FNwF - circle play

Once again big "thank you" to Cheryll for getting us together for little crafting. 

Where do the months go?

I am just about to start on loads of very small log cabin blocks for the Grandmother's Garden quilt, which of course is time consuming and it means spending time at the sewing machine.

So, to offset that with something very easy (and to have something to do while watching TV), I have been deciding on a very simple project, using only fabrics from my stash - just playing really.

The bottom fabric in the picture is traditional Czech hand dyed "modrotisk" (blue print) fabric, which I have several meters of, including other designs.

I used to bring it back from my trips home, long before my quilt making days. It is very similar to Hungarian Kekfesto fabric, and not unlike African Shwe Shwe indigo fabrics .

As it happens I also found blue on white fabrics, which go very well with the main blue one. 

My plan (if I can call it that) is just to play with circles in various colours, and again I have been rummaging through my stash for suitable colours.

This is a rough idea  of what I want to do.

I  randomly joined together blue and white blocks, and started to make colour circles. I have enough blue print fabric for the back as well, but I don't plan to make this into a quilt as such, but a coverlet without wadding, and join the front and back with large Kantha type stitches. 

So this is where I got to on Friday night.

To make circles, I am using old Christmas cards for templates; 

I spray some starch into a little pot with a lid, so it doesn't dry out. 

I brush little of the starch around the edge on the wrong side,

          

press and when dry, remove the template.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

little housekeeping

I looked at my blog "Reading List" the other day - it is sooo long! 

It seems that after 10 years of my blogging life I am now following over 400 blogs. This obviously isn't true; many of those blogs have long been retired, or their owners for whatever reason haven't posted for a long time, or quite simply I no longer want to follow them.

So, some drastic action was needed. I have now deleted my whole Reading list, which has deleted me from all the followers lists. 

I am now in the process of re-visiting blogs in "Blogs I Follow" in my side bar, and re-registering as a Follower, or deleting them. I have done quite a few so far, but this obviously will take some time, so if I have vanished from your Followers list, bare with me, I will find you again!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

It was white outside when I woke up this morning - a hail storm during the night.

Thankfully it did not last; I am dreaming of spring........😟

I finished the first lot of applique leaves on my Grandmother's Flower Garden
(there will be lots more later);
the pattern gives an option to finish the quilt at this point, just back it and quilt.
But I am in for the full journey, for now anyway.
Unfortunately the artificial light inside doesn't help to take good pictures,
so this is the best I could do today.

For my applique I am using thin cotton thread, No 60. 

I have slowly built up a collection of colours, and these, together with a very thin applique needle, make the sewing very easy and quick.

The next border will be made up from small 3 inch log cabin blocks.

I have made the first 4, which are for the corners.

I am making a good use of the "Bloc-Loc" log cabin ruler,

which I bough at a show some time ago, and only now it has become useful.

This will mean spending time upstairs at the sewing machine,

so for my evening crafting in front of TV I have picked up the crochet hook again
to carry on with the Arabian Nights blanket.

By the way, I have been forced to turn on "comment moderation",  because I received some unwelcome comments on my blog, and I do object to anyone trying to advertise their cleaning services on my blog.
I don't like doing it, because I like to see my comments posted when I comment on others, but I hope this will not put you off from leaving a comment, if you feel like it 😉

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

Wet and windy weather has been replaced by frosty nights and calmer, sunny days; days you want to be outside.

This morning's crispy walk took us by a smallholding on the edge of town;

I was pleased to see that the long feathered geese made it past Christmas 😀

Little acknowledgement from the pony;

  

but the alpacas in their woolly winter coats couldn't be bothered to come and say hello this morning. 

 First snowdrops in the churchyard,

 and yellow aconites opening up in the park.

Back at home I finished a half of the leaf border on the Grandmother's Garden quilt. 

I am using a straight forward needleturn applique, which is quick and I feel most comfortable with.

I am rather addicted to this quilt at the moment, and I can't wait for the next stage, which will be a border of small log cabin blocks.

Those of you who follow Barbara Brackman's blog might have seen her interesting post on 16th January "Pattern Blocks", in which she writes about " orphan quilt blocks", and which have become very collectable. 

Some of them dating as far back as the start of 20th century, these were not quilt blocks to be part of any quilt, but to keep as a reference, a part of a quilt pattern library or to share a particular pattern with others. 

Therefore they were not necessarily well stitched, as their permanence wasn't the most important thing, and often they had to be unpicked and re-stitched, to be able to copy them over and over again. 

Today of course we can find a pattern for any block in many places, be it books, magazines or online.

In those days sharing a block with your friends in this way would had been the easiest way to get a new pattern.

And sharing is something which we quilters do so well, don't we!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020

Despite the horrible weather outside, 

my Grandmother's Flower Garden has been growing inside,

and the central panel made from 91 hexagon flowers is finished.

Even the unenviable task 

of removing all basting stitches 

and papers from hexies is done.

I have stitched the flower panel to a square of white background fabric (same fabric as white hexies)

 and now I am in the process of sewing on bias strips for the stems.

Next step - 168 leaves to be applique along the stems.

I think I will use EPP method again and remove the papers from the back later.

I hadn't done too much EPP before, but I am certainly warming up to it; so easy to do anywhere!

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In the post this week - new supply of DK wool for the Arabian Nights blanket,
which has been patiently waiting in its bag since last autumn!

By the way, John Arbon wool mill has open weekend in June (6th and 7th),

 in case you are in Devon at that time (details on their website), 

but they also have a shop in Lynton on the coast.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2010-2020