frayed at the edge

What Malcolm made

I will have to get Malcolm organised to take photos of his projects, as I think we have missed several stages of his latest creation!  This next photo gives you a good idea of what it is going to be

 

not quite so pretty on the back!

 

battens added to support .......

 

........ shelves.  You are probably thinking that he is making a bookcase, but it is actually for crockery and glasses, which are jammed into the kitchen cupboards in the flat

 

it now needs a good sand, then he will probably wax it

 

or perhaps some chalk paint?

 

and all that it has cost is some screws and nails, and a bit of time and effort

 

we had some more new lambs in the field this morning

 

most of the ewes have twins

 

but this one seemed to have just a singleton

 

we came over to the flat after lunch, and went for a walk over to town this afternoon.  We popped into Fantoosh for a cuppa.  This little coffee shop/gift shop used to be in Duns, but that one closed, and they opened this one in Berwick in November

 

Malcolm got a very large jug of hot frothy milk to go with his americano 

 

and my tea was in a very stylish pot

 

we had half each of a slice of elderflower drizzle cake, and a mixed berry scone (although it looks like a muffin, it was a scone) - both were delicious

 

Stuart and Alison are joining us tomorrow, and we will be going out for dinner.  It will be a belated Mothers' Day meal, and a very belated celebration of Stuart's appointment to Managing Director (there may be a bottle of champagne in the fridge!!)  I hope you have a good weekend, and have something to celebrate with a loved one, love Anne

 

Shadow applique

I mentioned on Tuesday that Elaine was going to show us how to do shadow applique at Abbey Quilters' meeting.  She had made up kits for us to buy, and we had the choice of doing Sunbonnet Sue or tulips

 

I chose the tulips, and this shows the pattern pieces traced on to fusible web, then ironed on to the wrong side of the fabric

 

the pieces were then cut out and fused to the background fabric

 

the next step was to add a piece of organza, and hand quilt round the tulips

 

the hand quilting finished

 

I added some beads

 

checking the placement of the tulip in the card

 

I  stuck the tulips in place with double-sided tape, then stitched round the edge, and added a little Easter greeting

 

when I made the little quilt from four fat quarters, I mentioned that you could make it from pastel colours, so this afternoon I pulled these fat quarters from my stash

 

when I turned on the iron to press the fabrics before cutting them, I took a photo of the clock

 

here is the finished quilt top (the pale colours don't show up well on the design wall)

 

I moved the clock down on to the ironing board, so that you could see that this really was the time when I finished ...... I told you that it was a very quick quilt to make!

 

to finish the afternoon, I cut another batch of hexagons ....... generating another lovely pile of scraps!!

 

and to finish - if you have had a busy day, and can't be bothered to make a proper cheese sauce, or if you have a gluten free diet, here is a quick but tasty sauce.  Simply put some creme fraiche into a small saucepan and add grated or crumbled cheese - this is gorgonzola.  Warm it until the cheese is melted - easy, quick and most importantly, delicious!!

 

A little tutorial

I thought I would write a little tutorial about what I did with the four fat quarters - I made a very quick and easy quilt, which has minimal cutting, and minimal sewing

 

first, for non-quilters, what is a fat quarter.  It is a metre of fabric, cut in half across the width, and then down the length.  This generally gives you a piece of fabric nineteen and a half inches by twenty one or twenty two inches.  But not all fat quarters are cut accurately, as you can see from this one, which doesn't meet the line on its left hand corner

 

but it does on the right

 

it is also over an inch longer than it should be - good for the quilter, but cutting into the shop's profits

 

and you can see the difference in these two fat quarters

 

so, let's start the quilt.  From the centre fat quarter, cut a piece twenty one and a half inches by eighteen and a half inches, and from one of the plain colours cut two pieces twenty one and a half inches by nine and a half inches, and stitch them together like this

 

from the other plain fabric cut two pieces eighteen and a half inches by nine and a half inches, and from the fourth fabric cut four nine and a half inch squares.  Make two units like this one

 

press the seams towards the patterned fabrics, then butt the seams up like this

 

and pin them ready for stitching

 

a little word about stitching.  I always start with a thread catcher.  begin sewing about half an inch from the edge

 

then when you stitch to the edge and sew on to  your seam, the edge won't be chewed up, as often happens if you try to stitch from the very edge.  After stitching, snip off the thread catcher - the ends of thread are on the thread catcher, instead of on the floor.  You can see that I am using my quarter inch foot ....... there is a lot of nonsense spouted about these feet, with certain well known quilters saying you should never use them, but use a regular foot, changing your needle position to obtain a quarter inch seam.  Please be assured that the quilt police won't turn up at your door if you use your quarter inch foot - I have been using one for more than twenty years without any dire consequences!

 

this shows the neatly matched seams

 

and here is the finished quilt, which measures 36"x39".  Of course you don't have to make the quilt in such bright colours - you might like to make it in pastel colours for a new baby

 

I hope you have enjoyed this little tutorial, and will be inspired to make a quilt.  Next week I will show you how to layer up and quilt it.

 

A little bit of knitting

Just a quick post, as it is Abbey Quilters' monthly meeting tonight, which means an early dinner before I pop over to Jedburgh to pick up Maureen, and then on to Kelso.  Tonight, one of the members, Elaine, is showing us how to do shadow applique.  

So, a little bit of knitting.  The latest Linus blanket is coming along nicely

 

some weeks ago, Maureen suggested that I might like to enter some knitted items in the Industrial (handcraft) section of Jedburgh flower show.  She sent me the list of items, and when we were in Berwick last week I popped into the little wool shop and bought these patterns for the baby knits

 

then it was into the stash for some yarns.  I like white for tiny matinee jackets

the hooded jacket will be in a bigger size, so I chose this vibrant red, as I think it will show off the pattern well

 

come back tomorrow, and I will show you what I did with these four fat quarters!

Thoroughly spoiled!

 

Yesterday was Mothers' Day, and Stuart as usual sent a cheeky card

 

as he was unable to visit (he and Alison will be down next weekend instead), Malcolm stood in for him and spoiled me all day.  I had a cup of tea in bed, then despite a dusting of snow ......

 

..... we headed out for breakfast.  I had the most delicious French toast with bacon and maple syrup

 

while Malcolm had scrambled egg and goat's cheese, with toast

 

as we left the coffee shop, I was given a little bunch of daffodils, which was a lovely surprise!

 

back home, Malcolm slaved all afternoon making a special dinner for me (ok, he had been to M&S for a meal deal!!).  Exquisite duck legs, cooked sous vide, with rosemary potatoes, to which he added green beans and carrots

 

and the pudding - oh my, a deconstructed millionaire's shortbread

 

and now, back to Saturday, and some sewing.  I added the next border to Mrs Billings

 

then made a start to appliqueing the small hexies

 

this is part one of the stitcheries - there are eight parts in all, but none of them shows a photo of the completed quilt, just a construction diagram

 

as well as the 32 stitcheries, there are 62 blocks with patterned fabric centres (I was going cross-eyed counting them, so decided to number them!)

 

I've made a start to cutting the necessary hexies (and look at all those lovely scraps)

 

and this morning I managed to track down a photo of the finished quilt on the Rosalie Quinlan website.  I think instead of having the hexies sticking out at the tio and bottom, I will put in half-hexies

 

meanwhile Malcolm was in the garage sorting out wood from his stash for his piece of furniture

 

there are serious power tools involved in this project!

 

and to finish ........ lambs!!  These little dark ones were in the field across the road when we came back from Berwick on Saturday morning

 

then this morning there were these teeny tiny white ones

 

the last two photos are a bit blurred, as these two lambs were quite a distance away - but they are so cute I had to include them

 

A new look!

Don't worry, you haven't come to the wrong place, I have just updated the header for the spring!  I have also updated my bloglist on the sidebar ...... do have a look and pop in for a visit to the new ones I have included.

So, back to yesterday and our walk back through the town.  Malcolm wouldn't let me "borrow" a golf buggy, to save walking back to the flat!

 

we don't usually see the walls from down below, as we more often walk along the top

 

this gate is small, to make it harder for the enemy (the dastardly Scots) to invade the town

 

 

this church is one of only two which were built while Oliver Cromwell governed the country

 

when it was built it had no altar, stained glass or bells

 

we spent some time reading the old gravestones

 

as this soldier died in 1800, we think he may have been killed in the Napoleonic Wars

 

next to the Cromwellian church is this more ornate one

 

which despite being in England, is Church of Scotland

 

across the road is this building, which has obviously been a church, but now appears disused

 

it had beautiful windows

 

then just a few yards along the road is  ....... yes, another church!

 

I stopped to watch this big machine working on a demolition site ........ Malcolm actually said that I could have one, when I said that I would use it to demolish all the politicians we don't like (that's a long list!)

 

we were looking at this menu outside a restaurant when I spotted the deep fried haggis ...... but what an insult to have batter made with whiskey, which is Irish ...... it should of course be whisky!

 

although winter is reluctant to leave, there are signs of spring

 

and we have to have some cake, as it is Friday.  Sadly not a home baked one, but some rather tasty muffins 

 

as the forecast isn't that good, I think we will head back home tomorrow, so no doubt I will get on with some sewing.  Malcolm has plans to make a piece of furniture for the flat, so probably he will be out in the garage playing with sorting out his stash of wood.  I hope you have a good weekend (and for my lovely Aussie friends, I hope it isn't too hot!!)  Love Anne

Fun on the beach!

 

 

We came over to Berwick this morning, and after lunch decided to go for a walk on the beach that is way over on the other side of town.  We went past the Bell Tower

 

then on past the golf course

 

we paused to look out beyond the lighthouse to Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne

 

 

 

 

then there was the beach below us

 

we very sensibly walked down the steps

 

but it might have been fun to go down the slide (stop sniggering, who said my bottom would get stuck!!)

 

we may have had fun making dams to divert the water running out to sea

 

one of us played with a shell, floating it on a little pool (which one of us ...... well, it wasn't me!)

 

I made a stone stack

 

which was dwarfed by the slab of rock I sat it on

 

Malcolm joined in the fun, and together we created this larger stack

 

the sun came out, casting our shadows on the sand

 

Malcolm thought this bit of broken wall looked like a crocodile

 

there was very little driftwood on this stretch of beach, but we did pick up some little bits of driftwood and china (I must knit new fingerless mitts, my pink ones are getting a bit shabby)

 

these birds ignored us, as they poked about at the water's edge

 

there were lots of limpet shells on the beach

 

but these are live ones clinging to the rock

 

I've still got lots of photos from our walk back through the town, which I'll show you tomorrow.  To finish, on our way back to the flat we popped in here ......

 

....... for a cuppa  and a delicious lemon meringue tart

The strange case of the missing coat hanger!

When I read Meredithe's post this morning about covering a coat hanger, it reminded me of a lovely blue velvet coat hanger which my Mum had given me many, many years ago.  I looked through all my clothes hanging in my wardrobe and couldn't find it.  Where was it?  I eventually found it in the back of Malcolm's wardrobe!!

 

I heard you asking what was that on the hook above the coat hanger ....... it is a tiny macaron case, which my lovely Aussie quilting friend GJ sent me a kit to make

 

after I had indulged in my usual Wednesday morning soak in the bath (complete with book, mug of hot chocolate and chocolate biscuit), we headed out to Melrose for a bite of lunch.  I was rather taken with these rusty chickens

 

and I think Malcolm was glad that this shop was shut so that I couldn't add to my owl collection!

 

after considering several places, we ended up in our favourite Rhymer's Fayre for lunch

 

Malcolm tucked into the "super" toastie - stuffed with ham, cheese, pickle, tomato and onions

 

while I had the tuna melt - tuna, cheese, sweetcorn and mayo

 

and of course we have to have a photo of the Abbey!

 

back home, I had finished another little knitted blanket for Linus

 

with, just for Amy, a crocheted edge!

 

the Linus bundle is looking good

 

and so to the fabric that I bought yesterday.  As you know, Borderland Fabrics, where we go for patch'n'chat, was flooded recently.  The sad news is that Annette has decided to close the shop ........ but the good news is that she is having a major sale first, with 25% off almost everything.  So I popped in yesterday, and this is what I came home with

 

I have already used some of the red fabric to put a border on the black and red quilt

 

which I couldn't show you on the design wall because I had started another quilt.  I had cut these strips years ago from a pack of fat quarters, but then I had realised that I had turned the fat quarters the wrong way, and the strips were the wrong length for what I had in mind

 

so I sewed them together in pairs, then cross cut them into squares

 

I put them up on the design wall

 

then today I cut squares from the white fabric that I bought yesterday

 

and decided that I would put circles, made from the scraps, in the white squares - I prepped this one to see how it would look

 

this afternoon I stitched the last of the large hexies in place on Mrs B, which had to be left over the ironing board, because of the new quilt on the design wall

 

and back in the house, there is another Linus blanket on the needles

Knit one, stitch one

First up today is the animal Linus quilt.  Having  machine stitched the binding on the front, I sat down to watch a dvd while I hand stitched the binding on the back

 

all finished,a lovely bright quilt, which has cosy fleece on the back

 

then it was on to the first of the two brushed cotton baby quilts.  Having stitched curves in the small squares, I was sitting wondering what to do in the big squares when  Malcolm came into the studio.  "What will I do in the big squares?" I asked.  "Straight lines" he replied.  "Moi, stitch straight lines, I don't think so!"

 

but I changed to the walking foot, stuck on a strip of masking tape as a guide .......

 

....... and stitched straight lines

 

ok, he was right, the straight lines look good

 

so I used them on the other one as well

 

the next job was to darn in all the ends, so I got out my new easy-theading needles

 

they have a slot in the top that you pull the thread through, which saves a lot of time if you have lots of ends to sew in

 

ends all dealt with, I folded the backing fabric out of the way, and trimmed off the excess wadding

 

then I trimmed the backing fabric to an inch bigger all round than the quilt top.  I folded the backing fabric over to the front and stitched it down to make false binding ...... and forgot to take a photo of that stage!

 

here are the two finished quilts

 

and here are the latest two knitted blankets

 

along with the blanket I had already finished, that's a nice pile to go to Linus!

 

I prepped the next four stitcheries

 

then pinned the big hexies in place in the remaining two borders

 

and pinned a strip of small hexagons in place to see how they looked 

 

I may have bought some fabric this morning ...... I'll tell you about it tomorrow!

 

A walk in the woods

Yesterday morning we drove over to the Woodside Garden Centre, and having parked the car, went for a walk in the woods.  We had only gone a few yards when I had to stop to take this photo, of the sun shining on a tree stump

 

since we last were there for a walk, this new bridge has been built

 

it is a major construction, with metal supports

 

there were lots of snowdrops

 

and the wild garlic was just starting to come through

 

this may look like a weird woodland creature, but it is a pile of fallen branches smothered in moss

 

this flash of white caught Malcolm's eye

 

we decided that it was a fungus, but neither of us was willing to touch it, to examine it more closely

 

this bridge is a somewhat smaller construction than the new one

 

this fishermen's hut is slowly falling to bits

 

we eventually had to turn back, as the path got too muddy, but it was no hardship to pop into the garden centre for a spot of excellent sconnage!

 

this morning I spotted this big fat pigeon poking about under the bird table

 

then this afternoon a robin appeared and sat at the edge of the bird bath

 

would he venture into the water?

 

he decided that he would rather have a meal instead!

 

I'll be back tomorrow with lots of sewing - and some knitting