One day I'll loose my head .....................

so can you help me keep it on!

At the annual Viveur's Summer Meet in July, the Quilts 4 Leukaemia block box was taken out to show them to everyone who was interested. Lots of oohhhhh's and ahhhhhh's.

BUT someone (not me) didn't put the blocks back in the correct bags. I have got 5 stray ones and I don't know who sent them. Some of the material is red and white stripes (a bit like mattress material). There is flowery material amongst the stripes and a red fabric with swirls on it.

If you have sent me blocks within, say, the last 3/4 months can you point me in the direction of the post on your blog and I'll see if they match up.

Siobhan - I know you sent me 2 but the material on the stray ones seems to match the ones that I know are yours. Did you send me more than 2?

Jen - did you send me any more and if so what is the material?

I need to know. Alex is designing the next quilt and I need names!!!!!!!!!!

WiP Wednesday One Day Late!

And a huge huge Woo Hoo!

Goodness I'm glad this is finished.

Put it through the washing machine yesterday so all I've got to do is to label it and then send it on its way.

One down - goodness knows how many to go!

Straying off the Fabric Diet

1st September is now marked on the calendar with a No More Fabric warning, especially after this find at the
Vide Grenier at Creyssac on Sunday.

It must be about 3 metres long and the price was so ridiculously cheap I couldn't resist it.

A thunderstorm is brewing up but before I log out how about this for a quilt design? It was wrapped round a bottle of wine DS-D bought back from Italy.

 

Meet the Speckles

Mum breeds Bantams. Well not actually breeding them like most breeders do. They have replaced the various horses, ponies, dogs and cats which we have loved and cherished over the years. Poor Mum is not getting any younger and I think finds Bantams a lot easier to look after than an Arab horse!

Each breed has their own enclosure surrounded by a very powerful electric fence to keep Mr Fox out!

So meet the Speckle family

This is Niggs. He is the latest addition to the collection, born and bred on the premises so to speak. He had just been let out into the run with his mum when this photo was taken last month.

This type of Bantam has got long woolly knickers and finds it a bit difficult to walk (or strut) with all those feathers so they tend to waddle.

Mum originally had some that were like tiny black Hovercrafts. You couldn't see their feet and they used to "hover" over the lawn. They were a joy to watch.

These photos are really for Sophie who has been uploading some fantastic photos onto her blog. She has also shown some pictures of the Bantams and we were chatting about Niggs so I decided to upload some photos for her and you too.  If you are interested in seeing more photos of where Mum lives, let me know in via Comments.

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NQR (Not Quilting Related)

We have taken a few days out to entertain DS-D and her partner.

Sunday last we picked them up at Angouleme station so decided to have a walk about before they arrived.

Did you know that this very pretty city is the centre of the bande dessinée (cartoons to you). There are cartoon related murals on the walls of some of the buildings, like these

 

 

And round a corner we found this! Didn't take much notice of it at first and it was Alex who pointed it out.

Angouleme is twinned with Bury in the UK. This was a present from Bury and British Telecom to Angouleme. It's sufficiently graffitti'ized for it to look just as much at home here as it would in Bury!

 

 

 

Backing up!

Donated, via Quilter's Quarter, by Fairybread Jenni and her friend Margaret for Quilts 4 Leukaemia.

 

In haste as I've got to get the girls to Angouleme station.

16è grande Foire à la Brocante à Ribérac

Edit - heading has been altered.  It wasn't the 19th, but the 16th and, yet again, I got my French wrong!  Think I'll give up trying :-). 

This is one day in the calendar that is kept clear.

The first year we were here we bought the huge armoire in the salon and a beautiful Art Deco carving set. Since then there has been not much to write home about. Prices are rocketing and it is more of an amble round the stalls constantly saying "I wish".

Today there were quite a few stalls selling antique fabrics - the beautifully embroidered linen sheets, night clothes, French toile, curtain fabric, upholstery etc. The prices are "don't even think about it" level, but there were some stunning pieces.

Take this for instance. The prices was 250 Euro. The material in the centre is over 200 years old. It has been hand quilted. Not in a fancy design, just to keep it together. There was an English woman and her Mum looking at it. They were quilters cos they were talking about backing and basting (don't you long to join in!!) and when they had finished verbally taking it to pieces I managed to get a look at it. That's when I found out how much the stall holder was asking. It screams out for sympathetic restoration, but not at that price.

There was another stall selling antique quilts - prices weren't as high, but the quilts weren't in such good condition. Still out of my reach though.

How much do antique quilts sell for in the US? Nothing less than about 100 Euro over here. Fabric is usually in one piece and the quilting is exquisite in some cases.

Funnily enough. Whilst I was rummaging about on a stall having a field day going through musty fabrics, there was a woman standing next to me buying a really heavy brocade. Alex and I edged a little closer trying to catch what she was saying as she said she wanted this heavily embroidered, weigh a ton fabric for "patchwork". Wonder what she is going to do with it? Hang that on the wall and it will pull the wall fixings out! Sleep under it and you are liable to suffocate!



And then oh joy of joys. The rummage produced something that really did hit me in the eye. 5 Euro this was. I'm not going to cut it, just baste it, back it and then hand quilt it to produce a wall hanging. Black border don't you think?

Fanfare please - Little Acorns is quilted. Although pleased with it, making this quilt has really dragged me down. Don't know why, but it has made me feel a bit depressed. Now to get it bound, washed and parcelled up and then perhaps the feeling will go when I start piecing Tamzin's quilt.

DS-D and her partner arrive tomorrow lunchtime at Angouleme so won't be around much until the latter part of next week.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

Saturday was a Sad Day.

Alex has lost her pet rabbit Nutmeg.

She suddenly seemed to give up on Thursday and by Saturday morning we decided that it was time for her to make the journey to Rainbow Bridge to join up with Saki, Jet, Purdey, Poppy and Smirnoff and all the other animals that we have known, owned and loved over the years.

Quilter's Quarter

You know I was on about Jenni's brilliant idea for those of you who can't sew, or haven't got the time to make a block for Quilts 4 Leukaemia?

The gift certificates have been flooding in.

The response has been amazing - you are all so very kind and generous.

There has been a bit of confusion with the certificates, notifying me, etc but I think that is finally sorted.

Anyway, the first box of goodies arrived yesterday.The Dream Poly batting is so soft and workable compared to what I usually use (that cheap poly stuff).

 Is this what you guys out there use, or the cotton batting? I have seen it for sale in the QS in Thiviers and think I might just go the extra Euros for my next quilt and see what it is like to hand quilt with.

 

 

WiP Wednesday 08-08-2007

Been quilting at a pace these last few days.  

The bottom and the left hand side have now been done. All that is left is the right and then the top.

There could be the slightest chance this will be able to be sent to its owner sometime next week. Just the smallest chance - it's all in the lap of the Gods - and the cats as can be seen below!

An Orphan

I know there has been great talk over the last few months about Orphan Blocks, their origins and where they will end up, be it at Finn's Riding the Orphan Train, in a quilt like Patti's or as a gift for someone.

Now I have a problem. I haven't got that many orphan blocks. Ok, well a few letters, but not really as much as all of you who have been quilting for years and years.

So I got to thinking about the ones I do own and remembered this.

It is only tiny and I was wondering what to do with it. I love it too much to give it away as it was the first proper house I made. I have still got some of the background fabric left and thought about making up a few more houses in different fabrics with the theme being the background. Perhaps it would be too much, I don't know.

I'm still quilting Little Acorns and thinking about putting more blocks together for a Leukaemia Quilt.

Summer has finally arrived - it's taken its time, but its arrived. Rumour has it we are going to have an Indian Summer.

Isn't it awful about the Foot and Mouth outbreak in the UK? We used to live near Guildford. Thankfully the other side to where the outbreak is, but still .........................

 

Writer's Reviews Blogger Awards

Last month Quilts 4 Leukaemia was given a Charity Blogger Award by Christy at Writer's Reviews.

I am supposed to nominate 5 other Bloggers for similar Awards. So here goes.

For the Thoughtful BloggerAward

 

 

I nominate Anne at Quilting Bebbs and the marvellous Finn at Pieces from my Scrapbag.

 

 

 

 

For the Courageous Blogger Award

 

 

 

 

I nominate little Sophie for her bravery and strength in her fight with Leukaemia.

 

 

For the Inspirational Blogger Award

 

 

 

I nominate Vivi and Melzie.

 

 

And, last, but not least, for the Creative Blogger Award

 

 

I nominate Covered Porches.

 

I could go on forever, but I have already gone over the limit of 5 so had better leave it there.

This is not a meme, but if you want to pass on Christy's awards to anyone else, then please read her post about the rules .

WiP Wednesday

I think today is Wednesday. I've totally lost count of what day of the week it is.

Anyway, suffice to to say, From Little Acorns is not much further on than here.

Now that all the fuss has died down and the next lot of visitors aren't due for another 3 weeks I am hoping to get a bit further ahead.  Perhaps up the left hand border?  Let's see how it goes.

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