frayed at the edge

Home is where the heart is ........

........ is the theme for the April block for Lucie's  "A is for Applique" challenge.  In a previous post I showed you the fabric that I had chosen, and the little stitcheries that I hoped to use in some of the blocks.  I don't very often draw out a proper pattern - I just scribble a vague plan.  This was the first version ......

 

....... and this was the second version

 

I had decided to use the idea of hearts as flowers

 

as always I used a cereal packet to make my templates.  Here they are ready to mark out the pieces on freezer paper

 

I stitched the little stitchery to two pieces of fabric, the top piece is for another stitchery, and the larger piece is for the applique

 

after a great deal of thought, I came up with this wording for the stitchery

 

I'll show you the next stages tomorrow.  It has been very windy today, and when I opened the back door to go out to the studio, two of the Indonesian puppets under the hall table blew over!

 

this is how they should look

 

these bigger puppets are too heavy to blow over

 

to finish, some rather sad photos!  We had a pair of collared doves in the garden for several weeks, but now there is only one of them, who flits between the front and back gardens, calling for its mate.  For the past few days, it has taken to sitting on the wooden steps in front of the lounge window

Hoarse!

I have been croaking a bit today, after talking loudly yesterday evening!  I asked my friend Anne S to take photos for me, and she has captured some good action shots (and some less flattering ones that you are not going to see!)

showing off the (almost) finished project

 

some inspiration

 

lazy daisies

 

showing the samples

 

working my way round the room, giving advice

 

helping Caroline

 

why am I laughing?

 

because Katy was trying to distract me (while Maureen got on with her sewing)

 

a last look at the wallhanging, now called Abbey Flowers

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, and I hope the members did too.  When I got home, Malcolm poured me a very welcome glass of wine, then it was off to bed to dream about applique flowers!!

The big night!

After all the preparation, my big night teaching textured applique at Abbey Quilters has arrived.  So just a quick post before I have my dinner and head out for Kelso.  I didn't finish all the quilting, as I wanted to leave some ares free of stitching, to show the difference that quilting makes.  I also used several different stitches to show how that can change the look of the work as well

the almost finished piece (which still doesn't have a name!)

 

echo quilting

 

continuing a section of quilting out in the sashing

 

cross hatching

 

seed stitch - time-consuming, but effective

 

echoes of the tendrils

 

turkey tracks - another time-comsuming stitch

 

tiny leaves

 

the only lines that I marked were the ones for crosshatching (I didn't have a ruer in the house, so I just used the edge of a bookmark, which is why the spacing is a bit uneven!).  I don't generally use any fancy sort of marking pencil, unless I need a white pencil to show up on dark fabric.  I like mechanical pencils .... and shock, horror, yesterday I used up my last one!  But look what Malcolm got for me when he was out this morning

 

ps - the fabric the pencils are sitting on is the one I got to use as a background for the cottages.

Spectacular quilts .....

...... but they aren't mine!  Kay calls in to Borderland Fabric on the first Friday of the month with the quilts which she has longarm quilted.  First out of the bag was Kath's quilt, which is much brighter than it looks in the photo

 

next was Elizabeth's stunning quilt, which is entirely hand-pieced

 

the next two wallhangings were made by a man (!), Ray

 

at first glance, the second one looks like the first one, but if you look at the flying geese border, you will see that the colours are reversed

 

this detail shows Kay's wonderful quilting

 

Doreen's quilt is fresh and bright

 

Jan had brought a stunning blue and white quilt top in to have a chat with Kay about having it quilted, and to ask if the wadding she has would be suitable

 

Sandra had brought in this gorgeous quilt which she is making for her daughter.  She still has the outer borders to add - we are looking forward to seeing it when she finishes it

 

then, of course, we had the highlight of the day ...... cake!  This week we had a new one, a very, very delicious banana cake (although poor Maureen doesn't like banana cake and had to make do with a shortbread biscuit!)

 

over the weekend, I will be finishing my preparatons for my big night at Tuesday's meeting of Abbey Quilters, and making a start to the new version of my Country Cottages wallhanging.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

 

Fingers crossed!

Acting on advice from Rattling on, I am using a different browser today .... so here goes!

 

I had a good trip down to Anne's yesterday, it was dry, bright and clear and the hills looked spectacular with their covering of snow.  But as always there were no laybys that I could stop in to take photos!  So I came up with a briliant idea - a camera that is linked to my eyes.  All I would have to do is look at something and blink and the camera would take a photo.  Now I just have to find someone to make it for me!!

There was a lot of sewing going on yesterday.  If you think Annie's hexagons are small .....

 

..... she had some that were even smaller

 

I think I might make some for an applique project

 

Frances was working on her wonderful seahorses.  She has had to restitch some of the pieces as they didn't fit together properly - I think I would have thrown it in the corner!

 

Susan was working on miniature log cabins blocks, which several of the Friday patch'n'chatters are also doing.  I think I would soon get bored of producing block after block - you need an awful lot of them to even make a cushion!

 

Ros was working on an applique block which is part of a quilt that she is doing at classes at the shop

 

Karen was working on the same block

 

Margaret was hand quilting a beautiful double wedding ring quilt

that's Margaret on the left and Annie on the right

 

I showed off my Country Cottages, and was delighted when Anne said she would sell the pattern (and perhaps kits) in the shop.  So I immediately chose these ten fabrics to make a revised version (and then afterwards I remembered to choose a background fabric for the cottage blocks, but I haven't taken a photo of it yet)

 

as you saw in an earlier photo, I had my applique wallhanging with me, to continue the hand quilting.  Before I started the quilting, I had to decide how to do it.  Perhaps with traditional cross hatching

 

or with echo quilting

 

I decided to echo quilt - I am seriously out of practice with my handquilting, so the stitches are larger than I would normally do

 

Well, I have uploaded the photos today without any problems, so I may just continue to use this browser in future for writing my posts!

 

Country Cottages

Inspired by all the quilts that I have been making for Anne, I decided to have a go at designing one!  The first step was to work out what I wanted the blocks to look like, and having drawn out the diagram which you have already seen, I chose these fabrics from my stash of small prints

 

using a plain cream fabric for the centre square, I made up this sample block

 

but what to put in the middle?  I decided to have little cottages, but as I have mentioned before, I can't draw!  So I handed Malcolm some sheets of paper with six inch squares drawn on them, and asked him to draw some cottages for me.  You saw the first stage of the first cottage, with the pieces bondawebbed in place.  I then stitched round the pieces with black thread, and stitched in the windows and doors

 

then I added the borders

 

next, I made another three blocks

 

the next stage was to add sashing between the blocks, with a nine-patch in the centre

 

I then added an outer border and more nine-patches

 

this is just a first version, and I can see some things I will do differently, including a lighter-coloured fabric for the sashing - the green is too dominant.  I have enjoyed doing it, and I'm looking forward to making an improved version!

I have also finished Leanne's House, and will be going down to Longframlington tomorrow to give it to Anne - I just hope that she likes it after all that work!

 

Lucie has started a challenge, to make a quilt called "A is for Applique".  The theme for the first block is "home is where the heart is", and following Lucie's suggestion, I had a look through some magazines for inspiration

 

knowing how easy it is to while away time looking through magazines, I gave myself a time limit of thirty minutes!  I saw a red, white and bue quilt, which reminded me that I had this fabric in my stash, which I bought at Quilt Expo in The Hague in 2004

 

another quilt reminded me of these little stitchery blocks, which I designed some time ago

 

I was momentarily distracted by thhese fabrics, which were in the same project box as the stitcheries (I don't know why!).  I immediately thought of the calico applique - this would look good!

 

but back to the challenge!   I now have to think of a way to combine a stitchery with some applique (I hope that's allowed in the rules!).  Of  course I'm thinking of hearts and houses - this may turn out to be a big block ...... but then using all that fabric will be another big contribution to "the year of using it up"!!

I have also started handquilting the textured applique wallhanging .   I can't remember giving it a name ....... can you suggest one?  But you know what I'm going to say now ... here is a sneak peek, I'll show you more tomorrow!

Two walks!

Although the weather continues to be cold, it has been dry and reasonably bright, so we not only went for a walk yesterday morning, we also went for one this afternoon.  Yesterday we headed to Harestanes.  We hadn't been there for a walk for some time, as when we had the wet spell of weather we knew that the paths would have been very muddy ...... and the Visitor Centre closes over the winter, so we would have had to go elsewhere for our post-walk cuppa!

very large bits of old trees

 

a new bridge under construction

 

I wonder what this trap is for

 

another new bridge

 

perhaps Malcolm could build a log store for the owner of this magnificent log pile!

 

we had a cuppa and a scone - but it was just a run-of-the-mill scone, not worthy of a photo!  Being retired, Bank Holidays are really just like any other day for us, but we decided to have an afternoon off from our usual Monday routine, and headed into Hawick for a walk in the park

a hint of blue sky!

 

a tree caught on the bridge after the last floods

 

 

the rear end of a tree creeper!

 

the memorial bust of the late, great Bill McLaren

 

crocus

 

primrose

 

I don't know what these are!

 

we popped in to the museum in the park ......

 

........ as there were three new exhibitions that we hadn't yet seen, on old postcards, street photography and 75 years of photos from the Hawick camera club.  I couldn't take photos of the exhibitions, but I was able to take a photo of the old classroom - I sat at desks like these when I was at primary school and my teachers had similar tall desks!

 

we went to the Mill for a cuppa - but as this is one of my Fast Diet days, sadly there was no scone!

 

I'll  be back tomorrow with a sewing update .....  here is another sneak peek of my new project

No snow!

Hooray - it hasn't snowed today, but it has still been very cold.  So when I went out for a quick walk this morning, I had to wrap up well.  The donkeys were sensible and staying in their stable, but the ponies weren't bothered by the cold

 

although it didn't snow today, there is still snow on the Mintos

 

there was a little bit of colour in the big flower pot in front of the church

 

my favourite view on the way home

 

back home, I had a potter round the garden.  The flowering current is flourishing .....

 

...... but the ornamental quince still has tightly furlded buds.  It was in full flower this time last year, when we had unseasonably warm weather, but the consequence of that was that there were no bees or flies about to pollinate the flowers, resulting in very few quince in the autumn

 

this clematis is in a very sheltered spot in the back garden, so is much further on than the other clematis

 

the hellebore has flowered all through the winter!

 

the honeysuckle is also in a sheltered spot

 

now that I only have the last block to finish of the Leanne's House wallhanginng, I thought I would make a start to putting the blocks together  The first stage was to press them well, on the wrong side

 

then I trimmed them

 

the first three blocks stitched together

 

then the next three

 

then the two rows stitched together

 

I also did some work on the mystery project ...... shall I give you a sneak peak?

Stripping!

I have been very busy working on several projects, but I can't yet show you one of them.  The studio has descended into complete chaos

 

So, what have I been working on?  I have done more prep on the Baltimore block

 

I have been preparing oversize samples for the textured applique wallhanging, so that it will be easier for everyone to see them.  I made them with cheap calico, rather than more expensive patchwork fabric, but I quite like the look, and might have to do a wallhanging in calico!

 

I made these samples years ago, and they were looking a bit scruffy.  But a good press spruced them up.  Rather than make a sample for each season I did one for winter/spring

 

and one for summer/autumn

 

these samples later inspired this wallhanging "Bonnie Baskets"

 

if you are wondering why I took the photo at a strange angle ....

 

...... it's because the wallhanging is way up at the top of the wall!  I put the Leanne's House blocks up on the design wall, as I am just about finished the last block

 

oh no!  What is this?  Two little blank squares

 

a quick look at the pattern showed that there should be flowers

 

Lucie had asked for suggestions for using up 1" strips.  I got out a little pile of leftover binding

 

and cut a selection of strips, and a 6" square of bondaweb

 

I pinned the strips in place

 

covered them with baking parchment, and ironed them on to the bondaweb

 

I only melted one of the pins!

 

the final stage was to trim the block to size

 

that was all I had time for this afternoon, but the plan is to make three more blocks, then bond them on to cotton wadding.  I will then use decorative machine stitches to cover the raw edges.  The last job of the afternoon was to take photos of the applique wallhanging.  I just have  some French knots to work on the yoyo flowers, then it will be ready to quilt

 

I added a little spider web, just for fun!!

A little flock of birds!

It was an afternoon of birds at patch'n'chat.  First Margaret, having finished her dog quilt, had moved on to birds

 

then Maureen was working on her version of the Lovebirds

 

finishing it just before it was time to go home

 

Katy, just back from a wonderful cruise, was working on tiny log cabin blocks

 

and showing of this delightful bag, which she bought on her travels

 

the Friday cake was very, very delicious ..... I think conversation came to a halt as we all savoured the beautifully light sponge, cream and raspberry jam

 

the forecast this morning said that there would be a band of snow moving in from the west, and another from the east.  For most of the day, we only had the odd flight, but it is snowing now.  I am supposed to be going to Kelso tomorrow for a Linus Coffee Morning ..... I am starting to think there is a gremlin trying to stop me going to Kelso!!  Whatever your weather, I hope you have a good weekend, and to cheer up those of you who are enduring the continuing winter weather ...... a quirky photo taken on a very sunny day in Sydney last year!