Other creations this month

I was a bit late with my Journal Quilt this month.  It was done within September but for the past few years I have been ahead of myself so I felt quite guilty that it wasn't done until the middle of the month.

This month I reached the "blue" month so decided to have something linked to the sea for the gelli printing.   I've made my own print blocks with polystyrene in the past so used this method to create some texture on the plate inspired by waves and using fabric paints, printed some of my dyed blue fabric.  I used two or three different shades of blue fabric paint but once again I found that you don't get the same definition as you do when using acrylic paint.  The results were good though for the task in hand.

For the Log Cabin part of the quilt, I've again used the Courthouse Steps as the basis of the design with a bit of a twist.   For three of the sides I used different shades of my own dyed blue fabric and then the gelli printed fabric for the fourth side and the binding.

For the quilting I used a stitch on my machine which gives the appearance of waves going up and down.

It's time for a change of season so my thoughts turned to ideas for an Autumn hoop for my mantelpiece display.   I love the colours of Autumn - I always think it is because I was an Autumn baby!- so I knew it had to be something to reflect the colours.

My choice was a simple maple leaf (another favourite, particularly at Autumn) and luckily I found just the pattern I needed on the internet.  I've gone back to cross stitch after many years absence and as I enjoyed it so much, I think there will be more.  So therapeutic!

The display in coming together but I want to add some sort of foliage in a vase so am still thinking about that.   The other hoop and owls are from a Craftpod box I did last year when I began my seasonal project.

The garland of Autumn leaves is another pattern from Attic24 which I made using the ends of yarn left over from her Woodland Blanket which I made earlier this year.

Crochet Catch Up

I can't believe how long it is since my last post!  I have felt recently that life has been a bit lethargic and that I haven't had much to do in my creative world but looking back at what I've done since my last post, I have still managed to create quite a range of things.

I can always rely on my monthly Little Box of Crochet to give me something to do, sometimes not always something that I would have chosen myself but even that is a challenge in itself.  It's just over a year since I signed up and there has only been one month that still sits on my shelf unopened!

The July Box brought this "Sweet Summer Clutch Bag" designed by Sweet Sharna which was quite a quick make and one that I might well take on our next holiday.  Not sure I got the pattern 100% correct but it turned out okay and I'm happy with it.

In August the box had a lovely project book to keep a record of all my crochet makes which was lovely in itself, but there was also a pattern for a colourful cover to fit the book.   It was designed by Lucy of Attic24 - one of my favourite designers and one of the most generous designers I've come across.  I know I've mentioned her blog before - Attic24 - so if you haven't checked it out already, do so!

Now I've mentioned many times that my crochet tension is not what it should be which is the main reason I stick to shawls, scarves and anything that has to fit something, so I was a little worried that my book cover might not be the right size when I finished it.  But as you can see, it fitted perfectly.  This didn't stop my daughter commenting 'did you have to buy an A4 ring binder for it?' when I posted it on Instagram.

The postcard was also in the box which each month comes with several little extras!


One skein on wool that I've had since March, given to me on Mother's Day, has finally been created into a scarf.   The wool was from Fleabubsbylala -she hand dyes yarn and makes some wonderful crochet hooks and it is well worth checking out.

The wool was called Disco 2000 which is no doubt why my Pulp loving daughter bought it for me.  It was a riot of colour and as someone who has dyed fabric and threads many times I'd love to know how she got the colour change so often as it was no more than about 2" or 4" for each colour.

I also chose one of her own patterns as it only seemed right - it is called Harp Angel. 

Roll on the cold weather so I can wear it!

Granny Square Day 2018

It was Granny Square Day on the 15th August so it would have been churlish not to take part.

A bit different from the regular Granny Square - just wanted to try this out for future reference.

Also at the same time I made some more crochet covers for some pebbles which are now out in our garden among the gravel so it will be interesting to see how they weather.

Denim Jacket completed!

The final panel on the back of my denim jacket is finished!

As I mentioned earlier this month, I let my four grandchildren design their own heart using images and words of the things they love and are important to them.  They also got to choose their own colour scheme and I have to say they all made a great job of it.  I only had to get creative fitting in all their designs in to the space.

And this what all the designs look like when put together - modelled by Hope.

I'm going to feel a bit bereft now it's finished so busy planning my next project!

Journal Quilt - Green and Blue

For the August Journal Quilt, I used green and blue fabrics from my stash of hand dyed fabrics.   Some I printed on the gelli plate using a stencil which had some text.   It was one of those occasions when one print was enough - the colours and the print looked so good I was reluctant to do further prints in case it was ruined.

For the log cabin part, I started with a Courthouse Steps design which had a larger than normal centre as I then cut the finished panel into four, rearranged the pieces so the centres were in the corners and then reassembled them.

The centre 'cross', which was the gelli printed fabric, was machine quilted along with 'in the ditch' for the other rounds.   For a change I bound each edge separately so I could have different colours.

I know it doesn't show in the photo, but the sizing of this quilt went horribly wrong!   I started by drawing it out on paper, cutting it up to see what it looked like and to help with the colour placing.  I then diligently added all the seam allowances, including those needed for the reassembling, but somehow or other it did not work out!    I managed to tweak it as far as I could but the long side is more 8.1/2" instead of 9".   Never mind, if at any stage they go for exhibition, I won't include this one which after all has been said, is one of my favourites this year.

Denim Jacket - The home run

I've added a small panel of stitching to my denim jacket which now leaves just one more to do.

I recently bought Joyful Stitching by Laura Wasilowski, a textile artist I have long admired, mainly through seeing her work in Quilting Arts Magazine.   This book has really inspired me and is definitely freeing up my embroidery.   I know I am a bit obsessed with everything being balanced and neat looking - it's a problem I have in all aspects of my creative work but I am (I think!) getting better.

Inspired by the stitching Laura has done in this book, I used some of her ideas to complete this little panel in my jacket.

The final panel is underway and is again inspired by one of the other loves of my life - my grandchildren.

I have decided to give the four of them design rights and will get each of them to decorate a heart with the things they like which I will embroider on to the jacket.

Mad or what?

And finally for this time ......

Another hoop of embroidery has joined my growing collection.

For some time, I have been wanting to do a piece of embroidery with a void, or negative space as some call it.  We were away and my work on the denim jacket had come to an end so I had a go using a hand print as the negative space.

I was very limited in the threads that I had with me and loath to buy any more as I have found in the past that I always buy what I already have, I made use of what I had and went for a variegated blue look.

It was really an experiment and has evolved as I did it. 

I used lazy daisy, straight stitch, crosses and French knots and started m
by working just under and inch all the way round the hand print.   I started at the bottom with a variegated thread, changing for the middle third to a mid blue and then finally a light blue for the top third.   When I had done this it looked a little odd so I evened out the shape but it looked more like a mitten with a hand inside it!

Once I was home I tried it in a hoop and decided that it really needed to have a circle of stitches around it and went for one smaller than the final hoop I mounted it in.

The jury is still out about this - maybe I've got it out of my system and will not repeat it but time will tell.