I've been looking for fabric - again..

Wasn't successful though.  I wanted fabric to make a new table topper to go in our living room.  I wanted neutral colours with a flash of something seductive (must be the Valentine's Day effect).  My LQS  is a good 60 mile round trip so we thought we'd make a day of it and go to Embsay Mills just outside of Skipton (about twice as far as LQS).   First call was to dh's woodturning store, then mine.  I was looking for creams, beige, white and perhaps lime or blue or something that had the WOW factor.  I was disappointed, they did have creams, beige, white etc but naturally the ones I liked were very expensive, not cotton or I just plain didn't like them.  So I ended up with some rickrack braid, magnetic catches and a Book of Baby Gifts (I did tell you didn't I that I'm expecting a great grandson - can't wait).

I also got the news yesterday that the CQ group want two of my button quilts for display at the NEC Sewing for Pleasure next month.  The two I've chosen are December and January.

You seen them both before but I thought I'd just show which ones I was sending.  Keep an eye out if you are going to the NEC next month and give them a wave so they can bring it back to me.

Valentine's Day

Hope you have all had a loving Valentine's Day, I only just finished our placemats in time, phew.

I tried to get as many red and white fabrics as I could, my stash is now much smaller.  I cut out the circles and hearts with my Accuquilt and sewed a different stitch pattern round each one, some I liked others not sure of.  But I've got the done in time for dinner tonight.

One other thing I've finished is a Biscurnu pincushion.  I've been looking at the pattern in the Embroiderers' Guild 'Stitch magazine for some time now.  It was one of those patterns I wanted to do just for the fun of making something an odd shape.  I even took it away on holiday with me but then never took it out of my project box.  A friend of mine said she was making one and this prompted me to actually do something about it.  It took me two evenings to complete and I used two different random threads, both perle 12 but sewn together with a matching perle 12.  The fabric is 18 ct even weave.

I joined the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge and have completed it so far but not shown the stitches.  This is because I haven't done much else but the basic stitches on a monoprinted fabric.  But I will as soon as I get to the bottom of the piece of fabric, nearly there.

January Lace Postcards

I've now got all my lace cards from my fellow swappers to show:

 Pauline's card has a multitude of lacey bits and pieces and is very pretty, much more attractive than this poor photos.

 Top card is from Marian who has had fun playing with her new embroidery machine.  The bottom one is from Chris.  I always think black on yellow stands out well.

Top set on this photos is from Carole and she has used lace both as a background and as a motif.
The bottom one I love, its Janet Boorman's take on Lace, just wish I'd thought of it.

Brusing from fall on Friday is much better, less like a contour map so not such a good design source.  I've been amusing myself making a couple of Valentine placemats which I want to surprise his lordship with next week.  Will sneek a piccy in before then though.

February's JP

The second in the red dance series, this one Valentine Waltz.  The first four JP's which are the red ones have the same woven fabric backgrounds but the values change as the months go on.  This one starts out with the same as January then moves to a slightly light value, sort of dark to dark/medium range.  The background has "I love You" and hearts embroidered onto it and the edges of the velvet hearts have real gold thread couched round the outline.  Each heart has a waltzing line going from one heart to another. 

I am supposed to be giving the vote of thanks this afternoon at our Embroiderers' Guild meeting but who tripped and injured her knee?  Of all the silly things to do, I knew the steps were there just forgot to lift my feet.  Result, one swollen knee, sciatica, and a bruised bum that could put itself forward as a design source.  Hopefully it will be better tomorrow, what an excuse for sitting sewing.

First JP of 2012

I wasn't 100% certain I would join in this years challenge as its based on colour.  Colour isn't a problem just wasn't sure I wanted to make my pages from primaries.  However if you include all shades, tones, hues etc then it gives you quite a wide pallet.  So for my first 'Red' JP I give you:

Red One (aka Galliard - a Tudor Dance)

The actual JP is much richer and darker than shown here.

My intension for the first four red JP's was solely to create a set of JPs that had a gradient from dark, rich colouring to pale pink.  I also intended that each JP would have some sort of surface decoration. Then I had another thought, the red fabrics, from cotton, silk and velvet that I was using plus the gold secondary colour reminded me for some obscure reason of Henry VIII.  In particular his love of the Galliard a rather energetic courtly dance and so Red One (aka Galliard) was born.  I hope to continue the 'dance theme' for the rest of the reds. 

Here's a close up.

As you can see from this photo the background is woven and zigzaged onto a base.  Hope to show February's soon, I know I'm supposed to do one a month but I just got carried away.  DH says I should be carried away!!

Housey Housey

I saw these houses on Retro-Mama's blog and couldn't resist making one or two, its become an addiction.

Then I made a 'house' cover for the BQL monthly challenge to keep the dust out of Keith's mini printer.

He takes this with him to family celebrations and prints out photos so that people can have a copy straight away.  As a thank you he made me these:

A threadstand for the larger cops and a cute little bobbin boat to hold the large 830 bobbins.  These won't fit into any of the bobbin stands I have.  The eagle eye amongst you will notice that the bar has 4 thread feeds but the stand only room for two cops.  That's because I found my old 730 stand and wanted to use the top but keep Keith's beautifully turned base.  It works fine whether I put the cop on the stand or beside it.

I've almost finished my January CQJP -' Red One'  and will post a photo in my next blog.  In the meantime I'm off to make another house.

I've been FARTing!!

No I'm not being rude I've been on a Fabric Acquisiton Road Trip.   I needed some new reds in my stash, I may a Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy (SABLE) but still not enough reds in it for the CQ Red Journal Pages.  This is the result:

Well, okay there are a couple of non-reds in there but what has a girl got to do when faced with so much choice.

Now for a confession - on Monday in a fit of pique I traded in my Bernina 830 for a Bernina 580.  I know, I must be bonkers and all Monday night I tossed and turned and confirmed my suspicion that I was bonkers.   As soon as the shop opened on Tuesday I rang and said I've changed my mind I'm keeping my 830.  Unfortunately as I was talking the 580 arrived on my doorstep, all the way across country from Cardiff to the NE in record time.   Well, I fell in love with it, so what's more is there to say.  I've a very empty bank balance but a beautiful new baby to take to workshops.  This is my 1630 replacement, which although alovely machine is way too heavy for me to cart around.

And here she is:

 The first photo doesn't show the embroidery unit which came with it.

 I like the accessory kit, just right for taking to workshops, not so good I feel for storage while sewing (if that makes sense).

Best thing though is the feet from my 830 fit, apart fromt he BSR (naturally) as the 580 has the new version.  I was told that in theory they will work but in practise there have been problems.  The BSR is an option, not included.

And I tried all the functionality out on my set of 'Lace' postcards for the BQLPC January swap.

I made all the lace butterflies on the 580, which I must say is quieter to run than the 830 and all but the Jumbo hoop fit both machines.  Didn't actually need another embroidery unit but when I ordered it (along with the BSR) I thought I would no longer have the 830.  Since bringing baby into the house my 'beastie' has behaved impectably.   I'm going to do some sewing on her this afternoon just so she doesn't get jealous.