Carolyn Forster's Quilting-On-The-Go

Well, this time last week I was in Minneapolis MN, and it was great! I can't believe I have been back almost a week, as although there is a lot to do before you go, then loads to do when you are there……. There is so much to do when you get back!

Lots of folks take loads of pictures at Market, and I took some, but not as many of people and parties as others did. Just Google and look under blogs to get the idea!

I did take pictures of the carpet in my hotel hallway:

So obviously quilts just waiting to happen!

I got some fabrics at Sample Spree (goes without saying really!):

My buying trends were in a taupe and brown phase! These are a selection from Clothworks and Red Rooster studios.

Although I have some of Dalene Zimmerman's 'Dear Betty', Lecien's 'Isso Ecco and Heart' and some great Flannels from Windham and Maywood Studios to add to the mix!

Let's hope I can find room for it in the stash!

I read this in a email to me today and thought ‘Couldn’t that be the name of some sort of dessert?’

Unfortunately it isn’t.  It is just a phrase to let each other know that things still need doing for Quilt Market next week, and time is running out!

I sent a quilt off this week for Makower made from thei new Katie Hana range. This will be in their booth, and I made some little pincushions which will look good on the desks of the booth with the quilt hanging in the background. If you are coming to the show, or have local shop owners attending, tell them to look out for it!.

And as neat and tidy as this picture may look, the other end of the table looks like this:

Yes, I still have a bit to do for my School House and demos on the Landauer booth! And I have lots of lists to keep me on track as things pop into my mind. But I know from experience that it all works out in the end!

Things are starting with ‘C’ today in this post!

Yetserday I spent the day teaching my ‘Comfortable with Curves’ worshop at The Quilt Room in Dorking. We had fun and were very productive. There was general agreement that these blocks are very addictive and will keep us busy over the summer!

For those of you who want to have a go there class at Puddleducks in Sevenoaks on Tuesday 17th of May, so come along!

And my other ‘C’ thing is the Calico Cat!

Although we don’t have cats I do like the sewn versions! I have had this little cushion for over 15yrs, sitting in my guest room, and yes, one day I will sew my own version!

When I first started sewing patchwork there was a shop in London called ‘The Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat’. It was in an area called Chalk Farm and I thought it was the most amazing place. There weren’t a lot of patchwork shops around in the early 1980′s. They had a patchwork dog sewn from squares, and I always thought that I would make one…. and never did.

I now sometimes teach at a more local shop in Lewes called ‘The Patchwork Dog and Basket’, and they too had a dog to sew from squares, small and large! And I still thought I wanted to sew one.

Then  I saw a pattern Denyse Schmidt (love everything that lady does!) had on the Free Spirit site  for a patchwork dog!

So I set to work:

If you play about with the squares you sort of get a different dog, like a different breed! I made some more of this one and have sewn them into a quilt (more on that another time!). To be honest you don’t really need a pattern as you can create your own breed as you go along! But seeing the pattern was a nudge in the right direction for me!

I also made one in more ‘doggy’ colours:

And as if sewing dogs wasn’t enough, our new addition to the Forster household is a real dog:

Welcome to our 13 week old Spanish Water Dog puppy called Bosco!

So we have a lot to occupy us and keep us busy settling him in to his new surroundings!

Stitching is still going on around the chaos, and if you look out for Fabrications latest issue, I have a quilt in there , which is featured on the cover. If you need some flowery inspiration out of the garden this is the quilt for you!