Fabric Fusion

This is the finished piece for my friend I have been working on. It's now with the proud owner and hanging on her wall. I'm not sure if I said before but one of the workshops I teach is a six day course covering different dyeing techniques, printing, stamping, paint sticks etc etc. At the end some students decided to trade work so the fabric has been "created" by lots of different ladies. The owner of this is just about to go and have a major back op so I have made it as a kind of gift. Her brief was to make it look like it had been thrown at the wall, nothing too formal. This photo doesn't show up all the detail but I used hand and machine stitching with different binding techniques.

These beads were from some curtain fringing.

Blanket stitch with beads attached.

Seals, fabric cuffs and fireworks

Yesterday we all managed to get up and out early so that we could go and see these amazing seals. We are lucky enough to live quite near a nature reserve, Donner Nook in North Lincolnshire which grey seals go to each year to breed. It is really well "policed" with volunteers from the Wildlife trust making sure that the public don't disrupt the seals, we are also contained behind a strong fence. In the past week there were 134 babies born (according to the statistics in the information shed).
Having never been before I was surprised at just how close to the fence some of the seals where. You can see the shadows of people behind the fence on this baby and mum -

I couldn't resist a close up of mums face, nor the baby below.

Once home I received these in the post -
I now belong to Fibre Arts Trading Group and this was the first trade I took part in. Thank you so much to Trees and Laura if you read this post, I can't wait to wear them. I am a bit worried though as I sent off my cuffs over a week ago and my trade partners haven't received them yet. These were the cuffs I made, I have fingers and toes crossed that they arrive safely.

The day finished with us going to a fireworks display, I discovered that my digital camera has a firework setting so I wanted to play with that
I'm going to use some of the images and print them onto fabric for my November journal quilt.

Rusting

I've been having a play with some rusting powder from Crafty Notions. If you want to see how I did it check out my other blog. This is a blog set up when my friend and I decided to challenge ourselves. The first thing we did was to use discharge paste. the results were very different. Pop over and have a look, its called Expedition Quilt Art.

Interesting Journey

On Saturday I travelled with a good friend, three children and a boot full of fabric, thread, sewing machine and embellisher machine to a Quilter Guild Area 10 day. On the way we saw this -

and this -
altogether there were three of them -
These straw mammoths were just standing in a field with collecting boxes to raise money for the children's ward at the local hospital. It surprised me that there were lots of CCTV cameras on them but I've since found out that the first mammoth was set on fire by arsonists.

I had a really good day, catching up with friends and running a children's workshop. I love working with children as they don't know that they can't do anything and have a go! They really enjoyed using an embellisher machine and made some Xmas decorations. I really enjoy the show and tell, lots of talented ladies in Lincolnshire. I was going to be strong and not buy any fabric, I'm pleased to say that I stayed strong and didn't buy any fabric..........until the last hour anyway. I found a Halloween panel that I must have had 8-10 years, I have promised the boys to make it up this year so these three will go alongside it.

I am coming to the end of a seven week stretch at a local village school. I gave up my full time teaching post a year ago as I just didn't have any work life balance. Slowly over the past few weeks my time has been taken away from me again with planning, marking and all the other things teachers have to do. No sewing, no family time and I got a really bad cold that still hasn't totally cleared. After half term I am back to regular supply teaching and working as an adult tutor, fingers crossed more time for sewing and work on my diploma (I am very behind with this). I'm also behind on lots of e-mails and blogging - sorry :-)

A few months ago I promised a friend that I would put these pieces of fabric into a wall hanging. She did a workshop with me, over six weeks it covered dyeing, printing, stamping, rusting and everyone on the workshop made some fabric to share with each other. This is why there are a great many textures and colours-
She doesn't blog so I can share this image. Rather than do neat seams I think I am going to overlap everything to give a more organic look, this is my latest arrangement but it changes almost daily. I am going to see her next Friday so I do need to start asap!!

Ferret workshop

This is the outcome of the workshop last weekend. It was one of the most relaxing I have been to, I learnt such a lot though. It was a great day with lovely people to chat to as well. I am quite pleased with the machine quilting although its hard to see on this photo. My machine quilting gets to a point when I think its not bad then I don't do any for ages.

Since seeing Philippa Naylors quilts I have decided that I must improve my machine quilting. I forgot to mention last time that I bought Philippa's book, Quilting in the Limelight at her workshop. It is the story of Philippas life in quilting alongside lots of techniques. The photos are stunning, perhaps the best that I have seen in any quilting book.

Autumn Sunset & workshops

After seeing the sunset on Julie's blog, I thought I would share the amazing sunset I captured earlier this week outside my window. Julie lives about 30 miles away from me. One advantage of Lincolnshire is that it's very flat with huge skies.
I do sometimes feel privileged that this is literally outside my window.

I am looking forwards to a quiet weekend as for the past two weekends I have been doing workshops, two weeks ago I did a day with Philippa Naylor. She was a really good tutor and very generous in sharing her knowledge. Last weekend saw me at a QGBI Region 10 day with Ferret. She was a really good speaker and not at all fazed when a lady came into the hall, shouting, "can the scouts use the toilets". The workshop on Sunday was Art Quilts by Numbers, it was a great day and lots was learnt. I will take a photo of my swan tomorrow so you can see what I did. I must admit that the curved Philippa Naylor sample isn't quite so finished.
Just to prove though I have been stitching, this was one of my lastest journal quilts made with bleached fabrics -

I'm also pleased to report that DS loves secondary school, my little boy is growing up fast. He has just discovered the embellisher machine and is starting to make some Christmas presents. Maybe I ought to start too!

Slipping through my fingers.................................

Well today was the day that DS1 left me to go to Secondary school. I promised not to take any photos so this was his short journey from our gate up to the top of the lane (by the white house). It has brought back so many memories of his sudden arrival into the world eleven weeks early. The song "Slipping through my fingers" by Abba has just been going round and round inside my head as the lyrics seem so appropriate. In case you don't know or remember it starts like this (the original was about a girl though)-

"School bag in hand he leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent minded smile
I watch him go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing him forever
And without really entering his world
I'm glad whenever I can share his laughter
That funny little boy"

His feet are two sizes larger than mind and he does keep hassling me for a new quilt, one which covers his toes. I have the fabric and design, why can't I buy time?

After taking the above photo this morning I also took one of the view from my front window -

This was on a cloudy day but the sunsets are amazing. We are lucky enough to see barn owls as well as many other birds and wildlife. Foxes are definitely not welcome though as last Winter we lost chickens, ducks and geese.

Off now to bake a chocolate cake and smartie cookies by request.