Blue Leaf

This book cover is made using left overs from a quilt I made many years ago.

I had ruched some thin fabric, dyed it using a palette of various blues, then cut out and appliqued leaves to a pale blue background.

This leaf is a little too far of to the left, but I didn't have enough fabric to rectify that.

To echo the ruching, I used a straight simple FMQ motif of parallel (ish) lines, but curved the columns to wrap around the leaf. I love the way this opens and closes the lines like a concertina.

Thanks for visiting...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Finish Friday @ http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.co.uk/

Creative Goodness @ http://quiltshopgal.com/creativegoodness-weekly-linky-parties/

Simple Seedheads

Because I design a lot of free motion quilting patterns, I have a tendency to think I am cheating if everything I do isn't new and original!

This is a shame, because there is so many wonderful ideas out there, and it is not as if quilters are not willing to share. So this design, whilst not copied from anything in particular, is not particularly original either. Seed heads are deservedly a great source of inspiration for artists across the board.

I like to add a small version on the back.

I love muted autumn greens, golds and oranges on white. I often match the lining to my quilting thread colour. In this case, as the cover what quite, I contrasted it with a stronger 'tray dyed' fabric. I used red, yellow and black dye, which of course mix to give the rusts and browns of autumn.

Thanks for visiting...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Finish Friday @ http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.co.uk/

Creative Goodness @ http://quiltshopgal.com/creativegoodness-weekly-linky-parties/

Half way around the planet

Today we had a partial eclipse of the sun in the UK. The motif I have used in this book cover, is like partial orbits going half way around a string of planets. It makes a simple edge to edge motif with a good swing to it. I've used gold metallic thread as a good contrast to the pink.

I quite like the effect of a strip of either contrasting colour, or as here, a different shade of the same colour. This is really easy to do when dyeing your own fabric

I've carried the motif onto the back, not going quite to the other edge.

And the lining is made of the same paler shade fabric as the strip.

Thanks for visiting...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Finish Friday @ http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.co.uk/

Creative Goodness @ http://quiltshopgal.com/creativegoodness-weekly-linky-parties/

The travellers return

Last year I entered a couple of journal quilts for a competition and since all the entries then travelled around to various shows in the UK, I have never got around to showing them on the blog.

The size had to be A4 which was quite a change from working on bigger quilts. The set theme was 'Landscape'. I often notice that quilters can interpret themes to fit whatever they are actually working on and I have to admit that is just what I did here. You will recognise my style at once!

The first one, I called 'Beneath our Feet - the Earth's inner landscape'. It is of course a mini version of 'Strata'.  I wanted to work to see if I could work with a mottled background without the quilting getting lost.

I had tried using bright yellow on the darker bits, but that did disappear. Sticking to black works quite well I think.

The second piece I entitled 'My Inner Landscape - the circles in my mind'

I used a solid blue background, but two colours of thread.

Thanks for visiting...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Finish Friday @ http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.co.uk/

Creative Goodness @ http://quiltshopgal.com/creativegoodness-weekly-linky-parties/

Going, Going, Gone Round the Bend in 12 Sqaures

Round the Bend in 12 Squares in now finished and its way to the South West Quilt Show - this is my 'local' show in the south west of the UK .

This photo makes me think I need to improve my photographic skills - which might mean getting some decent lights! It doesn't do justice to the colours, but you do get an idea of the flow of one square into the next and the shading given by the variation in quilting density. This is entered into the large wallhanging category - but you know secretly I am after the free motion quilting prize!!

I went a bit crazy taking photos for the transition from one square to the next - sit back and enjoy!

Thanks for visiting...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Finish Friday @ http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.co.uk/

Continuing to go Round the Bend

This is voting week for the Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side. Lots of gorgeous quilts to see. Do go and join the fun and vote for your favorites. Follow the links to see my two entry posts for the Scrappy Quilt category and of course, the Home Machine Quilted category.

In the meantime I continue to go Round the Bend - but I'm getting there!

The penultimate motif is Balustrade.This one does need tram lines to travel along to get from one balustrade to the next. It's a great motif for quilting at different densities and gives a lovely amount of dark and light. This square always makes me think of an old fashioned whale bone corset!

Here is the thimble again to give you an idea of scale.

The last motif is a variation on 'Cobbler's nightmare'. I've given the 'feet' a variable slant which loosens the whole design up. It looks quite different I think and almost deserves a new name - perhaps Duel Thorn?

This motif is quite long-winded to do, but I love the effect - it works well around corners and looks good both large and small.

Because of all the binding and then sewing the squares together, there is a surprising amount of hand sewing in this project.

Here are the first two rows all joined together.

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk

Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @ http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk/

'Round the Bend' is coming together - part 3

I keep changing my mind about the name of this piece. Am I 'Going round the Bend' or is one driven 'Round the Bend'? Which ever, the next of the 12 squares are done.

This is 'Crossing Over to the other Side'. The cross over part is lovely to quilt. It has a nice swing and gives some gorgeous shapes.

The 'scale tool' of choice this week is a thimble.

I call this motif Queen Katherine's Headdress (as in Katherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII). Although that was not on my mind when I created the motif, every time I see it I am reminded of Tudor headdress fashion in the early 1500s. The 'hood' to give it it's proper title, was a wonderful excuse to flaunt wealth and status with an incrustation of pearls and jewels - see below. Early pictures of Anne Boleyn, second wife, show the same headdress, but then the angles softened to horseshoe shaped curves set further back on the head. Still plenty of room for those jewels though!

                                         

I digress. Back to the motif, alas not studied with pearls and precious stones, just a plain old thimble not even made out of silver!

And now to the really fun bit - joining the squares together and watching the overall pattern emerge. Here are the 2 that you saw in week 1 of this project, Sticks and Stones with Fly Away Home.

The 12 Squares will be arranged 3 wide by 4 deep, so Crossing Over to the Other Side completes the top row.

The joining can be a bit tricky, because no matter how accurate you are with measuring and marking the squares, they are distorted by the quilting. You can't trim them without loosing the pattern so it is down to stretch and steam. If that doesn't quite do it, the fall back is my grandmother's favourite phrase on such occasions 'Nothing that a blind man on a galloping horse would notice'!!!

This week is the start of the Blogger's Quilt Festival. I'll be entering 2 quilts this year, in the scrappy quilt category and it goes without saying, in the FMQ on a domestic machine. If you are new to this and want to see what it's all about click here. 

I'll be adding 2 more posts today or tomorrow with my entries. Please do visit, join in the fun and go and vote for your favourite.

Thanks for visiting...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Going Round the Bend in 12 Squares part 2

Good morning, afternoon or evening where every you are. Here in Devon, south west UK, it is cold, wet and windy - it is enough to drive me round the Bend!!

So here are the next 3 squares in that project.

Having shown you this motif recently - Getting to the Point - in one of my FMQ Cameos, I realised that I had never  used it in a quilt. Time to remedy that! I love the colour of this square. Colours are very deceptive on line and seen differently on every computer according to the colour card. This is somewhere between aqua marine and the softest of charcoal. It is very delicate and restful.

I thought I would ring the changes a bit and this week I have used a bobbin to give an idea of scale.

Quite gentle curves or 'bends' in this square are married to the brightest colour in the piece - Magenta. In truth, it is slightly dulled. This is a trick I use when I want to mix many colours from 3 or 4 dyes and I want all the colours to blend. I make a mix of my pure or starting dyes and then add a small spoon to each colour - so that every colour has just a little bit of every other colour in it. This 'Magenta' therefore has a smidgen of turquoise, slate blue and charcoal in it.

(By the way, I wouldn't recommend this with turquoise or yellow lemon, both of which change colour quite drastically with just a drop of something else in them) 

This is motif I use a lot - but I still haven't got a name for it. I'm thinking something along the lines of All boxed in.

And here is the turquoise square - minus all the other colours! This design is fun to do. It takes 3 goes, the central line of circles first, then back on putting in one side and down again putting in the other. This is also one of those fantastic flexible designs that looks good big or small and goes around bends like a dream. It reminds me a bit of planets and their orbits, so I've called it 'The Centre of my World'

When I was quilting Going to Pieces, it took me a while to get use to quilting strips two and a half inches wide - much wider than I normally do. Well, here I am going to the other extreme!

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk