In the Pink

I have spent the last 3 days making a quilt to use as a teaching sample. All straight lines but with appearance of curves. Lots of points to match. I am quite pleased with the result. It came out a little pinker than intended though.........

'In the pink' two-block quilt top

Block one

Block two

Poppy's Quilt

Poppy's quilt

I have been promising to make a quilt for my daughter for several years now as our old house is cold and draughty with rattling windows and no double glazing. So finally.........to keep Poppy warm this winter, here is her double bed sized quilt which turned out to be 80" x 96" made from a Moda jellyroll and a simple nine-patch and hour glass block design.

Slightly Foxed

The Quilters Guild Contemporary Group are putting together another suitcase collection with the theme of 'All in a day's work' and I have just submitted my entry.

The collection will be made up of 60 small A3 sized quilts which are available for groups to hire.

My entry is 'Slightly Foxed' which celebrates my 28 years as a bookseller where I have been immersed in a world of books and writers and just some of my favourite authors are listed. But some of my most treasured books are those old, musty and 'slightly foxed' books with the copper coloured discolouration on the page. I just happened to have some rust dyed fabric in my stash which was then stamped and stitched to make the piece.

'Slightly Foxed' - the front

The back

'Slightly Foxed' detail

   

Shrivel Up and Dye

Here are some images from the Shrivel Up and Dye workshop last weekend. I love this technique where we layer lots of different silk, cotton and linen fabrics onto artic ice-wool fleece and first stitch them into place using lots of different stitches and then shrivel them  by washing at a high temperature and then dyed with procion dyes.

Shrivel Up and Dye pieces ready to start the hand embellishment

Irene Ralph using her favourite copper colours. Note the gorgeous rich colour of the silk velvet.

Kate Arkle - not quite the burgundy colour she wanted but this bright pink piece looks great. The silk organza at least was burgundy!

Sarah Barrowclough working in greens - note how the wool felt picked up the acid yellow on the dye and lovely washers covered in cotton thread dyed with the fabric

Val Harrowven's lovely piece dyed with a magenta and turquoise mix which gives a great range of colours

This 2 day workshop is being offered at the Embroiders Guild Winter Weekend at Belsey Bridge from 7th - 9th  February 2014  www.embroiderersguildeast.org.uk

or can be booked for your group

Cosy Toes at The Cosy Cabin

I taught a class at The Cosy Cabin www.thecosycabin.co.uk in Risby nr Bury St Edmunds on Saturday to make Christmas Stockings

The Cosy Cabin has a cutting machine to cut letters to make your stockings, buntings, banners, etc really personal and any fabric can be used with Steam-a-seam on the back

Here are our completed stockings

Cosy Toes at the Cosy Cabin

Life's a bleach!

I am very excited to be offering workshops at Textiles In Focus at Cottenham Village College in February 2014. This is a great event which I have attended as a visitor for several years. The programme comes out around Christmas time http://www.textilesinfocus.co.uk.

I will be doing a two-hour workshop called 'Life's a bleach!' - using discharging paste and household bleach to remove colour from black and pre-dyed cloth. It can be a bit smelly but the results can be great.

Bleach on black linen

Discharge paste on black linen

The 2 combined with added stitch

Texture Adventures Workshop

I taught a 'Texture Adventures' workshop to a group of lovely WI ladies in Ipswich on Saturday.

This technique uses a large print cotton fabric, layered up with several sheers, then stitched and cut away to create a textured piece ready to be framed. The plan is to have a contrast between the smooth shiny motifs and a textured background which has lots of added machine and hand stitching.

Seven ladies went home with an 8" piece ready to frame