London Modern Quilt Guild - January (a bit late but at least not lost like February......sad face.....

Today was fab!  Shevvy did a show and tell about improvisational quilting and had loads of pieces with her.  Basically, it's wonky log cabin, wonky stars etc but she had made 2 really cute little bags by sewing together lots of left over triangles.  She also had a great quilt (sadly, didn't fit into my backpack......shame.....)  She had cut 3"x2" rectangles and sewed left-over triangles on 2 opposite corners then just sewed the rectangles together.  Simplest ideas always the best, aren't they.     This is another similar quilt she showed but using the same idea of triangles sewn onto 2 opposite corners.  Quite hard to see how simple the pattern as the feathers are just amazing.

Also, she had been in a bee and had given the other members, the background and pieces of fabric to make flying geese (I hate flying geese!) and everyone had done them so differently - some going in curves, some tiny geese, some placed really randomly - it was beautiful. 

This is the bee quilt that she gave the other members bits of background and fabric and they had to sew geese their own way.  It's  not a good photo as the background is quite a dark green

These are the geese before putting together

And, wonky log cabin

Shevvy is so good at explaining stuff and even better at making everyone feel confident to try improv. quilting. I so enjoyed this day!
Shevvy blogs here
and the London Modern Quilt Guild blog is here

January swaps - better late than never?!

This is my January postcard swap to Jane in Idaho (part of the monthy postcard swap here, posted just after January perished!  It really isn't as wonky as it looks?  Must pin down stuff so it doesn't look so manky!

These are the second rounds of hexies I sent to Janet but... there was a major problem with them...arghhh....  I had downloaded 1" hexagons from the web but, when I printed them I forgot to uncheck the 'fit to page' box so they were too small (only by about 1/16th of an inch but that's a lot when they are only 1" to start with!

Well, Janet was really kind and rebasted my hexies and made this flower:-

But, the seams on the other set were too small to rebaste so, they were used here.  I think this flower is even more effective, even though I am crushed by my carelessness.  Here is how Janet used them and I'm just so impressed:-

So, that's a lesson learnt the hard way for Janet - check your printing settings carefully and still check against a 'real' template or ruler.  

I was especially mortified as Janet runs the swap http://inchyhexagonswap.blogspot.co.uk and I sent silly-sized hexies to her.....well, you live and learn, don't you!  Incidentally, Janet also blogs here and I've been following her for ages - it's a small World.

Codicote Tuesday - February

Codicote Tuesdays make my heart fill with joy:  wonderful, inspirational company and lots of laughs.  What more can a person want or need.  Well today, we got a glimpse of Honor's Di Ford quilt and it is just amazing.  Such detailed hand-work.  Truly, an heirloom.

Only wish the photo was better....

Laura Ingalls Wilder

A moment of twee-ness!  I grew up with the 'Little House...' tv series and today is the 148th birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author.  So, I'm going to read the first one in the series tonight, published in 1932:

Less twee and far more accurate and properly researched will be Pioneer Girl, the real memoir of Wilder's life that was rejected as 'not suitable for young children'.  It was published last Autumn by the South Dakota Historical Society Press but is consistently out of stock.  It is on Amazon though but it's quite expensive at around £25.  Being cheap keen to use my local Library, I've reserved it.

Then I thought, I should make a Little House quilt............Nah......a modern Dear Jane would be better.  But how to do it?  I don't want it to be pictorial but a block design from a modern icon, logo, whatever.  You know, like the Corns and Beans block doesn't actually look like corns and beans - that sort of thing.  Need to think on a bit.......

I really know how to burn the candle at both ends: curled up with a childrens' book on a Saturday night..........sigh.......