Christmas Countdown

148 days to go...

I must have something to show for each day, even if it's just a doodle of an idea in my note book!

Do I sound desparate?

It's the End of July

Yes, the end of July is here and what have I got to show for it?
I have been gathering reference for module 3, lots of spirals in
many forms. I have a head full of ideas of what I want to do
but I also have the school holidays to contend with. I hope to
start painting papers tomorrow so 10 yr old son may be interested
in joining me as it could get messy! Surely it beats PSP - PS2 games
any day??????

Thameside Quilters' Quilts and Roses Show - 23-24 June 2007

As promised, Sara, here is a selection of the quilts shown at this years quilt show, for more quilts try the link to Thameside Quilters, hopefully this years show has been uploaded. Otherwise browse the previous years shows.

Each of these chickens had names begining with H!

This quilt won the Visitor's Choice vote

This one is mine that I made for my son. I fell in love with the horse fabric, ended up buying complimantary fabrics and the black for dramatic contrast. I sewed the blocks together whilst on holiday - hence the title- and the black blocks are quilted with images from the area and the things we did whilst there. Try clicking on the quilt for a more detailed image.

I really not sure how to arrange these photos as they are uploaded

but atleast they are here!

Hope you enjoyed them, we had better start making new ones for next year!

Christmas Countdown

167 days to go!!

Kantha Sample of Six Feet Deep

Okay, well the vacuum cleaner didn't quite shout loud enough! Thought you would like the photo downloading instead, hope you can make it out. Four guitars, a drum kit and a key board. Will keep you posted as I go along showing it at different stages of completion. It's a great "waiting for .........................to end"(fill in the gap here!) activity. Usually "Son's trumpet lesson" in my case!

Six Feet Deep, Argus Filtch and the Mystery of My Untidy Work Room

David Bradley aka Argus Filtch with two Muggles

Well it's not really a mystery I am half way through reorganising my workroom, clearing out the black and white and installing all the new threads and stuff I have been squirrelling away during module 2! Even so I still found time for a visit to my local garden centre, which has a craft shop and wool shop - which are in the process of closing down due to rebuild of garden centre later in year , it's sad to see them go and its the only reason I go to this centre as is the reason alot of ladies I see there so that's the garden centre's business scuppered once they reopen!!!!! Anyway it was a business meeting of sorts as I met up with two friends I run a toddler group with and one friend has decided, after time off due to breast cancer,( now recovering well), that she will not be returning. It was rather sad but I understand, inevitable due to many reasons, some being church politics but I won't go there! My friend has been running the club with me for 12 years so it's the end of an era. So we had a coffee or two , gossiped, laughed and then went our merry ways - me going to craft and wool shops for more goodies for module 3. After parcels arriving from Rainbow Silks - markel sticks, solvy paper and markel embossing plates - you know the ones , large black groovy boards that Maggie used last week and from Fred Aldous - corrugated card you would think I had enough! So why did I need 3 balls of wool, 2 stamps with spirals, some Pinfair polystyrene forms - that could be used for tassel forms once I have drilled the centres out - and a book on tassel and cord making? Can't answer that one...



Last week end my husband's band "Six Feet Deep",( not a suggestion as to where they should be but a misunderstanding of how deep the Mississippi is! It's a long story!), had their annual "Pop in the Paddock", everyone else had Live Earth , but we had a celebrity attend in the form of Mr Filtch of Harry Potter fame - he even sang with the band! Whilst all this merriment was going on I produced a sketch in stitch for a Kantha sample I wanted to do. Started at 4.30 and completed the outlines by 9.30pm! Lots of guitars and a drum kit and outlines of the band member's heads, now filling in the gaps with coloured threads.

Will post a picture soon but I've got to get back to the workroom as the vacuum cleaner is calling...

Thought for Today!

"Remember that the whole point of housework is to keep the place functioning efficiently as a cheerful background for living - SO LIVE! Decide on something positive, or simply pleasurable, to do for yourself with the time you save. Otherwise life...just...slithers...a-w-a-y..."

Shirley Conrad, Superwoman, 1975

Christmas Deadline

Just finishing off chapter 13 and tidying up the back of the apron on Module 2 and then it's Module 3 all the way until Christmas. When we agreed Christmas 2007 did that mean Dec 25th? or Dec 31st? If the former, then if I can fit it in between basting the turkey and listening to the Queen's speech I shall endeavour to post the final piece!


173 days til Christmas!!!!! and counting

The Finished Apron

Impractical Cooking Apparel for Indigestible Meals

Menu

Elephant Soup or Canada Goose Pate

Jaguar Steak and Kidney Pie

with minted new potatoes and seasonal vegetables

Moouse of Armadillo smothered in Ameretto and mascapone

(no animals were harmed in the making of this apron!)

So here is the finished apron, totally unuseable for cooking,

but could look interesting at a Masonic dinner!

The Apron in pieces

To keep the circular feel of the Suffolk puff block I added buttons which "moved" across to the other panels!

On the top row (not seen here) I have two utencils as joining devices. Although my darling husband is brilliant at putting up shelves and drilling through stuff I had to find someone with a more delicate touch for drilling through the handles. My friend Elizabeth husband is a retired wood work teacher and his collection of tiny bits where just the thing for the job.

The Apron...

Panels laid out to see effect of shade gradation

It has taken too long but in the last week of June I finally took the bull by the horns and began the final stages of construction. Most of the 15 panels where complete and needed holding together. It was abit of a challenge but with some burning of the midnight oil I was able to finish the 5 remaining panels and hold them all together in time for my tutorial last week.

Is it coffee time already?

To help keep

you in the

"Urchfont

Mood"

here's something

to look at while

you have a tea

or coffee

before starting your course work! Keep inspired, it not far 'til Christmas.

Distant Stitch Summer School 2007

Hello to all the Distant Stitchers who now know the wonders of blogging!
I have arrived home to 8 metres of black fabric to be made into 3 ninja outfits for Friday morning! NO SLEEP FOR ME for a few more nights atleast. I have downloaded my photos from the camera and will hopefully begin to add them to this blog a.s.a.p.

Hope you all had a safe journey home and are fully charged with enthusiasm to complete you modules by Christmas!!!!! I know I am up for the challenge, anyone else?

Best wishes
Alison