Happy Christmas

A Picture for Sunday - The Severn

When reality imitates art...

My husband went on a boat trip on the River Severn earlier this year, and at one point had the feeling that he was in one of my stitched landscapes.  Being a true sport, he took some photos for me.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 74 - A Tale of Two Teapots

 

Somewhere in this picture there is a big blue teapot.

And in this one a little green one.

Yes, I know, it sounds like a quiz for three-year olds, but working out the size and shape of a cosy that will fit snugly over a large teapot yet not totally swamp a small one was definitely a task for grown-ups.   I am still in pursuit of tea cosy perfection, so there will be more.



 

This jolly print is way out of my usual colour range.  To me it screams kitchens rather than bedrooms, but until last week I had nothing that went with it.

 

 

Then I found an ideal match in the oddments bin when I was having a rummage in the quilt shop.  By adding the bold spotty material, I have worked out that I have enough to make six tea cosies.  I am hoping that by the time I reach number six I will no longer be agonising over the dimensions.  The colours will certainly cheer up the miserable damp grey days we have been having.

 

Here goes for week 74...

This is the last linky before the Christmas and New Year holidays.  The next linky will be on 7th January.

The project in Week 73 that really caught my eye was Julie's bright scrappy quilt, a great blast of colour incorporating scraps, stash fabrics and even a recycled dress. Definitely my cup of tea.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more photos.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.

So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France and Macau have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Linking up to Kelly's blog My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday
and Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday
and Amanda Jean's blog Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.

 

 

 

12 x 12 Exhibition At Midsomer Quilting

 

Realism in thread... the eyes are astonishing!  And slightly terrifying. 

 

This tiger is by Sue Harris, and is one of the 12 x 12 inch quilts on show at the exhibition at Midsomer Quilting.  The theme was poetry, verse or rhyme, and Sue chose The Tyger by William Blake.  "Tyger, tyger, burning bright..." is all I could remember.  I know a lot of first lines, and school was a long time ago.  However, having just read the poem, I had to take my hat off to Sue when I read "What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"  Well, he is symmetrical, and Sue has framed him within 12 inches.

 

 

Equally enthralling is De Pickford's quilt illustrating Mending Wall by Robert Frost.  The delicate colours of the silver birches against the blue-grey background, the contrast with the stones of the wall, and the gently falling snowflakes all combine to create a still, calm and timeless scene.

 

The exhibition is on until 21st December, and Angela Knapp's amazing quilts are also still on show.  If you have the chance to visit, you still have a few days left.  I am hoping to make another trip there this week so I can place a bid on one of the quilts that are in the auction.  The trouble is, I still can't decide which one.



A Picture for Sunday - Past and Present

Unusual clash of perspectives at Sao Bento Railway Station in Porto.

Going To A New Home

One of my friends mentioned a while ago that her sister was looking for a sewing machine.  Her sister is teaching children to sew, and she has a particular little girl in mind who she wants to start off with a hand machine.

Meanwhile, this Singer 99K was sitting at home waiting for me to clean it up.  My husband brought it home from work, where it had been given to him.  It was one of those machines that had belonged to an aunt and hadn't been used for years.

The serial number dates the machine to 1918.

During the First World War Singer machines made in Scotland had "Made in Great Britain" stamped on them - in this case, on the underneath.

First I had to repair the thread guide on the face plate, then I had to free up the action. Despite these setbacks, cleaning up the machine was fairly straightforward.  Unfortunately the plywood on the bottom of the base had split, so my husband replaced it.  It looked as though at some point it had been standing in water, and the cover was missing, probably wrecked at the same time.  However, there was no trace of rust or water damage to the actual machine, and it is now cleaned up and ready for use. 

Now I am looking forward to hearing how the little girl takes to using this lovely old machine.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 73 - Tea Time

Every finish calls for a quick celebration of some sort - in this case a mug of tea.  The large mug has tea in it, and the tea pot is under the cosy.  At the moment I am having a bit of a sort out in the sewing room, and have finally got round to making cosies from a panel that I quilted with a hawthorn design a couple of years ago.  The panel was large enough to make two cosies.  As soon as I have put on the binding around the bottom of the second one, this one will have a twin. 

Here goes for week 73...

The project in Week 72 that really caught my eye was Karen's intense quilting on  a top made in patterned fabrics by her friend.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more photos.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.

So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France and Macau have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Linking up with Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday
and Amanda Jean's blog Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.
 

A Picture for Sunday - Port

Fantasising already about my next visit to Porto.  Port will taste so much better this Christmas.

Welcome to Ronsondalby, the latest follower - thank you for joining!

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 72 - Stamp Collection Cradle Quilt

If ever a fabric has made me laugh, it is the one in the centre of this little quilt. 

The montage of old stamps, on a background the colour of manila envelopes, took me back a few years.  Some of the images are a bit smudgy, but I could make out stamps from Britain (Scotland in particular), Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Indonesia...

... USA - very 1970s, anyone remember it?...

... and this very familiar looking one from Spain.  I started squinting at the postmark and spotted a distinctly un-Spanish place name ending in "ton".

Then I realised the same post mark crops up on other stamps, reading ....ton Mearns 10.30 AM 30 DEC.  This didn't ring any bells, but an internet search gave me the answer.  Newton Mearns, on the outskirts of Glasgow.  Since then I have been imagining bizarre conversations.

"I would like to order a General Franco cot quilt, please."

"Yes, certainly Madam.  With or without the Scottish postmark?"

"Oh, with, definitely."

There again, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that there should exist somewhere a Franco stamp franked in Scotland.  A card from Spain might have been delivered to the wrong address, and the householder just bunged it in the nearest post box, so it got a new postmark. 

I want that stamp. 

Meanwhile, on the back there is a great game of spot the animals for children.  Rabbits and foxes looking unnaturally relaxed together, owls perched on toadstools, deer and hedgehogs.

Here goes for week 72...

The project in Week 71 that really caught my eye was Sue Daurio's quilt for her great-nephew.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more photos.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.

So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France and Macau have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Linking up with Amanda Jean's blog Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday
and Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday
and Michelle's Romantic Tangle for Let's Make Baby Quilts.

Freeing Up The Action On A Singer 99K

Looking at these first test stitches made by a 1918 Singer 99K, you would not be able to tell that two days previously I was hardly able to turn the wheel.  This is the machine which has the improvised repair, the thread guide made from a safety pin.

The next big problem was that the mechanism was well and truly gummed up; in fact, so stiff that I was nervous of turning the handle too much in case I suddenly discovered a bit of hidden metal fatigue.  The last thing I wanted was a snapped handle, so much of the time I was turning the wheel by hand.

First I cleared all the accumulated fluff from underneath the bobbin plate and needle plate and from behind the face plate.  Next I cleaned up the stop motion screw and checked that the wheel was able to move freely.  Then I gave the machine a very liberal oiling, and found that the movement was still very stiff, even after leaving the machine for hours to give the oil time to penetrate.

After a few turns the machine would start labouring.  Somewhere there was a gummed up joint, but it wasn't obvious where just by looking.  I could hear it creaking, and decided that the sound was coming from the bobbin mechanism underneath the machine.

One or more of these joints was objecting.  The answer was paraffin, which I have used before to unstick stubborn parts.  I wrapped a piece of old cotton rag around the entire bobbin mechanism, tied it with string, and soaked it with paraffin.  Then I left it in place overnight, and this is how it looked the next morning - clean and very dry.  The paraffin had removed all the fresh oil and all the old oil residue that was causing the problem.  Once I had re-oiled underneath the machine, it turned freely.

Now that I was able to turn the handle, it was obvious that the handcrank needed more oil than I had already given it.  Essentially, the handcrank is made up of two cogs, which both need oiling.

The lower cog is oiled next to the large central screw, just behind the handle.  The cocktail stick shows the oil hole.  Note mug of tea lurking in the background.  It helps.

The upper cog is oiled at the top of the arm that connects the handcrank with the wheel.

The machine was then left overnight, and next morning all I needed to do was wipe off the excess oil, especially from behind the handle, where it oozes out, bringing out black muck that has been hiding there for years.  If you are too enthusiastic, and turn the handle before dabbing off around it, you can end up getting splattered.

And finally I had the thrill of getting this machine sewing for the first time in decades.  Beautiful stitches, every bit as good as I had hoped. 

Linking up with Connie's blog Freemotion by the River for Linky Tuesday

A Picture for Sunday - Wild Pansy

Red in the picture is provided by a tiny photobomber.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 71 - Pink and Blue

Union Jacks again, this time with blue as well as pink.

There are even daisies on blue to go with the daisies on pink.

And the pink binding has just the right shade of blue to go with the border.

Yes I know, life is getting repetitive around here.  Yet another cradle quilt much like the last one.  Life has been busy, and rather than get nothing done I am happier getting a little quilt finished, even if I am working to a formula and using nil imagination.  It's the wrong time of year for that.  It's well and truly dark by 5 o'clock, for goodness sake.  Why aren't I hibernating?

So, if you are tempted to throw together a quick project for a baby, here are the measurements for the top: a 9 inch square in the centre, framed by three strips of 2 and a half inches, with a 4 inch border to finish.  Sandwich, quilt, bind.  Job done.  Told you it was quick.
   

Here goes for week 71...

The project in Week 70 that really caught my eye was Katy's pieced top quilted with swirls, which she decided on after doing three wonderful FMQ practice pieces.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more photos.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.

So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France and Macau have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Linking up to Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday
and Michelle's Romantic Tangle for Let's Make Baby Quilts
and Amanda Jean's blog Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.

A Picture for Sunday - St. Elizabeth

One of the windows in a church near here, this one depicting St. Elizabeth of Hungary holding a basket of roses - just a few feet away is St. Patrick.

Flights of Fancy - Exhibition at Midsomer Quilting

Last week I visited Flights of Fancy, the exhibition of Angela Knapp's work at Midsomer Quilting, and was totally bowled over by her work.  She has combined her fascination with birds, her artistry, and her skills with needle and thread to produce a beautiful collection of pictures.  As depictions of birds they are incredibly accurate - I identified this peregrine falcon straight away.

This one foxed me, though, because I was thinking of British birds and I was thrown by the scale.  It is a humming bird, with subtle shades of blue, turquoise and rusty reds and browns.

Next to the visitors' book Angela had left her scrap book open, so as well as enjoying all the pictures, visitors could read facts about the birds and see how she had prepared each piece.  Also, Angela was on hand, working on her exhibit for the forthcoming 12 x 12 exhibition, so she showed me how she achieves such amazingly realistic effects. 

It was an absolute delight meeting Angela and seeing her work.  If you want to find out more about the exhibition, and read about her techniques, visit her blog at The Cary Made.  Or, better still, if you are able, visit the exhibition!

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 70 - Union Jacks and Pink

It was time for a hefty dose of pink this week, after having made so many quilts for baby boys in recent months.  This cradle quilt measures just a fraction less than 27 inches square, and was very quick to make.  The top was pieced on Monday, the quilting done on Tuesday, and the binding put on on Wednesday.

After banning myself from using anything pink or with flowers in the boy quilts, I was all of a quiver when I was working with these daisies.

The Union Jack fabric in the centre isn't short of pink, either.

I decided that hearts had to be a theme...

...so there is a line of hearts running along the binding.

Meanwhile, on the back, there are rabbits with pink ears and pink ribbons.  How girly can you get?

Here goes for week 70...

The project in Week 69 that really caught my eye was Cynthia's bold red and grey quilt, made using scraps.  She used a wiggly swirl for the FMQ pattern - I must try it some time!   If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more photos.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.

So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France and Macau have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Linking up with Kelly's blog My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday
and Michelle's Romantic Tangle for Let's Make Baby Quilts
and Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday
and Amanda Jean's blog Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.

A Picture for Sunday - Holywell

A quiet day at St Winefride's Well In Holywell, North Wales.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 69 - Cushion Cover

Have you ever had the feeling that you have inadvertently made a fancy truss?  Or a bodice for the woman with the cylindrical figure? 

This is the quilted panel that I started last week, cut to size, bound at one end and with a buttonhole band stitched to the other.  It was a great excuse to play with one of my favourite gadgets, the buttonholer.

And here it is transformed into a cushion cover.  I used up fat quarters that I originally intended to use for bindings, but the fabric was a touch thick and frayed too readily.  Brown isn't a colour that looks particularly marvellous in our house, but I know someone who loves brown, and it will be just right for her settee.

There was no real plan for the arrangement of the bands of colour or the free motion quilting.  I decided to see how it looked once quilted, and then I settled on how to fold it.  In the end I went for a symmetrical look on the front... 

... and all the pale grey-brown went to the back.  The pieced buttonhole band was made from an offcut from the main pieced panel, and the three dark brown buttons I found lurking in an old button tin in a charity shop.  I think I prefer the back to the front.

Here goes for week 69...

The project in Week 68 that really caught my eye was LeeAnna's demonstration piece, a free motion quilted sketch made with paint sticks. So colourful!  (Especially after working with brown.)  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more photos.

If you love free motion quilting, whether you are a beginner just taking the plunge, or you have reached the stage where you can do ostrich feathers with your eyes shut and still achieve perfect symmetry, then please link up.

Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.

Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-

1.  Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.

2.  Link back to this post in your own post and/or grab the linky button for your blog's sidebar.
  
3.  Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.

4.  The link up will remain open for four days, from midnight to midnight GMT for the long weekend, Friday to Monday.

So far quilters from the USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, France and Macau have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Linking up with Kelly's blog My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday
and Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday
and Amanda Jean's blog Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.