Blog Archives

Yet another day at the races ;)

28/8/2011

Over at Foreman Towers we have been busy decorating, and I really have struggled to find the time and the space to sit with my sewing machine. As soon as I can get to my table (I really do NEED a Horn cabinet) and find all my equipment that has been packed away in boxes, there will be lots more sewing-related blog posts and pictures.
In the meantime, I've had another day out at the races - today we set off with some friends to Yarmouth Races - we had a lovely picnic lunch, drank some wine, the sun was shining, oh and we all won a bit of money - it really was a great day out.

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Lunch out with Fran

28/8/2011

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Well on Saturday morning I took my friend Fran over to Halfpenny Home - my goodness we had a fab time over there with Nic (sooo sorry I missed your birthday Nic - special pressie coming your way on the 10th).....

.....we ohhhed and ahhhed over ribbons and buttons and fabrics and lace and trimmings.....

.....then we drove over to Alder Carr Barn Cafe for lunch - Barn cafe beef burger in a floured roll with yummy caramelized onions and cheese served with hand cut chips and salad, washed down with elderflower presse.....

.....we were too stuffed to have a pudding each so decided to share a slice of this yummy bakewell tart - deeeelicious :)

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Orford, Sudbourne and Gedgrave Flower Show and Fete

27/8/2011

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Well I finally took the plunge and decided to enter a quilt AND a cushion in the Handicrafts section at a local fete - the Orford, Sudbourne and Gedgrave Flower Show and Fete. I've been to this with Mr F and my daughters for several years, and have always ohhhed and ahhhed and generally admired the high standard of work of the local women - and decided it was about time to enter some of my own work.....

.....so I entered this cushion, which came third, winning me £1.....

.....and my quilt took first prize, winning me £3. My friend Heather has suggested I use my winnings to buy another reel of thread :)

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A day at the races

22/8/2011

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On Saturday Mr F and myself went on our annual trip to Sandown races with a group of friends. We always have a good day there, and it was especially good this year as both Mr F and myself actually had 2 winners!! Hmmm - don't know what I'll spend my winnings on - maybe it will go towards a new Horn cabinet hehe!

.....this was me earlier in the summer at Ladies' Day at Newmarket. I don't always wear a posh hat to the races, only on special occassions!!

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Lunch with my friend Heather

22/8/2011

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On Friday I met up with my friend Heather and we had a lovely lunch together at the Quayside, Ipswich. I didn't get any piccies of the starter - (we both decided to have the country terrine with apple and pear chutney and crusty bread) - or the main course - (we both really enjoyed fillet of hake, Israeli cous cous, provençale vegetables and pesto) but just LOOK at our yummy puddings! Heather had floating island, strawberry compote and custard and I had the most delicious iced dark chocolate parfait with orange sorbet. We topped this little lot off with coffees and enjoyed a good old natter.
Unfortunately Heather couldn't make it to Birmingham, so I'd bought her a present - a kit to make a bag - which she seemed to be very pleased with. Maybe next year we'll go to Birmingham together Heather :)

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My Favourite Collection FoQ 2011

21/8/2011

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This wonderful collection by Jennifer Hollingdale really caught my eye and I spent a long time admiring the collection of quilts and wallhangings. It was a very innovative collection, and used all sorts of items of clothing and vintage sewing notions. Inside this cabinet of a huge array of haberdashery including packets of pins and buttons and snap fasteners.....

.....one of these wallhangings was made with a glove and a lace collar and the other one was made with a shirt. The wallhangings were displayed on old wooden coathangers, which I can remember my grandmother using.....

.....again vintage packages and button cards and cotton shirts and screen printed fabrics were used to make this quilt - and lots and lots of buttons and lots and lots of roulou loops!
It was aptly named "Button Up", and it really did look stunning as every panel was different and each time you looked at it there was something else to admire.....

.....this close-up shows you exactly what I mean. I really loved this collection and only wished I could make something so stunning as this!....

.....this piece "The Wonder Pin" has been made with a combination of fabric printed with pictures of pins and real pins to add texture and interest -

.....this one is "I Made It Myself ". It is made up of screen printed images - some of these fabrics have been darned, to give it a vintage appearance. There many other amazing collections at the FoQ, but this was the one that did it for me :)

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My Favourite Quilts from FoQ 2011

20/8/2011

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WARNING!!! This is a VERY heavy blog-post with lots of photos!! These are my favourite quilts from the Festival of Quilts. You can "click" on the photographs to see a bigger image. If only I could make quilts half as good as these I would be a very happy woman :)

Spoon Fed Love by Maria Thomas - this was my absolute favourite - it was made with fabric and paper - just look at some of the old dress patterns - and these cathedral windows were beautiful - and the buttons - I went back to look at it so many times, it really was fabulous.....

.....and in complete contrast I loved this quilt - Tropical Island by Bernadette Mayr. I adored the vibrant colours and the black and white inner border made the whole quilt sing, and the quilting was superb.....

.....a more traditional quilt in blues and creams by Janice Lawson - I spotted this quilt on the first day at the Festival of Quilts and was another one that I had to go back to admire every day. This was beautifully handquilted....

.....I really liked the colours in Prelude by Janet Twinn.....

Sealily by Stephanie Redfern was another one that I kept going back to look at - it was amazing.....

.....Breakers by Sheena Norquay was a group of four wallhangings that made fabulous use of colour and texture from the quilting. looking at this made you think you were standing by the shore. Living just a few miles from the coast myself, this was another one that I kept returning to look at during my time at FOQ.....

.....and finally this one depicting trees by Helen Howes - I have been on several classes with Helen over at my local quilt shop. She is an excellant teacher and I've seen that she's holding a class in the Autum term at Quilters Haven - hmmm better book my place ;)

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Fabric, Threads and Quilting Paraphernalia

19/8/2011

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Well I've been making you wait very patiently, building this up into a crescendo - finally the piccies of my shopping from the Festival of Quilts 2011. Inside my trolley is a wonderful array of fabrics and books and more fabric and quilting paraphernalia - wanna take a look?.....

.....this kit (using my favourite fabrics, batiks) was from The Bramblepatch stand. I just love these colours and couldn't resist some extra batik for the backing - all the fabrics for the wallhanging AND the binding AND the vilene for the applique is all included in the kit.....

.....more batiks - this time from the Patchwork Corner stand. These were just BEGGING to be bought and when I saw this green chunky ric-rac to go with the fabric, I'd got all sorts of crafting ideas buzzing around in my head.....

.....as you may have guessed, I am totally adicted to batiks, and these fabulous fabrics were from the Kaleidoscope Quilts stand - (they launch their webside on October 1st - and I can't wait)! I also bought some half metres to co-ordinate with these fat-quarter packs.....

.....and these wonderful books were from the Kaleidoscope Books stand. I've been trying to get "Some Kind of Wonderful" by Annie Downs for simply ages and couldn't believe my luck when I saw it - so it just HAD to come home with me. I also love Nancy Halvorsen's books and this is her latest offering - filled with lots of great Christmas gift ideas....

.....and then I managed to find 25 different - yes that's right 25!!! different cream and white fabrics from the Sunflower Fabrics stand - these will be used to make a quilt for my bedroom (we're in the process of decorating, and I'm planning a cream/white decor) and will probably be using this pattern called Turning Twenty Again. I'm going to make it as a 5x5 block layout, hence the 25 fat quarters.....

.....and this fun doggy-themed fabric was on the Lady Sew and Sew stand, and will be perfect for a quilt for that VERY naughty puppy ;) and I'll use the large spot for the back and the smaller dot for the binding and make a whole cloth quilt with these.....

.....and finally all the other bits and bobs that I NEEDED to buy. A new rotary cutting blade that gives a pinked edge - unfortunately it won't fit my rotary cutter so I had to buy a new one of those too hehehe, and a cute little green Clover needle threader.
This tape for joining pieces of wadding together will be SO much quicker that zig-zagging the edges, and was from the same stand as the fab Doggy fabric.
The Patchwork Corner had these bag handles - well a girl ALWAYS need those ;) and lastly from the Antique Angel stand this blue spotty fabric was half price - and will co-ordinate beautifully with my blue and green batiks. There was also this wonderful cotton twill tape measure ribbon is perfect for a sewing project that I've had in mind for quite a while :)

Oh and if you're reading this Heather, the "threads" in the title was a red herring - can you believe I didn't buy ANY threads?? I decided I had quite enough treasures, and besides my trolley was full to the brim :) but I HAVE got a little present for you as you couldn't come along this year.

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My very special friends, Hanne and Eva

18/8/2011

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My special friends Hanne and Eva bought me some lovely presents when they came to Birmingham. Hanne has these wonderful purse frames in her shop in Norway, Lappedilla, and she thought I might like some, together with a pattern to make these cute purses - oh I'll be able to have a different to co-ordinate with every outfit ;)
Also she gave me this lacey zipper-by-the-metre for making some more make-up bags.....

.....and Eva bought me a pattern and a kit to make a toalettveske (toiletry bag). She very kindly helped me to translate the pattern into English, although I'm going to make one first of all using "ugly" fabrics so I don't make a mistake using these beautiful ones.
Eva also gave me some brown cheese which is delicious, especially served with Norwegian waffles, and she also gave me some hornsalt, which is essential to making perfect waffles.
Oh and Hanne and Eva also taught me a few new Norwegian words, but I won't think I'll be repeating THOSE on my blog hehe especially the rude ones ;)

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I'd love a Horn cabinet :)

18/8/2011

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Now I always thought these Horn cabinets were for people with far more money than sense, however after seeing these on display at the Festival of Quilts, I've decided that I NEED one of these - not just want it you understand, but I actually NEED one :) My sewing machine and a few useful bits and bobs could safely be stored away all in one place, keeping my dining room looking neat and tidy so that when Mr F came home from work there would be a meal on the dining table rather that an assortment of fabrics and threads and fabrics and pins and fabric and bobbins and fabric and - well, you get the idea.....

.....here is Hanne and me admiring one - see how happy I'm looking at the thought of owning one? The nice man from Frank Nutt Sewing Machines was extremely helpful, and was happy to supply us with lots and lots of information about which cabinet would be best - the only thing holding me back (apart from the price!!) is that they are bit dull looking, and I really would like something a bit funkier - something with a "WOW" factor - oh and if you hop over to read Katy i'm a ginger monkey's thoughts on these cabinets I couldn't agree more! Hope you get your red shiney one Katy!!

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<<Previous

Yet another day at the races ;)

Lunch out with Fran

Orford, Sudbourne and Gedgrave Flower Show and Fete

A day at the races

Lunch with my friend Heather

My Favourite Collection FoQ 2011

My Favourite Quilts from FoQ 2011

Fabric, Threads and Quilting Paraphernalia

My very special friends, Hanne and Eva

I'd love a Horn cabinet :)

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