Well, back from a family road trip in USA. We toured 6 States in 2 weeks, highlights included Yellowstone, Deadwood, Little Bighorn and Mount Rushmore. I did manage to visit 4 Quilt Shops and got lots of lovely fabric!!!

All that touring meant I did not get much sewing done, a piece of variegated Hardanger while sitting by a pool and a piece of chain stitch - both of which I will probably use in travelling books.

I got home Sunday Lunch time and have been busy putting together the 35 x 9" blocks, layering up and machine quilting in the ditch. started doing hand quilted circles and round the appliquéd parts - my deadline is mid October, so on track. I would like to finish by the end of next week when I have a cataract operation.

Been so busy with latest quilt for Linen and Lace, not had much time for other sewing. I did go to Embroiderers Guild meeting last Tuesday, and had managed to get a few things ready for the travelling books.

Can not wait to get back on with my camel project, so nearly finished!

Linen and Lace

This is the draft of the piece I have just written for Create and Craft Blog in the USA.

Hi, my name is Sue, I live in a lovely little, rural village in the East of England, we have only 60 houses in the village and we are surrounded by green rolling hills with sheep and fields of crops.

I have always been "crafty" and spent most of my childhood drawing and painting, if there is a hands on craft I have probably had a go at it! From macramé, knitting, woodwork, scraper board in my teenage years to hardanger, watercolour, quilting and embroidery latterly. I have also spent many, many hours dress making - well costume making, as Wardrobe Mistress for a well known Shakespeare Company - so no stranger to a sewing machine!!!

I am fairly self taught as an embroiderer and I am a member of the Embroiderers Guild. I took up quilting a few years ago, having loved the pictures in books and magazines and thought "how hard can it be" that sort of thinking has got me into all sorts of trouble, including producing items for Linen and Lace!!!

My daughter works for Create and Craft TV in the UK, and happened to mention to Stephanie that I quilted. So when the Crossover Machine with deep dish dies was being launched here in Britain, Stephanie asked if I could manage to do two small quilts, using the number dies and the small maple leaf dies, very quickly before the deadline, to be shown on the launch show.

My work seems to have gone down well, as I was then asked to do a quilt using the heart dies, a wreath using the large maple leaf dies and a pincushion using the square dies for the magazine. I had lots of fun thinking up projects that could be made by beginners, but would inspire the more experienced and really show off the versatility of the Crossover Machine, when using fabric.  

 My house is full to bursting with my work, it hangs on walls, covers beds, fills draws and clutters my Craft Room - but I love doing it. I even made another autumnal batik, maple leaf wreath, it hangs on my kitchen wall and glows in the evening light!

My Craft Room.

http://blog.createandcraft.com/

Still playing with pressed flowers and leaves

I have been having more fun dyeing calico (to embroider later) with different flowers - the current crop being pressed onto damp fabric between 2 bits of clingfilm, is some black Hollyhocks, which is coming out a lovely deep purple. The blue Hibiscus came out too pale to really use.

I have started to embroider the Maple Leaf, done with the bashing with a hammer on dry fabric, with a Anchor Bronze Metallic thread, starting with 2 strands chain stitch down to 1 strand and  then back stitch. Looking good but very tiny stitches!!!!

First Week of August aready gone!!!

Been a bitty week sewing wise - knocked up the exhibition postcard on local History for the Museum on the wedding dress factory and handed it in on Tuesday at the Embroiders Guild meeting.

Also loaned Christine lot of old sewing stuff and some work done over the last year at Guild Workshops. It will be interesting to see what gets displayed.

Knocked up 10 bags for WI with appliqued hearts or flowers, but none sold - still if I still do not sell them next month I will have a few Xmas presents sorted!

Did a little embroidery for the travelling books, dark blue perle on a piece of the Onion Skin dyed fabric I did at a friends house, which is already mounted and in the book, and got lots done on Camel no 2, not much more and I will be on the last one.

I have been playing with dyeing fabric with pressed petals - it started with a red Amaryllis, but I have also used a Day Lily in orange that came out with purple tips and deep purple Gladiolas that have come out really strangely in blues and lime greens. It remains to be seen if they fade away - but I have embroidered the first one and still after about 3 months it is OK so I intend to put it in a travelling book.

Friday

Another busy Friday morning Craft - Margaret using table to pin her quilt, Kaye showing Carole and Susan how to make lined shopping bags for WI to sell for ACWW. We had one of the sewing machines out, with Kaye cutting them up on the cutting board and me running up and down to the Craft room to bondaweb, cut and button hole stitch round hearts.

I only managed to do a few stitches to my camel! Then spent all afternoon making more hearts and sewing them on ready made bags - finished 7, so can take 12 to WI next week.

Now need to get together what I want to take to Belton House tomorrow, I am on from 12-2pm outside the Orangery as part of the National Day of Stitch.

Blogs!!!!

I seem to have spent all afternoon loading photos onto the local Embroiderers Guild Blog - I am getting faster, but had enough for today - still it is good practice using my new laptop - I think I am swearing less, must be a good thing!