Little house cards

This is one of the cards mid way through it's making, some done on the machine and some hand embroidered. If you look in the bottom left hand card in the next picture you will see I had added roses round the door and a window in the next-door house.

Click on the picture if you want a detailed look.

This wool is so nice and just right for it's earthy colours and will be used on the landscape cards and pictures, it's mohair so it feels very soft. I have used the white bit of it for smoke coming out of the chimney pots.

Finished after 5 years!

This quilt was finished this morning. I cut it out about 5 years ago for no particular reason except I liked the colours! Recently I remembered it and have just the person to give it to, so I got on with it.

It's quite basic and just the few 9 patch squares to give it some softness.

Now I need to start on a cot quilt which I have been commissioned to make.
This is how the next lot of 6 cards start, I haven't embellished them yet. I will add smoke from chimneys, nests on chimneys, flowers and pots, doors and windows, birds and anything else that enters my head! One of my family has suggested making it into a long picture which I must admit would be quite nice.

Beach Hut themes!

I seem to be on a bit of a beach hut thing at the moment....summer must be on it's way! The first two pictures are works in progress both pastel and bright.

The next one is a completed card, the stripy fabric was from a pillowcase and the white bit which is the roof came from a charity shop....I got a bag of lace and trimming and there was 139 metres of this one....all for £1! I have given some away and swapped some as well.

This quilt is a work in progress too, I'm onto the quilting bit now so sit in front of the TV in the evening quilting away.

Lastly this is my very good friend, Sylvia standing in front of her art work. We went to a private viewing last night at a local Arts Centre. I have never been to anything like that before and was a bit unsure about it as I was sure I would not be making intelligent comments! However it was fine and we really enjoyed it, catching up with friends and seeing Art in a very different way.

Latest textile pictures and a late Christmas present!

This is the latest completed textile picture, inspired by a photo of a sunset. Completed by hand yesterday evening.

This morning, a fresh start. Even though it isn't very warm I feel inspired to do a beachy summer picture! This is only a start and I will no doubt change this alot before the final result.

At last, it's arrived! The postman knocked the door, Wrecks went crazy but my book is finally here!
My son gave me a book token for Christmas but the book has been a long time coming but at last it came.
I ripped the packaging off, ......but didn't open it until I had made a cup of tea, went into the lounge with the book and a cuppa, sat by the window and lost myself in all the gorgeousness of the book.

Back to this blog!

I have ignored this blog for ages but have just decided it's a good way to keep a record of things I have made and given away! I have made about 50-60 of these landscape cards ready for a sale I am going to do at the end of May in aid of India. My daughter is going to work with the street children there in August for a few weeks and they want to buy bits for the children like clothes and craft stuff.

This is a picture I started whilst on holiday in the Isle of Harris last year. It is the view out of the cottage that we stayed in over the sea. I did the basic shape there and brought it home to sew it together and add all the embellishments. The grey rock in the sea and the dark green hill are made from Harris Tweed that I bought there and the little sheep on the rocks in the foreground are made from sheep's wool I picked up there. I loved doing this picture as we had such an amazing holiday there and it has great memories.

We decided that we would frame it as it will hopefully be a permanent reminder of Harris and the Outer Hebrides. It cost quite alot to get it framed but I am pleased with the end result.

Ta Da!

I got up early this morning and finished the binding on this one. I think this is the one I have enjoyed doing the most, I let myself get completely carried away on embellishing the sea using old ribbon, my late Mother-in law's lavender bag, selvage edges of satin fabric, etc...
I have noticed that I only tend to make a card or textile hanging of the season we are in, I have no interest at the moment of doing any snow scenes or autumnal pictures. At the moment my head is full of beaches, beach huts, seaside houses and country meadow views.
I am on holiday before long up to the West coast of Scotland and the Outer Hebrides....plenty of inspiration there I think!

Just a peep!

This is just a peep at what I am working on at the moment, it's very nearly done and is a beach/coast view.
This afternoon I get together with some other creative friends and we spend time sewing, chatting, giving each other ideas, drinking tea and eating home-made cakes or biscuits. Hopefully I will complete this wallhanging this afternoon.

P.S. Update, I didn't finish it, in fact I hardly did any at all, we all chatted, laughed and the afternoon just whizzed by!

Completed!

If you look at these pictures you can see what has been neglected as I spent time doing these wallhangings instead.....the garden!
I have so enjoyed making these and will start another one today hopefully with some of the fabric given to me for my birthday last week.

I finished sewing the binding on this one during the 10 O'Clock news last night....it was a welcome escape from all the depressing political news at the moment.
Well, off to mow the lawn now!

Vintage and Handmade Fair & landscape pictures

These three are the latest works in progress, I'm trying to get all the machine bits done now so that I can take them on holiday in a few weeks time and do the hand embroidery there.

This one is based on a place I saw when on holiday in Wales last year called Abereron, the houses were all different colours. My family says it looks more like Tobermory on the children's TV programme! I have still to do the borders on this one.
The last one is a bluebell wood, I have used different colour netting and fabrics and wools to make the texture. I will do a tree canopy in wools and chiffon I think.

These are fun to make as no two are ever the same.

Changing the subject I went to the Vintage and handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury on Saturday, it was lovely although very crowded...but that is good for the stall holders! The teas and cakes served on delicate vintage china looked wonderful but we didn't try any as the queue was long and no seats so we had another look round instead!

I was very restrained and only bought a couple of magazines and some very pretty ribbon. I hope they all did well as they had all put such alot of effort into it.

Nearly finished but not quite!

This is the picture I put on the blog a week or so ago, and it has changed quite alot. I changed the bottom two fabrics and framed it. Put embroidered flowers in the fiels at the bottom and changed the fields round a bit. I'm quilting it now as you can see from the pins. I can see lots of things I would change and as this is the first time I have done one of these textile pictures I shall use it as a practice piece.

It's still meant to be Kimmeridge in Dorset although next time I shall just do an imaginary place to allow more freedom.

I still think the headland looks like a hedgehog and I think the sea may be going uphill!

Below is the picture as it was before I fiddled with it.

Village quilt

Yesterday we went for tea in Wimborne St Giles village hall (if you want to see more click on my Snowgoosey blog on the sidebar).
This lovely quilt caught my eye. You can see by the size of the people how huge it is but I have got alot of reflection in the picture sadly. However if you click on the picture you can get a better look. It's of the village and appears to be very accurate. I would have loved to have asked someone about it but the ladies were so busy I didn't feel I could bother them...another time maybe!
It has alot of applique and embellishment too, a real work of art.

Inspired by Kimmeridge

I have been working on this wallhanging, it's about A4 size and based on the picture below of a coastal village not to far from where I live. I haven't yet put Clavel Tower on, which is the small building on top of the hill. I started to embellish the sea but am having second thoughts and may change that and embellish the fields in the foreground of the picture instead. I'm slightly worried that the hill jutting out into the sea looks like a hedgehog!....but hopefully I will be able to change that with a bit of nifty sewing! The thin green hedge is made using a bit of an old chiffon scarf and the sea is satin with netting and fancy wools on top. You can see more if you click to enlarge the picture. I will put it n again when I have finished it.

This is the inspiration for the picture, it's a beautiful area which we have walked many times. If you are looking on a map it is on the Purbeck coast in Dorset between Swanage and Weymouth.

I have been fiddling with this one card for about a week now trying to get it right. I haven't stuck it down yet as I'm still not sure! It was an experiment using netting to denote reflection in the water. I got 7 different coloured nettings to use on the cards to make a misty feel, blues and lilacs for bluebell woods, greens for trees, and I just need to experiment now to see what can be done. Netting is really cheap too and I got half a metre of each so it will last years I think!