frayed at the edge

An excellent show!

Maureen and Doreen arrived promptly on Friday morning and we set off for Edinburgh.  We encountered some heavy traffic on the way (heavy traffic in the Borders is two cars and a sheep on the road!), so were a bit later than usual getting there ....... and when we arrived, we found that the quilt show was in a different building at Ingliston, as the usual one is being refurbished.  I think there was more room in the new venue, but it was hung with black curtains and the ceiling was black, giving poor lighting conditions for viewing the quilts - and taking photos

 

the vast expanse of black fabric was somewhat oppressive

 

some of the traders were unhappy with the lighting, so I think the organisers will have to address the issue for the next show (the usual building will be unavailable for some time)

 

but on to the quilts!  I bumped into our lovely local longarm quilter Kay, and she was happy for me to take photos of her quilts to share with you.  This is my favourite one, as I love the look of strippy quilts

 

Kay's description of the quilt

 

and a detail of her exquisite work

 

in contrast to the soft colours of the strippy quilt, this one makes my eyes go funny!  It is beautifully pieced and quilted

 

and again we have Kay's description of the quilt

 

the lighting was particularly poor where this quilt was hanging - the background is much blacker than it looks in the photo, and the stars much brighter

 

and again, Kay's description

 

this is a small quilt, as you can see by its size next to the rosette (all of her quilts had rosettes!)

 

her quilting on this one is superb!

 

Kay also gave me permission to show you this quilt, made by her friend Linzi

 

this is Linzi's description of her quilt

 

and this detail shows her quilting and beading

 

after all the hard work of viewing the quilts, I was glad to find that although we were in a different building, the catering was the same, and I was able to enjoy my usual treat of macaroni cheese and chips!

 

of course I did a little bit of shopping!  My first purchase was this super book

 

signed by the author

 

was my purchase of the book influenced by this stylish owl?

 

this fabric will make a good background for applique blocks

 

although I may have to get my French dictionary out!

 

I just couldn't resist this unusual fabric - this is just a quarter of the piece

 

and finally ........ sheepies!

 

I have already done some work on this  ............

 

........ but I am not making a draught excluder.  However, you will have to wait for two weeks to see what I have done ........ as we are off on holiday tomorrow!!  Yes, I can hear you all shouting that we have just been on holiday, but let me explain!  I booked our Anniversary holiday away back in March, as my present to Malcolm for our anniversary, but then several week ago, he was having a little browse online at late bargains, and found an excellent deal for two weeks in Carvoiero, in Portugal.  You may remember we had a holiday there last year.  So we are off at the crack of dawn tomorrow, to drive down to Newcastle airport.  I'll be back on Wednesday the 12th of October to tell you what we got up to - and how we celebrated my birthday, which is on the 2nd!!

Books, wool and patterns

When we were out and about yesterday, we had a stroll round Selkirk.  I found these two old books in a charity shop, and as they were only £2 each, they came home with me

 

they have both been signed by the author, but unlike signed books that you see on antiques programmes on tv, I doubt that has added to their value!

 

I was sad to see that the little knitting and sewing shop is closing, as the owners are retiring.  There was 20% off all wool, so three balls of sock wool came home with me.  The ball on the left is for me, and Malcolm chose the other two.  I think I might wake up one morning and find I have been sock knitting in my sleep!

 

when I was at The Quilt Shop last week, Sue, the lovely owner, said that she had been asked if there was a pattern available for the Welcome wallhanging that I made for her.  Could I write a pattern for her ....... and could I also do a Christmas version?  So I have beavering away on both patterns

 

I hadn't written down any measurements when I made the Welcome wallhangng, but I had the original working drawing (in the previous photo) so I made a note of all the fabric required

 

I cut a piece of fabric for the centre panel, and added borders

 

I drew round the template for the bunting on double stick fusible web

 

and cut out the pieces

 

then did the same with the little birds

 

I added some red and white twine to the bunting, and made a sign saying Santa stop here

 

I cut out a tree shape from paper

 

glued it to a piece of card (except the paper doesn't show up in the photo!)

 

I cut it out, and also cut out a template for the tree trunk

 

I had a good rake through my stash, and found these snowflakes - when I sew them on I'll add a little bead in the centre

 

making a start to drawing the pattern sheets

 

I needed to draw some little circles, so borrowed this technical doodah from Malcolm - he has had this for many, many years ....... from way back when engineers actually did their drawings by hand, not on the computer.  Stuart, too, is an engineer, and I seem to recall that he did his drawings both by hand and on the computer when he was at university

 

the basic pattern sheets.  At this stage I make photocopies ......

 

....... in case I make a mistake when I add the writing.  Now I need to do the written instructions ...... and make the Santa wallhanging so that I can take a photo for the front cover of the pattern

 

I won't be here tomorrow, as I shall be away all day at the Autumn Quilt Show at Ingliston ........ and I shall have to make my own dinner when I get home, as Malcolm has gone over to the flat and I will be home alone until Sunday!  I'll be back  on Monday with my show report (and no doubt one or two purchases).  So, a day early, I will wish you a good weekend, love Anne

 

Jumbo!

I recently got these jumbo binding clips as a free gift with a magazine

 

this shows just how big they are compared to standard ones

 

but as it is only the end of the clip that grips the binding, I can't see the point of the jumbo ones .......... unless you were adding a very wide binding

 

I can hear you now, asking why I have used fabric with (yeuch) cats on it!  It was included in a bundle of fat quarters, and I didn't realise until too late that there were cats (nasty little beasties) on one of the fabrics

 

the lovely Margaret, she of the exquisite appliqué quilts, has started coming to Abbey Quilters Monday afternoon sewing sessions.  So she needs a mug bag (we all take our own mugs to use).  I looked out this almost finished one - it is inside out at this stage.  Then I delved in my various stashes and found a suitable piece of fabric, and a length of cord

 

a tip for when you are cutting cord, which likes nothing better than to unravel at the cut.  Wrap a piece of sellotape round the cord

 

snip in the middle

 

ta-da, no unravelling ends!

 

and you can stick a pin through the sellotape for threading it through the channels for the cord

 

then once you have tied the two ends together, you can take the tape off and fluff out the ends

 

here is one side of the mug bag

 

and here is the other.  I even found a pretty mug in my stash to put in it!

 

"sock war" is hotting up, with Little Miss Smartypants now knitting toe-up socks!  Well, the honour of Scottish sock-knitting rests on my shoulders, so maybe one or two pairs may appear from these books

 

but maybe not these weird-looking things!

A feast for the eyes!

Yesterday saw us heading south to Morpeth, so that I could spend the day with my lovely quilty chums at Sue's wonderful shop (if you missed my first visit to the shop, you can read about it here).  The shelves are filling up nicely

 

with wonderful lush fabrics

 

these ones are still wrapped, as they had just been delivered

 

the colours of these fabrics are deeper than they look in the photo.  Annie put the three together to make a bag with.  She was promptly asked to do a class in the shop, showing the others how to make the bag!

 

this new charm pack was very tempting!

 

if you are looking for a Christmas present for a quilty friend, then head to the shop to buy one of these colourful tins

 

or perhaps some fun buttons

 

there was so much going on (mainly talking and drinking cuppas!) that I forgot to take photos of what everyone was working on, but I did take this one of Barbara's clamshell project, which just keeps growing

 

in contrast, Lucie's elongated hexies are in lovely muted shades of pink

 

so did I buy anything?  Of course I did!  I do like a nice spotty fabric (or several)

 

and who could resist these cute buttons - not me

 

this tin isn't for a quilty friend ...... it's for me!  I may have to fill it with some emergency chocolate!!

 

we came over to Berwick at teatime ........ and it is so misty that we can't see the water in the dock, so we have no idea if the tide is in or out!

A busy night

As always for our first night back at Abbey Quilters, there was a great deal going on.  Lots of chatting, as we caught up with those members we hadn't seen over the summer break, the queue to pay our dues for the coming year, Sandra our chairman welcoming us back and outlining the syllabus (lots of good talks and workshops).  Then it was my turn, to give a quick introduction to the different methods of doing appliqué, as our challenge block this year is an appliqué one.  I had made up boards with little samples

 

and had taken in a pile of quilts to show the different methods in use

 

my neat and tidy display didn't last long, as after my little talk the members had a good look at the quilts

 

as it was just an ordinary meeting, there was no home baking, just biscuits

 

and then we had the star of the evening, the supremely talented Margaret, with a selection of her stunning quilt tops (they haven't yet been made into quilts)  Some of the angles of the photos are a bit wonky, as the tops were laid out on tables and draped over chairs.  I love everything about this one, the cute bunnies and the beautiful fabrics

 

this is my favourite bunny

 

can you see that this cute little girl has a tiny doll in her pocket?

 

of course I love this wonky, cross-eyed owl!

 

Margaret thought the original pattern of penguins in the snow and ice was a bit boring, so she sent them on a sunshine holiday

 

I think this one stole Dame Edna's specs!

 

she has done several teddy quilts .........

 

....... I need another word to use instead of cute, to describe this one

 

this one is from when she was going the a "bling" phase, with lots of beads and crystals

 

you may recognise this little girl ........

 

....... and this one, as they are similar to the fabulous little girl she gave me for my birthday last year

 

I guess this frog is waiting for the princess to kiss him - he already has his crown for when he turns into a handsome prince!

 

and now for something completely different to finish ........ Maureen had emailed my to ask if I would like a courgette from her garden - and would I like a long one or a round one.  I replied that I would like a long one, as I would probably spiralise it.  However, I won't be spiralising the one she gave me - I have put my reading specs in the photo to give the scale

 

she also gave me a round one ....... I shall have to have a hunt through my cookery books for a recipe for this one - perhaps scooping it out, stuffing it and baking/roasting it

 

I have had a fabulous day out today - I shall tell you about it tomorrow!

The joys of non-planning

I bought this non-planner in the old bookshop in Alresford.  As someone who forgets to put things in her diary, and forgets to check if there actually is anything in the diary, this is the one for me!

 

I think that describes me!

 

I think I am still waiting for some of my good things to arrive ......

 

a girl can never have too many bags, and this one is an excellent addition to my collection.  Maybe I'll keep some knitting in it (I should write that in my non-planner to remind me)

 

when I spotted this little shop in Alton, Malcolm was resigned to fabric coming home with us.  It was a tiny place, selling more dressmaking fabric than quilting fabric 

 

there was the bonus of this beautiful tiled floor - I feel a quilt coming on

 

I was very restrained and only bought four scrap bags, with the money going in a charity collection tin.  I know I have lots of scraps, but these are all colour coordinated, ready to use, saving me the bother of tipping out my scraps and sorting through them

 

I also popped into a curtain shop, with the enticement of a large remnant basket.  I found four pieces of this beautiful heavy weight linen, which altogether measure about a metre.  If I had bought a metre off the roll, it would have cost me £48 ....... but my remnants cost £4, which has to be a bargain!

 

I also bought something in this wool shop, but you will have to wait until next week to see what I got

 

then, when we were in Petersfield, I saw this shop - oh bliss, a proper quilt shop

 

so much loveliness - we were in there for some time!

 

and don't you just love how my purchases were wrapped, in a sheet from an old dressmaking pattern

 

but again I was quite restrained, buying this patterns for fabric bowls

 

and this colourful panel to make an advent calendar with a little pocket for each day (which may have to contain chocolate!)

 

this is just a little bag, maybe about 6" tall.  Malcolm bought it for me at one of the National Trust properties that we visited ........

 

and look at what it contains - a lovely panel to embroider, with instructions at the top and bottom for working the different stitches

 

I just love the colours ....... this might have to sneak in near the top of the to-do list!

 

OK, must dash, as tonight is the first meeting of the new session at Abbey Quilters, and as always I will be picking Maureen up.  I am taking along lots of samples of how to use fusible web and freezer paper for applique, as our challenge block this year is an applique one.  I hope to have some photos for you tomorrow.

Checking out the fibre

 No, I wasn't closely examining some fabric ........ we popped over to the flat this morning, as Malcolm had signed up for fibre broadband, and it went "live" today.  It's not quite up to speed, as is to be expected on the first day, but it is FAST!!  As it was a lovely morning, we went for a walk round the old walls (on top, this time).    You can just see people walking out to the lighthouse

 

it was very clear, and way, way in the distance, you can see Bamburgh Castle on the right, and Lindisfarne  on the left

 

there were lots of people enjoying the sunshine on the beach

 

we are used to seeing weeds growing out of the top of the wall round the allotments, but this is a small raspberry cane (and Malcolm may have pinched a ripe raspberry from it!)

 

looking through the trees to the church

 

we went to Lowrie's at the Chandlery for lunch.  Malcolm had egg mayo sandwiches

 

and I had my favourite Coronation chicken

 

back home in the garden, yet another clematis is flowering

 

the passion flower produces a new flower almost every day

 

and the hellebore has decided to flower again!

 

when I was sorting through my photos, I realised that I had forgotten to show you what I bought last week at Sue's shop.  I didn't bother taking a photo of the stitch'n'tear, as that would be a bit boring!  So first we have this delicious charm pack

 

just look at those scrummy fabrics!

 

then something practical - tape for joining odd bits of wadding together.  Yes, I could stitch them together, but this is the equivalent of the tape that lazy people non-sewers use to hem their trousers!

 

I do love receiving happy mail, especially if it from my wonderful friend Lee (Just like Martha).  There are birthday cards for Malcolm and me, and a wonderful set of inspirational cards - these are just a few of them

 

to finish, we pop back over to Berwick.  This is the back of the Money Pit.  As the front is accessed from the walls, it is only 3 storeys high, but, as you can see, the back is 5 storeys (and the van and wheelie bins help with the scale)

 

and this shot of the fire escape shows just how big it is

 

but even bigger is this old school, which has been lying derelict, home only to pigeons.  But this morning there were workmen busy about the place, so it will be interesting to see what happens to it.  I have named it the Very Big Money Pit!! 

 

I shall be back tomorrow with some very special news!

What would we do without .........

......... potatoes?  On Sunday afternoon, I settled down to watch The Martian, while I did some hand sewing.  A large part of the story revolves around the main character, Mark, growing potatoes, after he has been left behind on Mars.  I was interested in this part of the story, as Albert Bartlett, from my home town of Airdrie, gave technical advice on growing potatoes

 

I did some quilting on my hexies

 

but then decided that I ought to get on with Mrs Billings

 

Malcolm made sure I had enough energy for all the sewing I was doing

 

and after The Martian finished, the Minions made sure I kept on stitching!

 

so here is the latest progress on Mrs B, after another session this afternoon (Meredithe and Sue, please stop sniggering!)

 

I finished stitching this small hexie border in place

 

and pinned this one in place

 

I stitched together all the hexies for the other two borders, and pinned them on

 

next, I looked out a pile of scrappy pieces ......... as you can see, the sun was shining brightly through the velux on to the table.  I also got out the acrylic template and some tiny paper diamonds

 

the first batch of diamonds cut out

 

and stitched over the papers

 

the diamonds stitched together and pinned on one of the big hexies

 

the little ears will be tucked in when I stitch the diamonds in place

 

the second lot pinned in place - and now you can see the little oops.  I hadn't paid attention, and used the same fabric for the first diamonds as the neighbouring hexie, so I will have to do another one

 

to finish - in the garden this afternoon, I noticed this little tree was looking a bit bare ......

 

........ yes, the dreaded caterpillars have returned!

I recently teased you .........

 .......... with some details of a project I was working on.  I had looked out this half-completed wallhanging, as I thought it would make a lovely gift for Sue's shop

 

the first job was to trim away the excess wadding

 

then I got out my box of Tilda fabrics

 

and chose this spotty one for the border

 

I layered up the wallhanging, ready for some fmq

 

after quilting, I trimmed the wallhanging

 

and added the binding

 

and here is the finished wallhanging

 

Sue was delighted to be given the wallhanging this morning, and hung it up here temporarily - she will hang it on the door once she gets a sucker to attach it to the glass

 

there were some new faces at today's sewing session, and as you can see from the table, there were all sorts of projects being worked on

 

Lucie had a pile of appliqué blocks ........

 

in all sorts of colours - I am looking forward to seeing what she does next

 

I am always in awe of Margaret's exquisite piecing

 

Barbara was working on clamshell blocks, and she and Lucie put their heads together to work out how the blocks could be put together

 

Frances delights in making ever smaller units for her latest quilt - her work mat shows you just how small these ones are

 

when I took this photo of Ros's hexie flower, there was a debate as to whether the photo showed just how small it is - perhaps you wouldn't realise that those are small embroidery scissors

 

so Ros gave me another one to compare it to.  The smaller one has sides which are a quarter of an inch!!

 

there were some delicious new fabrics in the shop

 

and these are just some of the classes which are available - if you are going to be in Northumberland, do visit the shop (you can find the details in this post).  As soon as you go in the door you will be offered a cuppa, and if your husband is with you, he will be whisked away to relax in the Husbands' Creche, allowing you to shop in peace!

 

I'll be back tomorrow to tell you why we have been spending so much time on the beach recently!

Two new projects

I had to pop down into Hawick this morning for some shopping, then when I got back, the sun was shining and I decided to take a walk along the road to see if the donkeys were out in the field.  I heard a tractor approaching, and was glad when it turned off, as its load didn't look too safe!

 

the donkeys unobligingly were in a corner of the field, so bits of fence were in the way

 

this little one must have been very hot with its shaggy coat

 

I don't know if this was a display of affection or chastisement!

 

this horse is often in this pen on its own - I know some horses mustn't eat rich grass, so perhaps that is why

 

in the field across the road, this horse was looking magnificent

 

these sparrows are slightly blurred, as they flew over so fast

 

back home, there were dozens of swallows on the neighbours' roofs

 

it was hard to count them

 

as they constantly took off and landed

 

but I think there were over 40 of them - I think they have raised three broods this year

 

the first of the new projects mentioned in today's title is Malcolm's

 

he has set up a work station in the summer house to work on some stained glass angels

 

he found some glass beads in his stash to use for their heads

 

he sat at our rather tatty table on the deck to put the copper foil round the edges

 

a good afternoon's progress

 

now for my new project - I had pieced this square years ago for a contest, but never finished it (I can't even remember now what I was going to do with it!)

 

I put it on the design wall, and cut a piece of stitch and tear

 

on which I drew some vague pencil lines

 

I then summoned my artist in residence (aka Malcolm) to turn my lines into a tree

 

I got out my embellisher (I had to give it a bit of a clean, as I haven't used it for a while!)

 

and some roving, which is a warmer brown than it looks in this photo

 

a start made to needle felting the roving on to the stitch and tear

 

gradually building up the tree - and even getting arty and adding a knot in the wood

 

after finishing the tree ........

 

........ the last stage was the scary bit - cutting the tree out, even although I knew the edges wouldn't fray.  Next I will use fmq to stitch it to the background - but that will have to wait for another day!