All that Glistens Cushion.

My cushion entitled All that Glistens came back today from the Great Northern Quilt Show, held in Harrogate last weekend, accompanied by a large purple rozette as it had won 2nd prize in the Cushions section. The rozette toned in beautifully with the cushion! I was also reminded that I hadn't shared pictures of it here before although I did blip the edge while I was working on it. You can find that picture here.

The cushion was inspired by Eastern carpets, the glitter of gold and the gorgeous array of contemporary yarns which I can never resist. It was machine couched, machine and hand quilted and hand beaded.

The Great Northern Quilt show is the only show that has a special category for cushions and although I don't make one for it every year I have participated quite a few times in the past and this year I fancied giving it another go. I loved making this one, specially the part where I got to play with my huge bead supply!

The Beaded Edge

I was taken to task by a new blog reader today for not having posted anything here for two days. But it was okay as I could tell her the reason which was that I have been raised not to open my mouth unless I have something interesting to say. And who told me this? My new blog reader in person as it's my mum who has acquired her first computer in the shape of an iPad at age 80. That also reminded me to tell all new readers of this blog that even when I'm not here I do always post a daily photograph on the Blipfoto site which can be found by either going straight there using this link (just click here, mum!) or by going to the sidebar of this blog and finding the Blipfoto badge and clicking there.

My mother would probably wish that I adhered to my upbringing in other aspects too but sadly that isn't to be! I did have nothing of interest to impart in the past 2 days because I was working like a fiend in the studio which was the only place to find refuge from the atrocious weather conditions here in the U.K. We haven't had much more snow since the beginning of the week in this part of Scotland but what fell then is still laying now and turning into ice due to very low temperatures and winds coming straight from Siberia.

I have to be even more honest and admit that I shouldn't be working on the project shown here. It was way down on my To Do list and what was at the top was tacking a large quilt. I tack the big ones on tables in the old cottage part of our house. This room has two exposed walls and a lot less insulation than the rest of the cottage and I simply couldn't face the cold! Tacking is boring enough already and to do it when you're also freezing was too big an ask.

So instead I started to make a cushion for an exhibition which is months and months away simply because I could do that in the comfort and warmth of my studio. Below is a picture of the work in progress (it was a previous blip as you can see here), while above is the finished article. When it was done I started to think about an edge treatment and was originally thinking of making a thick cord to go all the way around the cushion. Then in an unguarded moment I suddenly saw it in my mind's eye with a beaded edge. Where did that come from?

I need hardly add that I immediately realized it was going to take ages. And ages, and then some. But the trouble with being an artist is that once you have what you realize is a very good idea, nothing else will do any longer. And hey, it's horrible outside and what else am I going to spend time on? Housework??? I don't think so.

So beading it is and that's what I have been occupied with the last 4 days at least (it takes longer than one full day of 8 hours to do one side!). And it isn't done yet but I am in the home straight.

I'm off to teach tomorrow, if the weather gods are on my side, and it does look like they are, so probably no post then either but en route I do hope to collect my daily photograph somewhere.

Tulip Cushion

After writing and uploading the previous blogpost I could not resist showing you this cushion inspired by the Dutch bulbfields. I made it quite some time ago (in fact it might just be a film photo originally!) but the fields have remained largely the same, as long as I can remember!

The cushion is on display on a vintage chair (from John's parents) in the corridor and every time I pass I wax nostalgic! It's a great blend of both John's and my heritage.

Harrogate Quilt Show

The Great Northern Quilt Show is on at the moment and will last till Sunday. It takes place in Harrogate and normally I would be there but this weekend I''m doing 2 beading classes with Laura McCabe in Haddington, as well as having people coming over for a meal on Saturday night. No idea how this example of bad planning came about but I'm leaving John in charge!!

I had some great news from the show. My cushion Intimations of Immortality won the 1st Prize in the cushion section. This is the only UK quilt show which exhibits cushions and I try to take part every year as much as possible as I really enjoy making them, despite not being able to have them out on my own furniture at home as they would soon be covered completely in dog and cat hair!

This cushion travelled with the Riches of Stitches show last year when I also showed a picture ono this blog so this one is just a reminder.

My quilt Foxfires which won the European Quilt Championships back in 2006, also won a prize, this time the 2nd one in the theme section. The theme this year was A Hint of Sparkle, and was really the reason I entered the quilt as it was coming to the end of its exhibition life. It was so appropriate to the theme that I could not resist entering it into this show too.

All this made for a wonderful end to a week which began with a lot of worry about my Journal Quilt which got waylaid on its way to Houston and spend a week in a Parcelforce depot. Fortunately I was tracking it all the time and managed to contact Parcelforce and get things back on track. It arrived in Houston last Tuesday, taking 12 days for what should have been a 3 day trip. It's at times such as these that I realize just how much I'm attached to my work and how awful it would be to loose yet another quilt after the stolen Blue Waves one!!

Alphastamps Sleeping Beauty cushion

This project has been quite some time in the making as I was hoping to purchase some rose scented filling for it but I haven't managed to find that yet, although there is a lavender smelling sachet inside instead for the time being.

Here are the instructions for the finished cushion, which is pictured above in a potentilla bush as helas, it's too early for my roses to flower!

To start with make a heart template by taking an A3 sized sheet and folding it in half vertically. Draw half a heart shape on the folded edge and cut out, so that you have a totally symmetrical heart.

Make the background by weaving two different rose fabrics together. Cut 1.1/2" wide strips from one of the fabric vertically and 1.1/2" wide strips from the other fabric horizontally. Put a stabilizer which is adhesive on one side (I used Vilene) down on a sturdy surface with the adhesive side facing up and pin down the vertical strips at the top. Start weaving the horizontal strips through this, up and under and alternating in each row (see illustrations above). Make sure the rows abut each other closely. When you're happy iron the strips onto the Vilene. Once they are adhered, turn the weaving over and iron again from the Vilene side to make sure the whole thing is stable.

Take it to your sewing machine and stitch over the bordering rows with a decorative stitch both vertically and horizontally. I used a flowing line and red thread. Using your template cut out the heart shape from this background, adding 1/2" seam allowance at the same time.

Now it's time to add your pictures to the cushion. All my images are from Alphastamps ( Grimm Covers #2 and Sleeping Beauty #1). They are cut to 3 small heart shapes with a loose hand and layered up with one of the rose fabrics I used for the background. They were machine stitched on with a zigzag stitch around the Alphastamps image and the rose fabric was then buttonholed stitched by hand onto the background. Vintage buttons were then added, also by hand. They were also stitched in between the images.

To finish the cushion, cut a piece of backing fabric the same size as your cushion front, put the front and back right sides together and sew along the outside of the heart shape. Make sure you leave approx. 5" open along one side to turn the cushion out. Cut the seam allowance from the pointed bottom of the heart and cut into the seam allowance at the V shape at the top to enable the seam allowances to lay flat and then turn the cushion the right side out.

Add stuffing (I used Wonderfil) and make sure the cushion becomes nicely rounded. At this time you can also add any smelly sachets to make a wonderful fragrant cushion. Slip stitch the opening closed.

Riches of Stitches exhibition

Talking about publishing new work on this blog in my recent post suddenly brought to mind the fact that I had mailed a cushion for the Riches of Stitches exhibition during the week of the Loch Lomond Quilt Show. In all the excitement of the show and the subsequent work collecting all the quilts as well as preparing for another workshop I had totally forgotten all about this. I did check it had arrived okay but after that the entire thing had completely slipped my mind till Lenna asked the question about posting pictures of new work. The cushion is called Intimations of Immortality and has been stamped (on silk) with images and text appropriate to this title. It has then been dyed, using Dye-na-Flow and Deka Silk Paints. I then layered it with wadding (or batting in US speak) and quilting it with seed stitching all over. I added further embellishments in the shape of beads, buttons, and foiling. Finally I beaded small tassels around the perimeter of the custion.

I should of course have photographed it without the cushion pad as this would have made things so much simpler but needless to say this enlightened thought did not come my way till after I had already mailed it off so this is the best I did before. I will have to remember to photograph it better once it comes back but this won't be till September or so. You can see the detail better on this picture.

The Riches of Stitches is an exhibition showcasing the work of members of the British Embroiderers' Guild and it is held bi -annually. The exhibition is currently at the Bilston Art Gallery (until the 7th July) and will then move onto the Bankfield Museum, Halifax