While in Rome....

I didn't do as the Romans -  I saw no crafting there at all but I guess I was looking in all the wrong places!  So I just had to carry on by myself!




Here are some spools blocks which I hand stitched - sorry cannot remember which I had done before so this is all the ones from Rome and from my workshop....

Carolyn Forster had 81 in her quilt and I have now done 18 - only 63 to go then...? 




Not sure if I have enough of these fabrics to do that many anyway - some of the lighter aquas I only had one fat 1/8th!   The darker colours I have more of but would rather this had a brighter feel so I may be looking for more aqua solids - any suggestions?

My middle square fabric is Heather Moore - Cut Out & Keep - Avenues! 

This is such a different look for me - in the use of solids and the colour scheme - it is quite an adventure!   Think I will need to hold back on the dark mustard colour as it is quite dominant....but need more aqua remember!

Spools workshop - the outcome!

What a fun day I had at the Spools Workshop with Carolyn Forster and in the company of other lovely ladies!


Carolyn led us through the intricacies of set in seams as though they were nothing to worry about and I think I can say that for the most part they were not! 

Everyone was sewing on machine except for me - always the awkward one - but I prefer not to carry around a heavy machine unless I really have to!


I took Emily's lovely little needlecase with me and the charming Helen sitting next to me recognised it as she was in the Goodie Swap too!  How cool is that!
Her Flickr photostreams is heenjanei! and she has also joined in Susan's Christmas tablerunner swap! 


She doesn't have a Blog YET???? does she Helen?  But I would urge her to jump in and join in the fun!  If you can help her think of a good blog name I am sure that might help!  Say hi to her - she really is good fun and her fabric is lovely!




Also linked up with two lovely ladies who work or live in Horsham so we may meet up I hope at my house and really any nice lady in the area is welcome - just leave a comment so I can get back to you (include email or some other contact detail if you have no blog)!  We can meet and stitch and chat....  I may even tidy up a bit before you come....


Anyway here are some photos from the workshop - 


First of all of Carolyn's quilts....


This one was what to do if you don't fancy doing all 81 blocks - make big borders...of course

This one used a Jelly roll of William Morris prints by Barbara Brackman with all background fabric the same....

This one was truly scrappy - thirties, mixed with modern and whatever...but a beautiful quilt with lots of interest - I liked it best!  It was quilted by hand and with the lovely all over pattern Baptist/Amish Fan or elbow quilting or any other variant it is known by!  But gorgeous beyond a doubt!

And just in case you make too many blocks Carolyn likes to make a nice big pincushion!  It is almost a pincushion she does per quilt!

Carolyn also showed us other samples with small sections of a spools quilt (9 blocks in each) which she was outline quilting.  She will then piece each quilted section together with the quilt as you go method.  Great if you want to keep working on your quilt when you are out and about.

Now onto our blocks - these were made by Helen's mum - Jane, I'm thinking - do correct me if I'm wrong for her grandson....

These belonged to the lovely lady sitting on my right and I'm sorry I haven't written down your name - these are Tanya Wheelan fabrics for her daughter ...leave a comment please and let me edit in your name (so embarassing)

Helen's blocks - love those bold graphic prints

These are by Margarita who did brilliantly on her first patchwork course doing inset seams no less!

Next are
 Brenda's delightfully zesty blocks - that colour scheme would look great in my dining room - I did tell her but maybe she will come and see for herself!

And finally mine....all solids except for the print in the centre.  

 

I was trying to focus less on the spool shape itself and see what patterns would emerge....time will tell with a few more blocks.


Still got my visit to the Eternal Maker to come and all my goodies to reveal plus a visit to a vintage barn and one of the maddest but most delightful shopping experiences I have ever had....?

Spools workshop

I have booked into a spools workshop for today with Carolyn Forster at the Quilt Room in Dorking.  I have been on several of Carolyn's courses before and love her way of teaching - so relaxed, so helpful and fun but we do get on with our projects too!


Anyway I have practiced the spools block - I found a couple of ways of making them....with inset seams....

or avoiding them ...

Also you can have full spools - with a different coloured square in the middle (top photo) - or empty spools - which are the same colour as the ends.


We are making spools from jelly roll type cuts of fabric so the centre must be 2.5" or smaller!  


I have chosen some solids in aqua/turquoise/teal, grey/beige/snowy white with a hint of mustard.  Not sure how I came up with this colour scheme but thought I'd see what would come of it....and yesterday at the Eternal Maker I bought a FQ of printed fabric - don't even know the name - which will be the centre square of my spools block....or at least that is what I'm thinking at the moment!

My colour palette is far from my normal colours...maybe I have been looking at those colour schemes by Design Seeds too much of late...that Lynne has a lot to answer for!  Hehe! 




Oh I did buy more than just one FQ at the Eternal Maker and if you can just wait a bit I will show you...

Delft Dreams blocks completed!

Overjoyed I am as the Delft Dreams blocks are now completed and joined together!  The blocks are all hand sewn - well except for a few straight seams I did recently on the machine to speed up the process - and I put the top together by machine yesterday in a fairly random layout...

This is my only blue and white quilt - usually I go for more colour but the pattern carries it well as my hubby pointed out last night when I asked him what he thought - I'll make a quilt critic of him yet!  


This one has been on the go since October 2009 when I did a workshop with Margaret Hughes at the Quilt Room in Dorking.  Her original quilt was 36 blocks. 

I have only done 25 but I think that is enough for a small quilt.  I am thinking of  adding a 4-patch border to extend it a little!


What do you think - extend or finish at 51" square?

A miscellany of things...!

I got up to a few different things yesterday


Quilty type things first

Two little spool blocks using leftovers from recent quilts.

I made these as I am going to a spools workshop with Carolyn Forster in October and I just wanted to test them out.  I know it is a long way off yet but I saw her little blocks and just had to give it a try.  

The 'thread' is the binding from my orphan baskets table topper and is on the bias so my thread is wound diagonally!  I find it quite disconcerting as I keep reading the spool and background differently every time I look at these blocks - sometimes the spool is the tan colour and sometimes the peach - guess they are too similar in value.  One good reason for the experiment - must make sure there is more contrast in the quilt...

As promised from yesterday I made a necklace or two from my bead purchases

For any beaders I strung the beads on wire and there is no fastening I just pop it over my head.  There is a variety of beads in gold and coppery colours and I was thinking it would be great for autumn but I like it for now two - just need a bit more tan....

This one the beauty is all in the lovely stone pendant - sorry I have forgotten what it is I was so mesmerised by the markings.

Quite a busy day and I took my son to his guitar lesson - took my rose dream blocks with me but didn't stitch....I was reading the newish craft magazine Mollie Makes issue 3

Need to get down to some serious quilting - tell me what have you been putting off till later...apart from housework, not really interested in that!





Nicky