Jennie's Threads

How time flies when you are having fun! It is nearly two weeks since I last posted and I haven't finished much in that time. I have been getting on with a lot of different projects.... but not really finishing any. The Vignette quilt continues. I have done over half of the embroidery on the first block and it is looking gorgeous and I have started piecing the second and third blocks - I have another 6 Shoo Fly blocks to make, then it will be fully pieced, ready for transferring the embroidery designs. I hope to get it ready for the embroidery this weekend, as it will be ideal for my holiday stitching. I have embroidered all of the June Calendar Girls and mostly made up the mini quilts, but I still have the hand finishing to go. Last weekend we were back at the Fat Quarters for out Nikki Tikler sampler quilt class: we made up the Wedding Ring design. I decided to stitch mine together backwards (it was choice not mistake!) and the end result looks like a flower. I have also s...

I did something completely different this weekend. Linda and Aunty Barbara and I spent Saturday and Sunday doing two day-long workshops with Jennie Rayment (the Calico Queen) at the Fat Quarters. The first day was three blocks from Jennie's new book called Roman Candle, Girandole and Trumpet Cracker. Jennie's technique is different from anything I've tried before, though similar in theory to traditional Cathedral Window Patchwork. The basis of the technique is that a square of fabric, folded on the diagonal, then the raw edges sewn into seams, results in a shape of fabric that can be manipulated and rolled - and the folded edge, being on the bias, will roll into a curve. It was absolutely fascinating to see the blocks come together. I have finished piecing the blocks, but haven't finished rolling and curving yet - here are some photos so far: This is the Roman Candle (above). The central red area is made up on eight separate pieces and you roll back the edge...

I just can't control myself and have to tell you all how gorgeous the Vignette quilt is. I started the embroidery yesterday and it is fabulous. I was stitching all afternoon and into the evening and only got as far as the first butterfly so I think it's going to take some time to get it done, but I am enjoying stitching it: I've swapped the tiny chain stitch on the butterfly for a line of light brown backstitch with a line of pale pink backstith right next to it (the pale pink on it's own is too light on the calico - it needs the brown to contrast against it). I think I now need to order some more embroidery thread as I'm getting through it pretty quickly! Happy stitching.

Well - a small update. On Thursday I finished off the May Calendar Girlies - it was a bit of a tight schedule as I had forgotten that Friday was a bank holiday so there would be no post. The four that have to be sent by post were in the letter box at the bottom of the road ten minutes before the box was due to be collected all with first class stamps. So, if the post hadn't been picked up early.... they may have been delivered today, in time for the start of May tomorrow. We can but hope for small miracles. You can only see four in the photo, because those for Linda and Aunty B were finished Thursday evening as they didn't need to go in the post! Also in the photo you can see some of the black and white fabrics that I'm using for some log cabins.... the log cabins will go together to make a bag for my cutting mat - it's now all pieced - I just need to make up the bag. The May design wasn't one of my favourites, but I did some more embroidery on the ha...

Hello So it's been a while since I updated. The Wilding Angels: The Wilding Angels quilt from Letters Tied with Blue is now fully embroidered, so I have six angels and a large central panel. I have also pieced it - though this nearly ended in disaster - I don't know whether it was my cutting, or the destructions, but the top and bottom panels ended up 2 inces shorter than the central panel, which couldn't be reduced. The original shop where I had bought the beautiful red fabric had sold out, so we went on a major hunt for the same fabric. We finally found it in another local quilting shop, where I bought the final meter from the bolt. It was a perfect match so the quilt front is now pieced. I'm backing it with some fairly plain fabric from French General (from the Lumiere de Noel range). It's all tacked together and I have made a small start on the hand quilting. This project is getting very close to completion, but I've loved doing it, so when Mum said tha...

My final post for this evening. As I said previously, January also involved some patchwork. Aunty Barbara, Linda and I continue to do the Mystery Quilt Block of the Month from the Fat Quarters. So far we have just completed our fourth block. Here you can see all my four blocks laid out together. The top left dresden plate design was completed over Christmas: I pieced it by hand and then appliques it by hand. I'm not very good at needle turn applique, so I attached it with some blanket stitch and I'm really pleased with the result. Bottom left is the latest contribution, also pieced by hand. The two on the right were both pieced by machine. Whilst we at the shop to get our fourth pattern, we signed up for a couple of workshops. The first is a series of at least 6 workshops (one a month) based on the Essential Sampler Quilt book by Nikki Tinkler. It's 25 blocks, each different, and we learn a different technique each month, spend the day making up the first...

A new year means some new projects. The first of these projects started in December and will continue all year. Back in September, Debbie, from Letters Tied with Blue, asked me to stitch some models for her, which I have done. It is a set of 12 Calendar Girlies, one for each month. I decided to stitch the set as Christmas presents. Initally I planned to do a set for Granny and a set for Sheila, then we had the idea that Aunty Mary and Aunty Margaret would like it too. Then Aunty Barbara said how much she would like them, and Linda made some less than subtle comments. In the end I stitched 6 January Calendar Girlies which I gave as Christmas presents with the promise that Miss January would be followed by 11 sisters throughout the year. This is Miss January (one of my favourites). The fabric came from the Fat Quarters - I thought it looked wintry without being Christmassy. Throughout January I was stitching 6 Miss Februaries. This fabric also came from the Fat Quar...