Thursday, June 05, 2008

And back to my own work

In between work this week I've managed to get quite a bit done so far


I completed my japanese folded patchwork blocks, put them all together and added an outer border.


It's just awaiting binding in the light blue snowflake fabric and then I can really have fun embellishing it with a selection of icy coloured beads and sequins I picked up in town on Monday. It will be a Christmas wallhanging, although it's one which could stay up all winter as there's nothing too Christmas specific on it.


For any of you readers in the UK who have a branch of Lakeland nearby (used to be Lakeland Plastics) they are currently selling off all their craft goods and returning to concentrating on kitchenware - I picked up all sorts of embellishment goodies - beads, brads etc - it might be worth a look if you're near one.

I've mentioned before that it's both sets of parents' Golden Weddings soon. Nigel's parents this weekend - Golden Wedding rose bush bought and ready for that. Then my parents four weeks later.

I've toyed with the idea of making a cushion or wallhanging of a design I've done before about 7 or 8 years ago of a yellow iris in the stained glass technique using gold bias for the leading. However I've kept procrastinating about buying the bias and then the other day when I was finishing Kate's mud and sand heart quilt I looked across at the black and citrus one I also had ready for quilting.

So I decided that as the hearts are golden coloured I would complete that for them instead.

I got the golden one and its teal buddy quilted yesterday. I've actually quilted hearts in the borders of the golden one - the light was too poor to show them last night but I'll get a macro shot of them when I've done the border. I counted up the other day and these are the last two of 25 of these heart quilts I've made which brings the total hearts stitched to 310! How anal is that? (One had 9, one had 25 and the rest had 12 each).

Still not quite hearted out though - Karol-Ann and I are hatching a cunning plan with 9 more teeny-weeny hearts but I won't steal her thunder, it's her design so watch her space on that one

Once on a quilting roll I changed to cream thread and got to work on the little mini nine patch design I'd copied from Lucy.

And voila! Here it is completed, binding and all. I think Patch, my patchwork teddy might have hijacked it actually - that's a very possessive paw he's holding onto it with.

I had a bit of a go at a completely freehand feather garland in the border which turned out not too bad either although don't look too close because the stitches in the feather spine are a bit on the long side in places - I'd never win a show with it, my stitches are nothing like uniform enough. But hey! who cares? I made it for my own pleasure and enjoyed every minute of it.

Now what shall I do today - think I ought to return to the rose stitchery for my Four Seasons summer quilt and I've a pincushion completed for that swap which I've yet to get a picture of so I'll save that for my next post which will be my 400th!!!!!

18 comments:

sewprimitive karen said...

Oh, Anne, your little red and white Lucy doll (bear, that is) quilt is really wonderful. Oh, I have to make one of those. Your quilting looks GREAT!

Joyce said...

So many hearts... Wow! And congrats on 400 posts.

Margery said...

Anne, I love the tiny 9 patch quilt. (The patchwok bear is cute, too!) I feel another mini quilt coming on ...

Mom said...

Lordy, your feathers are fantastic!!! Just makes me crave one of you quilts! :-))

Ruth said...

I'm impressed with the feather quilting! I've been trying to do more free motion quilting, but haven't been brave enough to try that yet on a real quilt. Did you draw the line on first as a guide? Maybe I'll get with the program and do it!

Cathi said...

Love the red and white quilt, wish I could do feathers like that!! How do you do them??

Sew Create It - Jane said...

I love your red and white nine patch...The more I see these little quilts the more I want to have a go at one.

Andrea said...

The folded patchwork is beautiful - very clever use of colours. Cute mini too.

loulee said...

I reckon your feather stitching looks fantastic, I wish i was Ted.

Fiona said...

I love those feathers - and they must be tiny too! You are just so productive!

sewkalico said...

Gosh you are amazing. So busy and all great stuff. For a moment, I thought you were going to spill the beans LOL. Going to mail you another cunning plan (for you) later!
ps did you make Ted? He's cute, bit needy, but cute LOL

Sue Wild said...

Hi Anne
I like the Japanese folded quilt but what does the back look like? It must have quite a good pattern at the back with the changes of colours in the circle squares.

Your little heart quilts are quite exquisite. It's lovely to see more of these.

Thanks for a view of the Bristol exhibition in your previous post, which must have made your journey worthwhile. Wasn't able to get there this year (as my daughter lives in Bristol) but previous exhibition was really good.

Best wishes
Sue

Lily Mulholland said...

Wow Anne! You are such an inspiration. You get so much work done. I just don't know how you do it. Lucy would be totally chuffed!

Love some of the quilts you showed from the show - esp. the Hedgehog one! And the curved log cabin cushions. They are amazing.

What a pity you missed the pic of Nigel dangling Nicholas upside down in that hole!!

And that seaside village looks just like a postcard :)

Holly said...

Wow, your freehand feather garland is just spectacular on that mini 9-patch. Love it all.

Clare said...

The quilting on the mini 9 patch is exquisite.

Like Lily, I wish you had got a snap of Nigel dangling Nicholas in the drain hole.

How about a make over for the 400th post celebrations? Ok I'm going!!!!

Days and colors said...

Your mini quilt is so lovely! They are always so much fun to make, I just can't have enough!
Congratulations on your 400 post!!!

Shelina said...

I am behind in reading posts, and each of your posts has so many lovely things that you have made. You do such great work - and very productively. The blue quilt is beautiful, as are all of your heart quilts. The nine patch is just gorgeous - I love all the quilting you did on it.

jovaliquilts said...

Love that Japanese folded patchwork! Well, and everything else, too. Your blog is an inspiration!