With a little help from Little Whale I laid out yesterday's progress at Patchwork Class . . . This is a quilt for daughter Tamzin. I FINALLY got to grips with the many mistakes I'd made and put them right, and am now getting it finished at class.
Above and below - a strip of Tam's quilt, using the quilt as you go method, and what's more, my first attempt at machine quilting. I have to say, it was not as difficult as I thought it would be and I am quite pleased with my first efforts.
A close-up of my efforts.
This is the top of the little box on legs I bought at the Fleamarket. It needs completely repainting and recovering but I'm onto it! I woke at 5 a.m. this morning and came downstairs to use my time constructively.
As I bought it - needing a complete revamp.
Current work in progress - as you can see, the new white shows up the very shabby old paintwork. Keith will have to make me up a new piece of beading to go on the front of the grubby door. Now I am away into town for yet more paint (3 lots I need!)
Hello to new followers. Lovely to have you "on board". For some reason I have been stuck on 184 followers for months - it never gets any higher though I must have an extra 20 or 30 who have joined me. Ah well, I know you're there anyway!
You’re nicely busy BB! I’ve just been on your Pantglas walk which was so beautiful. I love all the local history and the wider landmarks you point out. We’re having, what Thomas Hardy would term a “backward Spring. That is if you compare it to those Spring days when one was cutting grass in February and the children were playing outside in t-shirts during February half terms. Today the celandine in my crocus-jewelled rough grass is just opening, frogspawn has been laid in the pond, I saw my first Brimstone butterfly on Tuesday and picked handfuls of wild garlic on a local woodland walk on Sunday. I also bought the backing fabric for my HST pinwheel quilt yesterday. It is quite a rich gold with very fine grey hatched lines but when I spread it out on the floor at home I thought I might prefer the ‘wrong’ side! We are inching towards exchange BB and I too have been painting furniture. A little oak bookcase which had been my husband’s childhood bookcase and which I’d painted pale pink for my daughter’s bedroom 20-years-ago and a little Barley twist three-legged round table with a separate brass hammered top (a little bit Indian in style?) which my mum used for plants and probably bought for sixpence. Both have been painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pointing (I had leftovers) lightly sanded, and clear waxed. I love your little box on legs, what a useful piece that is. Our loft has been emptied and everything is down from the roof of the garage and my removal man assures was me we will fit into a HGV and a Luton van so I am not doing any more decluttering. This is my life and I could no sooner live minimally than I could fly to the moon! My mum used that expression a lot!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I'm glad you enjoyed the Pantglas walk. Definitely a "backward spring" with a dose of the Son of the Beast from the East on Sunday, which I am NOT looking forward to. Mind you, I did a short walk today and was HOT. The wild garlic is coming through well here too. We rarely have any Brimstone butterflies here - just normally one which has hatched from the land of a neighbour down the hill who has something to do with Butterfly Conservation - do they put pupa's in her hedgerow I wonder? No foodstuffs for them here though (I think it's Alder Buckthorn that it likes).
DeleteI am glad that your sale is slowly progressing and I can't wait to hear about your new home (you will have to start a blog!!) The Farrow and Ball colour looks very unassuming and will go anywhere. The box on legs here (probably a sewing box originally?) is now repainted and I plan to do the fabric parts tomorrow. The dresser is newly painted too and MUCH improved (it was SO GRUBBY).
New Quilt = probable ruination by cat...
ReplyDeleteSimon - You have a point there. It will be going off (when finished) with Eldest Daughter, who has a quilt-loving cat of her own!!
DeleteShe is checking out the stitching!
ReplyDeleteYou have inspired me to start tackling some of the brown furniture projects which I have stacked up, a dresser and a cupboard. I have a feeling that there is another one somewhere, but it is so long since I saw it that I have forgotten what it is.
The shape of that little box on legs is rather cute. I look forward to seeing the finished project.
ps Where do you get your energy?