Tick tock a grandfather clock (cross stitch)

Country Companions Grandfather Clock

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This Country Companions design came as a kit.For some reason I am always surprised by how big these designs actually are.

There was a lot of half stitches in this (just doing the bottom of the cross, sometimes called tent stitch) for the wall in the background.  It always takes me a while to get my head around doing those after the full cross stitch.  I tend to work in rows, stitch the bottom half of all the stitches in the row then go back and do the top and figure where to go next on that basis.  With the half and no going back ..it just makes me muddle headed. 

The "confetti" as I now know the dot colours all-over the shop is referred to by other stitcher's was less of a pain than I had anticipated.

The original design did not have numbers on the main clock and that did not look right to me so I worked out Roman Numerals for the dial.  It was not too bad with the dial being straight on.  I did not do the same for the alarm clock as being at an angle that was a bit beyond me.

Although finished it remains unframed, one of theses days I will have a framing splurge and bring all of the rolled up completed items out of the dark and into the light.

Progress on my 2014 cross stitch kit

I have been posting quilts quite a bit lately, perhaps to balance up all the cross stitch stuff over Christmas.  However, I have not been neglecting the cross stitching. Here is the progress on my current kit project.

Cross stitch all done

The instructions said after doing the herringbone grid to complete all the cross stitches next.  I started with the green on the outside edge of the grid then started filling inside.

Close up 1

Close up 2

Now that the cross stitch is finished time to try some more new stitches (as per the "simple" instructions which came with the kit) and hope they work out OK.

So on the the stem stitch, satin stitch, lazy daisy, French knots and Bouillion knots!

Pyrography, another Dragon

This is a bit of pyrography  I did for me rather than as a gift.  Unsurprisingly it is a dragon.  I bought the coaster for 50p in a charity shop.  I fugued at least that way if I made a mess of it it would not be an expensive one.

Circular dragon

The angle into the coaster was a new challenge, the smoky glass lining smooths out the rougher elements of my execution of the burn.

It was nice to make something just for me.

Dragon coaster with glass lining

blue and brown and cream quilt

Blue and brown quilt

Another quilt which started life as a Church project.  This time lots of enthusiastic square cutting which did not progress to much sewing together.

Again the abandoned bits (this time squares) came to stay with me. As the squares had interesting variations on the definition of square (due to being multi cut with scissors who's sharpness is in some question) I went with strips.


I was pleased with the overall effect but muddled up my counting and made a whole panel more than I needed for the double bed size top. Follow this link to see what happened to the extra panel and left over squares tree-quilt

I quilted it with large flowers, not easy to see here, and brought the back forward to do the binding. This quilt was also given as a gift to a good friend.

Flower quilt

You may find some of the fabric in this quilt familiar as the floral prints used for the flowers and boarder have made an appearance before in a postage stamp quilt.

This is due to me benefiting from a Church project which did not reach a conclusion.

The idea was for a group of ladies to make lots of paper pieced hexagons and then flowers for a quilt.

Enthusiasm for the project was sadly short lived and although all the hexagons you see here were cut, not all were pieced and only a few of the flowers had been constructed when the project was abandoned and the fabric consigned to a cupboard.

Years passed and the bag rediscovered during a tidy out at Church and I was asked did I want to take the bits.  The alternative to my saying yes was them being thrown out.  So they came home with me and continued their life in my cupboard instead of the one at Church.

After languishing a few more years I pulled it out and puzzled what to do.  A fair bit of unpicking for a start to change the design to something that would use the bits already cut and not require more, I am not a paper piecer.  It became evident that the paper pieces and hence the shapes had not all been cut to the same size, getting them to fit together was a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle.

Once I had the big flower and the four small I appliquéd them onto a blue sheet then I quilted round the flowers and quilted the same flower shape onto the blue. An edge with the same floral material and I was done.  I am quite pleased with the finish and gave the quilt as a Christmas gift to a woman with a heart as warm as I hope this quilt keeps her. 

Bits and scraps (quilt)

I have mentioned before that I hoard, and keep "stuff" and abhor waste.

Well cutting strips for logcabin from shirt pieces left bits and scraps which would not go into the young women's quilts.  The girls inclination was to throw them away regardless of size.  However, week after week I would not let them and popped the scraps into a bag.

They thought I was crazy..well there is that possibility!

A few weeks after their quilts were finished (see post entitled more obsession sharing) I had a a surprise for them, a finished project of my own.

A quilt made from bits, a bits-a-quilt.  I did just use the blue and white from all three quilts, the tartan and yellow jarred a little as there was not much of that. (No it did not get thrown away either it will turn up later I promise).

Blue bits quilt with pale binding

The girls were suitably impressed that you can make quilts with lots of bits which can look as good and keep you as warm as one made using BIG pieces.  I will admit none of them (so far at least) have gone on to make a bits-a-quilt of their own however, one inspired friend is in the process of making her interpretation on the theme.

Bits quilt with dark blue binding

The quilt originally had a light blue binding, which you can see to the left.  However, due to a lot of use that was starting to wear out so I added a second edge binding.





I had to use something different as none of the the original material was left.  So this time I went with a dark blue, it makes quite a difference to the look of the quilt.  Happily I do prefer the darker edge and my quilt has lots more years use in it still.

Celtic Knot dragon box

Dragon Celtic Knot

This is a box made out of bits of skirting board.

The dragon knot is from a quilting book, Celtic Quilting by Gail Lawther. As it combined two of my favourite things I wanted to use it.

The box top came first, mainly because the idea to make a box did not happen until after the dragon was finished.



I used one of those grinding multi tools to do it (I did use a chisel to remove some of the big areas at the start).  I rather had fun doing it.

The carving in profile

Deciding part way that it was to be the lid of a box was not the best way to proceed. I had not left sufficient thickness for hinges.  My dad was giving me a hand with the carpentry for the box, making mitred corners ext.  However hard we tried it would not close properly with hinges.

Frustrated I put it to one side then inspiration struck, a cloth hinge, a lining that was also a hinge. My dad was a bit doubtful that would work but it was worth a try.

Material hinge

Well it did work, it opens and shuts just fine and the glue is holding well.


It is certainly unique and I am pleased with it. Not sure that I will try it again, but then again I might.  

Little blue dragon

Little blue dragon

Blue dragon close up

I promised more dragons, here is another one.  Having made a dragon for my friend I wanted one for me! The image is from a black and white line drawing which was among many which started each chapter of a book I once read.  Regretfully I can not recall the title or author of the book nor the illustrator.  It was fun to do a small embroidered project as whilst the stitches are still small it took less time to finish that the nativity trio (hopefully to become a quartet at some point) and I can have it on display all year round.

If anyone recognises the image and knows who the illustrator is please add a comment with the details so credit can be given where it is due.

Anyone with ability

may vault dragon gate ...that is apparently a Chinese saying which basically

More obsession sharing (quilting)

Some years ago, quite a few if I think about it, our Church building was to be extended.  Whilst the work was carried out we had to hold our meetings elsewhere.  A place for Sunday services was arranged but other arrangements had to be made for any weekday.   This included the meetings for the young women (12 to 18).  Three kind members offered their homes as meeting places.  

The girls had expressed an interest in making quilts so I was asked to facilitate that.

As mentioned in an earlier post (a matter of perception) log cabin is my default, so graph paper to hand the three girls intending to quilt worked out designs.  The material was provided from the offcuts and faulted pieces from a local clothing factory.  Mainly from shirts as can be seen in the fabric choices.

Lisa and the "make do" ironing station

Heather at the sewing machine

We were not speedy as talking was as much a feature as sewing so we were back in our own building for most of the making process.  No ironing board we used towels piled onto a table top and a travel iron.  Sewing machines on loan from the local community education organisation.

Katie, multitasking

The quilts did however progress, I can admit now with a bit of help as I added a row or two to the log cabin every week or so after the meeting. They were all quite pleased to see their designs grow.

Katie, Lisa and Heather with  logcabin quilt tops

The girls were never making theses quilts for themselves, they knew they were destined as gifts although it was not till they were almost done they knew who for.

They would have burst trying to keep it a secret otherwise.  Each of the ladies who had opened their homes for meetings were either elderly or had a medical problem. the quilts would be for them.  The names were written on a bit of paper and the designer (Katie, Lisa and Heather) chose a bit of paper and the recipient for their quilt was revealed.

We invited the three ladies to one of our meetings for a meal which they though was as a thank you, they were all surprised and delighted to be presented with a quilt as well.

Margaret and Katie

Lisa and Ann

Sadie and Heather

I wish I had better pictures but this was before the digital and they are a little blurry on occasion but at least there are pictures of both the young women and the recipients. Sadly Sadie is no longer with us but she used and loved her quilt and had many years use of her gift after this picture was taken. Heather's daughter's middle name is Sadie, quilts can both acknowledge friendships and relationships and forge them. 

Lisa and Heather went on to make patchwork cushions, Heather a baby quilt for her "bottom drawer" which was used for her son and lately she is part of our current quilting group making quilts for her daughter and for a friends son.