It’s all too easy to hide in the basement when the snow is coming down and it’s cold outside… We’ve been home from England for 6 weeks, and I’ve not been below ground all that time, so no excuses – what have I been up to?
My quilt looked good hanging at Bridget’s studio in Suffolk,
Bridget was smiling, as usual!
Then on to Oxford which was old. (really old to someone living in Midwestern USA for 15 years!)
And then London which included a required visit to Liberty’s…
“not a minute gone ever comes back again, take heed and see ye do naught in vain”
– a deep thought before we went shopping! I did buy myself a roll of beautiful fat quarters… a slightly extravagant purchase which I will use to make something special.
Back at Gill and Graham’s home, Steve and Graham posed with a lap quilt I made for Gill in 2003 with fabric Gill chose in Wisconsin. Steve looks more at home holding a quilt than Graham…
And then back to Naperville where I had a message from Nancy asking me if i would like to make a sample for Pieceful Heart Fabrics so I hot-footed it in to the shop and picked up the kit for Don’t Look Now’s Willow pattern. It’s about 24″ square, fused applique with lots of quilting and bias binding…
Happy in the basement the adventure continued…
I quilted up the panel I bought in Bloomington for a baby shower gift and added a little stuffed giraffe toy…
Then the baby grandson came to visit and was in need of a hat so I quick knitted this one with yarn bought in Bowling Green, Kentucky…
It was time for the annual FabricOrigami Star class the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Once again the class was full and with a little co-operation and a lot of concentration the stars started to shine…
First we made them from paper,
and then with stiffened fabric…
Well done ladies!!
Those that know me well are aware that a major event has been taking place in our house… We are the very happy owners of a new kitchen! Alma at IKEA Bolingbrook has seen a lot of me in the last month and Lee worked very hard making it happen! But all is now done and Steve can actually find things in the new drawers.
So a new kitchen needs new artworks…
When I was in Iowa I bought a selection of fabrics from the Mod Floral line designed by Laura Ashley for Quilting Treasures specifically for that purpose. While Lee was busy upstairs I made this little quilt from the Schnibbles times two book by Carrie Nelson for That Patchwork Place. It’s the one featured on the front cover. I need to decide where to put it. I don’t want to make any holes in the newly painted walls until I’m sure, so at the moment it’s on the island (yes, the new kitchen includes an island!) but the buttons aren’t really suitable for a table topper.
Jonathan informed me he needs two baby boy quilts so ever the helpful mother here is one…
I used a pattern I bought at the AQS show in Des Moines from Muffy Girl Designs called Hopin’ Boxes. The “baby boy” fabric came from Tammy Tadd’s shop. I finished the bolt (for a discount) and used it on the back as well as in the boxes. I had to go to PHF to get the co-ordinating fabrics. I think I pulled 20 bolts of fabric off the shelves to choose the 6 I needed.
I was back in PHF for an African Folklore Embroidery Class. Just two intrepid students but we had fun getting to grips with chain stitch and french knots.
At least they were both smiling!!
Suitably inspired I came home to make two embroideries for the kitchen. I drew the designs myself on to black cotton fabric. Once the embroidery was finished I framed them with more of that Laura Ashley fabric and mounted them on 8″ canvases.
I think they made a nice still life (on the island!)with my IKEA ornament display stand…
And that brings me nearly up to date… I have made a second baby boy quilt but need to take a picture and I’ve also been working on a wall hanging for my dad’s Christmas present but it’s a surprise so I can’t reveal it here! I’ll take a picture with him on Christmas Day, weather permitting.
It’s forecast to snow tonight and be pretty nasty tomorrow so no doubt I’ll be back in the basement in the morning…
