Friday 25 November 2011

My Accuquilt Go! Baby has arrived.

So happy. It arrived on Wednesday but I just had too much to do. Then on Thursday I had some time but couldn't find the fusing paper. (Never ever have your sewing room in two locations 120 miles apart).
I cut out some feather lobes and first tried them this way, with both the colours darkening in the same direction.
Then the other way and was happy with that.
I tried Patsy Thompson's EKG stitch on a sample but it didn't work with the only thread I had to hand (Never ever have half your studio 120 miles away from the other half). I ended up using the double blanket stitch, narrower and shorter than the set length, I am pleased with how it turns out. I just placed some batting behind the feather to do the stitching. I shall cut it out from the background for faux trapunto. Click on the image above to see the stitch.
This is the back.
Do I love my Go! Baby? Oh yes, I can see so much potential in using it in various ways. I so want to keep playing with it, but the move of the studio to the cottage goes on. I have reached the point where I don't care where the studio is as long as it all is in the same place (or even county!) and organised.

Did I tell you, I have lost all my quilt award ribbons?  I am trying to remain calm about this but it isn't happening.

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Goodness so long since I posted

Whilst clearing the sewing room I found my old tech drawing school book. Year 9 which was about when I was 13/14. I think I might have been a patchwork designer way back then....

I also designed my own clothes. (and drafted the patterns). Ok not brilliant but it was the 60s.
And you know how I say I couldn't draw, well it seems I could, not well but not terribly either,

I went to B and Q this week and bought a bargain rug, 100% wool down from £98 (which isn't a bad price) to £30.
Firstly Rosie wanted it to play with her,
Then she decided it needed to cuddle her,
George thinks it's rather wonderful as well,
I will try harder to post more often but life is chaotic to say the least at the moment.

Did I mention I cannot find my quilt ribbons anywhere? I've been hunting them for 3 days now to no avail. Gulp.

Sunday 6 November 2011

There are other reasons for quilting.


Quilting isn't just to keep the layers together and give a decorative finish. It also strengthens the fabric. This is the front of a cushion cover for the cottage, all except the pale blue fabric with the flowers are strong heavy weight cottons, but that one is particularly floppy. I had to quilt it so it would stand up to the stresses and strains of being on one of the main sofas in the kitchen. And that meant the other fabrics had to be quilted too, to allow for the shrinkage the quilting brings to be even.

Good news, Ikea have some of the Rosalie fabrics back in stock at £4.99 a metre. Lovely and soft for quilt backs.



Autumn is in full swing and the crab apple has so many fruits we have had to trim back the little tree and strap it up to the fence post to keep it upright.
One more pair of the dreaded curtains made..... feel for me.

Friday 4 November 2011

I am a Winner!

I have won an Accuquilt Go! Baby fabric cutter on Esther Aliu's Blog. I am so excited to get playing with this new toy. I don't have a clue how long it will take to get here but already I have ideas spinning round my mind.
Now doesn't this look like fun?

I won three (cutting) dies to go with it and it took me simply ages to choose (I want them all......) Obviously I chose a bird, and feathers (I mean these have my name writ large don't they) and a Rose of Sharon which I shall use in all sorts of ways which are not Rose of Sharon but the elements in this die are more than useful in all sorts of things.

Meanwhile back to the curtains....... feel for me. Asking me to make curtains is like asking Picasso to paint walls.....
I did give in to the ridiculous expense and bought Roses by Kate Forman for one pair.
Isn't it wonderful?
I have more to write today but Blogger isn't allowing me to add any more photos at the moment... Bless it.