Memory quilts aren't just for children

I've met a lady called Jane Hamerton, she makes personlised towels, and loves sewing just as much as I do.  A few years ago she made this wonderful quilt top, but never finished putting the layers together.  Over the last few weeks, I have quilted and bound it for her.

Memory quilts aren't just for children.  When I returned the quilt, Jane was overwhelmed by how many memories the materials held for her.  She pointed out an old skirt and other material she'd used to cover a chair.  It wasn't just memories from the material either, she remembered the time, the place and the people she was with when she made the quilt.  To me, this is everything a quilt should be, made from material no longer needed for it's original purpose and holding special memories from a time gone by.

I'm really pleased Jane liked how I'd finished the quilt for her.  It's good that it can now be used in all it's glory and not hidden in a box.

Jenny

Log cabin tablecloth

Here's the tablecloth I've made for my mother-in-law.  I delivered it this morning and she was very pleased with it, and put it on her table straight away.  The photo's don't do it justice.  The table is in a small bay, and catches the light, brightening the room.

Detail of the quilting.

The cloth is 54" square, six by six blocks of 9" log cabin. Just thought - I haven't got a photo of the backing material, it matched perfectly, small lilac flowers on a yellow background.  I used the backing fabric to bind aswell.  The quilitng we kept fairly simple, sitched in the ditch between the main blocks, and then using varigated thread, straight stitching horizontal and vertical over the logs.  The centre squares we left unquilted.

I've just pinned out another quilt, which I want to quilt and bind by Wednesday.

Jenny

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.