6th Kaleidoscope Lesson

I have been busy working on Andrea's Kaleidoscope Lesson 6. It was fun and if you have EQ and would like the project file CLICK HERE.

March EQ Project File

I am playing around with half rectangle triangles for a future class project for my September classes. I am making one of my project files available for download. Here is the March Electric Quilt (EQ) project file. To download the project file just click on the image. To save searching for it later there is a link on the left hand side of this blog entitled
March 2009 under project files.

I am still busy working away on a few things and of course spending time with the machine embroidery which I am enjoying. I need to order some stabilizer as I have run out. I was advised about one to buy but I can't find it in the UK, I can't remember it's name at the moment, Floriani I think it might be called. I may need to order it from the US just to try it out. I have many stabilizers but this one is new to me.

I have just been out watering my little vegetable area. It's like a secret garden. There is a nice area behind my studio outside which is sheltered and warm where I am growing veggies. It's nicely tucked away and makes good use of what would be wasted space.
This is the potato kit I am using. It has three varieties and comes with three bags to grow them in you just add compost. I had planted two varieties of lettuce and planted some peas. I am going to try some carrots and peppers as well. It's just a lot of fun.

Time for a coffee. Thanks for dropping by.

3 D Patchwork and Evolon Journal

I was looking through my studios for a journal because I wanted to record my adventures with my new sewing machine and software. I came across this journal that I made way back in 2007. I wrote an article for the second edition of Fibre and Stitch and this was one of the things I made for that article. I had forgotten all about it. It uses lots of different techniques. The cover is made from Evolon which has been painted, embossed and many other techniques as have the beads. The spine is made from Punchinella (sequin waste). I thoroughly enjoyed making it and will enjoy filling it with machine embroidery samples and my notes.
I have another two more weeks to teach my classes. We have had a busy term with lots of different techniques. I thought I would teach something a little different for the next couple of weeks three dimensional puzzle balls. I made this one this morning. I think the next one I make I will match the thread to the fabric. It is hand stitched and I thought I would use a grey thread but you can see it. It was fine before I filled it. This will certainly be something a little different for my students. I hope they enjoy it. I might have time to make another one using different shapes - we shall see.

Working away

Wow! Life has been pretty hectic. The past few days have been gorgeous here which means I have spent a lot of time getting the garden tidy. It is looking good. We bought some new hanging baskets with lovely spring flowers which has added some colour to the front of the house. The daffodils at the back are almost in bloom, they are a bit in the shade so are taking a little longer to bloom. I have planted three types of potatoes, two different varieties of lettuce and tidied up my herb pots.


I have been busy learning my new Artista software and the new Bernina 730 machine. Of course this meant buying new thread - this is just a small selection of what I bought. Norman and I spent a lovely day in Edinburgh. He got some new music books - he's getting to grips with his new Yamaha keyboard and it sounds lovely, he plays so well.

I needed some new USB sticks so that I can transfer embroidery designs to the 730 - I can download straight from the laptop but since I have thousands of embroidery designs on there I thought it would be simpler to use USB sticks. Aren't they colourful. He gets them, as well as printer cartridges from 7dayshop. They are cheaper than anywhere else and delivery is usually next day.

This past week I have been teaching Stack 'n' Whack quilts in my classes. This was unplanned but one of my students wanted to know how to do it. Although I had two of Bethany Reynolds books I hadn't tried the technique. I had sufficient Jinny Beyer border fabric and so I made some blocks from that. It was a lot of fun. I think I may be hooked and want to try other shapes (I demonstrated a block using a 60 degree diamond cut in half to form a triangle) and so I popped into Kaleidoscope and bought a few metres of this lovely Japanese design fabric together with a plain for the background - I think this will look gorgeous together. I may teach this as a project fopr next term (September).

I am busy trying out colours and designs on the 730. As well as buying threads from David Drummond I also bought a mega hoop which can be used on the 730. The sewing machine and the new software means a huge learning curve for me. Every step I take I envounter yet another hurdle but I am getting there slowly and surely. The above design is one third of a design from the Latte Quilt book. This is just a practice piece as I haven't rehooped before. I have yet to decide on the colours for the finished quilt - purples, greens, reds or perhaps I will stick to the original latte colours, I am still unsure.