Car 2

As you can see, I did get a chance to quilt car 2 today. It's just dawned on me I will need to give them a proper title at some point. It feels really good to have made some progress on my own quilts. Having three ready to block trim and bind is amazing. I've started thinking about the binding for the cars. I am pretty sure I want them all to be the same. I was assuming I would use a narrow traditional binding as that is what I usually put on art quilts, and using either the red or the black. As I was giving them a preliminary trim it struck me that I could go with a piped binding and get in both colours, maybe even all the white too. So folks what do you think?

The original photograph I worked from for this quilt was taken by Richard Stirling, who has kindly given me permission to use a couple of his images in this series. Just as well as I haven't got many of my own the last couple of years due to helping out with Tet's car.

At last

After my talk today (Keene quilters in Essex) I was very careful to put this quilt where I could not only find it but get at it to take a picture. So I can finally show you the whole quilt that I teased you with months ago. That will teach me not to be too optimistic about when I will be able to post finished pictures.

Apparently it is possible to work out who's car this is. I am surprised as I think a lot of the identity is in the sponsorship, which is not there in this image. I'll be interested to see how many people do recognise it.

The next one is (I think) a lot more distinctive. I spent the last couple of days working on the pattern and preparing the applique. I am hoping I will get time to quilt it tomorrow, but we shall see. I will get to empty my car tomorrow after a week of talks. It will be nice to have some space in it for a while. After that I have to get back to customer quilts so the third car in the set (which is part way thought the design phase) may have to wait a little while. I've got plans for at least four of these quilts, but I am open to suggestions of other distinctive drag racers.

Other projects are also progressing. I've been fussing with book one, which is still in need of a final title (eeek). It's been using "Ferreting around" as it's working title, which is OK but not very enlightening. It's a hard decision I want the title to be easy to find if you are looking for it by theme and easily memorable. The two don't actually seem to go together at all. I suspect at some time I will be forced to make a decision, and then we will see what happens.

Quilting tips videos

I was just taking a break from my drawing and found these videos that might help you when working on your next quilt. First, and very close my heart, getting your borders to lie flat.

Perfect Quilt Borders

Measure Your Quilt for Perfect Borders

I like the fact that the second one shows a quilt which does have different measurements in different places. It does happen and it isn't a big deal, provided you account for it. I also rather like the pattern of the second quilt, just what I needed more ideas :)

Finally, for those who make folded miters on their bindings there is this interesting video. I sew mine, but this might make it possible for even me to get four good corners with folded corners.

Mitered Corners

Have fun and don't get too distracted. There are a lot of quilting videos on You Tube, you could waste hours.

Quilting and thinking

This week has bee half term for the regular classes at Patchwork Corner. I was thinking this meant I had a week off. Well it was a nice theory, but actually I found I had booked four talks in seven days, not exactly a holiday. Still it does mean I get to meet a lot of quilters, read and drive. Just as well I enjoy driving. The driving has given me my first new insight. I listen to music on my mobile phone, it behaves much like any other MP3 player. Usually though I have stuck with listen to whole albums, it seems to me that is how the artist intended me to hear it, so that's what I do. However changing album while driving isn't easy and listening to one album on repeat for three hours at a time isn't much fun either, so I decided to listen to the tracks on random for a change. I was so surprised which tracks I really enjoyed. Some albums I haven't played for months made me smile as soon as I heard the first couple of notes. Equally some I would have said I loved were a bit lacking when heard with the rest. It got me thinking about how I really tick, which then leads on to the quilting again.

I have managed to work on two of my quilts in between the talks. One I wanted to post yesterday is lurking in the car somewhere with the talk quilts, so I will dig it out tomorrow at the last of the four talks. The other I will keep for the Festival of quilts but it's that one that got me thinking. It's another human form, and I am loving doing it. Working on the humans is so different to anything else I do. I feel more connected to my work, more absorbed by it. Perhaps that doesn't seem odd to other people, but I find it very strange. If it were animals I would understand. Animals I can connect to, I love spending time with them, but humans I find very hard work. I would much rather be with my cats than with people, so why do the humans in quilts grab me more than the cats? I wonder if it is partly that I need to work at them more? The car quilt I stitched directly before the figure, was engrossing in a different way. I didn't need to think much, I knew exactly what was where and how it should feel. It was lovely to work on, but didn't have the extra something the humans have. I don't understand why some subjects should have this sort of effect, and I wonder, does this happen to other artists? Is this a factor in how people find their style and subject matter?

Just to reassure those who can't get to the Festival of Quilts in August, I will be posting a tour of my gallery there once it is up. I just want to have some work to surprise those who can make it to the show. Of course I will post some in progress pictures too.

Hmm, helpful

Those of you with cats have probably had them help you at some time or other. You know, the sort of help you really don't need. Well I think mine have just taken the biscuit.

I've been working on a new piece and wandering about muttering magpie. I am using them as a basis for my quilt. I've been looking at so many pictures it's getting silly. I've also been watching our local ones. It seems this sudden interest has been noted (I don't normally join the cats in bird watching).

A couple of days ago we thought we could smell something in the bedroom. A fairly thorough search didn't turn up anything though, and to be honest I thought I had imagined it. Today I leaned over a chest of drawers to stroke a cat and spotted.... a beak. A rather large beak... Oh lordy, a whole and quite large (and unfortunately) dead magpie. When I finally managed to retrieve it (how the heck did they get it through the cat flap) I had an audience. The cats seemed to be very pleased I had finally noticed their 'present'.

I did take the chance to have a good look at where the feathers should be in the tail, the wings weren't going to spread for me. So it did help, but I would have rather observed it alive. Hopefully I can do it justice in the quilt, and I really hope the cats don't feel I need another.

Children and Animals

I've heard the saying never work with children or animals, but I haven't had cause to do either so I had no idea how true it might be. Well, I've tried it now and I don't recommend it. I have 6 cats, most of then pretty photogenic. I will admit to one who has no feline elegance and slobs around but the other s are normally pretty good. We were trying to get a new picture of me for publicity uses, this sounds simple, but believe me it isn't. I loathe having my picture taken, and well it shows. Having read up on portrait photography, part of the trick to getting a good picture is to get your subject to relax, and we figured in my case that pretty much means distracting me from the camera. Apparently I was being perfectly photogenic any moment I did think the camera could get me.

"Let's use a cat as a prop." Sounds fair, cute cat, relaxed human, could work. Huh, wanna bet. Every cat suddenly became fat, stroppy and obsessed with being upside down. I really didn't feel being pictured next to a cats bottom helped. Every so often the cat seemed to realise the camera was unable to catch them and would pose perfectly, only to leap away as the shutter went. Bah and humbug. Of course today they are being perfect little darlings again, I am not trying to photograph them anymore after all.

We settled on the longarm for a prop. It behaved much better and we did manage to get a usable picture. My advice, stick to machines, avoid children and animals.

There are some days

You know those days when you just should have stayed in bed. I knew I had to talk to a courier about a damaged shipment, but that went surprisingly well. I got someone friendly, helpful and competant. A good start. I knew I had emails to answer and paper work to do. No problem we are handling our own email, so it's been working recently. However to send it I do need to be connected to the internet don't I. Hmm, well I might be, sort of. Spotting this after working on half a dozen emails doesn't bode well, but they will probably get there eventually. Of course one of them is urgent and must arrive by tomorrow. Joy.

I get a call back from the courier, a much less helpful one. Never mind, I think, I'll have a bath, the water should have been heaing for the last half hour...or not. I would give up and go out at this point but I am expecting a package. Wanna bet it turns up just after I get in the cold bath :) My cat's feel the correct answer is to go back to bed, but as I have a nice customer to go and see and a great bunch of ladies to teach tonight, I think I will stick with it. Now lets test that bath theory.

This is my latest side project. Cutting kits at the shop produces lots of odd strips. We had been thinking of kitting with them, until last week when someome mentioned rag rugs on a mail list. So last night before my class I had a go at it. My first attempt took about 15 minutes and was a bit of a dogs dinner. This is take two. I guess it's 2 or 3 hours work at most. The strips I've used aren't all the same width, I've just grabbed whatever came by, and it works. Also it's cat approved, as you can see. I don't know how much larger this one will be. I rather like the way the colours are working and I've nearly used up what I have of those colours.

Snow!

For the first time in many years we got some proper snow. In the UK more than a dusting is treated like a crisis, so this was enough to stop London for a day. It started Sunday night, and expecting the usual half hearted attempt we went out and made the most of it. Launching hot air balloons in the snow it well worth doing, at least once.

It kept snowing, and well it was a late night. I love watching it snow. Waking up to a proper covering was fantastic. I think Tet was relieved not to be riding his bike though. As you can see it got a thick blanket, as did the wheelie bins. Unfortunately yesterday was bin day for us, so I suspect we will have a full recycling bin for two weeks now. At least it means the dustcart didn't slide into my car.

I Don't know if you can see in the background of my car, but we do now have a less than upright lamp post. That happened when the snow had just started. We heard the crash , but didn't realise what it must have been until we went out to look at the snow. As the tubes weren't working it seemed like a good time to go for a walk. We don't often have time and it seems we weren't the only ones. Our local park is usually pretty empty but lots of families were there playing together. Maybe we need more snow, just to make people take some time off together. Everyone seemed more friendly than usual too. Perhaps this was the British banding together in adversity :)

On route to the park is this very picturesque house. It's lovely any time for the year. It has plants that flower at different times and just looks wonderful. Snow apparently is no exception. Some trees are just designed to look good covered in snow.

Finally I felt a snow report from Harrow wouldn't be complete without Harrow on the hill. Sorry we didn't feel like trying to get up the very slippery roads to it and when we got to a good place to see it at all it was getting pretty overcast (this was just before it started snowing again) but still. It's the famous church next to the school in the snow.

The downside of the snow is it makes it very hard for me to concentrate. I have a window next to my longarm but I usually keep the curtain closed. I just had to have ti open to watch the snow. So I only managed to quilt a small quilt yesterday. Still I have the machine mostly behaving again and I can make another push on customer work today. I'd rather have more snow though. Keep your fingers crossed the forecast is right and we have more to come.

Typos

It has been pointed out to me I have a rather entertaining pair of typos in the next (previous) post. I was going to edit it and fix them, but they seemed too funny to kill off. So "If you clock on the pictures you will get bugger images" should have read "If you click on the pictures you will get bigger images". It seems I can hit any key but the i :)

Customer Quilt

This is a quilt I finished a while ago, but that I really want to share. I had just watched Myrna Fickens DVD Just do it - Freehand Design. I had also spent a play day with a fellow longarm quilter. So my head was full of new ideas. I'd had this quilt a while waiting for it's backing to come in, and I had completely forgotten what the quilt looked like, so it was a surprise when I got it out.

Somehow I had been expecting a much simpler pattern so now I had to come up with something that would fit this quilt. It's a scrappy quilt and that inspired me, scrappy quilting. I know Myrna did say not to put all the patterns on one quilt, but why not on a scrap quilt. So that's what I did. If you clock on the pictures you will get bugger images and can see some of the patterns I used.

The thread is a bright variegated so it blends in and pops up quite randomly. All the stars are unquilted so they pop up from the background. I've used a continuous line pattern. I like this as it gives a similar feel to stitch in the ditch, but with a bit more interest. It is also a lot quicker to do so I can charge a lot less for it. It is especially good for stars as it somehow seems more starry to me.

In the background I think there is some of everything. The concentric circles was a new one for me. I've tried several of these echo type patterns and I don't like any of them. This one was unintentional and I love it. It's already appeared on a couple more quilts! Funny how these things happen isn't it.

The leaves with curly bits are very much from Myrna's DVD. I've looked at the little curls other quilters do and I hadn't thought that I was accurate enough to make them delicate. However with the confidence from Myrna I gave them a go. I was pleasantly surprised. I can do it. Also if I use my normal curls in with leaves they look good too.

Something else I tried for the first time here was a rolled fern. I've done quite a few curled feathers, but not any of my spiky ones. perhaps starting with one 2" in diameter is a bit odd, but it worked. It does show how well many quilting designs scale. I could imagine this one curl on a kingsize, it would look great.

So I hope you've enjoyed taking a close look at this quilt. I hope I will be able to take some full pictures of it once the binding is on. It will also be coming up as a class at Patchwork Corner, so if you fancy making your own keep and eye on their site.

The wanderers return

Nude with rope and guide me finally escaped US customs and made it home. They have obviously been well cared for on their tour of America. With them came Guide Me's new ribbon. It's very robust, well planned for a show with international entries. It's great to have them home and to be able to take them out to talks again. It also means I can retire the duplicate to my bed, well as soon as I bind it anyway.

Tax returns are like quilting

I teach quite a lot of machine quilting classes and it's become very clear that the biggest problem people have with quilting is other people. They've heard that quilting (the actual stitching three layers together bit) is hard, and boring. The tedious bit you have to do but wish you didn't. So my main job is to change that bit of programming in their head. I do tell students that getting started in quilting is a slight of mind trick. It's usually pretty successful. Most students leave vowing to quilt at least some of their quilts. OK they may all have different abilities and styles but they leave understanding that quilting isn't a big fearsome beast. Hopefully they will pass the message on and over time this glitch will be removed from quilters worldwide. I can dream right.

Anyway what does this have to do with tax? Quite a lot really. Every year I put off doing my tax return. In fairness it does come up in the middle of show season so time is tight, but I could do it in September easily enough. Yet I don't. Maybe that doesn't sound odd, after all we all know it's a real pain to do a tax return, or do we? Is it really that bad? Is it really bad at all? If I am honest I quite like doing it. OK the problems I had yesterday with their website weren't much fun. Being on hold for so long to report the fault wasn't the most exciting way to spend time either, but that was largely my fault (and that of many others I suspect) for leaving it till the last minute. The actual accounting and numbers though I really enjoy. I like having it done so I can review how my business is doing and knowing what I owe the tax man is good too. I don't have to worry about it once I know where I stand. So why don't I do it? I think it's because I know it is difficult. Yes I know it isn't, but everyone else knows it is and I seem to have bought the message. How embarrassing, caught by a dodgy message when I really should know better. I know there is a Heinlein quote along the lines of anything every one knows ain't so, I've read it several times and yet I still fall for it. Doh!

Beware the things we think we know.

An eventful day

I've managed to get my pattern for my new wholecloth together over the weekend and I am so desperate to get started on it. Sadly my machine has other ideas. It's having a strop. Quite an unusual one. It will sew perfectly with metallic thread but won't sew at all with masterpiece. I've had plans for a while to replace the hook assembly and this seemed as good a reason as any. A couple of hours later and a screwdriver to the face job done. Timed and new needle in place, it's exactly the same. Does this count as a good job? Well I replaced a major part with out doing any harm, and the old assembly does look like it has seen better days, but I had rather hoped this would have solved the masterpiece problem. I know I like machines with character, but I also like ones that do what I tell them when I tell them. I may just stick to customer quilts for a couple of weeks until it changes it's mind on thread again. I know it will, it always does. I did really want to get on with this quilt though....

Goodworth Clatford

As you can imagine my talks take me all over the place. Mostly to the back of beyond, just past the last habitation and often in the evening. This can make finding dinner tricky. So after a couple of talks where there was no chance to get a mean I thought I would leave extra early for last nights talk and stop on the motorway. Better an early dinner than no dinner. The plan might even have worked had not a chap in an Escort decided I would not be changing lanes and going into the services. No I don't know what he had against me, maybe he just doesn't like Capris.

Still that may have been for the best as there was a significant accident on the M3 and I spent well over and hour in mostly stationary traffic. Having left very early I arrived in Goodworth Clatford an hour before my talk so could go hunting a pub. Strangely for a quilting venue there was a sign indicating not one, but two pubs serving food. The first unfortunately was closed. This got me thinking, as it is a small village will the other pub either be closed or not serving food? Well the Clatford arms was open, but the kitchen didn't open until 6.30 too late for me. Still the chef wasn't going to have a stranger turn up at her door and go away hungry, so she got the kitchen up and running immediately for me. The stew she provided was stunning, and plentiful. The pub was also very friendly. Small village pubs can be a little uncomfortable as everyone in there knows each other, but not the Clatford Arms, I felt like I had been there for years by the time I left. More than I could have wished for, and it put me in exactly the right frame of mind for giving a talk.

Spratt and Winkle quilters were also very welcoming. Most quilt groups it has to be said are very friendly, but just sometimes you get a gem that really stands out. It's partly I think due to my quirks, I love being given a mug of coffee rather than a cup and saucer for example. I tend to loose the saucers and the cups seem terribly fragile. I arrived and although I was early I was met almost at once by the program secretary, who got the kettle on ASAP, fantastic. The hall was set up for me in very short order, and as each member arrived they offered to help. It's always appreciated even if I don't accept all the offers. My only concern was my introduction, it gave me a heck of a lot to live up to. Still the group seemed happy and there were some not only willing but fantastically directable helpers to pack away at the end. Again I think here I am looking for a group that fits my quirks. I often find English failing me when I try to give instructions so I need people who understand random words and waved hands. Whatever it is, Spratt and Winkle quilters have it. Of course this may just be a nice way of saying the are as barking as I am, but whatever, I had a great evening and I am looking forward to teaching them a workshop.

I have been meaning to post some pictures of what I have been working on. Unfortunately as it isn't essential to business or home life it isn't quite happening. I haven't forgotten though and will do my best to find some time to take pictures for this blog.

Ta da

Finally I can say what I am spending most of my time working on. I mentioned I am planning for a gallery show in 2009. Well it isn't just any show. It is for a gallery at the Festival of Quilts. I am hoping I can find other venues for it afterwards, but right now that will have to wait, I need to make quilts.

As you might expect, when offered large expanses of wall, I have big ideas. Who knows if I will be able to make them all, but I will have a darn good go. The dragster (yes it is a car, yes I did forget to post it) is hopefully going to be joined by a few more in the same vein. They are (for me) fairly small so I like the idea of having a few of them together. I have a few new ladies I would like to get done, the first of which is almost ready to become fabric. I am also working on the illustration form Cancertown, it's big, really big!

Now I am also looking for suggestions. Which quilts would you really like to see on display again? I am expecting to have room to hang some of my older work, and I would love to hang those that people really want to see. I do have some ideas as to which might be appreciated but you're the ones who know what you like.

I hope that this will be an amazing opportunity to display a large collection of my work, and to meet a lot of quilters. OK I know I will forget everyone's name (probably even my own) but it would be good to even briefly put faces to names. Also with the dollar so strong against the pound this might be a great time for some of you American quilters to come and sample the biggest quilt show in Europe.

The only downside is I may need to scale back on my quilting for customers. So if you do have work you would like me to do, please talk to me well before any deadlines you have. I will do my best to fit everything in but it will take planning and if I have a big art quilt on the frame I have to finish before I can remove it. So long as I know what is needed when I hope to be able to plan around this.

Festival of Quilts - Viewers Choice

In Patchwork and Quilting Magazine this month there is the announcement that Ted Storm has won the viewers choice and the Festival of quilts. I can honestly say I am thrilled. Whilst I was really hoping Herd Mentality might have a chance, I did feel Ted had been short changed. So the viewers stepping in and putting it right is wonderful. Of all the quilts at the show Ted's was the one I most wish I had made and would most like to have taken home. If you didn't see 'Spring of Desire' you really missed a treat. It is a fantastic quilt which would only be possible with a lot of highly skilled hand work. The pictures really do not do it justice. Ted has a website, full of information about her quilts, the link will take you right to 'Spring of Desire". Well done Ted, it's an amazing quilt. Oh and it's not just that it's black that I love it so.

Paperwork

As I mentioned a couple of days ago I've been trying to add a diary to my web site. It's brought home to me how much paperwork I now have, and how valuable it is to me. Bookings have just moved into their own file having grown rather thick (I now print out directions and notes when I get the booking form). What really struck me is how much I enjoy those groups who send me several communications over a period of time. I guess the best way to describe it is to say it feels safer. I take enough calls that I haven't got a hope of remembering who where or when, so having something repeated to me a few times really helps. As does the call a week before a booking. So if you are a booking secretary for a group, cursing the workload ( I can imagine how much work it is and I don't envy it) please pat yourself on the back and know your effort is appreciated.

This exercise has also taught me that I need to fill in a booking form of my own during the initial call, as otherwise I can't follow up when a booking for doesn't arrive. Doh! Why does hindsight have to be so good?

Perception of beauty

I was directed to this article from a mail lies I am on. It's long, very long, but well worth a read. It is about a rather unusual busker in a station. It says a lot about how we now live and what people value. Take time, smell the flowers and listen to the busker, you never know, they might be good. I can't say much more without spoiling it so, you'll just have to read it for yourself.

Where, when and what.

I've started putting a listing of where I am teaching or speaking onto my web site. I am hoping it will be useful to my students and help with publicity for the groups who book me. So far January and February are up, but the rest is on it's way. Please do check your event is listed and if you would like me to include contact details for your group email me what you would like adding.

I also have a couple of free spaces on my weekly classes at Patchwork Corner. So if you would be able to come over to Hemel Hempstead once a week to join in the fun give the shop a call on (01442) 259000. We would love to meet you.