Works in Progress - and a new sewing room!

I've had a busy week, working on a few diffirent projects.
The most exciting thing though, was the arrival of my new sewing table and new sewing machine!!!  I was working on the dining room table before that and had a permanent bruise on my thigh from walking into the corners when squeezing past to get to my stash!

With the ironing board set up just to the right of my chair ( out of shot ), I am now workingin total luxury.  Love it!

My new sewing machine.  It is not the most expensive one, but it is a great little machine and runs so smoothly.

Anyway, onto some sewing.

I've been wroking on this Tallships quilt.  Top is nearlt completed, I only have some dark blue borders to add then it will be ready for quilting.

Next up is a commission I have been working on.  A trapunto butterfly.  Hoping to get the binding put on this over the weekend.  I can only show a little of this as I don't want to spoil it for the lady I am making it for.

Also this week I have been making a braided border for a panel that I dyed and printed by hand at quilt group on Monday.   I love it when Irene does projects using dyes - she is realy into all that and has some great ideas.

Now the borders :

I'm looking forward to quilting this one.

Finally, at last weeks quilt show, I bought some back issues of a quilting magazine.  Lookng through them last Sunday morning look what I found;

You may need to click on the photo for a closer look , but it is a quilt I'd entered into the show in 2009.  I didn't know that it has been printed in a report about the show.  Made my day!

Have a great weekend everyone - hope you get lots of sewing done.

Rhianon.

EDINBURGH QUILT SHOW 2011 (sept)

Ok , Apologies for having to split this post into two parts.
Enjoy the rest of the show.

I hoped you enjoyed this selection of quilts from the show.  There were a lot of quilts there and I know I didn't take photos of them all.   I got everything I wanted - King Tut thread, 505 basting spray , couple of scrap bags ( I love scrap bags), lots of fabric , beads, selection of magazines and my favourite purchase was a fat Quarter pack of Robert Kaufman's Valley of the Kings range. Have to say they were NOT cheap - but they are so lovely.  I adore those fabrics and have been eyeing them up online for a while now.   I feel a major project coming on !!

Also at this show, I had a go on a long arm quilting machine for the very first time.  It was so strange to move the machine and not the fabric - kinda the opposite of what I have been doing but I loved it.   I would love a long arm - it's going to take me a long time to save for one of them  - they cost £4000 !  Oh well I can dream!
Until the next time
happy stitching.
Rhianon.

EDINBURGH QUILT SHOW 2011 (sept)

Today I went to the big quilt show at the Royal Highland Showground in Edinburgh.  It is held twice a year - February and September.

Needless to say I had a great time and came home with an empty purse and a bulging bag!!!!
I will shut up now and show you some of the quilts that were on display.

                                          Loved all the colours in this one.

This was a stunning quilt, beautifully pieced and quilted by hand.

Close up of previous quilt.

             That is  the end of part 1 - blogger won't let me upload any more photos in this post so I will do a part 2  .                                                                                                                                                        

CAN YOU HELP A QUILTER IN NEED ?????

This post has been linked from another blog.

John'aLee's daughter's fiance was killed in Afghanistan.  They were to have been married yesterday.
So sad....
Can you help?

Monday, September 19, 2011

Blocks Needed for Grieving Family

I've never been good at asking for help....

but I'm going to on this one.

I know the heart of quilters....

I am going to put together quilts for Tory, Chris' Mom

his two brothers and one for the

soldier who was his best friend

and who fought right alongside Chris...

and was 

there...

when he took his last breath.

I'm going to do the quilts in a muted red, white and blue

theme.

And I thought 'Star' blocks would be so appropriate

in this situation.

I would so appreciate any of you who

would like to help me in this endeavor.

I need 8" blocks

(Finished Size of Block to be 8 1/2")

and when I say muted...

the best way to describe it...

is kind of like the Minnick and Simpson fabrics

that are always designed for Moda.

(They don't have to be Minnick and Simpson though!!) 

We would be so grateful for any!

I would so appreciate it too,

if any of you would like to copy this post on your blog.

I'm hoping Tory will help me sew them all together

to help her in her grieving.

I'm also going to try to get a local group

together to help out as well,

when all of the blocks are received.

If at all possible we need the blocks by end of October.

You may send them to:

The Scrappy Appleyard

3218 Knobview Drive

Nashville, TN 37214

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You all will never know how much your comments, prayers

and thoughts have helped us to get through this tragedy.

May God bless you all...

Pretty Pinwheels Baby Quilt - Thank Goodness it's Finished, Friday Party.

Hello everyone.

Today I am taking part in a Thank Goodness It's Finished, Friday Party.
My quilt I've finished is this Pinwheel baby quilt.

I had a set of really pretty floral, girly fabrics that had been hanging about in my stash for a long time, so it is finally good to have them used up.

It was machine pieced and machine quilted.

                                                    Detail

Apologies for the poor lighting in this shot but I love how it shows up the puffy texture of the quilt.

I usually have several projects on the go at once and so I am going to sneak in a wee link to this little wall hanging I recently finished.

Here is the link to that post.
http://rhianontaylor.blogspot.com/2011/09/trapunto-butterfly.html

I loved working on this trapunto butterfly and have plans to do something on a larger scale.  Watch this space!!
If you have not visited my blog before, you would be very welcome to come and have a visit.

Do you have any work you have recently completed  ?  Want to join the Friday fun ?
All you have to do is head over to Quilt Matters and link your post. 
Here is the link  http://quiltmatters.blogspot.com/2011/09/thank-goodness-its-finished-friday.html

I can't wait to see what everyone else has been up to so I'm heading over there right now.  Hope to see you there.
Have a great weekend  - I hope it is filled with lots of sewing!
See you all next time
Rhianon.

Mug Rugs of the World - SCOTLAND

Hello

I was asked by Laura from Quokka Quilts if I would like to make a mug rug with a Scottish theme.

I've never made a mug rug before so I thought why not.

You don't get more Scottish than thistles and tartan plus blue is a very Scottish colour!!!

If you would like to join in and make a rug representing your country , please feel free.
All you have to do is make one, then do a post about it.  You don't have to send it anywhere.
Here is the link  http://quokkaquilts.blogspot.com/p/mug-rugs-of-world.html

What would you come up with for your country?

Have a great weekend everyone.
Rhianon.

Trapunto Butterfly

Last week at quilt group we worked a sample of  trapunto.  I have done trapunto before  but only a small sample and I didn't know how to incorporate it into a quilt.  Now I do.
I was so fired up I came home and started a little wallhanging.

I put on my artist hat and used Carron Dache water soluble pencils to create this butterfly on a piece of cream silk.
After layering it with 2 pieces of wadding I back stitched by hand using standed cottons all the way around the design.

Next the scary part !! Trimming away the excess wadding from the back.  Had to be very careful not to cut the silk on the front.

After adding a couple of borders, more wadding and a cotton back, I was ready to start machine quilting.

First I outline quilted very close to the butterfly and leaves to make them 'pop'.
Then I worked a very small stippling design all over the background.  I wanted this to make the background as flat as possible.

I love this effect - and I definately have plans for a bigger project.

                                                      Detail

                                                      Another angle

My butterfly measures 16" x 16" and is now hanging in my workroom.

So that's another unexpected piece of work finished.
I've finished my baby quilt too and will post about that the next time.
Till then , thanks for stopping by.
Rhianon.

Hand Dyed Quilted Cushion #2

When I dyed the fabric for the cushion in the previous post, I also did another panel.  This time the colours were purples, browns and rusts.
I made this panel into another cushion.

I machine quilted a pretty feathers and flowers design.

                                               Close up of quilting.

 

Detail of hand appliqued butterfly.

More detail.

Again this cushion has a white satin ruffle with cream lace.
I love how these cushions turned out -I think they are pretty and girly.

Today I started a new quilt using bright batiks ( my favourite) on a black background.  It has already been claimed by daughter #1 !!!
Tonight I hope to get the binding sewn onto the baby quilt, so perhaps another post before the weekend is out.
Hope you all have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by.
Rhianon.