Plaid dress finish!

This week has been a bit of upheaval because we had some windows replaced.
However, I did finish a project last week.
At the start of January, while I was still recovering from being poorly, I decided to start a winter dress from this pink plaid.  However, my brain wasn’t quite up to snuff. I must have had some idea of some interesting thing going on with a front opening, because I cut the back on the fold. And not remembering what the idea was, the front ended up with a seam.

😩 as hard as I tried, the lines would not match up on the front seam! So, what to do?
I wanted the fabric to be the focus, so I didn’t want lace or trim or even some sort of embroidery down the front. Then I remembered that the selvedge edge had a bit of fringe.
And so, I cobbled the two edges together and voila!

Still about the fabric, yet a slight textural interest if it is noticed. So a somewhat pinafore look winter dress.😁

And how interesting? It seems too big! But I hadn’t prewashed the fabric, so I will see what happens before I take it in. At least there is plenty of room for some layers underneath.
I want to make a plain dark teal dress like it, but I am dithering now because I am not sure I like the fit. Any thoughts?

A little more energy

This cough 😷...
Finally on Saturday I started having more energy. I have a plan for a daily project, but it needs a bit of tweaking. But I haven’t had enough brains to work it out.

However, today I am ready to start some kind of sewing. I wanted to use this fabric I bought when my sister was here at the end of 2018. Ok. It is not going to be easy. If I am going to make sense of the plaid, it needs to be offset drastically.

So, now to see if I can still get a dress from it.

Some sewing related pressies

Aren’t friends and family so thoughtful?

Some books, fabric and other sewing related things have come into my studio.
Not to mention the chocolate!

Note books and eco- dyeing materials

And notelets from a very good friend.

Thank you so very much everyone!

Lovely Christmas

Some time ago I realised that Christmas is a lot more lovely if you make it up in your mind that it will be ...and that you will accept what it is as lovely.
So, although I am still full of cold, and haven’t much energy, that has been a good thing since I haven’t had to do allll the things I normally set myself to do!
And you know, it has still been lovely 😊! Those things not actually missed. Plus other people joining in to help.

One of the things I did do was make serviettes for friends. All of it from fabric I have acquired so it wasn’t tossed. Of course I forgot to take photos! Except for these I made to add to my own collection, since the others were getting faded. They can still be used, but now I have a better posh set and practical set.

A very cool thing!

Today we got a Christmas card from a relative of my husband in Scotland.

Sequins!

Then trying not to damage anything...

Ha! It is a piece of sequinned fabric!

How cool 😎

Designed for WHSmith 

Unexpected Loveliness

Saturday a friend gave me a little gift. How lovely!

Even the wrapping paper at the top!

And then there was a parcel from Empress Mills when I got home.
With a bit of sparkle

And a fat quarter

How wonderful! Just the thing to fit with some of the work I do. 🤗

Current project

I finally finished a dress I started over a year ago. A couple things I had to think through , but also life things to go through.
I didn’t want to start something else til it was done.
Will show a photo soon. I need to take one!

This is what I am doing now.

Making a blouse from fabric I got at Knitting and Stitching last year. Diligent Hands was the vendor. I have a few options for what I want to do on the white section.
Don’t ask me what is going on in the back. Still working on redeeming that idea.
(I must have been listening to a tearful part of Anne of Green Gables!).

Dragons spotted

just a few dragons I saw at the Festival of Quilts.


The Kiss of Gaudi by Isabel Munoz

Fabric I didn’t quite have the money for.

White Dragon by Lena Meszaros
Took me a while to work out why it was awkwardly positioned.
Can you see what this dragon is doing?

And then finally a cow!

Mad Cow by Teresa Summerfield.

24,000 technique explained.

Questions answered... Fabric size near the end of the post.

Stacks
This is day one, I used what I call stacks.
There is a small sequin at the bottom where it touches the fabric. I find it just adds a bit of grounding. and overall, glistens in different ways when the fabric moves.
I used 4 beads of one colour, 2 beads that create a contrast and then 4 beads of another colour...making 10 beads! The 2 different colours with 4 beads each are strung in different patterns for each set of 8. On the stacks, the 2 beads of contrast are used as stop beads at the top of the stack.

Each set leaves the centre open for now. So, there are 8 stacks each with 10 beads!
This set makes the centre of what will be a 9 patch.

Arches (formerly known as humps)
Then Day 2 starts the sets of arches. Going around the set of stacks.

Each arch starts and touch down in the same square. If you look at yesterday's post, you can see that I have been doing a bit of playing with the direction they point. But I will go crazy if I make that a Rule!
I am not going to get bogged down when it comes to using the same kind of bead or even bead pattern somewhere else. after all I am recording 24,000 People!!

Reminder of 5 sets done...it makes the shape of a plus or a cross.

The centre one is not so easy to see because the stacks splay out.

Reminder of 9 sets, which makes one big square.

What I did to fill in the corners, was to swap the size 15 beads. Now shiny light green becomes part of the main arch and the opaque blue becomes the contrast. It is not easy to see, but I have always found that with patterns on a small scale, it gives more interest from a distance if you change things about. (Like this... my dog is black, but when you are closer there is auburn tips that show in the sun and brown hair amongst the black ones.)

For the moment, I am using more of my size 15 beads because I have had them for ages and they never seem to run out! But I don't expect to only use the combo of 2 types of size 15 beads with 1 type of size 11.

And finally,
Fabric
an idea of the size of the squares. It is almost 2squares to 1/2in, but not quite! or 2 squares to 1cm, but not really. 😬

Approx. 41-42" (104-107cm) long (it isn't cut straight!)
42.5" (108cm) wide

I like Thankful Thursday

I haven’t been of much use for computer stuff lately. Besides very bad back spasms, I also had a lovely visit from my sister! I felt bad that instead of baking together, which is what I wanted to do, she ended up doing the baking on her own.
I love that lady😍!
She bought us a beautiful pot of Christmas plants.

It will be lovely to mix the red ones with the pink ones I already have.
I need to work out what the plant with red berries is.

I also am Very Thankful that my Mom was able to go to visit my sister in Alaska for Thanksgiving. What an adventure for an 80 year old!

To begin with, she was delayed in Maine due to a snowstorm. When she finally got to Philly, things were delayed or she missed her flight anyway. But they put her up in a hotel and gave her a food voucher. Early next morning, instead of going direct to Seattle, they sent her via Chicago, where she got the flight to Seattle.
Meanwhile all of us girls were frantically trying to keep track! She won’t have a mobile! But one sister had booked wheelchair service all the way through. So, we reckoned they would get her from wherever A was to wherever B was! 🤣 and another sister had some sort of app and Mom’s confirmation details. So she was able to know if she got on the next plane. 😅
So she got to Alaska in the end.

The sister who came here had no problems! Which I am very glad of!
 On a the Thursday, we went to Lady Sew and Sew where I sometimes teach. Somehow my sister is a very good enabler!

The top two are for dresses. The lower ones are going to be useful for my other work. In fact the darker bamboo-look will be just the answer for a problem I was considering about joining the sections of my current work.
But then it came time for Mom to go back. OH😱no! Alaska had 2 Earthquakes and very strong aftershocks! Airports closed. 😲 I guess you have seen the photos. Somehow they managed to get her off without great delay and no major problems on the way back. My sister and her husband stayed overnight in Anchorage rather than go home in the dark with possibilities of Moose or deep crevasses! They were still getting aftershocks and 12 in of snow forecasted!
My Mom will have enough stories about her adventures to keep her going the rest of her life!

I must say that I like living in England very much!!
Okay. I could do without falling when I was trying to get out of bed. Now being covered with bruises! But the Thoughtful Man has been very good on the Thoughtful front. so most days I am asleep on a chair in the lounge, passed out from strong pain killers!

Not so much a post about likes - although there are plenty of those! - but It has been a challenging week!
I am very tired and sore but I really like the way my God has kept all of us safe.

Thursday K+S

Apologies for missing Thankful Thursday this week.
I am at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace in London. Stewarding for the afternoon at the SAQA gallery Concrete and Grasslands.

Edit: Just see what I bought! It was late night opening. When we got there, it was nearly lunch and time for me to steward. So, we stayed after my shift and I managed to do quick purchases and look at some of the galleries. (loved so much of it, but really liked the Cork Textile Network from Ireland.)

Like I need beads, or thread and fabric if you think about it! from Paint Box Threads rainbow colours, from Totally Beads a possible project and replacing stock on the beads. Fabric from Bombay Fabrics and also different African fabric suppliers - Diligent Hands and Dovetailed London. I have used most of the African fabrics I had, but I have more to say about the African refugee situation which doesn’t get on the news.
A few of these are for possible dresses, too. No I haven’t used the fabric from FOQ! Yet!

My friend Pat came with me. We left here at 9am and got home after 11pm! And last week we were also in London on Thursday, so I am done now for going to London! Too much of a good thing.

Ramshackle ideas 5

Today I got the under layer cut (which will show through to the top when the houses are done.)
And the wadding cut for each section.

There is one problem...there was not enough of the dotted under layer fabric for all of it! To get past that for today, I cut all the pieces but the 'water' because that is different enough to give some options.

So, I have at least 3 choices...
1 - try to find more of the fabric. I did have a look online, but I think this was £4 a metre stuff and the shop might not have more. Also, the name on the selvage brings up something different altogether. So it would require a visit or phone call.
2 - use something similar, but what I have enough of is either plain or a bit more leaning to 'natural', which kind of dulls things.
3 - use something like a blue printed fabric which will add to the 'water look'.

But for now, I can get a start on one of the other sections while I deliberate.

Ramshackle ideas 4

Over the weekend I trimmed the fabrics to the right size. And today I finished fusing them with Mistyfuse®, fusible web.

The lightweight fusible is not glue adhesive. It also doesn't change the hand (handling) of the fabric.

I like Thankful Thursday

I like it when solutions are easier than you thought. I like discovering sensible things when you thought it would be hard.
I liked the proportions of amount of fabric choices I had laid out on the table. How to translate that to larger on the design wall?
Oh, the Thoughtful Man says times it by 1 1/2. ok I can do that with my calculator.

and then tweak from there to get this.

But something is not quite right...and...after thinking about it, I think it wants the sea on top. Oh dear. a lot of unpinning and possible loss of the proportion...wait!
I have the image in my view screen on the camera. Turn the camera upside down. and there we are!

Ta Da!
Still dreading the unpinning thing in real life.
And duh, it is pinned to a sheet hanging from skirt hangers...just flip the sheet over!
Ok it just looks like fabric to you, but I am now confident for the next step.

I like discovering the wonderful sunsets. We have had quite a few lately.
over the houses in front of ours

including reflection on solar panels

walk down past the houses for a wider view

I like that swirl bit towards the middle.
and turning around towards the east a bit

My Grandfather's favourite colour was skybluepink.

Then, walking back to the house in the dusk, I see the roses in the same colour as the main part.

cool!

Today's colour is brought to you by orangeyellowpink.

Also liking that my cataract surgery date is in about a month rather than January as they had implied.

Looking forward to losing the one-eyed pirate view of life - especially my work!

Ramshackle ideas 3

So - Fabric.
I want to have forest, mountain, desert and sea. As I say, these fabrics are darker than I am used to working with.
I have had a bit of back and forth deliberation about the sea.

The one to the right was chosen along with the others because it worked colourwise. It is meant to be waves. Yes...up close. Further away it looks like rocks.
So, turn it over...middle in the photo. Not as bad, I could work into it to make it more wave-like. But still. It shouts too much compared with the others which are muted.
Look through cupboard...oh! This really does say waves and in a more subtle way.

So, here it is with the others.
However, there was not enough of it to work when I scaled up. I wanted this whole thing to be large, and that piece wasn't large enough.
Eventually, I realise it wanted a darker fabric...perhaps blue? But it had to be a blue that worked with the sepia mountains, desert and the forest.
Then I looked for darks and found this.

a close up. From a distance you can't really see the swirl colour. So, it works with the others and can be suggestive of the sea.

The fancy name for this kind of thing is 'auditioning' the fabric. So, the cast is chosen!
I am trying to ignore all those 'make it complicated' ideas. Simple, my friends, is not simple.

I like Thankful Thursday

Thankful today that I am beginning to get back to normal after the Festival of Quilts.
Loving the writing slope my son gave me for my birthday. It is just right for my breakfast time studies.


a few likes from the show
on the end of the Quilt Sandwich stall

helps to work out if the extra wide is affordable. i.e. how much do you actually get and can you get away with less metre-age (you know, meters as opposed to yardage!).

Bought the book from the Fly Me to the Moon exhibition. Taking advantage of a discount and no postage!

179 quilts in the exhibition - one of them mine! They will be exhibited at NASA in the coming months.

And how wonderful to see Ramshackle Suburb in the Fine Art Quilt Masters gallery! No, it didn't win, but there were over 100 entries, and 23 were selected. So, that works. A lot of prestigious artists for company.

The lighting really lifted it. Amazingly different than seeing it here in my studio, only a short distance across the room.
Quite a few people said to me that they really liked my quilt. Even a few men. 😊

and I really liked - Very Impressed - with the way the Fine Art Quilts Masters work was dealt with for repackaging.

deliberation over the best way...where does this layer of acid-free paper go?
(The Quilt with brown and white on the wall to the left is the one that won.)

Clean and Tidy. Professional.

Cloth over the floor, latex gloves, 2 people to keep it rolled straight.

To see more like from others, check out LeeAnna's blog.

I like Thankful Thursday

...Even if I ran out of time to tell you til the end of the day!

I like skirt hangers. I use them for (skirts, yes) hang a sheet onto my cupboard doors for a design wall.

or since I picked these up at Sainsburys the other day, I use them for hanging fabrics on the cupboard to see how they play together for an upcoming project.

I like that I found fabrics at Lady Sew and Sew's July sale for my upcoming project.

It took me a long while looking through bolts trying to find 4 that work and that also were within my budget. But in the end, all four were £5 a metre.

Plus that left enough money for another summer dress. Also £5 a metre! and just enough on the end of the bolt for doing a simple summer dress! Lets hope I can sew it before it stops being summer.

I like finding the sequel to a Douglass Adams book with Dirk Gently as detective. I found it at the hospital bookshop.

I enjoyed Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency when I read it some years ago. I wished there were more (I already read the Hitchhiker series ages ago.) So, then I discovered this was the sequel. i might actually re-read the first one before starting on this.

Last month when we were on holiday, I discovered I like Rooibos tea. (now called 'infusion') a nice hot drink from South Africa.

There was some in the cupboard at the bungalow. I had tasted it before, but wasn't bowled over. I tried it with honey and wow! So, I bought some for home. I have been drinking it hot or left to be cold all through this hot summer. Lovely!

and I like getting a text from my friend to say there was an article about me in the local paper!
Really?

Small and succinct, but there it is! I think it was sent out by the organisers of Festival of Quilts, which is very nice. Almost like a proper gallery taking on your publicity.

Check out more likes from the others taking part...links on LeeAnna's blog.