Goodbye 2014, hello 2015

Time to say goodbye to 2014.

This year I made a handful of quilts.  Still not the fastest worker in the West, but not too shabby.

Clockwise from top left: More is More,  Leaves, freestyle New York Beauty, Square Peg, Fragment II, Fragment I, Big Red Triangles, Walk, Don't Walk

There were also some other makes - a couple of Artist Trading cards, and a handful of things made for, and at, the Stitch Gathering.

Clockwise from top:  Winter Sparkle ATC, front of bag for Stitch Gathering swap, tote bag, Bass Rock ATC, back of bag for Stitch Gathering swap, name tag for my secret partner

I'm gradually working out what is 'me' so it's all good and it's exciting to plan for the year ahead.

Last year's resolutions:

Get fit again [fail]
Eat more fruit [fail]
Try not to worry what other people think [partial success]
Do something creative every day [hysterical laughter]

This year's resolutions:

Get fit again
Eat more fruit
Try not to worry what other people think
Do something creative at least once a week

Time to look forward to 2015.

To anyone who reads these witterings and to those whose friendly support and encouragement is so valued I'd like to wish you a very

Happy New Year!

Fragment II

Hello Blog, I have been neglecting you a bit.  Life at the moment seems to be one never-ending round of pre-Christmas obligations and that's just the children's stuff.

In the time I have to myself I am still following the current obsession with Oakshott pieces.  Here is Fragment II.

I have found a new wall on which to stick my quilts!  I love its texture with its crackled render and it matches what I was trying to say with the quilt.

Like Fragment No I this quilt is made from scraps of Oakshott Rubies, pieced together into strips which are then curve-pieced together, and Essex Yarn-dyed linen.  I wanted the Oakshott to look like something very precious which had been rescued and patched onto the linen.  For this reason I left the edges of the Oakshott raw as they are actually very beautiful like the lovely fringed selvage of the Essex linen.

I quilted this using the same little crosses as before, but in an Aurifil embroidery floss instead of quilting thread - it has a bit more clout to it.

It is always so difficult to catch the colour and radiance of shot cotton but the light was just right today, so I had to take lots of pictures.

Very Berry Handmade ATC Swap - Winter Sparkle

Once again I'm taking part in the Artist Trading Card swap hosted by Ali Very Berry Handmade.  The theme for this swap is Winter Sparkle.  I was all set with one idea but when I was riffling through my fabric I came across a tiny remnant of robin fabric that I'd bought last year and forgotten about, so I got distracted.

It's not at all what I had originally planned so I think I'll probably have a go at the first idea too.  It took me a while to understand why ATCs are so addictive but now I'm completely hooked on the challenge of tiny pictures.