Lunch with the Jolly Snowmen

It was the Ladies-who-lunch Christmas lunch today, only four as one of was ill. We were at Eastwell Manor, Victorian baronial splendour, once the home of one Queen Victoria's spare sons, the Duke of Cumberland, I think. Anyway we had a lovely lunch accompanied by soft piano music from the far corner and stayed long after everyone else with lots to talk about especially as we are in touch with Mel only rarely. I plan to return in high summer with my husband as I believe the grounds are lovely too.
Anyway Mel brought a quilt she has masterminded with her group. They all took a basic snowman and did with it what you will. Mel was responsible for the bikini clad snowlady defying the elements. The group are to raffle it between themselves. What a joy. It makes one want to cheat! Mel has backed and quilted it just right.

And the piano player played on. . .

24 jolly snow people

Flying in the air, with legs.

Who's cold?

We like our scarves.

Just Your Size

Using up some of my old fashioned stash to make blocks using Pocketful of Mysteries "just my size" technique. This is a charity project.

Trip Around the World

I finished the rest of the top I made as a class sample. It's Moda again and very pleasing too. Unadventurous but pleasing. Now I'm wondering how I should quilt it.

Winter Warmer

Currently on the bed is what I think of as my advent quilt.Made from Moda fabrics I thought  it rather boring when I first finished it but I've come to like it very much, especially the hand quilting, viyella back and wool/cotton wadding.


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Trip around the world

Ten of the U3A girls were working on Trip around the World quilts today. This pattern arises naturally from the other work they have been doing this term, particularly Bargello. I'm amazed at how few examples I have to show but here they are:

Sheila's

Gina's using just three fabrics

Janet's
 

Retreat pictures

Heather worked on these one day based on Erin Wilson's site

Here are some of the things my fellow retreaters were working on and yes I did say to tell me if they didn't want pictures on my blog. I do understand there are lots of reasons why someone might not like this.



I think this was Isabel's but not sure.

Definitely Shirley's

Again now not sure - I loved this one.

Julie was finishing someone else's project - the large table was useful here.



Julie's - I liked the block design.
 

Back in earnest

Many thanks toVivin France who took the trouble to check whether my blog was functioning. I found I could get on it intermittently but then it and the blogs of others would be partially dismantled again. Today a very nice man who advertises in our parish magazine came round and sorted us out on several fronts including our TV internet access. I am so pleased! It was a problem with my computer. I could see everything all right on other people's.
Anyway today I finally got round to photographing some more 2012 finishes. The "No simplex stars please" was a transarlantic block swap in 2003. We exchanged batik stars on black, one cold colours and one warm. The participants all made an effort and did lovely work. I discovered my pale green block did not play well with others so it's on the back with more spares. Maggie K. quilted it for me.

Detail - I think these two lovelies are Judi's.

The back

Buzzsaw quilt

detail

The other was started in a jelly roll workshop with Jo Baddleley of Puddleducks and while I quickly completed the blocks I was puzzled how to quilt it. Once Maggie had got her Gammill, problem solved. I think it looks good.

The other good news is that once again I can upload pictures from my computer and don't have to upload them first into Picasa and onto my blog from there. Whew!

Quilting retreat

Manipulated squares

Taking shape

Little people

Car laden

Trip around the World top

My quilt on my bed

I'm just back from a quilting retreat Earlier today my blog was inaccessible. Now it's back. Weird. I made a set of little girls wearing my mothers fabrics for a challenge. I also had fun manipulating squares though this has some distance to go. I also completed a Trip Around the World top and another in stages as a sample.

Back again

I've had yet more frustrating days finding my access is blocked by my security programme but am  now back, hopefully for longer. Here are pictures of two Linus 24" quilts I have made. I have yet to take photographs of more significant finishes and I have masses of sewing down bindings on others.

Leftover squares

Leftover block and border on the bed!

Reverse of little squares quilt

Little squares on the bed.

Weekly stint complete

Cushion front

The back with zip closure

I finished a long ago cushion cover, which I started in a workshop with Lynne Edwards, this morning (2003-2012) as the colours match my living room and I was fed up with seeing it on my to do list. I have another cushion back to complete and attach but I need to buy a royal blue zip first. This one is for my kitchen.
I've now attached bindings to all the "little" quilts so along with the hand quilting of the sampler I have something to keep me busy while watching TV on long winter evenings.
Last night was Quay Quilters and we gathered the charity blocks we have been making but the desired optical illusion was absent - we should have specified dark, medium and light.

Next job lists and packing for my quilting retreat next week and preparing a Trip Around the World workshop for the U3A.

Back

It's great to be back - my blog has been closed to me for a day or two, no idea why. Only the pictures showed and the same for blogs I follow. I have been very busy and still have to take more photos. I am off on a quilting retreat next week so have been mopping up smaller projects which were nearly done but not quite. In turn these are using up fabrics from larger items as I am trying to cut down on the plethora of scraps.

Stack and whack squares with binding attached

Leftovers, now quilted

Leftovers showing soft brushed cotton back.

The to do pile

1995 sampler sandwiched and backed with super flowery viyella (50/50 wool/cotton) ready to hand quilt during the winter months

Been busy

I see I have left 2 weeks between posts as yesterday was the latest Bonnie's meeting. Trish had completed the next stage ahead as the pattern is very unclear at this point and she is our chief worker outer so wanted to make sure she was right. Mavis and Fran made progress but I had brought completely the wrong box but I listened to the discussions and today took the plunge on my own account.

Trish's - the blue border will have applique on it.

Mavis's - a colour switch

Fran's, very subtle and controlled.

Mine - very "New England"

Afternoon with Bonnie's

This afternoon Mavis showed us her magnificent hexagon quilt "sandwich" mostly hand pieced and only started a matter of months ago. It's based on a small picture of an old quilt. We also showed where we are up to with our medallion centres - I posted mine earlier.

Mavis's hexagons

Trish's



Mavis's

Fran's

Making a start

I started piecing my long ago sampler quilt today. I'm very glad I decided to go for a side by side effect. I'll think about border(s) later. It's very difficult when the fabrics today are now so different. I do have a possibility but will wait for the top. Meanwhile I have been sandwiching and a Linus quilt and cushion top lie on the bed awaiting  quilting. I did quilt the little leftovers of leftovers 24" Linus quilt (they do need this size). I was pleased I could follow a drawn stencil line with my walking foot. However the  marks did not come off the poplin hearts fabric as they did off the orange corners. I even wonder if the hearts fabric doesn't contain poly.

Love these sampler blocks

Awaiting quilting

All done