Cole and ? go to the seaside....

My beautiful friend Kath suggested that I write a story for my little man Cole after seeing my last post. Whilst I have not written Cole a story I did make a story up all about him and his friend  going on their holidays. I even did some little illustrations but at the time I thought his little friend was Lily hence the name in the illustration.  However this was not the case his friends name is Evelyn. You get the gist of the story from the drawings they go to the beach, build a sandcastle, have a swim and take a donkey ride. The also have an ice cream and a can of coke (Cole added the can of coke to the ice cream bit of the story, maybe because he is not allowed coke in real time and thought he could  have it in his story, bless).  It was my intention to write it up and add some drawings, so out came the sketch book and this is how far I got.  That was over a year ago, then other things happened and I forgot all about it until this morning when I received Kaths comment. So I have dug out the sketch book with the seeside drawings in and maybe its time to just do it.

Time simply slips away...

when you decide to have a good clear out of your sewing room and make space for a single bed! Yes peeps I have succumbed to finally putting a single bed in my sewing room. I suppose its because I had my precious little man stay overnight (very rare) and he had to sleep in our bed with me while DH slept on the couch. Whilst our couch is a big leather corner suit and extremely comfortable I felt a bit mean on Colin as he works long hours in the cab and he never complains. Overwhelmed by guilt I set to in the sewing room. Oh lord it took all day Saturday and the best part of Sunday and I still have a little bit of rejigging to do before a single bed will fit into the allocated space.  So all sewing has been on hold and I have therefore had nothing to blog about so today I thought I would share some pages from my sketch book showing rabbit and his two new friends Hedge and his son Hog. Original I here you all say ha ha but that's the names that popped into my head when drawing them. I think these guys might find themselves appliqued and stitched one day you never know????? 

Almost finished...

Here is my little wall hanging almost finished but I have just noticed when I took this photo that I have not put a tail on my rabbit. This will keep till tomorrow. I am really pleased with how it has turned out, from sketch to stitched applique I think this was a success.

Rabbit has lost his balloon......

can you see where it is. Hence the name of the quilt 'The Balloon'. In my original drawing the rabbit was looking up at the tree but I decided to add a balloon and that is why he is looking up. Poor rabbit his balloon is all tangled in the branch also you may notice he is missing his tail but i asure you he will be getting one. This morning I added a few more bits of applique and began the quilting but I have still not decided on wall hanging or quilt? It may just become a lovely wall hanging as I have so many other quilts I am itching to make not to mention several quilt tops that need layering and quilting! I must point out the little bird in the tree was a gift from my friend Leanne in Tasmania (Australia) isn't it delightful (note to self) must ask her where she got it from.

from Sketch to Quilt??

Sketch in my sketch book.

Template on A2 paper.

And so it begins.

When my amazing friend Janet asked me to step in and do a workshop for Southport  Quilters I began doodling images of rabbits with an Easter theme for an applique wall hanging or quilt in mind. As you know this was not the case and I ended up showing the ladies how to make a scrappy trip around the world. I continued to doodle rabbits, then I added some flowers to the doodles and before long I could feel a quilt in the making. This morning I decided to go for it and my little sketch is evolving with fabric and thread.  I am not sure yet if it will be a wall hanging or a quilt as you go quilt but it has got a name 'The Balloon', all will be revealed.

Keswick and Lake Derwent.

The Pencil Museum

Lake Derwent

The Photographer at work

Yesterday DH and I set off to the Lake District to the town of Keswick, a 13th century market town 'Kesewic' meaning farm where cheese is made.  However we did not go for the cheese but the breath taking scenery of Lake Derwent and a trip to the pencil museum.  The weather was a bit hit and miss, cloudy with the sun trying its best to peep through occasionally but strong bitterly winds made the day very cold. The winds where so strong that unfortunately all the boat trips along the lake had to be cancelled.  Still we had a great day and once again I was spoilt when Colin bought me a set of ink intense blocks from the shop in the pencil museum.

Has spring finally arrived?

DH the Photographer.

I walked to the top of the sand dune you can see in the distance.

Yesterday the sun was shinning and despite a little bit of a bracing wind it finally felt like spring had arrived. DH needed to take some landscape photographs for his photography course and we set off to Ainsdale woods. When we arrived at the spot he wanted to photograph I took myself off to the nearest highest sand dune and took some photos of the scenary myself. It was so peacful I could have sat there for hours, just letting time slip away. When Colin had finished taking his photographs we continued to walk through the woods when we came across a pond that was absolutely full of frogs. I said arrr look she is carrying her baby on her back to which Colin replied 'no babe its mating season their having a bit. In fact look at them all its a frog orgy'. Laughing and moving swiftly on we continued on our journey to Southport and had a lovely alfresco lunch. I was also treated to a trip to Marshside quilt shop and Colin bought me some lovely cream fabric before setting off home. He sure knows how to show a girl a good time does my DH. x   

Playing with colour....

Hand dyed fabrics

Scrunching the fabric creates these gorgeous crystalised patterns.

Added a silver metalic pen to this page but sorry I did that now.

Here I have added text using a tipex pen.

This page is all dye and I have tried to use the spoon to make marks.

On this page I have added some intense water colour paint nad again the white tipex pen.

Every evening I become a taxi drivers widow as DH goes to work and this is when I create, sew, quilt and draw, last night was no exception. I have been trying to sort out my sewing room but I have to say I am not getting very far. Whilst going through one of the draws I came across the remainder of the procion mx cold water dyes, I bought sometime last year to dye fabric based on a Design Matters TV tutorial with Laura Kemshall. I remembered my good friend Gwen gave me a bundle of lovey white Egyptian cotton so I decided it was time for another dying session. Here is the end results using three primary colours, golden yellow, vivid blue and magenta red. Sadly I ran out of fabric before I ran out of dye, not wanting to waste it I used the remaining dye to play in my sketch books. I created the swirls using the spoons that I mixed the dye with.  Laura's technique is fun, mess free and the results are amazing. I already have a quilt in mind using these fabrics but I need some cream fabric to go with them so it looks like trip to Dots (Quilters Needs) is required.

Expecting? Then expect a bunny.....

One of my favourite things to make are Tilda bunnies. I give them as gifts to friends and family who are expecting or had a baby. They are so cute and extremely quick and easy to make. I made this little chappy yesterday for a good friend who is expecting her first baby.  She does not know what she is having yet but I decided to make her a lemon one to be neutral. In the book Crafting Springtime Gifts by Tone Finnaganer the bunnies have little dresses on and Pantaloon's underneath. However I have adapted the pantaloons with the bib of the dress to make dungarees because I was asked to make one for a friend of Michaela's who had a little boy. I also added a pretty fabric to the inside of the bunnies ears to add a bit more colour and interest. I know its new owner will adore it just as much as I do.

Stitches in time....

Dick Kerrs Ladies

Yesterday I went to Preston to have lunch and a catch with my friends from Uni, whilst there I took the opportunity to visit the Harris Gallery. They are currently holding an exhibition called stitches in time. I really enjoyed the exhibition and here are a few of the lovely items on display. Unfortunately the room is quite dark to protect the items from the light and whilst you where allowed to take photographs you where not allowed to use the flash. I think my favourite item in the exhibition was the child's bonnet. It is amazing, made of linen and it is all hand quilted. I stood staring at it for ages I was mesmerised.

And their off.....

This is my beautiful daughter all ready to go to the Grand National. I no I am bias but doesnt she look lovely. Love her to bits.

Oh dear not sure..

that the fabrics I have chosen work for this particular pattern. This morning I was up before the birds and decided to sew all the Pineapple blocks together. I even ironed the little pile of triangle corners. I now need to add a thin cream tone on tone border, then the little triangle border followed by the last outer boarder maybe the borders will add more definition to the blocks????? I think I might name this quilt Paracetamol and Ibuprofen as I have been dosed up on both due to the cold and would not have been able to sew with out them. :)

No blogging but plenty of sewing.....

Red, Black and White charm bag.

Floral Charm Bag

32 Pineapple blocks

Pile of border block to iron.

I have been meaning to post on my blog every day for the last week but I have been to lazy to get the camera out of my bag and take some photos of current projects I am working on.  I am however full of cold at the minute, courtesy of my sister who was full of cold last weekend. It just happened to be the weekend we were travelling to Hampshire to visit my sons grave. So four hour car journey and sharing a room over night then four hour car journey home. So it was probably inevitable that I would catch it. Anyway I have not let it get all the better of me and I have done quite a bit of sewing. I have made two charm bags as requested for my friend lovely gentle friend Judith. I have made 32 blocks of 36 for the pineapple blossom quilt I am making all from my stash. I also have a little pile of half triangle border blocks to be ironed.  So you see I have been a busy girl so maybe I will be forgiven for my lack of recent post.