It's official - Quilting is good for you!

Thanks to chittle chattle for sharing this link  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2002862/Why-quilting-uniquely-good-us.html#comments which confirms what we dedicated quilters, embroiderers etc have known all along.  Our art/craft or whatever we want to call it is good for us.

Here is my latest attempt.  I'm surrounded by the most wonderful landscape but often find it difficult to capture it in fabric.  This piece uses simple raw edge piecing and free machine embroidery to try and capture the feel of a dusky evening view.


I got a nice surprise when I looked at the back.  Seeing  the quilting in black and white has set me thinking about a winter version.  Before I get to that though I have others to finish - why is it always more tempting to start something new than to finish what is on the go?

Back at Last

It has been an age since I last posted but at long last I have the internet connection (it took 6 weeks after our move to get connected) and the time to start posting again.  The last few weeks have been really busy trying to get the house straight (still failing on that one) and generally getting to grips with things.  There have been delays and hiccuphs - such as problems with our water supply which was so useless I couldn't use the washing machine and had to filter all our drinking water - but although we are still waiting for our shower to be plumbed things are slowly moving forward now and the water is now good and plentiful.  As you've probably guessed it is from a spring so no chlorine or chemicals which is wonderful.

I have managed some stitching time and have a split nine patch quilt on the go. The pic shows the blocks laid out but I want to make 3 more to make it larger.  All of the fabric has come out of my stash - I had to use some before I went to the Great Northern Quilt Show and added anymore! - and I have used some of the fat quarters which I couldn't resist when I bought them but then couldn't use.  It has taken less than a day to stitch the blocks so it seems like a good pattern when you need something ready in a hurry.  I came across it at http://www.justhands-on.tv/

I finally finished the above quilt which I call Goose Chase.  Well I had to because I entered it for the Great Northern Quilt Show.  It is the first time I have entered a competitive show and it nearly didn't get there!  As it had been so long in the making I decided it should be washed before it went on view and one of the colours in the central ring bled.  I managed to sort it but nearly had heart failure at the thought of all that work potentially ruined.  I don't usually wash fabrics before piecing as I like to work with the crisp fabric but this might make me make think twice. 

This quilt had also been on its travels.  I was delighted when it was accepted for the Quilters Guild Summer in the Park  Exhibition at Rufford Craft Centre in Nottinghamshire.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to see it having just moved etc.

I will hopefully be posting more regularly now and still have lots of things to share so until then...........

Dandelion Days

I've not posted for a while because I have had a really busy couple of weeks.  The week before last we were in London visiting music colleges with my youngest daughter who is hoping to apply soon but I managed to squeeze in a visit to the Quilt Exhibition at the V & A.  It was well worth a visit, especially if you like to see antique quilts.  The quilts on display date from 1700 to 2010 and range from large bed quilts and bed hangings to small sewing accessories; domestic and commercially made quilts and some specially commissioned quilts from current quilt artists.  More details of the exhibition here http://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/future_exhibs/Quilts/index.html  Linked to the exhibition is the Quilt of Quilts website where the general public are invitied to post pictures of their quilts and all the images together form a virtual quilt.  409 have been up-loaded so far so there is the potential for many happy hours browsing! http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/quilts/gallery/patterns
Whilst on the subject of exhibitions, I have been asked to mention an exhibition by Foggy Furze Quilters.  This will take place at Foggy Furze Library, Stockton Road, Hartlepool on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th June.  Entry is free and there is to be a raffle (first prize a quilt) in aid of the RNLI.  If any readers are in the area on those days I am sure it will be well worth a visit.
Finally, to the dandelions.  I had a friend staying with me last week and spent lots of time out and about visiting local attractions and, thanks to the mainly good weather, country walks.  Is it my imagination or are there more dandelions than usual this year?  Some roads were lined with them - very sunny and cheerful - and I wondered if our cold winter and late spring has perhaps provided good conditons for them.  The down side is that they also seem to have taken over our lawn! 

Finished!

I posted some photos of Fiona's quilt last year when it was a WIP.  I actually got it finished a while ago now but didn't get round to photographing it until today so here it is together with the cat that spends a lot of time on it.  Today she is surveying the world from the shed roof but I digress!   The quilt is  two sided which made me think long and hard about how to quilt it particularly as many of my quilting friends thought I should make two separate quilts (but I couldn't face that as I desperately wanted it finished).  In the end I used a varigated thread to machine quilt freestyle leaves on one side but used an invisible thread in the bobbin so the quilting pattern did not interfere with the crazy log cabin on the reverse.  I prefer the reverse (log cabin) but Fiona still likes the animals so we are both happy!  I found the strippy border in a brilliant book called "Sensational Sets & Borders" Rodale's Successful Quilting Library which has lots of excellent ideas for borders.