Postcard displayer!

While the Nation celebrated the Queens Jubilee with a long holiday, I went (with some very special friends) to a Quilting Retreat held by a lovely couple Kate and David Ranson, called Come to Quilt is the name of their business and it is in the heart of the country near Taunton Somerset. This lovely couple looked after us superbly! the meals were to die for..and Kate allowed us to 'do our own thing' but also gave us a project to do 'if we wanted to'.  I didn't manage to finish mine at the time and told Kate that I would post a picture of it when I did (after my trip to Canada for three week which followed ).
So Kate here is my 'Post card display hanging'? I have added some of the postcards I have had sent to me over the years and the one I did 'in class', I know that a couple of them are Christmas ones but theyfitted the pockets well.

A work shop with Ferret

I was fortunate to be able to take a work shop with Ferrett, I vowed I would finish the work and to prove that I have here are some pictures of it.  I have used a piece of space dyed Batik and many different threads to fill the spaces made by the star pattern, some are metalics and some are rayon and some are valdani varigated threads.  I really enjoyed 'playing' wit this piece.  Thanks Ferrett for giving me 'permission' to play.  This work was finished sometime in January 2011.

Margaret's Quilt

In the spring last year a dear friend died, she was a quilter like me and she had a quilt on 'the go' when she passed.  This quilt was a commission for another friend who wanted it as a  Wedding pressie for her Grandson and his new Bride - she would give it to them when they came home from Afghanistan at Christmas.  I volunteered to finish this hand quilted whole cloth quilt.  Margaret had started in the center (as you do) and had done two of the motifs. I had the quilt by June and quilting every day for about 3 hours a day I finished the quilt  at the begining of December. 

Begining again!

I showed you the beggining of this challenge quilt last year - here it is finished - well almost - I have added double circles of brown applique to the corners of the quilt to try and balance it out a bit .  Better get it out of the cupboard and take another photo of it I suppose.  Each of the borders were dictated to us by the Thameside Quilt group,  one border every two months.First the width of the border then what style of patchwork then a 'special' requirement.  The last border was to be 13" wide with curves and the special requirement was lof cabin! they are in the corners..........

I have promised friends that I will restart this blog, they keep coming to look (they say!) and I haven't put anything in it! So here we go:- to start with there will be just a record of the quilts I have made since I last posted and then maybe more about me and the family and what we get up to!
Ok I've made a start - more tomorrow I hope!

Finished at last!

I thought that, those of you who look at my blog sometimes, would like to see that I have finished the quilt I started last summer (2010).  It will go to my yougest daughter Sarah at the begining of March, for her birthday.  This is Sarah and her Husband Gary at a party we all went to in Swanley Kent at the begining of this month, to celebrate a neice's  60th birthday.

Progress

Remember the quilt I am making? Well I have finished the applique and have now added the borders to the center.  I have sourced the white 80/20 Hobbs heirloom wadding I wanted, in the size I wanted - a whole piece just the size I need , so I don't have to piece it - great! .  I bought the backing fabric - a white on white small flower design - at the Quilt Show at Sandown in June and that now needs to be pieced - quite a mammoth job and I have to feel like doing it.......! BUT the fun starts here! how do I quilt it? what designs shall I do - feathers? straight lines? in the ditch? cross hatching?  - I think I will spread the top on the spare bed and leave it there for a couple of days and wait till it tells me what it wants me to do!

Thamesiders challenge 'Add a Border' quilt.

In the mean time I have gone back to the Thamesiders challenge 'Add a Border' quilt........this next border must be 13" wide, be curved or woven in style and have a special requirement of log cabin! Help............!
I thought perhaps twisted log cabin for the corners - a block of four in each, but I can't make my mind up what to do for the sides of the border - I think log cabin all round would be too heavy a pattern, besides being an awful lot of work...... I have thought of Celtic trails, or swags, or large and small clamshells  in three colours - what do you think? 13" is such a wide inner border and I don't want to make it too fussy.........I will show you what I have done at a later date - when the brain has got it's self into gear and told me what to do.  I have just realized that this picture does not have all the borders on it that I have made - just added an updated piccie.  The Suffolk puffs (yo yo's) are only pinned in place  in case the next border was a complicated one and the top was begining to look too busy.

Third border in place - with pinned on Suffolk puffs.

A horrid day - so far!

This morning I have had to go to the dentist - I hate the dentist!  Himself  had to come with me to hold my hand - you would never believe that I am a grown up great grandmother by the way I have quaked today at just the thoughts of this visit!  I hate impressions and that is what today has been all about...........I'm such a whimp!
Thank goodness the rest of the day is a fun day - sewing with friends this afternoon and lace making with others this evening.  To morrow I will be exhausted - but at least I will not be having nightmares about a dentist chair tonight! and I can sleep in -  if Himself doesn't wake me while getting up to go Earlybird swimming at the local pool.