Saturday - sewing at last!

I know I didn't post yesterday - Friday is pretty much a no-sewing day, as I tend to spent the day at school, so unless there's any interesting post (which there wasn't yesterday) I don't have anything to show... Today, however, I managed to get quite a bit done in the morning while Geoff took the girls to tennis and Alex played on the computer. In amidst all the laundry and changing the duvets from summer weight to winter weight and other exciting domestic tasks.

Anyway, on the left is my journal quilt for the week, which also fits the criteria for a challenge on Textile Arts - the October challenge (and it's only the 4th - woohoo!) - the challenge being to use a variety of recycled materials, which I have done - except for the thread and the vilene (stabiliser) it's all recycled. When I back it, which I haven't done yet, I will use some sort of recycled/reused paper, as well. I started with a piece of linen from an old dress, and added some net with beading on it, which was actually a shirt I got in the sale rack of a charity shop for £1. I then added some stitching, and a variety of motifs - the gold circle is the wrapper from a chocolate coin, the blue heart is made from dryer lint, the rose is cut from an old postcard, the cream coloured paper strips are from one of the paint strips from a colour we have decided NOT to paint the hallway, the metal shape is from a belt purchased at a car boot sale for 50p (I got about 8 of them off the belt), the metal building is from an old mobile my parents used to have and finally, the blue lines are made by couching down strips of plastic vegetable netting bags (or, being as it's dark blue, it might have been mini cheeses or something, but you know what I mean).

On the right is my slightly belated September arch for Patsy. It has a silk background ( very nubbly), some paper images, lace, buttons (obviously!), a few charms and some stickers.




I also added some shrubberies to the house block - and will hand sew down the little flower motifs shown here - I bought them ready made, and think they work well here. Also will add a little button as a door knob and perhaps embroider a house number. Then it will be ready to go - oh, and I need to take the paper of the back as the block is part paper-pieced.

On the right, some Japanese fabrics I got in the post today. I also got a postcard of a Teapot ("T is for..."), which I have forgotten to photograph, but it's a nice Teapot - take my word for it!

On a slightly different note, my mother has decided (at my suggestion) to start a blog - at the moment, she's only posted a few times - hopefully in future she will show some of her pottery, esepcially her masks, etc, there - she does some nice work. Anyway, if you are interested in seeing what she gets up to, she's over here...