PHEW

Glad thats over...what???? the awful hot weather we have had

A lot of these have been scoffed

Just had retinal eye scan so pupils are huge and am wearing 2 pairs of sunglasses

Back soon with something more interesting than vegetables!!

BLOCKING A QUILT

Following on from previous posts about straight hanging quilts.
Ferret (click on name to go to her blog) has posted a very interesting post on how to block a quilt

Here is Ferret receiving her award for her fantastic Dragon 1 quilt at Malvern.  It is hanging alot better than when I saw it on Thursday.  What a marvellous whole cloth thread painted quilt. I am looking forward to seeing her other work at the NEC.

Extrememly hot day today here, taught my machine stitching class this morning, then had a lovely relaxing lunch with friends, then finished off the quilting on a random odd piece that I made a while ago at my group Stash.

On the way back to meet my husband and the car walking and talking with friends who were helping me with the Accuquilt Go machine and dies, I walked into a lamp post, yep a lamp post, side on & bashed my cheek bone, hurts a bit to chew on that side and I feel very stupid, last time I did that was in London when I was 7 and walked into a parking meter.  Iced it for an hour and am now chilling out watching last nights Lewis.  What a wally.

BOOKS

My books have arrived

This is a fabulous book, I borrowed it from Janis (thank you) it is very expensive

Nature Powers and Spells: Landscape Change John Clare and Me (Wildlife Art Series) by Carry Akroyd

its £33 on Amazon, but I just had to have it.  It is full of prints & is not a how to book, more a coffee table book, but really appeals to me

Ever since I went (twice) to the V & A quilt exhibition, I have wanted this book but it was always over £20, then yipee one posting for £11 so it is now sitting alongside me and it is such a joy

Quilts 1700 - 2010: Hidden Histories, Untold Stories by Sue Prichard

This is a lovely book, full of 9 inch blocks made out of Japanese Taupe fabrics

I met Susan Briscoe, the author at Malvern Quilts Uk & bought some of her fabrics to make some of the blocks, she needle turn appliques them, I love to do this, so will be a joy this summer to do some of them

Japanese Quilt Blocks by Susan Briscoe

This is her quilt from Malvern, it is quite simply stunning, the accuracy of the blocks and the use of the shading on the fabrics, wonderful

Now I can return Ruths book (thank you & sorry that I forgot to return it today)

I have sort of discovered a magazine, its not a new one, but somehow its new to me

This is not this months edition, in the May / June 2012 edition, there is a wonderful article on Boro.  Japanese cloths made of fragments of fibres, fascinating story.  There is also an article on the Engish patchwork method of piecing over papers & some lovely examples from around the world.

Today at class we have been making Cathedral window blocks.  Ordinary & drafted,

The great Lynne Edwards book, had its dusting off again 1995

Wonderful book with clear instructions,

This is the 2009 version.

Look up Cathedral window quilts on Google images, lots of lovely examples.  I have set my girls the task of making an innovative version of right angles triangles & rectangles.  See what they come up with in 3 weeks, as a passing shot I mentioned the Jubilee and red, white and blue, wonder if they took that on board?

Watching the new Lewis on catch up, interesting about Lewis Carroll & the Snark.  Interesting slant to use the word Lewis as well, such clever writers

Thanks for reading, I have lots to read myself now x

THIS & THAT & MORE MALVERN

Lets see if blogger is being friendly with the last of the Malvern pictures
Lovely machine quilting on this, excellent feathers & a different arrangement, I really must remember to take my DSLR next time as these are very poor quality & dont do the makers justice.

Nice piece of applique, almost looks life like, maybe a bit triffid but nicely sewn

I remember seeing a whole quilt like this at Carrefour du patchwork a few years ago, all made with rainbow colours & black and see through, this block reminded me of it

Next year (September) I am teaching a series of workshops called STITCHED SCAPES locally & online.  This will be a series of lessons on many forms of scapes.  Therefore this quilt or series of quilts was very interesting.  I have been massively influenced by the Hockney exhibition (waiting in the queue!!) shape, line & colour & am developing new courses reflecting my inspriations of his and Carrie  Ackroyd .  This is the first mention of this brand new set of lessons, which will be launched over the summer months in readyness for September 2012

I guess that the Olympics will be an influence as well.  Watching the torch relay it is a beautiful shape

I see on the news tonight that people are selling their torches, just looked on ebay and there are over 50 for sale, some silly prices.  Why does anyone want a torch?  I suppose its the same as a print of a famous painting.  What do you think?  I didnt know that they were being given away like sweets.  I stupidly thought that it was one torch for the relay passed from hand to hand, am I daft or is this just another piece of Olympic gone mad advertising (I am still really cross at not getting ANY tickets & my husband is an athlete who has competed for his country & holds lots of masters medals grrrr)

I think that my mind has gone awol now, I have a picture frozen on the Tv of Carl Lewis the brilliant long jumper & sprinter & my husband has disappeared, hmmm do I turn it off???

I have had a lovely day making a little wallhanging with three cats on it.  Pusseo, black puss & ginger cool, only they are red, green and pink, guess which one is which, I am trying to use up some of the fabric that I bought last Thursday, but there is still a huge wadge left, thats before I start on the Japanese Taupes and the Rouennieries Deux and hand dyes....whoops was going to be secret squirrels.

I will photograph what I have made when the sun is out, its dusk here now, we are being teased as to the weather for the week, cloud & 20 or sun & 27...hmmmmm what do I believe...beardy ....

Right off to get sorted for tomorrow, have been strict teacher, its Dales fault!!!

Thanks for reading x

MOTHERS DAY & more MALVERN

When it was mothers day here in England, I was ill, shall not go on about the lost three months, but my lovely daughter had booked us into Menzies Cambridge for a day of indulgence

This is the swimming pool complex, lovely.
I discovered that I had stashed away 4 new swimming costumes...why? hey ho well I had a choice and they all fitted, bonus.  So off I trotted along the almost empty A14 to meet my daughter, who looked quite stunning in a fabulous purple & grey dress and thick purple tights, quite a bit of head turning of which she was oblivious.  Even more so when she donned her bikini, wow the gym sessions have really played off, I was so proud of her.  Isnt it funny when you observe men trying not to show that they are oggling, especially if with a woman, so funny observing, made me chuckle
I had a wonderful hot stone back massage, my first.  Wow I could get so used to this life!!
oooh just watched Tom Daly win with a fabulous PB in the European diving championships, fabulous stuff, well done Tom...whooo hooo roll on the Olympics.

We had lunch which was a bit different, a sort of smorgasbord (hope Ive spelt that right) have to get my Swedish right for the forthcoming wedding.  Talking of which I have been busy surfing for an outfit, oh my goodness what a lot of shiny horrid clothes, getting a bit panicked now.  I want something a bit different but cant find anything ..yet, have been on all the stores sites, I figured it would save a lot of leg work if I found a place that I liked a few outfits from before getting despondent due to my rather large size, long legs and arms & tubby belly.  I fancy a lace dress, but Holly Whilloby I am not, still I am ever hopeful that one day I will wake up and be a size 14 again.
I digress
The food was very nice, not my usual fare, but lovely, I had a wonderful time, thank you my darlingXX
Then I drove home via the wrong road, both ways, nearly hitting the motorway and nearly visiting Cambridge (oooh Paperchase, didnt think of that...oh good job it would have been closed duh!)  Got a bit stressy about that & also I nearly had a crash, but least said about that maybe I wont get nightmares, gosh really tired now.  Wanted to do some quilting on the new quilt but cant see straight

Found some more Malvern pictures that I had moved to the memory on the phone

Part of a lovely quilt, sorry I don't know the maker, cause I am too mean to buy a catalogue, always used to.  In fact 'back in the day' (jargon...Ill be 24/7 amazing on a journey, on a page, on a roller coaster and so on, gosh don't you just hate it) I always used to take loads of photos and label them all up and put in an album, I have hundreds, I even used to make inspirational display boards for my students, who mostly ignored them.  Studying successful textiles is absorbing I think.

Another lovely block from the same quilt

Sorry this is so blurred, lovely arrangement of seminole patchwork

Interesting arrangement of this sampler quilt, with the applique really setting it off.  The small amount of purple really lifts the quilt & I liked this one very much

This is just the type of hanging that I love, just like Ferrets fantastic machine work, the maker has produced a beautiful piece, I did wonder if it was a City & Guilds piece?  As it looks like an exercise in shape and line, very effective, reflected in winning two rosettes.  Sorry bad me I dont know what they are.  Maybe the winners names are posted on the malvern (Quilts Uk) website?

It is the RHS Chelsea show this week

3D flowers were in abundance

Sorry blogger is having a hissy fit and wont post any more pictures, so I will leave it there, hope that you had / are having a lovely weekend. Weather here is dismal & spitting rain...again

Thanks for reading x

STITCH...STITCH...STITCH

Hooray, finished a quilt top that I started this morning with fabric I bought on Thursday, thats a record for me, need to quilt & bind it & I have a lovely new lap quilt to keep my knees warm during our non exsistant spring.  Too dark and late to photograph

This is the main fabric, its called Happy Ever After by Red Rooster

I dont normally buy novelty fabrics but this one took my fancy (there is a cat on it, a skinny black one & he marched in this morning, has really pin sharp white teeth, I sneaked him a little treat stick, ones that Pusseo wont eat, DH was very cross with me :-) & I have had a happy day in the studio designing and stitching, rained nearly all day (again) Now what to do with the left overs.....?

Anyone else been stitching today? x

QUILTS UK - MALVERN 2012

Susan Briscoe

A sudden decision from reading the Yahoo group BQL of which I am a member, pointing out Quilts Uk started yesterday, a quick text and a 9.30 pm decision, led Carolyn & myself to be saundering along the motorway network at 8am Thursday morning.  What a lovely time we had.  We decided to shop shop shop......
Last Tuesday I was lent Susan Briscoes excellent book Japanese Taupe quilt blocks by Ruth (thank you , its was ordered that evening, before Malvern was even a glimmer on my radar)
So I went in search of these fabrics & met Susan & bought from her actual Japanese fabrics, oh yum

Then we searched out one of my City & Guilds students quilt.  Noe I cant take ANY credit for any of this fabulous quilt made by Susie Corke & it WON the bed quilt category.  Made on and off over a 10 year period, it is completely hand stitched and beautiful, so very well done to Susie

Susie Corke

This is a detail of the huge quilt which was hanging straight, which was about the only one that I saw that was hanging straight

Ferret

This was a whole cloth wall hanging, which won.  It was a piece of what looked like hand dyed grey fabric and all the colouration was by machine stitch.  Tiny swirls on the grey and heavy circles on the dragon.  This was not hanging at all straight which was a huge shame, I wanted to take it down and give it a good steam press.  It may well have been how it was displayed but it irked me as it was a stunning piece.

UPDATE

(Ferret has commented this - Ferret has left a new comment on your post "QUILTS UK - MALVERN 2012":
Thanks for the comment on my quilt. I wish you could have grabbed it and given it a good press. Sadly quilts do not like being posted and often hang badly afterwards. It's been hanging fine for the last month. Oh well at least I am forwarned for when I see it on Sunday. I guess that means I get to re-block it when I get it home :(

I thought that it was how it was hung as I have seen her fantastic work before, straight and beautiful, how very upsetting and annoying for her

There were a huge amount of traders, lots of new ones including two lovely ladies who are called Pinandstitch

We chatted to two really nice people from Monmouth about backing for a soon to be started quilt and met them again after purchases had been done, had a good old laugh with them

I managed to domineer someones stand as it was so packed I got stuck & was having a conversation through all the hanging bits and bobs and it must have looked like it was my stand, the stallholder was exhausted and not really much amused, unusual because I thought there was quite a carnival atmosphere about the place

Its a few years since I have been to Malvern & here is a new building!  The workshops were on the first floor & quilts & traders on the ground floor & wonderful toilets!!
There was the usual marquee, with a carpet & as usual it all made me feel quite sick, the floor wobbled (but better than usual) & it was hot & packed except for int he far right hand corner where they had opened the tent, this was near to Images of Egypt, they of the fabulous stuff, dyed fabrics, scrim etc, all at the best prices.  Patchwork fabric has leapt in price this last year, due to the poor cotton crop (hmmmm???) mostly between 11 and 14 GB pounds per metre, with a few stalls with 'older' fabrics at a cheaper price & one stall which looked like washing day and was packed out, but the cotton was what I would call inferior, openweave, but cheaper.

This made me chuckle

Panoramic view of the marvellous Malvern hills, the view from the Three Counties show ground

This was taken on my phone, I liken the hills to a woman laying down, see if you can see what I mean?

Back to the quilts

Sorry bit blurred, I dont know the makers of the rest of the photos

Some of the miniatures, some of which in my opinion are not minatures, but smal quilts or samples

Lovely quilting

I really liked this one, I actually have two pieces of work that resemble this motif, Rennie Mckintosh I am sure

This African themed wall hanging was really different & was a winner, it appealed because it had an embroidered element to it, missing in a lot of the quilts, but it was a quilt show lol

Also we are working with an African theme in our Affinity group

Lastly, because I am tired & some of my other photos are badly blurred or actually not that interesting!

There was a Jubilee category & childrens quilts (all fab as usual)

There were two whole rows of quilts from 2 teachers, which were excellent, but rather boring looking at the almost exactly same quilts over and over.  I was actually suprised at how few quilts there were.  I am sure that there were more in previous years??

As I said lots and lots of traders including a wonderful stand from Kaleidescope, they of the books. The stand stretched almost the width ( or length) of the main room and had stacks of bolts & cut fabrics and was wonderful, I hope that they do more of this arrangement as I am so fed up of the tiny weany booths that you cant get to, hope the organisers of the FOQ take note.  We want to see the stuff please!!lol

On the way there we passed road works (always England) with a huge queue, so we decided to take the scenic route back which was just pure joy, watery sunshine and grey skies & stunning scenery to really lift your soul, well it did mine, then we encountered a band of cyclists all dooled up in the usual gear, but one of them had a pink lycra top on and a tutu, yep, a tutu, how we laughted, chances of that ever again in my life...NIL...a tutued cyclist in the middle of nowhere where I have never been before

My bags are all still full and I have not opened them yet today as I have been at work & also looking for something that I forgot yesterday on the Internet...never ends our wonderful hobby does it?

Off to eat, paw at my fabric & Ruth its a R A P......hohoho

Thanks for reading my ramblings on THE GRAND DAY OUT  x

SHELAGH & CAROLYNS GRAND DAY OUT

SING ALONG WITH SHELAGH
Oh didnt we have a lovely time the day we went to Malvern
Beautiful day we had lunch on the way
And all for a hundred pound or so
On the way home through the fields we went
And encountered a chap
Riding a bike with a tutu on his torso
How we did laugh
Then into the cafe
When we should have been at guild
Oh dear
But it was a fabulous time & now we are poor
Fabrics are piled high at the front door
and I am shiny eyed & ready for bed
With visions of quilts swimming round in my head
Pictures will come
Tomorrow for sure
Dum dum dum di dum dum
Night night x

WEDDING DRESSES

Do pop over to Linecat to view a display in a church of wedding dresses from lots of decades, lovely

CAT WARS UPDATE

Ah ha we have had a conversation with THE GIT, and big black puss is not his....so we have the delight to wait for of BOTH of his new cats sitting in the queue outside our back door
Picture this, Pusseo on the mat, big black puss on the patio door window sill & ginger cool lurking under the garden bench, oh my!
I am going to resort to horrid dried food in the hopes that we can stop running in and out of the door putting out and taking in Pusseos food.  Now I know why I have never had a cat before!!
All this is going on whilst I am frantically trying to get all the stuff together for my Design to Stitch workshop on Monday.  Still I have been fortified by a Canary Wharf cupcake and am now leaping about with such a wild sugar hit, I shall suffer later but yum yum yummy

Paperchase carrier bag, wonderful

One of Katys African candles.  I could do with a larger version to shoo all the pussys away!!

Off to stitch in the hopes of this mornings efforts are now dry, oh and managed to burn my finger on the soldering iron, think Id know better?  Only human lol (ouch sympathy is not forthcoming in my house)

KITTY HOUSE

Over run with other peoples cats, we now cant leave the back door open as this little thing marches in

There has just been a fight between Pusseo in the cardboard box and black Puss who was on the veranda, this time black puss stood her ground and fought back.  We are not feeding this one, it belongs to the git who owns Pusseo.  Then earlier there was the big fluffy ginger car strolling around being pursued hotly by pusseo and black puss, I throw my hands up perhaps we should just put a heap of meat out front with a come and eat me ticket on it!!

Here are the Bouncy Wouncy boys ready for castle set up

I have just seen the news about the 5 little children killed in a house fire. 

My son who is a firefighter urges you to check your smoke alarms NOW please

What a dreadful tragedy, how terrible for all that knew them and how awful for the poor firefighters who had to find them.  I can say no more I am upset x

BOUNCY WOUNCY

Check out this site www.bouncywouncy.co.uk

Castle hire for adults and for children, for parties, for huge fun

Availability for The Jubilee weekend

I am very proud of my son setting this up, all the castles are new this season, please wish him well with such a fun venture & if in Central England perhaps book one for your event.  How exciting.... x

FACEBOOK

Hi, from a still rainy England, but at least have seen some blue sky & only got a little wet today.
I think that I have sorted out posting blog posts to Facebook care of David from www.beeinspired.co.uk
So this post is to see if it works

SUPERMOON 2012

(c) Tim McCord

Okay so who forgot??? Hands up...yep me
So a-googling I go to get some images.  I cant work out what is real and what is care of Mr photoshop.  Maybe I will get my own image tonight as at the moment it is quite clear

http://www.space.com/15561-supermoon-2012-photos-full-moon-images.html

This could be achieved with discharge paste either Fibretch or Decolorant & a stencil

I am watching Planet Earth Live, which in fact is not live just a load of waffle from a tent in the rain and dark and alot of VT's.  I am hopeful of the massive use of BBC license money for this program to produce something that is actually live. Moan moan.

I have been making a table mat today but being stuck down (how melodramatic!) with the inevitable sniffles, it is not finished.

Atlantis by Fabric Freedom

Clarice Cliff

I have sent the latest FREE newsletter today.  It always amazes me at how many people dont open it.
Do please subscribe, it is FREE and contains all sorts of stuff, creative ideas, little workshops, information etc
The new image at the top of the blog is an experiment with the new tools in Picasa, the free download piece of software for photos from google.  I find this so much easier than Photoshop elements, which actually drives me a little bonkers

Back tomorrow with the story of BLACK PUSS..see you then x

And so it rains on

Dullsvile, yep vile.  We are so paying for two weeks of lovely weather what seems like forever ago.

STONE.....

Dreaming of Greece.  A visit to the garden centre really, lovely colours & shapes

How do you fancy these two handsome fellas in your garden?

Norfolk County Council mile post, for no other reason than the colours and effects remind me of hand painting a fabric