Quilting month by month

Posted on March 7, 2015 by craftycreeky

Pat Sloan's BOMIt’s only one week into March and I’ve already completed Pat Sloan’s Block of the Month, this is a record for me! At the beginning of each month Pat is publishing a pattern for a mystery quilt block, by the end of the year I should have a new quilt top and hopefully will have learned lots of new techniques along the way!  Everyone taking part puts photos of their blocks on the facebook page, it’s great seeing all the different colour schemes and the difference colours make.

Flying GeeseThis month’s block used flying geese technique again, so I’m getting much better at making neat points, practise makes perfect as they say. I’m using fabric from my stash, I’ve put together a collection of about 8 fabrics, using the autumn leave pattern as a starting point, the only one I’m not sure about is the pale blue with ditsy flowers which I used in the second, heart shaped block. It’s the right shade of light and dark blue but it’s just a bit busy! I’m still debating whether to remake block two without the pale blue, or whether to have faith in it and use it in another block, maybe a smaller piece. It’s got to be one or the other, what do you think?

Three BOM's

#PatSloan2015Mystery

 

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Monday’s meander around the garden

Posted on March 2, 2015 by craftycreeky

Today’s meander round the garden was more a quick dash in between the snow and sleet showers. As I’ve probably mentioned before, I’m a fair weather gardener, so luckily I managed to get a couple of hours in over the weekend.

CowslipsTwo little perennials are braving the weather to flower, a pretty clump of cowslips has been flowering all week up near the back gate, and a tiny blue anemone next to the pond has appeared, you do have to be looking closely to see that one though!

Anemone

I’ve started pruning the roses, I’ve got quite a few, a hedge of Rosa Rugosa, a couple of climbing roses and several English Rose bushes from David Austins. Pruning roses always sounds so complicated, when to do it, how to do it, I’ve never felt particularly confident at how I tackle it, I took much reassurance from research done at Harlow Carr (the local RHS garden) when the roses pruned with a chain saw did just as well as those pruned more traditionally! As a rule of thumb, I usually start pruning as soon as the shoots start to appear, I cut out any dead wood then prune the branches by about 2/3rds. I try and prune above an outwood facing shoot where possible.

ObeliskI moved three roses yesterday, they haven’t been in very long (a couple of years) so I decided to risk moving them. I’d bought them to train up the obelisk I made last year, they are English Roses that David Austin reckons are suitable for training over an arch or obelisk. I didn’t have any success as I found the branches too stiff to bend round the structure, so I’ve moved them and grouped them together to make one big rose bush. I now have to remember which beds had roses in so I don’t plant a rambler in the same spot. Somehow roses leave something in the soil when you dig them up which will kill any future rose planted in that area. My plan now with the obelisk is to have one rambler rose and several clematis.

OsmanthusShoots from various bulbs are appearing all over the garden and the perennials are starting to make new growth, it’s all quite small still though so I’m still appreciating the evergreen shrubs, the stalwarts of the winter garden, giving a bit of colour. I’ve got quite a good selection of evergreens now, choisya, osmanthus, eunonymous, box…

AquilegiaWe’ve had quite a few visitors to the bird table this week, a handsome bullfinch and his missus, I think they’re beautiful birds with their salmon pink fronts and black caps. We’ve also had a pair of greenfinches, great tits, robins and blackbirds.

There’s lots to do in the garden at the moment so I could do with the weather improving a bit, or I’ve got to toughen up!!

Lower garden

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Drawn Thread Sampler

Posted on March 1, 2015 by craftycreeky

Last month whilst I was on holiday I started a Hardanger & Drawn Thread Sampler designed by Jane Greenoff. I have to confess that since returning home at the end of January I haven’t even had it out of the packet! Today, after spending several hours on the computer (albeit sorting out the holiday photograph album!) I decided it was time to get it out again.

I’d not tried drawn thread embroidery (or hardanger) before I bought this kit, it’s a beautiful sampler and I love the colours, but I would still hold by my argument in my last blog that the instructions presume a level of knowledge, it is not a kit I would recommend for a complete novice.

HemstitchToday, over on Kathy’s Quilts, it’s slow stitching Sunday, I’ve certainly done my bit of slow stitching today… Drawn thread embroidery consists of removing threads on evenweave linen, then embroidering knots over the remaining threads. It took me a while to understand the instructions, but basically threads are cut and removed in pairs, at opposite ends of the area being worked, the thread removed from one end is then rewoven into the gap left from the other thread…mmm, it took me a while to get it too! For this band on the sampler I had to remove 4 pairs of weft threads, leaving the warp threads behind. Hem stitch is used to edge the band, which also has the effect of pairing the threads.

Tied Hemstitch with coral knotsThe band I was working on was ‘hemstitch with coral knots’. The diagram hadn’t printed very well so it took me a while to work out that the first row of knots would tie the warp threads in clusters of three pairs, whereas the second row of coral knots made a decorative wave pattern.

Buttonhole BarsThe next band on the sampler epitomised my issues with the instructions; ‘Buttonhole bars in purple and green’ There are six shades of purple and three shades of green in this kit, so precisely which shade am I meant to use! Initially I thought it would be the same shades as the cross-stitch in that band, however looking at the image it looks a lot darker…so I guessed! There are also no instructions on how to do a buttonhole bar, ok so I know how to do one, but I’m sure that many people don’t!

Vintage Drawn Thread EmbroideryBy chance I discovered the vintage linen cloth I chose to photograph the sampler on had a band of complex drawn thread embroidery as a border!

 

I’ve just got a hardanger heart left to work now, so hopefully I’ll finish it this week. Then I’ve just got to decide whether to frame it as it is or to stitch a folded hem to finish the edges first. I’d like to think I’ll master the folded hem, but realistically I’ve not been enamoured with this style of embroidery (you can’t like everything!) so I will probably be glad just to complete the sampler and frame it.

It is the ideal kit to try out this style of embroidery, short bands of different stitches to make a very pretty sampler. I have enjoyed stitching this sampler and I’m really pleased with it, the colours are lovely and it’s been good experience, just not quite so relaxing as I anticipated!Heather Hemstitch and Hardanger

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Laptop Sleeve

Posted on February 27, 2015 by craftycreeky

Laptop sleeveI had a request the other day from my daughter, could I make her a padded cover for her laptop, she carries it to college twice a week and she’s concerned it may get damaged…she’s been at college since September and the request has only just come in!!

I found a pattern on Sewmamasew by Elizabeth of ‘Oh Fransson’ I liked it as it has a flap to close. The pattern called for Velcro, I’ve got a strip somewhere, but could I find it…fortunately Helen preferred a button and loop anyway!

quiltingWe chose a selection of fat quarters from my stash, they are ones left over from a quilt I’m making for her (ok so I made the top over a year ago but haven’t yet plucked up the courage to quilt it!!) They are all black and white prints. None of them were big enough to make the whole thing so I decided to piece them in strips with a narrow strip of dark grey in between. I then decided it would be a good idea to practice free motion quilting on it…I think I need a lot more practice! I did wavy lines on one side, then tried swirls on the other, hmm still not sure, I’m hoping practice makes perfect!

Inside laptop sleeveThe pattern called for iron on wadding, I applied it to the flap and I also decided to apply it to the main pieces, despite having quilted it, as an extra layer of wadding would give it extra protection.

The instructions from Elizabeth were really clear and easy to follow and her formula for getting the measurements right to fit your particular laptop worked a treat.

laptop sleeveThe original pattern had a straight flap with a strip of Velcro, as I had to substitute it for a button I curved the flap so the single button held it neatly. My sewing machine wasn’t too happy with all the extra bulk from layers of wadding and fabric, especially when sewing the bottom, but Elizabeth’s tip to start in the middle and stitch outwards worked a treat, I just put my foot down and went for it!!

Helen’s pleased with her laptop cover and I’m pleased as it used up the remains of four fat quarters from my stash!Laptop sleeve

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‘Warning’ by Jenny Joseph

Posted on February 26, 2015 by craftycreeky

February’s Poem of the Month;Wearing purple!

A few years ago this poem was voted Britain’s Favourite, I’m not surprised, I love it, it makes me smile. I’m not sure if I’m getting old before my time or just practising lots as I wear a lot of purple! One of my friends always laughs when I visit as she has two plum coloured sofas in her conservatory and when I sit on them I blend in!

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

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McCall’s shirt pattern

Posted on February 25, 2015 by craftycreeky

Shirt front

I’ve spent the last few evenings beavering away McCalls 6619in my sewing room making myself a shirt, I’ve wanted a traditional shirt pattern for a while, but it’s taken me until now to find the right one…it’s got a back yoke, two piece collar, two piece sleeves with a button tab, front button band, shaped hem….a proper shirt, it’s McCalls 6613

I’ve got some beautiful fine cotton lawn waiting for such a pattern, but I decided to try it out first on some material I didn’t feel quite so precious about, so I’ve used another fine cotton with a self stripe and pattern in it, the sort of thing men’s dress shirts are made in!

Sleeve detailThe pattern went together really well, it’s one of those perfect fit ones, I must admit the only alteration I made was to move up a size over the hips (to accommodate my big bum!) so I cut out a small with medium hips. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow, I decided to French seam where possible to get a neater finish, so the side seams and one of the arm seams were stitched in this way. I would have liked to have French-seamed both arm seams but the cuff opening was made out of one and I couldn’t see how to stitch the opening flat and then French seam above.

Pocket detailI took a lot of care whilst cutting out and stitching to get it as neat as possible, matching stripes and precision edge-stitching! I’ve been watching the Great British Sewing Bee, we’ve got week 4 tomorrow, so I was imagining May and Patrick looking over my shoulder, hoping they approved! I found a distinct disadvantage in my OH deciding to watch it with me, I now get comments along the lines of ‘well it only takes them 6 hours on the Sewing Bee!!’

I bought the buttons in Leeds market, they came in two sizes so I could use smaller ones for the collar and the button tabs. I actually stitched them on upside-down as it was a cleaner white. I’m not convinced I’ve got the collar buttons quite in the right place but I’ll wear it to check before I move them.

I’ll definitely use this pattern again, it fit’s fine, it went together well and it had all the design elements I wanted. Success!!

McCalls 6639

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Monday’s Meander round the Garden

Posted on February 23, 2015 by craftycreeky

DaffodilOur first daffodil is out, always a good moment, it’s not a perfect specimen but it’s braving the elements to flower. It makes me feel spring is finally on its way! Last autumn I planted a huge bag of mixed daffodils that I bought through the Women’s Institute, so it will be interesting to see what comes up!

HelleboresI spent a couple of mornings in the garden this week, trying to cut down and tidy up, it’s looks a lot tidier…but it also looks a lot barer!!  The hellebores are a lot easier to see as I’ve cut all their old foliage off, but it’s hard to believe that by late spring the pond will be disappearing behind hostas, irises, candelabra primulas…When I look down at the borders, there are lots of shoots appearing, aquilegias, geraniums, crocosmia, day lilies, it’s just that they are not big enough yet to have any impact on the overall appearance of the garden, it’s that time of year when I get impatient for plants to grow just a little bit quicker…please!!

CyclamenJust by the back door I have a small bed that’s dry and shady, not ideal, but the cyclamen seem to like it there, they’ve just started flowering.

Magnolia buds

The magnolia stellate has lots of flower buds on so we should have a good display but I know from experience that the buds take weeks to open so I’m not getting my hopes up yet!

Bird feeding stationI’ve had a bit more time this week to sit and watch the birds from the conservatory, we’ve got a feeding station with sunflower seeds, peanuts and fatballs, as well as a general mixture. Greenfinches and chaffinches are regular if messy visitors, though the blackbirds underneath appreciated all their discarded seeds! He kept looking up to make sure he didn’t miss anything coming down! I’ve also seen a pair of blue tits and great tits, I’m hoping they will nest in the boxes around the garden again. Today I saw a pair of long tailed tits too, they are such pretty little birds, they are usually in bigger groups so I hope they haven’t been hit hard by the winter weather. Our resident robin followed me round the garden, watching me work and I was delighted to see a little wren  hopping through the undergrowth.

I’m hoping this week to start pruning the roses as shoots are starting to appear, the pond needs cleaning out too but I’m afraid I’m bit of a fairweather gardener, so we shall see…

Top garden

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February’s BOM

Posted on February 21, 2015 by craftycreeky

Last month I decided to start the Block of the Month with Pat Sloan, a mystery quilting adventure! Each month we get a new block to make, learning new techniques (if you’re a newbie to quilting like me!) and by the end of the year I’ll have a new quilt!

February BOM

This month is racing along so I decided it was about time I made February’s block. Last night was Friday Night Sew In, a linky party organised by Wendy over on  Sugarlane Designs, so I got myself organised and cut out and pieced the block.

Less than perfect points!This month’s block is called ‘Toes in the sand’, it uses flying geese block again, so in theory I should be improving, well…one side came out well, the other side not quite so well! I seemed to make more mistakes too, I sewed one set of half triangles only to find that one side was upside down! It then took three attempts to cut replacement squares that were accurate enough!!! My triangles aren’t all perfectly lined up and my points aren’t perfect…but I’m using this as a learning exercise so I’m cool with that.

It’s great seeing what everyone else has made too, the colour and fabric choices look so different, some really have the wow factor, look at the others here. Here’s my two completed blocks together.

Jan and Feb BOM

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It’s finished!

Posted on February 17, 2015 by craftycreeky

Wedding Album BoxI’ve just finished making the fabric box for our wedding album, I’m chuffed to bits with it. I started making it last week, it’s covered in red silk, which is the same shade the bridesmaid dress and the waistcoats were. I’ve appliqued a crazy patchwork heart on the top and also inside the lid, this includes lace left over from my wedding dress. Inside is lined with ivory silk dupion. I’ve also made a tray in which to keep our guest book, special cards and wedding stationary.

Inner box and trayI stitched the last section this afternoon, I bought some double satin ribbon for the tabs, it matches perfectly. I stitched the base onto the tray, it worked well stitching the lining in first, then the base on top. I was debating whether or not to add some dividers to the tray, but having put our guest book in it, the proportions were wrong to divide it, so it’s finished!

Tray and boxI’ve learnt a lot doing this project, made some mistakes (like forgetting to pad the inner tray sides!) but that’s part of the learning process! Jane Lemon’s book, ‘Embroidered Boxes’ is excellent, taking you through your own design step by step. If you fancy box making, I highly recommend buying this book.

Wedding Album in placeI’ve learnt;

– how to use a curved needle, in the right situation they are great to use.

– a fixed blade knife, like a Stanley knife, will ruin your Orla cutting mat, I read too late the small print that only rotary blades can be used! I would have probably used it anyway, I still needed a cutting board, just have to treat myself to a new one!

– Box making is a bit like quilting, accurate cutting is everything!

Tray and box     – it’s probably easier to make a box for a specific purpose, so there is a reason for every measurement.

– it worked really well to sew the lining to the sides of the tray first, then stitching the base last, it’s the only area I didn’t do what Jane Lemon instructed.

– doubling up the mdf board for the tray supports worked well, I’m confident the tray won’t slip down between the supports.

I started making the box on 6th February, so it’s taken me 11 days, at least a couple of hours every night. I’m really pleased with it, it makes a unique place to keep our wedding album.

Linking in with Linky Tuesday, Show and Tell Tuesday and Sew Darn Crafty

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Mondays Meander round the Garden

Posted on February 16, 2015 by craftycreeky

SnowdropsIt’s been a bit milder over the last few days in Yorkshire and I’ve managed to get out in the garden to start a desperately needed tidy up. I was well wrapped up but it was really quite pleasant outside, I even managed my first cup of coffee of the year sitting in my arbour!

Camillia

Several snowdrops have appeared this week, mine are really tiny and ideally need to clump up a bit, but they do look sweet. The camellia by the arbour has it’s first flower of many, it’s a lovely carmine pink colour.

I tidied up the lower garden by the arbour, one advantage of having a garden divided into several distinct areas is that you can easily get a sense of achievement from a couple of hours work as the photo from’before’….                …and ‘after’ show.

Before... After...

My pots needed rearranging so the plants that are about to look good, such as a corkscrew hazel and pots of bulbs, are brought to the fore. Plants which really haven’t decided yet if they have survived the winter are sent to the back! This area of pots was one of my more inspired decisions. When I was cutting up the turf to make the beds this area was solid clay, now I’m used to gardening in heavy clay but this wasn’t just brown clay, it was silver clay, suggestions came to dig it out, make a pond…I decided to level it, cover it in membrane, bags of pebbles and then lots of pots. It’s been brilliant, I start shrubs off here, give them a bit of a start before they have to face my clay soil, I have tree lilies, acers,  blueberries, as well as perennials. I even have a water feature in the middle.

Display of pots

ViburnumI’ve pruned the summer flowering clematis on the arch and the obelisk as they were just starting to shoot. I noticed whilst mooching round the garden that the viburnum is just starting to flower, it’s buds are a lovely pale pink before opening into tiny white flowers.

Viburnum

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