Carolyn Forster's Quilting-On-The-Go

I took the chance over the last few wonderfully sunny days to photograph some projects, as well as do tons of laundry to blow dry on the line!

This a Sawtooth Star quilt:

It is a variation of a quilt I have done for the Jelly Roll book that comes out in the Autumn from Search Press. This one is in solids, something that I don't use very often, but if you go over to see Jane, they have been having a 'Sew Into Solids' event and I think this week is week 10. It is great to see how these fabrics have been used, and might inspire you to think about your solids!

Keep your eyes open on the blog for another of these quilts that I am stitching from a lovely new line of French fabrics that are now available over here from Eternal Maker. I will have something to show by the end of May!

The next quilt is a variation on one called Woven Throw that I am teaching at Eternal Maker at the end of May:

This is a summery version of the quilt made from a range by Basic Grey from Moda. The original quilt is autumnal, so I am really pleased to be able to show a more Spring like version too!

And here are a few shots of the Hexagon quilt I brought last week:

This is the back. It was the first sight I had of the quilt, and even that is stunning!

This is the back of the border of the quilt. The quilt is huge, and these hexagons are about 1/2in on each side. Although you can sew something like this for years from scraps, this quilt is very organised in pattern and layout. All the cream fabric between the patterns is the same, and the fabrics for the blue, yellow and red in the border is all the same.

The front of the quilt, the border edge:

If you look in the bottom right corner of the picture above you can see there is a 1970's fabric. This quilt has been repaired in places as the fragile fabrics have torn. This adds to the charm and the story of this quilt for me. It will be great to try to date more of the original fabrics.

Some of the patches at the edge have paper still in them, but from what I can see it is plain and not written or printed on. I feel quite inspired to continue with more hexagon quilts now, but perhaps just one tiny one as opposed to all of the huge ones I have been stitching! I will look out for some paper pieces when I am at Quilt Market this week!

And in case you thought I had forgotten……. the winner of the Apple Core pieces cut on the Sizzix BIg Shot is…………

Sharon !!!!

I have emailed you for your address! Have fun with those shapes!

I am off to Kansas City this week for the trade show, so look out for posts over the next week from the great quilters who post from the show!

I will let you know how I got on when I get back in a week. But if you are at the show, come by to say 'Hi!' as I am on the Landauer Booth!

Popped up the road yesterday to visit the Decorative Living Fair at Eridge Park, which is between Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough. It's aways nice to see these shows and get inspired.

I was especially keen to go as I saw that Viv of 'Hen's teeth' was going to be there.

Her stand was close to the entrance so I did not have to look very far for her! It was lovely to have chat with her. I have purchased from her Etsy site before, so it was a real treat to be able to see her lovely things in person, and then spend my pennies.

I was glad to have stopped by when I did, as when I passed her on my way out a while later, her stock was very much depleted. Hope it was a good day Viv!

Viv also teaches, it would be great to have her down this way to do some classes don't you think?

Then in another tent was 'Washerwoman'. This was a great surprise as I had not realised this lady would be there. She had a lovely selection of things and I was very taken by some Sanderson fabric. She also had a hexagon quilt that was unfinished and folded so you could only see the back. I asked to see it before I paid for my fabric, and it was love at first sight!!

The hexagons are tiny, about 1/2in from point to point, and the pattern was amazing.

No pictures here just yet, but this is the piece on her stand, that I did not buy:

It was small tray cloth perhaps 12in by 18in (?).

These lozenge hexagons were about 1/2in from top to bottom, and as well as the fussy cutting and design planning, some of them were cut into four pieces:

These were just painstakingly sewn beautiful pieces. Something that is a complete labour of love!

Having read so much about hexagon quilts ever since I started quilting in the early 1980's, and now with their popularity returning and becoming a 'fashionable stitch' again, I have looked for a hexagon quilt that really grabbed me as something special. And I am so pleased to have one! I promise pictures when the weather gets better.

I have also been stitching away, so will try to post about my stitching before I go to Kansas City, MI, USA for the trade fair next week.

In the meantime pop over and see Victoria, for  woman who gets things done!!!

Just love her 'Scrapping it Up' quilt, quilted in my favourite design of Baptist Fan!

I must admit I am not big on gadgets, always adhering to the belief that all you need to stitch a quilt is needle and thread and a pair of scissors.

However, over the years I have still managed to acquire a (large) number of rulers and sewing machines (yes I know! I have more than one back up, and more than one Featherweight to take when I travel!) as well as having templates especially cut to go with some of my patterns and classes!

So when I was asked by Sizzix  if I would like to have a go of their machine, the BIg Shot that cuts shapes for patchwork I was a bit sceptical. Surely I had everything that was going to make life easier in the world of patchwork.

Well I was wrong.

This was delivered,

and duly unpacked. I had asked for the Apple Core template as I figured it was a hard shape to cut accurately and then sew together smoothly.

I layered the fabric in the template 'sandwich', inserted and wound the handle! And out came fabric cut perfectly. I was amazed! From chatting with other people over the years I had been led to believe that this winding the fabric through was a bit of a struggle with other makes of cutters. But not with a Sizzix!

So out pops the sandwich, open it up and take out your pieces. I started off cutting a single layer of fabric, but soon decided to move up to six! Still smooth and easy! 

I then sewed some patches together to see how accurate the piecing was, and you guessed it, it was great!

And in fact it was all going so well I just kept cutting. It wasn't until I actually sat down and thought about all the patches that I had cut from fabrics in my 1930's stash, that I realised I wanted to sew a project in different fabrics!

So due to my over zealous cutting, due to the user friendliness of the Sizzix, I am offering all the pieces I cut for an Apple Core top (well enough to get you started!) to anyone who comments on this post by next Monday. I will select a comment at random, but you must have commented on a patchwork gadget experience, (good or bad!)

I am happy to say that my comment regarding the Sizzix is that it is great! If you are looking for a gadget to make cutting easier, with no measuring and sharp blades, then go and look at a Sizzix Big Shot!

So, 'Happy Bank Holiday Monday', hope you have some stitching to keep you inspired!

Amongst all the pictures I took of doors, knockers and door handles that I took in Nantes, there are pictures of drains, drain pipes and stair rails. All things that I find endlessly fascinating when I am in France. 

I also love the chance to see some old textiles, and this shop opposite the castle was not a let down!

I treated myself to a couple of paper patterns from around 1906, and a reel of thread. But these are the things I left behind:

So today with the rain coming down, there is plenty of time to stay in and have a good stitch!

One of the highlights of the Nantes show was that Kathy Doughty from Material Obsession in Australia was visiting.

She has a new book out with Quiltmainia.

Kathy's quilts just always contain such a wonderful selection of fabrics:

Talking to one of the many visitors to her Maison at the show:

And here in her class on Friday showing us how and where to place the templates for different effects the fabric would give:

These are a few of the completed blocks from the afternoon:

Left to Right- David, sorry don't know your name, me, lady from Hagen Waagenmakers, Holland.

We could choose from pre selected fabric packs, and as ever it was interesting to see how people put the fabrics together. David had the same pack as me. His block was great, it made me think of a New York skyline in his fabric selection!

And this was Kathy's quilt from a great Denyse Schmidt line:

And needless to say, the book is just great, get yours ordered now!

I am back from France, and ready to try to share with you what a great time I had!

I flew out on the Wednesday morning and bumped into Sue and Sue on the bus going into Nantes. I was so surprised to meet two English ladies, and then to realise that I read Sue's Blog! You can see what she has to say HERE.

The show has three main parts, the shops, the Rooms with the selected quilters in and then some quilts from a challenge in a gallery area.

Today I will show some of the shops to give you a feel of the place, and what to spend your Euros on.

There were lots of stands with knitting and crochet as well as patch work fabrics. This is something that the French seem to combine very well.

There was a lot of lovely linen fabrics by a company called Stof.

And there was this stall which had vintage motifs printed onto linen:

There lovely things from the English magazine Selvedge:

And there was a stall which had beautiful old linen and monogramed linen:

It is interesting to see what is popular in France compared to here. At this show there were vintage linens, and bright Kaffee Fassett fabrics and yarns to knit and crochet with, but not a Jelly Roll in sight!

The show is very stylish as many of the stalls have strong identity. They had tempting bundles and I loved the fact that 'Fat Quaters' were called 'Coupons'!

I''ll tell you more next time, but look at these blogs for some other views of the show:

Quilts in the Barn

Material Obsession

Davidscottage

Well, we are all back in one piece from our skiing trip to France.

I had time to relax and read and sew whilst the Men skiied. I took a few pictures of some carvings that might inspire some quilty designs:

And I went armed with some projects, and made good head way!

I put some surrounds on my Circle Game blocks:

So that's six down and only ten more to go! I think these will be worked on when I am away in the Summer. As much as I would like to surge on as the end is in sight, I have some other things that are taking my time at present. 

I was asked to do a book for an English publisher last year, and it is now at the proof reading stage. There have been glimpses of the projects in one or two posts, but more will be revealed when all is 'done and dusted'! 

And although I am only just back from France, I am off again next week to Nantes (hence the 'quick turn around') to the quilt show run by Quiltmania magazine! I am so excited about this. I have wanted to find the time to go for a few years now.

The other excitement will be that one of the teachers this year is Kathy Doughty from Material Obsession in Australia. Look on the above link and you can see the classes that are offered, and if you click on the books on the side bar, you actually get to see the quilts in the book!

So I have my supplies list for my class with Kathy to pack, and maps to print off so that I can visit La Drogourie the wonderful french knitting and craft shop!

Hopefully lots of pictures when I get back!

In the meantime go over to HERE to see a quilt I so wish I could have designed and made! Do you think Alicia would produce the pattern if we asked nicely?

There's a little bit of everything in this post!

I had a great day last weekend when I taught the Spools workshop at Natterjack Quilters.

One of the questions I was asked in the day was 'How many spools do most people get sewn in the day?'

Well I said then that I had not really ever been counting, but I can tell you now, no group had made a whole quilt top in the day. Until the Natterjacks did!

Here is the top:

And here are the lovely ladies:

They were sewing it from donated fabric and were aiming to complete it and the raise some money for Cancer Research and their local church. I think that is right, such a lovely group and great causes!

Around here the sewing has been a bit on the slow side. However, I am to catch up over the next fews weeks as we are away to France to ski, and I take some stitching to do too!

I will be working on these 'Rose Star One Patch' blocks from The Quilters Album of Patchwork Patterns by Jinny Beyer.

This is what I have done so far:

I plan on sewing about nine, but I will see how it goes, as they are very large. I should have put a ruler for scale in the shot!

For more quilty inspiration whilst I am away go take a look at what Jane has sewn this week from the Blue fabrics!

And a quilt I have long admired as Lori has been working on it is this. I just love this, and she has done such great job!

See you all after Easter!

There seems to be much discussion in the patchwork world about 'new or 'modern' ideas.

I think debate is healthy, and I enjoy hearing what people have to say, or seeing what they sew under these titles! The more people sewing and quilting the better I say, and if they think they are doing something new or modern so be it!

I am often asked about the 'quilt as you go' as most people assume that the desire to quilt your quilt in smaller manageable or portable size sections is a 'new' idea.

Those of you who have been checking out Barbara Brackman's blog will have enjoyed, as I did, her post about 'Pot Holder Quilts'. Check it out HERE.

These quilts were sewn and quilted in small sections and then put together……… in the 1880's!

I saw a similar quilt at the American Museum of Folk Art in New York last spring, and I was blown away. Let me show you.

Looks like nothing out of the ordinary from a distance:

Take a closer look at the green sashing:

You can see the different quilting in the different sections:

And this is the information card:

This quilt was made for Mary Grow in 1856!

But what I found even more amazing was that no where does it make any reference the the technique that has so obviously been used to sew the quilt! I know I can be nerdy about the construction processes that are used to make quilts, but surely this would have been worth a mention?

Of course I am now just desperate to get my hands on a copy of the book by Pamela Weeks and find out all I can about these quilts!

Sometimes whilst I stitch one thing the idea for something else is working it's way through my mind, and then I have to have break from one thing to put those ideas into practice!

I have been wondering about embroidering labels for my quilts with cross stitch.

I got some 'waste canvas', and had a go:

I have not sewn cross stitch for years, and I found it very refreshing to do something new for a change!

And once the threads are pulled…..!

Then I stitched this block:

It is from an antique quilt. After a few miss calculations I got the proportions and the maths right for rotary cutting and this little sample hit the mark. This block will be something I think I will be working with in the future.

And this block, well in the book it was pieced! That seemed too much for me, so I appliqued it:

I have seen the block in a number of Japanese quilts. It is called Morning Glory.

I adapted the pattern from the one in the book by Suzuko Koseki, called 'Playful Patchwork'.

It seemed like a good block to sew this weekend with all of the lovely spring sunshine!