Bits and Pieces

I embroidered a shawl for a Christening for a customer

I had a go at designing a rope embroidery for the borders on the lighthouse:

 not sure about these

And I finally stitched the remaining Jenny Bayer charms into a top.  The while pack was a gift just over a year ago

and the dark ones were used in this project

leaving the medium and light ones.

 I chopped up the last on my Kona white and had just enough for this

 

I'll get some more white for the outside and will eventually chop this up again to make a square dance / lil' twister top like this one

Finally, at the village fair yesterday there were a few vintage cars and other vehicles - including a Burrell traction engine. Having designed this one a while ago

I was thrilled to see this one in real life

Seaside and a Swap and a Soporific Subject

The Lighthouse quilt is progressing.  It may not look any different than in previous photos, but its now all attached rather than just laid in place

I used Katy's suggestion, and  stitched the applique down with a machine blanket stitch - it's all lovely and crisp.

I'm now thinking about borders and the possibility of getting this long arm quilted.  I can see in my mind how the rocks and the grass and the sea and the clouds should be quilted, but I know I don't have the skills.

Postie brought me a super squishie this morning - Sue had decided to make some too, and by swapping we all get more variety of fabric - thanks Sue, I'll get yours to the post office early next week

This weekend sees the 800th anniversary of the signing sealing of the Magna Carta - a charter agreed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. (taken from Wiki). 

Legend has it that it was sealed on an island in the Thames, near Runnymede.  Since then the Thames has moved south west, towards Runnymede. . .

. . . and therefore the island must now be part of Wraysbury. . . so claim those in Wraysbury who are interested.  Runnymede has its own claim, and so does Old Windsor and a lot of other local villages.

They all seem to be ignoring the fact that the charter was good for the rich but not so good for us common folk, and the one sealed 800 years ago was so rubbish it was replaced a year later and in 1217 AND 1225 and 1297.  There are probably hundreds of event celebrating this anniversary - in Wraysbury we have had a flower show and are having tea parties, theme village fairs, concerts etc.  Runnymede has a big event which needs this enormous construction

There are flotillas on the Thames, a visit from the Queen, all sorts of riverside gardens being opened to the public, serving cream teas, and at least two fabric related creations.

The Magna Carta Quilters have created a huge collection measuring 30 foot by 7 foot.  I'm sure it is beautifully made, but I have to say I prefer our Wraysbury Wall hanging which is now hanging in St Andrew's Church.  I haven't seen it framed and up myself, but was sent this photo

Hope you have a good weekend!  Apart from the village fair I'm hoping to avoid anything that has the MC words associated with it!

Departure into Dressmaking

I am most very definitely NOT a dressmaker - leaving aside that fact that my mum IS a dressmaker and any attempts in the past have been swiftly sorted by mum, I have issues with following instructions!

If you've read many posts on this blog you will know that I prefer to look at a finished item and have a go at making it myself rather than read instructions. (A quick look at the SLIK and Quick tab on this blog show 30 odd items, of which at least 3/4 are where I've "re-invested the wheel" rather than follow instructions!)

But, I've been seeing lots of basic tunics on Pinterest, and as well as Nessa who sews a lot, Janine has recently made a tunic, and I finally decided to take the plunge and take a departure into dressmaking.

I remembered Clothkits from childhood, and had heard they were trading again, so asked Mr Google, and found their website.  What I *remembered* were dresses etc printed onto fabric, like this:

What looks like fuzzy lines are the cutting lines for different sizes. 

So that's what I expected when I ordered this

What I got was *real dressmaking* stuff!  fabric, paper pattern, thread and oh good grief, a ZIP!  All included so I had no excuse not to start!

I didn't want to use the lovely linen on my first attempt as I'm not a standard size, so I used some donated fabric and gave it a go (do excuse Niki's bedroom as my backdrop, she has the only even half length mirror in the house)

I need to talk to mum about a few alterations, but I'm rather chuffed that (a) I followed all the instructions - they were really well written, and (b) noticed that the zip was optional (phew) and (c) there was no un-sewing necessary and (d) the pockets and top stitching went fine

Get me - I might be a dressmaker's daughter, but I think I just did some dressmaking!

Woven Windup

A few days ago I assembled the woven blocks quilt, and (since this photo) got the binding machined on, so it just needs the second side hand stitching down.  I used a new fleece from Ikea, a lovely marl grey

 I'm really pleased with the effect of it, although some seams didn't match too well

I actually had enough fabric that it could have been a bit bigger, but I'd run out of fleece so it stopped at Ikea's standard size: 51x67", but that left me with fabric, and I'm trying to finish project fabrics.

Having enjoyed making the white Sweet Sixteen blocks I decided to start one with the leftover Woven strips

I joined together quite a few strips, pressed them, and cross cut them

I'll need to arrange them a bit more randomly, as my *actually* random attempt has too many fabrics near their twin.

I shall have to used Avril's planned random method - she calls it Randoku - random, but not repeating in a block, column or row!

Museum Making

Busy day yesterday - after "day job" in the morning I whizzed over to Chertsey museum where we all had a go at (wet) felting and made these fab flowers 

There was also a bit of show and tell: two felted fairies finished from last month

And from the recent evening session, a finished (and fab) t-shirt bowl

and a t-shirt basket

I then stayed at the museum for the evening session: not my class this time, but the other evening teacher who works mostly with paper: We made a vintage style scrap book page, although my plan (we I get proper prints of the photos rather than these photocopies) is to frame this for Mother-in-Law

This little blond cherub is (was? will be?) my husband!!!!

Success and a Crafty Consequence

I'm delighted to report that the lighthouse embroidery went exactly as planned

It stitched well

Lined up perfectly with the horizon

And fits the top of the tower just so

Phew!

Yesterday I popped round to Lynn's with the bags for her sister Ann.

She had emailed me as to how much she owed me, but I took a deep breath and asked for a swap, or even a partial swap . . . Lynn works mostly with clay, and makes the most amazing things.  she had an Open Studio event a few years ago and I fell in love with (actually lusted after) a, um, *building* with a bright blue and a bright green glaze made from glass from a sherry bottle and a wine bottle!

She spent ages this afternoon telling me what she saw as faults in all sorts of creations (her 20+ inch lighthouses are fabulous) then offered me *the* building I remembered from two years ago

Plus a beautiful potted plant (just look at that one red and white flower!)

And tried to give me money as well!

I am so in love with this!!  Brian and Niki think it's wonderful too, and have decided it cant just go on the grass - it needs to be on the table where it can be seen.

Niki says "I'm not dissing your bags mum, but that really wasn't a fair swap, you'll have to make her loads more bags to make it a fair swap"  I think she's right!

Inspired, and Scared

Back in January I was delighted to receive two totally unexpected gifts, one from Amo and one from Kathy

Amo sent me this magazine

And Kathy sent me a bunch of hexagons

Because they arrived together, they have been associated together ever since.

I have been tacking the hexies around card templates (I DO love my sizzix!)  and browsing through the magazine.  A further inspiration came from this bag that Jackie made me

I was intrigued that there was no straight seam, the hexies all tessellated in together.

Anyhow, put all that ramble aside fora minute, and lets concentrate on the Lighthouse Quilt that I *should* be making

I used Katy's (rather fab) method of backing the applique pieces, and it worked brilliantly (and nothing got fused to the ironing board cover!)

I ought to now be ready to embroider the light section at the top of the tower (it's all designed and loaded onto the embroidery machine, but I'm scared it'll go wrong!)

So I thought I'd just practise Katy's next stage - machine blanket stitching the applique units onto the background (AFTER the embroidery, I'm not that daft!)

So did I have anything that needed appliqueing?  Well yes, kind of - if I just finish the hexies I can applique them

(how skilled am I at procrastinating?)

As I've started the bag I'd better finish it to save it being another UFO!  (The bag idea was from Amo's magazine, the Hexies were from Kathy and the assembly idea from Jackie - thanks ladies!)

Lined, all seams hidden, and slip pockets inside and out!

But now I really have run out of excuses so the fabric is hooped and I'm off to brave the embroidery.

 

If you hear screaming you'll know it went wrong!

Tempting Triangles

I've never been a big fan of HSts, but it seemed a good project for the ladies at a Church House Group to tackle.

Assorted abilities, but over the last few months we made this, and on a recent Sunday we gave it to a lovely lady in the village, who, like the quilting on this, holds everything together!

I have experienced a deep, but unexpected love of HSTs!!!!

I don't know that I'd want to machine a whole pile of them, but hand stitching while chatting with friends and drinking coffee is a whole other matter!

As the original HST project was totally finished they wanted to start a new one, and this last Sunday must have sewn 50 or so together!  This time I used odds and ends of charm packs - the charms that didn't make the final cut in whatever I used the rest of their family for - and added white.  I'll ask them what arrangement they like best:

Flying Geese

ZigZag

Or like this

Looking good eh?