get into the show and I did not buy a catalogue, none of the quilts had the makers names on them so cannot give more info as when we left the programme sellers had already gone.

News about the stolen quilts from Empress mills,   7 quilts have been returned, a lady saw about the theft on the tv or in the papers and she had been given them so took them straight back, do not know if the culprit was caught but hope to hear if the others are returned too.One poor lady lost 8 quilts.

pin cushions

I have made a couple of patchwork pin cushions these last couple of days,   how relaxing it is to sew these little pieces.   The fabric was bits of left over batik from a jelly roll,   had to join two pieces for the triangle in the larger one.  This was from the"quilting on the go" book I recently purchased, all on English paper quilting and the smaller one I stumbled across the instructions on line on the abyquilt blog. Think I will be making more of this shape.  It says in the book to stuff with crushed walnut shells but have had looks of disbelief when I ask for them, apparently pet shops sell them, well not in Leeds. I also asked on a nut market stall and had a totally blank look from them so they are for now stuffed with stuffing,   Helen my daughter has a couple of joiner friends and have asked her to get me some sawdust shavings as they keep the pins from rusting.

I think I will do a few seam treatments on the larger one to give it a bit of a lift.

I am off to London tomorrow till sunday evening, staying with Cheryl a dear friend and on friday we are going to the Malvern quilt show, hope it warms up and dries up as part of the displays are in marques. On saturday we are having a play day and she is going to help me understand how to make quilts. Will take the fancy templates I have bought and we will have a play with those and see if they are really necessary or if it is easier cutting the shapes the traditional way.

No news on the stolen quilts,  a lady did post on my blog that one was her mother`s and another lady had lost 8 quilts. Hoping some photos will turn up so we will know what we are keeping our eyes open for.  Not sure how Angela found my blog, she is not a follower it shows what a small world it really is.

quilt show

It is a while since I blogged as I have not been too active with the needle recently.

On Saturday I went to Empress Mills in Colne, they manufacture threads and also sell fabrics and all sorts, well over the weekend they had a small show on with a few exhibitors,  Richard Box, Mabon Arts, Colourcraft and The Yorkshire book company to mention a few. There was also a exhibition taking part,  the North West Embroiderers Guild and the Halifax Guild were also there.   The quilts that were on show were wonderful,   a very sad tale, on the thursday night the place was broken into and at least 30 quilts were stolen, the poor ladies who lost their quilts must be so devastated,all that hard work and love that goes into making a quilt,  I do hope the police can find the culprits and return the quilts to the owners.
I have made a collage of the quilts  so will try and load it now.

That is great I have finally sorted how to load picasa collages, have even made notes for next time.
If any one wants to see an individual quilt just let me know as I have all the individual photos too.


Have done a couple more patchwork blocks,  I am now using cotton instead of ploy cotton but still not at the stage where I can use these blocks,   another collage coming now

The three blue ones are still poly cotton,   a small piece of drunkards path, a kaleidoscope and a five pointed star.
The green ones are stepping stones,migration, points practise and spinning star. The migration I have got the top left hand part set in incorrectly, it needs turning anti clockwise 90 degrees. These four were from the book  Fat quarters shape workshop blocks.
I seem to struggle with the easy angle (for half square triangles) and the companion angle ( for quarter square triangles)  have bought the specialist templates but wonder if it would be easier to try the old fashioned way,   I suppose the more I practise the easier it will become, well it had better become easier!
Thanks for visiting me and happy stitching.