Winter version of Singing Garden quilt series finished at last!

Am I glad to see the end of this quilt. Took ages. Put the last stitches in about an hour ago. It's been blocked and bound. Only a label to attach and that is THAT!  Have now completed the three Singing Garden Quilts - spring/summer - autumn and this winter one.

Now to the next UFO - an old lilac sampler quilt top begun years ago and half finished.
Watch this space!

Lovely quilt at Harrogate based on Wm Morris designs looked familiar!

May 2012

Made in memory of my husband.

POLLY AND HELEN ARE THE NEW WORLD CHAMPIONS!

On the podium as National Anthem plays at Chungju

Interviewed by John Inverdale for BBC2 programme 3pm today and tomorrow.

I AM ONE PROUD GRANDMA!!

World Rowing Championships, Chungju - Polly and Helen win semi-finals.

It's very HOT and very HUMID at Chungju - South Korea.
Helen and Polly try to cool off before their race - which they won.

Finals on Saturday - 7.03am our time.

Click on link below to access world rowing site and videos of races:

WOMENS PAIR W2- semi race at world championships.

Latest jumper - 24th!!

Same jumper pattern - same needles - and some free wool - but am getting clever - cos I've added cabling on the front, back and sleeves. Makes it more interesting. Knitted a matching bobble hat with leftover wool.
Will knit one more jumper - as I still have some free wool - making it 25 jumpers since Stephen died three years ago - and that's IT!

During the winter instead of knitting whilst watching TV - I plan to have a go at making an old fashioned quilt - mostly appliqué - wait for it . . . . by hand!

Meanwhile have nearly finished the 3rd (winter) Singing Garden quilt but still have a couple more UFO's to tackle before bad weather sets in.    Brrh . . .

Golden Girls won Gold medals at Lucerne today!

Hugs after the race - we did it!

Polly (Swann) and Helen (Glover) have won Gold medals at all three World Cups this year :
i)  Sydney, Australia -
ii) Eton Dorney, UK
iii) Lucerne, Switzerland.

Helen was a 2012 Olympic Gold medallist, partnered at the time by Heather Stanning who has returned to her duties in the army. Polly is Helen's new partner, and my grand-daughter.

You can see them row on BBC2 tomorrow - Monday -  at 3pm BST.

Then it's back to training for the World Championships in August at South Korea. It's all go go go, but how exciting. Only young once - got to enjoy and make the best of it while they have the chance!

Helen and Polly win GOLD!

Joyful winners!

Cool rowing . . .

Looks a bit cool and misty at Dorney Lake this morning for rowing whereas the first World Cup was held in brilliant sunshine at Sydney Australia in March when Helen Glover (Olympic champion) and Polly Swann ( my grand-daughter) won Gold medals in the women's pair.

Fans at Dorney were photographed with Helen and Polly this morning at second World Cup after winning their Heat.
Helen and Polly now go through to the A Final - to be televised Sunday on BBC2.
All the luck in the world, gals!

Quilting fabric v sheeting . . be careful . .

Here is a close up of the quilting fabric (WS) I used for the top and below it you can see white sheeting I used to back the quilt.
There is a vast difference in thread count and the reason the sheeting was more difficult to quilt - with its incredible tighter weave.

So disappointed - I could weep . . .

struggling

Very disappointed with the quilting on my latest UFO - winter version of the Popular Patchwork Singing Garden quilt which was my favourite of the three.

I bought some fine 100% white cotton from Empress Mills (Colne) to back the quilt - but it has too tight a weave. Lovely fabric and quite perfect for sheeting but not for backing a quilt. It is harder for the needle to pierce the fabric at high speed.
To add insult to injury, the charcoal Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabric I chose to piece the top has a metallic coating, as does the white Michael Miller Fairy Frost background tho' not as thick - makes quilting across seams wellnigh impossible.  And believe me, there's a lot of seams in this quilt.

The needle comes to a full stop when it meets a seam. Tried different size needles -  thought it might be my Juki, so tried quilting on each of my two Berninas and met with same problem.
Both fabrics are OK for appliqué or stitch-in-the-ditch quilting.

The beige Michael Miller fabric I used in the autumn version is not as thick and secondary fabric was a thin batik thus no problems with seams. Quilted beautifully.

It's such a shame. I intend to continue quilting as much as possible but it doesn't look right which means this quilt will never see the light of day.

Must be careful in future when choosing fabrics for piecing and backing. Make sure they do not have a tight weave or/and thick metallic coatings.  All that work . . . makes me want to cry . . . Boo hoo . . . .

There's a life beyond quilting when it's HOT!

You think you can quilt?

Ah yes, you think you can quilt - until you come across another quilter's Blog and then - WOW - realise you have a long way to go . . . .
Happened to me this morning . . . .

It may be HOT but it's lunchtime and I'm hungry . . .

Buy a Supreme Slider? DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

Had a fit this afternoon when I received an email from a company which was advertising threads, plus Supreme Sliders at a cost of £52.95.
Yes, you read correctly - £52.95 or $82.28 in US money.

I paid £3.99 for the above Tefal non-stick baking sheet at either Lidl or Aldi (can't remember it was so long ago). I also use a sheet of it when doing appliqué or refurbishing Bondaweb that's come apart.

Looking at the above picture it's a bit 'Heath Robinson' but works brilliantly.  Quilt slides easily over the surface with no bumps or raised bits to hamper movement.
Used duck tape to keep the sheet in place after cutting out a small opening to allow the needle to function.
The extension table slips out to enable me to change bobbins - oil machine etc.,

Got the idea from Down by the River Blog whilst browsing online a couple of years ago.

SO DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!

Lovely lovely summer days . . .

Young starlings trying to keep cool

This is better!

Hurry up it's my turn!

It may be late - but spring has well and truly arrived . .

Lots of colour

Ring neck doves waiting for food

Black bird feeding its young - can just see baby in bushes

Here it is - young blackbird

And again

Young starling

Young sparrow

Pigeons waiting to pounce on food

And here's their relatives . . waiting . . .!!

Made matching hat this evening . .

Latest 'ugly jumper' - number 23!

23rd jumper knitted since Stephen died!

Same pattern for all the jumpers - just use different coloured wools.

Got a bit adventurous with this one - added a cable down the front. Have wool for 24th waiting in the knitting basket. 

Perpetual knitting gives me something to do in the evening when watching telly. Makes it less lonesome somehow. 

I quilt in the early morning - paint in the afternoon - bit of light dusting and washing up between times - followed by mindless knitting in the evening.  That's my day, folks. Every day. Sad ain't it!

The spine operation on 12th February - up to present time - is not proving a success - leaving me in pain and less mobility.

Calamity! Lost without my Juki . . .

needle bar thread bracket

I snapped the needle bar thread bracket on my Juki - see above. Now have to wait until I can obtain a replacement. It's only a tiny gadget - but without it threads continually shred.  A bloomin' nuisance to say the least.

Thought: "Oh, no matter, I'll use my trusty old Bernina while I'm waiting for the part!"

This mechanical Bernina 1015 is a great machine - no doubt about it  - and has served me well over the years but since taking up free-motion-quilting with a vengeance I find the Bernina fine for ordinary piecing and appliqué - but no good for the speed and accuracy I require for my work.

I set the Bernina up for fmq and started quilting.  My goodness, how s -l -o -w  and what a palaver!
Not only the smaller 'harp' which means having to push and shove the quilt around, plus without the automatic thread cutter it made quilting ten times harder than using the Juki and I did not enjoy it one little bit.

Bernina 1015

I've decided to set the this UFO quilt aside until the spare part arrives - soon I hope - for my beloved juki. (Angie, please note.)

Anchored and ready to go . . .

Winter Singing Garden Quilt

Sat  at my kitchen table at 7 am and stitched for an hour. I usually spend the first hour of the day at my sewing machine - in my dressing gown - with a cup of tea beside me. Gets the creative juices going and a good start to the day. I paint my pictures in the afternoon and knit in the evening while watching TV. Keeps me busy and prevents me feeling lonely.

Back to the quilt:  have anchored the blocks and appliqué - now ready to begin quilting. No idea - as yet - of how I'm going to tackle the design - so will make a start in the centre of a familiar block  - 'Square Dance' - and just hope inspiration will descend upon me as I quilt.

Failing inspiration I shall have to fall back on good old 'vermicelli.'

Stolen Quilts . . . please help!

Rosy's sampler quilt

Yvonne's quilt

These are just two of the 40 quilts stolen from Empress Mills last weekend. They were to be part of Empress Mills Exhibition.

The sampler quilt was made by Rosy at my heirloom sampler workshops at Bilsborrow, and Yvonne made this lovely scrap quilt for her daughter at my home quilting classes, so I know the vast amount of time and work they put into creating these lovely bed quilts.

If anyone sees either of these quilts or obtains any information regarding their whereabouts please contact Empress Mills in Colne, Lancashire Tel: 01282 863181 - or leave a message here.

Blossom abounds . . but no bees . .

Lots of blossom this year - 2013 - but no bees

Bees nesting in birdbox last year -2012

Am surrounded by blossom in the garden - but not a bee in sight, whereas last year they settled in one of the bird boxes. Very worrying.
Does this mean I have to go round dusting the blossom with a soft paintbrush to ensure an apple crop?

Autumn Singing Garden quilt finished - now for the Winter version . .

Autumn version of Singing Garden quilt

Thought it would never be done . . 

I was fed up of seeing this quilt under my Juki - thought it would never be finished - what with my spine operation coming in between start and finish and unable to quilt for a couple of months. However, here it is in all its final glory and I quite like it tho it was certainly not my favourite of the 3 Singing Garden Quilts of Popular Patchwork fame.

My favourite is next on the starting block - already under the Juki - ready to start . . . . not sure how to begin or the style of quilting or which thread to use. Hoping inspiration will raise it's head whilst I'm anchoring the quilt and trying different threads for the fmq.

 Winter version of Singing Garden Quilt

My favourite of the 3 versions

original spring/summer version featured as BOM in Popular Patchwork magazine.

Polly Parrot says to Polly Swann . ."aren't we just two pretty pollys with our golden plumage!

My Fast Diet. Will this really work?

Ate 'fairly' normal yesterday - Tuesday - and did NOT eat Magnum choc bar as planned. Found I was cautious (sort of) in what I ate even though it was an off-diet day.

From what I can (honestly) remember I ate the following:

Tea - 2 bananas - toast - prawns - salad - tomato soup - small tuna/pasta salad - 5 Rich Tea biscuits - numerous cups of tea - one large coffee - 3 boiled sweets. Ah - just remembered - 2 slices of homemade cherry and walnut cake I baked last week. Still edible.

Perhaps with hindsight it wasn't  'cautious' eating. More like eating non-stop throughout the day, but ate NOTHING after 6 pm!

Had cup of tea and a banana this morning (Wednesday) followed by a large cup of coffee with single cream and one slice of buttered toast.

If I lose weight on this diet it will be a miracle.