HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 

to all UK mums !

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk  2017

Chateau Hexagon

Another long term project finished at last, more then a year in making - Chateau Hexagon, which was originally a button BOM by Lynette Anderson .

I quilted this one partly by hand, but mostly by machine.

I am slowly taking over all the available wall space in our house 😀.

This is the "Lynette Anderson" wall, by the side of the stairs.

I think I am "done" with Lynette for now (in the nicest possible way, of course), there are so many other things to make!

Despite the cold, and rain, and hailstones, and the horrid cold I am nursing at the moment, there is spring in our garden.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk  2017

wool cushion

This WIP has been around for quite a while, but I finished it at last and made it into a cushion.

The embroidery is done in wool thread on wool felt. Most of the embroidery is done in a chain stitch, and some satin stitch.

The design comes from this book by  Karin Holmberg.

The postman brought a fabric parcel from Germany yesterday, 

from the nice ladies at Cotton & Color
(because what ever I am doing, I am always thinking about another project 😉).

As Vreni rightly pointed out in her comment, the shop (and webshop) is in fact in Switzerland, on the border with Germany; my parcels are always posted in Germany.

I like their website, it is very easy to use, the selection of fabrics very much up to date, the colours true, the service is prompt and efficient. And you can still buy only 25 cm length; I find that some web shops one has to buy half a meter min.  

They have a huge selection of fabrics (they claim more then 5,000!). With so many fabrics in one place, paying little extra postage seems quite justified, considering that I can end up paying more if buying from more then one supplier here in UK, as I rarely seem to find what I am looking for in one place. 

The weather forecast for the week ahead is not good, 

the sewing room is going to be the best place!

*** Just a quick note re Margaret's comment below - I have ordered from this website several times and never paid more then the cost of postage for a large letter, well below 5 Euros; no other cost is involved. 

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2017

Quilters Patch quilt

Two more 12 in blocks done. 

The instructions by Edyta Sitar are very good; I find I really need to concentrate, mainly during cutting out, as each block has many pieces in various sizes. I haven't done this kind of patchwork for a while, applique seems so much easier 😧, but I am enjoying it.

"Delphiniums block"

"Cat block"

3 blocks completed so far

Cat

Cosmos

Delphiniums

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2017

easy miniature quilts

First March Sunday is only half way through and we have had it all - sun, rain, hailstones....yes, it is a miserable Sunday in England.

The first long awaited blossom of new camellia in our garden is here at last,
all soggy;

and the first primula. 

Like every spring, it is all there, just waiting...........

You might remember that I have a young stitching friend, my granddaughter. 

She is working on her new project, a miniature quilt.

This is an interesting applique method, where you don't actually have to stitch the applique pieces to the background fabric individually (to her great pleasure - impatient youth 😀). 

She just arranged her fabric shapes on a background fabric and secured with a temporary fabric glue (using a glue stick), we "sandwiched" her project as usual (wadding and backing), overlaid the top with a piece of fine tulle (you could use very fine organza), and now she is ready to quilt, which she will be doing on her machine, using just straight lines all over.

 The tulle keeps the shapes secure, as long as you stitch over every shape at least once.

This is a method Julia Gahagan from Home Grown Textiles is using, making her miniature quilts.

You can see her YouTube video here.

                                                         I started hand quilting Chateau Hexagon,



                             and last night I returned to a rather forgotten wool embroidery project.

I hope you are having a better weather where ever you are!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2017