Oops, sorry about the break - as usual lots going on here...
Brighton Festival happens every May and it means there is lots to do. We took part in the children's parade which officially opens the festival. Mister J and I had a great time and stayed out in town after just the two of us which was a treat. The theme this year was board games, and when we met his friends and their mums on the train into town we looked like a hen night gone wrong in our outfits! Fortunately everywhere you looked in town people were dressed up. We have done some open houses already, and plan to do a few more next weekend. We went to two on the estates on the outskirts of town. I always like to support these ones as it is far easier to open your house up in a trendy area such as Hanover and Fiveways, than out in Bevendean and Moulescoomb. Some of the work we have seen is amazing. Friends who aren't from Brighton often find the idea of open houses a bit strange, but if they do them near you then try them out. Yes, I do have a nose at the houses and gardens, but who wouldn't - it is part of the fun! It also supports artists and craftspeople as they get to sell their work direct. Personally, I don't think I could open my house. It is far too messy, and the children would probably get a bit bored by the afternoon on the first day! Then of course there is the 32kg greyhound which likes to say hello to people whole heartedly...
We had rather a hicup at the beginning of the week as Bizzie broke her arm. We didn't see her do it, just a couple of bumps on the stairs and a wail, but she was fine after - we even had dinner. Even though she was still playing happily we felt there was something not right and kept getting her to catch things and squeeze things which was ok, but later on when she put weight on it she winced so that was it, straight up to a and e. The two of us spent a lovely night up there (rounded off by a very lonely walk back to a dark multi-story car park which we paid for the privilege of using - the nhs eh). Even at the hospital she was happy. The assessment nurse gave her some Calpol, but she was actually just crying as she wanted chocolate from the machine. After waiting for over 2 hours, I think everyone was getting fed up of her whining, so I found a doctor and asked if she could have chocolate. She was eating this snack using her broken arm when the nurse came to say it was broken! So she is so well (apart from a lovely cast all the way up her arm) and has refused all medicine, but we aren't . She has no fear, and whilst some things have been addressed such as not having bunk beds, other things I can't control so I have now turned into one of those mothers who follow their children everywhere around the playground! It has amazed me how she is not bothered by it. The same stairs she did it on were the ones which I fell down when I was pregnant with her and ended up having the bones in my leg pinned and plated, so I am worried things come in threes. I may get visitors to sign a disclaimer about using our steep Victorian stairs!
My round robin quilt has gone, and is hopefully there by now. Here is a photo - not the best one I could have taken, but I was in a rush to get it posted out. I trimmed the size down, but the white spotty fabric and I kept having rows about laying flat! The checkerboard border, and the plain green one where put on at the exact size, so with an iron it behaved! I was really happy with the block I received. Sometimes, it is a question of what to leave out, than what to put in, and I felt the strippy second border gave me the chance to do something busy. The green fabric it has been edged with is one of my hand dyes and fitted in perfectly with the green strip round the first block. The backing I sent is a fine dark blue check. I was rather shocked to open my sewing box and see the label peering back at me, so that will be on its way tomorrow! It could have been worse and I could have forgotten to put the block or backing in I suppose. I have heard there will be a bit of a delay getting my last round, but it is not a bad thing with how busy I have been.
here it is originally
I have also been sewing some samples for college - anyone for a bit of folded patchwork?
and made my very first quilted postcard. I actually started this a couple of months ago, but a couple of factors led me to actually get it finished. The first is that it is from a photo of the landscape near my brothers house and his birthday is coming up and I wanted to give it to him. The second is that I was inspired to make it from the book Landscape in Contemporary Quilts by Ineke Berlyn and I went to a talk she did last week. It was really interesting as she discussed her inspiration, and explained the design and craft process she goes through to make her quilts. It is the first talk I have been to where a quilter has pulled out a tray and demonstrated how they dye fabric. It was interesting as the two techniques I have used is the plastic bags, soda, salt and dye method, and the sodaing fabric and then painting on it method. What she does is (I think I remember) is soda's the fabric, and then puts it in a plastic bag with a small amount of water and the dye. It seems quite a clean method and i will definitely look this up and give it a try. When I got in I couldn't wait to pull the postcard out and finish it. I loved making it, and whilst not happy with the composition can't wait to make more of these. I always thought it was a mystery, but all you do is lay out the fabric and quilt it, then bondaweb it to pelmet vilene, cut it down to postcard size if it isn't already and satin stitch round it. Of course, if you are reading this you probably already know this as i think I am the last quilty person I know who has made one of these! Voila, here it is. Again, not the best of photos, but it had to be sent out...
Happy Sunday
Here are the Courtside Booties from Crochet Today.
This is my second attempt at them, and they are so much better this time. I am really pleased as I love the design, and they will make good baby pressies. I think even if the baby doesn't wear them, they still look cool say hanging from a drawer handle in the bedroom. Once figured out (these are definately an intermediate pattern, not easy as the magazine says) they are quite quick. These were for a baby shower at the weekend. I'm also going to put in an iou in for a baby quilt as I couldn't find any suitable fabric. The happy couple don't know if the baby is going to be a pink or blue one and are quite alternative so are loving the colour grey. Do you know, there is a real lack of grey fabrics out there? I wanted graphic prints, but there was hardly any grey at all in my nearest quilt shop. So the boots are grey, and I'll make a baby quilt later on in the summer. I had never been to a baby shower before, but one of the girls I work with is from the US so decided to organise one. It was fun - tea, cake and a natter. I have heard stories of very grand gifts being given at American baby showers, but the done thing here is the wait till the baby is born, so hopefully my present has covered both bases! My parents made me laugh. My Dad didn't understand what a baby shower was and thought it was wrong that I was leaving Bizzie at home, and my mum tried to explain to him "it was one of those things you see the celebs go to looking glamorous holding extravagant gifts".
I would also like to announce the arrival of...
Janome Decor DC3050. Do you name your sewing machine? My last one would have had a very child unfriendly name if I did. Going off topic for a mo Mister J and I were talking about naming the car the other day and all he could come up with was Herbie. Mmm, very original. So being a Breakfast at Tiffany's fan I think we will leave it as "car without a name" (just like her cat). Anyway, here it is. I am so chuffed as there was no way I could've bought one this summer as there are too many other things to pay out for, but my mum gave it to me out of a little amount of money she has just been left. My great aunt would have really approved of the gesture - she was even knitting earlier on this year at the age of 96, and Bizzie has baby Annabel wrapped up in one of those blankets.
I have said before on this blog that I am not geeky about sewing machines, but I found myself questioning things such as how many stitches I really need, what will it's main uses be, and whether I wanted a computerised one. The latter was the one that most troubled me. This machine I really liked,it's functions were exactly what I needed, but it had a digital screen which put me off. The owner of the shop told me it is just a circuit board, and not a computer, so I went with it. It fits my walking foot, and he swapped my quarter inch and darning foot over so I am very happy. In case you are interested, the funtions it has that I wanted are:
Variable Speed (the amount of times the dog or children have walked past and my foot has gone down and my old machine ran away with me
Up/Down needle function - this is so good for chain piecing and turning corners
A couple of button hole stitches - just watch me applique everything in my house now
High Presser Foot - for getting quilts through
Wide feed dogs
Free arm - I really want to start making more clothes and some of the made for quilting machines don't have this.
Now I know some of you probably have fancy Berninas, but this to me is like a dream. Also, just to add my political statement, please buy local. This machine is from a little shop in Portslade (to the West of Brighton). It is really old fashioned, but my first machine (a tiny Frister and Rossman) came from there about 20 years ago. I then bought my old Janome there about 4 years ago, and now this one. They service and repair machines, and really know their stuff. The owner spent over an hour showing me the features of different machines and let me try them out. I had a bit more to spend than the £289 it was, but he just explained the next machine up did a very basic alphabet and to question if that is worth another £40 to me. I could have bought the machine cheaper online, but money can''t buy this service!
Oh and by the way. I will always put the dust cover on it, and never shove it under the dining table when we have dinner...
x
I so love going "up north". As we do it quite often the children, my mum and I have the journey down to a fine art. The new St Pancras International station looks amazing. We usually do the tourist things - this time we visited Haworth, and took the children to Eureka - stuff we have done before but they make a good day out. I went to an exhibition at Bankfield Museum in Halifax. There is an exhibition by the Practical Study Group which was really interesting - if you are near and into textiles it is well worth popping into and it is on till June. I didn't take any photos as I wasn't sure if they were allowed. The museum is really interesting. It has permanent displays of samplers, clothing and textiles (including patchwork). The exhibition space mainly has craft exhibitions, particularly textiles.
On the Sunday night we stayed in Leeds. We went into the Corn Exchange hoping to have lunch and found it empty. It is a real shame as there were lots of little shops there including a really good bead shop. We found out it is going to be turned into a food hall, so at least it is still going to be open and used. The building is absolutely amazing - here are a couple of photos.
We ended up having lunch at Harvey Nichols as they have an outdoor cafe in one of the arcades. I love Harvey Nichols food hall, but was a bit disappointed by the lunch. It probably didn't help that Bizzie had a toddler turn as soon as we sat down so we ordered really quickly and ended up spending over £20 on a bagel and drink for each of the children which they barely touched! Their window displays are always worth looking at and I love this one. I don't really drink cocktails these days like I used to, but they still appeal to me in a kitsch way. I also still love cocktail umbrellas. It all started when I went to Spain on holiday as a child and would have a snowball. The glasses came all dressed up - umbreallas, sparkler and a cherry too! Don't start me on Pina Coladas out of a pineapple...nothing is too tasteless for me!
a close up of the skirt - I love the jewel like quality.
It is good to be back home, but we are all tired and tetchy today so taking it easy. I am pleased I am working tomorow, instead of today like I planned, as I would have been so tired. Instead we are about to do the supermarket together - won't that be fun!
If anyone knows Yorkshire well can they recommend and yarn or fabric shops? We go up there often and I am always disapointed that somewhere that has such as rich history of textiles has so few shops specialising in that area. They must be there, but I haven't found them yet...
Happy Tuesday x
Oh my, you know what it's like, you don't post for a week and then you have trouble deciding what to post about...so here is a bit of everything.
Easter was good. Some things were traditional, such as too much chocolate, and some things weren't, such as driving up to Essex on Easter Sunday through a snow blizzard! Mister J won the Easter competition at school which I am thrilled about as it has given him a little confidence boost.
I received my centre block for the round robin swap on Friday. It is from Luisa in Portugal and is delightful. I'll photograph it tomorrow and give it it's rightly deserved own post to mull over what border to put on it.
I'm having machine issues, so really need some sewing advice. On the whole I find the subject of sewing machines quite boring, you buy one, and you use it to sew. However, my attitude is changing as my machine is not being so obedient. I have been free machine stitching on fabric and paper for college, but am having terrible problems. I think my machine does not like it, but thought I'd blog about it here to see if anyone has any tips. I have a basic domestic Janome machine, which doesn't have feed dogs you drop, it has a plate to cover them. Every time I have tried sewing with it, the thread has looped at the back and in the sample below 2 needles broke. The plastic plate which covers the feed dogs has marks on it where the needle has hit it, and i use the darning foot. I love this technique, but am getting really frustrated with my machine. I was bought up on British sitcoms and my machine and I keep having a Basil Fawlty threatening his car moment! Whilst on the subject of machines I am having a further dilemma. It really needs a service (not linked to the free machine stitching as it has always disliked doing it), but it will be £45. Part of me thinks I should just part exchange it and try out a new machine. I would have a maximum of £200 to spend, but if any of you have a budget machine you can recommend, let me know. Likewise, any tips on free machine stitching would be much appreciated.
Here is the front of the piece I was sewing, along with a sample I gave up on this after realising I was flinching when sewing in case another needle broke!
The loopy back - horrid eh?
My second dilemma of the day are these crochet Converse boots. I followed the pattern, but feel the sole doesn't work. I think if I was to make them again I would slip stitch the sole to the upper. So what do you think readers, do these look great and I am being fussy, or does the sole look just a bit silly? They need their black laces in, but I didn't want to crochet them unless I am going to give them to the person I made them for.
Do these look like seventies platform Converse boots?
Something else I'm up to which I'm not going to blog too much about, is a project with Mister J's school. This week I did resist fabric dyeing with 90 reception age children. My hands are a bit stained, but none went on the children - phew! It is for a background to a wall hanging which the older children will applique on.
Lots to do this week. I have some free log cabin blocks to try hand sewing as part of my Gees Bend project. I am really looking forward to the hand sewing. I need to get my quilt project designed and ready to be approved, and try to finish my bag. I also would like to get my Round Robin done and sent out early. I have also acquired a couple of new books so will post some photos of those - the usual seventies applique I love. Selvedge is out and looks like a really good issue, and I have already scanned some photos from the new Crochet Today to blog in a minute, so there should be a bit more happening round here this week!
Hope you are all adjusting to the clocks changing. Since I have had children I much prefer losing an hour as it means I can say I got up at 7 o'clock, rather than 6, which sounds much more sociable!
Happy Sunday x
Things are a bit better round here today. Goodbyes have been said, and the children are being much more civil to each other. Has anyone else noticed that children seem to sense when you aren't 100% and modify their behaviour accordingly - and not for the better! My aunt who died was 90 when Jude was born, so she was a good age, but she is the last member of that "layer" of the family to go. We have lost all of them in recent years and it has made me feel very sad.
It feels strange Easter is here. It is so early, apparently it won't be this early for at least another 100 years. I'm going to go and buy some bits for our Easter egg hunt today, and flowers for relatives to try and get in the swing of things. Usually Easter falls in the middle of the a two week holiday from school, but it doesn't this year.
Here is the R2 D2 egg which I made with Mister J for school. He didn't want to take it in today as he said it was "rubbish", but I'm not one of these mums to do it for him so it looks perfect. (Does anyone else look at children's entries in school competitions and think there is no way that an infants school age child could be that talented) I think it looks great, and he has taken it in!
Also, I have worked out how to do granny hexagons from an old copy of Crochet Today (the very first issue in case you are interested) . I like to have a light crochet project on the go as an antidote to college work, and these fit the bill perfectly. The yarn I am using is pretty horrid - just cheapo acrylic, it doesn't even come in good colours, but by the time I mix the browns, beige's and blues it doesn't look that bad. I cannot justify making a Rowan yarn blanket as a "pick up at 9.30pm for an hour" project at the moment, so it will do. It is for Mister J as a drag around the house blanket, and for picnics so I am not too bothered. The yarn was actually bought a while ago to make a ripple stitch blanket, but it kept increasing at the ends so got cross and stuck my two attempts in a cupboard! I don't know what colour I am going to crochet round each one and join them together in - I'll decide that at a later stage when I have finished them - Christmas 2010 perhaps! Also, I have learnt the lesson before that I should stop after every 10 and weave the ends in, otherwise it is a long horrid job to do at the end.
Here is the blanket from the magazine - I love these colours
and here are two of my babies
I have been getting visitors from Laura Crochets. It is a new blog, really interesting and great to see a UK crochet blog - go and visit and say hi and support her yarn diet.
Have a good Thursday - it is the best one of the year as most people don't have work in the morning, so really it is like a Saturday night!
x
Wow, I have only just got over the weekend. We had a special birthday, so I made a Yarnstorm inspired cake. (you can just about check out the stems of the lovely spring daffodils in the pint glass behind the cake - I must get a new small vase!)
On Tuesday night we went to see our local football team play on a hospitality package with good food, wine and Brighton won.
It was a college weekend, although I felt rather hazy from the birthday meal. My main quilt project has been approved by my tutor, but two of my other projects aren't working out. On the course you have to make 5 items. A container, a home accessory, a fashion accessory, a wall hanging and a quilt. One has to be mainly applique, one block patchwork, one quilted and then you have free reign with the others. My bag hasn't worked out which is block patchwork, so I am going to make it into a cushion. This means that the quilted cushion I have designed is redundant so I am starting from scratch on another one. I have fathomed it out now, but I had such a headache on Sunday!
I was at college for Mothers Day, but we had a good dinner at my mums on Sunday evening. The children got me these tins for my pins and buttons from Cath Kidston. They are so cute.
There was lovely writing from Mister J in my card. He asked his dad to spell "beautiful" but he got the b round the wrong way so it said "Mummy, you are deautiful" - how very true! x
Phew, this one is in the post. It measures 38" by 48", so is a perfect size lap quilt. The quilting is so lazy, but I had to get this done quickly. I usually use one piece of fabric for the back, but didn't have enough for this so used the offcuts. I am so happy with how this looks, and will definately make the back more interesting in future. I do love this block, it looks so complicated, but us quilters know it isn't..!
We have had a really busy couple of days. Yesterday we went to an event celebrating the Chinese New Year at the Dome in Brighton. The day ended with a lantern procession and dragon dancers in the grounds of the Royal Pavilion. The palace was designed with an eastern theme, so it was the perfect place for the events to be held. Here is a photo of the building last night - the events were behind where I was standing when I took this.
Today we went up to London at Mister J's request to see the dinosaur bones at the Natural History Museum. Oh my, it was so busy. Thankfully Bizzie slept whilst we were being herded through the dinosaur exhibits along with half the population of London. He was impressed with what he saw
and I took some sneaky pics for quilting inspiration
We dived out from the mayhem of the Natural History Museum to the V and A next door. I love this museum, it gives me that Tiffany feeling. We had a fab lunch and then the kids did some of the free crafts in the Asia gallery. It was good as they had cushions scattered around so you could sit and craft for as long as you liked. I think my mum enjoyed the sit down (oh yes, I don't think I could have coped with the two of them on my own today)! I then got a quick look in the textiles gallery. It is a bit embarrassing as I knew the item I wanted to photograph in the textiles gallery as I know the exhibits so well. They can't have been changed for a very long time, and even have hand typed labels still. We then went into the shop where I showed a lot of restraint and travelled home via tube and train.
I hope the rest of half term isn't a let down after these two fun filled days!
x
I had a good afternoon out with my mum today at Creative Stitches at the Brighton Centre. The last time I went there my opinion of it was the same. There are some gems, but also some really awful stands. The gems were embroideries from the WI archive, and quilts from the Quilters Guild Stitch in Time exhibition. From the stands I loved the work of Sue Allan who makes dolls and embroideries. She was lovely to chat to and had used lot of Liberty fabrics so I was taken with her work immediately! My mum bought me a doll pattern from her stand, which rather cheekily I am planning to make for her for mothers day (she doesn't know this and she loved the dolls as they are filled with lavender). From other stands I bought buttons, paper, thread and some fabric, however the range is rather dissapointing considering the show calls itself Creative Stitches. When I went before three years ago I remember being rather dissapointed at the quality of some of the stands as there are far too many of the gimmicky demonstation type stands selling tat. They seem to be using forcefull marketing techniques and are nothing to do with stitches and it is very debatable how creative they are. I know the organisers can't please everyone (the card making and cross stitch isn't my cup of tea), but if they kept true to the name of the show it would be much better. Also the workshops and talks could be improved - grr there is so much more they could do with it. Still, it is very local to me, and worth going to see things such as the amazing knitted gingerbread house. The stall next to it was even selling knitted gingerbread men and sweets to raise money. I was so pleased I didn't have the children with me as it would have been very hard to stop them getting in it.
The tree growing next to the house (wonder if you could knit one out of plastic bags and have it in the garden..?)
Check out all these goodies on the roof
A bit blurry, but I love the detail on this box of matches.
Now, I am going on a wine search in the kitchen. I am quite pleased as I haven't fancied a glass since I was ill last week, so it shoes I am getting better!
Chin chin x
