Yes, it's more brown!

Another large stack of brown blocks which was waiting to be dealt with, in my block basket, is finally getting a look-in. These are a little rail fence variation, bordered by brown strips. The overall look is fairly scrappy, but still pretty clearly brown. As it happens, I had at least 25 different browns in the outside borders of the blocks - this layout uses one of each design (I have a lot of brown in my stash, as you can see!). There are lots of blocks left, though, so there will be more to follow.

Cross Stitch Wednesday

Well, I haven't done any cross stitch work this week - granted, I spent a few days in Sweden, and as I was planning to take only carry on, didn't want to risk my needles and scissors in the security check -not that I would have got much done anyway, as we were socialising all three evenings we were there. I could have got some work done when I got back, I suppose, but for various reasons, I haven't stitched. Not sure next week will be much better; perhaps it will. Anyway, here's a little spring-ish stitchery which I have out on a shelf - I've just realised I still have a few wintery ones dotted about; now that the weather is finally looking up, I should probably put them away and reach for some sunny ones!

Small brown top

Here's another small top (or rather, probably the centre of a top, which will have a border added to it) made from some of the many, many brown blocks which I seemed to have put up in my block basket. I like brown; hopefully some of the people receiving quilts from Project Linus (etc) will share a fondness for it, as I seem to have so much!

Fabric in

In this haberdashery in Lund (Sweden) I found a small selection of quilting fabric, and picked up a few pieces - imported from The Netherlands, so not inexpensive, but it's nice to have fabric bought from places you've visited...

Embroidery at the Design Museum of Denmark

A lovely collection of embroidery, lace, etc at the Design Museum in Copenhagen - lots of drawers of different things as well as some choice items on display. Such tiny work - sometimes I work on very small linen like 30 or 32 count, but not over one thread!

Textiles in Copenhagen...

Spent yesterday in Copenhagen, including two museum visits - the Danish National Museum and the Design Museum of Denmark.  The National Museum is a bit like our British Museum here, with prehistory, collections from other places (e.g. Roman, Greek, Egyptian), etc - but also a good section (most interesting to me as most different from something in London) on Danish history from 1600 to present. I didn't take a lot of photos of clothes, etc, but couldn't resist this wartime patchwork skirt.

These girls'/women's caps were interesting as well; they had lots of them on display.

In the design museum, there was a textile section, including one quilt in the hexagon style on display. I'm not a keen maker of hexagons, personally, but I enjoy seeing the occasional quilt made that way. 

There was even a little video on patchworking (mostly hexagons). 

ATC Friday

Two food themed ATCs finished for me and sent home; in both cases I was the artist who started them, and then two other players added things to them. One with a chocolate theme; one with a picnic theme.

Moving the brown blocks out...

I have a huge stack of brown blocks, so I'm trying to get some of them made into tops to pass on to Project Linus (and the other charities my contact works with, including hospices and social services). Here's the biggest of the tops made with these brown bordered cross blocks.

Cross Stitch Update

A bit more progress on the Alice In Wonderland stitchery - I've finished the clock and started the rabbit. Won't be much progress next week as I'm away for a few days and I'm not taking it with me (as I'm only taking carry on luggage and I don't want to risk my scissors & needles being confiscated). But there may be a few days when I get back to do a little work - I might at least get the waistcoat on the rabbit done!  I should probably switch back to one of the other pieces I have hanging about as well...

Pairing up...

Having attached borders to all of my waiting top centres (which are heading off to my Project Linus contact tomorrow, where she will find someone to back and quilt them), it was time to pair up some assembled top centres with border fabrics. I managed to find reasonable border prints for 10 centres; there are 4 or 5 in the basket for which I don't have anything suitable at the moment.  Something may turn up!

More little transport blocks

Another set of blocks hanging around waiting to be made into a top. Now it's a centre, hanging around waiting for a border. One step at a time!

A brown top with lots of crosses

Making a start on putting together tops from my huge stash of brown blocks. I only had eight of these blocks with brown crosses in the four patch, so I had to be creative with the layout, but I think it works ok.  Into the basket!

Block Set Update

About time for an update - I have finally begun to put together some block sets, so I guess I can update the picture (and list). Of course, I have added one - that's always the way of it...  Perhaps this year I will actually use the circular flying geese or the birds. 2016 could be the year!

ATC Friday

A couple of finished Round Robin ATCs, where I was the second player  - which means I can show all three stages - the finished card (above), the starter (below) and what it looked like after I made my addition. 

Both with insecty themes, not sure why - just happens that way sometimes!

A couple of "girly" tops

A little more progress made in putting together some block sets to make top centres - these are actually two different tops, though assembled from the same set of blocks, so they are very similar. As usual, they will go in the basket to await some bordering.

Cross Stitch Update

Actually made some progress this week - finished the teapot, cups and two cake stands as well as extending the bottom border and starting on the watch, which the White Rabbit will be standing on.

A binding job waiting...

Today's sewing consisted of making and attaching some binding (my absolute least favourite part of quiltmaking - not the hand stitching it down, but this making & attaching stage. BORING!) for this quilt, so I could take it along to my quilt group and have something to stitch while chatting. Hope to get it done this week so I can show it!

Cheerful log cabins

These are the blocks from the other day, with some additional borders added - half in a cream colour and half in a black pinstripe. Should work nicely to make a top or two for Project Linus...

Another Little Quilt Swap

It's that time again (finally) - another round of the little quilt swap, which I host (approximately) once a year. Interested in playing? Come check it out on the swap blog. 

The start of something cheerful

Some novelty prints, some solids/tonals and some cream and black and we're going all log cabiny... More to follow, I'm sure, as I have several weeks' holiday!