frayed at the edge

Party time!

But before we go to the party, an orchid update.  This one had been flowering for months now

 

and this one has been flowering almost as long

 

I don't make a note of which orchid is in each pot, so it will be a nice surprise to see what colour this one is

 

so, on to the party!  It is Margaret's birthday today, so we had a special lunch.  I took along crackers and festive napkins

 

and Margaret brought along her own birthday cake!

 

Annette produced two candles, and we sang Happy Birthday before Margaret blew them out - I hope the wish she made is granted!

 

we may have had birthday cake at lunchtime, but that didn't stop us eating Annette's delicious gingerbread at teatime!

 

I took along the little birdie kit that Malcolm had given me some time ago, and made both little brooches

 

it was miserable driving home, with heavy rain which was doing its best to turn to snow.  The forecast isn't very good for the weekend, so I think I will be spending a lot of time in the studio!  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

Neat and tidy - almost!

So what did I buy yesterday?  Well, first it was something practical - new blades for my small rotary cutter

 

next was this pretty pattern, designed by Carolyn, one of Anne's friends

 

I love the label - especially the cute owl!

 

and of course I bought fabric ...... the calico is for Mrs Billings, and the dark fabric was from the reduced shelf

 

I had taken along "Lillyanny" to finish handstitching the binding.  The original "Lillypilly" that I made as a sample for Anne is still displayed in the shop

 

when I came to make mine, I couldn't be bothered to do all those leaves, so mine is a winter tree!

 

a detail of the fmq

 

I have still to add the birds' eyes

 

I aso want to do some more stitching on the fence, to make it stand out more

 

I didn't do any sewing this afternoon, as I thought I ought to tidy the studio

 

looking much better, but it still needs a bit more organising

Flying solo

I had planned to go to Longframlington today to visit Anne, but because of the miserable weather, Malcolm decided not to come with me, as he didn't fancy beachcombing in the rain!  So I set off all on my own, with just a bag of wine gums the radio to keep me company on the 90 minute drive.  Of course as soon as I arrived the first thing I did was make a cup of tea (and a biscuit may have been consumed).  We were a small company today, as regulars Margaret, Ros and Frances weren't there, but there was a newbie, Barbara.  But the best thing was that Anne was there, looking much recovered from her recent bout of poorliness (is that a word?)

Sue was handpiecing hexagons

 

Barbara was working on her Whimsical quilt blocks

 

and Annie was prepping lots of circles, which she plans to use on a bag

 

after I had taken the photo of her circles, Anne reached under the table, and produced this stunning bag!

 

when I went (reluctantly) to give the bag back, Annie pointed out that I hadn't taken a photo of the side of the bag, which she said was her favourite bit

 

as always, there were lots of lovely new fabrics in the shop

 

did I buy anything?  Of course I did!  I'll show you tomorrow, and I'll also show you what I was sewing.  But to finish - very good news if you are going to be anywhere near Longframlington next week ........ head to Stitchin' Heaven for their fabulous sale (Anne very kindly gave me the discount today, as I won't be there next week!)

A little tutorial

As promised, a little tutorial for the fun technique that I shared with the ladies on Saturday.  I hadn't done this for a while, and it was only after I had made up the samples I realised that I had made a small mistake (I'll tell you later what it was)!  The technique is called faux chenille - so lets get started.  I chose this piece of  "picture" fabric from the scrap basket, and added three more fabrics,  cutting squares

 

I chose a thread to blend in with the main fabric, but as it doesn't matter what colour is used in the bobbin, I used up some odds and ends

 

next, I drew a line across the diagonal

 

I stitched along the line, then stitched parallel lines half an inch apart

 

the next stage is scary - you have to cut through the top three fabrics, along the centre of each channel.  You can use very sharp scissors ........

 

........ or you can get this packet out

 

I threaded the cutting strip through the centre channel

 

I positioned the ruler, and carefully cut along the channel, using my small rotary cutter

 

it didn't take long to complete the cutting

 

I put that piece aside and started on the second sample.  I cut three squares from calico

 

then cut out a flower from the leftovers from the first piece

 

to keep the pieces in place while I stitched, I used a basting spray.  I put the pieces in a cardboard box to spray them, to prevent the spray from getting on the surrounding area

 

again, it didn't take long to stitch and cut the sample

 

it was about now that I realised that I had made that little mistake.  The bottom fabric should have been cut half an inch bigger all round.  This makes it easier to use the scissors/cutting strip.  The next stage was to wash the samples, along with some old towels, then tumble dry them, again with the old towels.  This fluffs up the edges, and creates the chenille effect

 

it's important that you stitch on the diagonal to get the effect - if you stitched on the straight grain, the edges would fray right away.  If you are stitching a rectangular piece, you have to draw your line on the true bias, not from corner to corner

 

on Sunday  I layered up two more quilts for Linus

 

and made some more squares

 

so what did I buy yesterday in the little wool shop in Berwick?  This fabulous book

 

I think the cardigan on the cover will be going on the "to-knit" list, along with this one

 

but I think I will pass on these socks!

A busy weekend .......

........ and a busy Monday, so lets get started!  I headed over to Kelso on Saturday morning, with the car stuffed full of all the things I needed for the cushion workshop.  It didn't take long to get set up

 

our Chairman Sandra had taken a pile of fabrics, as had I, and after the obligitory oohing, aaahing and stroking of the fabrics, everyone started sewing.  We were so busy, I didn't take very many photos!

Anne Marie cutting out her first cushion

 

Helen was about to quilt this lovely fabric for her cushion front

 

Doreen made this large cushion

 

by the end of the day Anne Marie had made three cushions!

 

but my favourite was this pretty Sunbonnet Sue, made by Valerie.  I shall have to buy lots of tickets for the raffle at our exhibition, in the hope of winning it!

 

I also showed the ladies another technique, but I'll show you tomorrow, as I have put together a little tutoral.  It was miserable yesterday morning, so again we didn't go for a walk.  We popped down to Sainsbury's to get the Sunday papers, and have a cuppa.  We shared a "skinny" lemon and poppy seed muffin - a lot fewer calories than a scone!

 

I was busy in the studio in the afternoon, but I'll show you what I did tomorrow.  This morning we headed over to Berwick again, stopping in the Garden Centre on the way for a cuppa and a scone (I have swapped my "fast" day to tomorrow)

 

it was a bit wet and miserable, but we had an enjoyable stroll round the town.  We had a walk round the grounds of this old church

 

is spring on the way, with blossom on this tree, and snowdrops at the foot of the trunk

 

the date on this gravestone is 1763

 

we only had to walk a few yards to admire another church

 

the building next to the church had a seagull on top of every chimney

 

obviously they were admirers of architecture, choosing such a handsome building to sit on

 

what building is it?  I doubt you would ever guess!

 

I remembered to look up, and saw these wonderful details on yet another old building

 

of course after all that walking about taking photos, we needed some lunch!  Delicious butternut squash soup

 

I may have bought something in this little shop!  I'll show you tomorrow

In the pink

I glanced out one of the windows at the back of the house this morning ........ and immediately grabbed the camera and headed out into the garden.  Despite shivering with the cold, I managed to hold the camera steady enough to capture the wonderful colours in the sky

 

yesterday I made a start to the quilt top for Lucie and Quilts for Comfort.  I put two fabrics right sides together and pressed them - this makes it easier to cut them

 

the biggest square that I could cut was five and a half inches, so I cut four of each colour.  I marked a diagonal line on the lighter fabric .......

 

........ stitched on both sides of the line, then cut along the line

 

after pressing the seam, the last stage was to trim the square to five inches

 

that's when the fun started, arranging the squares on the design wall

 

I made a second batch of squares and played some more

 

I cut four plain squares and did some more re-arranging

 

one last change

 

I'm looking forward to making more squares, and playing some more with the layout!

 

Now for the Friday cake ........ oh yum, it was our favourite apple and sultana cake.  I remarked that the only time we are silent on a Friday is when we are tucking into the delicious cakes that Annette makes for us!

 

I'm looking forward to my day out tomorrow, doing all things cushiony!  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

Stretching my legs

Hooray, the sun shone this morning and the sky was blue (I won't mention that we had a few flurries of snow this afternoon), so I decided to go out for a walk.  It was such a treat to see the sun shining on the Mintos

 

and then  - look what I spotted under a hedge and through a fence

 

then, further up the road, more snowdrops

 

and another view over to the sunny hills

 

I do like a higgledy piggledy, falling down fence

 

only for you, dear readers, would I negotiate the mud and puddles ........

 

to visit the Jacob's ewes, who will be lambing soon

 

on down the road, more snowdrops gleaming in the sun

 

and more expectant ewes

 

I stopped to take a photo of the moss on a wall, and spotted these tiny mushrooms

 

of course clear blue sky means a photo of electrical gubbins!

 

another favourite - an arty photo of a seed head

 

on the way back down the hill, my favourite view

 

the sun shining on the church

 

a little wisp of fleece caught on a branch

 

there were no donkeys about, but this fine fellow posed prettily for me

 

one last photo, the fence that used to be higgledy piggledy, but was replaced last year, reflected in a very large puddle

 

I had to see my doctor two weeks ago, as my sinuses were really bothering me.  As I thought he would, he diagnosed a bout of sinusitis, gave me a two week course of antibiotics, and said to go back in two weeks' time.  So I went back this morning, to tell him that although things had improved a bit, the problem hadn't cleared up completely.  So has has given me another two weeks of antibiotics.  Much aas I appreciate him taking good care of me, there is just one little niggle ........ like many other people, I have been "dry for January".  Not one drop of wine has passed my lips since New Year's Day, so of course I was starting to look forward to enjoying a glass (or two) on the 1st of February ........ but now I will have to wait until the following Thursday, when I finish the antibiotics!!

 

 

Disgruntled gnomes!

Did you notice on Monday that there was no mention of lunch when we were in Berwick?  That, of course, was because it was a "fast day" (after several weeks of "normal" eating over Christmas, I am being a good girl and sticking to the diet!).  However we had a delighful lunch in The Damascus Drum today.  Malcolm had delicious broccoli and Stilton soup

 

which came with rustic bread and butter

 

as for me, I had my usual, the ploughman's bagel ....... wonderful sharp cheddar, rich homemade chutney, little pickled onions and a refreshing salad

 

back home, I sorted out some cushions to take with me on Saturday to give the Abbey Quilters members some ideas for their cushions

machine quilted, with apple fabric to echo the quilting

 

handquilted, and edged with cord

 

this beautiful fabric didn't need anything fancy done to it

 

I added this knitted panel to an existing cushion

 

handstitched Hawaiian applique, and hand quilted

 

my very first hand quilted cushion, from 20 years ago!

 

this counted cross stitch cushion is even older ........

 

......... perhaps the quilt started my interest in patchwork?

 

and as for those disgruntled gnomes ....... they were most annoyed that I used their chair to take the photos!

Absolutely delicious .......

....... and for once I don't mean scones!  I ordered some fabric for Mrs Billings from here.  The fabric designs are based on the tv programme Downton Abbey - which I have never watched, but I liked the look of the fabric.  The colours are luscious, and I am looking forward to getting started

 

over the weekend, I finished the little Linus quilt that I made from the scraps of the first two, which are also finished

 

I frre motion quilted the little quilt in much the same way as the bigger ones

 

however, I decided to finish the quilt differently.  I usually finish quilts with traditional binding, but that uses quite a lot of fabric, so I decided to bring the backing fabric over to the front.  First I stitched round the edge with a long basting stitch

 

then I trimmed the excess wadding away

 

the next stage was to trim the backing fabric to an inch bigger than the quilt

 

I folded the backing fabric in half, so that the raw edge was lined up with the edge of the quilt

 

then I folded the backing fabric over again, to enclose the raw adges

 

the last stage was to topstitch the "binding" ....... but I forgot to take a close-up of the stitching!  So here is the finished quilt

 

on Saturday Abbey Quilters are having a "cushion day".  The cushions will be raffled at our exhibition in the summer, to raise money for charity (every quilting group I have beeen a member of has raised a lot of money for charity).  Sandra, our Chairman (and also, of course, our "Linus Lady") mentioned that some of the members had said that they hadn't made cushions before.  These are obviously new quilters, because everyone who has been quilting for any length of time has a vast collection of cushions - quite often when you go to a class/workshop you make a sample piece which ends up as an ABC ( Another Bl**dy Cushion!).  As I have been making cushions for many, many years, I offered to demonstrate a basic technique, which can be adapted to suit all sorts of cushions.  I started by cutting a 12" square for the front of the cushion

 

I then cut two rectangles 12"x15" , and folded them in half.  The first one was topstitched along the folded edge

 

the second one was stitched along the folded edge, then an inch further in

 

I put the front right side down, then put the first back piece on top, then the second back piece on top of that, aligning the raw edges

 

this shows the pieces pinned together, and the first length of binding also pinned in place

 

after stitching on the first lot of binding, I just stitched a short length what would be the third side to be done, to show how the corner will look

 

just in case you haven't seen enough herons, here is another one, which I saw in Hawick this morning

 

back in the garden, this blue tit provided a bright spot of colour

 

to finish - something silly!  I have shown you photos of this before, but when I went past this morning, I thought I would capture it again.  So, why does this chimney go through the windoow?

 

seen from another angle, you can see that it doesn't - but then, why is it there ...... I have no idea!

 

 

An unexpected day out

This week is a bit topsy turvy, so we had our Wednesday day out today (did you follow that?!).  On the way, we were stuck for a while behind a lorry which had a strange looking cargo ....... was it perhaps a satellite that they were going to launch into space?  Alas, it was nothing exotic, but merely a silo, possibly for grain

 

I, of course, was a happy bunny when we passed this tractor

 

when we arrived in Berwick, we parked near the "new" road bridge across the River Tweed

 

we walked part of the way across the old bridge, and looking down at the river, saw this flock of pigeons on the shore

 

Malcolm's sharp eyes spotted this heron, just before it disappeared behind the bottom of the bridge (click on the photo to enlarge it)

 

then he spotted this one

 

and this one

 

I spotted this one - although you may have to squint a bit to see it in the middle of the photo

 

we were still expressing our amazement at seeing so many herons in a short stretch of river, when we looked over the other side of the bridge ...... and there was another one!

 

I think this is a cormorant ......

 

........ and I know these are ducks

 

........ and this is a swan!

 

on the way home, we were stuck behind this JCB for a while - but I didn't mind too much

 

it was too miserable to go for a walk yesterday morning, but we still went out to buy the Sunday papers ....... and to share this magnificent scone, which was lemon and ginger flavoured.  That may sound a weird combination of flavours for a scone, but was delicious!!

 

then in the afternoon, we had  the last of the Christmas cake with our afternoon cuppa

 

I'll be back tomorrow with lots of sewing!