frayed at the edge

Safe arrival!

I was delighted to receive an e-mail from Kylie to say that her parcel had arrived, so now I can show you the little extras that I used to finish the cushions

 

I stitched the labels on the sewing machine

 

 

I couldn't resist this spotty purple ribbon for the fastenings!

I also sent her the Japanese folded patchwork box that I made for a Tuesday Tutorial, and a brooch that was made from purple i-cord with a purple pansy button in the centre (you may have realised that purple is Kylie's favourite colour!)  And I also popped a little scarf in for her gorgeous little boy ( not that he will really need it in Queensland!)  Yes, I forgot to take a photo of the extras before I posted the parcel!

 

Now to catch up on the rest of the news.  On Friday, after Stuart went off with his friends, we went into Falkirk for some shopping.  At the top of my list was a pair of trainers, and Stuart had recommended a sports shop to go to.  I had my gait carefully studied to see if I under or over pronate (I'm an overpronator) and was fitted with a suitable pair - although as you can see I didn't take a photo until we were back home

 

 

I also bought some new undies in Marks and Spencers - but I'm not showing them to you!!We stopped off at Ikea on the way home on Saturday (yes, we had meatballs for lunch!) .... we bought a rug and a table for the summerhouse (but I'll wait until the painting is all finished before I show you those).  Then as we continued home, when we saw signs for the village of Roslin, Malcolm suggested a detour, so that we could take photos of Rosslyn Chapel ..... those of you who have read the Da Vinci Code will know the significance of the Chapel (I have to admit that I gave up reading it - I found it to be extremely boring ...... and I fell asleep when we watched the film on tv!!)

There was just a slight problem - there are major renovation works in progress and the Chapel is covered in scaffolding ....

 

 

 

I think it will be some time before I can show you more ..... we were going to have a look round the grounds and inside the chapel - but when we found out how much it cost, we decided we didn't want to see it that much!! (and you can't take photos inside the chapel)  We came home via Peebles, which meant I could take photos of some different hills to share with you

 

After the recent rainy spell, the countryside is green and lush

 

The Bees' Balm is now in full flower, so yesterday I thought I would take a photo of a bee on it - despite lots of attempts to to capture one of the several little buzzers on the flowers, this was the best I could do!!

 

There has been so much to tell you recently, that I still have some lovely photos of garden flowers (and the old sinks) that I took last week ..... so unless something else crops up to bump them down the order, I'll post them tomorrow!!
 

 
 
 
 
 

  

All wrapped up

On Saturday I thought I had better do a bit more work on the chickens, as I have been neglecting them recently!  I decided to start quilting one of the wallhangings, as I have finished the embroidery on it.  I chose this fabric from my stash for the back

 

It is a very old piece of Laura Ashley fabric that I have had for years - that may seem a bit extravagant for the back of the wallhanging, but it was a remnant that I bought in a sale for a quarter of the original price! 

 

I couldn't resist these wonderful coloured pins - but they are not just pretty, they are finer and sharper than my plain ones!

 

All pinned, ready to go

 

With the walking foot on, I am quilting 'in the ditch' between all the strips.  When that's done, I'll do some free-motion quilting round the chickens.

 

I finished Kylie's cushions - but I'm not going to show you the little finishing touches until she has received them.  I added one or two little things to the parcel - here it is, all wrapped up in tissue paper, ready to be popped in an envelope and posted tomorrow.

 

For the last couple of weeks, the swallows had stopped trying to get into the garage every time the door was opened, but they have started again (we think they want to raise another brood) ....... but this time it's not just the garage - Malcolm has been having little visitors when he has been painting the inside of the summer house (although of course they had all scarpered when I took the photo!!)

 

ps - you may have noticed that Typepad is having one of its periodic off days and has decided to stop putting the photos in the centre!!
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

One down, one to go

Yesterday, Malcolm moved my fuchsia for me, putting it in the niche in the back wall of the garden

 

 

You can see the new flowers are pale, but as they open out, they become much darker, as you can see from this flower which fell off when Malcolm moved the pot

 

 

It was wet and windy again for my walk - but there was one bright spot ...... the raspberries in the hedgerow are starting to ripen

 

 

Of course, Friday means cake, and Annette certainly didn't disappoint us today with this beautiful light sponge, sandwiched with tasty raspberry jam

 

 

I have finished the first of Kylie's cushions and hope to finish the other one over the weekend, so I will be able to post them off to Australia at the start of the week

 

 

After such a wet start to the day, the sun is now shining ......right in my eyes as I'm typing this!!  I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

Definitely daft!

Another early morning walk and another soaking!!  But, try as I might, I just can't burn off enough calories when I'm sewing (and I love my food too much!!), so I have to get out there and walk my three miles.  Today is St Swithin's Day and folklore says that if it rains today, it will rain for the next forty days ........ and yes, it has rained here today!  So this morning, I bought a lightweight, waterproof, breathable jacket to wear on my walks

 

 

When I was walking this morning, I saw lots of snails.  At first glance, they all look the same, but on closer inspection, you can see that the patterns on their shells are all different.  Thinking about the snails, reminded me of something in my pile of UFOs.  Some years ago, I went to a workshop to make the 'snail trail' block. 

 

 

Although the block isn't too complicated, it does require very precise piecing

 

 

While looking for that piece, I also found these projects waiting patiently in the queue to be finished

 

This was made at a workshop exploring the possibilities from using dark and light fabrics in half-square triangles.  It was good fun to try out all the different patterns that can be achived, before settling on this final version, which shows several different combinations

 

This is the background for a piece that got abandoned (I can't remember why) - it is made up of 144 three inch squares of fabric .... all different!  Eventually it will have large flowers appliqued on to it.

 

This lovely Hawaiian block was done as a challenge.  It is needle-turn applique, which was my challenge to myself, as it is my least favourite method of applique!  It will probably end up as an ABC (Another Bl**dy Cushion!!!)

 

These two blocks were never intended to be finished - they are samples from a class I used to teach on applique.  They show how different the same blocks can look with different fabrics - in this case showing the four seasons.  I later developed this into this wallhanging ...

 

Bonnie Baskets

 

I like to add quirky little details to my work, as you can see here

 

I also included a spider's web on this wallhanging

Autumn

 

as you can see in this detail

 

And to end, something completely different!!  When we got home yesterday, these three little balls of fluff were sitting on the gutter above the front door.  Malcolm stood very still, while I quietly got the camera out - I took this photo, then took a step forward to take another one .... but that was a step too far and off they flew

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Life in the slow lane

After all the years Malcolm spent working, especially the five years before he retired, when he was abroad more than he was home, he now enjoys the slower pace of life.  Although we have yet to decorate and furnish the summer  house, he has already claimed it as a place to sit and listen to cricket on the radio - definitely life in the (very) slow lane!!

 

 

Today was a Kist day, and we had a lovely time sitting round the table sewing and chatting (although perhaps sometimes there is more of the latter!)  I was working on Kylie's cushions.  I put them on the cutting board and used two rulers to make sure they were square

 

 

Then I cut the excess off (after checking several times that I was cutting on the correct line1)

 

 

I then forgot to take photos of the next stages (yes, too busy blethering!!).  I added binding round the edges, which now just has to be turned over and handstitched in place

 

 

I also trimmed the flap on the back with the binding fabric

 

Seonaid was unable to join us until after lunch, but when she arrived she had great fun playing experimenting with  exploring the capabilities of both my and Anne's sewing machines.  She also brought me the most wonderful present .... a scissor keeper, which I have put on my little embroidery scissors (can you see the points curve up, so that you don't accidently cut the fabric when snipping your thread)

 

 

The fob is only an inch and a half square - the work is fabulous!!

 

To end, I thought I would give you a little sneak peek at tomorrow's  subject!!

 
 

 

 

A busy weekend

We were both busy over the weekend ....... Malcolm in the garden and me in the studio.  While I was stitching, Malcolm finished the new path to the summerhouse

 

 

He used slate chips to match the path that runs up the other side of the grass (he made that path because the grass was very wet and muddy at the edge!)

 

 

The slate chips continue round to where we have our compost bins

 

 

As well as the path, he also dug out a new border to finish the landscaping round the summerhouse (we just have to get some plants!!)

 

 

I was working on my cuties - I should have put these contrasting corners on before I did the girls, but I was so anxious to see what they looked like that I did them first!!

 

I also did another row - flying geese, which is the bottom row in the next photo.  I laid it all out, so that you can get an idea of how it is going to look.  (I am also going to do a row of owls - Malcolm is going to draw one for me!)

 

I also finished the quilting on Kylie's second cushion - now I just need to make them up!

 

A detail of the quilting

 

When I was out for my walk this morning, I picked up some bits and pieces ...... and this afternoon I arranged them and took this photo - when Malcolm saw it he said he thought it looked like a bird of prey with a fish in its talons .... what do you think?

 
 
 

 

 

Clean and tidy

This morning, as always on Fridays, we did the housework.  We both like the house to be clean and tidy, and doing it on Fridays means that the house looks nice for the weekend.  But if you were to look in the studio at the moment, it is quite a different story ....... what, you would like to see what it's like - well, when I've been busy working on several projects, things just seem to accumulate on the tables ......

 

 

...... there is even clutter on the ironing board

 

 

.... the scrap basket is overflowing, the table piled up and there is stuff on all the chairs

 

 

Did you notice the little cuties - they are now all attached to the background fabrics with bondaweb

 

 

I have made a start to blanket-stitching round the raw edges

 

 

Over the weekend I will have to tidy the studio, ready for the next Kist meeting on Tuesday!  Whatever you are doing over the weekend, I hope you have a good time, love, Anne

 

 

 

Bits and Bobs

Today's post is a bit of a motley collection!  This morning, I was deadheading the vase of flowers which Jennifer gave me when she came to stay ...... I am delighted that the lilies have lasted so long

 

 

On the wall facing the flowers is this embroidery which I did years ago for my Mum and Dad - I think it must be about thirty years old!

 

When I left after lunch to meet Lorraine to go to knit'n'natter, Malcolm was busy doing the last bit of landscaping beside the summer house.  He was making a path which will be topped with slate chips, to match the path on the other side of the grass.  I would have included him in the photo, but he had on his most disreputable gardening clothes!

 

Having finished the wash cloths, I am now working on tea cosies for the Chritmas fair.  This is the first version (it will have a pompom on the top once it is sewn up)

 

 

and this is the second version

 

 

The yarn is stranded across the back, which makes the cosy extra thick to keep the teapot warm

 

 

Work continues on Kylie's second cushion ........

 

...... you might think hand quilting is a gentle way of working, but it is quite sore on my fingers!  I know that the needle has gone through the three layers to form the stitch when it pricks my left forefinger - after a few days, I develop a hard piece of skin for the needle to hit - but sometimes I miss it and have been known to utter naughty words!  But the most painful one happens to my right thumb - I pinch the fabric as the needle comes through to keep the gap between the stitches small - but sometimes the needle slips and stabs me under my nail - I have some real swear words for when that happens!

 

 

 

 

I'm going to stop making plans ......

...... because I have to keep changing them!  Today, I was going to work in the studio in the morning, have lunch, then work in the studio in the afternoon ....... but .......  the firm who installed the summer house and did the paving last week arrived this morning to finish the job.  First some panes of glass had to be fitted to the summerhouse, then a special coating was applied to the paving slabs.  This meant that I couldn't walk on them to get to the studio until later in the day.  So I spent the morning hand quilting instead.  Kylie's first cushion is done and I have started on the second one

 

 

Eventually, I was able to get into the studio and made a start to the next row of my quilt.  I am looking forward to doing this one - six cute little girls

 

 

I am going to use bondaweb to attach the girls to the background fabric, then blanket stitch round them, so the first stage was to trace all the parts

 

 

I raided my stash for some small pieces of reproduction fabrics for the dresses and pinafores (I bought them in Singapore in 1998, when I had to stay there when there was trouble in Indonesia!)

 

 

I also found some black fabric for the bodies and a variety of plain fabrics for their shoes.  Here is the first cutie

 

 

While I was busy in the studio, Malcolm replaced my flower pots and welcome frogs at the door

 

 

It turned a bit wet and miserable at dinnertime, but it is drying up again, so I hope it will be dry for my walk in the morning ..... although we do need some rain, as we have had very little for weeks - if only it would rain overnight and be gloriously sunny through the day!!

 

Yet another change of plan!

We had intended to go for a walk yesterday morning - but not long after we got up it started to rain ...... and rain and rain.  The rain did go off later, but then it got windy .... and windier.  After one of my flower pots blew over, I moved them to the shelter of the log store

 

 

This morning when I went for my walk, I spent quite a lot of time lifting branches off the road - it must have been even wilder during the night!!  I also picked up some little bits and pieces and had fun making this 'still life' when I got home

 

 

I mentioned last week that I had won Rattling on's giveaway.  My prize was a voucher to spend online on something for the kitchen.  Unfortunately the voucher wasn't quite enough to buy an Aga!!  After a bit of thought, I decided to buy something I wanted, rather than something basic.  So what did I get ..... a gorgeous tagine, which arrived at lunchtime

 

 

I spent the afternoon both yesterday and today in the studio, working on the houses for my 'row' quilt.  Here they are waiting to be trimmed .......

 

 

....... then stitched together

 

 

I've had another play with the embellisher ..... and again I  wet the felt, then molded it - this time round a glass which had held a scented candle.  However, as last time, it is just a bit too soft - I think I will have to use proper wet felting to produce a felt with more body.  Never mind, it is very pretty!

 

 

I have almost finished the quilting on the first of Kylie's cushions ......

 

 

..... so this afternoon I marked out the second one.  This is a detail of the centre

 

 

So ...... how did the visit go?  Very well!!  Alison is lovely and we got on fine.  Malcolm cooked a new recipe - boneless pork loin coated with a mixture of maple syrup and cajun seasoning - it was delicious!  We went out for breakfast on Saturday, before they headed back to Falkirk via Ikea ..... amazingly they didn't buy anything (not even a bargain bag of tealights!) but of course they did have meatballs for lunch (we always have them too!!)