Journal Quilts

Journey 11

I have completed my last four journal quilts for 2010

Journey 10

This is an annual project with the Contemporary Quilt Group

Journey 11

Its a great way to try out new ideas on a small scale

Journey 12

and stretch your imagination

Quilt and Cake success

The Quilt and Cake evening I was teaching last night was really enjoyable. I had 13 lovely people come out on a bitterly cold and icy night to enjoy sewing, socialising and cakes. Everyone put together a Tumbling Blocks block and they were all laid out together at the end which looked wonderful. Unfortunately I forgot to take any photographs, I was so busy and the evening raced by and it slipped my mind!

So instead here are some pictures of new sketchbooks

and new notebooks which will shortly be available in my Folksy shop

Quilt and Cake

Tonight's the night for the first Quilt and Cake session that I'm running so I'm just sorting out all the supplies I need to take with me. I have finished quilting the Tumbling Blocks pattern and it is now made up into a cushion, which is going to be the sample for tonight's project.

I feel very excited about this evening but also nervous, wondering if anyone will come along. If nobody turns up at least I will have lots of Karens lovely cakes to eat! Wish me luck

Tumbling Blocks

Tumbling Blocks is probably one of the oldest patchwork designs but I find it fascinating how a pattern made up from one basic shape can be so effective and absorbing

These are samples I'm putting together for a Quilt and Cake evening I'm holding at the begining of December so hopefully other people will like this pattern too

More Squares

Here is the finished quilted cushion

This is a very satisfying pattern to make. I'm going to make up another version with some lovely spotty fabrics

Squares and Stripes

Here's a new pattern I've been working on using my favourite fabrics, checks and stripes.  This shows the cushion top sewn together ready to have its tacking and papers removed

Here's the back with the papers still in - I really like the way this looks with the seam edges showing

and here's the top with tacking and papers removed, waiting to be quilted

Illuminated Windows

I'm still loving this pattern and have made up a new cushion with this lovely stripey fabric

Patchwork kits

Here is something I have been working on for some time! Handsewn patchwork kits for anyone who would like to try patchwork but doesn't know where to start.

The kit contains an illustrated instruction booklet, cardboard templates to cut your fabric and pre cut papers for your fabric pieces, just add the fabric of your choice. These patterns are great for using up scraps of fabric or you can buy new, full details are supplied in the kit

There are two designs available, 'Boxes' and 'Illuminated Windows'.

They are available in my Folksy shop and would make a great present for a budding quilter!

Blocks cushion

I have finished my blocks patchwork cushion. This version is hand pieced and handquilted 

Crochet blanket 2

 Here is the new blanket I'm working on

Its nearly finished

I love these colours together and this stitch

Streaky

Here is Streaky the Blackbird eating berries from the tree outside my workroom

He's looking right at me!

Another pincushion

Here's another pin cushion, this one has lovely flower sequins



Pincushion

Here's a pincushion I've been making, it has hand quilting and sequins. It is quilted with some lovely hand dyed thread and weighted so it stays put when you are using it. It has a mini pincushion attached which contain emery sand which cleans and sharpens your pins and needles. Its now in my shop



Sewing squares

Tacked and sewn together

More boxes

Pieces cut ready for another boxes cushion

A lovely mix of new Indian cotton plains and  upcycled fabrics in spots and stripes



Glorious shopfront

This is a shop in Cardiff that has an amazing display of sewing machines

They look beautiful....

but I can't help feeling sad that no one is sewing with them

at least they are being admired

More boxes

Boxes blocks sewn together - front

Back with papers

The finished top with the papers removed, all ready for quilting

Boxes block

 Here is a new block I'm trying - its called Boxes

This is the first row of blocks

This is the second.....

And here's the third

Sashiko

At the weekend I visited the fabulous touring Japanese Sashiko exhibition which is currently on at Plymouth Art Gallery and Museum.There is a gallery of photos from the exhibition available from this link as no photos were allowed at the gallery. I was inspired to use a scrap of recycled fabric to try a bit of Sashiko inspired stitching which has become a pincushion

Journal Quilts

I am using a lovely recycled Japanese fabric in my journal quilts which I buy from a great supplier called Susan Briscoe, she has featured three of my journal quilts on her blog Susan Briscoe

Festival of Quilts

A few details from the hundreds of beautiful quilts at this years show

Illuminated Windows

This is my favourite pattern at the moment  known as Illuminated Windows and I have been experimenting with different fabrics to maximise the three D effect of the windows. The fabulous patterened fabric which sits behind the windows on this cushion cover has been heavily quilted along the pattern lines which adds lots of texture. I'm planning a few more variations on this pattern as its so satisfying to put together

Crochet Madness

I've never had much success with crochet, finding the work far too lacy for my taste, but thanks to Attic24 I have overcome my fear and fallen in love with hooking, here is my first crochet blanket