Florence's Attic

Festival of Quilts

Oh my, is that the date!

The summer holidays which started so well are descending into chaos!  I have two shadows following me everywhere so it is difficult to get the basics done, let alone sew or blog.

I did have a "mummy" day on Sunday though as I went to the Festival of Quilts.  Unfortunately my mum was a bit under the weather from a bug doing the rounds so my father rather gallantly offered to some with me - as long as he could drive.  Thankfully the weather wasn't that good so the roads were clear and we made it up there in good time.  My feelings about it are mixed.  I thought it would be bigger as everyone says you need more that a day there.  It is only now I realise you need more than a day to do a workshop and to have a really good look at all the quilts.  There are so many on display that I think you need to go away and have a think about what you have seen and then return and have another look.  I loved some of the work in the Quilt 2007 display, and the pictorial, small contemporary and wearable categories stick in my mind.

The trading area was great, and I have taken some piccies of my purchases, but they haven't come out that well.  They included fabric (of course) some trimmings, fabric and thread for dyeing, manutex and soda ash, and foam for making stamps.  My father also treated me to a subscription to Quilting Arts magazine which was on offer at the bargain price of £22. 

I did have a few gripes about the show though.  I thought the trading area could be much better.  Apart from Rowan and Oakshot there weren't any other fabric manufacturers such as Freshcut.  I am on the look out for the new Denyse Scmidt and Heather Ross prints and find it unbelievable you can't buy them in the UK.  I also entered the Student Category and wasn't really that impressed by it.  The brief is the produce "an A2 board with a working design and a sample".  I called to check that the sample had to be on the board and not separate and was told that everything needed to be within the A2.  When I looked at what was on display there was an A1 board and people who had done an A2 board and then their samples separately (as I thought it said on the brief before checking).  I think they could make it clearer what is expected of you as some people had done really detailed plans of their proposed work, and other people just a sample without any writing.  They should set a proper brief rather than just a sentence on the application form, like the RSA competitions I remember entering when at uni.  One last thing I felt was that the NEC didn't really have a lot of atmosphere.  I know the venue does make sense though as it is so much parking (at £8 a day!), but I personally like quirkier venues.

It was fun meeting up with a few people.  I had some friends from college there and also met up with Sarah who is reviewing the exhibition.  It was really good talking quilts with her.   

There are a few more write ups about the Festival of Quilts here, here and here.

I'm going to take a blog break for a week.  We are going on a trip and have a few important birthdays coming up so if I have any free time I shall be sitting down relaxing with a glass of vino!

Be back soon x 

Pay attention girl!

I have this habit of reading instuctions (well, glancing at them) and then making it up as I go along.  This applies to most things I do in life, which gives mixed results.  Here is a photo (hastily taken, but hey, it's the summer holidays) of the doll I am for making Bizzie.  I know, she looks scary doesn't she without her hair and arms, but take a closer look at her legs.  Instead of hand sewing them on like the book says, I thought it would be quicker and neater to machine sew them on to her front piece and then stuff and hand sew the back seams up.  This wasn't as straight forward as I thought it would be, and so I ended up sewing one of the legs on the wrong way round.  I will now unpick and sew it together like the book says.

Must do better next time! x

Kew Gardens Quilt Inspiration

Well, I would have been totally inspired, but it was a family day out so most of the time was spent at the fake beach and the climbers and creepers play area.  We did look at lots of plants though, and Mister J was especially interested in the huge leafy plants in the Palm House and the Henry Moore sculpture.  We were a bit disappointed there weren't more sculptures on show as they have a major exhibition starting in a months time, but the one they did have was great.  He did work on Henry Moore at school last term so the actually see and touch one was great.  Here are the photos I did manage to take to put in my insprations folder:

 

If you are in the South East I can so recommend Kew for a day out.  It is vast and there is so much to see.  If you are planning a civilised visit you can really immerse yourself in the lovely plants and gardens and if you have little ones with you the place is site is big enough to wear them out and let them make as much noise as they want!

Happy Monday x

Days out, talks and an old block

All has been quiet on the blog front as we have been outside enjoying the fantastic weather.  I am so enjoying the break and dreading the return of the school run!  I went out on a hen night last night so am a bit jaded today, I am just about to put my yoga bottoms on rather than my jeans so will probably get a raised eyebrow when I go downstairs (I get called Chantelle when I wear them - readers from the US probably won't know who I mean, but I'm sure the UK readers will).

On the sewing front things have been ticking along; making Bizzie's doll and writing for the zine.  I never realised quite how involved you have to get when you write patterns - my hat goes off to those who do this for magazines. 

On Friday night I went to a talk by the quilter Sally Holman.  I always partly dread going to talks of people I have not heard of, but it was great.  If you ever get the chance to go to one of her talks, then you must go.  She is a quilt teacher who also writes patterns for magazines and sells patterns and kits herself.  Her quilts have won quite a few prizes and she attends most of the quilt shows.  I loved they way she was so natural speaking to us, and she put lots of amusing anecdotes in her talk.  Before going I searched her on the internet and couldn't find a lot, only her book which has just come out.  She told us a lot about the book (but it was never pushed) and it looks like it would be perfect to go alongside the Lynne Edwards Sampler Quilt book if you are a new quilter.  It covers techniques, rather than blocks and has a lot in it.  I am not a great lover of highly embellished crazy patchwork quilts, so some of the work wasn't to my taste, but she was a really lovely person and her pictorial work is very interesting.  I use the internet for so much, it always amuses me when I struggle to find information on quilting and quilters in this country.  It has been good to have a reminder that not everyone uses the internet all the time - quilters included.

There has been no crochet on the blog for a while - this is because I haven't done any!  My Dad payed for my mum and I to do a one day course in crocheting next month as a present, so hopefully that will inspire me to start up again.  As soon as the weather turns I really fancy crocheting a spiral scarf in a light mohair yarn.

As I have no photos for you today, here is a picture of another block for the sampler quilt which is still to be finished (3 years later!).  This was a quickie block and I used shop bought papers to do it.  I don't think I will ever use manufactured papers again as they are quite thick to get your needle through - old photocopy paper and envelopes are much thinner, and more in the sprit of the people who used them for patchwork in the past!  I had very sore fingers by the end of this and thought I would justify the cost by using the papers again and again...

Happy Sunday x

The lengths quilters go to...

With just over a week to go, I have just booked my mum and I on a 15 hour day trip to go to the Festival of Quilts.  Everyone I talk to says it is amazing, and you need more than one day there, but a day trip is all I can manage, so that will have to do.  I feel a bit strange about leaving the babes from morning till night, but am looking forward to packing a cute handbag with my essentials only, and having a train journey I can relax on and read, sew, drink tea...I will make sure I have my comfy Converse on though!

Oooh, I can't wait!

Colourful Tea Party

I have been putting off posting as my camera has been without batteries for a few days so have no pictures to share.  I always feel a blog needs a few images to make it a bit more interesting, however I have a free moment to post so here is it with no eye candy!

I went to a Quilters Guild tea party yesterday.  It was a very pleasant afternoon with tea and cakes and a talk by Louise Mabbs.  Her work is interesting - very colorful.  She is doing a lot of work involving origami inspired patchwork and has recently written a book on this.  There was a particular wall hanging I loved from her book which is shown here.  The garden we were in overlooked Preston Park which was hosting the Pride celebrations.  I bet not many quilt parties have the police helicopter overhead (someone commented we looked probably like a lesbians tea party to them) and "It's raining men" blaring out (I promise I kid you not about the music).  As much as I moan about the way my hometown is becoming so corporate and money orientated, unique days like this make me so pleased to live as part of an accepting and diverse community.

The weather has been great this week for getting out and about.  We went and chose chickens with my Dad on Thursday for their new ark in their garden.  They are so funny to watch, I have not even been tempted by Big Brother this year, and watching the chickens is far more interesting than that.

On the sewing front I feel a list coming on.  I repaired two pairs of trousers my Dad gave me six weeks ago this morning.  They took all of 10 minutes, and whilst I was doing them my husband threw a pair of shorts at me which he had also been waiting for my attention.  Do clothes for repair in your houses go to the back of the line at the sewing machine too?  My work in progress is:

1. Quilt Top for City and Guilds piece based on the West Pier.  I still need to decide colours, then dye the fabrics.  Is dyeing fabric a task for the summer holidays with little people about?  I think not, but I must get it done by October.

2. Another shirred dress for Bizzie, and one for my niece.

3. Posh dress for Bizzie for a wedding we are going to in the autumn.  I have bought the pattern, and am just trying to get the courage to cut the georgette.

4. Toys for the kids for our trip away from Toys to Sew.  I have enlarged some of the pattern pieces and now just need to have a trawl through my fabric.

5. Cushions for living room

So as you can see I have just a few things lined up, so any more clothes needing repair will be pushed to the back of the line for the foreseeable future!

The zine is coming along well.  Designing the cover is next on my list.  I want it to look diy so am going for something quite minimalist.  On the front of each issue will be a square of fabric, with a piece written inside about the range it is from.  It will be held on my a piece of double sided tape, so if readers need it for a bit of applique they can just swipe it off!

Happy Sunday x