Competition time

Hi
Friday 24th

I've been very brave (or daft!) and entered the weekly quilt contest on the Quilting Bloggers website, (here) this week the theme is Quilted Cushions/Pillows so I thought I would enter my silk cushion 'Rennie's Rose' made last year (see post May 27th 2011) please hop on over there and have a look, and vote if you are so inclined!). If you have not visited the site before do go over its a great way to find quilters blogs from just about everywhere, once you are on the home page look on the right hand side and click on the 'weekly themed quilt contests' button. I entered a small quilt last year, in the 'Travel Inspired quilts' contest, I entered 'Moonlight Journey' (see post 30th July 11) but did it late in the week so not many got to see it, however someone must have, because it got some votes which was GREAT! Friends are always saying that I should enter my work into shows etc but I never seem to have anything ready. I would not make a quilt especially to enter as I like to have a purpose other than a show theme for my quilts, and I would be pretty worried if I had to entrust them to the postal system.

Wednesday evening was my first official engagement as the newly elected Chairman of SVQ, all went well and we had a really good attendance for the workshop on Seminole patchwork with Lynne Quinn who tutors City & Guilds courses in Bristol (here) she's a very talented quilt artist and entered this stunning quilt at Malvern last year, and winning a bucket load of rosettes.                                    

'A Future and a Hope'  by Lynne Quinn

Heck is that the time?  I better shoot off and get 'im indooors some tea, be back later!!
Tuesday!
Well Don't time fly when life happens? I've just got back here to finish this post. I spent most of Saturday looking for something important, (I found it as I went to bed!!) then Sunday was my 'Day of rest' ( I try not to put the computer on on Sundays) then yesterday I was at DD's all day, babysitting this little beauty....

Today its been a round of catching up with emails etc and a bit of hand sewing, I'm working on an embroidery sampler - well it's more of a sample of embroidery - let me explain! In March I am booked to run a 1 day workshop with some W.I. ladies so, as they have chosen 'Crazy Patchwork' they may need to learn some embroidery stitches. So I thought I would make a little sampler I've divided up a piece of cream fabric with some rows of tacking stitches and I'm working different stitches in each little space ( I don't have a picture yet but will get to that later) I always think that if you can see what the stitches look like 'in the flesh',  it is easier to decide what you want to use rather than from a diagram in a book (usually in Black and White) That's the theory anyhow!
Anyways I don't have much to show that's new except these Chickens, I am running 2 workshops making these in March, one for the Girl Guides and one at SVQ so here are the 'girls' The one back left is my original 'Funky Chicken' that I made all wrong then unpicked and re-assembled, and the one at back right is a knitted one which somehow turned into a parrot of sorts but hey who cares? Do let me know what you think I do love to get comments.

I will give a little prize for the best one made at the SVQ workshop, and a bit later on I'll do a run down of how to make them on here.
On Saturday I will be teaching my last ever Class for the QAYG Patchwork courses, then when I have done the Crazy workshop and the 2 Chicken ones I will be OFFICIALLY RETIRED! After 10 years of teaching I have decided to call it a day, and have some time for me and the family, It will feel strange to no longer be working most Saturdays but hopefully I'll get to finish some more UFO's and then start working through my stash. Which could take a VERY long time.:-)))LOL
Well as there's not much else to report today I'll sign off for now and see you all later.
L