Today I feel as though I have spent a long time doing not very much. Adding machine stitched detail to appliqué leaves should be a quick job. The problem was the tension with the machine I was using, the Singer 128K. No matter what I did, the bobbin tension was loose. In the end I decided to try another shuttle, so I hauled one of my other Singers off its shelf and swapped shuttles. Problem solved.
The first lot of stitching I did on this leaf had the bobbin thread showing in places, so I unpicked it and did it again once I had changed the shuttle. I am so glad I did.
Linking up today with Esther's blog for WOW-WIPs on Wednesday.
Last month I visited the Kaffe Fassett Exhibition at the American Museum. The profusion of colour was ever so slightly overwhelming, and it seemed rather pointless taking pictures of his beautiful work because I have better pictures in books.
This vase caught my eye, though. It was in one of the display cases to illustrate how inspiration can be drawn from ceramics. I had never seen a vase decorated with tomatoes before.
Neither had I seen a cauliflower teapot. Too barmy for words.
Now that the whole world has turned grey here, this photo I took in Spain in September is an absolute tonic.
... with a rather unpleasant virus, I finally got back to work today on the latest 12 x 12 picture, which is a seascape. The sea was fairly straightforward, grading the shades of blue and sea-green. The chalk cliffs turned out well, too.
Then I did some wild dark threatening clouds. Great idea, but at the moment it just looks like a load of messy scribble and I am resigned to the possibility that I might have wrecked a fairly decent project.
Oh well. Perhaps it might look better in the daylight tomorrow morning.
Frankly I am more pleased about weaning myself off invalid food than my picture at the moment. You never know, I might even get dressed properly tomorrow and wear real clothes instead of ragbag pyjamas and a dressing gown.
Meanwhile, I hope you have all had a much better week than I have!
So here goes for week 20...
Firstly, many thanks to Zenia, Maartje, Hilary, Gwyned and Rita for linking up last time - a great collection of projects.
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 bloggers from USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany and Holland 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
Patterns in brick and tiles on the exterior of the Cathedral in Zaragoza.
But just in case anyone is disappointed, here is a spider. Screaming optional.
Having enjoyed making my last 12 x 12 landscape so much, I have decided to start another. This is as far as I have got. Can you tell what it is yet?
To make it easier, here are the colours I have got ready. I have to make sure I do the sewing in the daylight because under the electric light all the subtleties of the colours are lost.
So as you can see, I'm not one for practising my FMQ every day, and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been doing this week. Rather more than me, probably.
So here goes for week 19...
Firstly, many thanks to Zenia, Hilary, Gwyned, Cynthia, Connie and Rita for linking up last time - a great collection of projects.
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 bloggers from USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, Germany and Holland have taken part. The first participant from each new country will get a special mention the following week.
Linking up to Barbara's blog Cat Patches for the October NewFO. Progress on September's NewFO can be seen here - a few pretty leaves.
