Whey hey!

Well ......after a long absence here I am again blogging about my quilting activities. Just couldn't work out how to do various bits and pieces on my iPad but am sorted now so let's not waste time!
I have just finished making three small quilts....all about 30" square. This one is called Tall Ships and is a very traditional quilting pattern. I love the soft colours but my choice of fabric left a lot to be desired. HINT.....when using linen be prepared for some bad language and frustration! It stretches! Originally this quilt had a border but as it stretched to form lovely waves (in keeping with the title of the quilt of course!) I abandoned that idea otherwise it may have ended in the bin!
Another tip don't be afraid to use the 'wrong' side of fabric. I'd bought the binding recently at a quilt fair thinking the colour matched ....which it did. It wasn't till I got it home and unfolded it that I realised the reverse side was even nicer! Of course it doesn't work with all fabric but with those it  does its just a bonus.
Next time I'll show quilt number two......but keep watching as I have a plan with what to do with all three....dum dum dummm!

little stitched flower

Maen brav heddiw yndydy? (something like ...it's sunny today isn't it?... and for any welsh speakers out there I haven't got my dictionary to hand to check spellings! )
I really enjoyed making this little flower. Embroidery skills are a bit rusty but french knots do add texture....so easy to do too. Thank you Sarah for giving me the inspiration to have a go. Just looking at my quilt these days. Must get on with it! Tan tro nesa.

fabric flowers

Bore da everyone
It's been a while since I last posted a blog. Things happen! However I am still quilting the massive purple quilt and I'm getting there.
My latest interest is in fabric flowers. A great way to use up tiny bits of fabric. The photo shows where I am up to. I stitched the petals by hand.
I was at a Spring Festival yesterday in our village Llanasa trying to drum up support for a new Craft Group that a friend and I have established and was able to carry on stitching. It's the sort of thing you can put in your handbag and pick up when travelling or watching telly. If you would like to see a completed flower got to www.folksy.com and  press on accessories. Type in humblecraft and Sarah Meelans gifts should appear one of which is a lovely fabric flower. Whether mine will look as good as this when completed who knows but when I have finished it I'll show you!!
Cwm'wch ofal and tan tro nesa
Kate

Happy Easter

Well this is my first blog for a while so apologies to my loyal followers! all four of you! The heather coloured quilt is well on its way to quilting completion but getting to that point has not been without its problem. Having begged borrowed and stolen umpteen quilting patterns, nothing jumped out at me so when faced with choices my view is to just keep things simple so the piccie below is the pattern I eventually  came up with. Simples!!

The supermarket bag of scraps quilt

I thought you might like to see my daughter's first attempt at quiltmaking. Kirsty was brought up surrounded by scraps of  fabric and sewing yarns but never showed much interest in picking up a needle...more interesting things in life to pursue at a young age, but now, out of the blue in her thirties  a  creative urge has erupted. Brilliant! The remit was to make a quilt solely from a supermarket bag full of scraps (in case she didn't enjoy quiltmaking!) and the photographs I reckon reinforce the notion that one person's scraps are another persons treasure. Stunning for a first attempt.Da iawn Kirsty!

You could say the quilt was pieced in a day (Construction actually took place during her daughter's afternoon  nap time over a perion of 5 days ). I think she found the informal construction and relaxed ' precision' of the patchwork appealing. Cut and sew and go with the flow sort of approach.She is making this for a friend for Christmas. Lucky friend!

Plan Ahead

Pnawn da pawb (good afternnon all!)

Have just read my last blog to remind me where I was up to. Ah, yes my purple quilt. Well as you can see it's on it's way and on the hoop as we say but it has been a tortuous journey. I don'tknow why. Firstly it  was simply going to be a Welsh Strippy quilt. So I cut  the fabric and sewed strips together. Then I thought - no, that's not right. It needs something to lift it. So a visit to Dilys as I mentioned last time and my mind was reset. That's it I thought. I know where I'm going. So I started unpicking and inserting strips of squared triangles (Hm not sure if that's the right description) So 37 squares sewn together and inserted - no problem. Keep going Kate. Sew in next strip of 37 squares - oh hang on a minute 35 squares fit the length of fabric. Big sigh! The moral of this tale is............if you are sewing 37 pieces of fabric together you have to be pretty accurate with your seem allownaces if you want the next 37 pieces to end up the same length... I won't be doing that  pattern again! However I think it will look cool when it's all done. So quilting for over 25yrs and still not an expert. May this be a note of reassurance to novices. Now as for my next quilt........

Festival of Quilts 2012

Went to the Quilt Festival or should I say Festival of Quilts in Birmingham in August  and saw some great quilts. The standard just keeps getting better all the time. However as a hand quilter I was a bit disappointed in the evergrowing numbers of machine quilted pieces. I view handquilting as a very personal statement in quiltmaking but thats just me. Rather than leaning or standing at a longarm sewing maching what could be nicer than snuggling up with your quilt on the hoop on a chilly day while watching your favourite programme on the box!
So here are a few snapshots of things that took my fancy -  either  innovative or quirky or just the colours or texture or just jawdroppingly gorgeous.
As to other things I've been doing...........
I have also made a few more little rabbits and hares so might try selling them locally if I can think of a reasonable yet realistic price for them.
As for the purple quilt - well I didn't think I'd have this amount of  head scratching trying to work out quilting patterns but a trip to my qyilting friend Dilys soon put me on the right road. Sometimes you just need to talk your concerns out loud!! Hopefully my next blog should shoe some progress in its assembly. I've just ironed 400 x  2.5" squares made up of joined triangles!
Tan tro nesa

Kate