Transforming Lives through Music

Yesterday I went to London to visit a charity very close to my heart.  It is called The Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre and they do amazing work transforming the lives of vulnerable children and adults through music.

They provide over 50,000 music therapy sessions a year to thousands of children and adults.  Watch Ed's video to see how music has helped him.

Long time away

It's been ages since I've posted something on here.  Life has been getting in the way as it does for all of us.  I've still been sewing and keeping very busy with deadlines.  Two years ago I entered a challenge with the Quilters' Guild.  We did a swap of a metres worth of our own stash and swapped it with stash from our quilting friends in Germany.  The challenge was to make a skinny wall hanging using the stash given to you and adding some of your own. 60 were to be selected from the 101 submitted.  I was gobsmacked when mine was one of them!  It went to Germany for a while; came back to Birmingham for the Festival of Quilts; went to Italy for another while; then to Bavaria and eventually it came back to the UK this year.  This is what I submitted

 

 







I've been making ATC's for swaps too

 

 

................'till the next time, keep quilting

 



Big and Bright Moon Tonight

The moon is so big and bright tonight

An Inspirational Exhibition

I've been without a computer for two weeks, but now I'm back and a very happy bunny!

I had a lovely day in London yesterday.  I went to the Fashion and Textile Museum to see the Kaffe Fassett Exhibition.

It was amazing! It began with photos of his family and when he was small, going on to his paintings, tapestry, knitting and quilts until the present.  I really enjoyed it.

It's on 'til the 29th June.  Do go and see it if you can.

.....'til the next time, keep quilting

Fibre Postcards & ATC Catchup

Time to catchup with the fibre postcards and ATC's I've been making.  The birthday card and memory ATC for my friends in Austria...............

A little bit of Clarice Cliff for the postcard

...........and an ATC in memory of baby Klausi.


The last Popular Patchwork postcard swap theme was Africa which I had previously mentioned, but I hadn't put up the card I had made for Katy.  So here it is...............

..............and the Popular Patchwork ATC swap theme was the poem The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear.  My inspiration came from the last verse, 'And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the moon'.

..............'til the next time, happy quilting

Back from my Travels

I'm back from my travels to Austria.  We stayed with our dear friends who live in a village on the Danube.  It was great to meet all the family and old friends.  There were celebrations too.  A 40th birthday and a First Communion.  The weather was kind to us too, so we were able to go for walks in the lovely countryside and see the wonderful meadows full of Magarites and Cornflowers and Poppies.

I made loads of presents to take for the children and those celebrating special occasions.

............'til the next time, happy quilting

Fibre Postcard Time

This month with Popular Patchwork the Fibre Postcard swap is Kenya.  Look what Katy sent me!  Isn't it lovely?  The giraffe is screen printed.

...........mine will be winging its way to Katy soon.  Until the next time.........keep quilting

Doughty's Road Show is coming

Spring Journals

A Spring Journal fun challenge was set by the Popular Patchwork Forum - I joined in of course! And this is what I made for Tessa......

.............and this is what Tessa made for me......

......isn't it just lovely.  It looks just as tho' the leaves are waving and saying 'hello'.

At the moment I'm busy with an Ugly Fabric Challenge also set by the Popular Patchwork Forum.  I only have two days to finish what I'm making.........so it's back to the sewing room right now!

...........'til the next time, keep quilting.

A Morning in Wetherby

I went for a walk last Friday morning just down to the River Wharfe in Wetherby and took photos of birds.  Some of my favourites....

A gorgeous Jackdaw standing on the bridge surveying the area.

.........and this group of pigeons having a bath in the river!

.....and this Mallard Duck

.......'til the next time......

Spring at Sissinghurst

Yesterday was such a lovely day that we decided to go to Sissinghurst to see if Spring had arrived, and this is what we saw...........

........probably in about another 2 or 3 weeks the Spring flower walk will be in full flower.  

My favourite part of these gardens is the White Garden - it's spectacular!

............'til the next time, keep quilting

Fibre Art Postcard

The Popular Patchwork fabric postcard swap theme for March was Brazil.  I had to send mine to Australia and here it is................

The colours I used represented the river, Amazon, the Rain Forest, colours of the flag/football, carnival, Bosa Nova, coffee, Rio etc., 

My swap partner must have been on the same wave length as me as this is what I received from Sandy.................

.....would you believe it?  We both thought of Christ the Redeemer and Rio!!!

.......'til the next time, keep quilting

Day in Greenwich

Last Thursday we took our youngest grandson to the Greenwich Observatory
.

He wanted to go to the Planetarium Show to see We are Aliens.  It was a very good show!  The day was very, very cold tho' and snowy - it was freezing!  Afterwards we went to the Maritime Museum to get some information about the Ansel Adams Exhibition - amazing photography!

On our walk, there were these amazing Hellebores.......

......'til the next time, keep quilting

Early Morning

Georgi cat still hasn't got used to the British Summer Time hour forward and wakes me up so early!  So after several attempts of Georgi pulling my hair, I had to get up.  I plodded down the stairs and opened the blinds and there was the moon shining through the dark, empty branches of the tall cherry tree - it was an ahhh moment.  Has that ever happened to you?  When nature produces such stunning moments? So out came the camera............

I've never taken such a close-up of the moon and had so much detail.


Georgi......isn't he just gorgeous?

............I have a lot of sewing to be getting on with, so it's back to my patchwork and quilting....'til the next time..........keep quilting

Easter Baking

Today is Good Friday and I thought that I would make some hot cross buns.  Now my track record for making bread is not good - things never turn out how they look in the books!  

However, I was watching the Easter Bake-off  Master-class on the television where there were some wonderful recipes being demonstrated by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.  The hot cross buns looked gorgeous, so I decided to have a go this morning.  After three hours (perhaps a bit more) and with much trepidation, this is what came out of the oven.....

.......my very first success with making bread.  They were gorgeous!  I did one or two things differently, such as I brushed the tops of the buns with an egg and milk wash before putting them into the oven.  When they came out I brushed the tops with a caster sugar and water glaze.  There's nothing like eating a warm bun straight from the oven with butter on it....

...........'til the next time, keep baking and quilting x

Love this Pincushion

I recently made a very versatile pincushion from a design by Maureen Cracknell.  She makes wonderful things with modern fabrics.

..........'til the next time, keep quilting

La Musicienne

I went to London this week  to visit a friend who is the retiring CEO of Nordoff Robbins.  I made her this wall hanging as a present.  It was from a Swiss magazine, Passion du Patchwork, which featured bags and this was on the front of one of them.

........'til the next time, keep quilting

Canada

My Canada postcard arrived safely with my friend Carol.  I sent it as one would normally send a postcard and not in an envelope.  I'm loving this swap with Popular Patchwork.  Here it is....

.........'til the next time, keep quilting

Canada Postcard

Well it's another month and the next theme from Popular Patchwork for the fabric postcards is Canada.  I have an idea what I want to do.............but yesterday I got this fabulous postcard from Katy

It says, 'O Canada! Thank you for Martha (Wainwright - Singer), Rufus (also Wainwright - Singer), Joni (Mitchell), Neil (Young) Rush, Arcade Free (Bands), Margaret (Atwood - Writer) and most of all.............Tessa!

Tessa is one of the Forum members.

Hearts ATC

Today I received the most gorgeous Hearts ATC from Terry.  It's only her second attempt at ATC's.  I love it!

..............'til the next time, keep quilting

Baked a Cake

Baked another cake today.  This time I cooked it at 175 deg.  It cooked lovely...........but it did sink in the middle.  It tastes lovely tho'!  I think the right temperature will be 160 deg.  This was an all ingredients in the bowl recipe and mix with hand mixer until light and smooth.  I used 7" tins.....maybe I should have used 8".

..............'til the next time

Postcard for a Special Person

No progress on the double pinwheel quilt yesterday.  It was shopping day and in the evening I was turning up trousers for Mr B.....not my favourite sewing task but it has to be done.

I did make a fabric postcard for a very special person who is retiring from the music therapy charity, Nordoff-Robbins........this charity is dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable children and adults through music.

I have a new, electric fan oven (my old one was a gas oven) and it's a whole new experience for me! Playing around with the temperatures is quite a challenge!! To test it I made a Victoria sponge cake last Sunday........do I set the temperature to 170c or 180c??  I set it for 170c.  It cooked very well but I think this weekend I will try again and raise the temperature to 180c.  What do you think will happen?

Here's last week's cake

.......have a good weekend, the sun is shining here but it's still very cold.  The snow is finally off my car.

...........'til the next time, keep quilting

Double Pinwheel Progress

Having sorted out all my stash since Christmas, I was astounded at the amount I had accumulated over the years!  Now I can see them all and my plan this year is to use as much of it as I can in order to claim back some space!!

Here's the progress of the Double Pinwheel quilt.  I sewed the 12 blocks adding two and half inch sashing.  

I don't have a plan or pattern.  I'm making decisions about the next step as I go along.

............'til the next time, happy quilting

Pinwheel Progress

I've made 12 pinwheel blocks now, so I'm well on the way.  This is the back of the block where you will see a tiny pinwheel in the centre.

....and a closeup of the tiny pinwheel

.............have a good day and keep quilting

Double Pinwheel

Today I'm making double pinwheel blocks.  It looks an interesting pattern.  I'm using pastel shades, but I think it would have quite an impact if black and white was used.

..........it's back to the sewing machine now...........'til the next time

Keep quilting xx

Card for my Friend

Here is my latest fabric postcard that I made for my friend Glenda

............'til the next time, keep quilting

Oo-la-la

Popular Patchwork have started a new fabric postcard swap for 2013 and the theme for January is France.  I sent my France postcard to Katy........

............'til the next time, keep quilting

Under the Sea ATC

Popular Patchwork's theme for January ATC is Under the Sea and this is what I made for Claire..........

...........and this is the ATC I received from Fiona...........isn't gorgeous!

...........'til the next time, keep quilting

Gorgeous Hand Dyed Fabric

I, and a coach full of like minded patchworkers, went to the Farnham Quilters Exhibition at the Maltings in Farnham yesterday.  It was a brilliant day with so many gorgeous and inspirational quilts, bags, small journals and demonstrations.  Plus there were loads of traders there too.  I bought some beautiful hand dyed fabrics from Alter Ego 

.................and two books 'Simply Creative Quilts' by Maya Chaimovitch and '50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars' by Carol Doak.

I also looked out for Karen from The Running Chicken ..........Hi Karen, it was great to meet you.

I have one or two projects planned to do for early this year, so until the next time

..................keep quilting xx