30 June 2017

17 in 2017 June Progress

June proved to be exceptionally warm for England, it finally peaked last week at 34C we don't have air-con! a lot of time was spent reading in the shade by the river, trying to stay cool,  Jasper enjoyed lying on a wet towel being sprinkled with the watering can 😂


I did manage a little progress on Meridith's challenge, here is my original list
http://emilyscupboard.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/17-in-2017.html

I continued embroidering on my Mermaid


I have a basket sitting ready to take outside with my Down the Rabbit Hole appliqué


I am still slowly stitching down leaves...


24 June 2017

UK National Quilt Championships - Sandown Quilt Show

Yesterday my friend and I attended The UK National Quilt Championships at Sandown, organised by Grosvenor http://www.grosvenorshows.co.uk/view_show.php?ID=29

I was really happy to see that hand quilting is alive and well! The Championship Quilt was truly stunning, hand quilted with colonial knots and beads

'Pearl Princess' by Sandie Lush

There were lots of other wonderful quilts too...

A version of 'Stonefields' by Tansy Martin which won an award for hand appliqué

Some really fun Dogs quilts by Monika Wutzle of Brazil


And this one I adored - so much fun!

'Hot Dogs' by Moira Neal


and this one also by Moira "Latin for Quilter's' was hilarious, so much detail



There was an incredible display of the work of Gilli Theokritoff including these...



and my favourite of her's 'Klimt"

I think these quilts now go on tour around the country with Grosvenor, there are so many more worth seeing if you can. http://www.grosvenorshows.co.uk

15 June 2017

Found languishing in a box

While sorting through my various boxes of WIPs looking for a new project for embroidery class, I came across this old cross stitch. I remember working on it while living in the Far East, we left in 2004 so it's at least 13 years since I last stitched on it.


The design is 'Mermaid of the Pearls' this is the photo of the finished cross-stitch


as much as I love the colours and all the beading, I no longer have any interest in cross-stitch and knew I would not finish it. I took it to class and with the help of my embroidery teacher, I will finish it with freestyle embroidery stitches.  The original threads etc have been purloined for other projects in the meantime(!) so I have gone through my boxes of threads and come up with a slightly different colour palette


I plan to stitch the main part of the body/tail in laid work which is great for covering large areas quickly, the first step is to lay down the foundation colour, in long straight stitches



I will then lay pairs of contrasting holding stitches, and finally cross stitches to hold it all in place


I am not sure if the crosses are too dark, I will wait until I have finished the rest of the laid work before I decide. I have started filling in the right side of the tail in long and short, as I want the laidwork to overlap slightly.

It feels good to have a plan for this old WIP, I am excited to be working on it again.


02 June 2017

The Late Spring Garden

WARNING - PICTURE HEAVY!

I am definitely more of an Autumn/Winter Quilter, as soon as the weather warms up, every spare moment during the day will find me in the Garden

Rescuing - these gorgeous rain damaged Peonies & Irises


Lamenting - The last of the Granny's Bonnets (Aquilegia) for this year


Building & Creating - This year's project is a nature pond, fingers crossed the frogs will move in 😁


Marvelling at all the flowers that reappear every year without fail, like this Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)



 Watching all the bees on the Campanula


Smelling the Lavender


Harvesting the first of the Blackcurrants


Tay berries

and Gooseberries

Planting a new Hydrangea


while waiting for all the others to flower


Anticipating how beautiful this Philadelphus (Mock Orange) will be


When it is in full bloom like my neighbour's shrub


Enjoying these Clematis


Irises

Peonies


and the Foxgloves

BUT most of the time you will find me in the middle of here


Deadheading my beloved Old English Roses