The Quilted Sheep

The reason for my prolonged absence is due to our new venture - The Quilted Sheep.
My daughter and I have taken the plunge and opened a quilt fabric and wool shop in Milnthorpe, Cumbria.
Hence we have had a very exciting but busy year planning, organising, buying etc.
As the quilter I am looking after the quilting side of the business whilst Charlotte takes care of the knitting.
So there will likely be even less posted on this blog!

Scraps

I've been in my scrap box again and for once I've finished what I started! When I get my act together this will be shipped to Jan MacFadyen in Australia for the Oz Comfort Quilts - Queensland Flood Relief Quilts.

I used Jan instructions for making it Quilt As You Go, though I joined the blocks differently by using one strip of fabric on the front and another on the back.

Farfield Mill

We went to the preview of the Turning Point Exhibition 'Trees in the Park' at Farfield Mill nr Kendal on Friday. The exhibition was fabulous I recommend you go and see it if you are in the area.

I haven't been to the Farfield Mill before and was delighted with it, it does requires further exploration as we only got a tantalising little glimpse of it on Friday. Charlotte (my daughter) and I will be checking it out in full the near future.

Clutter tidied

These remote controls have been driving me crazy for months, they are forever cluttering up the sitting room either making a mess on the coffee table, are left lying down the side of the chairs or settee or are somewhere on the floor just waiting to cause an accident.

A bit of ingenuity and a couple of hours cutting and sewing and ta da we are all tidy now!

Blue

Ummm my scraps are very blue.........

More scraps

I spent most of my spare time on Saturday pressing scraps I now have a huge pile waiting to be cut into strips!

I had some time to cut a few yesterday, I also made another block - two down twenty-eight to go!

Scraps

Scrap box

I have been totally uninspired for some time but this week I have been in my scrap box.
I've decided on a pattern, and am now busy processing my scraps.

Pressed scraps

I couldn't resist making up a block to see what it would look like!

Here it is the first block completed

Happy New Year!

Wow it's been a while, life just got silly, hopefully it will calm down a little now.

I have done virtually no quilting just a little quilt and pillow for my niece's doll's cot. It was for Christmas and as usual I did it at the last minute, then consequently forgot to take photos, oops!

Deciding that I had to do something creative I dug out a black work cushion I have been wanting to make for several years and am doing a little of that each day. Have put the camera batteries on charge so I can take a picture later.

English Rose

Here is my finished piece for the Good Ol’ Summertime quilt swap.

 

It has been sitting in my wip pile for some time, I didn’t know what to do with it and was half thinking of making it into a cushion.

When I went through the ufo/wips last week it hit me it would be perfect for the swap, and I suddenly knew exactly how I wanted to finish it. Its amazing how quickly one can finish something when inspiration strikes.

It will be winging its way overseas early next week I hope my partner likes it.

Size: 16” square

Techniques: Patchwork, appliqué with satin stitch edging, quilting all done by machine.

Plum Jam

We’ve had a bumper crop of Victoria plums on the tree in the garden.

 

So I’ve been busy making yummy plum jam….

Recipe: Victoria Plum Jam

3lb plums

2 3/4lb sugar

knob of butter

Put the sugar in an oven proof dish and put in the oven on a low heat.

Halve and stone the plums. Put in a jam/large pan with approximately 1 pint of cold water. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer gently until the plums are cooked and squashy -approx 15 minutes.

Add the warmed sugar and stir to dissolve. Turn up the heat and boil rapidly for approx 10 minutes then test for set. When setting point is reached take off the heat and stir in the butter to disperse any scum. Ladle into warmed jam jars put on lids and leave to cool. Enjoy! 

Good Ol’ Summertime Mini Quilt Swap

Bank Holidays are always a good time to play catch up, so I’ve been busy with my camera. I finally got around to taking pictures of the cute mini quilt I received, a few weeks ago from Kristine, for the ‘Good Ol’ Summertime’ Mini Quilt swap.

Kristine was hot off the starting block and had it made and mailed out to me before I had even begun to think about about what to make. She also sent me this cute pack of notelet cards. 

 

Thanks Kris the quilt and the cards are great.

UFO’s or should that be WIP’s?

Today I have also been sorting through all my UFO’s (unfinished objects) or WIP’s (works in progress). I thought there were about six but horrifically there are 20, you can see them listed in the side bar. humm….

This is just one of them I blogged about it here last year when I started it! The attic windows play mat, the child I was making it for is now walking, so I guess she won’t be needing it!

So my challenge is to try to finish at least three of them before the end of the year. Or should I finish one before I am allowed to begin a new project, a tactic I have used successfully in the past. Maybe I should do both……. decisions decisions…..!!

Finally a Design Wall!

Today I finally made myself a design wall, using about 2 ½ metres of fabric in the process.

About a month ago (after some nagging from me) Tony, my lovely partner, put up hanging brackets and found a long length of wood to use as a baton for a design wall, all it needed was for me to add the fabric.

I took down the temporary design wall, part of an old bed sheet to which everything needed to be pinned. It was also rather narrow, being just about wide enough for a cot quilt!

Since then I have been procrastinating about making a new one, because I thought the flannel fabric, which had been hanging around my studio for at least a year, would need piecing. However, when it was unwrapped I discovered it was over 100" wide, and just needed cutting to size and a hanging sleeve added!
As the new one is made of flannel fabric, blocks and fabrics should cling to it without the need for pins, and as it is a much better size it should be able to take a double bed quilt.

Time taken to measure cut, sew and hang – approximately 30minutes.
Time taken to think/procrastinate about it - approximately 4 weeks........ho hum is there a lesson here?!!

Receipe for Fairy cakes

Oven temp: 190
2 x bun tins lined with paper cases

Makes 24
Ingredients:
6oz butter
6oz castor sugar
6oz SR flour
3 lrg eggs

Throw everything in the food processor and zap until all smooth and unlumpy
spoon into paper cases
bake in oven for 20 - 25 mins until risen and golden

When cool decorate with icing and sprinkles
Eat and enjoy

Banana Cake Recipe

Oven temp: 170
7 inch cake tin, line base with waxed paper

Ingredients:
4oz butter
4oz castor sugar
6oz SR flour
1 lrg egg
2 ripe bananas
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsps milk

Method:
Lightly mash the bananas
Dissolve the bicarb in the milk
Throw everything in the food processor, zap until everything is mixed all smooth and unlumpy
Pour into cake tin and bake in oven until risen and golden, approx 1 hour

When cool cover with icing and decorate with walnut halves (if liked!)

Cooking up a storm

I've been Little Miss domesticity again!

Banana Cake waiting to be iced, its supposed to be banana and walnut but we don't like wallnuts so I miss them out!

Fairy cakes iced and ready to eat!

Spring Blooms Mini-Quilt Swap II

Look what arrived in the post 2 weeks ago.

Toni made and sent me this fabulous wall hanging, for the Spring Bloom mini quilt swap.
She also included this fantastic beaded keychain made by her as well.

Thanks Toni I love them both.

The quilt is hanging on my design wall at the moment; I just need to decide where its permanent home will be. My keys are hanging off the key chain and have been for two weeks now.

Spring Blooms Mini-Quilt Swap

This is the quilt I made for the Spring Blooms Mini-Quilt Swap which I joined earlier in the year.

This picture does not do the quilt justice, the orange square in the middle of the flower does not show a dark colour behind it, there isn't a dark colour behind it. I couldn't get a really good picture of it and as time was running out I have to be satisfied with this!

The quilt is machine pieced and quilted from an adapted version of this pattern 'Ladybug Playground' from Seattle Bay Fabrics, scroll down the page it is at the bottom.

It measures about 12" x 20" I cannot remember the exact measurements, I didn't write them down...

It was touch and go whether it would get finished in time, but a little burning of the 'midnight oil' and it was finished packed and mailed on Monday afternoon. Monday being the deadline for posting. Phew! I hope the recipient will like it, I cannot put a link to her blog yet as it is a mystery swap, but as soon as she receives the quilt I will.

I haven't taken part in a quilt swap before so this was a little scary, isn't anything new?! But it was good fun, so.... flushed with my success I have just joined the In the Good Ol’ Summertime Mini Quilt Swap also organised by Michele. Details for joining here.

Sunday - My Day!

On Sundays I try, whenever possible, to spend as much time as I can stitching or doing stitching related things. Today I decided to tackle the fabric waiting to be washed. Later, I will put up an embarrassing roll call, of just what I had stuffed it into 2 carrier bags.

Here's the coloured stuff, the white is already in the washer.

Now I have a confession to make..... after banging on about being frugal in an earlier post, last weekend I caved and bought more fabric! Obviously with very good reason!! :D

To cut a long story short, and having designed a quilt which I want to make in hand dyed silk. Back in April, the lovely Pat and Peter of Just Sew in Penrith gave me a bag of silk fabric to look through to decide if it was suitable. It was well past time I returned what I didn't want so I went to the shop! No point in wasting a journey, so I bought 8 metres of fabric for dyeing, I'd run out! I'd also run out of white on white fabric so I bought some of that too, 5 metres in fact! Oh yes and the 6.5 metres silk! eek!!

See, I need to stay out of fabric shops..... I've recently seen some fabulous fabrics on the web........

More Panda Fun

I have had very little time to sew this last week! But I have been sneaking to my machine in the odd 15 minutes I have managed to 'steal' and have been busy making the turnstile blocks for the Panda quilt. This is where I was at lunchtime today........

And finally this evening I have finished the turnstile border yee haa!

I have used a slightly different layout to AJ that's because I am using fabric from my stash, and didn't have enough of either the green or the turquoise fabrics! Now I just need to add the final borders and quilt it Yah!