Flippin' Eck!

Over a month since I blogged!  I blame facebook, again!  As you might expect we have been very busy one way and another and also exhausted by all the hot weather that I do not enjoy, although the sunshine is nice.

My sunprinting experiments are still waiting to be worked on but I have indulged in some other creativity.

Several months ago our stitching group Grantham Stitchers made some floppy sunhats and I have finally got round to having a go myself.  I've never ever attempted a hat before so I am pretty pleased with this effort.  It's a little bit high on the crown so it does look a bit 'posh' to my mind but I do love it!  

I'm not sure whether I showed you my finished 'pinny' quilt so, at the risk of boring you I'll include it anyway.

Excuse the crumpled look, I thought I'd straightened it out.  I used a lot of offcuts to make the binding and then found I'd made too much so I used the leftovers to make some cushions.  I am delighted with this quilt, especially as it has so many memories in it being made from my mum's and my friends pinnies (aprons/pinafores).  I didn't do the quilting, my friend Trudi who blogs as Quilting Prolifically did it for me.  If you need a quilt longarm quilting Trudi is excellent and her prices are very reasonable.

While I'm showing you a photo taken in our conservatory I'll bring you up to date with changes we've been making in that very room.  We've been finding over the years that we have barely used the conservatory as it has either been baking hot or freezing cold and has largely been a wasted space.  It has also been something of an eyesore as I have never had the walls plastered.  I decided to research roof renovations having seen some options for a solid roof and settled on a Guardian Warm Roof system that seemed to offer what we wanted.  Long story short, we found a local company, James Oliver Conservatories, who install it and went ahead with the work.   As well as the roof we went the whole hog and had new floor and all the walls plastered.  Although we still have to decorate and are waiting for new furniture to be delivered we are delighted with the result!  And with all the recent heat its had its first test and seems to live up to the claims made for Guardian roofing, you can actually sit in there without melting!

The room feels more spacious and it definitely looks better than it ever has.  Once we have it all kitted out I'll show you more.  If you consider changing your own conservatory roof and decide on the Guardian Roof system you will find that there are many different companies around the country who manufacture and install it but they all use the product under licence to the original Irish company that developped it.  It is a case of finding an installer in your own area or one that you feel you can trust.  Our experience with James Oliver has been fantastic!

Back to creativity but not my own!  Last week we went to see my stepmum who lives in Wiltshire and while we were away paid a visit to the American Museum in Bath which was hosting an exhibition of Kaffe Fassett's work.  Kaffe has a special relationship with the museum since he was friendly with the family who originally opened it and made sketches there of the replica room layouts.  Photographs were allowed but without flash so please excuse some of the colour variations.

 The colour started in the grounds of the museum where a huge tree had been yarn bombed and festooned with plantpots covered in Kaffe fabrics.

 The entrance hall was a blaze of colour!

This waistcoat was stunning!
 

 There was a whole collection of these buttoned hats but at £480 they were a bit out of my league!  I might try making one though, I have enough buttons!  I wonder how heavy it is?

 I love this bright log cabin-y quilt and may have to attempt one some time.  It's wonderfully quirky with its mix of block sizes.

The entry to the exhibition was a tunnel of reflections and very playful.

I was so moved by the brightness of the exhibition and so intrigued by Kaffe that I have used some birthday money to buy his autobiography.

 To be continued.....I'm tired and need to go to bed.  Back soon :-)