blocks, blocks, blocks

Some blocks from the black/navy quilt which is growing on the design wall:

I am including some ladies from this wonderful Matisse paintings fabric- I wonder what Matisse would think of being part of a quilt? Actually his later paper cutout works did have a quilty feel to them..

... and on a slightly different theme, the first blocks for a quilt for a friend's husband. When I made a quilt for her he was apparently unimpressed, but she keeps finding him curled up asleep under it!

His interest is in all things steam powered, and he is renovating a steam car, so she wants Stanley steam cars on the quilt. Amazingly I have tracked down some likely fabric:

I also have some pictures of the man himself driving his car, so I might have a go at jamming the printer by printing them onto fabric using freezer paper as a support..

I think he might be doubly surprised to receive a quilt with his own car on it!

small blog meet

I have been wading through the back passages of the internet to try to add the 'small blog meet' link from Lily's Quilts:
http://lilysquilts.blogspot.com/ 
to my blog, and I hope I have succeeded..

Looking forward to linking up with other quilty bloggers!

what the well-dressed bear is wearing

Who knew that if you take your teddy to a wedding he MUST have a new suit?

No I didn't either, but this week I have been creating a pin-striped suit for a friend's bear, complete with silk waistcoat... and then I got rather carried away and went on to make the country suit for the bear who likes to go huntin' shootin' and fishin'......

and then I couldn't resist covering his modesty with some snappy hippo-patterned underpants.

Hmm, I think I may have started something! I found it rather addictive being able to run up a whole wardrobe for someone who obligingly doesn't fidget, and who doesn't need to be able to move in the outfit.. 

...and I got to use some of the teeny tiny buttons in my button box, and to discover that my sewing machine can indeed make teeny tiny buttonholes for them, not to mention the teeny tiny pegs! (the bear is about 9 inches tall).

What next- swimming trunks? bermuda shorts? scuba diving outfit? The world's my lobster!

making and dismantling

At last there was enough dry weather between the snow to wash this quilt, and enough light to photograph it.

I love the way a quilt wrinkles up when its washed!

I am pleased with the contrast between the bright prints and the pale osnaburg fabric.

..and here is a small pile of inspiration, in the form of a stack of recycled fabrics: 

Its very satisfying to dismantle a pile of charity shop finds and wash and iron them into a lovely neat pile- almost as good as deciding what to make with them...

out of my head

I am trying to get the quilt that is in my head out onto the wall.....

I love the way that the design starts to take on its own 'language' as it grows.

Looking forward to a visit to the magical place that is the Eternal Maker tomorrow, snow permitting. Mmm more delicious fabric than you can shake a stick at.....

Ditzy prints updated

Thinking about how to start a quilt.. maybe it will turn out like what's in my head, which looks a bit like this:

hmm, what does this say about the inside of my head, I wonder? I can't think in neat diagrams, but as Picasso said 'if you know exactly what you are going to do, what would be the point of doing it?'.

I have been given lots of old fashioned small print fabric (circa 1970?). Not the style I would normally choose, and therefore a challenge.

So I have picked out all the black and dark colours and I'm planning to add bits of bright modern prints...

Can't wait to see where it will lead me!

Still waiting for a brighter day to take a 'finished' picture of the last quilt- maybe tomorrow?

Nearly finished...

At last I have finished the quilt that I was hoping to have ready for the Christmas pop-up shop! Life seemed to get in the way somehow..

So I have been sandwiching:

quilting:

... and binding:

Maybe a miracle will happen and the rain will stop tomorrow, and there will be enough light for a photo of the finished article!