Cushion Cock-Up

Pam is doing another tombola for the Quilters Guild in May so I thought I would be very very organised and make a start on a few things for it now. I've also been very good and used up some of my left over fabrics to make a Log Cabin cushion cover. Now you would think that something so easy would be easy - well it wasn't. Even though I've made plenty of cushion covers in the past everything that could go wrong did but never mind I will get there in the end.

Today was much better and I made this bag.

Then I used up some more scraps to make this zip up bag which I gave to Pam. This is the front.

This is the back.

Yesterday I had a call from John the picture framer to say my holes were ready so Neil was despatched to go and fetch it so I would have it ready to take with me on Wednesday to the next Spectrum meeting. This will give Gina a chance to check it over before the exhibition. 

We have had a busy week in the shop with Thursday's social stitching being no exception but we had a special visitor Julie came all the way from Grantham to see us. It was lovely to see her and she bought some of her work with her to show us. The work was lovely and it was so nice to see what Julie had been up to first hand. I'm now going to go and make some more cards.

Up And Coming

We are having an exhibition and you are invited. There will be some great work on show. We have worked really hard to achieve this with the help of Gina . If you are able to visit please do leave a comment  in the visitors book, your comments will be much appreciated.

Look what my lovely husband bought me. The book is great I love his use of colour (Hockney's, not mine says Neil!) , so vibrant and energetic. We have got tickets to go and see his exhibition on the 5th March.

 

I've had the embellisher out again and made some cards to sell at our exhibition. I should do more with my embellisher but I never seem to have any ideas what to make which is a shame. Once I get started I enjoy it. 

I did start to quilt my star quilt but wasn't at all happy with it so I unpicked it and now I'm waiting for inspiration to strike, that could be some time!

A Birthday Treat

It was my birthday last Tuesday so on the Saturday before Neil and I went to London to the British Museum to see the Grayson Perry exhibition (which has now been extended, so if you fancy making the trip it is now on until 26th February).

     

The only photos you can take of the exhibition are of his motorbike. I was really pleased to have been able to see the exhibition. It's very varied using pieces from the museum's own collections alongside pieces made by Grayson and some that he had designed. The displays give you a brief insight into Grayson's life which is very complex. I'm reading his biography at the moment, I haven't read a book in ages so you can tell how good it is.

On Saturday evening we went to the Tower of London to watch the ceremony of the keys. We had a Yeoman Warder as our guide. They do not like to be referred to as Beefeaters, they see that as an insult. It relates back to the days when they were paid with an allowance of beef. Did you know that there are 44 plus families living inside the tower grounds? To become a Yeoman Warder you have to have served a minimum of 22 years in the armed forces and it is a job for life. We were told a lot of other interesting facts but I can't remember them. This is a free event and takes place every evening but you do have to book.  

This was the view from our hotel, we stayed at the Grange City hotel. The hotel building used to be Midland Bank's head office mail centre (in the days before HSBC) and in the mid eighties when Neil worked for the Bank in the City the staff canteen was on the top floor with this view. This seems to be a trend as he worked in two other buildings in the City that have now been converted to hotels, perhaps we'll try those soon!

I am so pleased, I've finished my holes. Lacing the fabric over the mount board took a while. I had to work with all the gathers and pleats but I got there in the end. I'm going to take it to the framers tomorrow.

Much Better

I took another picture of my Wonky Log Cabin and it has come out much better.

Something else I have been working on is this star quilt. It was quick to make and I enjoyed it, so much so that I'm thinking about making another one. For a different colourway check out Pam's blog. Pam is teaching it in April.

Enjoy your weekend and Gina if you read this I hope you're feeling better.

Wonky Log Cabin Finished

Remember these?

I finished putting them together a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to connect them to each other. I thought all I'd need to do was measure accurately but that doesn't mean it's pleasing to the eye so there was a lot of adjusting going on but I got there in the end. I wish I'd taken a better picture though, I'l take another one tomorrow this one doesn't show it at it's best.

I've called the hanging Attitude.

Lost In Lace

Last Tuesday Neil and I went to Birmingham to see the Lost In Lace exhibition.

These pictures are of the floor in the Gas Hall and I know that Pam in particular would like to see them.

The Gas Hall itself is a beautiful building and well worth a visit.

The exhibition was amazing, it doesn't finish until the 19th February so there is still time to visit.

There are exhibits of traditional lace on show, how it was made and its uses; and there is modern interpretation. The artists have played with scale and there are some very large pieces, the exhibition certainly challenges the uses of lace, and the way that you think of it.