{quilt} while you're ahead

68/2011 ** charade (well, one and a bit) **

I'm fickle.

I'm a craft tart.

I can't be faithful to any project.

Today's favourite:

"Charade"

My first patterned sock.

Easy instructions (although I slightly modified the toes to compensate for the fact I got carried away watching tv and knitted for too long.  Doh.

First time in years I haven't knitted a toe-up sock.  Felt weird.

This is a lovely pattern, the sock has a 'vintagey' feeling which suits a solid colour yarn.

And the most shocking thing of all:

the second sock is already being knitted!

67/2011

u.f.o. (un-finished object)

(one of the many)

n.y.s.os. (not yet started objects)

(purchased at the Malvern Quilt Show last week)

Sigh.

66/2011

Randomly.

- When I was younger -  so much younger than today (name that tune) - I wanted to be a doctor (I also wanted to be an actress for a while, I used to parade in my grandmother's fur coat around the sitting room imagining I was a famous and glamourous actress)  (I also went through other phases: architect, ambassador, intrepreter... ah the power of dreaming was stronger in those days).  Anyway, I wanted to be a doctor.  A surgeon to be exact.  Somebody gave me Christian Barnard's biography and I was hooked.

Life didn't turned out quite that way - and that's ok by me - but I've always been fascinated by the human body;  I'm not squeamish and that is just as well given I have a child who breaks bones every other month or so (touch wood here). 

I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but bear with me.... ah yes, I'm reading a very interesting book at the moment:  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  If you're looking for something different, and you're interested in medicine/ethics/human stories, this is the book for you.  

On the same subject I was totally bowled over be the Genome Quilts (Val these are for you!). First saw them here.  What an amazing idea.  Makes me want to try it... The artist allocate a particular block to each gene and then followed the genetic sequence to make a quilt.  Genius.  Wouldn't it be amazing to know your own DNA and make YOUR individual quilt?  Seriously cool stuff. 

- My kids last night ate giant cous-cous.  Might be ok/normal/everyday stuff for you, but we're talking a serious event around here.  New food?  Wow.  I might even get them to try aubergine in the next 12 months at this rate!

I love aubergines.  Eggplants.  Melanzane.

- I found this gorgeous Swedish vintage cup (Rorstrand) in a charity shop.  Nobody is allowed to touch it.

- I found this lamp deep deep into the garage.  I'd forgotten all about it.

- I used to store (hide) my ironing pile in a huge basket.  Not a good idea because it could hold so much stuff it was depressing to look at and tackle.  So I bought a smaller one (and prettier too) with the idea that it would get full quicker and I'd do my ironing more often.  

Ha Ha.  The problem is  NOT with the basket size.

- No 2 has worn No 1 down and they agreed to swap rooms.  Do you think running away from home would be cowardly of me?

- What has two legs and bleeds a lot? Half a dog.

(Apologies, it comes from living with three boys....)

65/2011 ** Malvern Quilt Show - part 2 **

Are you ready for more quilts?

Here we go

Well that's it folks, hope you enjoyed the partial tour ( there were plenty more quilts!)

64/2011

Today was a good day.  I was going to said 'normal', and then I deleted the word... but actually from now on 'this' will be normal.  There's no such thing as 'normal'.  Life is what it is, sometimes things change dramatically and what was unthinkable till then becomes normal.  And you deal with it the best you can.  And you realise what counts and what's not important.  And you try to hold on even when you don't have control and the ride gets faster and faster.

It's never about what's there is the end of the road.  It's always about the ride.

(Something happened to someone close and I don't feel I can say more for now, sorry)

But today I baked a lemon cake,

 

from a book I wouldn't have known about if I hadn't read about it in blogland.  I used lemon thyme given to me as a present by this special friend and served in the way learnt from this other friend (warm lemon curd and cool creme freche...)

Today I spent some lovely time with No 3 preparing lunch and chatting.  I did the preparing, he did the chatting - although in all fairness he did chop up half a punnet of strawberries (and demanded to be payed for it!).

 

Today I did three loads of washing, watched a movie and almost finished the 2nd square for this blanket.

Today the road was good.  I hope yours was good too.

63/2011 ** Malvern Quilt Show 2011 - part 1 **

It's that time of year again, a sunny morning, a little chill in the air and lots of quilts.  All in all a good plan in the middle of a bad bad week.

It's going to be a random post very photo heavy... grab a cup of tea and sit comfortably.  I'll just show you the photos and you do your commentary.

Ready?

Let's go.

 

Ok, I think it's enough for part 1.

See you tomorrow for the rest.  Unless you've had enough, in which case I won't.

Toodles. 

62/2011 ** mitered crosses blanket **

- I could work on No 3's quilt

- I could work on the crochet bag on my table

- I could try finishing the crochet cardigan 

I could.  But I won't.

And I won't get dragged into the whole 'UFO' discussion.  If we 'craft' for pleasure, than it's inevitable that sometimes we feel more attracted by one thing rather than another.  Some days I feel like sewing or quilting or crochet.  Other days is knitting.  I don't feel there is anything wrong in that.  Sooner or later everything gets finished so why the angst and the guilt? Nahh, life is too short.  

If it itches, scratch it.  (In moderation, folks, in moderation!!)

At the moment the gravitational pull of this project is too strong:

I am using sock yarn held double taken from the scrap basket.  For now;  I might have to supplement the white yarn eventually.

It's highly addictive I can assure you.  Small pieces at a time you really feel you're making progress.

It's like quilting with yarn. Two of my favourite things together.

Who can't resist that?

61/2011 ** No1's quilt **

All my children (and their cousins) share the same middle name.  It's a family name of Scottish origin of a clan with his own tartan.

Whilst a little amount of research into the family's past hasn't exactly revealed the true connections, we all agree it's a lovely name and a lovely tartan.  At my wedding one of Mr M's uncle came in a suit entirely made out of this.  I can assure you all the Italian guests still remember him!

When No 1 was born I and still didn't own a sewing machine I purchased a yard of the material and of course it sat for a while on my shelf.  Ten years, three houses later... I finally used it.

No 2 had been quick on the marks and claimed the basket weave/Ikea fabric quilt for himself, but the other two are still using those ghastly (but annoyingly soft) fleecy blanket they'd had since they were little.  Time to do something about it.

This quilt came together very quickly with no planning at all.  I just sat at my table and literally start sewing. I knew I wanted to use the tartan as the big centre piece of log cabinish blocks... but nothing else was in my mind.  This lack of preparation resulted in running out of black fabric, then black thread, then wadding. It was a weird feeling doing something so spontaneous, normally I agonise about the size of the blocks, and cutting the fabric etc.   The colours too are a very different palette from what I normally use... but it has become on of me favourite 'productions'

I wanted to make something a bit more 'grown-up.  And 'boyish'.

No 1 likes it and uses all the time... and just in case you wondered why on earth is that creased...

This is why.

60/2011

Stroud International Textiles Festival 2011

(I spent some lovely time at the Museum in the Park

I wasn't really allowed to take pictures... I just sneaked a few when nobody was looking.  It was a great little exhibition.

Jane Edgar

("a showcase of post war printed and woven textiles made from 1937 to 1951)

Tilleke Schwarz (just love her work)

Clyde Olliver (stitching on slate? yes please)

Lynne Setterington (quilts... always a pleasure)

Debbie Smyth:

a huge drawing with threads and nails.  Gorgeous.

Jessica Turrell (delicate and powerful)

Lauren Steeper 

the English language in a jar

how cool is that? (don't tell me you're not tempted to do it too...)

Interesting, fabulous, inspiring work.

All of it.

59/2011

I think it's time to go random again and catch up a little.

- we're all into cycling this year. Mr M cycles into work, I'm trying to cycle everywhere (although, putting a helmet on right after the hairdresser wasn't a very smart move) and the boys have got the cycling bug big time too.  It's cool.

- The votes on the nail polish election have been counted and the winner is.... BLUE! My nails are actually green at the moment but this will be rectified and then I'll show you proof that democracy works... they will be blue.  (Green had taken an early majority and I was a bit precipitous in calling it a victory).  Orange 3, Green 10, Blue 12.

- I tried this recipe with a little variation (I just added some cooked carrots I had) and it was delicious.  Will be doing it again.

- Mr M built a swing for the boys in the garden... you might say they're a little old for it... but they're not!

- This is Lilli's ball.  You touch it at your peril.

- I wouldn't want to steal the 'science' crown from Val (I couldn't even if I tried!!) but if you have a child who likes science this is a cool present that doesn't break the bank. (part of the science museum range)

... an enourmous (8 meters long!) balloon made out of thin black plastic.  You run around the garden like an idiot to fill it up with air, tie a knot and voila' the thing immediately starts floating higher and higher... Seriously brilliant.

- You should never drink green tea straight after eating a banana.

- And have you seen this video?