sew-together

The Last Post

2011-11-18T15:27:00.001Z

Over the last couple of years illness, house moves and personal traumas have changed the dynamics of our group, and only firm friendships within it have stood the test of time. During the time we spent together our little group had collectively made a series of small quilts for children, with no firm destination for them in mind.

Not long after the tsunami struck Japan earlier this year Midsomer Quilting responded to an appeal for quilts to help people who had lost everything in this disaster, and Sharon, Angela and Imogen decided to take our finished stash to them at Chilcompton to be shipped (with no charge to us) to Japan. On the morning the three of us took them over there I think the shop was being overwhelmed by the numbers of people donating the most beautiful quilts, we were pleased to have been part of this practical way of showing our sympathy to a beleaguered nation.

So with this last post we are saying goodbye and thank you to those people who have been interested in our little group. Like all craftspersons we continue to work on but in our separate ways!

These two photos are taken from an article 'Quilts to Japan' written by Chris Howell from Midsomer Quilting for the December issue 2011 of British Patchwork & Quilting.

Secret Pocket Lady

2010-07-21T20:07:00.001+01:00

I had lots of fun last week making this "Secret Pocket Lady" skirt!

My job share Karen borrowed one of these skirts, also called "The Walking Lucky Dip," a few years ago. We took turns wearing it at our school's annual Summer BBQ.

Karen had to return the skirt and I never quite got around to making one, as promised.

That is until this year!

The skirt was made using fabric up-cycled from some classroom drapes and a few new quarter metres of "brights" for pockets with some flowers bonded on top. The finishing touch - lime green ribbon! There was also a bright patchwork bandanna to add to the overall "look."

How it works:

The skirt has 20 pockets, each containing a prize. For the price of 20p, the child chooses any pocket and receives a surprise!

Karen and I had lots of fun taking turns wearing the skirt, raising a bit of money for our school and seeing the children's faces when they realised that the lady wearing a funny outfit that day was a teacher!

Red and White Yo-Yo Quilt

2010-05-01T15:27:00.003+01:00

A couple of years ago I saw a picture of a quilt similar to this at Gooseberry Patch and fell in love with it! I simply felt I had to have one and then, typical me, put it to the back of my mind.

The Clover yo-yo maker craze was becoming big news here in England and so I gave it a try - it was so much quicker and easier than the "old fashioned" way which I found tedious.

I love red and white fabric - I "just" happen to have a huge stash of it that gets replenished at every opportunity. And so began my days of yo-yo making.

I decided my quilt would need 400 of theses round beauties and divided my quilt into quarters - 100 yo-yo's in each.
It took quit some time and 800 pins to get the balance of colour and pattern right - but I have to say it was such a pleasure to see it spread out on the table!

Then came the hours of happily watching Poirot and appliqueing the yo-yo's by hand onto the white fabric.

For the backing, I knew I wanted red and white ticking. I was fortunate enough to find the "real thing" at my local fabric shop - and, as luck would have it, it was soft rather than stiff!

Next, I tie quilted alternate yo-yo's into place with red pearl cotton, the ties showing on the back.

My biggest worry in making the quilt was marking the white fabric ready for quilting!

I used a Hera Marker, another fab product from Clover. "Easy to handle tracing spatula allows you to place pressure when marking on fabric. Perfect for quilting and sewing". Truer words have never been written!

Again, using pearl cotton, I quilted the border in simple straight lines and got the "look" that I wanted!

Rather than traditional binding, I used my favourite method of folding in the edges to finish the quilt .

My labour of love took 400 yo-yo's and two years to complete! I enjoyed EVERY minute of it - it was so much fun that I even made several cushions!

Tour of Britain Cycle Race

2009-09-17T19:43:00.007+01:00

Today's leg of the Tour of Britain Cycle Race started in Frome, Somerset. A nice bright morning, the town centre and roads along the route were crowded with spectators. Here are a couple of the photos I took.

The Throckmorton Coat

2009-09-14T14:34:00.009+01:00

We paid a visit to Coughton, (pronounced Coat-un) Court (owned by the National Trust) , while we were on holiday in Shropshire last week.

This is the home of the Throckmorton Coat, made (as the result of a wager) from wool shorn, spun, dyed, woven and sewn all between sunrise and sunset on 25th June 1811.

Coughton Court has been in the Throckmorton family since 1409 when John de Throckmorton married into the de Spiney family. Home to one of the UK's oldest Catholic families, this house has witnessed defining moments in British history, from the court of Henry VIII to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Bank Holiday in the Lake District

2009-09-02T18:15:00.015+01:00

Striding Edge, Helvellyn (photo from Wikipedia)

We went up to the Lake District over the Bank Holiday weekend because our son and 12 year-old granddaughter were going on a camping and walking trip from Glenridding to the top of Helvellyn. Our granddaughter had never been camping before, nor done a walk longer than a couple of hours or so, so it was all a great adventure.

I am very glad that I did no research into their route, because in the photo above, along the ridge, is the path to the top!!

Rather than camping, our daughter-in-law, Chris and I found a comfortable B & B in Keswick, and the three of us spent a pleasant Sunday ambling round the lakes and visiting Windermere while they were walking.

The day started off quite well weather-wise, but by mid-day the mist was coming in and the rain started to fall again. We all met up in the Inn-by-the-Lake in Glenridding at the end of their walk. Unfortunately there was no hot food available late on a Sunday afternoon, so we made do with lots of hot coffee and sandwiches. Simon was pretty tired, but Kay was quite keen to go for a walk with her Grandad in the evening!! She told me that she didn't know that she was scared of heights until she was doing that path accross the ridge. We think she did amazingly well.

On Bank Holiday Monday we had said we would take a Boat Trip around Ullswater. This was the view from the window of the boat. It had been blowing a gale and pouring with rain all night. Kay slept through it, but Simon got soaked packing up the tent and spent the first hour of the boat trip hanging over the heater trying to warm up.

We were all dressed for the weather and spent an exhilarating time on deck towards the end of the two and a half hour trip with tourists from all over the world.

Pilling the Cat

2009-08-18T15:18:00.019+01:00

Mitzi, about seven years ago

We have just been cat sitting for our daughter-in-law, which as well as feeding the two cats and keeping them company meant pilling the older cat, Mitzi, twice a day.

I have to admit being a trifle nervous about this to start with, and had looked up opinion via Google. Definitely not encouraging, although there were some humourous anecdotes to jolly us along.

In her youth Mitzi had not been the calmest of cats, and a tickling session could suddenly result in a scratch or nip so she surprised me by taking her pills, for a thyroid problem, in a resigned and laid back manner. I suppose she has become used to it, and knows that to get food this indignity has to be borne, although on the next to last morning she clamped her teeth together like a small child refusing his breakfast and a little more persuasion had to be used, twice, as she spat it out the first time.

http://www.simonscat.com/ has some lovely little clips about life with a cat.

Gravity!

2009-06-19T14:04:00.003+01:00

Every spring I struggle to tie up the hyacinths and it always spoils how they look. In fact it makes them look ugly. Then this spring I thought.... why fight nature? Let gravity do it's worst and hey presto! The hyacinths looked like this - elegant and ravishing! So listen up all you female senoir citizens! Gravity is nature's way of saying... that's how you're meant to be and you are GORGEOUS!

All Things White and Beautiful

2009-06-19T13:27:00.006+01:00

My garden at night under a blanket of freshly falling snow. I couldn't go to bed for gazing at it's beauty - every twig and tiny ledge accentuating the garden's architecture.

Snowdrops in my garden early in the year - exquisite! A surge of life and hope from the death of winter; the Master Gardener at work.

Roses from my husband for St. Valentine's Day - ever the romantic at 71!

These are no ordinary cupcakes! These are ANGELA'S cupcakes - mixed and baked by Angela, in Angela's kitchen. ( read in sexy voice!) Thankyou Angela for an idyllic morning.

I should have published this blog in February but my life was taken up with the difficult journey of a very special human being and dear friend Jan. I dedicate it to her memory - she had SUCH a ZEST for life in all it's richness, it's joys and sorrows, it's beauty, humour and ultimate mystery.

Domino Knitting

2009-03-15T15:50:00.009Z

This is my first attempt at Domino Knitting, very simple to do, but doesn't look it! My friend Joan heard about it first, and showed me how it was done, then lent me a little book by Vivian Hoxbro. My sample piece would look a lot better if I had pressed it, but I think I might felt it before possibly making it into a cushion cover.

I had to get my own copy of the book of course, it is very well written, and contains instructions for several projects.

Clever Girl

2009-03-12T16:01:00.010Z

I was doing a bit of half-hearted tidying up a couple of days ago and came across a scrapbook of photos of past projects.

This one of a rather reluctant Sharon was taken by me in 1994, because she had just finished knitting this doll for her young son, who desperately wanted one. They were all the rage at the time and I think there were several different characters.

But what was truly amazing was that Sharon had never knitted before, and still says she can't knit. All for love, says Sharon, her child wanted one and that was the only way of getting it for him.

Below are a couple of cupcake pins, which I am lucky enough to have, one for me and one for my granddaughter, also made by Sharon. Utterly delicious. If you want one for yourself she has a contact e-mail address on her embryonic web site www.faeriegodmothers.co.uk

Dementia and Snowdrops

2009-02-18T10:34:00.018Z

When the snow had melted we found that the snowdrops had come into flower. Florrie, an elderly friend, a true country woman, now long dead, called these 'God's Innocent Children' which is a bit tear-jerking but somehow so very apt.

The photo has absolutely nothing to do with the article which follows, from today's Telegraph, which, as I keep thinking my memory is failing, cheered me up.

Quilting, pottery and computer games 'may cut risk of dementia'

Taking up hobbies such as quilting, pottery and even playing computer games in later life may substantially cut the risk of dementia, a new study suggests.

Crafts and other activities which exercise the brain, including reading novels and computer games, can all have a protective effect on the mind and help prevent memory loss, the study shows.
By contrast, watching television for hours on end significantly increased the chance of suffering problems, the research found.
Previous studies have shown that those with mentally demanding jobs and high levels of education were less likely to suffer the memory problems associated with the condition.
Researchers found that those with stimulating occupations were less at risk, even when they had physical damage to their brain cells.
The latest research will be seen as further proof that so-called "brain training" machines, such as the Nintendo DS advertised by Nicole Kidman, can help to delay brain decline.
Those who kept mentally active in their middle age, through reading, arts and crafts and other pursuits, were about 40 percent less likely to develop memory loss than those who did not.
The scientists found that those who kept mentally active in later years cut their chance of developing memory loss by between 30 and 50 per cent.
But volunteers who watched television programmes for more than seven hours a day in later years were also 50 per cent more likely to have memory problems than those who spent less than seven hours a day in front of the box.

Chasing Rainbows

2009-02-16T15:07:00.006Z

When I decided to post this picture I thought I would accompany it with a line or two about rainbows from some romantic poem or other. For a country that has a lot of rain there seems to be a singular dearth of positive thoughts about rainbows. It's all about chasing rainbows, rainbow's end, somewhere over the rainbow!

This was the most distinct rainbow photo I have ever taken, and it seemed to end in the field below us. I didn't rush out to look for the pot of gold, maybe I should have done, but the sheer delight of it appearing to be so close was it's own reward.

The Sling Bag

2009-02-06T10:30:00.005Z

Browsing around on the web a few days ago I found a picture of a sling bag, made from an Amy Butler pattern. I couldn't find a local stockist of this particular pattern, ( not even at Get Knitted, who stock a range of Amy Butler products) evidently it has been out for a while, so I made a sort of look-alike for myself. Not quite the same, I may have another attempt, but I am still pleased with it.

Because of the regular snowfalls we are getting I have spent a lot of time sewing, as well as baking and eating!! A couple of UFOs have even been completed.

Diddy's Quilt

2009-01-22T18:00:00.009Z

Some quilters give their quilts /work of art a name. I don't but this quilt is an exception- it should be called 'Lucky' - third time lucky! The piecing has been completed and redesigned three times and has been a real learning curve for me. Why? THE COLOUR PURPLE!! After finishing my third quilt I felt I could call myself a quilter and decided that I would do one for my schoolfriend of fifty years. I forgot momentarily after announcing this to her, that she taught A level textiles among other things! However she was delighted but had to wait a few years! She said she wanted pinks and purples in Ohio star (which she seen on one I had done). In excited anticipation we chose some gorgeous fabrics together which I added to over time,and meanwhile busied myself making a cream quilt for my daughter and her husband.
Then three years ago I started - with the Ohio star and fabrics as planned. When the blocks were assembled, it was alright, in fact quite nice -- but that is all. It did not have the WOW factor that I wanted. Remember this was going to be a gift for my dear school friend. SO - I took it all to pieces and started again. I tried larger blocks using pinwheel and abandoned some of the pinks, thinking that that was the problem but as I worked I had my doubts and wondered why. When it was finished I looked at it with utter depression because that was the effect of the fabrics. I would not have liked either to sleep under it or see it in the morning. How was I going to make a pink and purple quilt for Diddy that I actually liked? Answer - call a quilting friend! My mistake was to choose very beautiful COLD tones instead of warm. The fabrics were re-sorted and many abandoned. Then taking one warm purple fabric, I went back to the fabric shop and started again.
This time the fabrics felt right but I didn't know what design to sew. I decided on two blocks of all the ones I'd never tried - eighteen pairs altogether. My friend likes symmetry and I like random so I went for a compromise - several different blocks and an a-symmetrical design.The overall link was one particular fabric in every block. My family were very interested, supportive and encouraging - it became a family enterprise! I loved sewing new blocks and when all thirty-six were completed I laid them out on the dining room floor and started to arrange them. They were swapped around many times over the next week until I had created the design. It was amazing how this came about really. My husband said the quilt was exotic and I knew I thought so too. This was what I had had in my mind's eye in the first place - a quilt that looked jewelled. I sashed them together with a mauve batik looking fabric. I added a half inch dark purple border inside the outside sashing, which framed it and finished off with an inch of the dark purple for the edge.The giving of this quilt just before Christmas was very special for me. To create and make something entirely original , that you really love,and then give it away to someone special---that makes it all worth the effort! My school friend loves it. In fact I can hear her saying ''Imie! I LOVE it!''

Celebrating the Season

2008-12-23T11:26:00.014Z

Our niece Jo calls this her credit crunch Christmas tree. She spotted it on the shoreline of her local beach a few weeks ago, part of a tree that had been tossed about by the sea. Although interested in its possibilities she was on foot and left it on the beach. Days later she drove to the beach, not expecting to find it again, but it had been tossed far enough by the waves to keep it dry and shore bound. Here it is, dressed for Christmas in her sitting room. Fantastic!

Our granddaughter has been designing her own Christmas cards since a few months before her fifth birthday. The one above was her first and below is this years card. She creates them while staying over the October half-term holiday, and it is my great pleasure to print them.

And here is one of several quilted Christmas hangings I have made over the years. Each of the trees is decorated with beads and sequins. Happy Christmas, everyone.

Getting Knitted Now

2008-11-19T15:20:00.016Z

I first caught the sock bug because of Jennifer who attends the same Healthy Back Class that Imogen and I go to. She was wearing a great pair of socks, and after I had admired them she told me she had knitted them herself.

Chris, my husband, is a great fan of hand-knitted woollen socks, having had innumerable pairs knitted for him in the past by his step-mother. Although she died at least five years ago, the socks live on!

I found an amazing shop called Get Knitted near Bristol, and came home with a selection of yarns and a set of 5 needles.

I didn't realise that you could get yarn that would 'self-stripe' so my first socks were, as in the picture below, knitted using seperate colours. This was my third pair from these three balls of yarn, and there is probably enough left for another two pairs.

'Self Striping' yarns make life a lot easier, so I started to make some for Chris, as he wears a size 12 shoe I discovered that one ball was not quite enough to make a complete pair, so I knit the top of the cuffs in a matching plain colour. I've thoroughly enjoyed knitting them, the work is so portable and can be quickly finished.

Also in this photo is my first felted bag, I've now knitted and felted three bags in different patterns, and am always on the lookout for more. This pattern, found on a web site is entitled French Market Bag.

A Trip to the Baltic

2008-11-01T14:12:00.043Z

Chris and I took our first ever cruise this summer. We absolutely loved the ports we called at but found the actual cruising experience rather limiting. If we do it again, perhaps when we are less fit and energetic, we would choose a larger ship with more opportunities for exercise.

I nearly didn't include this photo on the blog, as every one knows The Little Mermaid. The one below is Nyhavn, also in Copenhagen.

These next two photos are details of images from the Viegland Sculpture Park in Oslo. We took scores of photographs here. There are over 130 sculptures in a large park dedicated to Viegland, who we understood from our tour guide was not a particularly pleasant man. However, his work is exquisite, and the sculptures progress through from childhood to old age.

The site walks you round the park and museum, and Viegland's biography mirrors the conception of the park as 'Man's journey from cradle to grave, through happiness and grief, through fantasy, hope and wishes of eternity'. Viegland made a Mephistophelean pact with the city of Oslo in 1921. He traded all his sculptures, drawings, woodcuts and models for a studio to be converted into a museum after his death.

We took several hundred photographs altogether on this trip, and had to spend ages when we got home sorting through to find the best ones.

St. Petersburg was the high spot of the trip. On the left of the image above is The Church of the Spilled Blood, so called because of the murder of Alexander II, whose blood was spilled here at the time of his assassination. We did not have time to go inside, but are told it is full of mosaics. St Petersburg is one of the places on our list to return to, we were totally surprised by it.

The Winter Palace was the home of the Russian Emperors until 1917, and today is part of the world famous Hermitage Museum. The museum has fascinating and extensive collections of works of art and was still collecting them in the 1950's, much to the incomprehension of Ray, the egalitarian Australian on our tour.

On the second day of our stay in St. Petersburg we visited Peterhof. We understood this to be the Summer Palace of the Imperial Family, a favourite residence of Peter I, after whom it was named. The parkland covers over 1000 hectares, and as well as being splendid inside, has numerous fountains in its grounds. Chris and I got thoroughly soaked by one!

Stockholm's Gramla Stan,(above) in the Medieval part of the city was beautiful, we encountered our only rain of the two weeks away while we were here. We also had a bit of a panic while in Stockholm, as we had set off on our own and got a bit lost trying to find our way back to the ship. Being built on several islands we crossed the wrong bridge and found ourselves on the wrong side of the city, we did make it however with half an hour to spare before sailing time. Chris' usually unerring sense of direction had let us down, and as we were in Sweden we had left our passports on board. Until we realised that we were consoling ourselves that we could fly to the next port if need be.

The photos above and below are Tallin, Estonia

Before we came back to the UK via the Kiel Canal we stopped at Wernemunde, where among other things we took a trip on the Molli train to the site of the last but one (I think, when Blair was still in control) of the G8 summits. We were in the former DDR and were reminded frequently of the restrictions that these people were living under not so very long ago at all.

The Molli being a steam train, virtually every man was wielding his camera!! And it was a 4 am rising to see our entrance into the Kiel Canal the next morning, although I have to admit that when it got light enough to see, it was extremely interesting.

Halloween Cupcakes

2008-10-30T16:49:00.024Z

One of our half-term projects was to make a batch of Spider cupcakes for Kay's Halloween Party.

We found the idea in a copy of Good Food Magazine

The eyes are made from black and white liquorice allsorts, we had to buy quite a big pack to get enough of these. A dot of black icing turns them into eyes.

Boxed and ready to go, they look rather cute and friendly. We only had enough liquorice strands for 12 sets of legs.

A happy cook.

The Case of the Missing Chutney!

2008-10-22T10:37:00.016+01:00

I have this fascination of making chutney! Everytime I finish making one batch I have the offer of "Do you want any apples?" Looking for a recipe for Apple Chutney I found a cut out one from Prima among my many ripped out papers.

'Spicy Apple Chutney', sounded great! It's the onion seeds and chilli flakes that make it spicy.

Here is the recipe:-

In a pan, slowly cook 3 sliced onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon black onion seed, black pepper and a pinch of salt for about 40 minutes.

Add a pinch of chilli flakes, 3 large peeled Bramleys, plus one peeled Cox apple, all cut into chunks, 400mls/14fl.oz cider vinegar and 250g/9 oz. demerara sugar.

Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour until thick. Spoon into sterilised jars.

Bless Husband No. 2. Off he goes each time to track down onion seed spice and yet more cider vinegar and demerera sugar!

Wow! says he, that's not bad at all!

Yet again, from Daughter No 1. Do I want some more Apples? Mother-in-law has some more going.

Husband No. 2 says "I wouldn't mind, but she keeps giving it all away" Oh! What Joy!

More Spider Rhymes

2008-10-07T13:52:00.010+01:00

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness! This is the song I told Angela about, which I used to sing with my seven year olds when we were doing a topic on Mini-Beasts in my teaching hay-days. I love her photograhs of the orb webs ( go to her food website for another) and just recently my garden was bejewelled with them after the early morning autumnal mists. My little grandson looked carefuly at them and I showed him the fat Garden spiders too.

Try Again

from 'Tinder-box' published by A & C Black

Have you seen the little spider in the corner?

She will spin and she will weave and she will fall;

The thread is thin and breaks , but however long it takes,

She will hang her shiny web upon the wall.

So I'll imitate the spider in the corner,

If at first I don't succeed I'll try again.

Though the way is very long, I will say, when things go wrong,

If I try I'm bound to get there in the end.

Harvest Time

2008-10-07T11:54:00.026+01:00

My home town is full of hidden gardens. They thrive and bloom behind high walls and street buildings in the ancient parts of the centre, tucked away out of site, mostly unbeknown to the passer by. Over the years I have become aware of some of these secret places but one gorgeous summer morning in August, Sharon (otherwise known as Kindred Spirit) and I spent a few hours not in a hidden garden but on an allotment out of sight to the motorist or walker, behind a row of unassuming Victorian houses on the edge of town. Wow! What a little paradise!! Angela (Genuine Friend, Quilter Extraordinaire and doer all things creative) and her green fingered husband Chris were off on their first (and ONLY HA! HA! HA!!!) cruise, leaving their allotment laden with goodies. Sharon and I were warmly and generously invited to harvest as much as we liked of Chris’s hard graft.

The agreed morning was one of the few perfect days of this summer – hot but not too hot, and still, with all the scents and sounds of an idyllic summer’s day. Clad in wellies and old clothes we walked along the rough path to find the small group of allotments, all loving tended, all different and all hidden away. A field with pigs, sheep and a cow added to the feeling of green space and peace. No one was about. We started with our little buckets and picked dozens of perfectly shaped, mouth-watering, ripened raspberries, eating several as we picked, marvelling at the quality, quantity and taste of the fruit. We could not believe our luck!! Chris’s polythene bags and our presence did not stop the blackbird from grabbing his fill of the raspberries too.

We dug up tender little potatoes, identified male and female courgettes, picked sweet peas, and harvested broad beans enjoying the scent, sight and touch of them all. We felt torn between taking too much and leaving Chris’s hard work to rot, so we opted for the former.
Sharon and I sat on the bench by the shed and decided it was a little bit of heaven – a place to come, to sit, to contemplate, to close our eyes, to soak up the sun and dream – a place to take time out with a flask and a good book. The whole morning gave us great pleasure and took Sharon’s mind off her hyster-sisters ( http://www.hystersisters.com/) !!!

Clap hands,

Granny comes,

With her basket full of plums,

All for Louis!

Victoria plums have to be the most delicious of fruit especially when they're your own straight off the branch. They are also so beautiful.

I went to gather beans for supper and Louis being an outdoor child was already in the garden. He followed me into the fruit cage and I gave him the basket and asked him to fill it with the beans. He was not saying real words at this stage but he understood every word, had only be walking for a short time and so was was still wobbly. Then I told him to take them to Mummy. Well! His little body flew into action and he carried the basket forty yards, manoeuvred it onto the patio, up two steps and into the snug. His face shows how much he wanted to give the beans to his Mum and for that reason I just love this photograph.

PotFest

2008-09-27T14:29:00.008+01:00

Chris and I went to the PotFest for the South West yesterday, on a bright but very breezy day.

Following my enthusiasm for all things cup-cakey at the moment I bought this little cup cake pot. Made by Jenni Ellman of Tatton Pottery , Knutsford, Cheshire, I could not help but fall in love with it.

Spiders

2008-09-25T14:49:00.042+01:00

I took this photo in our garden one morning last week, and was telling Imogen about it. It reminded her of a poem she used to tell her infant pupils. She e-mailed it to me, and here it is with her comment.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<>>

A spider sat a-sleeping
One dark and stormy night
The raindrops fell upon her web,
And shone like diamonds bright.
But when she woke at daybreak,
And saw her web a-shine,
She said 'I'm sure no other house
Is lovelier than mine!'

'Here is the poem which I taught every class I ever had, after an autumnal walk in the school grounds to instill a sense of wonder at the created world and the beauty of orb webs covered in morning dew!'

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Imogen is going to send on a spider song also used in class, which I will publish.

Last Saturday afternoon I was sitting in the garden having my cup of tea and was captivated watching a spider make it's web. There are hundreds of them about at the moment, and if you accidentally walk through one they are re-strung in a couple of hours. As I am pretty horrified about the idea of a spider landing on me, I try to avoid all webs, rehanging them on different bushes to clear a path.

Just had a look at Sharon's wonderful teacher's resource page Rainbow and Sunshine to see if there were any spider rhymes there. I found Incey Wincey Spider, but not Imogen's rhyme.

Flowery Scissors and Dotty Cards

2008-09-18T14:52:00.029+01:00

I bought these dotty cards last December at a Private View that Sharon generously gave for our friend Caroline.

Becky, another of Sharon's friends had a selection of cards for sale, and they really appealed to me. Now I find she has some absolutely delightful designs on her new website dots and spots.

As well as Caroline's Christmas Goodies, (I can never resist the small, decorated bags she makes, which I use for gift bags) Sharon had made some little gingerbread men tree ornaments, made of cloth, not gingerbread. I am glad I quickly bagged one as they sold out so quickly.

Sharon brought these flowery scissors and rotary cutter back from her recent trip to the USA to see her family, aren't they fantastic, as well as the muffin cases which I wrote about in the recipe blog. I've not seen anything like them over here, but have to admit that I am trying to be fairly blinkered when I go shopping these days, being now a 'retired person'.

Over Blue Yonder

2008-08-19T09:50:00.015+01:00

My ships quilt was made from scraps. Left over from previous projects.

Poor thing had been stuffed in a drawer for 2 years! All blocks were finished waiting to be lovingly put together. Once started I found it hard to put down, there were other quilts needed planning and sewing like 5 puff quilts, might I add, all for lovely babes that were blessed to couples, friends of daughters 1 and 2.

The Quilt was an inspiration of my childhood, the beautiful blue sky and visits to the seaside. RicRac resembling the Water, Pearl Buttons:- sea shells, also Buttons and Shiska mirrors for portholes.

While sewing on the puffs my dearest friend said they looked like limpets, just the thing for a seaside theme!

With my love of Buttonhole Stitch it just finished off the quilt lovely.

I'm very pleased with the Results. One UFO Done!

GanGan's latest seaside memory!

Bobbins

2008-08-11T15:49:00.035+01:00

A few years ago I went to Coldharbour Mill at Uffculme, near Collompton in Devon, and a fascinating trip it proved to be.

It had been in continuous use for the weaving of yarn from being built in 1799 until it was closed in 1981. It was re-opened in 1982 as a textile museum and is open to the public. We were lucky enough to go on a tour of the mill and see woollen yarn being made, from fleece to the finished knitting yarn. I don't know how often these tours take place, but Coldharbour Mill has it's own website so it would be easy to find out. The tour we went on consisted of four adults and a dog!

One of many baskets of bobbins in the mill

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There is a shop at the site selling the finished yarn, as well as rugs and tartans, which I believe are also made on the premises.

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The site is full of interesting industrial artifacts, enough engine-type things to keep the men interested, and a photographers dream. Good cafe too.

And while on the subject:-

The little bobbin block is one of my favourite patterns, which I love to combine with florally fabrics, most of these in the photos are Liberty lawn, although some other cotton lawns have sneaked in too.

The quilt below is the one I made first, and although it is very pretty, and actually contains more of my favourite Liberty lawn patterns I'm not so keen on the setting I used. At the time I used sashing for speed and to increase the size, but I wish I had not been so impatient.

I suppose the origin of the pattern shape was the old wooden cotton reels of my youth, as this is what they looked like in profile, I can't think that the modern plastic ones could inspire you, but who knows, I may soon be proved wrong.

It's quite a simple pattern to make. Basically four triangles, two of which are made of joined backing fabric and floral fabric, and the other two of just the floral fabric. Each of my little blocks is 4 1/2inches (12cms) square. If you cut an accurate square of paper or card, divide it diagonally then cut it into 4 pieces you will have the first piece of pattern. Then rule a line 1 inch (or 2.5cm) from the pointy end of one of the triangles, cut it and you will have two more pattern pieces. Draw round these pieces on your fabric, adding a quarter inch seam allowance and you can start to make your first block. This is one of the few patterns I like to sew by hand, I just keep working at them when I am in the mood, and if you are careful to add a regular seam allowance it's quite therapeutic. It makes an ideal scrap quilt.

Cleeve Abbey

2008-08-06T15:45:00.010+01:00

On the way to Devon last week we visited Cleeve Abbey, which is not far from Washford in Somerset. We have passed the sign to the Abbey hundreds of times, but finally made the detour, and realise what a gem we had been missing.

This Cistercian Abbey, an English Heritage property, is the most complete and unaltered set of monastic cloister buildings in England. The roof timbers are absolutely amazing, as is a 13th century floor of heraldic tiles, currently under a white marquee for conservation reasons.

There is a big car park at Cleeve Abbey, with a large grassy area, where a couple of families were picnicking. In spite of there being several cars in the car park the Abbey itself did not feel in any way crowded, maybe because it is a bit off the beaten track and the casual passer-by may well think it is 'only' another glorious ruin

The Bloggers

2008-08-04T16:10:00.015+01:00

Last week we had a bloggers' lunch, ostensibly to encourage ourselves to keep posting and remind ourselves of how to do it. However, as with our 'sewing days' we are easily distracted and not a finger was laid on the keyboard!

Imogen brought me these roses from her beautiful garden, so I wanted to post an image of them in our blog, although the photo was taken several days afterwards as I was away from home for a few days.

Housekeeping

2008-06-21T15:01:00.027+01:00

On several occasions when a few of us have a cup of coffee together conversation will turn to housekeeping skills, and in my case, lack of them. Although I make supreme efforts to keep the dust down and at least keep the kitchen and bathrooms in pristine condition, I am hopelessly untidy and a complete squirrel. Like a lot of fellow squirrels I sometimes find I have a series of bags and boxes waiting to be sorted, usually items that have been swept into said receptacle from floor and table when notice has been given of an impending visit less than half a day away.

It's not that I don't long for the look of softly glowing tables empty of all but a beautifully, but casually arranged bunch of flowers, sometimes we even achieve it fleetingly, but my brain does not seem to function in the organised way needed to sustain it.

The scent from the orange blossom is beautiful

When bent on a day of solid housework I find some interesting recipe, new knitting pattern, or something that has been missing for days ready to distract me from my purpose.

I am just so grateful that I enjoy, indeed am almost fascinated by, food preparation and preservation. I love cooking for friends and family, I love to read about the lives of those other women, past and present who did the same.

One of my all time favourite accounts is 'The Diary of a Farmer's Wife' 1796-1797 an account first published in the Farmers' Weekly in 1937. I have it in a rather ancient Penguin paper back and it inspired me to keep a similar sort of diary for a number of years, which I then stupidly destroyed when my life changed.

The quest for a perfect cupcake recipe is my current occupation. The one found the June 2007 edition of Good Food magazine has to be the favourite.

We loved the butter icing, made with Green and Black's Organic white chocolate with vanilla

Blocks of a Quilter's Life

2008-05-15T14:13:00.006+01:00

My finished quilt came about when my very good friend suggested we do a workshop to pass on what we had learned since picking up our very first fat quarter!

The beginning

I used fabric left over from Daughter No. 1's wedding quilt, only buying the backing.

It was fun looking through my buttons to see if I had enough to put onto the yellow block sashing. I put a lot of feelings into this quilt, looking back over my sewing years and how far I had come.

We held our workshop one sunny day in a local school with our one lady who came. We decided not to be disappointed but to give as much knowledge as we could. It was lovely to find someone who was so eager to learn, having never made quilts.

What a lovely day it turned out to be!

The payment from the workshop went to pay for the hall, but we were not feeling flat, quite the opposite, we felt elated!

Since the workshop our student has gone on the make half a dozen quilts with such enthusiasm.

The finished quilt

To those of you out there who are struggling to get someone to recognise you, don't give up! It's always a wonderful, warm feeling to pass on what you have learnt.

Guide to a Grumpy Quilter

2008-04-22T11:03:00.012+01:00

This is Caroline's Post

For the last 2 weeks I have been tearing my hair out! The weather has been terrible and has put me in Dark Cloud Mood!

I have been trying to finish off my Basket Quilt, joining together the blocks with Chevron patchwork. That done, next I hope I have enough one and a half inch strips to join into blocks.

Oh Heck! Why is it you never have enough? Ah, I've found some left over from another project.

Now then, just need to turn everything out for 'joining it all together' material.

Oh Cripes, what a mess I've made!

Before

Just said no to Jane for a look around Midsummer Quilters. I'm flat broke and my yearning for new material beckons. I must be strong! groan.....

I've just found half a metre of material I was going to throw out, I knew it would come in handy! Move cat off cutting mat to use rotary cutting board or wait until he goes out to annoy the female cats of the neighbourhood.

I phoned Trish to see if she had my yo-yo maker, nope, no joy there, turned everything out again, with the most foul language! Ah, found it!

After

I am so looking forward to Malvern as I have not been for four years, and that is an achievement for me. I won't feel guilty about spending loads of money, husband No 2 is going to Glastonbury for 3 days!!

Funny, I seem to turn out really good work when I am miserable. I suppose it's because I put all my ideas into my work and that seems to help me focus.

Norman Wisdom, eat your heart out!

Always be Prepared!

2008-04-12T09:27:00.005+01:00

Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do... never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaiscally. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates. Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so your mind is free to enjoy your sewing. When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress. Keep a little bag of French chalk near your sewing machine to dust your fingers at intervals. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on... (If) you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should.

Isn't that great! I found it in the latest Quilters Haven Newsletter - Advice from a Singer Sewing Manual from 1949.
The patterns are from the 1950's.

Baby Genius

2008-03-06T09:43:00.011Z

This is Caroline's Post

Daughter No. 2 wanted a puff cot quilt for Granddaughter No. 1.

Phoebe has used her pram quilt since birth, making dents here and there as she grows in months. My friend told me that she bought some fabric for her granddaughter's quilt called 'Baby Genius', which was bright and funky. I bought fat quarters of this wonderful fabric and co-ordinated bright fabric already left over from other past products.

After all the rotary cutting (5 1/2" square for the tops, 4 1/2" square for the bottoms) 9 rows wide by 12 long and all that tacking and pinning I thought I would never finish!

The finished quilt is amazing and plan to make more of these colourful puff quilts.

But maybe not This Big.

Becoming a Grandmother

2008-03-05T12:00:00.007Z

Here is my very first grandchild Louis Joseph! This photo was taken on the day of his birth and I saw him for the first time three days later. So many people had extolled to me over the years , the joys of being a grandparent and I was overjoyed when he was born; but when I went to see him I saw someone else's baby and all my feelings were for my own thirty year old baby who was suffering from a migraine from all the lack of sleep , excitement (always a cause when he was a little boy-eg invitation from best friend to tea-he was nearly always sick!!!) and the whole experience of the birth. Both new parents looked shattered but my daughter in law Mel had that beautuful glow of a very new mum. When this photo came through on the internet I printed it out and stuck it on my fridge. Over the next few days Louis' little face made me smile and a deep joy began to grow inside me and his grandpa and then his image made us chuckle with pride and happiness. His image worked it's magic in just a few days and I was well and truly hooked !!!

Ofcourse I had to make a cot quilt for Louis and here it is! Our quilting group used this block 'spool' for the charity quilts we have made from all our scraps. I think it works really well for this purpose because the blocks we used were small. I wanted Louis'quilt to be bright and I enjoyed the chance to sew fabric designed for babies with ducklings and kittens etc as well as use up some I already had. I made it all by hand and it took two months. I gave it to Mel together with a handknitted teddy which I bought some years ago at a school craft fayre, and my pearl earrings which she had borrowed to wear for her wedding. I know the quilt is in constant use and plans for the next are taking shape in my head!
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Quilts and Bears

2008-02-23T14:45:00.016Z

Here are three of my little quilts, this one is called Candy Baskets, and inspired by the book called 'Celebrate with Little Quilts' published by That Patchwork Place.

The smallest of the three quilts is this little fan quilt, about 24" x 36"

I think this pattern is Roman Stripe, easy strip piecing, in Amish colours, the biggest of the three.

The border is not visible in the picture because I fixed it up with drawing pins to take the photo.

Because we have written to our grand-daughter every week since she was small we have lots of photos that we have turned into cards, things that she would recognise and enjoy. Here is Topsy with Alex - both bears were made by Marilyn Haupt.

Bruno with Tilly, both hand knitted by me. Tilly has her own clothes on in this picture. Bruno is still absent-without-leave.

Alex always has been a bit of a poser, almost always in his dressing gown, he was my Christmas present to my husband a few years ago. Two of my larger quilts can be seen behind him.

Hello I'm Sandra

2008-02-21T14:39:00.010Z

Hello I'm Sandra

Since moving here from London ten years ago and retiring from full time teaching in a tough inner city school I have discovered the joys of country crafts. I really enjoy making quilts and working on other handicrafts.

By happy chance I've met up with a lot of people and eight of us meet regularly to sew,cook, eat,and gossip, we also have lots of trips and other activities .We laugh a lot and enjoy each others company. I hope to photograph some of my quilts and wallhangings to put on our blog

Knitting

2008-02-17T15:37:00.007Z

I love knitting, it's so theraputic to see the fabric grow on your needles, but in spite of the growth of knitting as a fashionable hobby I've always thought it a little quaint, and rarely take knitted projects out of the house. It is a bit like hand quilting, which I always do, slow, but satisfying. Why would you knit a garment which you can pick up from a store for a quarter of the price that the yarn would cost you in the first place, with no guarantee that you will like the finished article, after all you can't try it on before you buy.

However, although most knitting patterns are basically the same, once you have mastered the technicalities you can make that pattern all yours, totally unique. The little cut off cardigan I knitted for our grand-daughter was adapted from an adult pattern, not without a few headaches, but it worked very well, I was really pleased with it. Since I knitted it I found a very interesting book, on Amazon of course, which would have helped tremendously with all those calculations. It's called 'The knitter's handy book of sweater patterns' by Ann Budd and explains how to change the sizes and yarn thickness, sizes 26" to 54" chest, of a variety of basic patterns.

But really I have to confess to a love of much more frivolous knitting. Teddy bears, and clothes for them, knitted bags to keep all manner of things in. Having knitted or bought the bears they will not mind how you dress them, they won't wear out their clothes, nor grow out of them. And because the biggest of them is not any bigger than a newborn baby you can use complicated patterns. Although they are allegedly inanimate when I wanted a teddy or two to photgraph I couldn't find my biggest, fierce looking hand-knitted bear. I expect he'll turn up in a cupboard sometime. The little girl bear in the photo was made by Marilyn Haupt, and is one of several of hers that I have. I have clothed each of them in turn, usually with a change of wardrobe, and children just love to dress them in different outfits.

The book with the teddy bear knitting patterns in is by Debbie Bliss, called 'Teddy Bears'

I would like to knit some cup-cakes, or slices of Battenburg, so if anyone has a pattern please let me know. Oh dear, I told you it was quaint!

Recovering Addict

2008-02-09T12:15:00.003Z

This is very hard for me to admit, but, I am addicted to the cult of All Things Martha.
I struggle each month NOT to buy her magazine, only to give in and make the purchase. Well, today is the 9th of February and I have NOT given in yet! Don't get me wrong - I HAVE been to the news agent, I HAVE flipped through a copy (more than once), I HAVE coveted this month's issue with the lovely Valentine themed cover, and so far I HAVE been strong!!! I must be strong, I can feel it calling out to me!
I began collecting Martha almost as soon as it became available in England - not easy at first due to the fact that my "local" had only two or so available copies. It became a competition to me - who would get there first? Me or my unknown rivals? I just had to win! The lady in the shop asked me if I would like to take out a subscription to ensure my monthly fix. Oh no, no easy ride for me - I needed to feel like a winner on a monthly basis! I nearly always succeeded - YES INDEED!
As my collection grew, I went out and bought Laura Ashley magazine holders so that my collection could be stored stylishly - grouped by months rather than in purchase order.
So, needless to say, I am having withdrawal symptoms - I haven't even looked at the website yet http://www.marthastewart.com/ - well that's a lie, because how would the link have appeared here?!

I won't bore you with stories of how I watch hours of Martha videos from her web, or how I bring photos of her with me when I have my hair cut, or how my husband sarcastically refers to me as Martha when I'm baking or sewing - no! I must try and stop this now!
So wish me luck. I've got a new addiction now - collecting sewing blogs! I barely even read them, it's just that the pictures are so lovely - more on that another time!
LOL

The Blue and White Show

2008-02-08T14:44:00.003Z

On Wednesday six of us went to an exhibition in Bath, called the Blue and White Show, an amazing collection of Blue and White china, the theme of which was taken up in some of the exhibits by Kaffe Fassett, Candace Bahouth and Carole Waller. Unfortunately cameras were not encouraged. The Exhibition continues until 30th March, so if you get the chance to go it's well worth it. The Victoria Art Gallery is at the end of Pulteney Bridge, there is no charge for entry but a donation is hoped for, and there are excellent greeting cards on sale in the shop.

From the front cover of the brochure.

Here some of us are waiting at the bus stop, five out of the eight of us are proud possessers of free bus passes! and it's actually quicker than driving in and using the park and ride.

The thing that draws the eye on entering the gallery is a huge display of Blue and White china on the end wall, mostly large platters but some jugs and plates. The theme is taken up by jugs and bowls arranged on plinths around the room which have inspired the quilts and needlepoint. Some of this pottery is quite modern in its design. We did not automatically love all the quilted exhibits, but a couple of them have inspired us, and later on in the day we went to our favourite Bath fabric and quilt supplies shop - Country Threads - and saw a good collection of the Kaffe Fassett fabrics which give his quilts their distinctive look.

I loved the ingenuity of Candace Bahouth in having used corrugated cardboard to make elaborate box frames for her collages, and although the mosaic shoes did not appeal to me on a personal level the little children's shoes similarly decorated were strangely touching.

The painted silk panels at the entrance are easily overlooked when ones eyes are drawn to the huge china display. I'm not sure how these were made, but are of banner like proportions and quite stunning - naturally they are blue.

Time for a quick lunch,

after which we went shopping, firstly to Hampstead Bazaar, where we tried hard to find something in the sale we wanted to buy, then we split into different directions for a while. Trish decided it was time for her to go home, Imogen dashed to Marks and Spencers and Caroline went on ahead to Country Threads, where we would all meet up later. Sandra, Sharon and I went to Waterstone's to look at Jane Brocket's book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity, all being fans of her blog www.yarnstorm.blogs.com We loved the book, so three more copies sold!

We were so long in Country Threads, all tempted to buy yet more fabric, even though it was only Caroline and Sharon who had genuine purpose, that we missed the next bus home and went to while away the time with tea and cakes.

Caroline!

Happiness

2008-01-28T15:24:00.002Z

Tea after a fabric shopping spree

This is an extract from an article by Lesley Garner from the Telegraph a couple of weeks ago, which actually struck a chord with us all:-

Happiness is what we feel when we lose our self-consciousness and let down our barriers. Happiness is a side-effect of complete absorbtion in some activity which demands all our attention. It is more likely to find us when we are joined with a group of other people, losing our egos in a collective experience.

Secret Santa

2007-12-30T15:11:00.002Z

Sharon's fantastic cookie -decorated tree

Sandra likes this one!

When we meet in December it is near the end of the month and becomes a Christmas celebration. As well as bringing food and having a festive drink or two we enjoy our Secret Santa gifts. Not for us the tame drawing of lots for gifts, we have adapted our own rules, which are basically these:- There is a cash limit on each of the gifts, and they must anonymously be put in the basket. When the time comes, we are each issued with a number to show in which order we must choose a gift. Number one can do nothing more than choose a gift and open it, but from two onwards you choose a gift, open it and decide if you like it better than any other previously opened one. If you covet someone else's you just do a swap. This year we decided to bring two gifts each, which made for a much livlier occasion, as we have previously been a bit reluctant to steal things when people really seem to like them. Imogen swears that her gifts are always taken from her, I don't know why she should feel that, but she does always seem to choose nice ones from the basket.

Now Sharon's got it, it was the one that Imogen wanted

Thanksgiving Photos

2007-12-13T13:50:00.001Z

Red beads to represent cranberries on plant material from Imogen's garden.

Imogen did a little reading for each of us about the meaning of Thanksgiving, half were on corn shapes and half on fish. The turkey place names are from a Martha Stewart pattern. Find it at http://www.marthastewart.com/ along with a lot of other interesting ideas.

Sharon, under an American Flag!!

A well-used copy of a book I bought in the '80's, Martha Stewart 'Entertaining' provided the recipes for cornbread and a cranberry, orange and walnut relish. The turkey stuffing came from an adaptation of two recipes I found on her website, the first one was highly calorific and the second more modern version, far too sensibly low-cal for us. Principle ingredients are apples, chestnuts and prunes, loved by all of us

Giving Thanks

2007-12-01T07:48:00.000Z

How can I possibly thank all my friends enough?

For Thanksgiving, everyone got together and feasted!

Angela and Imogen did all the cooking and produced a real, traditional, American Thanksgiving FEAST!

There was turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, stuffing, cranberry jelly, cornbread, everything you can possibly imagine - even popcorn! The feast was amazing! We all know that Angela and Imogen are brilliant cooks, but they really outdid themselves this time! We ate and laughed and talked for hours while listening to The Glenn Miller Orchestra (which really put us all "In the Mood" - we danced a bit to that one!)

The decorations included adorable, handmade turkey place cards, a flag banner and matching napkins.

Imogen even created a reading for each guest about the original Thanksgiving on handmade cards in the shapes of fish and ears of corn!

I am thankful for many things, especially for knowing Angela, Imogen, Ann, Trish, Sandra, Jane, and Caroline.

Making a Recovery

2007-11-28T14:14:00.000Z

Here's Jane

about two weeks after her hip op, in a convalescent home. We had great plans for Jane to write her own amusing anecdotes but haven't got round to it yet. As she is now well enough to resume minding her grandchildren I thought I'd better post this picture.

One of the most memorable episodes for me was a phone call from Jane when she was in her convalescent home, fairly late in the evening, to say that she had run out of paracetamol, hadn't had any all day and there didn't seem to be any available on site. Could I get some and bring them in? As it was dark and windy when I turned up with them I felt like a veritable boot-legger, even more so next day when we found out that I should have checked them in!

Sponge Bob and Square Pants!

2007-11-27T13:29:00.001Z

Caroline's Post

The Wedding Quilt

.......

Started Planning and Sewing Blocks:- March 2007

Finished Wedding Quilt top:- 24th June 2007

Finished Quilt:- September 2007

..........

Note:- 9th July 2007 - I have been to the hospital to see the Consultant. He is operating on my Left Hand taking out a Bone also Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (too much sewing!). Believe it or not on Friday 13th. Asks me are you superstitious? Is the Pope Catholic? thinks me.

Will be in a cast for 4 weeks, then a plastic cast for a further 6 weeks.

With great determination I manage to finish machine quilting and quilt edges! forgot how difficult this can be, but the challenge was worth it.

First week of September I finished the Wedding Quilt, ready for the Big Day. September 15th 2007

.............

I started planning Daughter No. 1's Wedding Quilt while trying to finish machine quilting Nemo! She was brought up with Sunbonnet Sue and Calico Joe on most of my quilts. I have always been crazy for these characters and have numerous patterns and books. Looking through my books I found an idea for a wedding block. (Having got rid of my Art Deco Book, with the pattern in it, stupid!) I searched for a similar one. Good Luck came with "Sunbonnet Sue is Alive and Well", on the back of the book was just what I was looking for.

.......................

The problem I found the most hard was trying to buy fabric that I don't normally work with as I love Bright Fabric.

Having settled on 12 fat quarters I thought would be OK for her, I sneaked some bright yellow in!

............

The Bondaweb and cutting plus fusing on 8 oblongs and 16 small oblongs took me forever! Sewing with the DMC No 8 threads was the most satisfying thing I found (Relaxing Heaven).

Daughter No. 1 has decided she will on no account see any stage of the quilt being made. The Best bit that makes me laugh was when I finished the top of the Quilt and I was ironing the edges. She came through to my workroom backwards, asking for paper scissors shouting "I don't want to see it"

It reminded me of someone backing out of a room after an audience with the Queen!

..........

My mate Jane took to Midsomer Quilting for a trip to buy backing and maybe a few fat quarters if any money was left over. To my delight I searched and found some fabric for £3.00 a metre, with five and a half metres left on the roll it was plenty for backing. Oh! what a joy! That cost me £15.00 so after choosing some already delicious fat quarters, I went off to find some more.

A Quilter in a fabric shop is like a child in a sweetie shop.

Now I just need a sunny day for drying the backing fabric.

..........

Son-in-law has named the characters 'Sponge Bob and Square Pants' so that will go on the label when finished.

Machine Quilted in YLI. Variegated thread named 'The Red Hat Club', very apt for the Quilter being over 50.

.............

Emma & Ade Note ......... I hope you both enjoy the story and the Quilt. It has been a joy and Challenge to make and brought me hours of fun! Love Ma. September 2007

Midsummers Day 2007

2007-11-27T12:38:00.001Z

This is Caroline's Post.

We all met up for our annual garden Midsummer Madness get together. Last year it poured down with rain and we sat under the gazebo with umbrellas up. What a laugh that was!

Time came around for our get-together in the garden again. We could not believe our eyes! Raining again but harder this time so we moved inside for our Bun and Tea fight. You'd think we would have had better weather in June but no, someone up there is having a laugh!

What fun we had, stuffing our faces talking of men, eyes, hips, hands etc. Honest, we are like walking nightmares!

It came round to our Midsummer Madness parcel surprises - Santa's Secret really- Nobody wanted to swap. Sharon's was the best - A packet of Rich Tea Biscuits - How original for a group of Mad Quilters! Hoots all round. Everyone enjoyed themseves and we are looking forward to next year

Quilt Exhibition at Radstock Museum, Somerset

2007-10-13T16:51:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I went, with husband and a friend to the Midsomer Quilting Exhibition at the Industrial Museum in Radstock. There are 213 exhibits listed in the catalogue, we didn't expect such a large number. The lady on the welcome desk told us proudly that Quilts UK only had 15 more quilts on display.

Had I known that there was so much to see I would have made a visit with quilting friends, I might still do that because the exhibition continues to the end of November, as I don't feel I have paid each quilt the attention it deserves.

I have to say that there was no one particular quilt which blew me away, nothing which made me want to rush home and emulate it, but I left feeling that more people, probably all woman, are enjoying this form of creativity. There were a lot of people in the gallery, and what I love most about these exhibitions is the feeling of kinship one has to fellow visitors, you can talk to anyone and find common ground.

It was difficult to give distance to view some of the quilts, and even more tricky to get photos of whole quilts, so these three details are just to give some idea of what there was to see. I loved the vintage quilts in their faded splendour, the original inspiration for my love of quilting, there are lots of fun pieces, one reminded me of a Beryl Cook painting, another favourite was a beach hut scene. The one we all remarked upon was the hanging which stated "Well behaved women seldom make history"

Radstock Museum itself is well worth perusal, it is about the coal mining history of the area, with a mock-up underground mine and many details of the sites of coal mines in Somerset.

There is a nice little shop selling books about local history, and a small, but yesterday very well used, tea room.

"sewing day"

2007-10-01T16:56:00.003+01:00

Today we had another of our fab "sewing" days - not all of us actually sew - well I don't anyway! Ann and Sandra were missed and Jane phoned to wish us well and to let us know how she is getting on - I am happy to report that she sounded in good spirits and was looking forward to lunch and rest after physio.

I love having everyone at my house for my turn as much as I love going to the homes of the others -we eat, drink loads of coffee and laugh.

We've been working on baby quilts and now have 14 nearly ready to go! They are beautiful. Angela took some photos of them today and I'm sure they'll turn out well.

I'm trying very hard to sew every day. At the moment I love working with wool felt (after long Google sessions I have found an English web source) and primitive embroidery. Being an American, I adore Halloween and have made this little applique for myself - it's a freebie pattern from http://www.primitiveblessings.com/pages/mainpg.php, a prim website. The more I look at these prim sites, the more inspired I become and am even working on designs of my own!

Angela very kindly took a photo for me - thanks Angela. The little triangle shapes are meant to be "candy corn," something my children and I still crave after 15 years!!

Just for Jane

2007-09-17T20:02:00.001+01:00

This message is for Jane who is in hospital - with new hip!! Caroline arrived this morning by taxi-thought it was an all day sew-in!!! Here now are Angela, Sandra, Trish , Ann, and Imogen. Sharon to follow, Jonathan permitting! We all send love and will be thinking of you as we scoff coffee and walnut shortbread-recipe to follow soon!Over to Trish---

When we know where you'll be, we'll come to terrorise you, hopefully with Caroline with photos of the wedding. That's if she ever gets over today's abortive attempt.

Now it's Anne ...... We are on standby with the Marigolds!!! Glad you've had it done.

Sandra .... Lots of love, I'm good at shopping... forget the marigolds.

Angela .... We are off tomorrow, see you at the end of the week, love........

Imogen....Night night sleep tight or good morning from the CLOUDS/PRIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rhubarb Cake

2007-08-28T18:07:00.002+01:00

We grow rhubarb on our allotment.

Many years ago a Dutch quilting friend, Irene, gave me a recipe for a rhubarb cake, which she used to serve at her quilt meetings, having found it again a while ago I made it for the friends I have made here. Everyone liked it so much I thought I would share the recipe with you. I don't have a picture of the cake, so I have included a picture of rhubarb instead! Before we eat in future I will have to get out the camera.

What has never occurred to me before I set out to copy this recipe, is that it is in imperial weights. I'm sure you can adjust it to whichever method you are happy with, as it's the idea that counts.

Rhubarb Crumble Cake

14 oz trimmed rhubarb

7 oz butter

10 oz SR flour

3 oz pale muscovado sugar

4 oz caster sugar

11/2 oz chopped hazelnuts

1 orange

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the nutty crumble topping:- Sift 4 oz flour into a bowl - add 3 oz butter, rub in roughly, stir in muscovado and nuts, set aside.

Cake mixture:- Slice rhubarb into 1-inch chunks and finely grate the rind of orange over it.

Put remaining 4oz butter, softened but not runny, caster sugar, remaining flour, spice, eggs and two tablespoons of the orange juice into a bowl and beat together.

Spoon cake mixture into a greased and lined 8 - 9 inch loose bottomed or spring clip cake pan. Scatter over rhubarb and orange, then cover the fruit with the crumble mixture.

Bake at 180c, Gas mark 4 for about one and a quarter hours. Cool slowly - don't turn out until completely cold - try to wait until the next day before eating.

You can make this with frozen rhubarb.

Quilt Show Birmingham

2007-08-20T17:25:00.001+01:00

Finally, after waiting three long years, I made it to the quilt show in Bham. My sister Michelle, over from Boston, went with me. We looked at many mad and fantastic works - nice to see so many done by machine these days - in fact my sis thinks I should buy a long arm quilter! She's not really into quilts and sewing but was a very good sport about the whole thing - didn't grumble once in 6 hours! My love of all things primitive or with hearts on it made her decide that I must be Amish - my husband agrees and simply says "that explains it."

While there I got very close to Kaffe and Janet Bolton (actually telling her "I love your work" she smiled at me kindly).

I was very good and spent hardly a penny, we were there after all to see the quilts, AND I didn't even go near the book stalls!!!!

Before going on the train , we sat down for a coffee. Two women from Cornwall joined us. They are part of a group of 4 who meet at each others homes. They USED to belong to a formal group BUT....

Using up those fabrics

2007-07-18T12:08:00.002+01:00

Lingering after lunch

About a year or so ago we decided to make some small quilts for the childrens' hospice. We have been fairly prolific quilters in the past, and each have a large stash of fabric (show me a quilter who hasn't), so we though we'd use some of it up.

We decided on a bobbin/spool pattern, and to start with we each made as many little blocks as we found time for. When we had made enough to go together attractively one of us would take the blocks home, sew them together, back it and quilt it.

The first pieced quilt and more blocks finished

Then we thought, rather than just meeting up one evening a month, why don't we have a day when we meet together and just work on the little quilts, cutting, machining, sandwiching with wadding etc. in company. These day-time meetings have become great fun, we have made several quilts, made much conversation and generally enjoyed each others company. Until last year daytime meetings were not possible as many of us were still working, but now it is only Anne who is working full time, and as she works term times only we do see her on some of these days.

The hostess for the day makes soup and bread, it's quite a challenge to find a different and interesting soup for each occasion, none of us like lumpy soups. Last time we all met up I have to be honest and say that the weather was so good we sat in Imogen's garden and talked, not a needle was plied, we are full of good intentions for rainy days and winter ones too, but we are considering a picnic for our next day-time event, weather permitting!

Here is my recipe for :-

Spicy Squash and Carrot Soup

Medium-sized butternut squash and carrots equivalent to approx. three quarters of prepared weight of squash.

2 onions.

Ground cumin and small amount of hot chilli powder to taste - or fresh red chilli if you have it

Enough olive oil to lightly coat a shallow roasting tin

Chicken stock, (or cube and water), milk

Roast the vegetables at the top of a hot oven until browned and caramelised. (Carrots may not be cooked all the way through, but will finish cooking in the stock).

Scrape the browned vegetables into a large pan, stir in seasoning, try 2 teaspoonfuls cumin and one half teaspoon chilli powder to start with, you can add more later, swish out the roasting pan with boiling water to make sure you have all the juices and add to the pan with the vegetables. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables comfortably and cook until everything is soft enough to puree.

Dilute with stock and add milk to make it creamier, and to tone down an over spicy soup,check the seasoning, make sure it is not bland, you can heat extra spice in a little olive oil and add to the mixture. Heat to serve, adding salt if you have used home made chicken stock. This should make more than enough for eight.

When I started to make this soup I used Schwartz Moroccan Seasoning, now discontinued, which was a very easy option, but I did use about two dessertspoons for this quantity of soup. There may be other Moroccan style seasoning that would work, Caroline has given me a sachet she bought in Asda, but I have yet to try it in soup. Cumin and chilli works well though.

Caroline, our Quirky Quilter

2007-07-03T10:40:00.002+01:00

One Nemo Quilt wrapped around Daughter No. 2

Caroline is the only professional quilter is our group, mad as they come, here is her story of her quilt for Jess.

Thank goodness Nemo is finished!

What a story to tell!

Daughter number 2 asked me if she could have a Nemo Quilt for Christmas. No problem, says I, thinking I could knock up a Lap Quilt in no time. Was I wrong!

No, says Daughter no. 2, I would like to have one that wraps around me! Oh! and don't worry about the material, I will buy it off the Internet so you will not have to pay for it.

Planning ahead, how to use my pattern knowledge, thinks me, easy: - stars, squares, oblongs, no problem.

Material came, oh brother! all that rotary cutting, it took me two weeks before I could even start making the blocks. All blocks done and top pieced took me another 4 weeks, long gone past Christmas I may add.

Trying to iron the 'Darn Thing' with my Jack Russell puppy and my kitten Mr. Tibbs wrapping themselves in it and Moo Cow (puppy) sitting on the bottom of it thinking ' Oh, wot fun!' My temper was not too good...

Then came the sandwich:- Wadding and Backing (I love to pin on the ironing board).

1) Run out of safety pins. 2) Moo Cow sitting on the end of the quilt, dragging it off the ironing board. 3) Mr. Tibbs thinking it is a climbing frame!

FINISHED:- MAY 2007, One delighted customer, 1 Moo Cow in picture, One label on the back.

THANK GOODNESS NEMO IS FINISHED

Introducing Imogen

2007-06-13T15:45:00.002+01:00

This is me at Jane's 70th birthday party with the pavlova I made.

I am the badly behaved drunkard on the first photograph swigging back---a bottle of lavender liqueur with the lid firmly on! I am a retired primary school teacher and have discovered that my 'Lavender Licence' is wonderful i.e. doing what I like , when I like , how I like and with whom I like!! AND I like my quilting days more than I can say. We decided ,gathered round and sewing one evening, to sparkle up our get-togethers,so various hilarious suggestions followed. Our next get-together was round about my birthday so ,egged on by Sharon, I decided to give the evening a lavender theme. I made a victoria sponge and soaked it with lavender liqueur,topped with the last of my lavender from the garden, and served it with cream. Then I made shortbread and tipped the liqueur into the mixture. It actually tasted nice-subtley lavender. We watched Ladies in Lavender, did absolutely no sewing and laughed a lot!

My husband (banished to another room for the evening on the promise of some cake) took the photograph.

Since this evening we have had other wonderful outings/evenings with plenty of hilarity!!

Jane is 70

2007-06-03T15:38:00.003+01:00

Jane and Sandra

Jane was 70 on May 23rd, the first of us to reach
that milestone, so we decided to have a supper party, just the eight of us, with everyone doing something. We made up a menu and printed it with our Ladies in Lavender picture on the back, and a purple ribbon trim on the front.

You will guess that we are very fond of Jenny Joseph's poem 'When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn't go', but I had better say quickly that three of us are only in their early fifties.

Sharon made a very festive looking, and delicious punch with raspberry and pomegranate bucks fizz from M&S mixed equally with their matching juice, and lots of summer berries. It suited the evening perfectly.

The menu for the evening started with a vegetable terrine, followed by chicken tagine, with cous-cous (or rice for the cous-cous haters), delicious puddings, pavlova with beautiful fresh fruit and a lemon meringue pie. We all ate some of each I'm afraid, but we could not manage birthday cake as well, so Jane took it home to share with her family. There was a photo on top of the cake of some of us on a shopping spree... for fabric of course.

The First Stitch

2007-05-23T12:08:00.002+01:00

... Thus the day was spent in friendly gossip as they quilted and rolled and talked and laughed... Harriet Beecher Stowe

We are a group of eight friends who have been quilting, cooking, eating, gossiping, weeping and laughing together for over 15 years.

Some of us were founders of a formal quilting organisation but after a few years couldn't cope with the constraints i.e. lack of laughs as the group got bigger and bigger. So we rebelled, closed ranks and surreptitiously became 'sew-together', sharing the threads and patches of our lives as well as our fabrics.

We are starting this blog to share together our recipes, our quilt patterns and our lives.