Swappers cards as promised

From Heather in Okehaven a mixed media card which looks much better in the flesh than my photo.

Two blue cards the top one is from Irene Turnbull who's quilting skills I envy.  Bottom card is from Alice in Glasglow, who has highlighted the marbling on the fabric by hand quilting.

Finally Red bands embellished with machine stitching from Sue Wild.

It always amazes me how we all have the same theme but come up with different ideas.

May Journal Page

Finally got down to some serious sewing and finished my May Journal Page for the Contemporary Quilters, its called May Flowers.  Not very original I know but I've decided that the Yellow block of work will be all flowers.



The centre is transfer dyed silk and the prairy points the same transfer dyes but on cotton sateen.  I only had a small bit of both so the silk had to become a panel.  The flowers are handmade felt which I made some time ago and forgot about with velvet centres.  Machine stitching created the flower shapes and I cut carefully round them.  I wanted to use my new Bernina foot number 39C which is the updated version of the clear embroidery foot.  The new version has a central hole in the plate so you can run a thread through and couch it down.  It works really well.  The thread I used is a Maderia Decora, a rather thick thread which I've only used in the bobbin before.

As well as May Flowers I've completed a set of postcards for the BQLPC group with the theme of "single colour - wholecloth, tints and tones".

I quilted the tops then coloured them using Derwent Inktense blocks, this time I actually made one to keep.  I'll post the other swappers' postcards tomorrow when I've finished scanning them into my PC.

Back from holiday

It was a very wet and windy holiday in Wales for the most part but we did get a couple of fine days when my son and dil joined us.

They are stood outside Harlech Castle, Wales is full of castles, all beautiful but by this time we'd worn our legs out walking up and down tower stairs so we didn't go in.

We did go to Bodnant Gardens where the Rhodadendrums were in full bloom but the Labernum arch was just coming into leaf.

All the rain had swelled the rivers and we made sure we didn't get too close - no paddling.

On the way home we called in to revisit the Pontsycyllte aquaduct.  My memories of going across this in a canal boat are still very strong.  I was chicken then and am still chicken, this is very high.

I was much happier underneath it with my feet on the floor.

What have I been doing allo this time?

Well this:

I really enjoyed making the stuffed white work piece and got a bit carried away.  It's a while since I did a largish piece of embroidery and once I'd started I found it difficult to stop.

Here are sections of the piece:

 Top boarder, lace, stuffed channels with whipped herringbone stitch.

 Second border, halfmoon shapes stuffed, threaded with 'wedding flowers', lazy daisy, stem stitch, bullion knots and beading.

 Third border, stuffed channel with cross stitch and detached chain stitch.  Triangles of felt overlaid with cotton, buttonhole round edges, cretan stitch in ovals with stem stitch round edges.

 Trapunto stuffed circles, some stitched down to create other shapes, french knots, buttonhole bars in several sizes, bullion knots, stab stitches.  Stuffed channel with buttonhole bars.  Botton channel (on right) is straight stitches interlaced with thread and french knot in centre over another stuffed channel.



Last border, these aren't in order or work.  Covered paper balls with bead son top, washers in differing sizes underneath fabric.  Each washer has a different pattern of stitches but all have their centres filled in.  Buttonhole wheels, french knots and stab stitches, raised woven wheels.

And I've also got the top of the table topper finished, it turned out larger than expected but that's okay.  Still got to quilt, back and bind it but that can wait until I get back from holiday.  We're off to Wales tomorrow for a few days.

Oh and I've almost finished May's Journal Page.