Sunshine and Solar

It has been a beautiful, sunny day here - warm enough to sit outside after a week of grey, damp weather.
The sunshine reminded me that I have not updated you on the results of my solar dyeing. You may remember that here I told you about the book I had been reading called 'Slow Stitch' which included instructions for slow/solar dyeing.
It's been a lovely, sunny autumn overall so I was able to play with lots of jars of fibres and natural dye.

Each jar contains a half a teaspoon of alum, to help the dyes take, the matter I am using to take the dye from plus an A4 piece of linen or cotton fabric, a skein of cotton or linen thread, some lace and some ricrac. The contents were covered with hot water, given a good stir and then left in the sun for at least two weeks.
I have had some really good results which I have documented in a little record book.

It is interesting to see how the different fibres take the dye.

So here is my collection of fabric and threads - a pleasing variety of colours.

These are my lace's and ricrac.

I plan to start again in the spring trying some different ingredients, in the meant time I want to make a start on slow stitching my collection so far.

EPP Tuesday update

Once again I am linking up with Anthea at Hibiscus Stitches where we are Piecing Ourselves Together. Do go and visit Anthea - she has a brilliant little Christmas tree ornament made with 1/2" hexies which is brilliant for using up all those little scraps of Christmas fabric.

I have been thinking about how I am going to use my Hexathon hexies and had the idea of them falling (raining) down a quilt into a heap like jewels. This is my sort of plan.

I would use the little ones in the border down the left hand side and bottom of the quilt.
I laid all my blocks out on the grey fabric that I plan to use and quickly discovered that random was not going to be an option so I set about trying to organise a sort of wash of colour and this is what I came up with.

I have not started yet so nothing is set in stone - all comments welcome!

Meanwhile I have made a little progress putting together my blue swap hexies.

And some more have arrived - from the Netherlands

and from Australia.

Right - I'm off to find my Christmas fabrics!
Bye for now.

Christmas Through the Year

And this will be my last CTTY post for the year as I think I have completed all my Christmas stitching!

Many thanks to Anthea for keeping us on our toes this year - you can see what other people have been up to on her blog here

I have finished two more wheat bags

and a couple more crazy hearts.

Then I decided that it was time for a Christmas gift for me! I love this Mouse Pincushion pattern by Natalie Bird and bought the pattern last year when I finally tracked down a copy in the UK. But that is as far as it went. Now seemed like a great time to make it.

And here is my completed pincushion.

I adapted the pattern to suit me as I don't do wool applique - instead I embroidered the large mouse and flower on the side panel.

I also swapped the felt ball on the top for a loop - filled with crushed walnut shells this is quite a hefty pin cushion and the loop makes it easy to move around.

I used some of my favourite Tilda fabric and this dusky pink spot which sadly has now all been used up.

The pattern even includes some of my favourite hexies! These are 3/4".

So that's me done for this year - I already have a few ideas for 2017 so watch this space!

FNSI for November

Just popping in briefly with my FNSI report.

We were out all day yesterday but when we returned I got on with finishing off my Christmas postcards some of which are for swaps so no pretty pics I am afraid!

Thank you very much for hosting us Wendy, hope everyone had a great evening.

EPP Tuesday has come around very quickly!

It's Piece Yourself Together time again. Many thanks to Anthea - do pop over to her blog Hibiscus Stitches to see how she is getting on with her super scrappy quilt and what everyone else has been doing. Do link up yourself if you have been working on some EPP.

I can report that the Morris Hexathon is now over! Here is my last block #26 Floating Clouds

I was hoping to get a picture of all of them but I have not had a chance so it will have to wait till next time. I do have a plan for putting them together - again something for next time.
In the mean time I have done a little work on putting together all my blue swap flowers and these flowers are on their way to my swap partners for November.

Have a great week.