Charity shop quilt top

 

It's been a long while since my last post - been away working quite a bit and it also feels as if an awful lot has happened. Just before Easter we got away to Cornwall where I was able to finish off the charity shop hexagon EPP quilt top. Luckily I had enough floor space to lay it out. I'm going to turn it into a coverlet by backing it with fleece and tying the layers through the centres of some of the flowers. Posting this picture also gives me a chance to say bye bye to our lovely girl Teazel, who was helping me with the lay out of this quilt at the time. We lost her to a sudden heart attack on the 10th June and there is a big golden girl shaped hole in our hearts right now.

 

 

Doug's sewing journey continues

Doug has been continuing to sew and experiment with printing - he is on to curves now and realising the delights of Drunkard's Path!

 

 

 

 

 

These show you what you can print with potato, butternut squash cubes and lemon slices!

 

Doug and Becky bought me a little friend for my birthday, Doug has also discovered a skill making hats for lemurs! Currently, my friend is known at The Cardinal.

 

 

A visit to The American Museum in Bath

Various traditional quilts - note my finger as a scale for some C19th Amish hand quilting! - and some from the Kaffe Fasset exhibition which was a riot of glorious colour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but not least!!

 

Jane's wonderful super sized monkey wrench quilt - isn't it amazing? - and she did all her own calculations and everything. Didn't we have a brilliant teacher to make us all so good, Debs?

 

 

I hope to get back to some more regular posting now and I know that various of my fellow Sew 'n' Chatters also have stuff to contribute ... Bye for now

 

Update from Towse who still sews no matter where she is!

Just spent a happy few days in St Ives, Cornwall where the view is beautiful and when the sun comes out the sea turns Mediterranean blue. The food, drink and ice cream is also lovely but the less said about that the better.

First a finish. I have fully completed my sewing group challenge inspired by the roof of Marylebone station and I have to say that now it is quilted I am very happy with it. So happy that I will take it to the next group show and tell that I attend. 

The next pic is the applique cushion cover that my nephew brought me back from Delhi. Looks so much better with a cushion pad.

Then there is the selection of fabric that my mate Stu brought back from a business trip to Portland, Oregon. As a result of that this blog now has a new 'friend', Martha, who is the lovely lady who took Stu off to the fabric store and helped him choose his wonderful selection. (One of which Doug has already 'appropriated' for his own stash! I'm hoping that Doug will post his own creations very soon. I have to introduce him to Drunkard's Path next I think!

The last picture is of a part done 1970s EPP piece that Silve has passed on to me, it having been 'rescued' from being dumped at a charity shop. When it came to me it was in several pieces with some odds of fabric left. It seemed to me that so much work had gone into it already that it was a shame not to try to complete it. This picture was actually taken when I had dismantled the smaller pieces to that I could build up the main piece. At this stage I was edging all the flowers with white and working out how to shape it. I took it to St Ives with me and finished it!! But that picture will have to wait for next time.!

FABRIC BASKETS

There's a new love in my life - and it involves fabric (again!).  These wonderful fabric baskets are my new obsession.  After spending a lot of time on my daughter's quilt and the current Farmers Wife creation it's great to have something you can start and finish in a couple of hours - really satisfying.

I attended a workshop at Deb McGuire's PlainStitch Workroom and created a fab basket in about two and a half hours.

My first "kitchen" creation

That was it of course - spent the weekend gathering new fabrics and considering who would be on my list for a lovely little surprise gift!  That was a no brainer - ME :)  Spent Mother's Day morning at the sewing machine and had a ball.

Some storage for the bathroom

Just a small stash - Penguins a bit random but couldn't resist!

Even approached my sons expecting a firm "No" but was pleasantly surprised and now have to find some Marvel Heros fabric.

Still attending the Farmer's Wife Classes but I have also started a new project - quilt for son number one.  I'm using a large pattern for this one and it's growing nice and quickly.  In the meantime I think my house is going to be very tidy ;) as you can never have enough Fabric Baskets.....

Jane

More Farmers Wife from Towse

More Farmers Wife from Towse

Thanks to those who have also started to post - it is much appreciated. Now I've discovered how to re-find the tool bar I'd lost I can show what I've been up to. Here are my FW blocks for the last two months. I actually have Bouquet left to do but I've been leaving that until I feel like a fiddly sewing session.

I thought it might also be amusing for you to see the name badge I have constructed for the Fat Quarters sewing group in Missenden. They wanted people to wear names as it is quite a big group so gave us all pre-printed labels with the instruction to sew and decorate them how we fancied. Inspired by Carolyn's badge and having had her show me how to do chain stitch (I have never done embroidery) I decided to also get out the Heat and Bond and create a mini 9 patch quilt as well. Graham thought I had gone completely mad!!

Spreading the addiction

Some of you will already have met my neighbour, Doug, who has been initiated into the mysterious art of patchwork and is busy producing his own first blocks. Typically he has also gone off piste and started to experiment with distressed fabric with bleach. dyeing with various natural products and printing. He, like me, usually works cerebrally (he is a university lecturer) and was taken with the idea of going back to his artistic roots as well as a practical relaxation. I didn't realise that he would just start another obsession. His partner is also somewhat alarmed at the number of times she comes home to things bits of fabrics soaking in pots, or the ironing board in use! Here's some evidence ...

 

He's also completed a block of half square triangles and is now working on smaller triangles. Needless to say he is also accumulating his own stash, including some materials that I have never used myself!

Ta Dah! Finished At Last

My First Post :)

After nearly a year of picking it up and putting it down, I have finished my daughter, Kate's, quilt.  I think I'm in a competition for the biggest "monster" creation - who's winning Towse?

Here it is - my husband is hiding behind it, stood on the kitchen table holding it up!

 

I have quilted some flowers and butterflies on it and also her initials.  She is going to study Acting in September so I've also quilted masks in the top corner.




Hope you like it.


Now I only have the Farmer's Wife Quilt on the go but I do have a list of requests from the rest of the family, so onto another project - one just isn't enough.

Jane