A Village Quilter

 Hi all. Sorry for not posting.  I'm trying to post a couple of times a week, but am obviously failing. Anyway - you can see I've been busy.  I really enjoyed making this small 8 x 8 piece.  I wanted to start trying out some new design ideas and this format is great.  I'm not sure if it's finished yet - I'll let you know if I do any more.  I'm pleased I was able to use up some of my own dyed fabrics. And here is the start of me chopping up a jelly roll.  I have to do this a bit at a time as I find doing lots of cutting results in a stiff back.  I'll show you how I get on. I also wanted to let you know about a great book I've recently read.  I've harped on about it to everyone else, so I thought you should get some of it too.  It's 'The Chimp Paradox' by Dr Steve Peters.  It's a really good read and has provided some insightful comments into peoples behaviour.  Give it a go. Take care and I'll be back soon.

Hello all. Hope you're well.  Still a bit wet here, but warm too. So. I finished the quilt - yay.  Promise to post a decent photo of it this weekend.  As Jane said it's much easier to machine quilt if you press all the seams out - a lot less bulk. And I decided to re-do my notice boards to inspire me whilst working through a book I've had for a while - 'Art Quilt Workbook' by Jane Davila and Elin Waterston.  I thought I'd pick 2 themes: Trees  and Architecture. I'll let you know how I get on. Take care.

 So - here's a bit of a surprise for you - a mid-week post - just to prove I do eventually get around to some stuff. Here are 4 cards I've made. I thought it would be a good use of some fabric I'd made rather than it just sitting in a box. So I'll be signing, dating a numbering them.  One of the things I'm going to try this year (note I'm NOT calling them New Year's Resolutions) is to pick a book each month to focus on and try out some ideas from. So this month it's a relatively new book called 'Drawn to Stitch' by Gwen Hedley. A great Christmas present from my mother and father in law. So I've started in my sketchbook - the idea is that I'll use the one sketchbook for the year of the 12 books. Lets see how it goes.  Above and below are my attempts at making 'fabric paper'. I met a very nice lady on the course at Bramble Patch last year, she's much more a mixed media artist. She very generously provided instruc...

Hello all. How are you? I'm really good. I'm certainly enjoying the gradually improving weather.  One of the challenges Bren set us was to stock take our books and magazines. Hmm Can't give you the results (as DH reads this sometimes) but there's alot. And one thing we were also asked was to pick the one book we'd take to a desert island. Well my selection is the one below;  ' An illustrated Life' by Danny Gregory . I often pick it up and can always find something interesting to read.  What book you you take? One of the many books by my bed at the moment (there's always a pile) is this one 'The 12 secrets of Highly Creative Women' by Gail McKeen . I'm so enjoying this so much. The women interviewed are so generous with their ideas - it's a really encouraging book to read. When I went to the November Rocheberie Schoolhouse Quilters  one lovely lady was demonstrating making Christmas Puddings - they looked so cute I cou...

Thought I'd let you know about a great book that Radio 4 will be having as their book for Bookclub . The programme format is the audience will have the book and the author, John Irving, is there to answer them. I can't begin to tell you what a great book it is. I've always found that John Irving books always make me laugh, when I know I shouldn't and always have surprises in them. This one is so funny in places but so moving in others. If you do get time to read it - please do. I can promise it will stay with you. I have finally got round to making some things for Christmas - but I'm sure you'll appreciate that I won't be able to share these with you until Christmas. Luckily I've got a sewing day tomorrow in a neighbouring village hall - so I've got a list of things I want to crack on with. If you're in the UK take care this weekend as it sounds like we're going to have some rather bad weather. Take care.

I thought I'd share some of the books with you that I had for my birthday. The first one is 'How to be an explorer of the world' by Keri Smith. It's a real fun book that aims to make you look more at the things around you. Here's an example of one of the 'Exploration' exercises. This one encourages you to record everything you consume or purchase in a day or week. And this one encourages you to look at colours more closely around you. By using the colour chart chips you match them to what you se around you. It really is a fun book and I'm going to take it on holiday with me. Keri also has a great blog called 'Wish Jar' . She's very generous and you get to share how she develops her ideas into the books she writes. I think it would be great book to share with children - or like me being a big kid just think its great fun. The next book is 'Secrets of Simplicity' by Mary Carlomagno. A really beautiful book to look at if you look a...

Spring has arrived. The snow has gone and everything in the garden is starting to grow. It's a beautiful sunny day. I haven't really done much craft stuff this week - but I have been looking through a really good book. It's An Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory. For those of us with sketch book phobia (like me) it's very reassuring as it's provides a wide variety of styles by a wide range of people from across the world. If you get the chance to get a copy - please do - it's a great book. This weekend I hope to be able to complete my fourth block for the Easter Exhibition - something I can cross of my to do list. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Yes - I've managed to do more sewing today - what a great way to spend your time. This 10" square is a combination of blocks from the book 200 quilt blocks to mix & match by Davina Thomas. Top left: Flying Geese variation Top right: Geese around the corner Bottom left: Birds in the air Bottom right: Sashed geese. I've used some of the calico I dyed a while ago. Calculating the sizes was a bit of a challenge - but with the aid of the trusty Scrap Quilt Sensation by Katherine Guerrier I didn't have too many problems. This one is part of a series that I'll be exhibiting at the Bramble Patch from 4 - 18 April and the artists (yes I'm afraid that includes me) will be there, talking about our work (yes it does sound very grand) on Saturday 4th April. I really hope some of you may be able to come along. I'll let you know nearer the time what time we'll be there. The series will make much more sense in context. Honest. Some of you may of heard it snowed...

Is it just me or has December come around really quickly again? I always know it's on its way - but I'm still suprised when it arrives. At least I think I've got all of my Christmas presents now - I just need to wrap them and write the cards. And talking of Christmas cards bnelow is a photo of the cards we made for each other in our Bramble Patch with Bren. They're all so different. I was really sorry to say goodbye to all the girls as I won't be joining the class next year - but I think I will be back there in 2010 - boy does that sound a long way off. And arriving on my doormat in the last few weeks - the new Selvedge magazine - beautiful as always. And here's a bag a made for a friend's birthday... From this book ... And hot off the press (a late birthday present) is Keri Smith's latest book . It's a good fun book. Have a look if you get the opportunity. And here's what I have to cope with when I'm trying to bind a quilt. Flo decide...

Hi, Sorry about the break - been away on holiday for a week and I still don't seem to have got back into the swing of things. Just read a good book that has a great closing paragraph. The book is 'Addition' by Toni Jordan it's about a girl who is obsessed with numbers. But the closing paragraph goes like this: Most people miss their whole lives, you know. Listen, life isn't when you are standing on top of a mountain looking at a sunset. Life isn't waiting at the alter or the moment your first child is born or that time you were swimming in deep water and a dolphin came up along-side you. These are fragments. Ten or twelve grains of sand spread throughout your entire existence. These are not life. Life is brushing your teeth or making a sandwich or watching the news or waiting for the bus. Or walking. Every day, thousands of tiny events happen and if you're not watching, if you're not careful, if you don't capture them and make them count, you could m...

Hello all. yes I'm still here. Sorry for the lack of posts but I've been away with work for quite a bit and I seem to have spent most of the weekends washing and ironing getting ready for the next week - and that's what I'll be doing when I finish this blog. Luckily July includes Sewing Camp - I can't wait. In spite of lots of washing and ironing I have managed to play. I've decided to work through Jenny Rolfe's book 'Handmade Embroidered Purses' - I thought it would be a relatively easy to work through the examples and learn some new things - and learn how to put in zips. So here's my first one. I used my buttons I got from E-bay and I like the result. An here are my naughty purchases... I thought I'd increase my stash. I bought lengths rather than fat quarters for a change. At £3.00 per yard you can't really complain. Any way I'm off to pack my case - again. I'm in London for the week commencing Monday 23rd of June. If any o...

Sorry about the delay with my postings - but as you know I've been a bit busy - just like you. I'd like to say a huge thank you for all the kind words of support for me and my mum. I'm pleased to say she's had her op and it went as planned. I visited her yesterday and she was comfortable - which I think is really all you can expect at this stage. I'd thought I'd share with you a few things I've bought over the last few months. First is the beautiful Selvedge magazine - I'm hoping Santa might be bringing me a subscription. Next is my Quilting Arts - such a beautiful cover. I'm still waiting for number 29 - I'm sure it's got stuck in the post. And a copy of The Quilter - which you get as part of your Quilter Guild subscription. And a treat now - 'Finding your own visual language'. Since my course with Brenda I've been more adventurous with the books I've selected and don't look at the ones with just patterns in now. This...

Well - I did buy quite a bit. My excuse (DH if you're reading this) is that it was my birthday the day before and it's when I make most of my purchases. So first off - 'The painted quilt' by Laura and Linda Kemshall is a great book - well worth the money. And Linda and Laura were there demonstrating most of the time. As usual they were very generous with sharing their techniques. Next are a couple of books I've been after for a while. 'The beginners guide to machine embroidery' by Pam Watts is only a slim publication - but is really great. The 'Art quilt workbook' will be very useful - the idea is that you work through the exercises and produce work as you go along. I'm sure this will help in conjunction with my class at The Bramble Patch . I then got rather carried away at the Art Van Go stand. So we've got another lot of Koh I Noor watercolour paints, foils that can be added to fabric with PVA, Markel sticks and finally some metallic ru...