and the Oscar goes to..............

Well, not quite an Oscar, but unaccustomed as I am........etc, etc,........I have been tagged by Rachel at
Pixie Rose Dresses for this blogaward,

The downside to this award is that I have to come up with 7 facts about myself.........here goes.

1. I am no Spring Chicken

2. I love pussy cats

3. I am almost ambidextrous

4. In 1967 I walked barefoot in Princes Street, Edinburgh

5. In 1967 I saw The Monkees live at Wembley...sighs heavily.

6. I have an obsessive nature & am a bit of a control freak

7. I share a birthday with Hitler................

Now it is my turn to tag some other bloggers.........

1.  Lily's Quilts

2. Applique Today

3.Cakes, Crumbs & Cooking

4. Pink Penguin

5. Rags to Bags

6. Samelia's Mum

7. The Pink Whisk

Awards Season...........

Well, phew, am just back from a lovely day out to the Spring Quilt Show at Ingliston - tired and all spent out........

.......so, I find I have been tagged by Hadley over at Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle

for this award which I am more than happy to accept.

And in the tradition of such awards, (I have cut and pasted) the 'rules':

1) If you are tagged, and you want to accept, then create a post on your blog and add the leibster blog pic.
2) Link back to the person who gave you the award and say if you accept.
3) Choose 3-5 of your favourite blogs to tag, link these in your post too and tell the lucky people they have been tagged.

The aim of this award is to bring unknown good blogs to light, (less than 50 Followers is ideal), therefore, please don't tag somebody with 3000 followers!

So, I have had a look at some of the new blogs I have recently embraced since hosting the First Quilt Linky, and have decided upon the following four:-

1. Fairy Face Designs - a nice wee blog, check out her adorable handmade baby gifts.

2.Janice Elaine Sews - another new one to me, looking forward to following - just spotted sub-header with recipes, Banana Streusel Muffins, worth an award in itself.

3.Quiltova - this is feeling like a trip round the world - Dianne lives in the Czech Republic.

4.Sew Wonderful Life - Catherine seems like a very busy lady aking some lovely quilts and growing her blog.

5. Last, but not least, a non -quilting blog, Pixie Rose Dresses belongs to my blogpal, Rachel.

My First Quilt

When Lynne from Lily's Quilts posted yesterday about the first anniversary of her first quilt, it stuck in my mind for a while and got me thinking about my first quilt. After I made it I always reckoned I should have made a cushion to start with and sometimes am amazed that I kept quilting - I found it so hard.

I am however, still fond of it and now look back on it as the start of an amazing journey.
I thought it might be fun for you to show your first quilt..............

I AM NOT WORTHY

To a quilt err!

Oh, weeping mourning, abject quilter,
Yer project noo is out of kilter,
Thou needna start tae mend it hasty
Wi' feverish keenness,
Admirers - WE will NEVER paste ye
Wi' ill-judged meanness!

We're truly sorry the quilt's a scunner,
But we ken you'll rescue it - a wonder!
You'll save the day wi' quilting new
A sma' behest,
Your followers have faith in you
And that's no jest!

the above was left as a comment on the previous post - such talent!!

Saturday Night Fever

Out - damned pucker.................

Some of you will know this story............this is a quilt I am making for the shop, took it along to my recent workshop to layer up and quilt..........didn't baste (naughty Sheila)........spotted a few puckers and should have stopped (Stupid Sheila)...kept going, added the binding....................slept on it (well, not actually on it)...and could stand it no more.
Nearly finished unpicking ALL the quilting now. The front of the quilt is "Lollipop" by Sandy Gervais for Moda and it is in Sew Materialistic NOW. It is so pretty it deserves a better job (and better wadding!)
keep watching and I shall reveal the final result...........
So - this is just for you Marjory - you see, it happens to us all at times!!

The Story of a Stash

Bear with me while I tell you a story..................a few years back me and my Sewing Bee Buddies attended Pat Archibald's Creative Journey course.It was a super course that lasted for five Saturdays, one a month, and taught us the basic principles of design. In preparation we had to decide upon a journey we had made which was memorable to us and start collecting some fabrics that we thought might suit our subject.
My journey was all about Queensland and the Tropical rainforest and I began my relationship with - green fabric.....

Our course culminated in the making of a fabric cover for our sketchbooks.

The following year was 2007 and my project for classes that year was the Mystery Quilt - I made mine along with, or just ahead of all the classes and chose to use many of the fabrics I had collected for my Journey, with the addition of a few more....

I added in quite a few browns and beiges but popped a few greens in and also used my favourite stripey fabric in the borders.
2008/9 I felt it was time to produce a new sample for my Beginners class and guess what, I used the same fabrics, well, we were in the grip of a recession.........

Still had lots of that stripe left............I also looked thro my fat 1/4s and decided that 8 of them and a Mystery Quilt orphan block would combine to make an adequate backing.

and then I embroidered its label which will forever remind me of an aborted house sale!

You'd think it was all over by now but no - around this time a friend generously gave me a pile of Moda fabric, not sure which range but lots of Paisley patterns and sludgy greens..mmmmm.

Just the fabric for my Pic'n'Mix quilt that became the class project 2009/10.

 

 I even managed a couple of matching cushions - if you click on them you will see a very rare thing - hand quilting!! LOL.

I must have been determined to finish that stash, because I put together a backing of chunks of fabric, orphan blocks and sample blocks.

Many months passed following the completion of Pic'n'Mix, we moved house, classes continued....................................our living room took shape and we painted a "feature wall" - green!

Actually, I'll have you know, it's "Overtly Olive".

I have become a keen, well obsesive, if I am honest, blogger and have to say I have been inspired by many young quilters out there who are keeping quilting very much alive and kicking. I am loving all the modern stuff I see and have come across a new description of using scraps...improv quilting...............so I pulled out my scraps and made these............

 

I really enjoyed making these cushions, they were totally improvised, no planning apart from using the absolute leftovers from that stash! (the wee blocks were all class samples and just languishing in a drawer)

I used one or two new techniques in the making - watch this space, they have the making of a fun workshop........

Here endeth the story of a stash...........think it's time to move on to brights now.What do you think?

SALE

I am pleased to be able to tell you that Sew Materialistic is having a SALE of selected fabrics - it starts on Monday 14th Feb and I can tell you there will be lots of cottons included.

Come along and grab a bargain or two,

ABCs

Today was the last workshop in the ABC series where those attending had the chance to make a big quilt - everyone followed the Contrary Wife block pattern and as usual, no two have turned out the same. Unfortunately due to illness, we had a few abscences today...............best wishes to those affected and hopefully you will all be able to progress your quilts soon.
Check out the story so far by visiting my flickr pages, and choose the ABC set.

I would like to take this opportunity of congratulating Trisha Denholm on her appointment as Ayrshire rep for the Quilters' Guild. If you have not yet joined the Guild, why don't you take a look at their website, here. I am sure Trisha will be a super rep for us and hope you will all give her support.

Lastly, I have fixed a date for this years Open Evening - it will be on Friday 1st April from 7 - 9 in Prestwick Community Centre.(Rooms 9 & 10). If you want to find out more about my classes and workshops, or just want to see the beautiful work that has been done this session, do come along.

more fmq

Pat has sent me this pic - classes were working on a wee sampler of fmq patterns this last week and she has turned hers into a cushion.........a great idea and it is just so pretty.

fmq

I recently added Patsy Thompson to my blog list with the recommendation to visit her site and have a look at the free downloadable fmq designs that she has available. Some of you have not managed to navigate to the right place so click here for a quicker link.