frayed at the edge

Show report (part one)

Yesterday I went to the Spring Quilt Show at Ingliston, organised by Grosvenor Exhibitions .  They are also the publishers of Fabrications magazine, which I am sure many of you will be familiar with.  I was allowed to take a photo of their stand (you can see the 'no photography please' sign in the photo) when I said it was to put in my blog and that I wasn't trying to copy their designs!

 

Unfortunately I can't show you photos of the wonderful quilts, because of copyright issues, but I can share with you some of the super traders and their wares.

 

This is the lovely Susan Briscoe, who posed not once but twice, as she looked down to take another stitch just as I took the first photo.  You can visit her website here and read her blog here.  Did I buy something from her - you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

   

This, as you can see, is The Seattle Quilt Company (all the way from Aberdeen!).  The stand was constantly mobbed, so this was the best photo I could get and unfortunately doesn't show the lovely flannels that they sell.

 

This is me (on the right) with the lovely Eileen .  I have to tell you, this woman could sell fridges to Eskimos.  I only stopped for a look and was swept along by her enthusiasm, the quality of her work and the excellent presentation of the instructions.  Did I buy something?  I'll tell you tomorrow!

 

This is my friend Bonnie, who was getting ready to teach a workshop when I popped in to have a quick chat.  I think you can tell from her smile that she is not only Bonnie by name, but also bonnie by nature.  She lives in the village of Twechar ... I can't think of anything that rhymes, to tell you how it's pronounced, but if you clear your throat in the middle, you'll just about get it right!

I also had a blether with the hugely talented, multi-award winning Frieda Oxenham.  I did a workshop with Frieda some years ago and using the technique I learned at the workshop, I made a beautiful ring pillow for my son's wedding, which I will show you some other time.  You can read Frieda's blog here and see the gallery of her work here.

I might have accidently bought a book as well, but all that will be in tomorrow's post.

But to finish, I have a picture of the TWO* pairs of socks I have knitted from my Totie Toe sock wool. 

 

You can see where I had to do the last few rounds of the second pair in a different yarn, but the colours go well.  They are a good match for my walking shoes - I'm sorry if you have been dazzled by the colour of the shoes - but they were greatly reduced in a sale (probably the only way they could get anyone to buy shoes that colour!).

* yes, Helen, that emphasis on TWO pairs is for you!

Twiddled and fiddled

As predicted, I was simply too tired last night to post about my workshop with Jennie Rayment.  As soon as we had all arrived and set up our machines it was down to business.

   

Jennie's instructions are laced with humour, but she explained each block clearly and went over everything two or three times until she was sure everyone had understood. She went round the room constantly, making sure everyone was coping and offering help and advice when needed.

 

After a hard morning's work (ok, we did stop for a cuppa and a biscuit) we were halfway through our blocks when we stopped for lunch.

 

There was a choice of two delicious soups and lots of sandwiches - just what we needed to give us strength for the afternoon session!

 

Anne had brought her amazing new machine with her - it does everything but make a cup of tea!  Jennie has a vast knowledge of machines and gave us all advice on getting the most out of our assorted collection.

 

Finally I had the basic 9 blocks completed, ready to be sewn together.

 

Next, I added the outer borders.

 

And that's when the fun begins, because you fiddle and twiddle to add texture to the blocks.

 

As you can see. at the moment I just have pins in, but the rolled edges will be stitched in place and decorative stitches and beads added.  I have made mine in a selection of batik fabrics, but Jennie is famous for working with calico (muslin in America).  So here is not just nine blocks, but an entire quilt, based on the solution to a sudoku puzzle.

 

You can just see the blocks hanging on the bottom, one of which is the correct one to fit over the question mark.  I ccould work that out, but the real puzzles defeat me - I like word puzzles, not numerical ones.  If you think the quilt is a bit on the plain side, think again when you look at this detail ...

 

It's amazing what a bit of twiddling and fiddling can create! 

I did mention there was to be home baking - there was a delicious sponge to have with our afternoon cuppa - but it was all eaten before I thought about taking a photo!  Altogether, it was a great day out.

ps - I still have some Thistle Stitchery kits.  They cost £4.50 (incl p&p).  If you would like one, please let me know via a comment, and I'll e-mail you to sort out the details.

Nip and tuck

Don't worry, I'm not heading off for cosmetic surgery!  Instead, tomorrow I am going to Borderland Fabrics to do a workshop with Jennie Rayment.   If you haven't encountered her before, I would suggest that when you look at her website, you click on 'lectures' (but don't do it if there are young children or men with weak hearts in the room .....)

So this afternoon, it was out to the studio to get organised.

   

First I had to choose nine fabrics.

 

I hope you like these batik fabrics that I chose.

 

Next, I had to cut various squares and rectangles.

 

Then I laid everything out and checked (and checked again) that I had everything on the list.

 

Finally, the machine went in its case and everything else into my workshop bag.  You can see the power lead and the foot pedal in the machine case - I think that at every workshop that I have been to, someone has forgotten their lead or pedal!  At least tomorrow I don't have to worry about taking a packed lunch, as a soup and sandwich lunch is included in the price of the workshop (and I believe home baking was also mentioned!)

I'm sorry if the quality of this last photo isn't too good - I didn't get round to scanning  some photos from my time in Indonesia, so I took a photo of this photo!

 

These are some of the ladies in my little patchwork and quilting group, showing off their sewing.  (you will recognise the Amish blocks from yesterday's post)  We were called the Wacky Patchers - but that wasn't a comment on our personalities!  It was because we were all members of WAC - Wanita Asing Cilegon, which translates as the Foreign Ladies of Cilegon (although it can also be translated at the strange ladies ... ).  We had a lot of multi-cultural fun - cooking national dishes (I did porridge, mince and tatties and pancakes), Scottish Country Dancing .....and some of us got together on Friday mornings to play a card game called 99 (the money we put in the pot each week was used to buy things for a local orphanage - just before I came home, we bought matresses for the kids - they had been sleeping on the floor ... ).  And did you spot our youngest member?

I don't think I'll be in a fit state to do a post tomorrow - I've done a workshop with Jennie before, and she makes you work hard!  So come back on Monday and I'll tell you all about it.

ps - if you're wondering what I'm going to do with my block, I'm going to make an ABC  (that's quilterspeak for another b****y cushion!!

Stir crazy!

After all the snow yesterday and the enforced day in the house, I was glad to get out this afternoon!  I headed off to Jedburgh, for 'chat and patch' at Borderland fabrics.  I thought I would have a rest from the chickens and took along some handquilting to do. 

 

This Amish wallhanging started out as sample blocks when I taught some ex-pat ladies in Indonesia patchwork and quilting, so it is a very long-term project!  Most of the ladies were Japanese and at first they were very formal, but as the weeks went on they gradually relaxed, although to the end they called me 'Mrs Anne'.  (I will tell you more about my time in Indonesia, but I will need to scan the photos into the computer, as I didn't have a digital camera then.)

 

On this detail, you might recognise the snowdrop (on the black border) - it is also on the sample piece that featured in a previous post.  You can still see traces of the white pencil I used to mark the design, but this will rub off.

But now, of course, we come to the main item of today's post.  Malcolm has had his glass of wine to fuel his number picking ability .... and the winner is .... Tracy.  (I'll e-mail you, Tracy, to get your details)  I'm sorry if you didn't win this time, but thank you for reading my blog and taking the time to leave a comment.  It was very scary when I started, but I am now really enjoying it and it's lovely to know that more and more people are reading it.

Tomorrow, I will tell you all about the exciting day I am going to have on Sunday, so do visit again.  Hope you all have a super weekend.

A nice cup of tea

It hardly seems two minutes since they were last here, but it is two weeks, so this morning saw me getting organised for Kist.  Of course, you can't have a bunch of ladies without providing refreshments, so the first job is to get the coffee on and lay the tea-table.

 

I hope you like the tablecloth - I bought it when we were living in Indonesia (but like New Zealand, that's a story for another day).  I am well known for the amount of tea I drink, so when I had to part company with Greenpark Quilters in Polmont (which is near Falkirk ... and if that doesn't help it's in Stirlingshire) when we moved to Indonesia, they all made me a block with a mug on it.  I used them to make this wallhanging, which appropiately is called ' a nice cup of tea'.

 

In the first photo, you can see the painted cupboard that the kettle and coffee machine stand on.  I did that way back in the mid-90s, when paint effects and stencilling were all the rage.  It has moved house several times now (and even had a spell under a dust cover in the garage) and I wouldn't part with it.  On the wall above the cupboard are family memories ...

 

In the middle is the sampler that I did for my Mum and Dad's Ruby Wedding in 1986.  Sadly they never got to celebrate their Golden Wedding, as my Mum died in 1995.  The photo above it is my grandparents in their shop in Glasgow.  I don't know exactly when the photo was taken, but I think it was before the War.  I embroidered the 'R' for my Mum one Christmas - can you just see it has roses twined round it?  I also did one for my Mum-in-law - her name was Doreen, so was her picture perhaps a lovely dahlia?  No, it was a dandelion!  The drawn-thread picture is my first and last attempt (again it was a present for my Mum) - not a method of working I wanted to do again!

I couldn't finish without a wee mention of the giveaway ....

 

Another little thing has been added - this time a lavender bag.  Now, it's not filled with namby-pamby French lavender - this is the real stuff, grown right here in my garden, good Borders lavender!  So leave a comment and it could all be yours.

Not more snow!

Yes indeed.  We got up this morning to find more of the nasty white stuff had fallen in the night (I don't mind a few days, but this had gone on for a week).  As we live on a back road, it meant another day of not venturing out (I had a bump in the car last year, so I really don't want to have another one!)  However, the snow does provide some amusement ...

 

Do you think Mr Owl is warm under his snow hat, sitting in his garden niche?  Although it did warm up enough later in the day for the road to clear, it was still cold enough for these icicles - even with the sun shining on them, they weren't for melting!

 

But that's enough about the snow and the cold weather.  With all the sewing that was going on over the weekend, I wouldn't want you to think I have been neglecting my knitting.  I knit in the evenings, when we sit down after dinner to warch tv, and here is my latest project ....

 

Of course, this is Helen's wonderful sock wool that I got last week - I told you it would go straight to the top of the to-do list!  As you can see I am using a pattern from my 2-at-a-time book.  I have stretched one of the socks over my hand to show the pattern off better ...

 

I love the colours, it makes the socks look really cosy.

And now for the giveaway ....

 

As you can see, I've added something.  But what is it, I hear you cry ...

 

It's a piece of beautiful fabric from Hinnigan made right here in the Borders.  It measures about 15"x30", so would be enough to make a small cushion or a book cover.  Remember all you have to do to have a chance of winning is to leave a comment on any of this week's posts. 

Sew far, sew good!

 

I can't remember when we had so much snow and snow that stayed with us for so long.  This photo was taken yesterday and shows the path through the back garden out to the studio.  However, with the stove lit and some music on, I was able to forget the weather and get on with some sewing.

 

I have started the quilting on Sunset over the Bay.  At the moment, I am quilting random leaves, using big stitches, as you can see in this detail.  I haven't marked the leaves on, I am just doing them by eye, unlike the next piece, which was very carefully measured and marked out ...

 

This is quilted with very small stitches, as you can see in this detail ..

 

This is a far-travelled piece of quilting, as I took it with me in 2001 when I went to New Zealand (but that's a story for another day!).  I came home via Los Angeles, so together we have travelled round the world.

As I have been writing this drivel nonsense blog for a month, in time honoured blog tradition I am going to have a giveaway ....

 

If you would like this kit ....

 

.... with which you can stitch this little thistle, then leave a comment. (I might find some other little things in the studio to include in the parcel)  At the end of the week, I will use my wonderful, sophisticated, highly technical random number generator to pick a winner.  What ... you don't have one of them?  Mine is called Malcolm and when you say 'give me a number', he responds instantly!!

ps - there was some frantic stitching this afternoon, as I can't find the original samples I did when I designed the thistle kit, so I had to quickly stitch this one.

Welcome to my world

   

I've spent most of today in the studio, so I thought you might like to visit.  Obviously, this photo was taken last summer, when we actually had a sunny day!  Why don't you come inside....

 

First, we step into the 'office' area, although as you can see from the rail on the left, my quilts get everywhere!

 

This is my knitting and general craft fabric stash.  The studio is on two levels - you can just see the steps on the left.

 

The French doors on the upper level also have outer storm doors.  I didn't open them today as it was a bit miserable.  You may notice I have one or two books and magazines!

 

This is the patchwork stash, which I am gradually using up (honest, I haven't bought any fabric for weeks ... well maybe just a little bit!).  You might notice at the top of the storage unit is the Patons logo - that's because I bought the units from Fiona, when she closed Woolly Ewe.  They are fabulous units and I was very fortunate to get them.

 

And now for the final report on the 2-at-a-time socks.  I finished the second 'pair' last night, so I now have two matching pairs - they are just toddler size, really cute.  I enjoyed knitting them and once I got the hang of the method, found it quite easy.  I will certainly have a go at a pair of socks for myself - at least I know they will turn out the same size, unlike most of my socks!

A busy day!

 

Yesterday got off to a good start, when I managed to take a photo of the woodpecker on the fat-ball feeder.  Most times, it flies away while I fetch the camera, or I scare it off when I try to get close to the window to take the photo.  However yesterday I got the camera in time and edged carefully into the lounge, then set the zoom to maximum and finally got a photo.

 

Then it was time to get ready for my house group, Kist.  The woodburning stove has to be lit, the coffee pot put on, space to be made on the worktables.  As you can see, fromleft to right  Tricia, Ali and Lorraine are all working hard (Lizzi is away skiing).  I was working on Sunset over the Bay, but haven't made enough progress to take another photo!  You may notice that the tables are different colours.  They were bought from Ikea at different times and I was sure I had bought the same colour ....  They are super tables, the legs simply unscrew if you need to move them to have more floor space, you don't need to worry about pins scratching them and best of all ... they were very cheap!  The quilt on the wall is called Crazy Lady Stars and Stripes - no, it's not a description of me, but the name of the shop - Crazy Ladies and Friends, where I bought the fabric some years ago when I was in Santa Monica, California.

 

And now, the grand finale of today's post (roll of drums, fanfare of trumpets please) .... yes, you see before you the start of my 2-at-a-time socks.  It took three attempts to get under way (and perhaps a naughty word or two!), but I think I've got the hang of it (at least until I reach the heel).  Before you think my colour sense really is defective - they are supposed to be different colours, as suggested by the author to make it easier.  They are just little child-size socks, so it will be no big deal to do another two!

A plethora of socks

 

We were in Morpeth on Saturday, which of course meant a browse round Appleby's book shop.  They always have a good selection of craft books, some of them at bargain prices.  I was delighted when Malcolm bought this book for me.  I have never knitted one sock by the magic loop method, never mind two at the same time, but I will give it a go (although it may be some time before you see the results of my efforts).

 

Sunday found me out in the studio, working hard on my Delights of the Sea piece.  I have moved so far out of my comfort zone with the method I am using for this that I'm almost on another planet!  It's going to be all raw edges and big stitch quilting.  To show the contrast with my usual style, this is last year's entry ...

 

... Bonnie Baskets, with hand applique and embellishments and machine quilting, which you can see in this detail ...

 

The working title for this year's entry is Sunset over the Bay, which is better than the working title of this one ...

 

... which was Taking the P*** .... it was at a time when lots of quilters were doing weird things with raw edges, burning holes, using anything and everything - generally creating 'art quilts', so this was my (rather tongue in cheek) art quilt!

 

Sunday night saw me finish the Happy socks.  I am very pleased with how they turned out, although the Channel Island cast on does not have a lot of stretch, so I don't think I would use it again for socks.  The bamboo feels lovely and silky, so I am looking forward to wearing them.

 

I'll finish with an update on the new kitchen.  You can see how much lighter the new wall units are, compared to the old floor units.  We are also replacing the black worktops with much lighter ones, so hopefully the kitchen will look lighter and brighter.