Tuesday 6 September 2011

I’ve just found I am not as tall as I thought I was …

I have so much on my “to do” list at the moment and that includes painting my bedroom.   The bedrooms at Granny Crafting Cottage go right up into the roof with a beam across the middle of the ceiling so the walls are very high.  Every time I go in at the moment I am reduced to chuckles as you can see that, even with the pads on a long extension, I can’t reach the top of the walls.  I shall have to talk very nicely to my daughter when I have finished all of it to come round and just finish the bits at the top!
One reason I am so busy is because I received a commission for two of my Christmas stockings!  I have also sold the little apron I did so I am thrilled that some of what I do has been so well received.  I’m not sure if you can tell from the photos but the stockings are almost 20” long so lots of knitting. 

In between the painting and knitting I have enjoyed making another card for a forum friend and it’s the first I have done since I got my Cricut and both the flowers and the sentiment were made with the cartridge that came with it.


Otherwise the paper (I sadly can’t remember where it came from) was so lovely I didn’t want to spoil it by matting over it, so I have kept it very simple. 
Part of the reason for painting the bedroom is to allow me to use the bedroom I was in as a craft room.  So I am very excited about that.
 

Sunday 4 September 2011

The Great Northern Quilt Show

I had a lovely day at Great Northern Quilt show yesterday and thought I would let you know how it’s coloured my thinking on sewing.   In the quilt show area there were the most stunning quilts but sadly I could not bring you photos of them as there is an understandable "no photos" rule.  The many stalls contained the tools I am becoming more familiar with and lots and lots of lovely fabric.  I managed to get some plain cottons for which I have been looking for some while.
There were lots of patterns available too and several book stalls.  The one thing I didn’t find was anyone showing the Accuquilt  Fabric cutter and I would have loved to see a demonstration of that.  As die cutting machines go it is expensive and I am still unsure whether to go for that or for the Big Shot or Big Shot Pro.  There are quilting dies made for the Big Shot but obviously it’s not dedicated to quilting so there aren’t as many as for the Accuquilt Go.
I did manage to get one photo – of the famous Jennie Rayment. 

I asked if I might take a photo (and explained that I wasn’t a great photographer) and if she would mind if I put it on my blog.  She was lovely and asked what my interest was and why the blog.  When I explained and mentioned the crafty forums I belong to she updated me with the times, etc., of her next shows on C & C.  She is on at 19th September at 8 a.m.  and 2 p.m.  and she will be showing the 30o and 45o templates (see below) and also something for children.

So, what were my thoughts by the end of the day?  I decided that I still wanted to know more about basic quilting to add to my general sewing but that I was stunned by the dedication of the expert quilters.