Another applique BOM block finished!

We've had a visitor, so haven't been able to get any of the stash-reduction projects I have in mind started yet. It's been great to see our visitor, she's an old friend from college, and we don't see her very often. So, I'm not unhappy about missing out on a long bank holiday weekend of quilting.
I have managed some more hand applique though. I've finished the next block in the Japanese Garden block of the month quilt ( I must only be 7 months behind now! LOL!)
I am very happy with how these blocks are turning out, especially as I've not done 'proper' applique before! And I just love these Daiwabo fabrics. I think I might just have to succumb to some more of them ( once I've used up some stash - honest!) The colours are so subtle ( not like me at all!)
Now I just need to prepare the next block ready for hand stitching. Once the children go back to school in 10 days I'll be back to waiting in the car for them at the bus stop/train station etc, and then I'll get lots of hand sewing done.

Some stitching time at last!

The children have been on holiday with their grandmother for the last week ( they'll be back tomorrow - cant wait!)
I thought that this would provide an ideal opportunity for unlimited quilting - sadly I reckoned without work messing up this plan!
At last though, I have managed something constructive. I stitched this little top together using a stack of 2 inch charms. I know it's not very exciting, but sometimes the action of sewing something, however simple, can be very therapeutic. I now need to think of borders for it. I could use this for the 4 Seasons doll quilt swap, but I haven't decided yet.

I also managed to get the next one of my Japanese Garden blocks tacked down. I'll show it off when it's finished - tacking stitches and loose threads don't look that exciting just yet! LOL!

Back again!

Well, we are back from a lovely weekend at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. The quilts on show there were just fabulous.
I did come home all inspired to get creating, but sadly work has been getting in the way of quilting time this week, with long hours and stuff. Don't they know I need my stitching fix ( not to mention the large numbers of fat quarters that need to be used up!)
While I was at the festival, I took part in the Breakfast with Region 12 event. I was demonstrating something based upon a project I did with our Young Quilters. We took a square piece of white fabric and arranged fusible backed squares in red and green ( but without ironing it) Then the children used some rubber stamps I had to stamp Welsh motifs in the white bits. Once they were happy with their stamping, we ironed the coloured squares down, made a quilt sandwich and then they went to town with some fancy stitches on the machine. At the end we added 2 overlapping strips of fabric to the back. And voila, a Welsh cushion!
They were very happy to take home a completed project at the end of the day.



I was a bit nervous about this demonstrating lark, as I don't normally do these things to grown-ups, and I thought they may have high expectations of such an event. So, I took a stack of fabric squares for people to have a go themselves, and tried to think up some additional projects to show as well as the cushion. I came up with some coasters ( bit boring!) and then got to playing. This was the result....




I have used up all of that green fabric, so I will have to think about how I can extend this idea. But I really liked it the idea of using the stamps on the block pieces.
Any thoughts on this will be more than happily received!

Away for a short while.

I am so excited, the children have gone on holiday with Granny and we are off to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham for the weekend.
I will be doing a demonstration on Saturday morning, so I have been busy making some samples ( at the last minute as usual - but hey I work full time too!). The basis of the demo is a little cushion project that I did couple of months ago with the Young Quilters, the cushion had stamped Welsh motifs on it, so I thought I would do stamping on fabrics. Lets hope people like it, I normally do projects with children, so doing something for grown-ups is a bit daunting.

Other than that, I have my spending money ready for the vendors, and a 1Gb memory card in the camera, and a willing photographer in the form of DH.
So I will away for the next few days and come back all full of inspiration ready for a productive week of sewing!

Welsh Quilting

Living in Wales, I have come to appreciate the fabulous tradition of quilting that we have here. There is just something so wonderful about these intricate designs. I am avidly following this Welsh style stitch-along http://www.cassiana.typepad.com/ at the moment. This is done in the true Welsh fashion, filling in the spaces with designs that take the quilter's fancy. I've seen some fabulous quilts where the chosen designs don't quite fit in places, which adds to the charm.

I suppose that this is where I should confess that I have my very own unfinished Welsh quilt. I made the top in a class with Clare Claridge ( Making Welsh Quilts ) several years ago. It is still waiting to be quilted! I want to quilt it heavily in the Welsh fashion, which is why I have never got round to it. Hopefully Cassie's tutorial will inspire me to get my own masterpiece finished one day soon.
As soon as I get back onto the main computer ( where all the photos are) I'll post a photo - if I show it all of you, then I'll have to finish it wont I? LOL!

Not a good start!

Oh dear! Not a good start to blogging for me! Tut tut!

I had high hopes of yesterday, planned to achieve lots, but instead we took the children to see the latest Harry Potter film and the whole day just got away from me. Still, the film was good and family time is always a bonus, especially when we are all so busy.

I have managed to set a foot inside my sewing room this evening - just a small foot mind you, as it is such a mess in there! LOL!

So I thought that instead I would post my first 'proper' applique.




This is a block of the month program from Antique Angel. The blocks are a mixture of applique and pieced, and done in Japanese Daiwabo fabrics. The colours are so subtle and very unlike the ones I normally go for ( I do like brights, particularly pink!) And for my first attempt I was very pleased with this block. I have another all prepared and ready to go, so hopefully it wont be too long before I can post some progress on this one.


Thank you for the comments, it's lovely to know that there is someone out there listening to me.

Tommorow's Challenge

Well I've mulled it over, and have settled on my tasks for tommorow

1) I really really really need to tidy up my sewing room!!

2) Sort out the fabrics and design for the Four Seasons Doll Quilt Swap and get going on the top. A little quilt will be just the thing to get me started again!

3) I am off to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham next weekend and want to make some of the animal blocks for project Linus. I have some from my quilt group that I will be delivering, and really ought to contribute myself.

I think that's enough of a start for now.

A Fresh Start

I've decided to jump back into the world of blogging! I spend so much time reading other blogs that I feel the need to communicate my own quilting adventures to those quilters that feel like friends.
I'm still trying to set this up with links etc, but I figured that if I waited until it was perfect, it would never get done!
So, to business, about me....

I am Teresa, older than I feel, living in Wales with my family ( DH and 2 sprogs!). I've been quilting for about 8 years and have amassed quite a stash and a not small number of ufos. I really need to organise the list of those I intend to finish off and get going on them!
I love all sorts of quilts, traditional bed quilts, art quilts, wallhangings, atcs, postcards, you name it, I love them all!
I'm mainly a piecer, but am currently working on some 'real' applique too. I figured that if I dont practise, I will always be scared of it and will never manage those teeny, invisible stitches.

I will prioritise my 'to do' list soon, but for now, here is one of my recent quilts. This little one was 12 inches square and was made as a leaving present for a girl at work. The hst units were all of the offcuts from a larger project ( which is still waiting to be quilted, but that's another story!)