January

2015

Happy New Year. New Year and new projects!!! For the free monthly pattern I have designed a quilt-as-you-go quilt called ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’. If you would like to receive the monthly patterns for this quilt and haven’t already signed up to email updates then do and you will receive the patterns.

I can, now that Christmas is over and all my presents given, say all the things I was creating over November and December!!! I knitted two aran waistcoats for a friend with the yarn left over I have started another one!!! I wove four scarves, then packed away the loom as with the Christmas tree and the presents round it, there just wasn’t enough space in the sitting room. It is back downstairs and I have started a wide scarf in shades of blue and green for Laura – she would really like it made before she goes back to school but I can’t see me finishing it in four days!!!!

I made forty penguins to hang on trees and the boxes for them to go in. Two ‘Christmas’ buntings and five mini (only 3” high) bunting with words embroidered on them – create, family and love.

And finally I made a posh frock for Laura to wear over Christmas!!!
I had a bit of a slow down on the making front over Christmas itself as busy with other things but its back to creating again now!!!

February

2015

January was a really busy month for me!!! I managed to finish weaving Laura’s large scarf for her return to school in January, which I really didn’t think I would be able to do. I then set the loom up with a large scarf for me in shades of purple and mauve. I finished it on the 1st February. I am now thinking about the next project – I think a normal width scarf…

On the patchwork front I have been very busy, offered Popular Patchwork six projects for future publication – not expecting them to want all six!!! But they did and as soon as I can get them to them. One is the Hexagon Rainbow Quilt that I have been working on all last year, I have got that all together and two of the cushion designs they wanted and I will be posting them off.

That leaves me with another cushion design to do and the Green Man wall hanging both of which I have taught a while ago and finally the cot/bed quilt with a mushroom  fairy home on it, that is just at the drawing stage.

As well as all of that, I am creating the free pattern quilt, knitting an aran waistcoat and in class teaching the Noah’s Ark quilt and also the Floral applique quilt!!! At least I like being busy….

Back to the hexagons – I always have a hexagon project on the go as they are so portable and I can tack and sew them more or less anywhere!!! I have decided this years hexagon quilt will be made in Tilda Sweet Christmas fabric!!! Just got to start cutting up the hexagons….

And finally I have my etsy shop set up. Not much on it at present, but I hope to expand it in the coming months. Please take a look.

March

2015

March has arrived and feels like Spring is on the way with the daffodils beginning to show and the other Spring bulbs. Not that we have had much of a cold winter this year.

February flew past, it only is two/three days shorter than other months but it feels like a week shorter!!! Don’t know whether that is because it has half term in it.

Over half term, as a family, we had a few days out. We went back to Scotney Castle, in Kent. It was a beautiful bright day and Tony took some lovely pictures. The old castle with its moat is really romantic and I keep wanting to create a A4 size wall hanging using it as inspiration. Part of the reason (other than time) that I haven’t created something yet is the fact that I am never happy with the way I can sew water, even using Crayola crayons to colour in depth and tone.

A couple of months ago in Popular Patchwork they had a piece about colouring on fabric with Derwent Inktense Pencils. I did some further research and asked for a tin for my birthday at the beginning of February. I got them and a tin of ordinary Derwent colouring pencils!

Over half term Laura and I had a little play and they are great – so far I have created ‘watercolour’ effect backgrounds to a couple of postcards. Have only finished embroidering one!! So, far…
But I think with these pencils, I will be able to create water far better and so, when I get a spare five minutes or so, I will create an A4 landscape with Scotney Castle and moat as it’s inspiration.

April

2015

The diary is a bit later than normal, as we have been away over the Easter Break visiting family.
I didn’t think I had done a lot in March but I have just looked in my ‘work’ log and it’s surprising how much I completed. Firstly I finished weaving a scarf, then there was the Mother’s Day postcards. I then completed a Mushroom Home cot/bed quilt for publication later in the year in Popular Patchwork.

For Easter teaching projects I created some little reversible gift bags, tulip cushions and finally a rabbit cushion. Actually the rabbit cushion was originally designed in 1995 as part of a child’s quilt, I was looking for another pattern when I came across it and decided it would make a great cushion design.

Also for Easter I created ten quilted postcards and I finished another six, including the latest duck!!!  And finally I finished knitting an Aran style and weight waistcoat.
And I thought I hadn’t done much!!!! At least I keep a work log and write in when I finish stuff or I would forget half that I do.

The Summer term starts on Tuesday 14th April, there are a few spare spaces.
I am starting the morning class with 3D flowers, then Celtic work both by demand!!! And finally we are going to do a double sided scrap quilt, made as quilt-as-you-go, so depending on the size you want, depends on the number of pieces you make. The afternoon class I am going to be doing a butterfly runner, again quilt-as-you-go, but they are going to design their own butterflies!!!!

May

2015

I am trying to be good and finish a few things off!!! But it is really hard and I am not much good at just working on one thing at a time – in fact I am totally hopeless at it!!!

I still have to finish stitching two squares and the borders of the free monthly quilt pattern ‘How Does My Garden Grow?’ – I ran out of pale blues in my stash to complete the squares. That meant a trip to buy some pale blues and while I was at the fabric shop I also bought some pale pinks, as I was low on them. I wanted ‘blenders’, fabrics that have a small pattern or marbling that are in the same colour, that match or blend in.

Then I am still working on the hand quilted Tropical Bouquet quilt, I have completed the four centre squares and am working on the first of the border panels, as it is hand quilted it will take a while!!! I tend to do this in the evening while sitting with the family, as they watch TV.

There is also the runner for the afternoon class and the new quilt for the morning class!! And not to mention the scarf that I am weaving and other bits tucked away – till I have time to finish them!!!

I did make two shirts! I haven’t done any dressmaking since Christmas and I wanted a white shirt to wear with my jeans. I couldn’t find a pattern I completely liked, so I combined two and altered the collar and cuffs to the shape I wanted.

I just made Laura’s April duck postcard – on the 29th!!! So, I did finish a couple of things…….

If you want to see more of what I create then I know have a Facebook page, I post to this as I do things, not every day but fairly often.

June

2015

Well, apparently Summer is here, officially. It doesn’t feel like it with high winds and rain today! I have now had some of my work published, details can be found here and

Summer tends to be the time for day trips out and holidays, that often provide inspiration for more quilted postcards. For me, these next few months are usually about smaller projects, like the postcards and hexagons, that can be put in my bag and taken where ever I go.

Over the half term we went to Mersea Island and I stitched two postcards – part of the new series I have started on ‘Gates’. I am sure that Freud would have some fantastic explanation why I like gates and doorways into gardens!! I also tacked over 200 hexagons (for another quilt using Tilda’s Sweet Christmas range)  and worked out the basics of tatting – just need to find the time to make something actually in tatting, like a nice border for a shirt.

On the teaching front, the Textured Flower Cushion has been loved by everybody who has seen it. I have completed the runner ‘The Birds and the Butterflies’ and I have started teaching a double sided quilt-as-you-go quilt called Woven. This is a project that will last over the summer holidays and as it is in 15½” squares it isn’t too big or hot to handle – if we get hot weather!

When sending work to the magazine (I am next in Popular Patchwork in the July edition on sale 26th June) and when doing the teaching notes, you have to name the item. Sometimes this is easy the Textured Flower cushion is a textured flower (!) but sometimes it is really hard to work out the right name. The Birds and the Butterflies runner was terrible to find something that worked, but the new quilt name came about as someone (and I don’t know who said it is class) said the design had a woven look – hence the name!

July

2015

Well, that’s my classes finished for the summer!

The next ten week course starts on 15th September, can I remind everybody that Fairkytes has a new system for enrolment. To enrol for the courses the form and payment have to be completed and taken to the office before the term starts – preferably before the end of August.

I have completed the ‘Woven’ quilt! this is a double sided quilt-as-you-go design made up of twenty five squares. As double sided this means in the last six weeks I have made fifty squares!!  I used up fabric I had in my stash, some fabric pieces were only enough to go in one square, so it is a real collection of different fabrics. I showed all the elements over the last few weeks of the term, as a project to work over the summer. But I wanted to get it finished before I went on holiday as I know that I have a lot to work on after we get back.  And if I didn’t finish it, I would tuck it away and it could be ages till it maybe got completed!!!

Other than the quilt I have been working on the Gate series of postcards, three more completed for birthdays and Father’s day. Also designed another four! How many gates can I create?

And finally my Rainbow Hexagon quilt is on the front cover of the July edition of Popular Patchwork, and then the instructions are on page 18. Already making the next hexagon quilt…

August

2015

Another month has disappeared and I don’t feel that I have created much!

I have been dressmaking a fair bit. Laura wanted to make some dresses herself and asked me to teach her. So far she has created the ‘Walk Away Dress’ that they made on The Great Sewing Bee and also another 1950’s inspired style dress. She has the fabric for two more and again both the patterns she is using are 1950’s New Look inspired. Fitted tops and full skirts!!!

I have also been altering my niece’s wedding dress!!! And just shortening it has taken a time as it has a number of layers – slip, two net, satin and sheer!! The wedding is at the end of the month.

I have been creating my best friends birthday presents but I can’t say anything about them – yet – as her birthday is later this month and I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

Other than that the main lot of my sewing has been postcards, Laura’s monthly duck postcard and then some more in the gate series.

For those of you on Facebook I regularly post pictures of what I am working on and also tips.

September

2015

Well, September is here and my classes start on the 15th and for me September is the month that I start thinking and making a list of the things I make for Christmas! After all it’s not that far away and I try every year not to have that mad rush to get all the presents completed. And usually fail!!!

August went in making postcards, seven in all, a ‘Stone Cottage’ box to hold Quilted Postcards, which was a birthday present.

Also making Laura’s dress, another 1950’s inspired design which we had to buy 5m of fabric and also 5m of lining. I also made my skirt and top for my niece’s wedding. Her wedding dress fitted like a glove (after a bit of modification by myself) and she looked brilliant!

Looking forward, I have a few new ideas for class, Patches the Pony, showing ‘One Seam Flying Geese’ pattern and a variation and a Star cushion. I will also be showing some of my ‘old’ designs.

Toadstool Quilt also published in this month’s Popular Patchwork Magazine

For those of you on Facebook I regularly post pictures of what I am working on and also tips.

October

2015

The month of October has arrived, the month of spider’s webs, autumn colours and pumpkins! Although in our house we don’t make pumpkin lanterns we make melon lanterns!
The only pumpkin lanterns we have are the ‘stuffed puff’ decorations…

September was a busy month, we started back at class with Patches the Pony and then followed by One Seam Flying Geese and the Variations. The demonstration pieces have been made into two small cushions for our bed and two new ones for the sitting room..

I have been working on a completing a few UFO’s (unfinished objects!!). So far I have made up two tapestries into cushions and I have almost completed another quilt, just a few more days work and it should be completed.

The loom was empty over the summer as I hadn’t had time to set it back up, but over September I have been weaving a 4ply scarf for myself. Scarves woven from 4ply yarn take longer to do as the yarn is finer then the DK ones. Also there isn’t the variety of yarns available in 4ply. Once this one is complete I am going back to DK for a few projects.

I have began my list of Christmas makes and at the moment it hasn’t got much on – Laura’s hexagon quilt is the biggest thing! I am sure that more will be added.

November

2015

Well, it’s already November! And the month has started with non stop rain – makes me want to stay indoors and get on with making loads of stuff, once I have recovered from the flu bug……(the reason why this update is a bit late this month)

October went by so quickly, it feels like I didn’t get a lot done but I finished weaving my 4ply scarf and started a big shawl/scarf in DK. Made a couple of postcards, completed ‘How Does My Garden Grow?’ quilt and another blue quilt that has been sitting around for ages waiting for its borders and bindings and I have also made two ‘snuggle’ tops.

The ‘snuggle’ tops are for ‘snuggling’ in, in the evening, while creating and watching tv. They are baggy and comfortable and made from just one metre of cotton jersey fabric (£6 a metre!!!), I may make another one in fleece material for the cold winter nights!!!

I also tried Arm Knitting – it was great fun, no great big knit pins just your arms! I made two scarves, the first one took a bit longer as I had to figure out how to do it – the hardest bit was the casting on, got in a bit of a muddle! The second scarf took just ¾ hour to do!!!

The main priority for the next few weeks, is the Christmas makes, I haven’t got much to make this year! A couple of woven scarves, two arm knitted ones, a knitted jumper and a lot of quilted postcards!!!! And a quilt (half done, just the other half to do!!!!)

December

2015

Well it is the Christmas run up! I have had a good month and got loads of things made – much of which I can’t say as they are presents!!!

At the beginning of November I finished weaving my big scarf/shawl, I guess really it is a wrap. The Warp threads where in Rainbow colours – red/orange/yellow/green/blue/indigo and violet. On the loom it looked really bright but once I had woven with black yarn it isn’t at all bright. I then finished it off by crocheting a scalloped edge and plaiting the fringe.

The rest of the month has gone in creating cards, quilted postcards, cubes, a soft toy, arm knitted scarves, another woven scarf and Christmas decorations all to be given to family and friends!

I seem to be having a ‘cottage’ theme for making bits in class – I started with a small cottage box complete with a stitch sedum roof! While stitching that I had an idea for a cottage needle book and so I made and taught that. That’s got me thinking and I might create a cottage bag for Easter…..
I know we haven’t even got to Christmas yet! Or New Year and I am thinking Easter makes!!!

Finally can I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a great New Year.