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

flora top finished whoop whooop

I have eventually finished the top layer of my piece for the Flora exhibition.

I still have to layer it with some wadding and backing fabric and then quilt it in some way (which I haven't finally decided).

Here it is pinned to the back of my bathroom door, which I have come to the conclusion is the brightest area for taking photos unless I venture outside.

This also allows you to see the scale of it.

Some details..

xx

Now it's 12 out of 16, not bad.

I seem to be making progress with my 'flora' wallhanging.

I had intended to have 20 floral pieces 5 along and 4 down. 

However, I think that the dimensions of the final piece will work better with 4 across and 4 down.

So I have 4 more to make.

I am quite pleased with how it's looking so far. I love the colours.

There is still a lot of work to be done.

But i will let you know how I'm getting on.

The sewing room is a disaster. Fabric and thread everywhere. But heyho. 

Just keeping the door closed.

xx

Oh I nearly forgot....

front

back.

Pamela, one of my friends from the Merville sewing group, made this absolutely gorgeous cushion.

I love it, and I want one.

xx

Jayne's Quilt

After a frenzy of stipple quilting that I think gave me motion sickness for a while... the quilt got finished last night.

I washed it at 30 degrees and hung it on the line. Then popped it in the tumble dryer for half an hour.

It came out lovely,  just ready for folding and wrapping.

I used different strips of the Amy Butler jelly roll to bind the quilt. Love a scrappy binding!

The reverse is a pale blue with red spot Cath Kidston print from Ikea.

Ok, you get the picture.

I got a bit carried away taking photos.

Even this rook was fair game.

Panic sewing

I am getting on very well with the quilt I'm making for my friend Jayne. 

I have a bit of quilting done already. I decided to stipple, or meander (is there a difference?). 

I like the effect stipple has on a quilt, especially after a wash. It gives the quilt a lovely tactile, aged feel.

There will definitely be a bit of panic sewing before next Friday as work, a wedding today, and Easter Sunday visiting tomorrow mean that I only have two days next week to sew. Two days of sewing. Bliss.

xx

9 out of 20. Not bad.

Just a few images of my flora piece which is gathering momentum.

All these pieces will finish off approximately 8 inches by 5 inches.

I need 20 altogether and at the mo I have 9.

When the 20 pieces are put together then the hand and machine stitching will be added.

There will also be paint and pencil lines added too.

xx

Dorothy Russell at NIPG

I am just sharing a few images with you of the NIPG meeting this morning, where Dorothy Russell gave a talk and showed us some of her wonderful work.

For more info and better photos visit her website www.dotrussell.co.uk/

wholecloth quilt

This piece, inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy, is a work in progress.

It is stunning.

detail

The piece started as a black wholecloth with printing, painting, masking, machine stitching, hand stitching.

Oh it is yummy.

Am so inspired I shouldn't be sitting here typing, I should be upstairs sewing.

I'll go now.

(Andy Goldsworthy: pop his name into google.... lots of images there.)