Chaos Reigns Supreme

 And loving every minute of it.

The sewing room has remained tidy for far too long!

We Interrupt the Silence!

Bad bad bad blogger ............

............ and bad bad bad quilter!

Monster Finish!

Do you remember the craze last year for Lego quilts. When I started building bricks with fabric and it just got bigger and bigger and bigger,

until it got so big it could only be photographed outside?

All That Jazz

I decided it was time this monster was actually on the bed and not idling away in a cupboard taking up  space.

Getting read to start sewing the layers together

The kitchen table was cleared of all detritus. The Old One's favourite armchair was used to take the weight of the quilt as I turned it round. After about an hour I had 3 layers sewn together. A bit haphazardly, but sewn. Those seams are definitely not straight!

Then I rolled it up and left it for 48 hours. I wasn't at all sure if the backing was going to be strong enough. It's an old cotton sheet which has definitely seen better days.

After a lot of cogitating, I decided that if it was going to be finished I needed to get on and do it. Now!

Cleared the kitchen table again, turned it inside out (or outside out [grin]), pushed the corners out and stayed up until 2.00 am closing the open seam. I was determined to sleep under it that night.

Et voila!

It is still be be tied and I'm going to sew some orphan string blocks on the back to reinforce the sheet and cover up a few holes. That should also help keep the layers together.

I think I've got my mojo back. I rescued the Liberated Amish project from the dust bunnies under the bed and hope to start hand quilting it again soon. In  the meantime I've got Greengage Fool to finish.

More soon.

Bloggers Quilt Festival - Spring 2012

I don't usually enter Amy's quilt festival as I don't have that many finished quilts.  The tops are hanging on coat hangers waiting to be quilted.  At the last count there were 4!

Anyway, I decided to this time, just because I'm missing "my baby" and showing her off to the rest of the world might help ease the pain a bit.

For new readers, I make quilts for children suffering from Leukaemia.

Last year I made a quilt for a special little boy called Morgan, who unfortunately became an angel in April of the same year. So sad.

I had already started making a red and white string quilt, based on Mary's Heartstrings's pattern, but had put it to one side as the fabric was getting repetitive and I was getting bored with  it.

A nice person in America took pity on me and sent me a box filled with red and white fabric.  My juices started flowing again and within a few days another 4 blocks had been  made.

But what to do with what was turning into a large quilt?

Morgan's mother had started to raise funds for the children's ward where Morgan had been treated so I contacted her asking if she'd be interested in auctioning this quilt in Morgan's memory and to raise funds for the West Suffolk Hospital.  She said yes!

So I sewed and sewed and sewed, showing pictures here as I progressed.

Last November she was finally finished

I used the berthing/pillowcase method to back her, with a very cuddly cream flannel, and tied her with red and white DMC Perle Cotton No 5.

She had been part of my life for over a year and I was devastated when I had to pack her up and send her on her way to England.

I finally heard this week that she will be auctioned at the West Suffolk Hospital ball in a couple of months and the money raised will help buy equipment for the children's ward, as originally planned.

I'm so pleased that finally she will find a home and hopefully will be loved as much as I love her.

I have 3 blocks left over so I'm going to make myself a memento quilt.  It won't the same as my lovely Strawberries & Cream, but at least it will be something to remember this quilt by.

So there you have it.

The story of a very much missed quilt.

More soon.

A Finish!

Strawberries & Cream is about to start it's journey to the UK.

For once I don't want to see this quilt go. It's so beautiful and cuddly and I hope its new owner will love and cherish it as much as I do.

I knuckled down last week and decided that this quilt had to go to its new home. Choosing the backing fabric proved to be more of a nightmare than I thought it would be.  I couldn't find a flannel sheet anywhere. The French don't seem to sell flannel, or flannel sheets, so a trip to the fabric warehouse at Javerlhac was called for.

It took ages to find the right fabric, but find it I did. A cross between flannel and fleece in a dark cream. Very soft and cuddly.

Then a couple of days while I plucked up courage to "birth" it. Never done that before and panic set in.  Took a few deep breaths, pinned the two sides together and sewed.

Turned it inside outside - that was so easy - sewed up the top and then started tying the sides together. What a mammoth task that was!

and here she is again - all tied together and ready to go!

I'd like to thank Mary for letting me use the Heartstrings Project pattern and for giving me moral support and help throughout this project.

More soon.

Coming up for Air

We've been busy, getting up at 6.30 am and painting until 10.00 a.m, then collapsing in a heap and trying to get rid of the smell of white spirit.  Why?

Look.

Before

After

And we're off!

The water temperature has hit the magic 22°C.  I had the first swim last night and another one this morning.  Alex's mates are here swimming their hearts out (and shouting too), and we feel that summer has finally started!

And today my cup overfloweth!  I found this gem on play.com.  There was only one left!  Help!  Rang up DS-D who was in the middle of cooking for a dinner party.  Told her to drop everything and get it quick before it went.  Isn't she a star!

And what I am doing now?  Trying my hardest to sew and catch up on those UFO's.  I've cut up an old pink and white skirt and am hoping to start on the quilt for my niece to be.  In the meantime, I've got plenty to keep me busy.

I've also moved the Liberated Quilters web ring.  Click on the Home/Join link on the badge on the right there and see if you qualify.  If you do, leave a comment and we'll get back to you.

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