Raffle time

You'd think I'd have had enough last year but no I'm doing the Fashion Sans Frontiers fashion show at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC again this year.

Not only that but Isobel my nearly eight ywar old is making a collection too.

And as I'm still paying off last years trip I decided I needed to do some fundraising to get there.

So I went and got me a license, picked a quilt to raffle and got some tickets made.

So if anyone would like to sell or buy some tickets please let me know. 



Too too long

Oh dear, looked at blog last night and realised how long it's been since I put up a post, me bad.
So as I've just completed a piece for The International Quilt Challenge Group I'll give yee a look.

Here the Architecture challenge piece:

"Ancient Arch"

Played with pics I took in the Burren in photoshop, then printed onto A3 transfer paper (the paper was ancient and I wasn't sure if it would work!). the paper was then transferred onto a textures cotton which worked really well and the texture shows up brilliantly through the transfer. Machine quilted the piece with variegated thread and added black binding to complete.
Here's some close ups:

And sure while I'm here I might as well show you the last challenge piece, both pieces were very late but got done eventually!!
This was for the Through the Window Challenge:

"Window to my Heart"

Lots of different photo transfer methods here, image maker, transfer sheets, bubble jet set.
Again images for the Burren but added some walnut ink, which I wanted to try for ages.
Also decided to distress the edges with some fire, tricky business when you use polyester wadding, has a nasty habit of smoldering away quietly while your attacking another side. Nearly lost one side of the piece!! Here's some details:



And here's the back which I quiet like:

Love Saturdays

Saturday morning and I didn't have to set the alarm,

heaven

Oh the simple pleasures, I love em.

Sitting here in jammies avoiding the mess that is my home

wondering where to start!!

Luckily the Genesis group are meeting here tomorrow so I have to tidy

and cook ( tis the only time it gets done!!)

Cann't wait to see what the other fabrics that we dyed at an Grianán turned out like.

Anyhows here's some more pics from the knit and stitch show:

Here's one Caroline Schofield took while I was poising for some photographer!!

Thanks Caroline.

And this one was taken by Dan Kenny last saturday, tis Meg agus míse on the IPS stand.

Ok here we go the cleaning must begin!!!





Broke Again but one happy girl

I did say I wasn't going to buy anything at the Knitting and Stitching show and I was doing soooo well untill Sunday when Isobel, my seven year old decided to come with me!

I thought she'd be bored and wanting to go home.

Oh no, she had a ball.

She spent most of her time at the recycle centre redesigning t-shirts and making brooches

or wondering round the trade stands making new friends.

Isobel working with Hannah to upcycle her t-shirt

 Barley Massey of Fabrications keeping a watchfull eye on my budding designer.

 A natural with the machine

 Isobel on the virtual catwalk with her finished design

Having a rest on the IPS stand with her new puppy Snowflake ( battery operated)

Didn't get a photo of her with the giant knitting needles but as I bought a pair, watch this page to see what we create



The Knitting and Stitching Show

Still recovering from five days of driving up and down to Dublin but 'twas worth it.

I had a ball.

We brought the Team Ireland garments that were made for the Fashions sans Frontiers in Birmingham last August to the RDS.

Here's how the stand looked when I arrived last Wednesday morning:

And here it is later on ready for the masses!

Three garments made by Pauline, Mogs, Bernadette agus míse.

On the Irish Patchwork Stand, the part you cann't see, their was a postcard display from the 30th anniversity exhibition which was also on display with one hundred quilts hanging and here are some of my favourites:



And here's the Genesis Quilt again.



The Knit and Stitch Show

Back to work today!!!

Does not feel like I've had a week off.

Still tired.

I think at this time of year I should just curl into a wee ball and sleep for three months.

Trip to Dundalk last week to get my exposing unit, thanks Dad

so I can process screens at home yeah.

Only problem is it's huge, so studio being reorganising again.

No sewing for me this week although I did get some Christmas presents knit.

Getting ready for the Knitting and Stitching Show at the RDS this week.

Was playing with large format printer again, enlarging some images of

the Fashions sans Frontier show for the IPS stand.

Looking froward to meeting lots of quilters.

printer in action

Contempory Quilting Group at An Grianán

Thanks to the wonderful Margaret Mc Crory for the organising. It started as Irish members of the Contemporary Quilting group of the Quilters Guild of the Britain and ended up as eleven quilters, a mixed bunch, our Genesis group being among them. We met for tea at five thirty last Friday evening and then dragged all our bits and pieces into the two rooms.

We had one wet and one dry room. The wet room was a mass of dye buckets and basins as our Genesis group had made plans to group dye some fabrics for use in a new piece, so Tracy started mixing up dyes Friday evening and we got our fabrics soaked and ready for Saturday morning. Tracy Watson, Claire Lynch, Ann Bradshaw, Meg Kenny make up the Genesis group and the wonderful Irene Mac William made up the wet room group. while the dry room was the quiet room as I began to call it. Ann Fleeton, Mary Heseltine, Margaret Mc Crory, Helen Heron and Rose Little.
I went between the two rooms.

Everyone was working on different projects,
I left the dye mixing to the scientists as my adhoc dyeing methods would probably upset them!!!
So on it went for the weekend dyeing sewing and being fed what a treat.

The company was wonderful, I always come away from a weekend like that buzzing with renewed enthusiasm and ideas.

Had the worst drive home ever, very strong wind and torrential driving rain. Felt like the car was going to be lifted by the wind at any moment but got home safely eventually, Had to stop in the Kildare Village for some hot chocolate to keep me going and some retail therapy!!!!!
Got the fabrics washed out and dried Sunday evening but now my problem which one do I keep?
Stuck deciding between two pieces, what a tough life I have!!! May just have to dye some more.
Here's the finished pieces;