Mish Mash Miscellany

Hello stitchy friends, this is a very quick post, just to share some photos of recent makings and then I'll be gone again in a puff of blogland smoke!


This evening I attempted making a pumpkin to get into the spirit of the season, this is a kids project in Irish Quilting, lent to me by my pal Julia. Let me tell you it took me a while to figure out the instructions, them Irish kids are rocket scientists I tell ya! It's a lovely magazine, not cheap but very nicely presented. I'm not entirely happy with the shape but it helped to fulfil my need to do something seasonal. I also stitched the Blackbird Design, Autumn Stars in the JCS Annual Halloween Issue, it's hiding in this photo. I hope to finish it into a brooch if possible.

I was one of the shameful fufos on Anna's recent blog competition, really enjoyed stitching this and then completely forgot to make it into anything - duh! It just said autumn leaves to me hence my choice of colours. If anyone is interested I used WDW Bark, Bright Leaf and Cocoa, Crescent Colours Roasted Chestnut and GAST Mulberry. Fabric is Picture This Plus Relic.

Next up is recent progress shared on the BP SAL, I tried to post here last weekend but Blogger was having none of it. I'm thinking I won't get this finished by the end of the year, but I'm still enjoying it none the less.

I also recently tied and bound my Lynne Edward's inspired sampler quilt, (makes mental note to label it at some point too). British Patchwork and Quilting are asking for photos of sampler quilts made recently as there is to be a compendium of Lynne's books. So if you've made a sampler quilt with any blocks from Lynne's books (it doesn't have to be all of them) send a photo taken in good bright light to Lynne.Edwards@davidandcharles.co.uk by 6th Nov for consideration.

And finally a very lovely blogging friend sent me the book containing 'Lo how a rose...' so I kitted it up straight away, although I have to say, heaven only knows when I'll be able to start it. If you can hang around for maybe the next few years, I'll be giving it away in turn, when I've finished it, in the spirit in which it was given :)

I'll be pulling some 10 and 11 hour days in work this week and this term will probably continue in the same vein, still it pays for the stash right!

Thanks for visiting and especially to anyone taking the time to comment, I am feeling very guilty about my own lack of commenting which is due to just not having enough hours in the day lately, a poor excuse I know, but you are in my thoughts fellow bloggers :)

Leftover Lavender Quillow Finish!

Two posts in two days must mean a finishing happy dance to report!

I recently went to the Festival of Quilts, held at the Birmingham NEC with my friend Julia, it was our first time there and WOW! What can I say? We were totally awed, so many quilts and so many different styles from all over the world, so much talent and so many vendors with so many lovely things to buy. I'll stop there because I can't really find the words to convey just how stunning the work was. I came home tired and happy and determined to finish up the piece we had been working on in our informal quilt group: a quillow.

See that sky? It's actually blue, just for a while! We've had a pretty dire summer, considering they were predicting a BBQ one! It hasn't really arrived. The quillow all folded up in our bedroom, the colours couldn't be better :)

The reason for the name 'Leftover Lavender Quillow'? Well Julia made a fabulous and large quilt out of these fabrics for her daughter Jen and I think probably every time I saw it I said, 'that's the colour of my bedroom', so she very kindly donated the leftover fabric to me and there was enough to make this, 'waste not, want not' as my Mum always says! I partly repaid the kindness in magazines. I have the leftover, leftovers that we can use to make charity items which we are planning to do as a group.

Not sure if you can see in the photos but I tied it with two colours of Perle cotton. I've signed up for two machine quilting classes at Busy Bees next year so I'm looking forward to them, until then tying is probably my best bet. Things I learned whilst making this quillow:

1) I can work out how much fabric I need to bind a quilt
(it just takes me an inordinately long time and I really need remedial maths lessons!)

2) Don't try using a long basting needle to tie the quilt, it will break (I used a Chenille needle in the end)

3) Probably best not to bind with white or pale fabric in future (but it was all that was left of a single fabric and there was just enough, so I used it)

I forgot to get SteveB to photograph the back, but my thanks go to Judi for working it all out for me, that really would have taken me forever and probably broken my mind!

If you like quilts, check out Ferret Fabrications blog, she is an amazing, award-winning long-arm quilter who has reviewed her gallery and has links to some great photographs of the FoQ, scroll down to the 'Link Frenzy' post.

The cat is already eyeing up the quillow as her new favourite blankie, unfortunately for her, it is now folded up, decorating our bed as a pillow.

Thanks for visiting :)

Beatrix Potter's Hill Top & Yew Tree Farms

A little while ago we had another long weekend away in the Lake District with the sole purpose of going to see the original Beatrix Potter Quaker Sampler, you know the one, which is on display in Hill Top, the farm where Beatrix lived. I am a very lucky girl! It's a lovely cottage, set in a typical cottage garden, unfortunately it was raining when we visited so we didn't linger there.

The guide in the room with the sampler, very kindly fetched a torch so that the stitches were illuminated in all their lovely detail, the cottage is quite dark by today's home standards and it was a gloomy day. I noted the darning of the fabric, the tiny stitches and the guide also knew of the lady who had come from Ackworth School to do 'something' with this sampler. It was amazing and I would definately recommend a visit, unfortunately no photos were allowed inside!

Photos by SteveB

This is my version of Beatrix's Sampler in the guest's lounge at Yew Tree Farm another property owned by Beatrix, that she bequeathed to the National Trust, which is where we stayed. It was a little like being in an old ship, hand carved, old creaky wooden stairs and floorboards. They rear their own meat so the cooked English breakfasts were particularly good! (Apologies to the vegetarians out there!)

We also visited the Beatrix Potter Gallery to see some of the original illustrations, which were stunning, so much detail in watercolour and such a feeling of nostalgia for childhood story times. Her husband, William Heelis was a solicitor and being the law librarian that I am, I was very tempted to organise all the old legal volumes displayed there!

It was very rainy the whole time we were in the Lake District so we didn't do any proper walks, sorry but I am a fair-weather walker! We did visit, the Keswick Pencil Museum, yes we really did.


We also went on a drive up to Carlisle Castle and visited the Quaker Tapestry in Kendal, so we did pack in quite a lot!

We ate at the Jumble Room one night, one of the best meals and service ever and at Lucy's on a Plate, also good but not quite as relaxed as the Jumble Room. So if you ever get to visit Grasmere or Ambleside you have restaurants sorted!

Must love you and leave you now, I have The Smith's, 'Panic' running through my head now, "Hopes may rise over Grasmere, but Honey Pie, you're not safe here..."

Hugs to you all, I have been an #epicfail at visiting blogs and commenting recently, apologies, it's a very busy time of year for everyone in academia!

West Wales = Welsh Quilts and Welsh Wool Blankets

Apologies for being rather absent from blogland lately, it's summer here and that means making the most of it IRL and not so much stitching or sewing. That said, we have been out and about visiting crafty places.

Recently we went West and stayed at the Harbour Master, Aberaeron, which was very nice, good, locally-sourced food and a very nice room with a bath big enough for two and a shower so powerful, I felt like I'd been water-boarded, almost.

photos by Steve B

In the Harbour Master they have Welsh wool blankets on the beds from Melin Trygwynt and we made the journey to their woolen mill, which is located down many twisty, turny country lanes and, I am sad to say, full of people with a lot of money and little appreciation for the craft. My lovely SO bought me a scarf and the shop assistant was really very dismissive of what she obviously considered to be a very minor purchase. Love the unique product but not at all impressed with the customer service. At. All. So sad when that happens.

We also went to Jen Jones Welsh Quilts to her new Quilt Centre in Lampeter. There is an exhibition of some of the beautiful, antique, hand-quilted quilts, just look at the photos:

Just stunning! Well worth a visit if you get the chance. There was a whole range of Welsh whole cloth, flannel and cotton patchwork. I also managed to find in Lampeter a flowery walking stick for my Mum, which she had been wanting for a while and some of the exact fabric I had hunted high and low for so that I can bind my Lynne Edward's inspired sampler quilt in nearby Calico Kate. (Apparently there is a Lynne Edward's sampler compendium in the pipeline!) I think Lampeter might be my new favourite place :)

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday months, weather here is very mixed, nice one day and showery the next, no wonder we British are obsessed with it! Thanks for stopping by.

Prize Quilt - Sewing Room

Another quick post I'm afraid! Just look at the quilty goodness that arrived at my little home, isn't it cute? I won this in Stitch Bitch's recent giveaway. Thank you Anna! It's very cute in a retro kinda way, I love the toggle button, that took me right back! This was made by Anna's mother who used to own a quilt shop and it came to light in the great attic clear-out of 2009.

And just to prove it has come to live with someone who loves quilts, note the sewing maching with walking foot, safety pins for basting and the cutting mat. I only hope I can do it justice.

If you are interested in quilts too, in the UK there is the Festival of Quilts coming up on the 20th -23rd August, Birmingham NEC. I am away in West Wales for a weekend soon and I hope to visit Jen Jones Welsh Quilts and Blankets. I also belong to an informal quilt group that is very fortunate to have the especially lovely Judi Mendelssohn as a tutor sometimes, she is Assistant Editor of British Patchwork and Quilting.

I am undecided as to whether to add anything to the design of the quilt or just to leave it as is, my skills are quite basic so I certainly don't want to spoil it and I rather like the composition so am not sure it needs anything extra. If you have any ideas please leave me a comment!

Thanks for stopping by :)