Thursday, January 11

Rainy day

I've had some ideas for how to quilt the border of my red & green starry quilt. I'm almost there - just need to finish off doing around the outside of the inner border. I'm thinking the border is going to be fairly heavily quilted, in a mostly plain style as the pattern has some embroidered text - in gold to match the stars and inner border - and I haven't quite decided whether I really want to include this embroidery or not. My initial idea was to leave out the text - especially as the pattern describes the text as a 'prayer' and I do not think it is a 'prayer'. But that aside I am warming a little to the idea now I am closer to completion.




This is the effect I envisaged when I started quilting the blocks, but I found it quite dissatisfying to sew.

Here are some other effects I tried, I think I have shown these before:




And here is what Libby suggested - it won hands down!


It is easy and satisfying to sew, and I love the way it separates the contour of the quilt from the structure of the patches.

It rained heavily last night and we heard dripping while we were watching King Kong. Couldn't find any water though. Eventually DH went into the roofspace, and sure enough the gable wall was wet. It's dripping down inside the wall. And going ...... who knows where? That makes a grand total of six (6) places the roof is leaking, and the roofer won't start until the weather improves. Ugh. Who wanted to live in an old house? (me). I'm glad we're going on holiday.

I'm off now to search out a Daily Telegraph - they are giving away free Beatrix Potter books this week to celebrate the opening of the film. I have in mind an afternoon in front of the telly (read 'Gone With the Wind') and my needle. And hoping it will stop raining.

Tuesday, January 9

Sixes and Sevens

Not a great deal quilty going on around here...

There were various people staying with us for almost two weeks over the holidays, and somehow it is difficult to step back (or forward) into routine. Especially as we go away ourselves next week.

As for sewing projects - I had to make some curtains. Not my favourite kind of project. The people we purchased our house from ran off at the last minute with the curtains (rough count 20 pairs) which we had paid for. I've been putting off making these particular ones for ......11 and a half months now......I figure if you live in the country, so what if you don't have curtained windows in your study. But the house sitters will need to use this room (that is a long story in itself), so I kind of had to. So I just sat down yesterday and did it. We now have curtains at the front, and curtains at the back (where I sew these days as it is warm and I can see the wild garden birds up close and hear the TV in the next room) and a curtain for the door to the garden. Just like a respectable house!!

DH has noticed that I have not been using my light box (the last time was actually the weekend before Christmas). This is not a good sign, that he has noticed some change in me that I haven't seen in myself. Anyway he made me promise to use it, so here I am dutifully bathing in light in front of the computer.

I should mention some of the goodies I was so lucky to be given at Christmas. 'The River Cottage Cookbook' by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has persuaded me to venture into the garden on sunny days (I've dug half of the vegetable beds so far). The 4 disc special edition of 'Gone With the Wind' is much prized (and only half -watched - what have I been doing?), and in amongst some quilty books, 'The Secrets of Fine Hand Quilting' by Roxanne McElroy is outstanding. Instead of spending my time creatively, I read this book cover to cover. It's beautifully illustrated. In fact the quilt she made for her daughter's wedding is so awesome, front and back, that it moves me to tears. (that is, tears of envy, mostly).