Almost the holidays!

It has been a rather busy time lately. This weekend has to be the first one that I've had entirely to myself for about 2 months. Keeping the blog going is not so easy when life takes over, and I've been spending time completing projects. I have now finished the wedding gift box for Mike and Beki, and also the quilt for Austin Hutchby. Photos will follow later. Today I've been working on a quilt for mum, and last week I got going on a quilt for dad. I'm trying to finish the rag dolls - getting the hair on them, and also getting their clothes made - which is proving a bit of a struggle as I've not done any dress-making before. Anyhow, I'd better get back to the tasks that I want to do - I want to get some projects finished this year - so pictures will have to wait until the next post!

Thank you Marlene!

Today's post is a big thank you to Marlene Chaffey. I have done 3 workshops by Marlene - all of them at Step by Step in South Molton. I would have liked to have had a link to a website of Marlene's, but I can't seem to find a website for her. Anyway, last Saturday I went to a workshop, with the title - Tropical Breeze. Marlene told us that she had learned the technique from Caryl Bryer Fallert at a class in America - the link shows the quilt that Marlene did a workshop in. Marlene has since gone on and designed her own piece, using the techniques she learned in America. On Saturday she showed us the technique, which uses freezer paper, spray starch and monofilament thread in both the needle and the bobbin. The technique also uses washable non-toxic non-acidic (I think) glue. The glue allows the pieces to be put together without using pins, and makes it very easy to manage the curves.

I spent a little time after the workshop to put a bit more of the piece together - so I had a bit more to show mum and Super Uncle George and Fantastic Aunt Helen. Having got back from my travels yesterday, I spent time today in my room - and put together the whole piece. It isn't finished yet, as I still need to quilt it. It took quite a bit of time today to decide on the colour of the stems; Marlene emphasised that the stems needed to be a strong contrasting colour. Pink was the best fit colour that I could find, having auditioned others - the others just didn't have quite the right effect.

The next piece is the first workshop that I did with Marlene. The title of the workshop was 'Devon Landscapes'. It was the first workshop that I did using freezer paper, and stitch and tear. The quilt that was on display showed a landscape in pastel colours, and that was what most people at the workshop did. However, as my blog tends to show, I don't really do muted colours! I decided to show a Devon landscape in the summer - bright colours. I couldn't decide on the colour for the surround - but eventually I tried the pastel fabric, and thought that it went quite well. After that, I tried to find the right fabric for an inner border; as the song goes - I still haven't found what I'm looking for! I have seen a couple of fabrics that I could use - both of them are grey fabrics - one lighter, one darker. I need to trial them both again, and try to get it finished. It is due to have some foxgloves on it, just outside the the oval border.

The last piece I was going to show is going to have to wait until another time now, as it is about time for me to warm up a bit - and read in bed. I hope to do some more work in the sewing room tomorrow, but I really need to do some school work (don't you hate doing work during a holiday); I've got reports to write, books to mark, homework to mark, coursework to sort out and comments sheets to write; schemes of work to get on with, and also positive comments sheets to compile for my tutor group - as well as another couple of surprises I want to do for them - there are only about 30 teaching days left with them until they go! So - until the next time..... - this is me signing off for the time being.

Almost off for Easter

Welcome back again - and a special welcome to my first follower - hi there Kath! Why haven't the rest of you become followers?! I thought that it was really about time that I got another post on here, and I thought that tonight was as good a time as any. Seeing that I have a follower convinced me further of that.

Last weekend saw me at Westpoint, Exeter. I went along to the Spring Quilt festival there, and had a great time! I hadn't planned on going along to start with, but Jennifer Trollope told me that I was going, when I attended her class at Step by Step a couple of weeks ago - and I know that I should do what the teacher tells me!! I thought that I was fairly restrained, but I could not resist the bargains: a 10m bolt of cotton for £10 - thank you Doughty's. It was lovely to see the Step by Step stand as soon as I walked through the door, and great to see Jennifer as well - I get such a lovely welcome from her each time I see her. I'm not sure that I have enough adjectives of the same value to express the pleasure of seeing the Angels of Antique Angel there.

So - what was the best bit of the show? That is a difficult one to answer. There were so many lovely quilts; as usual the brightly coloured ones caught my eye. I especially enjoyed the Engineering Quilts, and the journal quilts. There were some very clever pieces, that I particularly admired; it was lovely to see so many pieces by an individual quilter. Some people at the show thought that it was a shame that the focus appears to have moved away from patchwork, and becoming more about embroidery; I think it is refreshing to see quilters moving with the times, and creating their own pieces, rather than simply reproducing the work of someone else. There was a lovely old quilt on display as well, one which still had the paper templates in it.

So, what shall I show you this time? I thought that I should show you the box I made for my step-sister's wedding:

I was really pleased with the way this turned out; I really enjoyed making it, and I was able to use a lot of fabrics that I already had. I did indulge in the lace and ribbons to go on the box, but I didn't use all of the things I bought. Another view shows some of the embellishment: I couched knitting yarns and some gimps (thank you Jennifer for the info about Texere yarns - and they probably thank you too, as I did indulge rather a lot), and I also added some table confetti that I had collected from other weddings, and from cards and presents from our wedding! I was delighted with the 'free motion' embroidery that I did on the panels to start with. It was good to get the metallic thread working well, and not breaking - I used the Marathon embroidery metallic threads for the quilting. I can't remember how much free embroidery I did, if any - it could be that I just turned the fabric to get the patterns. I used invisible thread to couch the gimps, yarns, and feathers. I was a little reluctant to give away the box, but I did make it with Charlotte and Shaun in mind, so I couldn't really object - and I can always make myself another one.

The idea came from the smaller box I had made at a class last year. I decided to make the wedding box bigger - to make it A4 size - to accommodate the different gifts that you get for a wedding. I will be making other boxes of a similar style; probably more wedding boxes, and maybe even some for friends and family occasions - e.g. new baby, birthday present, special birthday present.

Charlotte and Shaun's wedding was great! It was a shame that Keith couldn't join us - I did feel a bit tearful that I was there by myself for yet another family get-together - as it was another Banks family get-together. However; Keith wasn't very well, and he wouldn't have enjoyed himself, and it would not have been fun for him or for anyone else. It was lovely to see the family again, lovely to spend time with mum, Caro and Stu, and great to see Dad, Liz, Charlotte, Shaun, Maisie, Mike and Kate - and Judy too. I was especially enchanted and delighted when Maisie came toddling over to me on Sunday at the Sun Inn Hulverstone, and saying - well - I'm sure I heard her say Auntie Christine. That was a surprise to everyone - and something really special for me. It was great to be able to give Dad the framed cross stitch I'd done for him. So - to finish with - a picture of my neice.... - the day after her mum and dad got married, and her meeting a dog that was really quite a bit bigger than her - and the smile on her face is great! I'd have liked it if I would have got better clarity photos - but children and dogs rarely stay still for anyone!

Timing

It's just after that time in the morning when you get toothache (2.30am) - never mind; it's the school holidays now, and true to form, I have a cold. I'm sat up in the living room, with the Snug Rug around me, hot blackcurrant next to me, contemplating whether or not to pick up the Harlequin quilt to continue quilting it, whilst listening to Radio 2. What else do you do when you can't sleep at night, when it feels like you are too tired to sleep? What have I been up to recently? Well, here is a picture:

This is the stocking that I made for my tutor group - the first CMH tutor group, who are now in their final year. There are several musicians in the class - hence the treble clef, quaver, and guitar; the flower - some of the class (including me) are interested in gardening - and there are two girls with names of flowers; the horse is for those of an equestrian slant; the key is made with Beatles fabric - which says 'All you need is love' - which is the key to success; the star and the Christmas tree are evident - they are Christmas symbols. So - what did I put in the stocking? Each pupil had a present, consisting of: two pens, two pencils, a pencil sharpener, a rubber, a notebook, a mini packet of sweets, and a party toy (e.g. a spring, a pinball game, stickers, a puzzle keyring...). The stocking was also filled with lollipops and chocolate coins. Why did I do this? Well, a treat for my tutees, and also it made sure they had what they need for the mock exams that start in January! I now have a couple of days in which to get a stocking made for Keith, and then I can work on one for the house. The idea of doing one for the house, is so that we have Secret Santa in the house next year! And I shall use the tutor stocking again next year, with my new class - if it is year 7 I intend to do Secret Santa with them.

I was pleasantly surprised with the response from my tutor group; I used the party favours section at Sainsbury's to get the party toys, and I did the stereotyping - boys gifts for boys, girls gifts for girls; and there was one boy saying 'I wanted a spring'. Some of the girls got really excited about getting stickers! There were a couple of interpretations of the horse - one boy (the one wanting the spring) asked why there was a dog on it, and some girls said that I'd forgotten the antlers for the reindeer. There is a ribbon attached to the side (in addition to the ribbon to hang it up), which has the names of all the tutor group on it; I wrote the names on the ribbon with biro - I auditioned fabric pens, but they bled through to the back of the ribbon, and I wanted to use both sides of the ribbon for the names. I shall add another ribbon next year for the new tutor group.

Where did my inspiration come from? Well, it is all down to my mum, and something that she did for my sister and I back in 1978 - 31 years ago. Here it is - the one she made for me:

Later today I shall be back in my sewing room, preparing for Friday, and trying not to get too frustrated when things go wrong, when I can't find things, and when I find that I can't do what I want to do easily. Such is life when you have a cold - it makes me really grouchy, especially when I don't get enough sleep. Anyway, time to publish this post now.

Quilting and television

I've just finished writing emails and updating my blog, and commenting on the Patchwork and Quilting magazine, December edition. There have been some very interesting articles this month, including one on blogging. The author of the article - Sue House - has her own blog, which I've added in the blogs I'm following. As time allows, I shall add other blogs I'm following / trying to follow as well.

I've been extending my quilting skills with Block of the Month projects from Antique Angel. There have been numerous times when I've cursed myself for starting them, but I'm glad that I'm doing them - learning new techniques, trying new things.

There are some interesting competitions in Patchwork and Quilting this month, including one about making a Christmas container - I'm tempted by this, but I think that I may end up submitting a stocking - and it will probably be one that I've made already, and that features on this blog. I suppose I could try something else, but timing is the issue, and there are already so many other things that I want to be working on.

Anyway - the title of this post. I'm just wondering what other quilters do when they sit and quilt. I'm lucky enough to have my own sewing room to go to - although the cats have assumed it as their room - with one of them sitting on the chair I use at the sewing machine, and the other sitting on the cutting table - and on the cutting mat. I like to sit in there listening to a talking book, or watching a film (generally listening to the film rather than watching it). When I'm upstairs doing some hand quilting (on my Harlequin quilt), I sit watching whatever is on television - such as CSI, Bones, Lie to Me, House, Criminal Intent, Deep Space Nine. I've recently seen some programmes advertised for quilting. Some of the CCTv programmes on MyChannel - (Sky 171) about textile artists, and Quilt in a Day on Rural TV (Sky 279 - I think). I shall watch these with great interest. However, all of us have some guilty pleasures - and mine are old soaps. A couple of years ago I watched Howard's Way to it's conclusion (from start to finish), and also Dallas (except the television company didn't have all the series, so kept showing series 1-5 - and I wanted to see the rest of them!). My current guilty pleasure is Dynasty. It is great - it is so bad, it's good! Don't you just love seeing all those shoulder pads, seeing Steven Carrington walking around like a wet weekend and looking depressed all the time; barely hearing what Krystle is saying due to her husky voice; seeing Fallon being such a scheming and manipulative little minx; Blake Carrington looking like a caring patriarch, and actually rivalling JR Ewing for the baddie. This is not how I remember Dynasty - I remember it with Fallon being taken up in a spaceship, and later coming back as someone different, with Alexis Colby coming in, and then the spin off series - The Colby's - with Sable Colby, and Maxwell Caulfield then whisking Fallon away...Oh, what delights yet to come!

Why do I sit and sew with the television on? What do other quilters do? I sit and sew and watch programmes because that is what I did 20 years ago (okay, maybe only 18), when I was at home. I remember Friday evenings sat with my mum and sister in the living room. I would be sat in a gold colour Parker Knoll recliner, with a twin lamp on my right hand side. We would sit and watch television - we would watch Coronation Street (I think), Gardener's World, Love Hurts (who remembers that with Adam Faith and Zoe Wannamaker - I'd love to see that again), and I would sit sewing. At that time it was English patchwork, and I still have the templates somewhere. The Harlequin quilt that I am currently quilting (by hand, as the rest of it has been done by hand), was started later, and I've not yet quilted the quilt I was making at that time. However, I have quilted my first quilt - the one that started this hobby / passion / obsession.

The quilt on the left shows my first quilt. I finally quilted it in 2002, having started it in about 1986. I bought my house in 2002 (which I have since sold), and that summer I went to Hythe to house sit for Grandad Banks. I took this quilt along, and sat handquilting it. It is all done by hand, and has vermicelli quilting on it. I dind't bind the quilt, I used a different technique - I used the self-finish, by folding under the backing, and then sewing through all the layers - using a running stitch. I had already tacked down the seam allowances of the hexagons.

Time for me to publish now, as I've just been asked if I have any buttons (stupid question), and how fast am I at sewing buttons on trousers - so I'm doing a bit of work for a stepson!!

Wow!

Well, where to start? I'm sitting in the lounge upstairs, with my snug rug over me (a brilliant invention - and one of the best birthday presents ever!). I'm waiting for the postman to arrive - I'm expecting several packages. One of the packages I'm expecting / waiting for is the block of the month from Antique Angel (http://www.antiqueangel.co.uk/). I saw their full page advert in the September edition of British Patchwork and Quilting, and liked the look of a couple of the quilts in the advert. I signed up, and have been cursing myself and the 'stupid idea' ever since! The blocks can involve some very small pieces, which means the piecing can be rather tricky. However, I don't regret my decision - except for the fact that I check the site to see when the blocks are being sent out, and have now seen another new block of the month on the site which I really like the look of! It has been a really good experience for me, as it is making me try different piecing methods, and use techniques that I wouldn't otherwise have tried (Suffolk puffs, for example - they don't really do anything for me).

Possibly you are looking at the date and time I am writing this post. Well, true to form, I have got a cold just before half term. I've fought it as long as I could, but I'm now croaking and coughing; people at school wouldn't thank me for passing it on to them in time for the holiday, so I'm staying at home. I thought I would take a bit of time to update the blog.

For those of you who don't read the British Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, the title of this post refers to the November edition of said publication. I've won the star letter for the month! This means that I've had my letter published, along with the pictures I sent in with it, and for being the star letter, I also get some fabric! I was quite delighted when I read the magazine, and saw it! I had received the publication a day or two after my birthday, and I read it in bed. I had been thinking of skipping to the end of the magazine, but then decided to read it all the way through from the front to the back. The letters page is right at the back, and I didn't realise that I had been published at first. I saw a picture of a quilt (the Celebration quilt), but it wasn't until I saw the quilt for Thomas that I realised that I was looking at my own creations!

Having re-read the letter (several times, just for good measure), I suppose I feel like I might have misled people into thinking that I had made the quilts and the aprons all in the summer holiday. That was not my intention at all, and people looking at this blog will see that the quilts were completed within the past 15 months. It wasn't until I re-read the letter I realised how some people might read it - it was not done deliberately however.

I've been busy with the block of the month projects recently, and also with finishing mum's kimono panels - I'm quite pleased with how they have turned out. I've also mentioned the aprons - so here is a picture of one of them.

The apron was a project featured in P&Q, and I didn't like the colours of the one in the magazine at all, but I thought that I really needed an apron, and I saw that the pattern had possibilities. I used charm pack squares for the aprons, and this worked well, although the seams do not always match up, because the size of the squares is approximate. However, if I let myself be worried by imperfections, I would never make anything! I've made five aprons in all - 2 for me, one for mum, one for Caro, and one for Joan (my mother-in-law). I still have several other projects on the go - but information about those will have to wait for another time, as I can hear the bed calling to me...

Seeing Is Believing

Today I thought that I would show you two quilts. For those of you who are not up on quilting terminology, a quilt is something the consists of a top, a wadding and a backing, and uses some technique (sewing, knotting) to attach the quilt top, wadding and backing together. By this token, it is possible to create pieces that are termed quilts, but would not be used on a bed - they may be 'just' for show.

At around the same time as I was getting on with the Catch 22 quilt, another challenge appeared in the Quilting Arts magazine. The idea was to take a quotation, a phrase, a saying, and create a quilt 'based' on it. The magazine article took us through the process of developing the ideas - writing down the thoughts that occur, the textures, the colours, the quilting patterns, the words we associate with the phrase. There was a choice of 4 phrases, and I chose 'Seeing Is Believing'. I had a lot of different thoughts about this - all of which I have noted in my quilting journal (the type with a magnetic flap and a pocket at the back). My thoughts included the following: optical illusions, religion, senses - sight, sound, touch, taste, smell. I then thought about the images - love, ear, music, radiation, biological threats - religion came in many different ways.

I pieced two backgrounds - trying to create a 'half dropped blocks' design, like the optical illusion. As I had pieced two backgrounds, I could then create 2 quilts. The first quilt I'm going to show you, is the 'senses' quilt - the one to dispute seeing is believing. My whole basis for the quilts has been - Seeing Is Believing - Really?? Can that really be said? Is it really true?

The first symbol (top left) is the radiation symbol - can you see radiation? Do you need to see it to believe it exists? You can certainly see the effects of it, but partly, the fact that you can't see it makes it menacing. The heart - a sign of love - can you see love? It can be seen in the things we do for others, but not the concept itself. The tongue - modelled on the classic Rolling Stones symbol - you can't see taste - you may be able to imagine what it will taste like, but sight can be deceptive. Smell - the sight of something can conjure up the taste, and the taste of items can be extremely powerful memories - but the sight of an item does not guarantee the taste. The two eyes are shown for the sight - one shows an eye clouded over - perhaps with cataracts or glaucoma. Does a blind person believe nothing, simply because they cannot see? The hand symbolises both touch, and can also be seen to show religion and friendship. The ear is fashioned from musical fabric - we can hear things and believe them. The bars at the bottom are to show a graphic equaliser - the thing that goes up and down to show the intensity of music. The last symbol shows bio-hazards - you can't see them (easily). The quilting is sine / cosine waves - how light and sound can be shown.

The second quilt was actually the first one finished! The quilt is the religious side of 'Seeing Is Believing'. Religion is all about believing, without having to see. There are / were some doubters, and they have been shown here - in some form. I did a little bit of research on the internet, for the symbols of different religions. I printed a number of symbols, and used them to create the symbols - using a lightbox to help. I used raw edge applique and bondaweb to attach most of the symbols. Some of the bigger symbols, I used satin stitch. The hand shows stigmata - the idea of Seeing Is Believing and Doubting Thomas. The quilting uses embroidery threads, and I used the names that different religions use for God. I suppose that this quilt could prompt some controversy; that was never my intention. I respect the rights of everyone to believe in what they will - this quilt is a way of celebrating those different beliefs; I certainly don't mean to offend anyone by including the names that God is known by - again - it is a celebration of difference and belief. For all religions - Believing is not Seeing - we don't have to see things to believe them. I was quite happy with how the two quilts turned out, and these were the first 'series' quilts I have done - and they certainly will not be the last!