Sunshine on a Rainy Day......

First day back at work today after 2 weeks off, when I got home I had a lovely email from my good friend Kath at Kaths Quilting Diary nominating me for 'The Sunshine Award.'

Thank you so much Kath, I think you know how much it means to receive this award from you!
Kath and I are more than virtual blogger friends, we have met. Back when I was researching longarms I went to try out Kaths machine and we became firm friends!

Now for how the Sunshine award works. There are a few rules and criteria to be followed.



You need to create a post with the following details:

Thank the person who nominated you for this Sunshine Award and link them back.
Then tell something about yourself.
Spread the joy by nominating your fellow bloggers and friends, its a way of appreciation.
Lastly but most important tell the bloggers about their nomination.

There you go, you're all done.



So, I am a Mother, Grandmother, Daughter, Sister and Wife and as most of you will be aware I am a Quilter, but it's the 'quilting' that I appreciate more than the piecing.

'The quilting makes the quilt!'

That's my mantra, I love the metamorphosis of the three layers to a quilt. It's a magical transition that always gives me a buzz, I am all about the quilting.

Feathers, I love feathers, can you tell, for me it's difficult to quilt a quilt without including feathers in the design.


Now time to nominate some of my favourite Bloggers and Friends.


First.... I'd like to nominate my good friend Shannon at Pieceful Kwilter. Shannon is a very active longarmer and piecer, I think at this present time she may be in Paducah as she has a quilt on show that she herself quilted! "Well Done Shannon". One day we will get together and compare notes somehow, somewhere?

Second ..... I'd like to nominate Joan at Leschenault. Joan is a quilter living in Australia, we've never met and maybe never will but we bump into each other here and there and chat often. We are both interested in quilting designs. Joan is a beautiful quilter on her DSM!

Third... I'd like to nominate Anne at Frayed at the Edge.  Anne and I met online but guess what we live within 8 miles of each other and now meet often.  Anne is a prolific blogger and crafter. Knitting, quilting, embroidery and photography keep Anne entertained and Annes blog followers are often left drooling over her food photography, maybe you have a new vocation there Anne?


Fourth.... I'd like to nominate Rhianon, The Nifty Stitcher
Over the past year Rhianon has tuned into a wonderful quilter and has a unique style all on her DSM. One day I am sure that Rhianon and I will meet up at some show or other?

Fifth and last but by no means least..... I'd like to nominate Nicky at Mrs Sew and Sow
Like me Nicky loves horses and quilts. It's a difficult decision to make sometimes as both are addictive!

Pop on over and check out my nominees, there will be lots of eye candy!


Sunshine on a rainy day
Makes my soul, makes my soul drip, drip, drip away
Sunshine on a rainy day
Makes my soul, makes my soul drip, drip, drip away!

Still here......

I am still here although a bit distracted with my other life.
I can't show you any quilts until they have been picked up by customers but I can show you a little of what I have been up to over the last week or so while MIA, it's so consuming and fun, I didn't think I had time for another addiction...lol...

I've been hanging out with Carla Barrett, of Quilt Whisperer fame taking her Design Class for Quilters.

It's a Photoshop based class and we get to do some great things that are all quilt related, how cool is that?

These are some of my Week 1 homework assignments.....

Can't wait to see what's next!

Playing....

I've been doing a bit of playing!  Well, I wanted to do a tension test on the thread that a customer has chosen so for me the best way is to do an actual sample. So I chose a panto, plain fabrics, lilac on top and lime green as the backing. Boring so far right? Then I reversed the thread colours and put the lime green thread on top and the dark lilac in the bobbin and stitched out the panto. I'll use the finished quilted fabric as a sample for the panto but also cut away some of it to make a cover for my Studio cutter!

I used 'Happy Times' panto but then I got a bit carried away and added some feathers, there is still plenty left to make the panto sample though! I have to say the tension on the back was perfect and there were just one or two small pull ups in the points, so it's good to know the thread combination will work out OK on my customers quilt!

'Happy Times with Feathers.'

Can you believe it?

I spent the evening with Ricky Tims, here in The Scottish Borders, Kelso to be exact!
Well, me and around 90 other quilters, to say I was excited is an under statement!

Ricky entertained us with music and stories of his family and the evolution of his fabulous quilts....photo taken by my good friend Anne

What a wonderful night and one that I suspect will not be repeated!

Who would have thought it?

WHOO-HOO!

Opulence!

So, I'm a tease, I think you all know it!

A couple of weeks ago I showed the back of these, well, mini wholecloths really. They are now of course cushions destined as a birthday gift for a special person, my Mum has her 83rd birthday next week.
Now, although these red cushions look perfect in my room I know they will look great in her room too.

The cushions are around 20" square before binding with a 22" feather filler to make them nice and 'plumpsious'.  The fabric is like a shiny crinkled taffeta and is shot through with black, a bit difficult to photograph, the red tinged photos show the quilting a little better.  I did draw in some diagonal guidelines to keep me on the straight and narrow, and a few 'S' shapes on the one with the mini feathered wreath in the centre, but essentially these are freemotion hand guided, no computer (maybe in the future, who knows). I threw in the blue cushion, (you have seen that previously), but it shows the difference if you spend more time and push back the background, then the feathers have far more definition!

I love these cushions and have a lot of fun making them in between bigger projects, you don't need to stress about them and they don't take up that much time. How much time, well, someone asked me that today and I think I may have given a rather conservative answer so next time I'll time myself?

Feathered Wreaths...

I'm still here, here is something I've been working on recently....that's only 6 feathered wreaths, I quilted 43?

Honestly!

 

Just teasing, it's looking fabulous now! It may be another week or so before I get back with photos though?