Log Cabin?

Some of my quilting friends would really appreciate one of these...just the right size for a longarm....built by my DS...not for me, but for a neighbour for storage on this side of the river

It would be lovely to live in that church...lots of room for a longarm in there too but only a footbridge for access...hence the need for storage on this side of the river!

I can't believe it???

Look at this screen shot.....It's my wholecloth, 'On a Wing and a Prayer'....it's 'Featured Quilt of the Week' on MQResource Home Page....it will only be there for a week so I had to save this screen shot...

The 'Read more' link takes you here....

Which gives you a link to my post about my wholecloth here

I don't think you need to be a member to view this page but if you sign up there are even more goodies to see!

'What an honour'!

Wish you could smell this!

Delicious!


And more Clematis....This one is 'Ashva'

On a Wing and a Prayer!

I got there...."On a Wing and a Prayer"!

I've finished my first wholecloth......here's the history....

In March I took an online class over on MQResource, our tutor was Adam Cheneverte, Adam does fantastic work and is a wonderful teacher.  We learned how to draft, print and mark our designs on fabric.

This is how my design first looked, hand drawn, not stencils....well only for the circles/pebbles....

In a local junk shop I found a glass topped coffee table, I only needed the glass to make a good sized light box which really helped when marking my design, I used blue water soluble marker.

 

It didn't take that long to mark and then it was on to the frame.....

Then, as I knew it would, life took over with lambing time, horses and 'Common Ridings' etc. etc....

It was late June by the time I realised that some of my blue markings were starting to fade so I buckled down and finished quilting the main motifs, that in it's self spurred me on to complete the background quilting and border, (not without machine problems and stitch inconsistency, caused by needle flexion), on my HV Mega Quilter!

Of course, when the quilt came off the frame it had to be soaked to make sure all of the soluble marker was removed and then in a fashion I blocked it best I could.....

Here is the finished wholecloth all dried and bound, white cotton satteen, Hobbs 80/20 and Quilters Dream Wool, white Metro thread top and bottom....

Then some close ups...

 There are lots of background fills, pebbles, rays, feathered swirls, curved crosshatching, strings of pearls and 'pepperoni pizza'.....

Well, that's that one finished...'guess what'...I have my next two designs already drafted and printed out to the size I need...but I think they are going to have to wait for that 'longarm'....zzzzzz......'No I'm not dreaming, it's going to become a reality'.

A New addition to the family?

Look at the new addition to the family........

This is Jed, she's a bitch, I know but my DH chose the name (a strong name is very important),?????

Jed isn't going to be a house dog, hopefully she will be a really good sheepdog,  when she's older and my DH has trained her..... he's very good at that!!!!

It's back on the frame!

OK...so I've  put my wholecloth back on the frame...I had been a bit disheartened with quilting it as my machine was making a mess of the stitching on the back!  Right to left diagonals and south to north were causing knots and shredded thread, it's caused by needle flexion and I have tried everything I know to solve it...well, I found a sweet spot... and for two whole days my machine stitched beautifully...I was sew pleased!!!!

Then I started to hear that plop plopping sound that means the needle is blunt and needs replacing...changed the needle, not once but many times, same needle and different needles, different sizes and brands of needles. I could not find that nice sweet place again...still can't find it!
Well you know this is the first wholecloth I've done and I was actually using the experience as a learning curve, which it has been and still is!

I just wish that the back was going to look as good as the front?

Flower of Scotland!

There is a beautiful statuesque thistle which, against all odds, has been allowed to flourish on my drive! My DH said he would have to 'go fetch a spade' and chop it down...I said 'No', let it flower and I will chop it down before it seeds!

Thistles really are the scurge of farmers, they cost us ££££ (thousands) to destroy as they take over the pastures. There are different varieties, some spread by seed, some spread by underground root systems, both are very difficult to control!

How did it become the Emblem and National Flower for Scotland?

It is said that a bare foot Viking attacker stepped on one at night and cried out, so alerting the defenders of a Scottish Castle!

Yes, those little spikes/spelks that you find in the bales of hay in the winter feed can cause problems even though they are so tiny...they are really difficult to see and remove from your hands...even with a magnifying glass!

Of course 'The Flower of Scotland' is also the new Scottish National Antem, sung with passion, pride, enthusiasm and love for Scotland at many occasions.  This is a really good version sung by the late Roy Williamson of the Corries, who rote the song in 1967.



The Flower of Scotland
1.
O flower of Scotland
When will we see
Your like again
That fought and died for
Your wee bit hill and glen
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
2.
The hills are bare now
And autumn leaves lie thick and still
O'er land that is lost now
Which those so dearly held
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
3.
Those days are passed now
And in the past they must remain
But we can still rise now
And be the nation again
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again

(Proud Edward was the King of England who they were sending back to England)!
I am English and live in Scotland, I have a great respect for the traditions and values held by the Scottish people, the words of the song say it all!


And for you quilters....how about this version of a Scottish thistle...

This is a 'tat' or tatoo...cool yeh!

So, what did you do this weekend???

Last Friday I travelled up to North East Scotland, Crathes near Aberdeen, to Linzi Uptons first 'Frame Quilters Summer Camp'!
My first retreat and I got to rub shoulders with some of the best quilters in the UK...how lucky am I?
I drove over 4 hours to see beautiful countryside, meet wonderful new friends and enjoyed a really relaxed, friendly and informative weekend at Linzi's home with Linzi, Ferret, Tracy and Janette, and also Sue and Jenni from the Aberdeen area... Woohoo!!

We enjoyed wonderful instruction and advice from Linzi, Ferret and Tracy!
We got to see close up and personal some of Linzi's and  Ferret's quilts, we had an exclusive talk and discussion on the 'Yurt' and it's many varied and artistic panels, even those still under construction!
I got to try out Linzi's Millennium (and hope I didn't hogg it too much)!



By the time we thought about photos the local girls had left, sorry Jenni and Sue.  I guess as is usual I was behind the camera, (and no I'm not camera shy).

  Tracy, Linzi, Ferret and Janette


Can't wait to put some of what I learned into practice....
Can't wait for the next retreat....
Can't wait for winter and the dark nights so I have more time to quilt....
Can't wait!!!