frayed at the edge

Very naughty .........

......... but very, very nice!  While we were stitching away at patch'n'chat this afternoon, we heard the chimes of an ice cream van, across the river in the caravan park.  Annette nipped out and asked the chap if he would come round to the shop, which he did.  I wonder what he thought when an orderly queue formed of older ladies?!

 

most of us had a "99" ......... there was silence in the room as we demolished them before they melted in the heat - and we managed not to drip on our sewing!

 

when we went over to the new flat last weekend, I didn't have any sewing organised to take with me, so I sat and twitched in the evenings with nothing to do (I twitched even more because we haven't yet got our broadband connected, so I couldn't read emails and my favourite blogs!).  So yesterday, I sorted out some sewing to take with me.  I bought these whimsical stitcheries earlier in the year at Anne's.  I couldn't decide what colours to use, so looked out an assortment of embroidery threads

 

I backed them with iron-on wadding, which gives a nice texture to the stitching 

 

of course sewing needs to be kept in a basket, so Malcolm was despatched to the loft to fetch this one, which I brought home many years ago from Indonesia

 

I think it is an appropriate basket as it looks a (little) bit like a pirate's treasure chest!

 

the garden continues to flourish in the sunshine.  Malcolm's beans are growing well

 

while I have two courgettes, the size of my thumb

 

the olives are flourishing, although I don't think we will be producing oil any time soon!

 

the small clematis flowers have shed their outer leaves, leaving these centres

 

the "taken over by aliens" clematis has now produced some "normal" flowers

 

this is the last clematis to flower

 

after we had recovered from eating our ice cream this afternoon, it was time for the Friday cake!  Yum, yum, our favourite one!

 

we will be heading over to Berwick in the morning, and if the weather stays good we will stay until Monday.  Wherever you are, I hope you have a good weekend.

A little bit of fun ..... several of you asked if we have given the octopus in our new print a name.  We haven't yet, so why don't you suggest one ....... I am sure I can find a little prize in my stash for the best suggestion!

Feathered brained!

We have been allowed into the big room at the College, as the other class has finished - it's wonderful to have all the extra space

 

the students arrived with their finished blocks, and Betty was persuaded to go first to lay hers out.  She has used a lovely mix of children's fabrics, as the quilt will be used by her grandchildern when they visit

 

Betty has also made an extra block, a wonderful lion.  I suggested that she could make it into a cushion to go with the quilt

 

next was Jo-an, with her autumn tones.  Her tumbling blocks are fabulous, and she said that was her favourite block to stitch

 

Susan went third ....... she has slightly less done as she was away on holiday for some of the time and missed a class.  It's amazing how the different colour choices alter the look of the quilt, given that they are all made with the same blocks

 

and last was Jane, who has struggled at times, as she didn't learn to sew as a child.  However she is making good progress now, and we all love her fabrics

 

next week will be our last (boo hoo) and I will be teaching them to hand quilt, and also how to bind their quilts.  It will be some weeks (or months) until they are all finished, so I hope we will be able to get together some time in the future to see the quilts.

When I got home, there were two interesting little packages for me.  The first one had a neat little packet it in

 

which contained little buckles for the Father Christmas wallhanging kits

 

the other package contained teflon washers to use under the sewing machine bobbin, to help it run more smoothly.  Thay were recommended by Leah Day, when I was watching her Craftsy free motion quilting class, so I thought I would try them.  I will let you know how I get on with them

 

so, to today's title.  I hope you didn't think I was referring to any (or all) of my students!  Rather, it refers to this young sparrow, who was giving his feathers a good going over this morning

 

ah, that's better ....... what a handsome sparrow I am!

 

to finish, a bit of fun.  Jane brought this to class this morning .........

 

 

Creeping ever closer!

I thought that I should make the effort today to get everything ready for next week's Abbey Quilters' exhibition.  First task was to finish my name badge

 

I then had to make a patchwork sash to wear said badge on.  I pulled this bag from my scrap basket

 

and cut lots of strips

 

it didn't take long to chain piece them in pairs

 

then stitch the pairs in pairs, and then the pairs of pairs ....... well you get the idea!  Miss Mannequin was happy the model the trial run

 

a little bit short, so I added some more strips, then trimmed the edges

 

I folded the strip in half, and stitched across one end, then down the length of the strip

 

the next job was to turn the strip right side out.  For this I enlisted the help of a ruler

 

pushing the stitched end through, until it appeared out of the other end

 

I then unpicked the stitched end

 

so that I could press the sash with the seam in the centre

 

Miss Mannequin modelling the finished sash and badge

 

she was delighted with the trim on the ends of the sash

 

I finished putting labels and hanging sleeves on my quilts, then turned to the last job of the day ........ making a cushion for the raffle.  I looked out some curtain sample pieces - two pure silk ones, and two silk/linen mix ones.  The colour don't look quite right in the photo, despite several attempts - the fabric in the top left hand corner isn't grey!

 

the four squares stitched together

 

the back stitched on ....... now I just have to add the binding

 

I just laid the cover on top of the cushion pad to see how it looked - pretty good I think!

 

to finish, a few more photos from the weekend.  On Sunday, we went for a long walk on the beach, and of course did some beachcombing.  Malcolm collected lots of driftwood, and I picked up shells and sea glass.  Back at the flat, I washed my treasures, then added them to this little driftwood sculpture, which was the first one that Malcolm made

 

as well as watching the swans gliding in and out of the dock, there were also boats to be watched

how do you like this fine fellow - he is in a temporary frame, until we get a suitable one (I got the print here)

An early start!I

Determined to take a nice selection of photos for you, I made an early start, catching this young robin in the bath just after 7am

 

I water the house plants every second Friday, and was delighted this morning to find another orchid has flowered.  It is just a teeny, tiny one, but the markings are striking

 

the lilies in the hall are going over and will soon head for the compost bin (please note that I managed to avoid getting my reflection in the mirror!)

 

 

the horses in the field across the road were having a leisurely morning

 

at patch'n'chat this afternoon, Margaret was working on another of her fabulous applique quilts (click on the photos to enlarge them to see the wonderful details of her embroidery)

 

Annette wasn't in the shop today, so we were worried that we wouldn't get our usual Friday cake ....... but all was well, as this wonderful raspberry and cream meringue roulade had been purchased from Border Meringues, whose shop is only a few minutes walk from Borderland Fabrics

 

back home, we had tacos for dinner ......... I liked the colours of the platter of accompaniments

 

 

at this point, I saved what I had written so far, as I had just taken some more photos, and wanted to include them  We started with a little bird having a bath after breakfast , and now we have a large one having a bath after dinner!

the forecast isn't too good for the weekend, but I am sure that won't stop us from having a visit to our lovely new holiday home.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

The end is in sight!

This morning Jo-An had her two blocks from last week - as autumn colours are my favourite, I really liked her colour choices!

 

Susan was still working on her Trip Around the World

 

Betty has chosen vibrant animal prints, with visiting grandchildren in mind

 

the students got their last two blocks today, and  will spend the last two classes learning how to put the quilt together and then how to quilt and bind it.  They got a sneak peek today of the Father Christmas wallhanging.  Yesterday I finished the blanket stitching and got the wallhanging ready for machine quilting.  First I taped the backing fabric to the table

 

then added the wadding and the quilt top

 

it didn't take long to pin the layers together

 

I popped the walking foot on, and started by quilting in-the-ditch round the border

 

then I quilted Father Christmas

 

you can see the quilting on the wrong side

 

the next job is to sew in all the ends of my quilting thread

 

oh dear - I have run out of photos!  After class this morning I had my first "probationery review" ...... really just a chat with the head of department.  I will have another one in about six months time, after which (all being well) I will be a fully fledged member of staff.  I then spent the rest of the afternoon being pampered at the hairdressers, having my hair coloured and cut.  So I shall have to try harder tomorrow to take more photos!!

A change in the weather

It's just as well I took these photos of the garden yesterday when the sun was shining, as today has been cloudy and windy.  Everytime I go to and from the studio, I brush against the lavender, releasing a cloud of scent

 

the planter that Malcolm made last year is looking good

 

the shady corner is thriving - I wonder if there are exotic creatures hiding in the luxuriant foliage

 

Malcolm's beans are doing well

 

as are my courgettes

 

the grape vine and olive tree are thriving in their new planter

 

at the back of the garden, the air is full of the scent of honeysuckle

I had to get a new memory card for my camera - the old one simply came apart!  When I put it in the camera this morning, I saw this little sparrow in the garden.  A quick photo to check the card was working ok .........

 

but the cheeky chap flew off as I took a second photo

 

fortunately he didn't fly far, and I was able to take another photo of him

 

 

Christmas in July!

It only seems five minutes since it was January, and now it is July!!  It has been another lovely day, so what better time to work on my Christmas wallhanging.  I did some prep on Sunday, starting with a little colouring in, and writing some notes about fabrics

 

when I was at the College last week, I was able to make several photocopies of the A3 drawing, making it much easier to mark out where the pieces will overlap

 

I forgot to take a photo of the next stage, with all the pieces traced on to the fusible web, but here they are all cut out

 

I ironed them on to the fabrics, and measured how much fabric was needed, as I will be making up kits

 

the white fabric was a bit thin, so I bonded a plain white fabric to the back of it

 

now, fast forward to this morning.  Did you notice that there were no black felt pieces?  That was because I didn't have any!  I bought some yesterday, and first job today was to iron the fusible web on

 

I cut out all the pieces ....... where a piece fits under another, I mark the edge with a dashed line and cut a little extra

 

the next job was to decide the size of the background fabric

 

the pieces laid in place with some embellishments

 

I put my heat-resistant cover on the table - it had rather a lot of thread on it, so I cleaned it up with the sticky roller

 

then I pressed the pieces in place, using a piece of baking parchment to protect the iron from getting sticky, and the fabric from getting scorched

 

Father Christmas wanted his photo taken out in the sun

 

I spent the afternoon working blanket stitch round the edges and watching the tennis.  Despite ever-louder screeching and shrieking (which I think she does to put her opponent off her game) Maria Sharapova was beaten - my ears were thankful when it was over!!

 

to finish - with all the staying up late with Malcom when he watches the World Cup, I have stitched quite a few hexie pyramids for Mrs Billings, and prepped another pile of plain hexies

Fly little birdies, fly!

When I went out to the studio this morning to get my stuff for work, I saw six little swallows sitting on the fence.  I quickly fetched the camera, thinking they would probably be gone by the time I came back out of the house, but they were still there

 

four on the right ........

 

........ and two on the left

 

I had just crept in to take this closer shot when the parents appeared and chased them off the fence into the air - a reluctant one got a swipe of a wing to encourage it!  Soon they were all swooping round the garden - much too fast to take aphoto!

 

I got to Jedburgh earlier than usual, so I spent a few minutes taking photos of the Abbey in the sun

 

as always I organised the room ready for the students arriving

 

the sun was streaming in the window, making it hard to take a photo of the table (complete with my cuppa!)

 

of course it didn't take long for the usual chaos to appear!

 

I have been asked to teach more classes, so I suggested doing a Christmas wallhanging in November.  Yesterday I got out some of my many Christmas patterns looking for inspiration

 

I decided I would have an applique Father Christmas with borders, so I drew a rough outline (stop laughing, you know I can't draw!!) ..........

 

......... I gave the sketch to Malcolm and asked him to draw a proper version

 

while Malcolm watches the football, I have been watching either Ricky Tim's tv shows, or Craftsy classes, and it has made me realise how much I have neglected my free motion quillting recently.  This is serious, as you really need to do it regularly.  So yesterday I made up a little calico sandwich and popped it in a quilting hoop.  I had barely started when ...... oops, the thread shredded and fankled.  It was my own fault, as I hadn't changed the needle

 

it's hard to get back into a free-flowing rhythm - more practice is definitely required!

 

we will be on tenterhooks tomorrow morning, waiting to hear from our solicitor in Berwick that the purchase of the flat has been completed.  As soon as we hear we will go over to pick up the keys.  All being well there may just be a photo or two in tomorrow's post!!

Paperwork!

When I took the job at the college to teach patchwork, I didn't realise how much paperwork it would generate.  Not just all the form filling for the college, but the pages and pages of instructions.  Normally I would just deminstrate how a block was made, or the sashings added, but because my students are compkete beginners, I need to give them fairly detailed instructions to remind them what to do when they finish their blocks at home

 

scribbles are all very well for me, but I think I will have to make a neater job of writing and drawing these instructions

 

I have been continuing to get things ready for Abbey Quilters' exhibition next month.  I thought I ought to make the effort to stitch the eyes on the little birds on "Lillyanny"

 

I used a combination of sequins and beads

 

 

I have borrowed Stuart's Badger wallhanging for the exhibition.  I like it so much, I may have to make one for myself!!

 

I've been toiling away on my hexies for Mrs Billings

 

after the fabric birdies, I have two real birdies to finish with.  The first one came for a bath yesterday evening.  I only managed to take one photo of him, but I think it is a young robin

 

then this evening Mr Blackbird arrived to do his ablutions

 

Malcolm is channel hopping.  England's cricketers are battling to secure a draw in the Test Match, and their footballers (bunch of numpties) are trying not to lose their final game at the World Cup (having lost their first two).  The Scotland footballers are much more sensible - they just don't bother to qualify, saving us the agony of defeat!!

 

 

Living on a grand scale : part 2

We enjoyed our leisurely stroll round the grounds, which led us to the plant centre.  We stopped to admire this wonderful topiary

 

this cardoon was about 6 feet tall ......

 

it is a relation of the globe artichoke

 

as the castle is so big, I am sure they could spare this little building for me!

 

I could quite happily have pottered round the castle for an hour or two, finding interesting angle for taking photos

 

we discovered that we had something in common with the castle ........ way back in the 90s, Malcolm made fences like this for our garden.  I shall have to see if I can unearth some photos

 

some more looking up .....

 

when we had a look round the gift shop, I found Malcolm engrossed in this book.  I knew he wouldn't buy it, but once back home would wish that he had ....... so I took it out of his hands and bought it for him!

 

look at this one - something else to do with his collection of wine corks!

 

there is a saying that an Englishman's home is his castle, so we can claim to live in a castle ........ it just isn't as grand as this one!

 

it's Thusday, so that means I was working this morning ......... although doing something I enjoy doesn't seem like work!  This week our blocks were Dresden plate, and a wreath.  I've just looked back through my photos from the weekend, and don't have one of the prep for the Dresden plate.  This is my sample, to show them how it all goes together.  It is a straightforward block to stitch

 

 

The wreath is more complicated, as it has three separate elements.  First, making bias strips for the circle

making the first 45 degree cut

 

cutting 1" strips

 

 

using the bias tape maker

 

the second element is making the leaves using freezer paper

 

then the third one is making the flowers

 

I then used my beam compass to mark the circle for the wreath

 

the first stages pinned in place

 

after the students arrive, it doesn't take long for the table to descend into chaos, causing frequent cries throughout the morning of where's my fabric/ruler/pins/pencil etc!

 

to finish, two action shots

Jo-an  cutting her bias strips

 

Jane using the bias tape maker