Shisha

A bit of shisha work that I did on the rainbow piece a couple of weeks ago ............

There is a little bit of shisha on the cushion I did last year and which went off to a new home at Christmas ...............

India was the chosen research subject for one particular term when I was studying for City & Guilds part 1 ............... the first term we had to actually produce an item.  Here is my cushion (all fabrics & threads hand dyed, reverse applique, quilting, shisha and buttonhold bars).  I don't have a picture of the back (before we possessed a digital camera) but the closure was dorset buttons ............. the rings of which were recycled along with the (remaining) mirrors when the cushion eventually went off to another land in the sky!

Look what the postman brought this morning .............. a cat "bag" to cut out & sew ...............

Do I need it?  No
Do I even know what I want it for?  No, not really except perhaps for inspiration
The point is it seems that nobody else wanted him so for 99p he has a new home!
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Running Out Of Space ....................

Thankyou all - I am now feeling much, much better.  I haven't tried Echinacea so will look into it.  Continuing with the patchwork this week, once I have completed this strip, I need to add 13.5" to the width  ............... that will be fun because I will have run out of floor space!  I could lay it out on the bed but running up & down stairs every 5 minutes I can't see working somehow!

I've changed it around a bit since the pic (no surprise there) but I'm still in love with it despite about 120 hours to date, the sewing machine having monopolised the kitchen/dining table for weeks, worktops covered with fabric and cutting equipment and so on .................... .  don't think I'm going to be progressing to bed sized quilts somehow!  It's not laying very flat. Perhaps I should have trimmed the seams a little more but am concerned about it being MANhandled once it's up! Yes, cotton sateen sounds good .............. I just hope I can make something work to stabilise it.  Maybe quilting it direct to the backing?  I can see myself creating more work here somehow!



There's been little time for anything else except spend a minute or two thinking about the Postcard Challenge.  As always, the scope for interpretations on a theme is enormous.  March = "Words to Live By" and my thoughts for this included "The Best Things in Life are Free".  Love, Friendship, Beach, Sunshine ............ they're all free!  Textile artists love bright sunny days (I'm waiting to do some sun printing but fear it's going to be some time yet before there is enough sun for that).  No less, there was some delight being expressed on fb one morning last week in being able to get the washing on the line after all the wet weather so far this year thus my quick sketch (sorry if the pencil isn't too clear).

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Patchwork Progress

Having been unwell this past week I have done nothing except work on this when I have felt well enough and which I can photograph now the laptop charger problem is resolved ...............

It's getting there.  158 blocks completed and probably 75% of them pieced together in approximately 80 hours so far.  The next stage is to finish the piecing of this stage and then to make a lot more blocks to add 12" to both the width and height.

It's not without issues.  The dark (Timeless Treasures) fabric on the outer of the large centralish square in the photo has a lot of give one way ........... the wrong way thus it doesn't lay very well with the rest of the fabrics.  I'm not sure what to do with it just yet.

Although there is a lot of work yet to do before I get to that stage, I have been giving a great deal of thought as to how to finish it (probably too much thought for my own good!).  It will be a Roman style window blind pulled up on cords threaded through equally spaced rings on the back.  The patchwork needs some stability.  Quilting?  Nothing that is going to bulk it out and interfere with the fluidity of the piece so maybe straight onto a backing fabric?  Or perhaps a sandwich to accomodate some of the bulkier seam bits?  Nothing too heavy as am thinking of using velcro to hang at the moment?

It's addictive!  I'm desparate to finish it but it's hard solid work.  I don't feel so feverish now though my chest is rather sore so I hope it doesn't develop into a full blown chest infection.  I would like some normality in the kitchen.  I bought lemons for a lemon meringue pie over a week ago................... . 

My blog posts sometimes appear so negative .......... maybe I am a touch too self critical of my work at times?
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Postcard Challenge

Playing catchup here having joined late, this is my postcard for January ............. the subject being "Bird".  Bird = Flamingo, Cockerel, Peacock ............. yes Peacock!

I am really enjoying the postcard challenge especially the thought processes with each theme and hope to be able to get up to date before too long.

Thankyou for all your comments everyone - I haven't been at all well for a little while now and our laptop charger has broke so am a bit behind on commenting back but hope to be able to soon.

Fresh from the Washing Machine

Still wet and smelling wonderfully of M&S Lavender & Lily fabric conditioner (buy one get one free yesterday). This was fun and I like it!  It needs to be touched (and smelt) ...............

More importantly, a milestone has been reached!   Just before I started cutting the fringing last night, 18 yr old dau asked who it was for and said she would like it if it was twice as big, blue & white, had a zipped top ........................ I think that's a cue to make her a bag!  I'll be seeking out some fabric next month for this huge turn of events!


Thankyou for all your encouraging comments.  Yes, I just need to rethink a bit with the rainbow piece ........... some less controlled stuff would be easier on the eyes.

Edited with a clearer photo
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WIPs

Over 80 blocks now complete so just over half done for a finished size of 40" x 40".  However, I need a finished size of 50" x 52" so an extra 80 or 90 blocks by my reckoning.  I could use a border (or two) to speed things up but not sure if it would look quite right.  I really could do with a large pin board to put these up and see how the ratio of shades and tones is working out .  Never mind!  Thankyou for the comments and thoughts everyone.  On the iron .......... think I will stick with what I've got for now and just remember to switch it off regularly.

This weeks contribution to the "Rainbow" .............. some detatched chain stitch.  The hand stitching is such a struggle.  I'm not entirely happy with it and the rhythm of the needle dancing in and out of the fabric is lost now that I'm having to use a magnifying glass.  This is so disappointing and I'm really not sure how to progress from here ..........

The beginnings of a bag being stitched at 1am this morning - something to satisfy my rainbow thing of the moment?  I don't think I even like it now 

What to do?  Join a postcard challenge!  I am really looking forward to thinking these out and hope to work on one tomorrow.
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