A Group Outing

On Sunday a group of us went to the NEC for the Festival of Quilts. We had a lovely time and it was really nice to go in a group, even if we did temporarily lose one person!

We saw Julie's quilt which was stunning. It was nice to see it in the flesh. We also saw some of Gina's work. Her work was been used to promote the Julia Caprara School Of Textile Arts.

I did make a few considered purchases. Some fabric obviously, you can't go to a show like that and not buy any fabric.



A couple of kits.



A few books.

And some more, just in case.

I have finished my Flying Geese bag. The geese aren't meant to have points. I'm really pleased with how it has turned out.

I used plastic handles for a change.

This sunflower is in my garden, it's so pretty I thought I'd share it with you.

I have done some more work in my sketchbook but I'll show you that another day, but I will tell you that it involved something you would normally use in cooking.

Sketchbook Progress

I've been doing some more work in my sketch book, I thought I would keep going while the creative drawing flow was with me. It might not last long!

This is my bleach drawing finished.


When it was finished I started looking at the shape rather than the seed head.

This is what I ended up with.

And then I decided to take it further and try to turn it into a design. I think it worked quite well.

Then I went one step further and it was obvious that it was one step too far. This really doesn't work because the design has just got lost.

So I went one step back and I think this works much better. I'm not sure about the yellow though.

Sketchbook Work

Like all good students I have been working on my sketch book.

I wondered if maybe my problem with drawing had anything to do with being faced with a blank page. So I crumpled up some tissue paper and glued it onto these two pages then painted over it with gesso and I must admit that once I'd made that mess I didn't feel quite so intimidated.

So I went for it. I used oil pastels (as suggested by Gina ) to draw the cow parsley and I have since gone over it with green ink.


This time I had a go at drawing on a normal page. I have also gone over this one with ink and I think this one looks much better so I won't bother with the tissue paper again.

Here it is, I used the ink at full strength and I think it's too strong.

So I had another go. This time I used a metallic wax crayon and watered down the ink, it gives a much better result.

Here I was just messing about.

Then I decided to use the pages I had painted with the Koh-I-Noor paints.

I thought it looked like a corn field. So I drew some, please say you agree!

Just to show you that I have done some sewing this week. I'm making a bag with flying geese and yes I know they haven't got points. They aren't meant to have points it says so in the pattern. It has come up bigger than I imagined.

Enjoy your weekend.

Another Project Started

This is my summer project as set by Gina . I hate drawing, I'm really going to struggle with this but I will give it a go. You never know one day I might draw something recognisable.


Gina suggested we put this comment on the first page.





Why is it that an image can look perfect in your head and then when it gets on the paper it doesn't look how it's meant to!





Sorry about this picture blogger has turned it round. Didn't ask me if it could just did it, how rude.



I was experimenting with bleach, another of Gina's suggestions. I hadn't done this technique before, I'd have another go but with a better brush. I have done a bit more to this attempt since taking this picture.




This is just two pages that I coloured in using Koh-I- Noor paints. The blue was meant to be purple but never mind.


It does suggest a field though.

Finishing Things

Last week I started quilting my half-square triangles quilt, but then I lost the pictures and couldn't show you but I've managed to find them. I have now finished the quilting so all I have to do now is the binding.


Here's a shot of the back.



This is something else I've managed to get finished this week. A bag for Barbara,
it was meant to be part of her birthday present. Her birthday was in June. For some unknown reason I had a mental block with this bag and I really struggled to make it. The annoying thing is I've made one before with no problems.



I ended up putting on a self cover button because I just couldn't find one to match or that looked right. Even though it was late Barbara was pleased with it.

We have had a new Australian magazine in at the shop this week. It's a lovely magazine which is going to be issued three times a year.

For those of you who like to crotchet there is an article on the technique. In case you wanted to know the pattern for this teapot cosy is in a book called Really Wild Tea Cosies by Loani Prior. If I could crotchet I would make it.

And there is an article about keeping sketch books. I'm going to pay particular attention to this one. My homework for the summer is to keep one and I'm hopeless at drawing so I just feel intimidated at the thought of this, but I've got to do it so I'll give it a go.

Enjoy your weekend.

Missing Pictures Found

I have found the photos that I tried to load onto blogger last week, I'm just hoping they don't disappear again before I get to the end of this post. Maybe it would be a good idea to save as I go along, I'll do it now! Fingers crossed.

But first some pictures of my Rail Fence quilt. I didn't really need to make another quilt but hey why should that stop anybody. I love the fabric and just had to use it and I've wanted to do rail fence for a while now so I did.


It's Tilda fabric and so pretty.



And now the pictures of the Red Arrows at RAF Wittering last week. I used my phone to take the pics but I'm hoping you will be able to click on them to get a larger picture.

Hopefully next year I will be better prepared. If that's possible for me.

And The Winner Is

As promised the draw took place on Saturday and Pam's name was picked.

I did try to post on Saturday. I put some lovely pictures on, clicked on the done button and they all disappeared. I had taken me ages to load them onto blogger and I'd had a feeling something was going to go wrong and sure enough it did.

This is a post without any pictures as I'm hoping they are still on my computer somewhere. I had some pictures of the family day we went to at RAF Wittering last week. The Red Arrows were there doing their display and it was the best one I'd seen for a long time. They flew lower than normal and came in over the crowd. The Harrier was there as well of course. We didn't get to see the other displays as we had been told about the day at short notice and needed to get back to work but I am looking forward to next year. We also met some of Nick's work colleagues which was nice. He seems happy to be back at Wittering and I know Steph is looking forward to moving back.

I will have a look for the pictures and post again in the week.

100th Post

I can't believe I've made it to 100 posts. There is a celebratory giveaway but it's at the bottom of this post. In typical Angela fashion I've loaded my pictures onto blogger in the wrong order, sort of on par with how the rest of the week has gone.

It's been quite a while since my last post, but I have been busy.

I have spent time working on my 3D piece for my City and Guilds. It has taken longer than I anticipated and the weaving was very fiddly and annoying but I'm very pleased with the finished vessel.


I enjoyed using some of my treasures. I've been collecting them for years (as you can imagine) and it was enjoyable rooting through them deciding what to use and then of course because they are treasures they bring back memories.

Last Saturday we had a Bargello workshop at the shop and right at the last minute I decided to give it a go. I didn't get as far as the other ladies who went away with borders on their quilts and they also got them layered up and basted, but thats what happens when you don't start until 2 in the afternoon. But I am very very pleased with my quilt.

Like everything else I do it has now got more complicated. I'm not putting a straight border on - I'm going to do Prairie Points. Never done them before but I'd never done a Bargello before so I might as well jump in with both feet.

Now we get to the giveaway. A few little goodies.

And also this little bag I made. I used a very pretty batik fabric and the picture doesn't do it justice. There will of course be some chocolate.

This is another bag that I made for Steph.

Nick starts his new job on Monday. He is moving back to Wittering so Steph will be closer to home. Hopefully he will be there longer than the 18 months he has been at Henlow.

They haven't been married for a year yet but they have had their fair share of upheaval but I guess that's life in the RAF.

Enjoy your weekend and good luck with the giveaway. I've just realised I forgot to say the giveaway will be a draw, to enter just leave a comment on this post and I will do a draw next Saturday.

A Finished Quilt Top

Last week I ordered some fabric from Sal Snippets the fabric is lovely and bright. I have no idea what I am going to do with it but I love it.

I recieved excellent service the fabric arrived within a couple of days and the lady very kindly sent me an extra piece. If your stash is running low (a problem we all suffer with!) have a look at her site, there is a lot of choice.



A very kind friend made me this lovely, gorgeous, colourful ever-so-posh shopping bag. Isn't it great? I went to M&S the evening before last and of course I used it.

It's hanging on my kitchen door at the moment because I like looking at it. She has lined it in red which is my favourite colour. Thank you so much Sam.


My half square triangle quilt top is finished. I used a fat quarter of each fabric and they have also done the border and there is more than enough left to make the binding.

The border is pieced from rectangles I had left over from cutting the squares to start with. The squares were 7" so I got four from each quarter which gives you some idea of how much fabric is left.

All I have to do now is layer it up and baste it, the part I hate. But I'm looking forward to quilting this one.

Two Years Are Up

Yesterday was the end of a two year journey. The City and Guilds course I have been doing came to an end. Well it did for all the other ladies but not for me I still have three projects to finish and an issue with drawing to resolve. To see some absolutely fantastic work pop over to her Fan My Flame and take a look.

This is my second project, which has to be in three dimensions. I was going to make a vase but it has evolved into a vessel/sculpture. But not an Octopus or Squid as it looks here - it's a work in progress. I thought this would be soo easy to make, how wrong can you be. It seems that I can't do anything simply. This has been part of my reason for not finishing. I get an idea and won't compromise over how things should be done, I just make it harder for myself.

I am enjoying this project, it feels as if anything goes and you can have lots of fun and it's given me the chance to use some of my treasures.

I need to tell you about a new blog on the block. Baldies On Tour the

blog is written by Gina's son Joe. He and a group of friends have gone traveling and this is their on-line record of all the fun they are having, so go and have a look.