UFO update and A Holiday Tote

 

I thought it was about time that I got on with another UFO project and going through my box I came across these shibori fabrics that I dyed a few years ago. There are six fat quarters and as I did not know what I was going to do with them - but definitely not a quilt - I left them on the dining room table for a few days waiting for inspiration to strike.

Reading through my blog list I came across this post on s.o.t.a.k handmade - thirty three tote bag tutorials, what a lot of choice! When I saw this market bag pattern I thought it would be perfect for my fabrics. Here is the original bag using Tula Pink fabrics which are stunning.

The design is free with just one download for the shaped pocket. 

This was it! So I had a look through my stash for a suitable lining fabric and came up with this which I am really pleased with.

So off I went. No in progress shots - sorry. I have tweaked the pattern a little. I didn't use the shaped outer pocket but just a plain one as I wanted to make them different sizes. Also, piping and me do not get on so I did a sort of faux piping on the pocket tops. Inside I added an extra, extra large pocket as I want to use this as a holiday tote and I always need somewhere to store ticket and hotel reservation printouts. The handles are my own method too as I like sturdy handles. So here is my finished tote.

 Two pockets on one side for sketchbook and paints.

 Three inside pockets

 A large pocket on the other side for essential holiday reading and two smaller pockets - one will hold a ruler and the other pens.

 

Inside view

 

 

I am very pleased with this pattern - the positioning of the outside pockets means that the bag sits nicely and the front and back of the main bag  use two pieces of 18"x18" fabric which cuts down on waste/scraps. I have one fat quarter left over and a few oddments so I feel a zippy pouch is on the cards.

Have a great week - it looks like it is going to be hot and dry again here!

It's EPP Tuesday again!

And thank you very much to Anthea for organising us.

Do pop over to Anthea's blog here to see the lovely hexagon project she is working on and to see what everyone else is up to.

I have two more Morris Hexathon blocks to show you -
#14 Canterbury which was incomplete when I last showed you

 

and #15 Kelmscott Tile which was last weeks block

This weeks block is simpler but has not yet been completely basted so I will wait until next time to show you.

Also, I now have a selection of yellow hexies basted ready to start putting together my blue flowers - when a spare moment comes around!

Have a great week.

Christmas Through the Year update

Linking up with Anthea at Hibiscus Stitches for CTTY again

I am pleased to say that my Gardener Girl is complete and has been put away safely until Christmas. Here she is.

A close up of the embroidery.

I enjoyed working on this design which came from Lilipopo

Also linking up with Super Mom no Cape Stitchery Link Party.

Back tomorrow with some EPP - see you soon

Also linking up with Needlework Tuesday at Books and Quilts - thank you Heather. 

Friday Night Sew In

Many thanks Wendy for hosting us all again - I hope you will pop over to Wendy's blog here to see what every one else was working on. I have already seen a few posts with some great work to look at.

I have been playing around with an altered book as my summer sketchbook and yesterday afternoon I decided to work with some water colour pencils. We have a massive crop of sloes this year and they are just ready to pick. I love the colour of the fruit (love sloe gin too!) so I thought I would have a go at painting some. This was the result.

My evening was spent cutting out and basting some more yellow hexies for my blue flower cloth.

While I was doing that we were watching a recording from Glastonbury earlier this summer - Philip Glass's Heroes Symphony, the tribute to David Bowie which was brilliant and the light show was amazing.

Hope everyone else had a great night.

Post and a reminder

Just popped in to show you this lovely postcard that arrived in my postbox today - a card from Japan which is a lovely first.

I have been following Pamela's blog Hokkaido Kudasai for some time now - she does the most beautiful embroidery and shares stories of her life in Japan and all the beautiful places she visits.
As she did not know about textile postcards I sent a few links and we arranged to swap. So this is Pamela's first postcard. Isn't it lovely! Just such a beautiful, simple Japanese design and I love the beautiful piece of shibori fabric along the bottom. Thank you very much for swapping with me Pamela.

Now the reminder - yes it's already time to sign up for Friday Night Sew In - if you would like to join in then pop over to Wendy's blog to sign up.

See you on Friday.

Hexathon update on EPP Tuesday

Linking up with Anthea at Hibiscus Stitches - thank you Anthea.

I have one completed hexathon block to share - #13 Oxford Rose

And thirteen blocks means that we are half way through the hexathon!

This weeks block is #14 Canterbury and is still work in progress

There is a mini version of this to - the pieces are cut and partially basted.

I have amassed a nice collection of blue flowers over the last couple of years through my swap groups and I have decided to link them with yellow stepping stones. So I have now started basting yellow hexies ready to start joining them up. Here are a few.

Don't forget to link up with Anthea if you have some EPP work on the go.

Have a great week.

FNwF August!

August! Already!
Well, here we are again and it was the first Friday of the month so it was Friday Night with Friends - linking up with Cheryll and all those lovely people who joined in last night.

Thank you Cheryll for getting us altogether again.

Most of my Friday was spent painting the walls in my kitchen - good to have it looking fresh and clean again. So I was very happy to spend Friday evening turning this pretty Jenny of Elefantz embroidery

into this mini quilt top

The buttons are not stitched down yet - they will form part of the quilting. So next job is to put a line of quilting around the inside of the frame and to stitch down the buttons.

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It has been good to join in with another postcard swap - thank you very much Sheila for organising this swap.

Here is the super card that I received from Mary

I love the colour combination, beautiful turquoise.

This is the card I sent to Mary.

It's warming up again here after a couple of cooler days - which we needed.

Happy Sunday.

Throwback Thursday 1st Anniversary!

But first of all I want to say thank you to everyone who commented on my last post - Another Mystery Solved - an all time high of comments! I am so pleased that you liked my quilt.

So now it is Congratulations! to Jenn as she celebrates her first year of Throwback Thursday!

There are lots of lovely projects to view already so do please go visit Jenn 

In May 1983 I was living in Rome having moved there from Norwich, UK where I had spent the previous two years studying for City & Guilds Embroidery. I completed my two final pieces in Rome and then returned to Norwich to sit the three written exams. At that time there was no C&G Patchwork and Quilting and these subjects were included in the embroidery syllabus.  As a keen quilter I felt I had to use my skill for one of my final projects and so my Peacock Cot Quilt was born.

This photograph was taken at the time.

I used silk for the front and back of the quilt with a polyester batting - there was no other choice of batting at the time!

The edging is piped.

It is all hand quilted and I used a water erasable blue marker pen to draw the design on to the silk. Despite dire predictions at the time that the pen would do nasty things to the fabric, this photograph taken today, over 30 years later, proves those predictions wrong!

There seems to be a slight discoloration where the pen mark was but the silk has not rotted away as I feared might happen.

After sitting the exams (and my brothers wedding, conveniently held at the same time!) I had to return to Rome but my lovely tutor Jeanette Durrant put together my work for the  C&G students exhibition.

Here are a couple of photographs taken of my work.

The panel to the left of my quilt was my other final piece - a Roman block of flats with grocery store on the ground floor, plants on the balcony and washing hung out to dry.

A few more pictures of the quilt.

So, it is the first Friday of the month and therefore Friday Night with Friends! I shall be back tomorrow with a report on what I have been up to. Hope you have all had a good Friday.