I've been quilting since 2013. This blog is my personal quilting diary, that charts my progress (and occasional regression) from the start. I use it so I can look back at my past projects...and hopefully see my skills improve!

Tuesday 27 May 2014

EPP, Inspiration and Fun

We had a lovely two weeks on the Celebrity Eclipse.  I took a small envelope containing thread, needles, paper, scissors and some cotton fabric scraps with me.  EPP is perfect for sea days on a cruise.  I've no idea what I will use the flowers and stars for, but I really enjoyed making them.



We visited Malaga, Cannes, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Genoa, Gibralter and Lisbon.

I have discovered that having begun patchwork, I see inspiration everywhere!  Mike and I took hundreds of photos.  I have copied a few below:

Malaga, Spain





Rome


Florence












Pisa




Obidos, Portugal






We had a lovely time, and managed to enjoy a few Mediterranean sunsets.


 It was raining when we arrived back in Southampton!




Wednesday 7 May 2014

All in a Dither!

I have made some good progress this week.  I finished piecing the front and back of a throw for my dear sister Heidi.  She asked for a quilt in red, white and blue that incorporates a Union Jack.  She has lived in Canada for 30 years now, but likes to remember England.  I have sandwiched the front, batting and backing and it is now waiting to be quilted.  No photos for now, as I would like it to be a surprise for her. 

I am busy packing suitcases at the moment...so am all a dither.  I have a list...so what's the big deal?!  I am always sure I will leave something important behind! 

One of the first patchwork projects I ever made (Dec 2012), was a paper-pieced Mariner's Compass cushion cover.  At the time, I never quilted it, but just sewed the block into a cushion cover.  I just didn't have the skills to quilt it.  I decided this week that the time was right to quilt it!  I carefully unpicked the seams of the cushion cover, added batting and a cotton backing and FMQ'd it.  It's times like this I realise my skills have improved! I was going to take a photo of the cushion, but have just realised, I've packed the camera!

We are off on Friday for a two week cruise around the Mediterranean.  I am planning to take some EPP and applique with me.    Our first choice of holiday was to the Baltic and Russia, but when all the trouble in Ukraine kicked off earlier this year, we decided to book the Med cruise instead. We will be sailing on the same ship that we honeymooned on last year, the Celebrity Eclipse.  We had a wonderful time on the ship last year.  Iceland the Faroes and the Norwegian fjords were magical. 



I will miss my dear, little granddaughter, Willow while we are away.  She is four weeks old today.  She is pictured below with her proud grandmother...me!


I'm hoping the materials and pattern for Part 3 of the Di Ford Mystery quilt will be waiting for me when I return home.