A Picture for Sunday - Sad Engine

Having a long mournful stare at the old engine, this solemn little group of railway children were snapped by their granny, my sister in law Mary Ann, when she took them on an outing.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 136 - It's A Fascinator

This rather startling confection of feathers, flowers and pink glass stones may not at first sight have an awful lot to do with free motion quilting.  But it has.  We are off to a Very Important Wedding this weekend.

Here goes for Week 136..

The project that caught my eye in Week 135 was Olena's tulip quilt.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

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, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

A Picture for Sunday - Chaffinch

Easily the chirpiest little bird around at the time, this chaffinch was singing away at the top of a hazel tree and kept me entertained while I was busy digging the other day.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 135 - Lining the Jacket

The lining is in! 

I finished putting the lining together earlier this week, and today I stitched it into the jacket by hand.  It was one of those tasks that took at least five times as long to do than I thought it would.  All told, it has been an irritating and slippery business, and it's not a perfect job.  There again, it is thirty seven years since I last lined a jacket, so from that point of view I'm rather chuffed.

Now all I have left to do is the buttons and buttonholes.  I can't wait to have this project finished.  It's been a bit of a beast.

Here goes for Week 135..

The project that caught my eye in Week 134 was Margarita's Easter napkin.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

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, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

Thank You Duttons!

A perfect choice of button for the jacket I am making, spurring me on to get it finished, and I have Michelle at Duttons for Buttons to thank. 

I spent an age in a local shop last week trying to find the ideal button, but failed miserably.  Rather than trail around everywhere, and no doubt find the same story in each shop, I decided to ring Duttons.  That was last Wednesday.  On Saturday a fat envelope came through the door, containing eight different sample buttons for me to choose from.  This button came out on top.

Moral of the story:  If you need extra special buttons, want to choose from the best stock of buttons in the country and Yorkshire isn't particularly handy for you, get in touch with Duttons for Buttons.  I am delighted with the service they have given me.

Rejoice, He is Risen

Good Friday

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 134 - The Jacket is Taking Shape

Coming together at last...  The quilted jacket, which I sincerely hope doesn't end up looking like some sort of luxury anorak, only needs a few more things to be done; buttons and buttonholes, hems on the sleeves, and lining.  So still a few hours' work ahead of me, but I am definitely on the home stretch.

Here goes for Week 134..

The project that caught my eye in Week 133 was Mel's mini quilt with 3D cotton reels.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

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, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

A Picture for Sunday - Double Rainbow

One of the brightest rainbows I have ever seen.  I was just heading home after a long walk, suddenly realised this rainbow was behind me and ran across two fields to get a good view before it disappeared.  It was the fastest I have moved for months.

Free Motion Mavericks - Week 133 - Not Trousers

Very easily mistaken for a pair of fancy puttees...

My husband came home from work and saw what he thought was a pair of leggings on the table.  Earlier that day I had tried out the sleeve board for the first time. 

I no longer have seven quilted panels, but the component parts of a jacket.  This is the most terrifying project I have undertaken for a very long time, so frightening in fact that I daren't tell you any more about it until it is finished.  I will own up to the fact that I am fighting the fear that the whole thing could go wrong at any time.  Pathetic, really.  It's not hang gliding.

Here goes for Week 133..

The project that caught my eye in Week 132 was Lynette's beautiful quilt for her husband's retirement.  If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and have a closer look.

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, Macau, Russia, Ireland and Brazil have taken part.  The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.

A Picture for Sunday - A Green Evening

Days are getting longer, so I can enjoy evening walks with low sunshine lighting up the young crops and the blackthorn blossom in the hedges.

A Sleeve Board

A little while ago I was bewailing the fact that I didn't have a sleeve board, so my husband rummaged around in his shed for offcuts and made me this wonderful creation that clamps onto the ironing board.

I made it a cover using a piece cut from a worn out ironing board cover.  It is pulled taut with cord and held in place with drawing pins.

The finished effect is very entertaining, with a big splodgy strawberry and shades of green and pink that just happen to match the iron.

Next week I am hoping to try it out by ironing some sleeve seams.