Friday finish

What a week!
I had the most fab time in Dublin with Ros, Sue, Anne and Letitia. It was my first time back in 15 years and it could not have been better. Ros had organised for us to stay at the Radisson Blu St Helens which is a little way out of town but all the better for that. The hotel has been converted from an 18thc country house. Many original features have been retained including marble pillars and staircase in the hall and a musicians gallery in the ballroom (now the sitting room). The gardens were immaculate with a spectacular fountain and beautiful formal flower beds. We ate out at Dun Laoghaire on the coast both nights and had a ball. The days were spent touring Dublin on an open top bus, lunch in Temple Bar, visiting Trinity university, seeing the magnificent Book of Kells and having brunch in Bewleys Oriental Cafe.

On Tuesday I attended a Trapunto class called "Sew it and stuff it" run by Barbara Chainey. More on this next week except to say that it is a technique I shall be revisiting.

So on to the Friday finish. Ta dah!!!!!

It is the quilt I made for Sam using a jellyroll of Hearty Good Wishes by Janet Clare. I blogged about it first here in more detail. I chose a wave pattern for the quilting which you can just about see on the border fabric. This adds a great texture to the quilt as well as keeping to the nautical theme. I've just finished sewing on the label and it is off to it's new home in Wiltshire this afternoon.

I'm linking up to TGIFF which this week is being hosted by Jo at Riddle and Whimsy and Can I get a Whoop Whoop? which is run by Sarah Craig at Confessions of a Fabric Addict If you can hop along to see what is going on. It is a great way of seeing what others are up to.

Have a wonderful weekend (it looks like the weather will be pretty reasonable here in the UK). I am taking the grandchildren to Malmesbury tomorrow for the Malmesbury Living History weekend when the town will be recreating life in the 17th century. Should be fun!

Catherine

In it to Win it!

I finally got round to taking some photos this week of my finished Medallion quilt. I went down to the seafront in Penarth hoping for some sunshine after the beautiful weekend. The sun was notable by it's absence most of the time but we had time for a cup of coffee in the Pavilion Cafe while we waited for it to reappear.

I was thrilled to pieces when I collected my quilt and could not wait to finish the binding. The only thing it lacks now is a label but I have left a corner of the binding loose to put one in.

You've got to be in it to win it, right? Well I did! I joined in a few of the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day posts and, amazingly, was a winner on Joanne's blog, Rose & Dahlia. She had made a fab Union Jack quilted pillow from a pattern in Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine. It is paper pieced and quilted in a fantastic small floral, white and pink. Jo had packaged it so beautifully and it was a real treat  to open. Thank you Jo. I LOVE it!

I will be linking up tomorrow with Georgia Girl Quilts who is hosting TGIFF.


Also linking to NTT (Needle and Thread Thursday) at  My Quilt Infatuation.

I am off up North to Manchester for the wedding of the son of very close friends this weekend. I can hardly wait but just about to try my outfit on…fingers crossed it fits……. Have a great weekend yourselves,
Catherine

Trumpet fanfare for my first ever quilt finish!

I'm feeling really pleased as I finally have a finished, bound and labelled quilt to show. I picked up my Hummingbird quilt yesterday from Sue Phillips of School House Quilting all ready to stitch down the binding and label. The quilting is edge to edge with a bit of a butterfly design. On the back it looks as if the butterflies are landing on the flowers.

I had asked for lots of advice about the label and tried all sorts of pens. None looked quite right. Maybe I'm just not neat enough. In the end I decided to use my machine to embroider the label on the background fabric (Spectrum plain latte) and the result is OK with me.

The binding is in the same fabric as the backing; Nel Whatmore's Secret Garden Hedgerow in the linen colour way. It's fantastically colourful and makes me happy so I think it will suit Lexie.

Now, the question is, to Wash or not to wash? What does everyone do at this stage? Leave well alone;  hand wash or gentle machine wash? Line dry or gentle machine dry?
I would really appreciate some views of this. I did not prewash the fabrics (I was banking on modern fabrics being stable) but I would put some colour catchers in the machine IF I decide to go ahead and wash.

I'm taking the quilt on Easter Sunday to Wiltshire along with lots of Easter eggs. I really hope she loves it on her new bed.


Enjoy the Spring sunshine,


Catherine

I'm linking up with TGIFF over at Quilt Matters with my first finish.