UFO fighters unite!

To my great joy and delight I have found some intrepid help is at hand for all UFO fighters.  


Staci The confused quilter has been leading a Flickr group called Ufo Domination 2011.  They pick a project every month to work on and set a goal for that project.  Then there is a Finish line where everyone cheers and pats you on the back when you succeed in achieving it!  


Not sure yet what happens if you don't but I have asked the question!!


I have signed up this month with the Friendship's Garden Quilt - I may have mentioned it before...?

 Can I get the top finished by the end of the month?  Not if I keep getting distracted by new projects....you quite rightly say!   But here is my material for the borders and the applique pieces I have already cut out...in 2005! 

And here is gorgeous Saffy giving it the once over - not because she is that interested in applique but because it in on her bed!

A bit of domination is all that's required now why didn't I think of that before? Emma Peel would have been able to help...

She quite liked a fight and definitely a skin tight cat suit!

No I am not...wearing that!  But if you want to gain control over UFOs you can still join in though you may want to wait till September like a normal sane person?!  

But I am greedy I still need your help too as all your comments have certainly got me this far - three down!   I am amazed by and grateful for all your support and encouragement.  Bouquets all round....

Last visit to the Festival of Quilts 2011!

Have a comfy seat and enjoy the view of the other photos I took....

Being a sometime gardener I couldn't pass this one by.  One of my favourite times in Spring is when I see fern fronds uncurling and this was so effectively recreated using velvet I think....

Now that is some serious applique!  Loved it!

I am sure I have seen this rhino before somewhere...ah yes....

The original was engraved in 1515 by  Albrecht Duerer without the benefit of having seen one!  But a great rendition in fabric!

This quilt is called Homage to Henri - I assume Henri Matisse looking at those cut out shapes.  Lively quilt in colour and shapes!

Now a totally different feel with a Bauhaus tribute.  Very calm, very graphic.

Another blue and white quilt with a dash of daring red - the colours of the flag of the Netherlands and this slice of a windmill.  Drama and detail sketched in by quilting in black. 

Next were some stunning Japanese quilts by Yokisho Katagiri - I loved them all.  Such detail, such use of colour, space and asymmetry

The Japanese do seem to derive great inspiration from the natural world.  The photos are not great - my apologies - I did not seem to manage a head on shot but lots of people wanted to look in awe and wonder at these beauties.  The quilts themselves were absolutely fantastic you will have to believe me and as far as I could tell made from silk....

Hope you liked my sample of the Festival of Quilts 2011! 

My new pincushion!

Haven't done much sewing of late so just to get me back to it I decided to make a little pincushion of star quality designed by the lovely Kimber of Heirlooms by Ashton House.


She designed it and it is on at Moda Bakeshop - her first project!  What a simple to follow tutorial and I made mine in next to no time so a great idea for presents!  


I was thinking they would also make great Christmas decorations in satins or velvets!


So here it is - my version of the Simple Star Pincushion

Had neither pompom trim nor a self covered button so I used vintage buttons instead - another thing I collect....!


So what are you waiting for....go make star pincushions and show Kimber she wants to see them!




Nicky

Festival of Quilts - the quilts!

You have had FoQ the people and the shopping now it is time to drool at some of the gorgeous quilts.




This is not an exhaustive round of quilts just some that caught my eye...

These blocks were so small and so perfect - and the closer you looked the more you saw!

Susan and I were amazed by those HSTs!  She suggested in jest I hope that it should be my next project.... she knows how much I love HSTs (not).

This quilt had a fantastic 3D effect!  Felt like I could climb those boxes and the quilting echoed the boxes right across the quilt - very effective!

This quilt had a name but no maker...loved those chalky colours - it says beach and summer picnics to me!

Another quilt with a name but no maker - Rest Soup with tighten stripes!  Great name for a great quilt.  Loved that orange cross and again such detailed work

Sorry do not have the details on this one but love that Art Deco feel - I can see Clarice Cliff all over this one!  But just look at those fussy cut hexies - something to inspire us on the hexalong!

I felt sadness from this quilt but maybe it is actually seerenity!  The shading is  astounding - like a photograph!  But just look closely to see how it was done...

Tiny mini mini hexagons....

Well that's my first selection of quilts - but I took more photos than I thought!  Who'd have thought Susan and I could have sorted out the world, shopped and looked at so many quilts ?

I'll post the rest soon if not tomorrow!

Nicky

Post for Lynne!

Here is a post specially for Lynne!


Poor girl stuck by a pool in Portugal with slow connections...I could almost feel sorry for her!


She challenged anyone going to the Festival of Quilts to send her photos of her friends

The lovely Mandy from Simply Solids and DH!

Mr Aurofil wasn't there when we visited but his friend stood in for him!

Katy from I'm a Ginger Monkey and Fat Quarterly

Anne and DH from Quilt Essentials Lynne's LQS

They are all lovely people and certainly Mandy is great to order fabric from!  

Loved meeting them all!

Thanks Lynne for the challenge!

A gift for Canadian Abroad and the FoQ!

I made a little present for Susan as we were both going to the Festival of Quilts on the same day.  A souvenir if you like!


What do I know about Susan well she is a Canadian Abroad, she likes bright colours when tempered by white or grey and she likes cotton perle quilting.


So this very kitschy item is what I came up with....hope it makes her laugh!

It even has a bit of tartan to represent my Scottish roots!

And here is the face behind Canadian Abroad (and me)

and the personality behind the face is all that she seems to be on her blog and more - so friendly, so enthusiastic and so happy to be getting the Baby Go!   I felt I'd known her for years...

 I had such a great but exhausting day at the FoQ and am going to take it easy today - feet up, cup of tea and gloat over my buys....

First up the hexagon book from Marti Michell - she was there with husband Richard! - plus a small hexagon set of templates which will give me inspiration I hope for my hexie projects.  Also the sashing stars set so you can expect more exciting sashing from now on...

Some of the much blogged about Aurofil thread - variegated 40weight for some  hand quilting - thought I'd give it a try!

Some lovely fabric for my hexie quilt - the latest one!  Mainly bought from Doughty's and Quilt Essentials - must look those up on-line!

Yellows for my plaid string sashing - ok might have got that wrong a bit but what doesn't fit here will go in the hexie quilt I'm sure!

And I tested out the really lovely Mandy from Simply Solids on her knowledge of her products and she passed A*!  Here are Azure, Bubblegum, Bright Pink, Pomegranate and Tomato.  More little houses in the making - see the pink Shirley??? 

Some fabrics for baby quilts....! No not for me but for friends....!  The cars are from father/daughter team Il etait une fois..! who do digital printing of fabric similar to Spoonflower and will also print up your own designs!

This one from Chichester based The Eternal Maker was totally off-plan but hey one day I may get lost in Paris and how useful will this fabric be then???

How did I stay so focused? (believe me this is good for me!) Because of this little card reminding me what I needed not what I wanted .....all my fabrics from my projects stapled on so I could match them up!   It was useful - I will do this again...

So back to feet up, cup of tea and two important jobs - editing the other photos from the show!  You'll get to see them ...worry ye not! And some serious stroking of fabric, looking at the fabric, loving the fabric....maybe even some sewing!