It's all packed and ready to go.  Teddy's quilt is finished and awaiting delivery.  I hope Sophie is pleased with it.  I think it's turned out really well, but then I made it so I'm biased.

This has been a pleasure to work on.  I love the little teddy fabric in the corners.  The photos were printed on 'Miracle Fabric Sheet's and 'EQ Printables' in sepia to mix in well with the blocks.  The photos are not supposed to be the focus point, rather that you have to look for them as your eyes move around the quilt.  What do you think?

Next I have to finish the tablecloth-quilt for my MIL.

Jenny

Here are some photos of the commission I'm working on, the top is pieced, I love the teddy fabric in the cornerblocks of the border.  I have one line of the dedication block for the back to complete, and then this week it will be layed together with the wadding and backing and quilted.  The design is quite busy, so I will quilt in the ditch.  It looks lovely in the flesh.

Jenny

Bags, bags

I tried making a couple of bags last week and I was pleased with how they turned out.

I've made shopping bags in the past, but not proper handbags.  I was rummaging through some material and found a piece of canvas and a lovely piece of broiderie anglais (I'm sure that's spelt incorrectly).  When I put one against the other it just looked right and there was enough to make a small bag.  I was so pleased I then made the tweed one above it.

They are both lined in a dark brown striped fabric, the tweed one has been sold at market, and I have an order to make a similar one.  Unfortunately I only had enough of that particular tweed fabric to make one bag.  But I've got plenty more of similar tweed, so watch this space for more bags.

Even more amazing is the fact that my windows are relatively clean!

Jenny

Highs and lows of cooking

Is it really a month since my last post, I'd better put a few things up over the next few days.

As you've probably guessed from this blog, I love sewing.  I also love cooking, but that can be a little hit and miss at times.  I love baking cakes, I bake lemon cakes, flapjacks, chocolate cakes, date slices etc for our local Country Market.  As for savouries, they're edible (mostly), roasts are good, but that's about it.

My father-in-law came to us for his evening meal tonight.  Stew and dumplings, my favourite.  My mum makes the best stew and dumplings you've ever tasted.  I've just about mastered the stew, I use the 'chuck it all in together and leave it to cook long and slow' method and that works well.  Dumplings are usually OK.  This evening I used vegetarian suet and they turned out like mini cannon balls.  Rather than light and fluffy, they could have been used to sink the Titanic easily. 

On a much much happier note, I received a letter today.  It just had my name, house name and postcode as the address.  Rather curious, I opened it a little apprehensively.  Inside is a letter from a lady in Surrey which reads ... 'My husband and I visited Orford Country Market .... and would just like to say how wonderful your butter flapjacks were ... my husband is a big fan of flapjacks and said that he hadn't had any that good in a very long time ... can I put in an order or you could send me the recipe'.

I laughed all the way through reading this, not because I thought it was funny, but from happiness and knowing that someone thought my baking was good enough not only to write and tell me, which was fantastic, but also to ask for more.  Wow ... that really did make my day.  Thank you Mrs D.

I support Ipswich Town Football Club, they have just lost their 13th game of the season and are the only club in all five divisions not to have won a game so far.  Watford have equalised in the last 30 seconds of the game.  It's such a shame, the players muse be absolutely gutted, having lead from the 5th minute, and by all accounts they were the better side and had more chances.  Many fans want Roy Keane to go, but I still have faith, it's just getting that first win.

Jenny

Quilt commission

I'm very excited and pleased to have a commission to make a quilt for a little boy after his aunt saw my memory quilts on my website.

After our initial discussions about colours and style, these are the fabrics we've chosen.

(Aunt) Sophie has asked for colours and patterns that can be used in adult-hood.  We are having a mis-matched, different sized square design with  different sized blocks so it doesn't look too uniform.  Some photos are also going to be incorporated into the design, but they are not going to be focal points of the quilt, rather that you will spot them when you look over the quilt.  As the little boy is called Teddy, there will be a few Teddy's appliqued on the top along with an embroidered block with his name and birth date.

I'm a bit of a star block fan, so I've made up a few star blocks to start off with.

I have been emailing the blocks to Sophie (thank goodness for digital cameras) and she is really pleased with how they look.

It's very exciting making a quilt for someone else, but a little bit nerve-racking too.  I'm trying to make Sophie's ideas for the quilt come true, without trying to influence her choices.  I'm glad Sophie likes the blocks as I find it quite difficult to say 'It will definitely look like this or like that' because until I sit down and sew, I'm not sure myself which fabrics I'll use in which blocks so my quilts tend to evolve as they are sewn.  I really love these fabrics and it's been wonderful to pick up three or four that go together and just have a free reign to create.

So, thank you Sophie for putting your trust in me.

Update on tablecloth

We laid out the blocks on the floor, this one is called 'Light and dark', and this is the one Jenny has decided she likes.  It will be really pretty once it's done and pressed. 

Now just got to find a spare hour to sew it all together ....

Log Cabin Tablecloth

I made up one block to show Jenny (MIL) what they would look like and she was really pleased with it.  This also meant I was able to check all my calculations for log sizes were correct, and thankfully they were.

Log Cabin is often foundation pieced, but I'm not a huge fan of that, so I cut all the pieces out first and then chain piece.

I set them out in the order, it's not that clear in the picture and then pieced all log 1 to the middle square 36 times.  Cut between the logs, press and then piece all log 2 pieces to these and just continue until all are done.

So this is the first four logs pieced and it's starting to look good.  Every time I finished four pieces to complete a square, I pressed and then squared them up to get rid of uneven edges.  I always like to remove 'ears' and square up blocks, even though this adds extra time to the sewing, it really does make a differnce to the finished piece.  Many years ago I went to college and studied catering.  When rolling out pastry one day, the chef asked me what shape I wanted (in this case a rectangle) and then asked how did I expect to end up with a rectangle when my pastry started off as a ball?  Good point, same with patchwork, if you want to end up with as near a perfect square as possible, you need to make sure it stays as close to a square all the way through, otherwise it gets all skewed.

Apart from the lovely light-bulb spot in the middle of these photos, it shows how small amounts need to be trimmed.  Then you end up with lovely square sqaures.  So these blocks are 9" sqaures, a 3" square in the middle surrounded by 12 1" log strips.

Log cabin

My mother-in-law, who is also Jenny Cooper, has asked me to make her a quilted tablecloth.  As we both share the same name this can be a little confusing at times.  A couple of years ago I entered the local flower show and was lucky enough to win the handicraft cup, when Jenny (MIL) went into the village the week after, she was congratulated on winning.  This year, Jenny (MIL) entered some embroidery and knitting in another local show and I was congratulated on the prizes! 

Anyway, back to the tablecloth, Jenny (MIL) likes the log cabin design and lilac colours.
Here are the ones she has picked out:

I think the colours she has chosen will make a very pretty quilt.  It will be approx 54" square made from 9" log cabin blocks. I don't know yet which log cabin setting it will be in.  The thing to do, is make the blocks and then take them to her and we can lay them out and decide.

What do you think?
Jenny

Old friends

Last Friday, I met up with my friends Julia and Sharon.  We all went to college and studied catering together many many moons ago.  We meet about three or four times a year and have a meal.  We tried Kettleburgh Chequers this time and it's well worth a visit.

Julia makes and decorates the most amazing cakes - birthday, wedding and celebration cakes.  She has a website in the making and I'll be linking to her site when it's up and running.  Sharon brought us some home-grown tomatoes.  It was lovely to be given some as home-grown tastes so much better than shop bought.  I've been making lots of chutneys, pickles and jams this summer, and put aside a jar of Plum Jam for each of them, only to get there and realise I'd left them at home.  It will keep until next time we meet.

Improvised light box

Tomorrow I am demonstrating hand-quilting at market.  Today I thought that maybe I ought to get a piece of hand-quilting ready to quilt.  I'm still not sure that what I've chosen is a good idea as I decided to design my own piece and not use a quilting stencil, but, hey, why start simply!

As market is at Orford, I thought maybe an outline of Orford Castle would be good.  I have a lovely photo of the castle that I've printed off onto A4 and then I wondered (8.45pm tonight) how the heck am I going to transfer the outline to fabric?  My natural lightbox (daylight through window) is not working at present (it's too dark outside) and I don't own a light-box, but I do have plenty of clear plastic storage boxes and my husband has a powerful torch .... so solution is empty box, put on torch, put empty box over torch and hey presto  -  a light box.  Shame the box has got curved edges so that it doesn't sit properly - but never mind, it will serve it's temporary purpose.

Jenny

Launch of my applique kits and patterns

I'm so excited. I've launched my first patterns and kits. The cupcake, flower and sailing boat are three of my favourite designs. They are fusible-web applique, suitable for beginners as well as those with more experience, and are availabe as patterns or kits. They are very reasonably priced at £3 for the pattern or £5 for the kit and are can be bought from my website.



This cupcake can be used on so many things, cushions, table-runners, tea cosies or placemats.



The flower head I have used to make a really pretty cushion.

And can you just imagine sail boats on a pair of plain curtains for a young sailor?

These are all postcard-sized projects using fusible web applique. Suitable for the beginner, the designs can be used by those with more experience on other projects, a few listed above.

In the autumn they will be some christmas postcards ... watch this space.

Jenny

(Please note that kit fabric colours may be different from those shown)

Hunters Star

Do you like this fabric? It is the French Farmhouse range. I want to make a Hunters Star quilt with it. I love the muted blues and creams, it's not overtly flowery, so my husband can't complain about it being girly, and I love the Hunters Star block and I think these colours would look good.

But ... it's so long since I bought these fat quarters, it's probably sold out. I have to go to my local quilt shop this week, and if it's still in, I'll buy some more.

Jenny

(Ahhhhhh .. I just cannot get the hang of formatting these posts)

Flower embroidery finished

Well, it's been so long since I last posted, I'd forgotten the password, but it is good to be posting again.


After an hour here or half an hour there, I've finally finished the flower embroidery. I was asked to make it into a wall-hanging, after it being in a drawer for about 40 years. The embroidery was made up of small flowers approx 2½ x 1½". I removed the outside row of flowers as some had been put on horizontal rather than vertical and there were a four or five that were really quite soiled. This left me with an embroidery of six rows by six columns. Button-hole stitch had been stitched between each column. There was also a few individual 'new' embroideries that hadn't been attached to begin with, these were lovely and clean and because they hadn't been handled, they were in pristine condition.

I made this the centre of the wallhanging and added on another three columns, two on the left and one on the right. There were enough of of the 'new' embroideries to make two new rows, one above and one below.

A border was needed to finish is off, and cream silk does the job nicely. I left the original button-hole stitching in place, and once the border was attached, I continued this theme vertically between the columns I'd put on, and horizontally between the 'old' and 'new' embroideries. I buttonholed around the edge between the embroidery and border, this seem to finish it off. It called for a darker colour for the binding than the cream, and the pale sage green silk echoes some of the colour of the flowers.

Detail of the wallhanging.

It will be back with it's owner on Saturday. I hope she likes it.

Jenny

Silk embroidery

One of our regular customers at market has asked me to make this embroidery into a wallhanging.

It belonged to her grandmother and she thinks it's at least 100 years old. It is made up of individual embroideries about 1½" by 2" oversewn together by hand and then topstitched using (I would assume) cotton embroidery floss with button-hole stitch and whipstitch. The embroideries are on silk fabric and come from India. It has been in a draw for about 30 years.

The picture above is actually on its side. It consists of 6 middle columns with 6 embroideries in each column and an outside border where the embroideries have been turned on their side. There are also about 20 or so single flowers that need to be incorporated.

I think I will suggest removing the whole of the outside border, especially as one is quite soiled, and one of the corners is missing. I can then re-arrange the border ones into columns and add the single ones alongside. Has anyone ever come across anything like this or restored anything similar? I'd be glad to hear how you tackled it.



It's absolutely gorgeous, the colours are so bright. Each embroidery is of a different English flower. My favourites are the primrose, foxglove, lily of the valley and lupin.

I'm so pleased to have been asked to do this, it is beautiful and I hope I can do it justice. But for now I will just marvel at this fascinating item, and complete it with lots of loving care.

Bye for now

Jenny

Fred the peacock

This is Fred the peacock. He came with the house when we moved in a few years ago, he was part of the fixtures and fittings. He runs free around the house and in the woodyard beside us, although he will often come into the garden for peanuts. I have a small tub of nuts beside the window and I'll throw him a few when he comes around. He came this morning but wouldn't stop as our Jack Russell, Daisy, was watching him through the window and he could see her. Daisy likes to chase Fred, a game he's not so keen to play. Thankfully he has always managed to get away in time. He's about 16 or 17 years old and will live until about 40.



He has got the most beautiful plumage. The tail feathers will start to moult about June and they will all be gone by mid-July, ready for the new set in Autumn. Fred does walk very regally. At night he perches in the top of the tallest trees. He cannot fly very far, although he can fly out of danger, like if Daisy's chasing him, but he wouldn't fly to the top of the tree. Instead he uses the branches like a ladder, and will hop and flutter from one branch to the next.

Look at the tail, it's just gorgeous, and when the feathers moult and you can look at them up close, they are just amazing.

My son drew a picture of Fred (below) which I made up in fabric. It hangs in our living room. I think he got the shapes just right.

Bye for now

Jenny

My first pattern

I'm really excited this week, as I have just finished writing my first pattern. It's for a small picture using fusible web applique, and it's out being tested by some friends of mine - some are crafty people, some are not.

The next step is to look at any comments, amend the pattern as necessary and then it can go out into the big wide world.

On the side you will see that I am demonstrating at Orford Country Market on April 18th, and I thought that I ought to have patterns and kits in case people like what they see. One design is being tested at the moment, but I hope to have four different patterns available on 18th. Watch this space ...

Jenny

Finished cupcake cushion

This is the finished cushion made from may daughters outgrown clothes. I stitched some pink ric-rac around the outside which she really liked.

I've just had some cushion pads delivered, the next one I want to make is a boat in a similar style to the cupcake, but maybe the outside borders made of patches rather than just strips of fabric.

I've also got a bit of non-quilt sewing to do. I'm altering a roman blind for a friend and re-making some sofa arm-rests for a Country Market order. I'd rather be quilting and cushion making, but these come first.

Jenny

Moonlight

It's still here tonight, just a very slight breeze. The trees are silhouetted against the full moon. In the trees around the house I can hear four different tawny owls calling to each other and waders on the distant river. I marvel at the canvas nature has painted.


Jenny

Finished order

Below is the order I was talking about in a previous post. They were made for children and will be framed and hung in their bedrooms. These were especially made after the customer had seen similar smaller ones for sale. I find it quite scary to take commissions, because it worries me that the final pieces won't be liked – but in this case the children were really happy with them.


Below is a close-up of the flowers. When I came to stitch around the edge of the daisy in the middle, I used variegated yellow thread for the centre and then wondered whether the petals would stand out better from the background if I edged them in yellow too. I couldn’t visualise what it would look like, so I made a sample daisy to try it. I’m glad I did because it looked awful, so the main picture is edged in white and looks just right.

Oh I can’t get the hang of formatting these blog posts. Every time a picture is inserted it goes haywire. I find I have to edit it far too many times to get it to look right. It drives me mad. Does anyone else have this problem? Today I am writing this in Word and hoping that when it gets published it will be better.

Ipswich didn’t play this weekend, which is probably a good thing as they ended on Tuesday evening losing 0-3 to Southampton at home. This won’t help their play-off places at all.

See you again
Jenny

Below is a close-up of the flowers. When I came to stitch around the edge of the daisy in the middle, I used variegated yellow thread for the centre and then wondered whether the petals would stand out better from the background if I edged them in yellow too. I couldn't visualise what it would look like, so I made a sample daisy to try it. I'm glad I did because it looked awful, so the main picture is edged in white and it looks just right.

Oh I can't get the hang of formatting these blog posts. Every time a picture is inserted it goes haywire. I find I have to edit it far too many times to get it to look right. It drives me mad. Does anyone else have this problem? Today I am writing this in Word and hoping that when it gets published it will be better.

Ipswich didn't play this weekend, which is probably a good thing as they ended on Tuesday evening losing 0-3 to Southampton at home. This won't help their play-off places at all.

See you again

Jenny

Bits and pieces

This is a little bit bitty tonight.

First up I have two pictures of my birds that I've made for my Country Market order, one blue and one red. They are fused onto a vintage silk background and then satin stitched around the edges with variegated threads. A small blob of fabric paint for the eye.

I was given a pair of 1960's silk curtains, which once washed, disentigrated in way too many places to make them useful for curtains - but they make jolly good backgrounds for pictures.

Next up is a picture of a quilt that I really don't know if I want to own up to making. About six years ago I pieced this top, the colours are gorgeous and bright and this was definately a case of the quilt looking better in my head than it did made up.

So, I have unpicked the main blocks, given them a good press, I'll mix them up abit, and then see how they will look with sashing in between to break them up. This has sat in my sewing room for so long, it's high time the poor thing had a bit of TLC and be finished of. Goodness knows what I will do with it once it's done though.

Lastly is a picture of my daughters outgrown clothes which are now nicely de-seamed and waiting to be made into a cupcake cushion for her bedroom.

And just to update the football fans, Ipswich are playing Southampton at home tonight and losing 0-1. Oh dear Tractor Boys, I think you need a bit of moonshine in your engines.

See you
Jenny

This week

Last week I visited my local quilt shop Quilters Haven and my daughter fell in love with a kit there. It's of appliquéd puppies made from wool felt on a pieced background. I don't normally buy kits, but she twists me around her little finger. The background is pieced and this evening I will start to cut out the puppies.

I have also been working on an order I received a couple of weeks ago from Orford Country Market, where I am a producer. I sell cushions, quilts, and fabric postcards and I was asked to make some postcards as birds and flowers for a lady for her daughter's bedroom. The birds are finished and the flowers will be completed in a day or so's time. I will post a picture when they are done. This last Saturday I also sold a silk cushion, so I was a very happy Jenny for the rest of the day.

Cupcake cushion

This is my latest cushion. It is 12" and made from cotton.

This shows detail of the applique. I love cupcakes, and these little cushions are perfect for my diet! My daughter wants one too, and she has an outgrown shirt and skirt which will look just right. I will post a picture once it's made.


But for all of you who find cupcakes irresistible, I made one for my children's school library covered in them. It was a real hit with the children. My favourite is the red spotty one in the bottom left corner.

ITFC colours quilt (and result)

I made this quilt for a friend's son. He is mad-keen on Ipswich Town Football Club, and his mum thought a quilt in the Town colours would be good. Here it is, I've edged it in red to really finish it off. Making quilts is hugely enjoyable, especially when you know they are appreciated and even more importantly, used.

Ipswich are my football team. Tonight they are playing Nottingham Forest and with 2 minutes to go, they are winning 2-1. Go Tractor Boys!

Valentine's Day

Look what I found on the kitchen table on Saturday morning. In true traditional Valentine style, there was no indication of who they were from. But they're lovely aren't they? The last time I received flowers on Valentine's day must have been at least 15 years ago.

Hello,

Well, I've finally done it, I've got a blog. I said it was something I wouldn't do, but here we are. Now it's the hard bit - to actually post regularly.

This evening I will be finishing off a quilt I am making for my friends 12 year old. He is mad keen on Ipswich Town Football Club, and wanted a quilt with footballs all over it. Mum decided that maybe the Ipswich colours would be a better idea, so I've made a royal blue and white quilt, edged in red. It's quite a basic quilt, just 8" blocks and machine quilted either side of the seams, but it looks really effective. When it's done I will post a picture.

This afternoon I held another session of my beginners patchwork group. It's quite a small group as it's the first group I've taught. All 'my ladies' are enjoying it, which makes me really happy, because it means they must like what I'm telling them! We get together every couple of weeks to make a small sampler quilt about 34" square and we've got another couple of sessions left before they're finished. I'll post the finished quilts up in a few weeks when they are complete.

One of my group asked if I would consider teaching general sewing classes, it's not something I had considered before, it's something I need to think about.