September Plans

Saturday and the last day of August. This year so far has flown by and I really wish it would slow down. On the agenda yesterday was the quilting the indigo quilt and this morning I sewed the binding on. I just need to stitch the binding down and this quilt is a finish. This was my Chookshed Quilters challenge for August and I am really happy that it is almost finished. This quilt is for Twiglet, so the fact that many of the seams don't match due to inaccurate cutting won't be a major issue.   I flipped the back up to show you the fabulous dog fabric and that the quilting gives diamonds on the back.

Here is a photo of Twiglet. He's fully back to his usual self after his surgery. He has high energy levels which can be exhausting at times.

My one monthly goal for August was to make the six T Rex dinosaurs but there was no work on these at all. In fact very little of my own sewing got done as I made bunting for Katy and Olly's wedding, and made cushions for their window seat. I did make a dress but forgot to post a photo.

Tomorrow is the 1st September, a chance to plan my sewing for the month.

The Chookshed Stitchers challenge for the month is number 7. My number 7 is the embroidered tablecloth that I received at Christmas. I did get this out a couple of months ago and made a very small start on the embroidery. I'm not aiming to finish this but I want to make some progress on it.

I want to make the T Rex dinosaurs this month and if possible complete the quilt top. I would love to be able to gift it as a Christmas present. Once I've made the T Rex the quilt should go together quite quickly. This was my starting point at the beginning of the year. Now I only have the last set of dinosaurs and then the sashing and borders. How difficult can it be to get it all finished?

There are other projects that need some attention such as the Red Manor House quilt, the Double Wedding ring quilt, and completing the red round on the Grandmothers Garden quilt, plus my knitting. I also have new projects I want to start but the Indigo quilt leaves a space and so will the dinosaur quilt. I'm looking forward to the new starts!

Twiglet and Missy are both rushing around. They seem to think it's dinner time so I'd better go and sort them out. 

Take care,

Lyndsey

Sewing and Plans

Today the alarm went off far too early or so it felt to me. On a work day the alarm rings at 6 a.m.  but usually I'm already awake. However today it was a good job the alarm went off, as I was in the middle of a lovely dream.  Work was OK and the day passed quickly but I didn't have space to go for a walk at lunchtime. Never mind there are always two dogs to walk when I get home. On the way home I stopped to feed Katy's cats, Rothko and Penny as she and her family are away for a few days.

Once home I set about planting some of the plants we bought yesterday. I had bought some low growing plants to go in the area around my washing line. A couple of years ago we just scattered meadow seeds and had a lovely show of wild flowers but they grew too tall and got tangled with the washing. These little plants are low growing but will spread quite a lot.

Having tidied up the mess I'd created I pulled out the indigo quilt. I have two borders to add to it but first I needed to cut the white triangles back to make straight sides.

I should have turned the light off before I took the photo.  Next I added the white one and a half inch border.

There were 8 pieces of 3 inch wide x 22 inches fabric for the outer border. These need to be cut and them sewn together to make the border.

This border will be added tomorrow as by now it was running up to dinner time. After dinner I spent a little time sorting some fabric.  A couple of colleagues have asked me to make them a zipped pouch after they saw my pencil case. These are quick and easy to make and use up some of my larger scraps.

I checked my fire tablet to see if I needed to charge it and decided to make it a zipped pouch. I don't currently have a case for it so if I take it to work to do some reading in my lunch break, it travels in my work bag which isn't the safest place. I do find this tablet great for reading and also for playing my audio books. 

I spent a few minutes measuring it and trying to find some fabric to use and in the process I found a pattern I had misplaced. I had wanted to make this quilt as a Christmas present for a friend who loves gardening. I'm not sure I have time to get it made but it will work just as well for her birthday next year.

Finally I sat down and started looking at my latest copy of Today's Quilter and I love this pattern.

I don't really need to start another large unplanned project but this issue also has this pattern. The cushion is a much more realistic project to work on and the starlings are very cute.

Tomorrow is another work day and I have student to teach. Tomorrow evening I plan to finish the indigo quilt top and I want to cast on the stitches for the front of my jumper. For now I've got time to do some reading.

Take care

Lyndsey

Finally some sewing.

The weather here in London has been a little up and down. One day we seem to have a hot sunny day and the next is rain all the way. I've given up believing the weather forecast as it is usually wrong. However the rain has helped to perk up the garden and the roses are having a good second round of flowers. On Tuesday, Twiglet went to the vet to be neutered. He had already decided that he disliked the vet even though all he's been for is his vaccinations. He dug his paws in and refused to move as we got near the door. He may be a Yorkshire terrier but if he doesn't want to move it doesn't happen unless you pick him up! All went well with his surgery and Missy was very happy to see him home again later that day. He had his post operation check up on Friday and he is doing very well. He's back to full activities.

On Wednesday of last week I agreed to do some additional work which needed doing by Tuesday (tomorrow). I have been fitting my sewing around the work, which involves quite a lot of writing. To try and get both done I decided to split my time, and I achieved both activities. I've now added all eleven rows of the indigo quilt.

I'm still shocked at how inaccurate my cutting was. It isn't too big a problem as the quilt is making up quite nicely and quilting is very forgiving. I have a couple of triangle rulers but when I was cutting this I couldn't find them so I cut out the template from the pattern and then cut it both in cardboard and thin acrylic.

If I put the acrylic over the paper template you can see the problem. The cardboard template is even more wonky.

Anyway the main part of the top is complete and now I need to add the two borders and hunt for some backing fabric.

In the evening, whilst watching TV I've been sewing the grandmother's garden quilt. I needed to make a few more 'flowers' to complete the round. This has slowed things up a little. I have 30 'flowers' attached to the quilt but need 42 for the whole round. I have 8 yet to sew on and need to make 4 more.

Such lovely bright colours . This round of the quilt looks so pretty. The next round is orange but I am going to start squaring up the quilt as it would be difficult to use as a hexagon. 

So far this month I haven't made the 6 remaining dinosaurs and I haven't started knitting the front of my jumper. There is still time to get the dinosaurs done. That would leave me September to make up the quilt top and October/ November to do the quilting. I have planned this quilt as a Christmas present so I need to get it finished.

Today, John and I visited our favourite garden centre. We like it because the plants are always in good condition but it also has a cafe that serves very tasty lunches. We bought several different plants but without looking at the pots I can't remember the names. We will get them planted in the garden tomorrow after work. I also bought some bulbs, daffodils, crocus, grape hyacinths and allium. We need to think about where we want to plant them. We need to go again soon as I want to plant up the window boxes ready for the winter. 

It's been a full day and now I'm tired but I want to read a chapter of my book before I go to sleep, so I'm going to stop for now. I challenged myself to read 30 books this year and so far I've read 20. I'm really enjoying having got back into the habit of reading .

Take care

Lyndsey

Festival of quilts part 3

Having enjoyed our family wedding on Saturday, and made a start on my indigo quilt yesterday I'm back at work today. To cheer myself up I I decided to share the final photos from the Festival of Quilts. Before you ask I don't dislike my work, in fact I really enjoy it but the weather is still great here in London and it would be nice to enjoy it rather than working.  Anyway here are my final photos.

I really like this quilt of Amy Winehouse. The designer isn't credited but the makers are Devida Bushrod and Amy Freyn from Tulsa United States.  Their comments says 'this tribute quilt to Amy Winehouse is made up of almost 17,000 pieces in 14 different shades of fabric.

'Every Quilt has a voice' by Glenys Davies from Deal UK. This is made entirely from recycled jeans

Anne Taylor from Southampton UK designed and made this quilt, December Sunset, South Pier Blackpool. It is inspired by Victorian architecture and the Lancashire coast. 

This quilt in the novice class was designed and made by Yoshiko Kayama  from Japan. Yoshiko has been embroidering for 10 years and recently taken to quilting.

This quilt entitled 'Jam and Jerusalem' was designed and made by Diane Davis from Tamworth UK. Diane wanted to create something useful from her sewing room scraps (a picnic blanket.) 'I bought nothing new, everything is waste from quilting.'

I don't have any information about this quilt. I took the photo because I really like the use of colour and pattern in the quilt..

I love this quilt which demonstrates the nature of spring. It is titled Tenderness and is designed and made by Maria Ragusini from Italy. 

Introspection was made by Isabel Murloz from Pozuelo de Alarcon in Spain. The designer is not credited. The maker comments that; 'These are difficult times in many places on the planet: wars, famine, mistreatment. With this quilt I tried to transmit the feelings and sensations that people, who have had to leave their homes behind and reach unknown places, can feel empty, isolated, lonely ... closed doors, empty windows.'

Whilst at the quilt festival I bought this book. Birds in Stitches by Angela Daymond

I can't wait to start on these stitcheries. The patterns are very clear and easy to follow. I'm really looking forward to making a start on them. 

I did make a couple of other purchases but I haven't taken any photos yet. Tomorrow, life returns to normal, I'm back to work, back to sewing, knitting and other crafts. I can't wait!

Take care

Lyndsey

A wedding and a little sewing.

Yesterday was Katy and Oliver's wedding. We had to be at the registry office at 11:45 with the ceremony at 11. I took Missy and Twiglet for a walk to the park early and they enjoyed having the place to themselves. Missy just wanted to chase the ball so I tired my arm out throwing it for her. Twiglet just wanted to chase Missy so no extra work involved. We knew we would be out all day so it was important to give them a good amount of exercise. I knew once we left they would settled down and sleep the day away. They had access to their water bowls and snacks we had hidden for them. Their bedding was all carefully fluffed up for them so they would be extra comfortable.

The wedding was a small close family and friends day and that meant there was an opportunity to chat with everyone. They had set tables down their lawn with parasols to protect against the hot sun and the food was served buffet style. The food was delicious and everyone helped themselves. All dietary needs were catered for including the chocolate caterpillar cat specially for the children. The ceremony was at the registry office, which was bright and had beautiful flowers.

They had a little help when it came to signing the certificate.

Not all of their friends from university could make the date but this group knew how to party and made up for the lack of the others.

The reception was held in the back garden and it was a great venue. Instead of staying in one place, everyone moved around to meet up with folks they didn't know and soon everyone got to know each other and were chatting. There was a lot of laughter all day. I was so happy that there was plenty of shade from the parasols as the sun was very hot and the fans were most welcome. You can just see some of the bunting on the fence on the left of the picture.

There were several small children and they had a play area all to themselves which included a ball pool, sand and lots of bubbles.

After a really lovely day people started to head home at about 8 as there were children to be put to bed. We got home to two excited dogs demanding their dinner.  Time for cups of tea and winding down before bed.

Today has been a slow day, a relief after all the running around of the last week. This afternoon I pulled out the Indigo quilt box and decided to get some sewing done. All the cutting was done but as I started stitching it together I found that many of the pieces were badly cut. Maybe I was having a bad day or was unwell when I did the cutting. Anyway it affects the ability to get the seams all lined up and the points in good order. However this little quilt will be fine for what I want to use it for, even with the problems so I'll carry on regardless. I have done 4 rows so far.

Of course if I turn it round 90 degrees you can see the tumbling blocks.

It's a pity I can't do anything about the poor cutting but I like the effect the pattern creates.

This evening I will be watching some TV and working on my hand stitching. I need to make the last few 'flowers' for the red round of the Grandmothers garden quilt. It will be nice and relaxing before I go back to work tomorrow. Why do holidays always rush by?  I can't complain however as I have a five day weekend next week since there is a Bank holiday next Monday and I've booked the Tuesday as leave. (I still have some days to use up)

Take care

Lyndsey

Festival of Quilts part 2.

Since we visited the Festival of Quilts, John and I have been very busy helping Katy and Olly get their wedding fully organised. The reception is taking place at their home and they wanted to make some changes. The day after seeing the quilts I demolished an old shed in their garden whilst John helped with some DIY indoors. I have also made two long cushions and covers for their window seat. I still have a small cushion to make. They  wanted some bunting to decorate the garden and so I made a lot using up some old fabric scraps. It has been fun but tiring. I still have some pompoms to finish making. Sadly I haven't had time to work on any of my own projects but I'm hoping to get some time this week. As a result I have nothing to show you but I do have some more photos from the Festival of Quilts.

This quilt was the winner in the pictorial category. It was made by Immaculada Gabaldon from Villaviciosa de Odon Spain and is titled 'Flora'. She writes, 'in this quilt I wanted to play with the ambivalence of a dancer whose dress resembles a floral corolla and thus the observer has the option of discovering the human figure hidden under the appearance of a flower.'

'From Turkiye with love' designed and made by Ekaterina Kylych from Istanbul Turkiye. This was the winner in the novice category. Entrants to this category should have been quilting for fewer than 3 years and hold no formal qualification in textiles or related subjects.   The quilt is an expression of the makers love of anything Turkish.

This quilt was the winner of the group category. Called 'Quilter's Quarters' it was designed by Dilys Fronks and made by The Quiltesses from Elton, Chester. UK.. The group has 6 members,  Marion Barlow, Dilys Fronks, Barbara Harrison, Sue Horder, Jenny Mann and Su Sisung. They commented that they all had their sewing space so decided to recreate them in our own individual style.' As a group we always try to add humour.'

Helen Brookham and Sandy Chandler from Launceston UK won the two person quilt category for 'Demelza'

This quilt by Sylwia Ignatowska from Zurawica Poland, titled 'Challenge' received a lot of attention for the design and the thread work.

This quilt by Diane Wilks from Romford UK was 3rd in the Sustainable Quilts category. It included sashiko and boro embroidery. The quilt top and back are constructed from damaged clothes that would otherwise have gone into land fill. No new fabric was used in this quilt.

This quilt made for the Youth category was designed and made by Abigail Clinton from Swindon UK and titled 'Surprise'  Abigail states that she loves caves and always imagines peering in and finding surprise treasure and this is what she has tried to recreate.

This quilt is the first prize winner in the contemporary quilt category. High and Deep was designed and made by Kim Aeran from Bupyeeong-gu Republic of Korea.

For some reason I can't identify who made this piece. My apologises to the creator. I love the colour and the shapes of the pieces.

This quilt was the second prize winner in the novice category and is Drunkard Earth by Viktoria Brave from Demorestville, Canada.

Johannon Davis from London UK designed and made The Whale. This was inspired by lino prints and seascapes and was designed to create a bold scene.
I've included this next quilt because it caused a lot of speculation with viewers asking what were they looking at and could it really be about....? This is 4th wave designed and made by Lucy Morrison from Uckfield UK. It was inspired by the 4th wave of feminism and the fact that 'the degradation of the planet's natural systems has a disproportionate effect on women and girls' UNESCO. It is a celebration of the variety and beauty of the vulva. Most women at the show found it amusing and liked the quilt. My apologises for including it if it offends you.

West of the sun designed and made by Sarah Entsminger from Ashburn United States. Stories told on a hot summer porch influenced her dreams of a bright place filled with colour and magic.

This quilt was the 2nd prize winner in the two person category. Mutual symbiosis No 1 was designed and made by Judith Lyons and Vendulka Battais from Stanstead UK. In mutual symbiosis the skills and attributes of two entities combine to the benefit of both. This quilt is a true collaboration between friends.

I hope you enjoyed this group of quilts. I still have a few more and I will share them very soon. Tomorrow is our older daughters wedding and I still have some things I need to do before bedtime. I haven't made a final decision on what to wear yet ( I have a choice of three outfits) 

Over the last week I have managed to do a little slow stitching on the grandmothers garden quilt. I have also rolled a couple of skeins of yarn into balls ready to get back to knitting my jumper. It has been far too hot for knitting this last week, even if I'd had the time. Now the day has cooled I need to walk Missy and Twiglet and we need to water the hanging baskets. I'm back at work next week but I hope to get back into some sort of routine with my various projects, but I will be playing catch up this month.

Take care

Lyndsey

Visit to The Festival of Quilts

On 2 August John and I, plus John's sister and her friend headed to the NEC for the Festival of Quilts. The weather was perfect for a trip along the motorway and I enjoyed the drive. We didn't need to stop on the way, the road was running very nicely and so we made good time. The NEC is a massive complex and you have to stay alert to end up in the correct car park. There is a shuttle bus that then ferries you to the exhibition halls. The Festival of Quilts was spread over three exhibition halls, 7, 8 and 9, all interlinked so you didn't realise which hall you were in. Having visited last year I knew there was a lot of walking and so had worn my comfy shoes. We decided to have coffee and a pastry first to build our strength and it gave us time to check the exhibition map to see how it was laid out. The biggest question is where do you start? Check out the quilts or the vendors first? There were a lot of people viewing the quilts so John and I decided to browse some of the vendors first. John wanted to find a 3 x small magnifier and light for use with his stamp collection and I wanted to find some hand stitching and to stroke some lovely fabric. To avoid having bags to carry all day we noted the stands where we wanted to buy something and went back later in the day.

So lets look at some quilts. I didn't try to photograph every quilt there for several reasons. Some I just didn't like, some were very popular and getting close to take a photo was a problem, some were very large and I couldn't fit the whole quilt in however far back I stood and some were very tiny. The information I have given about the quilts is taken from the competition catalogue.

As you can see in the photo this quilt 'Shining Rose' was the winner in the tradition quilt section. It was designed and made by Yoshimi Suzuki from Kasushika Ku Japan and included piecing, embroidery and applique.

This one is Satsuma by Kate Sandford from Reading UK. In the information Kate writes that she was gifted a bin bag full of yellow scraps. She was inspired by other peoples fabric and the fabulous satsuma orange donated at her MQG.  She improvised a quilt top and quilted it on her tiny domestic Bernina 330.

Above is the winner of the miniature category. Naomi Iida designed and made this piece. |She is from Itabashi-Ku Japan. It is titled 'Gardenia in a small garden' and the techniques used include shadow trapunto, freemotion quilting, machine embroidery, hand dye

This quilt, 'Fragmentation' is designed and made by Kathy Unwin from Poynton UK and was the winner in the Art Quilt category. The fragmented images reflect a world stressed by environmental change and the developing economic and social circumstances.

This was the winner in the Quilt creation category and certainly created a lot of interest. The piece 'Metamorphosis' is the work of Penny Evans from Attleborough UK. It was inspired by the Eri silk moth. It incorporates the elements of the life cycle of the moth.

This quilt was in the sustainable category. For the purposes of the competition a sustainable quilt is defined as a quilt which has been made with minimal negative impact on the environment. At least 75% of the fabric used within the piece must be re-purposed from materials including functional textiles (eg curtains, clothing or bedding) and discarded items (eg packaging).  The remaining 25% would ideally be organic fabrics and / or taken from stash rather than bought new. 

Andrea Ashwell from Westbury UK made the quilt which was designed by Rhonda Cox Dort and titled Tales of cloth. Andrea said she created a new quilt from pieces of vintage linen that would otherwise live in a chest of drawers.

I loved the vibrancy of the colours in this quilt 'Blooming Mandala' designed and made by Helen Creasey from Surbiton UK. Helen states this was a self imposed challenge that pushed her to develop her skills.  I'm so pleased she did and it is fabulous and won 3rd prize in the contemporary quilt category. I didn't take a photo of the winner of this group. I'm not sure why I didn't.

People spent a lot of time looking at the hand quilting on this quilt. Autumn Pride was designed and made by Sandie Lush from Bristol UK. This quilt was inspired by, and based around variations of the traditional Pride of Iowa applique block. Sandie re-drafted the pattern to create another version.

'The beginning' is the work of Genesis Hall aged 14 from the United States. It was designed by Genesis Hall and Dee Bushrod. The pixel size is 1.25 x1.25 and there are 2284 pieces in the design. Adult involvement in this Youth Quilt was minimal

Another Youth quilt. 'The threads of me.....stitch by stitch' is designed and made by Jonty Sloan aged 9 from Reading UK. She shares the following about herself and her quilt. This sensory quilt is made with love. It shows things I adore including my family, my dog, nature, textures and cute things. I have autism and ADHD. I am learning that being unique is very important. I know my quilt is one of a kind, just like me! Adult involvement was minimal.

This quilt wasn't part of the competition. 'My own little chair' by Sidnee Snell. I love the textures in this quilt. You can find out more about her HERE

I have more  photos to share tomorrow. I hope you have enjoyed what I have shared so far.

Take care

Lyndsey