Its not easy getting old

and some times its not that easy being young!

2 generations sew

With Em's visit we got a bit of sewing done together.

there was two generations hiding behind that quilt !

A star and coffee

Can only mean one thing!

I end up scratching about for ways to describe which quilt top I am working on, when I talk to anyone about what I am doing. The rather witty and clever AJ came up with the name for this one. Well that is to say hinted so accurately that even I couldn't not see where his mind was going.

Voila starbucks quilt.

The sun light makes the red look much brighter than it is, Id suggest seeing an earlier picture of the carpenter square portion for more accurate colours. Unfortunately though winter sunshine is great for picture taking winter wind is not. Oh well you get the idea anyway.

(Edited to add: actually on my lap top the colours look closer to reality.)

I will soon be starting on a "not brown" quilt, in fact two. Two small quilts to go on white bed linen covered bunk beds. My first real quilt request/commission(?). Now there is a scary and exciting thought.

Purple and hand quilted, OK not expertly but still done!

Little apples and pretty purples

No officer I dont know how those browns snuck in there!

Oh okay if you want colour heres some

Baby Boom

Finally I have finished the hand quilting on the purple. Ironic eh one day to make the top and goodness knows how many months to do the quilting. It will be going to my new great nephew Noah! Not a really baby style quilt but hopefully it will be serviceable and enjoyed by him and his mum.

Of course I am itching to make a girly pink quilt now that the most beautiful girl in the world has arrived. Eloise, made her début Dec 7th, it was a joy and a privilege to be down there with William while poor parents were going through the painful part. Ice pink and white fabric with I love Grandma all over it? no? Just as well clever Em has steered me into more purples. Fabric for Christmas what more could a sewist want? OK apart from a new sewing machine! There's always next year.

Soon as I figure out how to upload pictures from the new camera on to my laptop I will, I will really I will! no really I will get to it!

Far as the hand quilting, I still haven't found and thimbles that really suit me, so sore finger ends tended to slow the whole business down. I think I maybe cheated too, since the fabric was so busy I quilted from the back, not very conventional of me I know, but I am not known for conventionality. I doodled really, trying out feathers and wreaths of feathers and hearts and circles and wiggly lines. The actual quilting took on an organic look which I dont think the pictures I have taken will show too well. The main thing though is that I did do it!!!! and while it isn't the biggest quilt in the world, I seem to have a natural size, it was a good way to develop my nascent technique.

The red, grey and cream top is still a WIP as are the hexies. so plenty to be going on with.

whats that button?

Im still working on the hand quilting of the stash and slash purple quilt. Its slow..I am slow..but its is happening gradually.

As an interlude my darling daughter asked me to take up some rather expensive PJamas for her..now short is a feature in my family, we reckon long as our legs reach the floor that's okay. These lovely Mama's and pappa's PJs were long! nice fabric so setting to cut a few inches off the bottoms and hem them was no real problem. Interesting little button down here says I as daughter models them with me scrabbling about on the floor..well at 7 month pregnant she isnt climbing on any tables to let me hem them..cant say I blame her tbh. coming to the conclusion that this pretty little button detail is nice but odd we proceed and turning a nice hem discover that nice little button had a nice hidden tab with button hole to roll up those long even by our diminutive size length legs.....long story short they look great but not as the designer intended ..OOOooopssssss.

The power of the password

There is nothing worse than being at the mercy of your password, especially when you forget that pass word!!!!!! aghhhhh
Took me a while but finally I have it!!!

The quilt show was great! Fat quarters for £1 and I filled my shopping bag! It was a rather tired but happy little band of assorted sewists that headed for home. I didnt take the camera but there were some stunning quilts on show, something for every taste I think.

Kate very kindly let me have her small old quilting frame so I am trying (oh how I am trying) to find the most comfortable way for me to work at it. I am sure there is some marvellous trick involved, but having a back that due to a past break, complains when I do too much of anything (thats my excuse and I am sticking to it) its all very slow.

I think finding your own style and method is something I strongly advocate, I know I am not at all technically above beginner.SO I plod along happily at my own pace.

I was delighted this morning to receive a beautifully hand carded and spun skein of wool. Thank you Ash, I do hope you enjoyed the fleece. The girls will be so chuffed when I tell them they have finally produced proper wool, now if I can just get someone to knit it into a hat for my grandson!!!

Speaking of the girls, do wish them luck, one or two of them plus tup lamb will be making their show debut at Masham this year, all things being equal, and they are not at all impressed at all the leg and face washing they are being subjected to!!!

I promise I will take pics soon!

pups and patterns

For a sewing tray it makes a neat little laptop. shame its not always well behaved.

Of course much of that is my fault!

gratuitous pic of puppies..

and it is grey AJ greyyyyyyy :P call yer' self computer guru!!! ~ducks~

Most of it so far is Moda Petite ecole. with a few additions thanks to Caroline and our trip to Embsay. I'm saving up now for Harrogate Sept 2nd. We country girls know how to have fun.

I must not eat toast over the laptop. I must not eat toast over the lap top..

twinkle twinkle

yes yes browns again!

Nothing more English

There is nothing quite so English sounding as afternoon tea with the Vicar. Unless of course it is afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches with the Vicar!

Of course the ulterior motive to all this delicious sandwich and yummy cheese cake scoffing was meant to be sewing. Being the obsessive compulsive fabric tidier that I can be (at times)I had a ball rooting through Caroline's scrap/fat quarter box. No NoI refuse to believe that was all scrap category. The very generous Caroline even donated a few bits my way, I got the real bargain cheese cake AND fabric! Thank you Caroline, of course they immediately got utilised in the carpenter star quilt I am growing.I say growing because the pattern is all in my head and very liable to change and grow rather organically.

my imperfect points I think may be due to my less than perfect pressing....I will have to experiment, but on the whole Im not too downhearted and the tiny hexes are organically growing too..handy to just do a few when I'm anxious.

I actually did some sewing!!! okay it was only a couple of hexes but hey its something and besides the rest of the time I was either stuffing my face or having fabric envy..(that is a sin you know!!)

more tea Vicar?

pups

These four are enough to keep anyone busy...

but having finally finished the quilting on the zigzag I needed to start something new,the stack n slash took one day,and reminded me that maths is my greatest failing.

Not sure I have enough lifetime left to make a hex quilt on this scale!!

"According to researchers at the University of Glasgow, quilting is “uniquely” good for us, offering, as it does, an outlet for creativity and bringing benefits that mere physical and outdoor pursuits can’t provide."

unravelling secrets

I keep returning to this song as one that moves me and sums up all I hope for my loved ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=favgoOn-U1I&feature=related

"Forever Young"

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

My fabric purchases, along with stuff already in my stash...my stash haha my little box of fabric..I should have enough to keep me going a while.

Fabric, patchwork chicks and an olde naked man

How's that for an attention grabbing tittle. More on a great day out will follow but for now suffice to say much fabric was admired and bought. The fabric section of the embsay leg of the tour grabbed my attention and good prices and for me a decent variety to choose from was refreshing. We discovered a dire shortage of solids and reds in particular.
After a light lunch we headed off again, adventurously sans map, until C stopped and bought a great bargain £2 map half price. Though it certainly wasn't needed as like a homing pigeon, the call of fabric and quilting ephemera called us on. arriving at patchwork chicks

You know what its like when no matter where you go you meet someone you know? C is one of those who always seems to bump into someone. By this time we weren't even in Yorkshire any more!!! Yours truly was having a moment of "over the rainbowness".

Still no reds to speak of.


Finally we headed back determined to find ice cream, a quest is a quest, and by now it was almost our duty to find ice cream yes? Yes that's what we thought too. Heading back into God's own County we found ice cream and a nice bench to sit and enjoy it on, and that is where the naked man comes in.Ye olde naked man
Directly across the street. Personally I still think he was wearing the wrought iron equivalent of 17C Y-fronts.

hiatus

I havent posted anything here since Easter. I havent really done a lot of sewing either but I did get to go peek at a second quilt exhibition with Caroline and another expert quilter Kate.

When I am not cringing because I know how poorly my hand stitching compares Im avidly soaking up the visuals. The fabric choices people make fascinate me. What makes your heart leap in the fabric department?

I think for me I like colours and fabrics in the same way I like paint, or paintings I suppose is more accurate. The bright and light palette in an impressionist painting drawing my attention sooner than the dark sombre colours of a constable. I think its the light, the way paint and fabric can reflect light and create a rich atmosphere. colour that is pure attracts me colour that invigorates.

I appreciate the primary colours their simplicity and honesty, strange word to pick perhaps but the primary colours shout "we are basic honest fundamental to the world" Caroline I must say uses them to perfection!

So next adventure will be a fabric shopping trip and I'm very excited to see what is available and what choices we all make.

An easter message

Here in the UK we were blessed by some fantastic warm weather, great for lambing although some rain now to get the grass growing would be good for the growing lambs.

Every birth is remarkable, precious and when you lose one its truly sad. The ewes mourn, they know their babies should be moving and bleating and they try so hard to get them to respond.

Easter Sunday we lost a lamb, were lucky enough to find a lamb in need of a new mum and began the gory process of resurrecting the ewes lost lamb. OK it isnt resurrection in the biblical sense but restoring the ewes role as a mother, hearing her softly bleat to the imposter as if he just might be hers and finally accepting him is a resurrection of sorts. Its in some way a fulfilment of the promise her pregnancy made, life affirming in a way that washes some of the sadness of the lost lamb away. It was for me at least, profound.

The death of a child, that grief never leaves you entirely, but the blessing of a chance to pour your love into a new life does ease it somewhat. Me? I'm pouring mine into a handsome chap who is almost walking! Grandma privilege says I get to send him home too :)

Spoonflower redux

After my little outburst yesterday expressing disappointment in Spoonflower's delivery time guess what arrived this morning!

Yes that's right the fabric!

The cotton is not as white as Id have liked nor quite as closely woven but thats just me being picky

Given the lead time to produce it I'm still disappointed but if you know something will take 2 months and are happy to wait its not too bad.

would I do it again? You know I just might if I came up with a design I just had to had to see in fabric.
Perhaps it would be a way of creating quilt labels?

Spoonflower disapointment

Way back at the end of February I decided to test out Spoonflower the fabric printing service online. Sadly I'm still waiting despite promises that it had been despatched twice now. I cant say I am impressed by the delay. The fabric isn't cheap so it isn't like just a few pounds lost. Nice idea shame about the service.

shows and tell

Together with a quilting friend, aka Caroline the quilty vicar, and mum, I went to the Threadbangers show. Situated in Highington Co Durham there was a wonderful array of quilts. The show was very well attended and well worth the visit. What surprised and to be honest pleased me was the number of machine quilted quilts. I always worried that machine quilting might be the less acceptable choice for "proper" quilters. I felt encouraged too, that not every point in the room was perfect. I personally have this on going battle with perfect points, some days no matter how hard I try they elude me. What the show did do, was inspire me to keep plodding on.

There wasn't a whole cloth quilt in sight which was also a surprise. It is wonderful to see how many women are actually out there quilting in a relatively local area.

What seemed clear was that each was doing what she enjoyed, and thats just what I intend to do!
I also picked up a little bundle of fabric that will go nicely with my next project.

here are a few pics of the show.

So despite having lost my favourite pair of glasses and struggling to see at the distance I really need to sew or write I have been messing about with fabric and ok, yes missing a few points and being imperfect but all in all I don't mind long as I'm doing sewing.

And let me tell you, without my glasses it aint easy!

Spot and his sister

discalculia

"Dyscalculia or math disability is a specific learning disability involving innate difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics. It is akin to dyslexia and includes difficulty in understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, learning math facts, and a number of other related symptoms."

wikipedia
This business of what is a simple block keeps nagging away at me. Quilting is so much more than sewing. As someone who struggles with maths even simple patterns can be taxing at times. There is also less pattern to hide any mistakes in and so missed points stand out far more than usual.

Simplicity can be taxing.

The following is in response to the "dumbing down" controversy.

I think there is scope for all styles.Pin wheels may not be anything but beginner level and the wording of the post that sent you off on your *rant* may or may not have been a last straw kind of thing.

I have not been quilting long, I'm not a purist, I use a sewing machine! I am not a purist because I enjoy seeing what happens if I do xyz rather than yzx. I wasn't a purist at art college either. I experiment I learn by looking at the images people put up and by trying to figure out how they did what they did. But I suspect your annoyance isnt against folk like me. When I was earning my living as a sculptor I'd get similarly annoyed at people who bought made in china pre-made moulds poured a bit of plaster into them and sold the results as hand made art.
For me it seemed folk didn't care or couldn't tell the difference in the final result. But you know, in reality they could tell, some could tell and didnt care of course and likely never would, some could tell and it gave them a new found appreciation for the real art works. Some just couldnt afford my work and the pale clumpy imitations were their way of saying I aspire to that but can afford this.

Self promotion happens with all sorts of people. If the latest trend draws the first glimmer of interest from a whole new audience a goodly number of those will stick at that first, inviting level but others, like me will make that a toe dipping step and who knows where we will end up?

I love looking at all the variations on a theme, sure I will get bored of simple blocks, just as likely I will get bored of repetition in appliqué designs but for those people who have so enjoyed their new adventure into quilting who can begrudge them looking for praise? Dont we all like a little pat on the back from those we aspire to be our peer group? As others have said there is more to quilting than pure technique, there is more to any art form than that, but lack of expertise doesn't stop the DIY home handy man from getting out his tools and having a go, shouldn't stop the DIY quilter either.

The internet is a place of ideas, ideas freely shared for the most part. Don't like one set of ideas move to the next there's plenty to go round after all. The internet also has opened up access to fabric buying for many of us, it is capable of giving us choices long since taken from us in the high street. If we toe dip by buying charm packs what of it? even squares have to eventually be cut in some way. And it does give affordable variety, or must we, in these days of poly cotton and man made fibre clothes wait a lifetime to amass our own stash of off cuts?
So promote the next level of quilting as you see it, because to carp at the baby steps and inviters-in of the new, only puts off the timid to try.

birth

Its a messy business being born.

But life is nicer in the sunshine

And dont the ladies who lay look proud of themselves?

It never rains but

It crashes with thunder and lightning!

Image library.thinkquest.org

Some time in the dead of night a horrendous thunderstorm hit. And it did hit, wiping out the electricity. Most of which will condescend to come back on with the flick of the circuit breaker all that is except the sockets in the main part of the house. One advantage of this hose has always been that it has 2 separate electric supplies and 2 water supplies, well they branch off just outside so enter separately or I'd be gnashing my teeth by now.

Thankfully despite my fears that they might lamb out of sheer shock none of the girls gave birth during it. Both sets of twins are well.I did plan to write a post about the birth and put up some very dark pictures I managed to take last night but that can wait now.

I seem to be playing catch up with pictures and posts.

Yesterday I bought a new rotary cutter, while this make isnt the poshest or most well known brand its serviceable and the blades are blades. I also got a new blade for my old one. Oh the sheer pleasure of zipping through fabric with a clean new blade, there is something poetical about the crisp cut.

So I have been cutting fabric!

I love the jewel-like colours of this Kaffe Fasette fabric (there is a little Amy Butler in there too). Put with white they really zing!

Today also saw the birth of our first lambs, twin Rylands, one boy one girl who looked wet cold and miserable. Now they are tucked up with mum in the hay barn and with luck the beautiful weather of last week will return. What is it with sheep that they ignore good weather and lamb in the foul wet cold? This daft mum even chose to give birth in the mud! I will of course get round to adding a pic later, see what I mean about playing catch up?

The hens are laying like its Easter, no wonder easter egg hunts were invented this devious lot find all sorts of places to lay their bounty. There are only so many eggs a body can consume so Im hunting down recipes to cope with the unsold glut. Never one for baking much its something of a challenge. So fatless sponges and pavlovas and quiche and of course Lemon curd, hmm lemon curd ice cream any one?

Just incase the picture doesn't show it one of those eggs is a lovely duck egg blue, laid by one of the two columbines. Most of the ladies who lay are rhode island types rescued from battery farms a few are black rocks or light sussex. They come running soon as they see anyone in hopes of getting fed, greedy girls.