Run out of spoons.

By way of an apology for not posting for ages, a couple of shots of the tree peonies. I think the snow got to them as the flowers are not as large this year, perhaps on 10" wide.
You can see why they were reserved for the emperor.

We're going to a wedding tomorrow, I'm wondering whether to gather up the petals for confetti? I so hope the forecast is wrong and we won't have rain. The reception is in the garden....

For some lovely eye candy go look at C June Barnes new website. Lovely, lovely machine quilting.

I've seen a new consultant and he's been testing me for all sorts of other things apart from Fibromyalgia. It will be a month before all the tests are back in. I like this guy mainly because he isn't just diagnosing on his first thoughts.

Cup cake heaven

It's my 103rd birthday tomorrow (it feels like it) and the lovely Steph painted this super card

and made me all these wonderful cupcakes. I thought I ought to take the photo before they all disappear......... Yummy beyond imagining.

The tree peony in it's glory.

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Malvern, Quilts UK

Just thought I'd show you a couple of my favourite quilts from Quilts UK at Malvern.
This first one is by Mareen Crawford. It was entered in the theme category, All the Colours of the Rainbow. I can only surmise why this quilt doesn't have a ribbon on it, and surely it can only be because it doesn't have all the colours in it. It's a super quilt, fabulous use of ombre fabrics and very nicely quilted. I think it's very clever.

Of course this next one does have ribbons and judges choices. It's one I would have dearly liked to have taken home. It's by Ferret who gave us sneak previews on her blog.


It's simply wonderful. And it's named, Greek Fossils.

My ribbons.

My purchases. Going round clockwise from the top left. A printed organza for a floppy duster jacket, a digitally printed cotton either for another jacket or perhaps some wild pj bottoms to wear in the garden, the red fabric is my only quilting fabric and the white print is a tana lawn for a couple of very lightweight night dresses. (Why can't the shops understand, I only want 100% cotton nightwear in summer?)

Colouring the sashing

So those of you who chose a favourite got it right. Now I can see both colours together I think the white background might be a little harsh.

So I drew these little bits to try just a light touch of tea dyeing.

I am planning to do this today. If I get it done (and dry) I'll publish the results.

A winning week!

Firstly on Monday Patsy Thompson's new book arrived. I won it on her blog. It takes feathers and their spines much further.
And yesterday afternoon I got a call from the organisers of Quilts UK at Malvern to tell me Old Gold has won the Wholecloth Award and has come 2nd in Bed Quilts. Those of you who have been with me since the beginning of this quilt will remember how close I have come to giving up on it. Indeed, some of you told me I should have done.

I also found how difficult it is to photograph a large quilt indoors. It's not straight on to the camera as whichever room I put it in, if I could fit it all in the frame, a light was in the way. This is a compromise with the quilt at an angle and the camera not centre on....

1478 quilted vestment in Cirencester

In Cirencester Parish Church I got very excited to find a quilted vestment dated 1478. The church itself is quite wonderful more like a small cathedral.
These photos are less than brilliant, only my phone without a flash. The fabric originally had a pile but most has disappeared, more is left on the cream than the blue. It is quilted in diamonds with roughly 3" between the rows. You might just be able to make out the quilting stitches if you click on the photos.

The embroideries are padded and in gold thread.

This is most of the vestment, I could fit it all in. At a guess I'd say it is about 60" wide and I don't know how high.

Designing sashing for the coloured quilt

I've been playing with the sashing design. I know which one I prefer.

Remember those feathers I'd been playing with? The ones at the top have been traced and set. The bottom ones are still wet. And to the right at the bottom, half way through tracing and just plain pencil.

On the left just the outlines done and the right shows the finished feathers after the shading.