Learning curves …

When I posted about a quilt for spring, Sue commented that there perhaps ought to be one for summer and then autumn. I'm thinking that my latest quilt ticks the box for summer. Laid out, it is a field of flowers.

This is probably my most ambitious quilt to date, both in terms of size (it is a whopping 80" square) and in technique. Way back when, my to do list looked like this:

In between other projects, a sewing machine service that kept me and my trusty machine apart for a total of four weeks and a myriad of other excuses, I finally sussed it out.

I have used my favourite fabric collection EVER - Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt and I ordered the fat quarter collection from Fabricworm as soon as the legacy reprint collection was released, far too impatient to wait for its UK debut. I had collected pieces of the original collection over the years and have incorporated a few of them into the quilt as well as used one of them for the binding.

I felt reluctant to drag this quilt through my machine to quilt it and am so glad I opted to hand-quilt, using my perle threads, around each flower. I love the way it highlights the negative space in between.

If I could ever pick my top fabric, I think it would have to be this bouquet print in this aqua colour way. To me, it is perfect and I only wish I had more.

The finishing touch was a more elaborate than usual label to which I added a tiny bit of the selvedge plus a scrap to back the whole thing.

This quilt is now on my bed, having relegated my ripple crochet blanket to its summer home, and is adding another welcome splash of colour to my predominantly white bedroom. As ever, I can feel some pillows coming on … that's if I can drag myself out of the garden and back into my sewing room.

Interpretation ...

I've loved having the opportunity lately of making some custom homewares for the customers in my Etsy shop. My love of colour is well documented here on this blog but it is wonderful to be able to interpret what other people might like with a mere suggestion of an idea. This pink and grey combination is another detour from my usual colour pairings but inspiring to play with.

From the seemingly limitless contents of my fabric stash, I can put together almost all possibilities of palettes, apart from, perhaps, black!

My brain has been nicely taxed too in making things I've never made before and I'm thinking that I might have to make one of these double oven gloves for myself too. They have been much admired by my craft club ladies so perhaps I can give them a lesson and make my own pair (or is it one?).

The perspex template I have been using for my current quilting project was perfect for rounding off the corners and I am now a dab hand at cutting curves with my tiny 28mm rotary cutter.

These Clover wonder clips were another useful bit of kit in finishing off the hand-sewing on the binding too.

This is the first set (one??!!) I made from the leftover scraps from the Spring Quilt I made last month and below is the complete order for the grey and pink collection, which includes placemats and napkins to co-ordinate.

I'm thinking I might make a couple more to add to the stock in my shop - what do you think? Or maybe use these as ideas for custom orders ... I'll have a think while I'm finishing up on my quilt top today.

Ten things ...

• I have been drooling over tiny bowls in a heavenly shop. Alas, they didn't come home with me.

• I had the most amazing massage.

• No2 and I went to the zoo. Seven years. To say I was thrilled that Molly the giraffe approached the new bridge feature is an understatement. But, yes, that is a carrot on the right of the picture. Sadly not proffered by me though.

• No2 now wants a lizard. Possibly a bearded one ...

• My auriclas are jostling with my love of tulips as my favourite flower. The tulips need to be careful - I am fickle.

• I have been busy sewing a wonderful custom order for some kitchen accessories. Who knew double oven gloves and simple running stitches could give me (and hopefully my customer) so much pleasure.

• There are parts of my garden that are swathed in blue - some that I have planted intentionally ...

• ... and some that I have not.

• I have been enjoying other people's gardens. It looked very different from my last visit in September.
• My own garden and new allotment are keeping me busy and this gorgeous sunshine is renewing my energy in leaps and bounds. Have a great weekend - you'll find me outside!

A quilt for spring ...

It may have been quiet over here for a while but that's not to say I've been not doing anything. It seems to make perfect sense that while the so-called start of spring was greyer than grey, my sewing room was reflecting the true colours of March and then through into April. I've been working on a custom quilt using a colour palette that was far removed from my usual choices and I've loved every cut, stitch and placement.

I love interpreting what people might like - it takes me right back to my work in The Time Before Children when I was given a design brief and then, more or less, free rein to create.

This quilt has all the colours of spring that I can find by stepping out just a little way from either my front or back door, albeit a little later this year than most.

I love close, straight line quilting almost as much as I love muscari.

I'm hoping this quilt is just right for snuggling under while this wind blows wildly today.

I've added it to my commissions page if you'd like to see it in its entirity.

Obsession ...

You know when you're wasting time browsing on Pinterest, and something catches your eye and you repin it? Then you keep thinking about it and how much you'd like it to be more than just a virtual pin? Well, that happened with this vest.

To tell you the truth, it became a bit of an obsession. There was a teeny, tiny problem though and that was that I had never done Fair Isle knitting before. Then a brainwave struck! I wondered if I could persuade Julie to help me out when she came over for lunch the other day. I might've hogged her attention for a while, I'll admit it *wink wink*

After worrying about tension and not comprehending top and bottom strands, I am now the proud wearer of a garment that I actually knitted myself. I have to confess that I haven't knit anything bigger than a hat or a scarf since I was at college over 27 years ago, and that was a purple mohair number that proved too darn itchy to wear, so I am feeling fairly triumphant about this particular finished item.

All details over on Ravelry.

Now it seems my obsession has moved onto other things and I am truly inspired by Kristina's beautifully neat sock knitting to pick up the dpn's again ...

En masse …

A carpet of mauve crocus at Kew. Delightful.

A blog lady gathering in my kitchen. Inspiring.

A famous line-up of dolls. Exciting.

A stack of pretty fabrics to play with. Satisfying.

All these things add to my Zen.

The Red Nose Day Dolls ...

You may already be aware of the fabulous Red Nose Day Doll project that is the brainchild of Emma Mitchell and Ros Badger. It is a collaborative craft project in which I am thrilled to be part of and all for one of my favourite fundraisers - Comic Relief.


You can read my blog post  about the quilt I made for Mac here.


The dolls are going to auctioned on eBay from 7th March 2013. If you'd like to donate to the project you can here.

You can read all about the Dolls on their very own blog or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.