Stitchery with Nicky

My friend Nicky makes amazing quilts and cushions and all sorts of wonderful things incorporating stitchery.  She's just had a one-woman exhibition at Quilters Haven show-casing all her lovely quilts and cushions.  Here's a few links to more of Nicky's wonderful stitchery Christmas cushion ~ Couch companion ~ Cushions ~ Stitchery quilt .

So as you can see, she is very, very good at stitchery, you won't find any wobbly lines on Nicky's stitching, unlike my little lady above.  The design I choose was originally designed to be made into a little stuffed lady which could be filled with lavender but I've decided to make her into a little cushion.  I'll finish the stitching this evening, it's quite addictive.  It's simple to do, the three main stitches being back-stitch, lazy-daisy and french knots, and it's good to have something small in the evening when you're watching (or listening) to the telly.  I think I need a lot more practise to get lovely flowing lines like Nicky's.

Jenny

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