Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts

Wednesday, 14 August 2013

The Summer Juggle

My poor blog has been really neglected over the last 2 weeks!

A combination of 3 active boys at home all day, work deadlines and a decision to do something about my health (read addiction to coffee) has resulted in not much time for anything else!

It is now 2 weeks without caffeine and I finally feel much better, most of the time!

I did manage to get the Festival of Quilts last week, which was amazing!


This is an action shot of the queue outside the halls! It was a very long queue!

I didn't take any photos in the show, I was too busy admiring and gossiping with my lovely friend Liz who doesn't quilt, but loved the show. My interest has definitely changed to a fascination of the texture and design process of the Art quilts and the amazing works of art they create from seemingly humble inspiration. It fitted perfectly with the design part of the City and Guilds of my module that I am working through at the moment. It was good to see other people working on the path I want to take.

I only took a small budget and came away with 2 books about design and textile art, thread and needles. The only fabric I bought was from Simply Solids to finish my book shelf quilt - bit of a shock to my system!

I did get to try out a Sizzix Big Shot and it is amazing! I need one of them in my life! It will work perfectly with some of the groups I work with you struggle to use a rotary cutter or scissors. It's on my list from Santa this year!

I was slightly naughty when I got home and ordered this entire collection from M is For Make:




This is just 3 of the Just for Fun Collection from Birch Fabrics!

I fell in love with it and thought I would put it into my stash for a later date, but midi has seen it and we have started designing a new quilt for his 8th birthday in November - at this rate they will each leave home with 20 quilts each!

Hope you are enjoying your summer and managing to get some sewing done!



Thursday, 28 March 2013

Triangle love!

I have the most amazing friends - the kind who take all 3 kids in an emergency and give you a hug when you need it..

One of them, Helen, has been there so many times - including driving me home after I broke my ribs in a fall last year. She is one of the few people who gives me a hug when I achieve something and when I need one!

I have wanted to make her a quilt for ages,  but her house is kinda perfect and I didn't want to make a quilt that didn't fit in... it worried me too much!

But this year they swapped the lovely VW camper for a big, shiny new motor home thingy -I haven't been in  it, but it scares me when I am reversing on her drive, her husband would kill me if I hit it by accident!

Perfect opportunity to make a picnic/comfort quilt for their trips away and it can be bright as it is for holidays and fun! Yay!

So this morning I have pulled lots of lovely colours and some prints I have been hoarding - I know it is a shock to you that I hoard - and started cutting:


I love the selection and the bikes I have been saving for Helen's quilt as it says summer holidays to me!


I have been chopping equilateral triangles out of the fabrics - they are lovely! They are 5" from base to apex.

They are so lovely! I am a bit of an order freak with quilts and fabric - there has to be order and I like to break the colour up with creams and white. So of course I started this design with cream..


But I want to try something new so the cream has been ditched:


It is starting to come together and it is making me slightly nervous, but I am just going to keep adding colours into the design and see what happens...


Really stepping out of my comfort zone.... what's the worst that can happen???