Thursday 10 June 2010

A Mixed Bag

I don't seem to be blogging too much lately but I have a hotch potch of bits and pieces to bring you today.  First of all is the new life that is growing in our garden hidden in the pyracantha just outside my studio.
  
You should be able to see 2 of 3 baby blackbirds that are keeping their parents busy.  I think from the look of their feathers they are not far from fledging.  We have been charting their growth by the volume of noise coming from the nest when the parents bring food.  It has been getting progressively louder as the birds have got bigger.

Diana asked the other day if I could show a couple of pages from Ineke Berlyn's book.  I wasn't sure about doing that but Ineke does allow a view inside her other book on Amazon so I thought in view of the fact that it might encourage sales for her I would put up some excerpts.




Basically the book shows pages from Ineke's various sketchbooks and some of the works (Journal Quilts) she has made from them.  It is a beautifully colourful book and as ever it is always informative to look at other people's sketchbooks, especially when they are as talented as Ineke.  The more you look at the photos in this book the more you notice.  The words are mostly only the ones in the original sketchbook entries but there is a wealth of information in the images.


My work on my entry for the Festival of Quilts is continuing apace.  So far I have pieced the top and have it hanging on a door (hence the door handle in the photo).  I continually get glimpses of it as I go through the hall and it is beginning to tell me what it wants.  I was hoping it would tell me how I should quilt it but instead it keeps saying this to me


This is a sketchbook trial of what I would like to do but I don't think I am going to be brave enough to take the scissors to it!  I have a very small margin for error across the width as I am committed to working to a size that I had to set for myself when I sent the forms off.  What happens if I cut it up and then can't piece it back together and it all goes wrong?  I have about 4 weeks left to complete this so I really don't want to have to start again.  Hmmmm! Further thought is required.


While I was trawling through umpteen blogs tonight in a tired stupor I came across a great way to waste time/indulge your creativity at the V&A site.  If you've ever fancied making a quilt from one of your photographs you can now get a ready made pattern.  My photograph of a sunset in St Ives became this in patchwork


I'm not sure if I'll ever use it but it was fun to play for a while and divert my tired brain from wrestling with quilt patterns.  




11 comments:

Penny said...

I love that book.
Know what you mean bout not wanting to cut incase it doesnt work but really like the look of the mock up.

ju-north said...

Your quilt is looking good! I don't think I could tackle something so big! Be brave and cut! (says she)

Lyn said...

Oh might have to have a play with that!
Love
Lyn
xxx

Angela said...

Your quilt looks very promising and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Gina said...

Love the look of the quilt cut up! Will you be brave? Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh at FOQ

Anonymous said...

Lucky you with the blackbirds. Having a cat I am happy for them to nest elsewhere and just come to visit for food. I do like your quilt and I am sure that if you decide to cut it that you will be able to devise a way to get it back up to size. The V&A site is good fun isn't it?

Wendy said...

Take a deep breath and a sharp pair of scissors and cut. It looks so much more interesting cut and you can always add an extra border. You won't be happy with the finished piece if you don't...

Diana said...

Hello Julie and thank you so much for even noticing my comment asking if you could post a pic from inside Ineke Berlyn's book - I wasn't sure if you'd refer to it but I should have known - you are such a sweetie! I don't comment on blogs too often as I read a lot and it would take up too much time, but yours is one of those I make sure I look at nearly every day because you write to beautifully and seem so happy and do such lovely work! So thank you for that, and for photographing one or two of Ineke's book pages. As you said, it will definitely make me more inclined to buy it now that I've had a peek. Sketchbooks are fascinating and Ineke's work is lovely.
Thanks again Julie - keep up the super work and inspirational blog!
Diana x

JP said...

i think your quilt is going to be great - thanks for the book link too

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

A very inspiring post indeed. Love it all :o)

Julie said...

Thank you JP and thank you too Diana for your very kind and sweet words. I don't like writing about sad things so I do try to keep my blog positive even if I'm struggling with my projects or life. Thank you for noticing :o)