Light!

I have just posted this over on The Prayer Flag Project blog.

I haven't done one for a while, and I had forgotten how much I benefit from doing them.

Apart from the obvious emotional benefits, I find them a great way to try out something a bit different, be it style, techniques or materials. It is also a great way to use up scraps.

On this flag I used some painted calico that turned out to be a bit heavy for use in any of my pieces. I  played around with some fabric marker pens and puff paint.
Got to use up some embroidery floss too; I have owned it for at least twenty years!

Why not pop over to The Prayer Flag Project blog and take a look.
As I have recently taken over the admin of this blog I would love it if you got involved :)

Sounds Like A Plan!

Here is the finished table runner, using these hand painted fabrics. It has been delivered and well received.
I found it impossible to get a decent full length shot as it is quite long and I can't get outside to take photos at the moment.

Now that all the festivities are well over I am focusing on what I need to doing this year.

I shall be at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham again this year, but before that I will have a booth at the Spring Knitting and Stitching show in London. I am working on some new designs and praying for some sunshine so that I can get lots of fabric painted!

the back

I am also looking forward to getting out and about teaching around the country this year.

So I just need to crack on and Make More Stuff!
Sounds like a plan :)

Linking up with Off the Wall Friday. Why not join in?

Bring on the Blue Skies in 2013

This does seem to be wishful thinking here, but as someone said to me recently, we can make sunshine in our creations!
Hoping you get to see blue skies, and seas, both physically and metaphorically in 2013!

* click through if looking at this in a reader :)

It all started with this.

This piece decorates my home every Christmas. It is special to me because it brings back such lovely memories of times spent in a far off land with special friends.

It is also the piece that set me off on the path I now find myself on.
We were a group of Mum's who started meeting without the babies in tow in order to cross stitch or  do something similar, although really it was just an excuse to sit and natter without having to jump up every five seconds to deal with a toddler.

One day I was approached by Michelle, an Australian, who was new to ex-pat life, who asked if she could join our group.
" But I don't cross stitch," she said, "I do Patchwork and Quilting. Is that okay?"

Eventually with the help of her Mum , who sent all the fabric over from Australia, we each produced one of these panels. It is a Debbie Mumm design. The applique was fused but all of the rest was hand stitched.
By the time I had finished it I was hooked and I haven't done any cross stitch since!

To all of you that kindly take the time to visit here and follow my creative pursuits, I thank you and wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

fabric friday

The beady eyed among you will notice that these pieces have already been stitched together once.
I decided it needed a bit more painted detail before it becomes a table runner for a friend.

Christmas Crafting

I have been making quilts for Christmas.

I have made about nine of them in a couple of days!

Okay, they only measure 2 x 3 inches.

I printed the design out from the computer (using my EQ7 programme) and got to work with some red paint.
After making each one into a mini quilt sandwich, I stitched with a variety of red, black or white thread. One was done by hand before turning to the machine to speed up the process.

It is interesting to see how many combinations I could come up with from the one basic design.
Have you made your own card this year?

And the Winner is......

...Okay, I give up. I always have a problem trying to get the random.org thingy to appear here!!!!

So after spending too much time on it already, you will just have to take my word for it that the winner is...

 No 117. Congratulations to Libby who requested a Pebble Stack kit.

Thank you to all who took part and left such lovely comments, and a special thank you to all of  you who decided to stick around :)