Something Smaller

A pretty fabric, chosen especially for the dusky pink and cream flowers on black ................ cut into strips and started to work into a coiled fabric bowl.  After working just a couple of inches I realised that there was too much cream and I really didn't like the effect but what to do?  Discard and use a different fabric but then what to do with all the cut strips?  Overdying the strips would fray the fabric a lot hmmmmm ............ carry on .....................

and then dye the finished bowl ..................

to end up with something else to cross off last years list .............

I think that's probably it for this week.  Thankyou for all your lovely comments on my blind.

Well it's up ..................

My "Chelsea", all blue, roman blind (an extension of Kaffe Fassett's Jewel Squares in Glorious Patchwork)

It's lined in white so the daylight filters through the paler fabrics ..................

 
It was hard work ............. right to the end.  The law of averages is that if there is maneuverability in something then there's going to be movement.  I did start to quilt it but changed my mind ............... it was too difficult getting the fabrics to lay flat together without shifting and looks better up without the stitching anyway.  I'm really pleased and feel so much lighter having got up this morning knowing that there was nothing further to do to it!
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Excitement in the House

I am still fiddling about with the patchwork blind but in the meantime Clothworks had a little giveaway of some small sample swatches from their new "Toy Poodle" fabric range.  It was as much a personal challenge to turn these little bits of fabric into something worthwhile.  I am pleased with the baby bibs but I was delighted to see their blog post today.

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Quilts 1700-2010 at the V&A

Yesterday we set out for the "Quilts" exhibition at the V&A.  Ok, I was aware beforehand that photos were prohibited and that I wouldn't be able to touch stuff but, from a stitchers point of view, I was maybe expecting a feast for the eyes ..................... I was somewhat disappointed.

It was interesting and am glad I went but it would have been nice to have had a closer view of many of the exhibits.  Whilst I realise that some of the quilts had been purposely displayed in the manner in which they had originally intended to be seen (ie. on a bed some feet away)  ................... it would have been nice to have seen them in more detail if one wished.  It was rather tantalising for the blurb to explain about recycling ordinary household fabrics and using the printed endcloth from a bolt for one particular patch when you couldn't actually see it.

My husband, more aware of the goings on around me as I attempted to ingest what I could, says that many people were saying the same ................. they wanted a closer look and, in particular, one wheelchair bound elderly lady was having great difficulty seeing much at all.  So, in my humble opinion, unless you are happy to view textiles from a stately home style vantage point you may well be disappointed .............. I just feel a bit cheated.


I saw these kantha style quilted chappies in the shop ...........

and I have made a decision.  I am going to flat quilt my patchwork ................ by hand.  When I have finished removing all the papers.  I can sit, at leisure, maybe watching a bit of TV even at the same time.  Thankyou all for all your lovely comments!
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A Milestone

Amidst the cold breeze outside, I have managed to get a decent pic with the help of my husband ........................

To say I am delighted to have got to this stage before Easter is probably an understatement.  Approximately 200 hours, 3000m of thread and a colossal amount of fabric  I still have decisions to make as to how exactly I am going to convert it into a blind .............. getting some of the seams to lay flatter is top of the list and, thanks mum, your suggestion that I could always cut it up and make cushions whilst practical is not what I wanted to hear lol!

For now, I have lots and lots of household duties to catch up on and, hopefully, the family can look forward to more dinners of the usual standard!

Happy Easter Everyone

and for those who don't celebrate Easter

Have a Nice Weekend
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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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