Monday 29 July 2013

Grazing Sheep - The Scarlet Letter

I have been very remiss in blogging and I am quite ashamed to say that Grazing Sheep was finished on June 12th and I am only now getting around to posting about it. 

Time seemed to go so fast when Ray was away, his trip lasted for 9 weeks and 5 days and he thoroughly enjoyed himself despite being plagued by engine problems.

I was kept busy with lots of family visits and Angie from My Quilting Life and Michele from Stitching Cats and Chickens both came for separate visits too.

It was great fun getting to know each other and stitching together. 

I have been enjoying dabbling in glass and have done three courses. The first was a short taster session which I did with my sister and nieces and we made
some fused glass pendants.



The second one I did with Angie and we made coasters, window hangings and scrap glass collages.

Here is my window hanging




With Michele we did some Tiffany Glass work. Here is Michele and our instructor



Michele made a patchwork quilt wall hanging.

I made a mobile.



Tiffany Glass may be something I take up as you do not need a kiln which is require for fused glass.

It has been extremely hot at Poldhu Cove and we had until very recently no rain for weeks on end. Our well is very nearly dry !!!

My current sampler, which I am adoring stitching 

The Tablet Sampler - The Scarlet Letter
has been put to one side. I have been far too hot and sticky to stitch under a daylight lamp and I have been quilting instead. I can always wash a quilt.


I have completely finished two quilts which are ear marked for Christmas presents.





I have a few more on the go


The Robyn Pandolph fabric is so pretty 




This one (Sweeetheart Roses by Quilt Soup) is almost finished. The binding has been machine attached to the front and I am saving the hand sewing to the reverse for my WI craft session on Wednesday.





The backing fabric is so pretty. 




I am waiting on more thread to finish off my French Hearts



The quilting is taking so much and my supplier is now waiting on more from the manufacturers.




This quilt top is for my Father as I thought it quite masculine in colour.



I have had the jelly roll in my stash for ages and could not decide what to do with it, then I saw a video clip on youtube of a jelly roll race, WHAT FUN !!!

I am sure that many have seen one but here is a link in case



If you are interested in making one the Missouri Star Quilting Company have a very good instructional video



I have another jelly roll in muted pastels that I intend to make up for my Mother. They both like having lap blankets for the winter evenings.

I am making this quilt for a Christmas present too



It is such happy fabric to be working with. I am just waiting on some backing fabric. I have chosen the multi coloured spots.


Blue and Poppy have found the heat difficult and look for shade where ever they can.



I have been walking them in the evenings before dusk. Here is the family walking, you can see my sister and nephew and of course Archie is in the push chair. 

I wish they would think of push chairs when installing gates.


 We felt as if we were doing an army assault course in parts.

Archie has had his first dip in the sea.




He is such a bonnie baby, my heart just melts. He is so interested in all that goes on and is full of smiles and chuckles. He has a fine pair of lungs but we don't mind that :o))



I have been lucky enough to reasonably purchase a sampler at auction. Normally I would prefer to hang my own work but I was so taken with this one from it's size 80 x 89cms, the bird border to the two Georgian ladies (christened Miss Scarlet for my Scarlet Letter Year and Miss Georgiana for our new Prince) and the verse.




The auctioneers described it as 1856 in error, it is in fact 1816. Eleanor Parr was born in Ormskirk in Lancashire, her father was a boatman and later became a farmer. Eleanor married a Webster who was also farmer and there descendants still farm in the area. I must write to them as they may have a photo of her as she lived to 1897.

The last time I posted I showed a photo (via the fitted camera) of the eggs in our bird box, unfortunately only two fledglings successfully made it this year. This one flew the nest and landing in a flower bed remaining there for around two hours. 




Blue was fascinated by him and never left his side.

I hope that my next post will not be so long coming. Now I have to figure out what has happened to reader and read up on blog loving. Any help or advice will be appreciated.



Warm Wishes from Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore Nicola xxx