Geisha ladies

On a BSK workshop earlier this week I made the red bag with the beaded Geisha on.. I just love this bag. As a bit of an experiment I then repeated the pattern in colours on a cream fabric.. equally nice and I will make her into a bag.

Lavender cushion

Here is a finished picture of the lavender cushion, after a couple of mistakes [ like sewing the same block twice!] it is finally put together.

Stash report for July

Machine quilting seems to have taken over this month, and not a great deal of "stash" fabric has been used.
+ 6yds fabric for machine quilting
- 5 yds used machine quilting
- 1yd for Abigails project
- 8 yds cut out for my Quilts for Heros
- 3 yds used making bags
Total for July + 6 - 17 = -11yds
Total for year + 103 - 75 = +28 yds [could do better!]

A new Blogger

Spent yesterday morning helping a friend start a new blog.

After much laughter and a cuppa [made by her husband as we didn't have time to move from the computer!] Pauline is up and running.

www.quiltergirl424.blogspot.com

Her blog is very much in the learning stage, but lets welcome her to Blog-land!

Under the Sea Competition

I have entered an on-line competition with my wall hanging "Under the Sea". If you feel able perhaps you could give me a vote, voting ends this Sunday, 25th July.

The button under my profile on the left will take you to the web site, and follow the links to the virtual quilt contest... thank you. Diana

Thank you to everyone that voted for me, I came second.. may try again later in the year!

Grandma's proud day

Eldest granddaughter, Abigail age 6 years, performed a tap dance at the award ceremony for her ballet and tap dancing class.

She is nearest on the left picture and the one grinning on the right!

Having received a medal for passing this years examination, she also received a rosette for passing with distinction. Well done Abigail.

Lavender Blue Dilly Dilly

My latest machine embroidery project is a Lavender Cushion front, made from 25 4x4inch blocks. All the blocks are now complete and just need tidying up, tear-away removing and then sewing together.. a job I will keep for next week.

Pat Archibald Workshop at Hamtune Quilters

Tuesday 13th July Pat Archibald thrilled us with a slide show of her inspirational work. With a trip around the world we were
shown the inspiration to many of her designs, from Africa to Australia via America and Scotland.

This was followed on Wednesday with a day long workshop.

I was thrilled to be able to make the design in red and black, based on the Harris Tweed production in Scotland complete with a Celtic cross we learnt how to use gold foils, bias tapes, and metallic threads. Pat is shown in the first photo complete with our esteemed leader Cathy.

ps. the cake was delicious!

The Quilt Faerie arrived

The postman has just delivered a wonderful suprise.
One of the groups I belong to [the scratchingpost]
have a Quilt Faerie plan, and if you want to take part
you choose a name at random and send them a little gift.

My quilt faerie gift arrived with a big clue as to who had sent it!

The purple feather means a BIG thank you Marcia.

I have already posted a faerie gift to someone in the USA.

Cowboy from Wyoming

Having returned from Wyoming, where I bought this kit called the American Icon, I have made a start and managed to fuse all the applique pieces into place, now to sew them all down. He measures 36 x 50 inches.

Fran & Tilly Pitsford workshop

Yesterday I attended a workshop at Pitsford Northamptonshire, with Fran and Tilly. It was a lovely day and I managed to make two purses using my new cutter template [see previous post]. A nice lunch was provided and a good time was had by all.

Machine embroidery.. sweet pea

Having attended another course at BSK Bedford I am completely hooked on machine embroidery! Only "fly in the ointment" was the fact my Bernina machine would only read .art files and the sweet pea design was not in that format. However today Bernina have changed their Artlink 6 and now yippee I can use any format and change it to .ART.
I just love this sweetpea cushion, made in 25 x 4 inch pieces.

Wednesday embroidery workshop

Having owned two machines with embroidery attachments [unused for some years!] , a friend booked me into a workshop at BSK Bedford to "get me going again!"
Wow it was a real learning experience, firstly I have never used a Babylock machine and found having no foot pedal difficult to manage, BUT I loved a lot of the features on the machine and the teacher Val was very patient. All the fabric and threads were supplied and within 5 minutes of arriving I was embroidering [ well... the machine was!] the front of my bag. No resting on this workshop, while the machine was doing its thing, we were using another sewing machine to start making up the bag.
At home time the bag was finished, and I had booked up for two more workshops. Now to dust off my own machines...

Two new toys from America

At a quilt show in Green River Wyoming I managed to buy two new "toys" and as soon as I can "find" my workroom again will start using them.

The first is a pair of rulers for cutting fancy shapes to make Double Diamonds.. looks really neat!
The second is a Bloc-Loc square up ruler with a dip in the middle where the seam from half square triangles fits, making it flat to cut out, such a simple idea but very clever.

USA 25c help!

Can anyone help me? I am two USA quarters missing from my 2004 - 2008 State Quarter set.

I need Alaska and Hawaii from the Philadelphia Mint [little P on the front].

Having manage to collect 98 of the coins I would really like to complete the set. Happy to pay postage etc.

USA act 6

Some of the sights of Yellowstone, from frozen lakes and lots of snow, to hot mud pools. A sighting of a wolf causes a big traffic jam as he wanderes across open ground.

USA act 5

Jackson Hole Wyoming, our nearet town. The antler arch featured in an old Clint Eastwood movie, and there are one on each corner of the town square. Bronze statues are everywhere, I'm saying hello to a cowboy and his dog.

USA act 4

An enjoyable visit to a Yellowstone Visitor Centre, after seeing a Moose with her calf.

A scary moment after a beautiful waterfall, there is a hold up on the road, "oh I see a buffalo coming this way!" Agh!! it walks right in front of our car and long the side of where I am sitting, it sure is a big powerful creature.

USA ... ACT 3

Quilting on the Green, Expedition Island Pavilion, Green River, Wyoming.

After a nice meal at Penny's Diner, we went to the quilt exhibition for the opening evening. We were mad very welcome and when asked to fill in a form saying how far we had travelled caused a bit of a stir when I put 7000 miles !! The one thing on my shopping list was a kit for the American Icon [a cowboy], so this was the first of many things I bought. Some of the quilts on show were fabulous, I especially liked the first picture next to the diner.. sorry I did not take a note of who made it, but I think it was made to raise money for a museum.

USA trip .. Act 2

Meet the lacemakers of Wyoming. During my stay with Ann Barney I was invited to meet a group of lacemakers that meet regularly at a Senior Citizen home. After a lovely meal we sat around and chatted making lace, I showed them some of my lace that I had brought with me.