WIP

I have spent this rainy Sunday working at my computer and I haven't had time to touch a needle! But now I'm all done with my work and will indulge in stitching for a few hours tonight.

I have two projects on my table. The first one was started a few weeks ago but needs a few more stitching hours to be completed. It is a project by Nataliejo from L'Atelier Perdu. I have changed the inside square design and have picked my own colours and fabric.


The other project is a long awaited one! I was so willing to take a class with Jackie Du Plessis. This is an online class and the project is called Lady Jane's Garden. Last weekend, I had zig-zagged the edges of my linen cuts to be ready. The class started on Monday but I haven't started stitching yet as I wanted to finish the quilt top. So tonight, this is what I'm going to do : stitch my first piece on this lovely project :-))



Until later,

Quilt top finished

Yipee!!!
I have just finished the quilt top for a child in Japan. I am quite happy with how it turned out.
I will now, tie it and will bring it with me at the Quiltmania quilt show in Nantes in April. Quiltmania will send it to Japan with many more.


Do you like it too ?

Until later,

Update on A Quilt for Japan

I've just had confirmation, thanks to Marie-Claude's blog (Les Secrets de Marie), of the size of the quilt which should be (approximately) 47"X72" (120cmX180cm).
Here is my progress so far :

I hope to finish stitching the 9-patch blocks tonight and will piece the top together next weekend.

Have a look at Merumo's giveaway on her blog! What a great idea!

Thank you all for your comments on the previous post. I will go for the knots with a lovely thread.

Wish you all a wonderful Sunday. Here it is sunny and mild, a perfect spring day,


Edit : March 22nd : The size of the quilt should be approximately 47"x72" (120 x 180 cm) and if you go to the quilt show in Nantes in April, you can bring it there.

Until later,

Japan

Like many of you, I cannot stop thinking of Japan and its people.

I received this morning a mail from Reiko Kato telling me that her family, staff and students were all fine. I was very happy as she has taught me a lot in quilting.

I know there is not much we can do but I wanted to do something. I first read on Marie-Claude's blog that a shop in Belgium collected blocks in order to make a quilt for someone who had just opened a quilt shop in December and has now lost everything! If you read French you can read this story on this blog :

Atelier Patchwork et Points Comptés

I sent a block this morning.

I also received a mail from Quiltmania and they are also organizing something. You can read it on their website.

I have not much time these days but I couldn't not do something. So yesterday evening I gathered all the fabrics I would like to use for a quilt which will measure 48 X 72 inches. I am not sure about the size as there is a difference between what is written in French and in English. So I am going for the bigger size and I will see.

I have picked up a jelly roll I had in my stash and have chosen a Japanese fabric I like very much because what's written on it is in French. So, it is a link between France and Japan. With the jelly roll fabrics I will make scrapy 9-patch blocks and with the Japanese fabric I will make the alternate blocks.






I will put all my other WIPs aside this weekend, and probably next weekend, in order to piece the top.

I'd like your advice for the quilting though.

I will not have time to quilt it by hand. I am not a machine quilter and have never done that before. So I thought of making thread knots at each intersection. I have read about it before but cannot find it anymore. What do you think ? Do you have any other ideas ? Thank you for your advice...

Until later,

Tend Thy Sheep finished.

Taking an online class with Merry Cox is very exciting! It was my second class, the first one being American Sewing Case.

First, you receive a beautifully packaged kit with a lovely note and clear graphs and instructions. Then, you receive a PDF file for each class. In this project, there were three stitching classes and one finishing class. The instructions are clear and detailed and it is absolutely impossible not to get a good result!!! Want to see the photos ?






And, oh!!!, this glove box is just SO beautiful!!!! I am happy to have stitched this beautiful project.

Once again, I want to thank you all for posting a comment, whether regularly or from time to time. It is so nice to know you have stopped by.

Until later,

Antique Fair

Antique Fair is the name of the new fabric line by Blackbird Designs. And as always it is awesome! I especially like the 6 check fabrics in harmony with the florals. I ordered it a few days ago and it is already here! It certainly took a super fast plane across the Atlantic ;-)


I am thinking of making the MQ1 which was published into a book. So this is maybe the fabric line I am going to use, though I am not going to start this new project soon... I want to finish the Civil War Tribute top first!!

The top of the Mystery Quilt2 is almost finished. I have used the fabric line Madeira from BBD for this quilt. The blocks are all sewn together and I still need to add the outside borders. Following Vero's advice, I ordered, from Born To Quilt. a chocolate brown fabric for these borders and a red and ecru check fabric for the binding. I think it will look great :-)


But what is this great button, you might ask ? Well, it is a present from Vero and it is part of her new collection of buttons she has designed. I love it!!! Don't you?

Edit March 12th : What you see on the photo is ONE button! Not three ;-)

Until later,

Pexiora

London and England was great. I was there with 48 students and it was a wonderful discovery for them. London, Cambridge, Windsor and Eton was on the tour. I particularly enjoyed Windsor as I had never visited it before!

As soon as I arrived from London, I packed my suitcase again and went to the Meditteranean for a short family vacation.
On the way to the coast, I drove by Carcassonne and its famous walled medieval town. I didn't stop there as I had visited it many times already but chose to stop in Pexiora! Indeed, I knew that last weekend, there was a small quilt and embroidery market. It is not big but it has everything a stitcher can dream of! There were very nice and welcoming people, a nice exhibition and gorgeous booths, as well as talented designers.

What more can you ask for ?
Nothing... but from your point of view, I think you can ask for a few photos ;-)
So here they are.

I took pictures of the things that appealed to me. So it is my biased view of...

The exhibition.






There was a fan of Born To Quilt for sure! I could recognize many designs from Vero's books. But before I left I wasn't able to find Isabelle C to congratulate her about her beautiful work. I love what she did very much! Congratulations Isabelle ;-)

The booths and the talented designers.

Les Secrets de Marie. Rarely have I met so nice a person. She has several quilts published in Quiltmania magazine.



Marie-Thèrèse de Saint Aubin and her delicate stitched flowers.



Atalie and her hand-dyed threads.




Atelier des Fées Brodeuses and an amazing booth filled with stitched treasures (and I cannot show you everything that was on display!!!)






It gives you an idea of the richness of this event. We spent a wonderful afternoon in Pexiora. Thank you very much to the people working for this event.

Until later,

giveaway winners

We are March 6th and it is time to pick up the three winners!!!

24 names were entered into the drawing basket. My daughter picked up the three names.











So, one chart goes to :


Another chart goes to :


And the last chart goes to :



So, Dorothy, let me know what chart you would like so I can tell Bev C what are the two remaining charts she can choose from. And Dzintra, I'll send you the third chart.
Please send me your postal adresses so I can send the charts.

Again, thank you everyone for your comments and for reading my blog,
Until later,