Chinese outfit for my daughter

At her school, DD4 had a chinese day some time ago. And so I found myself trying to make quickly a chinese outfit for her.

This is the result, not perfect (I know where something is not right, but won't tell you where), but not too bad either.

Now I hope she will wear it again before it becomes too small.

Quilts 1700-2010 exhibition at the V&A London.

So back to Wednesday, when I was able to attend the exhibition on the preview afternoon for us bloggers.

I went by car with my friend Katherine who offered to accompany me, even though she wasn't allowed in the Quilts exhibit. She had a lovely time wandering around some parts of the Museum. I must say that it is huge, and well worth a return visit. You can have a look yourself on their website : Victoria and Albert Museum.

First here is the front of the Museum, on Cromwell Road, London :

Now check the courtyard, there is a cafe in the corner, and there can be some sun sometimes, like on my photos.

I have taken lots of photos, about 70, but not using a flash and zooming on details means that some of them are out of focus (floues en francais). But there is hope. First there are all those photos you can find here :

http://www.rexfeatures.com/live/2010/03/17/quilts_1700-2010_exhibition,_victoria_+_albert_museum,_london

And then I seem to be allowed access to the official photos.

What I would like to do is put more information on the pieces I saw. I bought the book from the exhibit and will use it to make some research. It will be interesting for me and I hope for you as well.

Now I just need to find the time ...

I'm adding this link to a blog with a very interesting article on the exhibit, have a look yourself :

http://thedyershand.blogspot.com/2010/03/quilts-1700-2010-at-v-part-one.html

Cards and card holder

Before going to the preview at the V and A last Wednesday, my DH printed me some "business" cards with the address of this blog and a piece of one of my quilts as an illustration. They look great, very professional.

So I quickly found some lovely Japanese fabric and sewed a little holder. A bit tighter than what I was hoping for, but the cards fit which was the objective.

Janet Bolton's workshop

I feel very lucky because I was able to attend a workshop with Janet Bolton yesterday, in Bath, in the patchwork shop called "Country Threads" ( see my previous post here).

Find Janet Bolton's website.

She is a true textile artist, with collectors of her work around the world. It might appear very simple first, but it is also magical like a Matisse, transporting you far away. Each stitch and each little piece of fabric has a purpose, and each piece is the fruit of a lot of thinking and choices.

We were shown what she called mistakes, that looked like perfect little pieces, except she wasn't satisfied with them.

I booked this day a few weeks ago and was really looking forward to a few hours sewing in the beautiful city. Not that I ventured out much.

Janet Bolton was very interesting, and she explained her method very well. Then we were left to choose one of our own photos to use as a base for a piece. It's a bit daunting at first but you soon feel that you have to make a decision, under her kind guidance of course.

She helped me choose a photo of DD1 on her sledge. Her ideas are to keep the design simple. I'm not sure I can do that yet. I still think too much of the details to be put in, like legs, arms but I gave up on the idea of gloves for example.

I was surprised to discover that her pieces are quite small. It's difficult to stop yourself from going bigger, I'm not sure I'm there yet.

She loves adding a little bit of colour, in our case a speck of red, to lift the picture. I think it's a brillant idea, very interesting.

We also learned a bit about framing and presenting our work. But of course I would need to finish it first.

We all had a brilliant day, too short of course. Here are the other participants, they will have to stay anonymous as we only knew our first names.

I already have 2 of her books "My Grandmother's Patchwork Quilt" from which I have made a few blocks, but it's not finished see here.

I also own "In a Patchwork Garden" but haven't used it yet. I don't think I would do all the blocks but a few would be wonderful.

I have ordered another of her books, which has just been reprinted "Patchwork Folk Art" which you can find on Amazon uk ( no benefit for me,it's just easier to show you a photo on their website).

I have taken a few quick photos of the work we produced at the end of the day. There is still some time needed to finish them, and then frame them hopefully.

We all developped different ideas, used colours from our stashes. There aren't any of the added embroidery, buttons, and in my case frame.

What a great day !

Baby book

I made this for my next door neighbour, Julie, and more specially for her son Dan.

I have already made 2 books like this, some years ago, before starting this blog. The children have grown since, but one of the books is used by the recent addition to the family.

I start with a few fabric pictures, and use fabric from my previous projects.

I have this woven basket to put all the little bits leftover. I can't close the lid any more. I might take part of it to one of my Brownies meeting one evening, to help lower the level.

So each picture is framed, adding enough for the seam allowance. The side that will become the binding is larger than the 3 other ones.

Then I put 2 images right sides together, on some wadding. Sew around 3 sides, not the one for the binding. I cut the angles and the wadding around, and turn the page right side out. I topstitch around the page to flatten it.

The last stage I tend to do by hand because of the thickness of the book. I sew the pages together and hide all the edges with a piece of fabric.

Each fabric reminds me of a project.

The one on the back was bought to make some trousers for my first born. She is 15 now.

Exhibition at the V&A Museum, London, Quilts 1700-2010

There is this exhibition starting on the 20 th March in London at the V&A Museum, called "Quilts 1700-2010. I think it will be very interesting.

Of course I am biased because of my interest in everything fibre related, but I thought their advertising with lots of different newspapers was very good. I have seen several articles in the Times, starting a few months ago about the coming exhibit.

This week there were 2. One on 28 Feb reporting on the "new vogue for quilting" although I wonder how they can think it is new.

Today there was an article telling you how to make your own Tracey Emin cat quilt. The explanations are written by Sue Prichard, the curator of the exhibition. It is designed more for beginners, but you could use the design of the cat on something else.

The best article was written last week by Grayson Perry, who also made a piece for the V&A, called "Quilting is not a dumb hobby"

The best part is that I received an invitation to a preview at the Museum on Wednesday 17th March. I wonder who will be there, it will be so interesting so see the pieces, and of course people passionate about patchwork and quilting.

I'll tell you all about if when it has happened.

L'aiguille en fete Paris, Feb 2010

2 weeks ago I went to Paris for my God daughter's first communion. It was on the Saturday, and I was very lucky because this french show was happening at the same time. I left home a day early, on the Thursday, and spent Friday looking at quilts, embroidery, knitting...kits, fabric, ribbons, patterns, books.

Although books are more expensive in France than in England, because of some protection laws that are supposed to give more money to the authors, but then they sell less books because of their prices being so high !

I didn't buy much : some Liberty fabric that we couldn't name, some japanese jelly roll..

I got some ideas for things I want to make, just need the time.

There was also a speed knittng competition, very relaxed. Everybody could take part, including a teenager who had just learnt.

And there was some massive needles. On the photo below the pieces are on a sofa. The wooden needles would have been the size of my wrist roughly. Knitting becomes a workout.

There were 2 women from the Toft Alpaca with some beautiful alpaca wool. It made me want to start a hat.

I also saw a very interesting demonstration of painting on fabric with some stencils from The Stencil Store

I would like to make some bags using transat toile like the Cabana Creations people did.

And I discovered a man who makes beautiful buttons or pendants in ceramic called Rouge Petit Coeur. I bought a beautiful P on a heart, that I will use on a wallhanging.

Of course there were many more shops, these are just a bit different.

And I did a workshop, but more about this later as I have not finished the embroidery started that day. Isn't that typical.

Knitted Baby cardigan

This had to be kept secret as it was a present for my little niece, now aged 7 months.

I started knitting before she was born, then had a break... and hurried to give it to her dad, my little brother when I saw him a week ago.

I began to get worried it would be too small by the time I finished it, luckily it seems to be too big ! I did it in a size 6 months to 1 year.

The colours are pink and brown, difficult to show them on this photo. I started knitting the neck and got down to the belt level. It is all done in one piece, with just 2 seams under the 2 arms.

It was supposed to be a quick project, and it wasn't, all my fault.

I hope the little J. likes it. She seems to be growing by the minute.

Sketchbook and pencils holder

Another quick project, I know my UFO's are not making any progress meanwhile.

I found this tutorial, tried it once, and then lost my papers, couldn't find the website, but finally here it is. The tutorial was on the blog "Atkinson Designs", and is called an Airplane Art Binder (it is the third from the top). There are lots of useful photos, but you have to change the size of the paper pad as it is an american measure, and the european ones are slightly different.

All in all it was easy to make. I chose more masculine colors as it was offered to my husband on his birthday. And then I had to borrow it back to show it to my patchwork group.

The ladies there expect me to show something every time!

On this next photo you will see the outside completely opened up. The button was homemade with Fimo paste by one of our daughters.

The tie is sewed on the right, left, and on a vertical line in the middle.

There is no quilting as there is no wadding, but interfacing.

So go on and try one.

It makes me think of the phrase written by William Morris “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”.

So instead of having a horrible plasticky object we have a homemade one.

Of course this only works when you have the time to make the object, and it's not going to be ruined, or not appreciated.

Sunbonnet Sue needle holder

I found this tutorial in french on the Frimousse's blog here, and as it doesn't take long to make, I had a go one afternoon.

So it was one quick project but I am not sure it looks finished enough. Maybe I could try again with some thicker cardboard, and with sewing the edges instead of applying glue. But then of course it wouldn't be a quick project any more.

I drew the pattern freehand, as I couldn't find one on the tutorial.

There are 3 pieces of cardboard, cut twice. Two the whole size, two of the head alone, and two of the dress, without the feet. Each is in a thicker cardboard, and one thinner.

Tell me what you think, especially if you try this project.

Kath Kidston bag

While we were in Bath we had a look at the Kath Kidston shop. There was this book with enough fabric included to make a bag. I just had to buy the book and make the bag.

The other projects are quite simple, but could be inspirational, depending on what you are looking for. I thought that for £15 I could have a book and a bag, so not bad then.

The pieces of fabric were pre-cut, that's what I call luxury, with little marks to match up the seams. The buttons and label were also provided. I copied the pattern first, on the recommendation from DH. I'm not sure it was included on the pattern sheet provided.

Then I decided to line my bag, and add an inside pocket. It's easy when you have been making bags in a challenge for a year.

So a quick project, which stopped my progress on

the UFO list, but nevermind.

Iris wallhanging for my Mum

Now for something I have made, and am proud about: my Mum's Birthday present. She was born before Christmas, and as we go back to Paris around that time, she gets a second cake, with the candles, presents and family. She deserves it.

This year I wanted to give her something I made, and used the pattern I bought some time ago (ok a few years...but I knew who to use it for). It is "Iris" by Gail Lawther, and is a stained glass patchwork pattern. Go down on the web page about 2/3 of the way to find it.

http://www.hbweb.co.uk/gqpv3/pattern_packs_regular.asp

Now I can promise that the wallhanging is straight. It's just that it was folded when travelling.

I used this opportunity to practise my free motion quilting on the feathers in the borders. It doesn't look too bad on the photo.

I regret that I didn't have time to buy a bar to hang it on the wall. This being Christmas time I was pretty busy. I hope that she has found the time to hang it properly. I'll see in February when I'll be going on my own to my god-daughter's first communion.

I enjoyed this pattern, the second I've made by Gail Lawther.

Now back to this UFO list, to shorten it, and then I need to make something for my DH's Birthday.

Seasonal art in Japan

I found the Quiltmania blog in french with these amazing photos taken in Japan. Have a look yourself, art has taken a new form.

http://blog.quiltmania.com/?p=58

Visit to Bath

On Saturday, DH, DD3 DD4 and myself spent the day in Bath, in England of course. The first objective of the day was to drop my sewing machine to be serviced in the Husqvarna shop. I must say I was very satisfied with the service. We left it in the morning and I had it back at 3 pm. It is now so much quieter.

The bits of thread and fluff that get under the bobbin and feed dogs can't be stopped, sadly. I shall try to clean that part of the machine more often,otherwise my empty bobbin indicator doesn't work anymore, until the next service of course.

We were hoping to visit the Fashion Museum, and the Asian Museum, but the shopping won.

Second stop was the patchwork shop "Country Threads" in Pierrepont Place. It's Alibaba's cavern, you could spend hours there...except the girls wouldn't have any of that. I managed to buy some fabric, admire some quilts, pick up some ideas for future projects.

Here are some photos taken on DH's phone.

There was a lot more shopping. Some tea and coffee in a shop were the girls were offered to smell the lid of jars: vanilla tea, chocolate coffee.. I thought it was a really good idea, as it got them interested at 11 and 8 years old.

And then we saw the windows of the All Saints shop, full of old sewing machines. I wasn't the only one dribbling in front. Sadly the photos are not so good because of the reflections.

Snow

We have had some snow since last Wednesday morning. School was out on that day for all 4 girls, but the youngest had to go back on Thursday, and the others on Friday. The roads were not safe at the beginning, but are OK now.We have been sledging every day, and there have been some attempts at igloo building, but not very successfull.

Here is what it looked like on Wednesday morning.

The girls are getting ready to go to school, with my friend Chris all kitted up to walk in the snow with them.

The pleasure of children walking in fresh snow is such that we all went to accompany them to school at the end. Only to all come back soon after.

This photo was taken by my husband on his way to work on Thursday. Everything looks so beautiful, although very cold indeed.

This last photo is to show you that I did manage to do some sewing. I finally reopened my working/sewing station. The machine is in place and I can work on my UFO, the Dreamcatcher quilt for DD2.

I cut 120 rectangular pieces for the border.

Tilda little purses

I made these 3 little purses, all lined and closed with a white pop up, before Christmas.

The 2 brown ones have gone to a friend and as a secret present in my quilting group, the Golden Lion Quilters.

I still have the light green one, made with some japanese fabric.

They are all a bigger version of the smaller one I made in a blue and white fabric, see more information here.

Baby shoes 2

And now that Christmas has come and gone, I can show you the present I made for my niece, the lovely Juliette, who is 6 months old.

These were done with the same pattern as the blue ones, made over a month ago, at the request of Juliette's Mum, who happens to come and visit my blog.

I didn't see them on the little girl, as she wasn't very well unfortunately.

My brother and his family have left us now but it is the turn of my first and third daughters to be sick. You can't blame them for looking after their smiling little cousin.

Hopefully they should get better soon, as we are leaving Paris on tuesday to go back home, where I am hoping to have more time to sew.