"Awakening"

So, here is the start of my new large project for this year, the "Awakening". I came across this quilt, or rather a picture if it, when I was making "Gardenhurst". 

In the introduction to her book "Focus on Applique" Irene Blanck writes about her early starts of quilt designing, and about her quilt "Awakening", which has a special meaning to her. I loved it immediately, however the instructions for it are not included in the book, and I could not find anyone who stocks the pattern. So I contacted Irene directly and she very kindly copied the pattern for me.

As you can see it is all about angels.

My earliest encounter with an angel I can remember was when I was very, very small.

There is a Czech Tradition on 6th December (or the eve of, the start of the Christmas period) when you can see Mikulas (St Nicholas), often accompanied by Angel and Devil.

If you click on the link you can read all about it.

I have this very distant memory of someone knocking on our apartment door, and when my parents opened it, there was Mikulas, with beautiful Angel who was all in white. Devil was all in black and red, with big horns on his head and rattling his chains.  You can just imagine the picture, and the impression it makes on a small child. 

They ask children if they have been good, and of course they have and they get a present.
 (The alternative is getting a piece of coal from Devil or being put in his sack !) 

I remember the Angel being beautiful in the white dress, with large wings.

Much later I found out (of course) that they were my parent's friends, dressed in costumes from the local theatre. 😀

Of course Angels come in all shapes and sizes, in various disguises all through our life. 

You would think that for a non- believer like me this would be hard to square up, but I am OK with Angels (and Fairies for that matter), because I am sure they were around when I needed them.........

I have been collecting some fabrics fot this project for some time, but it is inevitable that more will have to be found in my stash as the quilt progresses.

There are many "Angel" quotes as part of the blocks, but at the moment I don't think I will include them in my quilt, and I might have to slightly re-design some of the blocks.

I am not following the order of the pattern. I prefer to start from the middle, so I have started with the "Central Guardian Angel".

I haven't yet joined all the pieces together, but this is how it will look.

My second large block is "Postie Angel", as not yet complete.

  I wish you good stitching week, where ever you are!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2019

Mystical Lanterns Crochet Blanket

It took a while, but here it is!

Designed by Janie Crow ( or Jane Crawfoot ), 

using Stylecraft Life DK, 

which is a mixture of wool and acrylic.

Now washed and stretched.

Only when seeing this picture I realised that the colours are similar 

to the embroidered wool cushion I made some time ago.

The blanket is an addition to our living room, 

where I can enjoy seeing it, and we can use it when needed.

I really had fun making it, using all those colours.

I have re-discovered crochet and I am enjoying it again, so I plan making another one of Janie Craw's designs, using even brighter colours!

I will keep you posted.....

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2019

driftwood cottage

I don't advertise or allow others to advertise on my blog, but occasionally I come across something from the world of crafts, which I would like to share with you; be it a picture, a design, other people's work. I stress that this is not for an advertising sake, but because I consider it beautiful, or unusual, and I want to show it to you.

This was a Christmas present for a family member, so I could not show it much earlier.

When looking for presents ideas, 

I remembered reading a magazine article some time back about
Gaynor - Woody Woman's World , and luckily I still had the magazine with the link to her website.

This is one of her creations.

There are many people collecting driftwood and making stuff from it.

But there are not many with the imagination, artistic vision and skill to produce something this special.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2019

Last night was the first FNwF of the year, our monthly "cyber get together". 

Big THANK YOU to Cheryll and her blog for being such a great host, as always.

It is nice to know that there are others stitching away at the same time

(with some time difference, of course!)

What was I up to last night?

Nothing very exiting, I am afraid.

During the week I finished the last motif of Mystical Lanterns crochet blanket (hurrah!!!), but now I have the boring job of weaving all those loose ends in, before I can joint it all together. I know, the sensible thing to do is to weave them in as I go along, but I am not that organised 😒

So, I put my feet up and watched the last episode of the latest "Luther" series. 

All that action and number of dead bodies definitively took my mind of the boring task! 

I won't say any more, in case you haven't seen it yet!

So, this is where I am now, nearly half way done.

I returned to crochet some 18 months ago, after a break of many years, and I am really enjoying it, partly because it is so portable, but also because there are now so many new and exiting designs out there, and a big variety of yarns in so many beautiful colours.

Mystical Lanterns is a design by Janie Crow ; I have enjoyed making it, and I am now looking at one of her other patterns, but I need to finish this one first.

I have also nearly finished "Lost in Time" shawl by Johanna Lindahl; it just needs blocking out.

I hope to show it to you soon.

I am also seriously looking at starting the "Awakening" quilt soon; I am happy with the selection of fabrics I now have for it. 

I am so looking forward to doing applique again, I have missed it!

Lots to do, and that is not counting UFO's.

I really want to finish "St Germain" quilt this year, I just need to get some wadding and it will be ready to be quilted. And this is where I got stuck a bit; I want to use this quilt on my bed, so it needs to be quite warm. I am considering a wadding which has some element (but not all) of wool, and I would be grateful for any suggestions - have you used something similar? 

The days are slowly getting longer now, but it has been very cold in our part of the world this week, so crafting inside, in the warm, possibly with a good DVD, is just the best thing!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2019

So here we are, a new year is here! 

I would like to say a big THANK YOU for all your comments, your support and friendship in 2018; this blog would be nothing without you.

I wish you good health and lots of happiness, and many new and exiting projects, those you are planning already and those you don't yet know about 😀.

I can't wait to see all your new ideas 

and I also look forward to sharing my work with you.

I am raising my glass to

HAPPY 2019!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2018