A Belated Happy New Year

I can't believe it is February already and how long it is since I have last posted - where do the days go. Four weeks of snow didn't help. When it first came it was too tempting to take Oscar for long walks as everything was so beautiful and as all was frozen he couldn't get muddy but then it froze and driving and walking was such hard work. I did get some stitching done though and finished Fiona's quilt and a textile figure inspired by the weather. I have called her Frost and really enjoyed stitching her. I used tyvek layered with chiffon and machine stitched and beaded the fabric before using the heat gun and iron to shrink the tyvek and I used angelina fibres to make the sleeves. I hand stitched while watching old musicals like South Pacific and the King and I which I haven't watched for years. I also stitched an A4 size mini quilt which I haven't photographhed yet so will write about later. Actually writing this makes me realise that perhaps I haven't been quite as idle as I thought although I have spent too much time playing Wii games with the girls. Now I have lots of work to do to prepare for workshops in the coming months and need to get motivated again. I have so many ideas and things I want to make - just need to get stuck in.

Challenge up-date and new work

I hope you are all doing better than I am with the HEN stitches. I'm ashamed to admit that I am falling behind with them but I have completed two pieces of work this past month which is quite good for me. The first is 'The Little Mermaid' a piece of raised embroidery which continues the fairy tale theme I have been exploring and the second is the result of a weekend course with Angela Madden, a machine quilted celtic design. Pics above. I have also been writing an on-line course for a small ribbon embroidery, Fuchsia Pot, which will be available on HEN shortly, have created a new Montmellick design for a workshop and kit (just need to stitch it) and made some progress with a doll challenge. I didn't realise how much I had done until I started writing this. Perhaps I should stop feeling guilty but I still need to finish Fiona's quilt - maybe this week. I'm beginning to regret deciding to make it two sided. Just need a few more hours in the day or a friendly elf to do the housework, cooking etc........

Fiona's Quilt

At last, here is the promised photo of Fiona's quilt. This was started, over two years ago, after a visit to the Knitting and Stitching Show when she bought a book called A Quilters Ark by Margaret Rolfe and persuaded me to make her a quilt featuring animal blocks. The ones in the book are foundation pieced but that is not one of my favourite techniques so I have done them my own way using freezer paper. The blocks are not all the same size so it took me a little while to decide how to link them and also a while to find a fabric that went with them all. That is always the problem when you let quilts 'evolve' isn't it? Anyway, the top is now finished except for a final border and I am anxious that as she is now 16 she may not want a quilt featuring cute animals for much longer. As I do not want it to end up in cupboard (or the cat's basket!) I have decided to make it reversible and so far have done 4 blocks (it will need 20) using a twisted log cabin block. Each block features 33 different fabrics so it is great for using up small amounts and fat quarters. I am aiming to get it finished in the next two weeks. Each block takes about an hour so I should manage it - only 16 to go!

Does anyone else buy too many fat quarters? I can't resist those beautiful colour themed packs and glorious feature fabrics but then find a problem using them as I never have enough of one fabric. I must resolve to buy half metres instead!!