Binding update

So this week I finally managed to have a go at using my binding tool. I followed the instructions and it worked perfectly. Definitely s good buy. A bit lazy perhaps but it elimates the errors I always make as I am terrible at maths.



I am very pleased with the binding. I used the very last bits of grandad's lovely pillowcase. I feel it is now saved forever. I even sewed the original label in so I can remember every part of it.

The Festival of Quilts

The festival of Quilts 2011 was on this week at the Birmingham NEC. Mum wasn't going this year which made me very sad, but I decided to go along for the day anyway and see what was going on. The pendalino train affected me quite badly this time and I have basically felt sick all weekend ever since! It's a terrible affliction travel sickness. But it didn't stop me looking at all the amazing quilts and buying lots of things I didn't need! I thought it was a bit less busy this year which was nice as it was easier to see things, especially the Cotton Patch which has a lot of the contemporary material and which is usually rammed.



This year I was quite fixated on quilts that are very bright or totally patterned. I think to make myself feel better about my crazy technicolour quilt. Here are some pictures from the show.


Pattern overload, but it kind of works.


All the colours ever conceived, but it works.


The ever tasteful Kaffe Fasset. In the end I felt rather good about my quilt. Then I just moved on to looking at everything!


This quilt was really amazing. I don't think you quite see that here.


After doing a single girl quilt, I can really appreciate how hard double wedding ring is. This one is perfect.


I was really drawn to the hand rendered things this year. It was so perfect. It makes me realise I just need to be better!


The sheer size of some of the hand rendered stuff just blows your mind. I mean how long did that take to make? It's amazing.


Just look at the detail! It's perfect.


Another perfect detail...


From this huge quilt! Lovely.


I like scalloped edges. I have only done it once and it was surprising easy. It might be time for another go at it soon.


I am very interested in solid colours at the moment and how they go together.


My favourite section is always the mini quilt section.


They are tiny! They are obviously made by mice or robots.


I also like the three dimensional section. There is always something crazy! I love these little lace people.


I've never done a class but this one looked good.


I think they were making this long wall hanging.

Anyway, It's a huge post. Tomorrow I will show you what I bought and show you my finished quilt! That makes two quilts I finished before the show, which hopefully justifies some of my big spend.

Continuous Binding

So in honour of progressing and learning new things, I have bought a binding tool. I tried continuous binding a while a go and really didn't get it. I made a right hash of it in fact. Here it is before I tried to sew it down.



It looked terrible at the end and so I really haven't tried to do it since, but the tool had this video where they make it look simple.



In other news. I took my eyeball melt quilt home to show my mum all my mistakes. I told her how my machine binding was a travesty to quiltmaking. She asked me why I didn't just go over the whole lot with a fancy stitch like she did on a quilt she made me. I sighed and realised I am just not that dedicated to its cause. Here is what my mum meant.

Finished!

Finally I have finished the Material Obsessions quilt. I didn't put the borders on as it was just so big already. It was a hard one to finish and I made a lot of mistakes.

I should have used a template
I should not have used spray glue
I should not have tried to machine the binding

But it is done. It is so bright that I think my next project needs to me calm and plain.

I feel I have earnt next weekend which is The Festival of Quilts weekend! I can't wait.

Hexagon Quilt

I really like this quilt made by Abigail Newbold. I like the colours and the big size of the hexagons. I'd like to have a longterm handsewing project like this going on in the background for all those moments when you are free to just sew a few things together. It's a bit of a way off on the old list of things to do but I just happened to be looking at Strawberry Fayre as I needed some yellow material for my new project and I saw these spectrum bundles they sell which seemed perfect, so here they are! Now I want to get started straight away!

Hand Quilting

So Rachel asked what I was doing at the moment. Wellllll... there hasn't been a lot of time recently for making things, but in the background I have my psychedelic ready and waiting for its borders to be put on. I ordered something recently online and this binding tool came up. I watched a video and thought it looked pretty cool so I am going to give it a go. Hopefully I can get out the cutting matt this weekend and get going.



In the meantime I have been quilting Kim's quilt. It's slow going. I'm looking forward to the course in September. I'd like to have this finished by then.

Finding things

I went up to Lancashire this weekend and found lots of antique/junk shops which sold some great things.





This quilt was beautiful. All hand sewn. It was only £60! I felt a bit sad that someone had made it for someone, only to see if given away to a shop. There it was sitting in a corner. I would have bought it but it was deemed 'too flowery' by him. It was a little too flowery I spose, but it was still beautiful. So if you're ever in Hebden Bridge and you like the look of it I can tell you where to find it.

Finished!

At last, I have finished Rebecca Danger's pattern

Circular Needles

Well it turned out that mum had a secret stash of circular needles which she has never used! She says she bought them just at the end of her knitting days, before her arthritis got so bad, and here they are! All pristine in their original packing.



I think the plastic might have withered on these ones as it's very thin and brittle where it has been curled up so long, but they do have built in counters! Suddenly I seem to have loads!

Knitting update

There is definitely something funny going on. Either I knit back to front or Americans are just plain weird. It took me ages to realise there is a 'continental' style of knitting. 'Why is the yarn in the their other hand? Why are they knitting it a different way? What am I doing wrong?' Now I see that for most stitches there is more than one way of doing it! As if I didn't have enough problems in life! I have started to think that actually the continental way of holding the yarn might be a better method. I wonder how hard it is to relearn how to knit?

Anyway that aside, here are my legs. I am now on the circulars. I have know learnt the mystery of the Magic Loop. I am all systems go for my train journey. I am just amazingly s l o w

Learning curve

So I felt pretty good about myself after I learnt to cable. 'I can knit!' I crowed as I patted myself on the back and wrapped myself in my homemade blanket. Then I start Rebecca's pattern and suddenly I feel like I need to enroll in knitting school. So I have my circular needle, I have my lesson with Rachel booked. I have my Double pointed needles, I have my book open on how to use them, I have 300 YouTube videos to show me. It's tough going. I spent all last night knitting and unraveling, knitting and unraveling. I think I am finally ready to give it try. It's looking a bit lumpy though.

YouTube is great and so are the videos on http://www.knittinghelp.com

A Trip to Loop

Not much has been happening recently. I have a backlog of hand quilting to get through which is taking its time. In the meantime though I met up with Rachel and we went to Loop. I haven't done any knitting in a long, long time so we decided to buy some wool and start something new.

I'll admit, the shop is expensive, but it's very inspiring as everything in there is so tasteful. It really gets my imagination going in a way that the wool department in Selbys just doesn't. Here is the brilliant window display





So here is my purchase. Two skeins of Cascade 220 in pink and yellow.



I have decided to make one of these! which you can buy from Rebecca Danger's Etsy shop.



I thought it would make a fine present for Arthur as long as he doesn't mind the pink. Unfortunately I don't own any circular needles so I can't get started. I might have to get on my bike and see if I can find some as I think it's a great bank holiday monday project.