Another Year of Journal Quilts

I have again signed up for making a monthly Journal Quilt with Contemporary Quilters.  This year it has to be  7" x 9" landscape which I think is a lovely size to work with - not too big and not too small.

I have decided my quilts are going to be based on a log cabin block, hoping to push the boundaries a bit which I know for me is going to be a challenge as I love the formality of a traditional log cabin!  I'm also going to use my own dyed fabric which I will overprint using my gelli plate, again using new ideas as I go.  And finally I will be using the colour wheel as my palette, using each of the primary and secondary colours and then a combination of primary/secondary in between.

So starting in January I used a red palette and a more traditional block to start. The gelli printing wasn't as successful as I had hoped and found less is more in some cases.  I did a bit of foiling over the top to give it a bit of interest as it looked a bit flat. The piece of fabric I printed for the binding was more successful which considering this was just using up what was left on the gelli plate, maybe this is telling me something for next time.

Good starting point but looking forward to the next one.

Block Printing

I have a growing collection of wooden printing blocks which I pick up mainly at shows as I find them lovely to work with, especially when using my gelli plate.

I was therefore thrilled when I received a late birthday present from my daughter Clare which was a kit for hand printing a scarf with a wooded block.   It came from The Arty Crafty Place who we saw when we went to the Sewing Bee Live Show.

The scarf if huge and I didn't know quite where to start and what to do.  I was also worried I'd start and then not have enough paint to finish as the pot in the kit looked very small against the scarf.  After a lot of deliberation and general phaffing I decided to start printing from one end, see how it went and then do the same from the other end, figuring that if I had enough paint and they met in the middle then great.

I worked on my ironing board as I thought that was the printed bit could remain fairly free and have time to dry.  I put a towel under the scarf to give a soft base to print into as well as protecting my ironing board.   I did give the scarf a gentle press as it had been heavily twisted and creased when I unwrapped it and although I preferred this look to a pristine flat surface, I was worried that if it was too creased it would affect the print.

  

My plan worked well and I managed to print about 20" in from each end which left quite a gap unprinted in the middle but I think it looks better for it.  My only problem was trying to make the printing look random - I don't do random so I had to concentrate hard.

I love it and look forward to wearing it somewhere warm!

Woodland Blanket

I have long been a fan of Lucy from Attic24 and if you enjoy crochet, if you have not already found her, do check out her blog which is full of hints, tips and ideas about all things crochet.

Back in November she announced a new CAL (Crochet Along) starting in January and as I planned to finish my Temperature Blanket early in the new year, I decided I would take part.   Added to that, the colours that were going to be used were just up my street, so it was rude not to!   I duly ordered my pack of yarn from Wool Warehouse (along with another pack as a Christmas present for daughter No.2) and sat back with eager anticipation, occasionally squishing the balls of wool when I passed them in my workroom.

This photo of the wool being used doesn't do it justice as the colours are much richer in real life.

January 5th arrived and I was ready to dive in with Part 1.  I've really enjoyed this pattern and although I have made one or two mistakes, I have learnt from them and got on fine.  

I've got a couple of weeks when I know I'm not going to be able to get on with it so I will have a lot of catching up to do.

My Creative Daughters

I love to receive hand made gifts so was delighted this Christmas that both my daughters made me gifts.

Clare's creativity is mainly based around fabric.  She makes quilts and other patchwork items as well as clothes for her children.   Being a full time worker as well as a parent her spare time is limited and therefore precious.   She's recently finished  a diploma course for work which has taken most of her spare time for some time so is looking forward to having the time now to create.

She found the time to make me a bouquet of paper flower for Christmas.  They are made from maps, which she knows are a weakness of mine, and came in a beautiful Portmerion vase.  It is absolutely wonderful and now sits on my bedroom windowsill.

Karen is heavily into Crochet and is rarely seen without a hook in her hand!  She is responsible for me renewing my crochet skills so we are able to share ideas and patterns.  She also works full time and with a family, she too has to juggle her spare time.  Crochet for her is the main source of her relaxation and she is never happier than a crochet project and a box set (and maybe a glass of red wine).

She made me a beautiful crochet mandala on a hoop which now hangs in my workroom.

Thank you to both my lovely girls xx

Temperature Blanket - Finished!

I'm very proud of myself for persevering for a whole year to crochet a row for each and every day and complete my Temperature Blanket.

We've always been aware of temperatures particularly since we retired and moved close to the coast but doing this project made me become somewhat obsessed!  When the temperatures were constant, I wanted it to change so I could change colour; when I used a new colour for the firs time, I became excited; and towards the end my focus was more on would I have enough yard left and please would the temperature change so I could use a colour I had plenty of.   This was actually a problem but luckily my daughter had the right colour in her stash so I didn't have to buy a new ball for 2 or 3 rows.

I'm even proud of myself because I actually did three rows on the border!

I'm not sure I would do a year long project again unless it was smaller, but never say never!

The blanket is destined for our caravan so there is something large and warm to snuggle up in on colder mornings and evenings.