Tuesday 25 February 2014

February Hexi BOM 2014 or is it actually a 'condition'?

January Hexi BOM reminder below - supposed to be a snowflake but I filled in the holes : )

 
and February's, well,
I obviously didn't look at the pattern properly lol
because this is what I made!
Less of a heart and more of a splodge, so I may have to take it apart yet because its annoying me as it is! lol
Maybe its a dysfunctional heart?




 
So having started my BOMs in my own colour choice of fabrics, I then saw the blocks made by the others who are taking part in this hexi along and realised I'd make a big mistake.
They'd all used appropriately suggested, coloured fabrics that looked so much better and I knew that I should have followed -----
the pattern as well lol --- duhh
So it looks as if I'm now making up 2 different sets of quilt blocks lol
 So here's my snowflake and heart as they should have been in the first place ~

 


 linking up to

http://thehexieblog.blogspot.co.uk/

am also linking up with Kathy from

 Kathyinozarks Pages-My Retirement Years of Weaving, Quilting, Soap Making, Hand Dyed Cloth, More
and
Let's Bee Social Today


Oh and nip over to Jeans blog and read about the 'silver darlings', the herring fishes.  There's an exhibition that will travel down our east coast to celebrate not only the herring fishing heritage, but also the herring lassies who followed the fisher men's hauls cutting and gutting the fish.
http://jeansmuse.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/follow-herring-coming-to-hull.html?showComment=1393359927679#c5581537080593404002

There has to be a collective name for a hexi passion surely?
Hexi-itus, Hexicolism, Heximania, Hexifatuated, Hexcrazy?

Got any more ideas folks?
Maybe we could coin a new 'condition' name amongst us lol


 




Wednesday 19 February 2014

Funny Freegle ad !

I meant to post this last month but then forgot where Id saved it  duhhh

We have Freegle here in Hull which is Freecycle to everyone else.
I have no idea why its called something different here to be honest.
However its the same ethical, recycling idea, where you can offer things you don't want to folks who might want them ............
or you can ask for things that other folks may no longer want to keep.

This struck me as really funny, wonder if she got enough for what she needed in the end?
 

WANTED: Old towels / sheets for home birth (Beverley)

Posted by:  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:30 pm


Hi,

I've planned a home birth at the VERY last minute, so could really do with
some old (clean) towels and / or sheets. Condition doesn't matter as long
as they're clean (due today, so potentially no time to get them washed &
dried).

Can collect, but ideally in Beverley. Will consider collecting from other
areas.

Many thanks,
Dawn
 
 

Sunday 16 February 2014

GYB Giveaway Winner

Well I almost forgot about the draw part of the GYB lol
being full of cold and having jiggered my back  - so
   
    drum roll ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Congratulations go to

the medusa doll is great! I am passionate about crazy quilting...
 
All I need is Wendy's address and I will be sending her some crazy quilting crafty bits : )
 
I've had a great time finding new blogs to visit and I'm really pleased that some of you have decided to pop in here now and then too!
There are so many gifted and interesting folks in cyber land and it's a privilege to have been invited in to see so many of you!
 
Remarkably today has been bright and sunny and after weeks of excessive rain and recently high winds to add to the chaos, one could have almost thought Spring was on its way.
I do hope so!!
In fact today I noticed 4 inside out umbrellas, dumped by the side of the road, perhaps where they gave in against the raging winds or maybe where they landed!
BUT
I also spotted colourful streaks of crocus in the central reservations of near by main roads too which was just delightful to see !
 
 

Sunday 9 February 2014

The Magic of Wool talk by Raya Brown

Our East Yorkshire Embroidery Society ( EYES)  met yesterday and we had Raya ( Raissa ) Brown come to give a talk, show some of her exquisite work and then today, sunday she was going to run a
workshop for us today .
http://magicwoolbyraya.com/


Raya certainly knew her felt history and provided a very thorough explanation of the historical emergence and relevance of wool, as well as it's apparent resurgence in popularity in modern life.

I did know much of what she told us, having done a fair bit of felting and taken courses in it myself but my recent worries about the physical damage done to sheep during fast n furious shearing, has coloured my view on using merino wool in particular and because of that Ive not felted for some time now.
But I dare say I only know a third of the truth about all that goes on!


However, I certainly hadn't known the % of production provided by countries.
I found that interesting and hadn't considered it before.
You might expect that Australia provides 25% of the production and in fact the USA provides 17% but China, provides 18%.

Mind you my recent worries about the physical damage done to sheep during fast n furious shearing, has coloured my view on using merino wool in particular and because of that Ive not felted for some time now.
But I dare say I only know a third of the truth about all that goes on!

Now having looked online, the figures Raya gave us are on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool ( an interesting article to be fair)
and there you can see the much smaller amounts of wool that countries produce ............ the UK only 2% - ah well, but really great sheep! 

Anyway some piccies ~ Feast your eyes : )

Clever huh?
Raya is a Russian lady and like her mother a water colourist, and she brings a delightful water colour effect to her pictures.
She's turned her hand to making a watercolour like pictures from merino fleece, which this fabulous guy above is!
It really was a stunning piece to see but I must point out it isn't felted.
Raya has mixed the fleece beautifully to get realistic colours and it's a very finely layered textile piece, held in place with a sheet of glass laid over it, rather than wet felted into place.
Very cleverly done and beautiful to see.







Stunning Nuno felting above ~






And as usual some members had brought in work to display on the stage -


I liked the turned edges on these above!
and fancy a cupper?

 
 
I also really like the effect achieved by simply twisting back the edges above.

 
I went from the club meet to collect my grandson who was staying overnight for the first time since I've moved into my new home - the reason I couldn't attend the felt painting workshop today lol
I love felting but I love the boy more : )

We made cakes which he proudly took away, a batch for his dad and partner Caz and another batch for his mum and her partner Alex.
 ( Life can get so bloody complicated can't it lol)
This is him doing the final decorating ~



and although they wont win any prizes for looks, Jack had great fun and they tasted blummin lovely!
BUT ... we must've brought the lad up wrong because he didn't want to lick the bowl out, said the cake mix didn't taste as nice as cakes do lol

Oh and here's the hexi BOM info in case any of you are interested : )

**** For details see Julia Woods link below ****

http://thehexieblog.blogspot.co.uk/

and to subscribe to the group and join in the hexi fun, go here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2014HexieBOM/jo

Thursday 6 February 2014

Ethereal reflection

I bought a new camera and am still getting to grips with it,
 but it has enabled me to capture this reflection on a wall at work.
In the early morning, the watery sun filters through tree branches and framed by a circular window, this ephemeral shadow keeps on intriguing me.
 
 
 

It only last for about 15 minutes then of course the light alters and you can watch this fade before your very eyes.
I love the transient design element as much as anything ~



Makeover chairs - Babes in the Wool shop and - 2014HexieBOM

 
 
 

Well welcome to everyone, whether you were here before
or have stumbled in and stayed recently more recently : )
It's really lovely to have you ALL along!

I really liked these two chairs for sale in a local store, they'd been nicely distressed and were for sale at £40 each. I've done similar paint jobs to chairs over the years but I particularly liked the colours and fabrics used on these. I was sorely tempted must admit lol

Then just across the road from that shop is 'Babes in the Wool' a delightful little wool shop with some really lovely yarns.
I had to take some pictures of the window display and although its not a great picture, maybe you can make out the blue cat in this one........
he's kind of scary-cute!
These have all been made by the shops crochet group I was told.



And these on an inside wall were amusing and colourful. Even the clock was covered in crochet!


Now ...........hexi's...........
I still haven't unearthed my already started hexi quilt top but I'm still not going to panic -
But since I'm having hexi withdrawal symptoms, I've joined in on the 2014 Hexi BOM and for the blessed life of me I cant recall who set this up!
I know! there's no excuse at all for that !
**** For details see Julia Woods link below ****

http://thehexieblog.blogspot.co.uk/

and to subscribe to the group and join in the hexi fun, go here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2014HexieBOM/join

I'm hoping there may be a button to use on the blog, with a link to use and there is a yahoo group set up for those taking part in it too.
So bear with me and I will pass that info to you when I've sussed it out duhhh

 



The idea is to make a block a month and the designs are posted on the first of the month, there is no obligation to complete each month by any certain date, so coming late to it shouldn't make it any harder.

But it may well satisfy my hexi cravings until I find the cover I'm making. IF I ever find the cover that is lol

Januarys design block was a snowflake and here's mine above ... though the colours aren't very snowy or true to the fabric in these pic's. I've filled in with a plain lemon, where there should have been gaps too lol
But then, I rarely ever follow directions properly : )
But by seeing other folks pictures I'm not alone in having done that!

I bought these fabrics new at the Harrogate show - I know, dreadful of me when I've stacks of recycled cottons, cough, cough.

I bought the fabrics from NaturaLeigh
( thanks for reminding me Jean lol)
and of course now I want some more of it, I can't find any on their website!
Maybe they'll be at the NEC in march ~
Look for them on Facebook where they have a natty video to show you how to make yummy little hemp rope embellishment.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=679432022084019&set=vb.243342985692927&type=2&theatre

The hexi block for February is - naturally - a heart so I now need to search amongst the recycled fabric bags and start hexi'ing again.
: )