More than a tin full of pins.

After the quilting was complete on my flora piece it didn't sit quite flat enough when hung on the wall. 

So I stretched it on the sewing room floor.

If you are wondering why the carpet looks so bad it's because I used to paint in here and drop and spill paint all over the carpet.

Now it just gets covered in thread!

Along with the rest of the house.

Anyhow, to stretch it I measured it width and length, then taped up a bit on the carpet about 3mm bigger than the quilt all the way round. 

I then pinned the quilt to meet the edges of the tape, pulling it quite hard in some places. And using a lot of pins. More than a tin full of pins.

It was then sprayed with water until it was very damp. Then allowed to dry. I resprayed it about 4 times over 3 days. I removed all the pins and presto, it now sits nearly perfectly flat.

I quilted it in a kind of wave pattern.

Which I like.

So that's all done and dusted and all the mess of it tidied away.

Then this came in the post..

I spotted it on ebay and bought myself a fat quarter. It's quite a heavy Japanese fabric which would make a gorgeous shopping bag. I think I'll buy another fat quarter and make it up into quite a biggish bag.

And talking about bags my friend and neighbour has asked me to make 3 bags for her daughter and two of her friends. 

Made with this fabric...

It's Australian fabric which they were given by an Australian author at a children's book event in Belfast.

So that's next on the list.

And here's my mum peeping over her latest quilt.

I think it's a Pam and Nicky Lintott design from The Quilt Room.

I love that my mum and I share a hobby.

And I love that it's May and the summer is coming and there are so many birds in the garden. And the odd bee.

xxx

Honey