Due to having to concentrate on family the past few years, things got ignored. This blog was one of those things. I was stuck on the outdated version and as the person who helped me set this up was one of the people we lost, I was kind off stuck.
This year we are starting to experience clearer thought process and decision making. Yesterday I remembered that I had read that sometimes the host company can help with upgrading. I emailed my contact at Host4U who got back to me quite quickly. They don’t usually get involved with web design but he said he would see what could be done. Withing a few hours I had been passed on to another person and he fixed it for me. Excellent service.
The picture shows the mini I was working on over the festive period. I bought the pattern during the stalking phase of the yearly mini quilt swap I take part in each summer. It’s a variation of New York Beauty by Tobacco Shed Quilts on Etsy. Entirely hand stitched from start to finish.
During the lockdowns I used UK Quilters United’s various pages to communicate and to challenge . One of the pages was a fabric postcard challenge. A fabric postcard is a little bit of fabric art. Once you are finished you are given name and adress to send to. As there is a finishing date, there is a period of anticipation as we await our delivery and also the posting of pictures as the postcards arrive at their destination.
Last summer the number of participating members became very low and the group folded. A member started a new group with a full year of monthly topics to let people plan ahead. In this new group I have participated in 4 swaps. Here are my contributions…
L Halloween. Top 12 days of Christmas, middle Chinese New year, bottom Autumn
The current one is St Patrick’s Day which has me a bit at a loss. Internet searches bring up such boring stereotypes. Hopefully something will click before the deadline. There has been a warning that numbers are dropping again, hopefully the warning is heeded.
So, as I said in my last post I discovered during first lockdown in 2020 that I was a member of UK quilters united. They have a quilting related page, a social page, a destash page and they set up challenge groups from time to time. Each page has strong rules about what is allowed and what isn’t. At first I thought ‘quilt police’, but there are good reasons for them which became obvious as we all lived with this virus.
I applied to be part of the mini quilt swap challenge in 2020. This was a huge move for me. I had not been doing a lot of quilting and although I recognised one or two names, I didn’t know anyone. I was really nervous. The team who run these challenges split us into groups and each has a team leader from the organising team. For a while we friend each other and try to find out as much as possible from each others social media. Our team leaders then give us the name of the person we are to make for with the information about themselves they submitted on the application.
That’s where the serious stalking begins as you are able to concentrate on one person. In the challenge page team members ask questions about fabric, types of design, likes and dislikes. Styles of quilting. Anything that helps you choose what you are going to make. My first one was really nerve-racking and full of doubting. My second one was a bit better but I had one of the quieter members to make for which had challenges.
Top right picture was the first mini quilt I made. I had no idea who was making for me, all I knew was it wasn’t the person I was making for. The heilan coo was what I received. I was so chuffed. Gillian made me the most gorgeous bag as my gift which has been in continuous use since receiving. Apparently it was our picture by Steven Brown that swung her decision on the coo.
Top middle was what I made this year. I need to try a different style next year. Top left is what I received and Donna stalked me so well with a tartan fabric workbox for the motorhome as my gift.
There are quilters of all ability in this group. People whose names you will recognise as pattern designers and have been in quilting magazines. Lot’s of intermediate, like me, and many beginners. Have seen quite a few posts recently of people asking for help with their first quilt. It’s a friendly place which loves to share ideas and experience. If you fancy having a go, take a look. You don’t have to interact from the start. I didn’t. We are going to need a safe place in the coming weeks
Here we are again. 14 months since my last post. What on earth have I been doing? Stayed at home, tried to fit in daily walks. Shopping locally or online. What can my excuse be for being so quiet for so long? I blame concentrating on staying safe, waiting for vaccine appointments, and Facebook.
The quilt above, I call my orphan block quilt. The stripy blocks were handed into my craft group from a crafters clearance. I tidied them as best as I could and used fabric from my stash to assemble the quilt top. It lay around after I had quilted each stripe as I wasn’t sure how to proceed. I took it downstairs the other day and decided to just keep the quilting simple. The piecing wasn’t accurate enough for fancy stuff. Finished it last night. It’ll keep someone cosy this winter.
As for Facebook. It wasn’t just the time browsing that was to blame. Last year I realised I was a member of UKQU (UK Quilters United) facebook group. I went browsing and ended up joining a mini quilt swap event. This group has been so supportive throughout the past nearly 2 years. Provided a smile when needed, allowed a rant when needed, and lots of advice about stitching. All in a safe, private space. I am going to retrieve some photos and tell you a bit more about this in the next blog piece. Which will be much sooner than 14 months!
Well, it’s been too long a gap again between posts. I have been keeping busy though, honestly.
Once a little relaxation of the covid restrictions came in people were contacting me about making memory bears. I don’t know if the strict stay at home period allowed people time and space to sort through their loved ones clothing was what generated the enquiries. It is a privilege to be trusted with these items. Sometimes I take longer to start cutting some of the items as I need to be sure I am not going to waste them.
In the evenings I have completed a colourwork cardigan for a Christmas present, a crocheted cowl, and now I am moving in the direction of Christmas themed gifts.
Oh, I forgot. My embroidered coin purse was falling apart. I made myself another one and remembered why it had taken me so long to do so. You need three hands to keep the fabric in the frame while stitching into place.
During the months of Covid 19 I have been blessed to be a member of UKQuiltersUnited. This was a group I joined years ago but did not participate in. You may have read in previous posts of things I did earlier in the Covid period.
Early July/late June someome started a blogerrati 2020. Hadn’t a clue what it was about but needed another challenge. We were challenged to design a 12 inch block in a flower design. The only definite was that the colour green be included. We were to write a blog on the making of the block on the UKQU site and submit pattern pieces that would be listed in the shop as free to purchase. It was hoped that members would try blocks and perhaps do enough to make a quilt or a throw, or just a cushion.
The first block I tried was an improv block. I had never heard of this. Reading through the instructions I saw it was an informal, random method of the strict foundation piecing. My flower did not turn out exactly as the the pattern suggested but apparently that’s what this method is all about. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would do it again.
I have now made inroads on a stained glass rose block.
Last visit to London I got a packet of hexagon fabrics in Liberty. They lay in the sewing room for some years as I wasn’t really into hexies back then. Earlier this year I decided to use solid colours from my stash that picked out colours in the Liberty fabrics. This took a while as there were thirty fabrics. I discovered though how relaxing the repetitive hand sewing was.
With 30 flower blocks done the question was what next? A very vintage cotton sheet from Ian’s grannies was put into upcycle mode. Each ‘flower’ is being hand appliqued to a square of the cotton sheet. A perfect project to take away in the van. Was going to put a picture of them in the van but the picture was too big for this site ?
It has been put aside for now as I have a lot of bears to make. It’s not gon far and will be out again soon. Maybe for the next van trip ?
Just before lockdown I was asked to remove my bears from retail premises by Trading Standards. Rather than do battle with them again I was prepared to stop making bears. Another bear maker in the area was also contacted by them. Being younger, and there were two of them, they kept emailing TS to come to a solution. We both had bears in Crafted in Moray and they were determined to have us both back.
Solution
The solution turned out to be quite simple. Was so annoyed that TS couldn’t just point this out. They required the wording on the card label attached to the bears, to be stitched on as well. I keep things simple and unadorned. So ordered up these simple labels.
Charlie and Gillian at Crafted in Moray are happy bunnies again. They have both styles of bears back in their shop. I took these in a few days ago and one has gone to it’s forever home aready.
When we have lost a loved one we often find an item of clothing, a blanket or soft furnishing can hold so many happy memories. This bear was a much loved coat. The coat was kept but it can be difficult to explain to people why you have a coat draped on the settee.
The coat was sent to me and I worked out which bits could be used to create the bear. I do allow you to choose size and style of bear. Mostly people opt for the traditional style bear. The bears have a jointed neck which allows the head to be turned and positioned. The arms and legs are also jointed so you can stand them, sit them, whatever you want.
The end result is a bear you can display openly. A pleasant reminder of all those memories. When needed you can pick it up and have a cuddle. No one is too old to cuddle a bear, are they?
Once I finished doing the mini quilt swap I had all these ideas in my head for quilting. I started by doing a simple stripey quilt with fat quarters. I then made my own jelly rolls from stash fabrics and made two stripey quilts. All fabrics used were bright and floral. The pictures I took are too big to load up here. I decided to call them Bosie Quilts. Bosie is a Doric word for hug. I got the idea from a group in the borders who were making quilty hugs to gift to people. I gave these 3 lap quilts to the local community volunteers to gift to people needing a bit of a lift.
I was checking out the quilting groups destash page on facebook and saw a panel and co-ordinating fabrics for the Hungry Catterpillar. Instinct made me buy it, but what was I going to do with it? I remembered an original member of our local craft group, living in the village now, had a preschool child. Messaged her to see what her son thought of the hungry caterpillar. His favourite books at the moment. Well that was a home for that quilt. It was a bit of a hit as she sent photo of him sound asleep in bed cuddling it. Again picture I have of the quilt is too big for here.
Next I looked around for another pattern style. I liked the childs quilt, saved to many pinterest pages, of the elephant blowing hearts from it’s trunk. Was unable to find pattern. I turned to the UKQU facebook page to ask for help. Very quickly I got assistance to the pattern with the elephant blowing paisley pattern shapes from it’s trunk. I simply adapted it to use hearts. When I shared the quilt top after fusing and before stitching someone in the village commented they loved it with a big gif. As I quilted it I decided she should have it. I got to know her as she took a stall at our craft fairs a few years ago. She was in extreme sheilding for multiple medical conditions.
It has been fun. I have challenged myself. It has kept me busy and I have been able to give to others. To give something that I hope they will use and enjoy.
