A riot of coloured yarn,
textures, just asking to be touched!
A fabulously funky felted cap ...
... which was a favourite with my nine-year-old son, and a perfect fit!
And beautifully rustic antique hat lasts for sale.
Hoping your week is filled with colour, beauty & peace.
Best wishes, Bloom.
Oooh, I only wish my belly looked as good as this!
Am I thinking of taking up belly dancing? Certainly not - there is just not enough time now that I have joined the Dear Baby Jane group! This my 12th block:
It is C3 Rayelle's Fence. I think I may rename it 'The Deceiver'! It looks innocent & simple but is a bit of a cow to get square & straight with such small pieces.
I am now caught up with the group & these are my 12 completed blocks. I am enjoying these little blocks immensely & if any of you are remotely tempted to join the group, give it a go! It is great fun. Anina's instructions are so clear, detailed & excellent that you can hardly go wrong. For those not tempted by Baby Jane, perhaps belly dancing?
B3 Mirror Image - yikes, curved piecing. I had never tried this before. I was surprised how easily this came together. This opens up a whole new world of quilt pattern possibilities as I have always steered clear of curved piecing in the past - that's all I need, another distraction!
K7 Rose of Sharing - I have been wanting to use these fabrics for ages.
M10 Simple Simon - and indeed he was!
D3 Jason's Jacks - hmmm, slowly getting better at needleturn applique.
A7 Dad's Plaids - did this one twice. Had trouble getting all the little petals the same size & the distance from the centre join - conquered it in the end!
B1 Bachelor Buttons - more reverse applique. Another first for me. I am really enjoying learning new techniques without wasting too much fabric if I muck it up!
So there we go - all caught up with the group ... until tomorrow!
I stitched these many moons ago, before children, when I could concentrate for more than 5 minutes at a time without interruption! They are tiny samplers, with cross stitch, drawn thread work & all sorts of interesting stitches. I remember enjoying doing these immensely. No more cross stitch for me these days!
B4 - Chris' Soccer Field. I was a bit scared of this one, having foundation-pieced only once and a long time ago, but I was very encouraged with how well this came together. Instead of using paper as the foundation, I traced the outline onto very lightweight, non-woven interfacing. This avoids pulling the foundation away later.
A precious day out with my Mum today. Visited one of the loveliest quilting shops in Australia, found the perfect bind for my niece's wild & bright quilt, enjoyed some very good coffee & was given a copy of 'Dear Jane' by Mum. In stark contrast to poor Chookyblue's day! Thinking of you Donna.
So, in a momentary lapse of reason, I have decided to join up! Pick yourself up of the floor - yes, I can see you falling about laughing hysterically at this point! Just humour me a little! The aim is to complete two blocks each week, which sounds quite reasonable until you realise they are but 5 inches square. Yikes - must brush up on some foundation piecing! Anina is being kind, and starting off with some simple blocks. Here are my first two:
B13 Four Corner Press
C9 Jane's Tears
beautiful Japanese windflowers ...
... true to their name, swaying gently in the breeze ...
tiny crocus bravely popping their heads up into the chilly autumn air
the glossy, sumptuous red of autumn berries ...
and a shock of brilliant yellow, radiant in the face of impending winter gloom!
My new bag is being modelled by my daughter who is young, slim & beautiful (a leap of logic would surely make you wonder if perhaps I am old, fat & ugly?! Don't you love the mystery & anonymity of the Internet!).
The pattern is 'Ready for an Outing' by Melanie Hurlston of Melly & Me fame. It was published in Australian Country Threads Volume 7 No 9. The fabric is mostly 'Summer in the City' by Urban Chiks (Moda).
I wasn't able to find the linen webbing required by the pattern for the handles, so I had to improvise & make my own.
I added some hand stitching just to jazz them up a little! Great pattern - I love the shape & size of this bag. And I reckon anything made with these fabrics would be cute!
