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
