Easter wishes

Sending Easter wishers to you all in blog land    He is Risen, He is Risen indeed Alleluia


Now for a few more photos, these are by the contemporary quilters group, a branch of the quilters guild. Each member did a series of 12 pieces, 4 yellow, 4 red and 4 blue but they only had room to display 3 of each colour.  Sorry the photos are so poor but they give you an idea,  if you hold the Cltr key down and scroll with the mouse on the photo it will enlarge, at least it does on my computer, not sure how you do it on laptops or on the phones that have internet,   far too complicated for me!

I also bought some batik,   it was in bundles of 10 fat quarters so got the blue/green range and the orange/yellow set

the bottom photo is not true to the colour they are not quite as wishy washy as they look! Now I have these fabrics added to the stash, wonder if   or when  I will ever use them.

stitching show

I had a wonderful time at the stitching show in Birmingham last weekend,, snow all the way down but the coach was only delayed by 30 minutes so that was not too bad, the problem was pulling the suitcase along through all the snow!

So much to see and do,  demonstrations and lots of quilts to look at, the Quilters Guild,  Contemporary Quilters Guild,  Pat Archibald,  Linda and Laura Kemshall .   Wow what a lovely time looking at all these things.
Was hoping to put some photos on from picasa but did not work so will just share a few photos.

the 3 above where from a collection by members of the Quilters Guild.

these African themed ones were done by Pat Archibald who had her own exhibition, 

these were done by Linda and Laura Kemshall, a mother and daughter team,  I gather they are teachers. The one of a swallow in the hand was breathtaking. Unfortunately I do not know who did each one.

think that is enough for today will add some more tomorrow,  happy viewing

CQJP march

Here is my latest block for the CQJP challenge.    Bit of a mish mash this time,    started with a tree in the centre, spring time here in England and the trees in the garden are beginning to form buds.
I then went on an Easter theme,   He is Risen and the Cross to proclaim our risen Lord.

The Easter bunny and the chick came next along with some seam treatments and some tatting and a little beading.  The corner in the bottom left hand side is a little bare but I will add to this at a later date.

once again the colours are not too good.                                                                                                         

On friday I am off to a show in Birmingham,    Sewing for pleasure,hobbycrafts and fashion, embroidery and stitch. . Looking forward to it, there for 3 days and staying with some friends who are exhibitors, and who I used to work the shows with. Hopefully there will be lots of inspiration but looking at the list of exhibitors there is far more in the paper craft side than the stitching.Paper craft seems to have taken over everywhere.

absence

Just a quickie to say after spending 6 days in bed with a very bad chest infection I am now back and promise to try and catch up with all your blogs, might take a few days but bare with me,  I did not forget you all.
Not sure how I succumbed as I do not do illness, apart from the odd migraine when I have had to have a day in bed it must be years and years ago since I felt so ill.  Here goes will start now on all your bloggings and see what you have all been up to.

tast stitches

I have finally caught up with the tast stitches from SF.  They are square herringbone 53,  laced square herringbone 54,buttonholed herringbone 55, sailor stitch 56 and sailor edging stitch 57.

I own up to struggling with the laced herringbone, if I tried to do it once I tried 5 times but the instructions did not seem to make sense then after a few days break I went back to it and I seemed to have no problems!!   confused brain syndrome.

Problems too with the buttonholed herringbone, it would not sit nicely, the thread kept twisting, seems strange as when I did the beaded hedebo edge sample there did not seem to be a problem and I used perle thread for both.  No problem with the sailor stitches, had not come across these before, good to have a stitch I had not heard of.
Apart from the buttonholed herringbone I used a rayon type random dyed thread for the other stitches. I bought these threads years ago at a show in London, have about 10 but have never used them as they are so slippery, what a waste must use them more.
Stranded cottons I rarely use either and have loads of them but I do not like working with more than one strand at a time, maybe it is time to donate them to a charity or something but I am sure to want one if I do that!

Herringbone square around the outside with a smaller one inside each square, the laced ones are in the centre with small squares scattered around them

buttonholed herringbone stitch

sailor stitch, the first 4 rows and sailor edging stitch the next 2 rows and the squiggly bit!

triangular feather stitch

today I did my sample for the triangular feather stitch form Sharon`s blog pintangle.  After I had made a frame shape which I had problems with at the corners, sorry could not work out how to use the stitch there I then had to put something in the centre. Having had Valentine`s day I took the easy route and just added a patchwork heart and attached it to the fabric with feather stitch.  Have been working on some hardanger for Helen my younger daughter, 7 pieces in all,   worked in pink and white which was what she requested, I think it will be a while before these are finished, have the main bits stitched but all the cutting and weaving to do and as I have designed them myself have got to work out what to do where. Maybe next time I will show a work in progress but no photos yet.

CQJP february

this last week I have been working on the february block,   have kept a flower in the centre block, a snowdrop as I have one out in the garden.
I have also gone with the valentine theme and put a cherub and couple of hearts on it.
I have used assorted stitches,  stem, straight, detached chain, oyster, knotted feather, spine chain, wheatear with beads and blanket with some straight stitches.
Another piece of tatting in orange. This month the block seems to be quite orange but I do like it with the green.

There are one or two areas that look a little bare but these I can add to when the other 10 blocks are completed and I decide what to do with them.

 
This did not photo well, the colours are not true and although have tried again it still comes out this colour

I have also done the tast stitch 51 today,  raised herringbone band.  4 samples of the stitch, the first 3 rows were counted out geometrically but row 4 was stitched in a random manner.

patchwork blocks

I have done another 3 blocks one for the justhands-ontv  the pin wheel and two for the create and craft show, tumbling blocks and spinning star.The create and craft lessons have now finished but Jennie is going to do some more workshops including a waistcoat.She has also put all the instructions on her web site jennierayment.com for anyone who might like to have a go.That link does not seem to have worked, sorry not sure how you put links onto blogs.  maybe someone will let me know?

                                                       Pinwheel.
It is interesting how 2 teachers do the blocks in different ways, with being a beginner I get a bit muddled but no doubt I will work out whose methods I like best soon.

spinning star and tumbling blocks

 the blocks done from create and craft use templates, here I have used 60 and 45 degree diamonds and the 6.5" easy angle,  they make life much easier but reduce the bank balance considerably! I really must stop buying these things and must make full use of those I have already bought!
I found the tumbling blocks done the English paper piecing method much easier than using the diamond templates on the machine as done with this latest one.
Maybe I will now make the ones I enjoyed doing most in some cotton fabric and who knows as I gain experience and confidence a quilt or wall hanging might appear,    don`t hold your breath though.

I must start on the CQJP for february in the next few days

inverted feather stitch tast 2013 50

I am on the ball today and have done the latest tast stitch.  I thought it might work well as a change from 4 sided stitch in a hardanger piece so decided to make a small sample.  If I am honest I did not enjoy doing the stitch and I do not think it works so will not use it again for hardanger. I am interested to see what other people do with it as I am struggling to think of when I could use it again

january CQJP entry

I think I have finished the block now,  the stump work bee did not materialise       could not find the book where I did it from in the past so added a bullion bee, some baby bees in french knots, and one charm bee.. Feel it still looks a bit bare in the top left hand corner but have submitted it as it is now.

CQJP and tast 2013

Today I have done a bit more on the january block.  The tatting is now tacked in place above my initials, think it looks okay here, I did not like it where it was before, only tacked on as waiting for your opinions. Have also put some green ribbon through the red stem stitch seam and added some beads. In the bottom left hand corner have added more stitching and think this area does not need any more work.  A second row of knotted cretan stitch and above the flower centre block I have sat a watering can,   do you think this looks okay, will stitch on if I get the go ahead, thought I could do some running stitches in a silvery thread from the can onto the flower to make it look like water.  The ochre block still empty as not come up with anything for this yet any ideas? and not sure what I can do above the cretan stitch.

  Been very busy today,  was watching the semi final tennis between Federer and Murray so managed to do my knotted feather stitch piece too for the tast 2013 challenge.
Have included along with the knotted feather stitch  stem,french knots straight stitch and the pot is long straight stitches that I have then weaved through.

crazy quilting

I have started on the embellishing of the january block, it is going slowly and thought I would share a couple of photos with you all.

  As you can see I have embroidered a flower in the centre block,  might do a flower  each month in the centre to link them together

 a few more bits added here, herringbone with detached chain,  my initials in stem stitch and the red/orange diamonds also stem stitch

The hollyhock I have added today, worked with the same thread as the diamonds.  The tatting I am not sure about, it might well be removed in the next few days or I might wait and see how the block grows. I do not want to do too much on it but there again I do not want to do too little.Another seam has also been stitched in knotted cretan stitch

Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Today I liquidised some leek and potato soup in the kenwood,   hurray I have finally conquered it,  have decided the liquidiser needed to be attached even if using the mixing bowl   well it seemed to work that way, lets hope next time it is as successful.  I have only had it about 18 years so it is about time I worked out what to do. Thank you for all your tips and advice.