Nearly there…

This has been on and off my design wall for ages… I simply couldn’t get a grip on it.  In fact, I started this about 12 years ago I think… good gracious!

The blocks use paper foundations and the block pattern is from the book “Really Sharp Piecing” by Barbara Barber.  I met Barbara at the National Championships in 1997 where she signed a copy of her book for me.  Do go and look at some of her quilts – they are smashing.

So, after a couple of days of concentration, I think I might have the final arrangement…

So sunny…

I like it – I love the colours and it makes me feel happy.  Some of the sections are just bits of fabric pinned roughly in place – but its the closest I’ve been to the final quilt!  It really helped that I had bought some Kaffe Fassett fabrics with the gift voucher I was given when I retired last year… those fabrics have lifted the whole thing.

Now I can’t wait to get it sewn together and start the quilting…

Happy days…

Needlepoint cushion fit for a king…

Finished.

I can imagine it on an elephant.

It has an Indian regal sort of vibe… and I absolutely love it.

Better still – dad loves it too – he was quite overwhelmed.

All done…

He is in hospital and he was thrilled, and a little overwhelmed, to see his needlepoint all finished… and so was I.  I don’t think he could quite believe that he had stitched it.  It got a few admiring comments from the other patients too – which was nice for dad.

I have placed it on his chair at home…

Happy days…

Dad’s needlepoint…

I am doing the finishing touches to the needlepoint my dad has stitched… just filling in some gaps, adding a bit of border and then stretching it to make it square(ish).

I absolutely LOVE the design and colours – by Kaffe Fassett of course 🙂

Then I shall make it into a cushion with some fancy pompom edging.  His 89th birthday is in a couple of weeks so it will be nice to finish it by then.

Finishing off…

Also in this photo you can see my Indian Cow needlepoint being stretched – it was terribly off-square even though I had used a frame… I gave this one a good soak before starting to stretch it – just relieved the colours didn’t run!!!  I usually just spray the surface and tug it into shape as I pin it out – but as it was so bad I thought I should be tougher with it.  Its looking ok at the moment.

For the Indian Cow I think I will try something different to display it – possibly on some wood.  If that doesn’t work, then it will become another cushion.

Happy days…

Current socks…

Woolly loveliness!

I always have at least 4 different socks at various stages on my needles… I actually have 6 on the go at the moment but these were the ones nearest my chair 🙂  I am loving those pinky coloured socks – its Regia Hand-dye effect by Kaffe Fassett and is very pretty.  I knit for my family and friends and I am always rather surprised when they keep asking me for more.  I have only recently started to wear them myself (I didn’t used to like wool on my feet – how weird) so now I am trying to catch up and make myself some before the mad xmas present knitting takes over my life.

I knit when I am watching television (currently on a Battlestar Galactica binge – half way through the last season… nearly finished…)

So that I don’t interfere with the lighting when watching tv, I knit in the dark – but I do have a head band light that has a red bulb (nicked from Jim who uses these head band lights for astronomy) and I can direct that light downwards – works a treat.  I bet it would work brilliantly at the cinema too!

Cheers…