February FMQ Challenge

I bet I'm not the only one who took one look at the February FMQ Challenge tutorial  over on SewCalGal's blog and blanched. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end - not only is the challenge for FEATHERS but Diane Gaudynski feathers at that !

It must be every quilters' dream to produce workmanship like this, but unfortunately, I am nowhere near this level of work.   I thought I did quite well with these quilts and
not too bad with this one ...

 ...but let's be honest I've still got a long way to go :-)

So onto this month's offering - first some practice.....

...not brilliant, but a couple of lessons learnt!

I must reposition my hands more often.
I must practice echo quilting -  this is awful
I must stop being afraid of my machine
I found these small feathers more difficult than larger ones on a quilt

Bearing all this in mind, for my folder sample I decide to go with what I feel I do best, and that's free form feathers a la Patsy Thompson which I've been practicing forever! Still not perfect, but something I feel more comfortable with.

Don't get me wrong, I am a great fan of Diane Gaudynski and her work,  and who knows - maybe one day I will be able to quilt these wonderful feathers !!

Pink Lemonade

You may have noticed a new-ish button on my side bar linking to Lori at  Humble Quilts, well,  do pop along there today and see all the lovely versions that have been posted of her Pink Lemonade Quilt A Long which has been running thoughout January -  this is my offering

Finishing at approx 19" x 25" there are LOTS of  small pieces, but it was also lots of fun to make !  Thanks  Lori for sharing this little quilt !

If you'd like to join in, the tutorial is still available.

Just the One!

Tucked in under the wall, but a sure sign that Spring IS on its way !

Mixed Bag

Don't you just love it when one of these arrives in the post box ?

A little battered after its long journey, but,  thanks to La Poste who always take the trouble to patch up any 'broken bits' ,  everything  arrived safely

Lovely aren't they ?

FMQ Challenge

I decided to join in SewCalGal's Free Motion Quilting Challenge 2012 - well, anything that will help me improve has got to be worth a try !  With a lesson each month from a list of very impressive teachers, even I can't fail to learn something :-)

Rather than make the suggested sampler quilt, I thought to make up a 'sample folder', an idea suggested in Patsy Thompson's DVDs. Why am I  using this idea - well, a while ago I managed to 'click' on the wrong box when ordering wadding, and when my parcel arrived instead of the natural I was expecting, I had a whole load of black !

This has been lurking in a dark corner screaming 'stupid' at me everytime I look at it, so what better way to try and reduce it than this

First sample attempt complete with a couple of wobbles,but think this might be a better one to keep

Not perfect by any means, but I am quite pleased with the uniformity of the stitches and the spacing even if some of the shapes are a bit iffy.

I have the folder

 

Now all I need is to dig out some fabric to cover it !

January's lesson,  by Frances Moore, can be found here if you'd like to see it, and it's not too late to join in either!

'Super'market !

Who says supermarkets are boring?  Well, not my local one and if you don't believe me, lets go shop !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj3LLZO4TLw

   

First Finish

I've mentioned Angelika in a previous post and my first finish for this year is another of her creations that she has generously shared with me - a tessellation table runner.

This has got to be one of the easiest patterns I have ever played with, so next step has to be to try  the technique on a quilt  -  all agreed ?


Edit Note:

Before anyone starts thinking 'copyright' , perhaps I should explain that when I mention someone sharing a pattern with me, these are not commercially published patterns but ones that have been developed/designed by that person, and as such are not available for sale.

Birthday Blog!

Well, here we are again at the start of another year and would you believe my Blog's 4th
Birthday !!

My first post was 1 January 2008 and yet looking back it seems like just the other day - where did those years go?

During this time I've learnt a great deal not only about the lovely people I've met in the blogging  and quilting communities, but also about myself.

I've experienced the generosity of on-line quilters who share their knowledge and patterns with me and everyone else.  I've learnt that there is always someone out there willing to help when help is asked for, someone to encourage you when you're doubting yourself, someone to laugh with you and sometimes to cry with you.

I've learnt to have confidence in myself and my work and not to worry too much if everything isn't perfect (!) but to enjoy my quilting time and not put too much pressure on myself.   I've learnt not to feel too alone in this little corner of Brittany because there is so much more out there for me to learn and enjoy if I just go look for it.

I know it's usual on these occassions to offer a giveaway, but I've decided instead to send a little gift to the ones who have supported me most with comments over the years, so Suzanne , Sue and Jane, please let me have your address when you have a moment.

To all my other followers and readers a great big ' Thank You' for dropping by - its always good to know that you are out there !!

And A Happy New Year !

May it be a year filled with good health, peace and happiness for each and every one !

Merry Christmas !

However you choose to celebrate, may you enjoy a  Peaceful & Happy
Christmas !

Feathers and Small Quilts

Look  !!  Not only a finish, but my first quilt with free motion feathers !

From this book , it's just 39 inches square, but I am  thrilled with the way it has turned out !  The feathers are from this  DVD  by Patsy Thompson, who's method  I've found the easiest to master.  I am so pleased with myself that I'll even show you the back as long as you promise not to laugh at my 'swirls' - more practice needed there me thinks :-)

Not perfect I know, but not too bad for a first attempt either (even though I says it as shouldn't !)

Moving on, some while ago I joined this Yahoo Group  dedicated to making small quilts and recent I joined their first quilt swap  .  My partner Tricia  (no blog) from Michigan said that her favourites were autumn colours and purple, this is what I made for her

Measuring 16" x 24" , finished block size 4", containing 47 different fabrics not counting the neutrals - I was gutted when I discovered I had duplicated one colour, but by then it was too late to  do anything about it .  This is the  lovely little quilt I received in exchange which  is Tricia's first swap quilt

So to finish, the same Group also issued a Red & White quilt challenge a couple of weeks ago and here's my entry , just 15 inches square.

 ...and look !!  More feathers !

Tyntesfield

Before my last visit to the UK disappears totally into Christmas preparations, I would like to show you a couple of photos taken inside the house.  As no flash photography was allowed, I will apologise now for the rather dismal lighting, but I think they are still worth looking at!

One of the amazing fireplaces - can't you just see a quilt here !

And maybe another one in this section of flooring ?

With approx 100 rooms, can you imagine these all ringing at the same time ?  Downton Abbey eat your heart out !

Part of the gallery landing

and its amazing ceiling ! 

The amount of wood panelling and carvings in this house is staggering, and all original. Most doors are embossed with flowers or animals and no two carvings are the same. One doorway had a freize of some 16 roses above it,  and all different.

These are just a couple of glimpses into an era long gone, but still fascinating today!

One thing I didn't mention in my last post was the chapel

This was added after the main house was built, and because of the contours of the land, was built on the side of a slope, hence the very large crypt !  The family would enter the chapel from the first floor of the house, and if you look closely at the photo just above the tree on the left, you can see the covered bridge that was built to enable them to attend services without going outside.

I hope you've enjoyed this little visit as much as I enjoyed the real thing !

Been Naughty Again!

Carpenter's Star from Mary Johnson at MaryQuilts  and yet one more for you know where :-) 

Not all my fault this time though as its been easier to be piecing than quilting during all the ups and downs the last couple of months, so I'm blaming DH for this one - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it !

Remember Me ?

Yes, I'm still here !  Where have I been all this time , well, November has been a very busy month one way and another what with follow-up appointments for DH after his surgery, a trip to the UK to celebrate our wedding anniversary & DH's birthday with our chidren & grandchildren, not to mention some serious retail therapy. Then,once we were back, the dreaded decorating reared its ugly head and this time there was no ignoring it - so with all this going on, I'm afraid my Blog has been more than neglected.

We had a great time in the UK, we stayed in Bath which has always been one of our favourite cities.

Pultney Bridge

The Royal Crescent                                                                                

and the Abbey

Being central to most of our extended family meant that during school and working hours we were free to wander amongst all the lovely buildings and museums that Bath has to offer, and still have enough time for visiting without offending anyone, very important and sometimes difficult. It also meant that we didn't have to change our sleeping arrangements every few days   - even more important as we get older :-)

As well as all that Bath has to offer, we also managed a visit to Tyntesfield , the most amazing Victorian High House you have ever seen, and one that I've waited years to see.

The house

the surrounding parkland

The interior is equally impressive, and to say that it was worth both the wait and the visit is putting it mildly, and if you are ever in the Bristol area, please do go and see it, you'll not be disappointed !!

Lots more news and photos to share with you, but as this is turning into rather a long post, I'll keep them for another time.

Quilt A Long

We all know about the wonderful Quilt A Long and free Block of the Month tutorials that are available in Blogland at the moment, so many in fact that it's difficult to decide which one, or more, to join in.  The one that really caught my imagination was Julie K's   Plaid QAL, so that's what I've been working on and this is the finished flimsy

A change from my usual civil war fabrics, but lots of fun to make.  Bad news is that it's another for THAT drawer !

I'm still practicing on the Janome 1600 and feel more confident all the time, but still not confident enough to attack a quilt :-)

New Toy

I've been have some problems with FMQ and my last couple of quilts as the quilts seem to be getting bigger and more of a struggle, which meant the arthritis in my hands  played up more during & after the quilting  process, so after all the stress and disruption of the last weeks, I decided to spoil myself with a new toy as a pick-me-up!

Meet my Janome 1600P-QC aka The Beast ! A bit different to the Bernina to say the least, and so far it hasn't got out of medium speed mode as I'm quite keen to keep my fingers a while longer, but what a joy it is to have the extra throat space!  I opted for the 1600  rather than something with all the bells & whistles thinking that a straight stitch only machine fitted the bill,  as I very rarely use the embroidery stitches on the Bernina or the Janome 6260QC these days.

 It's taking a bit of time to get used to the side loading bobbin and having to change the needle plate for FMQ, but so far the benefits are far greater than the inconveniences.
There have been teething problems, aren't there always, but hopefully these are now sorted  and I am ready to try a 'proper' quilt with it rather than the continue with the evergrowing mountain of practice squares  - I just hope that it performs up to expectations!  Who knows, maybe someday I might even be pursuaded into buying a frame :-) 

I did manage a couple of totes with it during playtime which have turned out OK.  I am particulary pleased with the one made from two orphan blocks which is just the right size to carry around with me for my stitchery .

Where Did It Go ??

September that is -  it seems to have passed by this corner of the world without a whisper, or so it seems ! 

Perhaps it had something to do with DH going into hospital for his knee job at the start of the month for 10 days, followed by another 15 days filled with a parade of  hyperdermic-wielding nurses twice a day.  Not too bad you might think, except that the morning visit was 6.30 every single morning - but then I shouldn't really complain as it wasn't my nether regions they were playing darts with  : )

Add to this mix physio for the patient 3 times a week and throw in a couple of visits from our GP for good taste , can you wonder that September is just a vague memory ?  I feel exhausted just writing about it all!

Thankfully things are getting back to what passes for normal, DH is hobbling around without falling over his crutches, doctors and nurses have left to help others and only the physio is ongoing, so good job done by all!

In the middle of all this, I did manage one finish

and another UFO for that drawer!

Not too bad all things considered.                                                                  

I have some more news to share on the sewing side of things, but will keep that for another post, for the moment it's just good to be back in Blogland!

Scrapbusting!

or how to get rid of all those 'mistakes'!!

Another pattern from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville and another for THAT drawer :-)

New Neighbours......

.............in our garden!

A family of red squirrels - the cutest little creatures you have ever seen!  They've provided us with hours of entertainment with their antics , and also frightened the daylights out of me and William when one of them took a flying leap between the apple trees, missing my head by inches! 

Not the best photos ever, I know, but they were taken from the bedroom window.

So far August has been a bit of a run around month as DH goes into hospital on 7 September for a knee replacement op.

 Now, DH is not the most robust person around having a long and sometimes traumatic history of a cronic cardiac condition as well as only having one kidney, so it's fair to say that for him this is not a run of the mill op.  You really do not want me to list all the examinations & tests he has been put through these last few weeks :-)

 Having said that, his health care ever since we arrived in France has been second to none and this has once again been underlined by the great care that has been taken to ensure he is fit to undergo surgery.