Saturday 2 January 2016

A New Year and a New Project!

It may be having all this time off, but I've been really very creative lately.  I started making a patchwork star the other day as it is almost Epiphany.  I had no real notion of what I would be doing with it...

I then started painting a very small acrylic picture of Charleston House in East Sussex.  I always sketch in first so I have an idea of what I'm doing.  It was based on a photo I took during the Autumn when we popped in on our way home from Rye.  It isn't perfect but I was happy with it as I haven't painted for a little while and the size of the canvas was rather small!

 
I was still keen to do something creative, and thought about Mr C saying to me about making a patchwork quilt.  So I got out a huge pile of materials, made a lot of mess then had an idea about using bits and pieces of unused material to make a patch with applique in the middle.
 
 
Above is the background, which I've used a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine.  I will then hand sew some embroidered flowers from badly stained old linen onto the top of that.  I can't embroider myself, but I like the idea of reusing something that was made years ago.
 
 
This will then make the second patch.  I expect the quilt will take about 25 years to complete, but I like the idea of doing a patch at a time and seeing where it takes me.  Wish me luck!
 
I can't quite believe it is January already and we only have three more days of the Christmas season.  Work is looming again on Monday, but I'm trying not to think about it too much.
 
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain.

7 comments:

  1. Happy new year! I love the beginnings of your recycled applique project and look forward to seeing how you progress.

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    1. Happy New year Kath I hope to continue with the project and not just ignore it for months and months!

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  2. Your appliqué looks very pretty, I've promised myself to teach myself to embroider properly this year. Should prove to be interesting! x

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    1. Good luck with the embroidery, I keep on thinking I will start learning how to do it too x

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  3. Happy New Year! I'm so interested to read of your quilt idea, as I have been pondering of making a light, white, Summer quilt out of shapes with the floral embroidery taken from stained cloths. I'm not a sewer, so mine might remain a ponder rather than an achievement. Please keep us posted.

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    1. I'm not a great sewer either, I try to make up for lack of talent with lots of enthusiasm!

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  4. I love the fabrics in your quilt block. This quilt is going to be amazing :)

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