Quilt and Knitting update

I've been busy as a bee, and have now finished all the blocks for the red and white quilt. I did take a while to decide which fabrics to use and in the end came down with this mix, each block has mostly the same eight red fabrics, but in different positions - and just to mix it up a little I've just swapped a couple of different red fabrics in. All will be revealed when the top is complete!

 

I've never added sashing and cornerstones into a quilt before, so I've been on a bit of a learning curve. I found a really good tutorial here and it seems to have worked well for me.

 I've also taken time to do a little more knitting for my Chevy the Chevron cushion, which is slowly growing - hopefully it will be ready for Xmas!

'Knit and Cake'

Quite a long time ago now - probably about this time last year, I was lucky enough to win a give away from Mags Creative Meanderings. We discovered that we lived close to each other, so met up in January and Mags gave me a wonderful collection of goodies. It contained, amongst many other things, two balls of Noro Silk Garden wool, and I have just got around to using them. I've been wanting to make a wooly cushion for ages, and a couple of weeks ago I bought a pattern from 'Purl and Jane' for a chevron cushion - perfect!

So, I have started my Chevy the Chevron cushion, and it seems to be going ok. I bought another couple of balls of Noro wool in slightly different shades so I can do two rows alternating in each colour and get a more interesting effect. 

I think I am going to make my opening more in the centre of the cushion than at the top. I just love the randomness of the way it is growing, and the red wool is so festive.

I was also busy last Friday evening making our Christmas cake. I think I am a little bit, only a little bit, more organised this year as it was already December when I made it last year. The fruit had been soaked in brandy, and I knew I would be busy over the weekend - so it had to be made last Friday evening!  Again this year I phoned the girls to let them have a virtual wish whilst I was stiring the mix…..

…… then tipped the mix into the cake tin (square this year - J says its easier to cut!) and found the paper carrier bag that I saved from last year to tie around it to try and stop it burning.

It was quite a late night….probably about half past midnight when I first checked the cake and it needed just a little longer. My family are not that keen on icing, so I usually just add almonds on the top. I think I may just have left it a little too long as the edges look a little well done

- oh well, I'm sure it will be fine once I feed it with brandy!

New puppy!

Not for me -  but my great friend A had this beautiful little bundle of joy for her birthday! As she had been talking for some time about her love for a little grey whippet, I was taken by surprise when I arrived to see this adorable little black puppy. However, I had planned my present which involved grey!!

Recently I have seen many cushions with animals like deer, foxes, dogs etc made out of a sort of patchwork background of tweed and velvet with the animal shape cut out of materials and appliquéd or free machined on the top - there were some examples on the front cover of Country Homes and Interiors magazine this month (October edition) - so I thought I would try my take on this, using the idea for inspiration.

As I knew A would be having her whippet, I decided to make her a cushion featuring a 'grey' whippet. Not having seen the little creature I looked on the internet for photo inspiration of whippets, then put together my best bet for what the puppy might look like and drew it out onto tracing paper, so that I could cut out the various shapes. I had some thick stripy cotton with blues grey and yellow that I used for my background, and laid various combinations of materials on top till I decided which to go with....

should I use red flowers and spots?

or blue flowers and spots? - I liked the spotty bib, and the pinky inner ear and grey face .....

....... in the end I went for grey stripes. I machined the shapes on very carefully and added some features to try and give the puppy a little character. I had practiced my free machine appliqué, but didn't have the nerve to actually try it on the cushion as I was all over the place with it! Then I added a patchwork strip onto either side.

For the backing, I used a yellow/grey stripy cotton - usually I make an envelope and add buttons as a closure on cushions, but I tried a new technique with a hidden zip. I found a very useful tutorial here. After making some bias binding I put my cushion together...

.... and here it is!

I was wrapping it up - and thought something didn't quite look right - I had forgotten whiskers!!!  so had to quickly add some.

He is such a cute little puppy, and growing so quickly!

What a find!

Have you ever had that situation when you are sure you have that perfect piece of fabric stashed away somewhere - but just can't remember where you have put it? Well, that has kept me occupied for a few hours looking for the right box. I know I have some off cuts of pale blue fine needle corduroy in a box in our store room, it has been there for over twenty years, and I'm sure it is still there. So I have been searching... I haven't found it yet - but have found other treasures that I sort of knew where there but hadn't needed until I rediscovered them again!

Way back in the mid 70's I went to my first Laura Ashley shop in London, I think to the Fulham Road branch. There were rows and rows of the most beautiful dresses and blouses, but just starting out in my career at that time I couldn't afford to buy one. However, I could afford to buy a few bags of patchwork scraps which were being sold to avoid the material going to waste. These were off cuts from pockets or necklines, and were just right for making patchwork shapes.

Way back then, this was my first attempt at making anything in patchwork using paper pieced hexagons....

.... the idea was to make a bed quilt. I can still remember during the winter evenings sitting in the living room of the house I shared with three young teachers watching TV and making hexagons. However, other priorities must have taken over and my quilt didn't really get much further than a cushion size! Here it is, straight from the box. I still love the vast range of tiny patterns and beautiful print colours.

I must have been going through a 'blue' period then, but did have other colours as well and I still have all that beautiful fabric - newly discovered - and am now contemplating what to use it for.

 Just to get me going I have made a small (14" square) patchwork cushion using some of the reds, but I do have a few other ideas brewing. It is such a dull day here today and is pouring with rain, as you can see on the window panes

I still need to find that pale blue corduroy, so who knows what other treasures I will discover!