Bags!

I made a small bag for my great niece for an Easter present and put some small Easter eggs in it.Photo of similar bag done earlier. I didn't take a picture of the actual bag I made for Milly! Silly of me! Then filled with enthusiasm for making bags I made a tote bag using a couple of our own hand-dyed fat quarters. I picked two which had swirly mandala type patterns on them and then quilted on the swirls. I used a 4oz wadding for firmness and lined the bag with a hand-dyed piece of blue cotton. Pockets on the inside, sewn corners at the bottom to give a square base, a couple of straps long enough to go over the shoulder and hey presto it was done.  It is so lovely that I want to use it myself but it is intended as a sample to go in an advert and then to use at exhibitions to show folk what they can do with a whole FQ. So many people say 'what can I do with it as I don't want to cut it up'. Well there's one idea!











These are various mandala type fabrics we have dyed.

The bag below is a pattern that is useful for using rectangular pieces. I used a piece of cotton on which I sewn stitch patterns from my sewing machine. A good way to remind myself of the stitches on my machine!



Exeter Quilt Show!

We had a great time at the Exeter quilt show at the end of March. The quilt above was one of the winners in the exhibitors quilt display. My entry 'Colours of Cornwall' is below but didn't get placed! But it did get a lot of good comments! 

We were pushed for space on the stand but managed to get everything out and on view even if a bit crowded and cramped together. The hand-dyed fabrics did really well and so did the silk ribbons. I was teaching silk ribbon classes and was pleased to get good sized classes each day. 

The picture above is of some of the SW club banners. The one with the compass and boat in a blue circle was done by Falmouth Quilters!

The pictures above and below are of some of the quilts on display. There were some really lovely quilts there and I was very inspired! 

 So a very interesting show and most enjoyable. I met up with several ex students and old friends and also made a few new friends. Now we are looking forward to Malvern. Though first we are going to Dunster on the edge of Exmoor, in a couple of weeks, to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. It hardly seems a year has gone by since the wedding. Doesn't time fly when one is having fun!

Kits and Bias Binding!

I have been putting together kits for the silk ribbon neck purses and they use a lot, and I mean a serious amount, of bias binding! However my trusty Simplicity bias binding maker has come into its own and this morning I was able to make about 30 metres of bias binding in two goes useing the continuous strip method. This makes making bias binding a piece of cake! Mind you it took me a couple of hours to get the strips ready to run through the machine and then wind up the resulting bias binding into rolls! But I'm not complaining as before to make this amount would have taken me half a day at least! So £69 well spent! It is definitely going to earn it's keep! A tip if you are going to use the continuous strip method. It is very important that the first cut off is at an exact 45 degree angle and that the markings from then on are very exact. Otherwise, when matching up the edges to sew, the lines don't match. If anyone would like a tutorial on this I would be happy to oblige when I come back from Exeter. It certainly beats joining lots of strips together!

So this weekend will be a mammoth dyeing session of silk ribbon. I am leaving the dyeing of the fabric to Graeme who has become very good at this! I might do a pastel colour wheel run but only if I have time from the silk ribbon dyeing.

The next project is going to be silk ribbon cards! Mainly because I have loads of cards from a project from years back and need to find something to use them on. They are the kind that have three folds and one puts textile work behind a cut out frame.



Neck Purses

I've been having fun designing neck purses to make into kits. The basic fabric is silk noil and the bias is some of our own hand-dyed cotton plus our hand-dyed silk ribbons. There is something very therapeutic about sitting in front of the fire stitching! I've used a neck purse myself for keeping my glasses in and it is very useful. Much better than pushing them up to the top of my head and then finding my hair is caught up in them.

There are only two and a half weeks left before the Exeter quilting show and I'm beginning to get a bit stressed out with all I have to do! The hanging is nearly finished and when that is posted off I will feel a lot better. 

I was delighted to see that the potatoes I'd planted in buckets a few weeks ago are just breaking through the soil. Now they will need more compost on top of them to encourage them to root more. Also the cuttings I took from the blackcurrant we moved are doing really well! Four more bushes in the making! 

Today some rubbing plates I'd ordered from the US arrived so I will have to try and organise some time to get the Market paint stiks out and try them. So much to do and so little time. How do I find time to go to work!?!

Silk Ribbon

 I am having loads of fun doing silk ribbon work and using some of the beautiful beads I bought recently. At Exeter Quilt Show I shall be doing a class on silk ribbon stitches and I thought I'd start doing some sample pieces. Silk ribbon work is so therapeutic! And it is quick to dye!






































I covered these coat hangers some time ago and decorated them with silk ribbon flower sprays. I am now making some more in a similar format. They make wonderful gifts and with Mothering Sunday coming up what could be better! 

















I am going to make small notebook covers too as they are quick and easy to do! 



















This small spray of buds and a rose was also quick to do and I will finish it by attaching the fabric to a brooch pin so it can be worn on a lapel! I really love doing this!