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...
30 June 2017
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
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.
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
and the Foxgloves
BUT most of the time you will find me in the middle of here
Deadheading my beloved Old English Roses
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)