Tulips and eco-books

The sun is out, look how the tulips have opened up, lovely patterns of black and yellow inside.

 

Red ones and streaky red/yellow ones - these two pics are of established tulips . . . .

. . . now here come the new ones, lovely colours

. . . plus a crazy one . . .

. . . and multi-petalled ones . . .

 

. . . and a fringed one (never seen one of these before).

And the eco-books, so-called because they are made with a cereal packet card cover, and paper that I was going to chuck out (it's old, I don't want so much, I'll never use it all), and the stitched cover into which the book is inserted is made by free machining scraps of fabric onto a wadding-type backing, plus a lining.

When the book is full, with shopping lists, things to remember, things to do, inspiring thought for the day etc etc a fresh one can be made, with more cereal packet and chuckout paper, and inserted into the stitched cover!

If you fancy one of these and are going to the Festival of Quilts in August in Birmingham (see Twisted Thread website), go to the Tombola stand, run this year by the Contemporary Quilt group (special interest group within the Quilters' Guild)  and stocked with book covers and bookwraps, and try to win one.  Good luck!

Feeling nervous . . .

. . . about trying to do things with this new layout. The answer is, have a go.  So, first, the inevitable books . . .

 

 . . . the most important things in the world at the moment, I am told by the grandchildren, are BOOTS.

 And the West Country Embroiderers in April, with Karen Head, was making a piece of felt with threads and bits decorating it, the secret of how to stop them falling off!  I couldn't stay all day, because of the boot wearers visiting, so went back lunchtime and made a bit with them (and forgot to take a photo!)

 Later I made another at home with a bit more stuff on it.

 Closeups of the two pieces, showing the threads better.

 A day out took us to West Bay and the famous Broadchurch cliff (did you see the crime serial on tv?)

 I love the pebbles, tiny little ones at this end of Chesil Beach.

 Lastly, the first four Contemporary Quilt Group journal quilts.  This year we have to have picked a theme and must stick with it for the year.  Mine is patterns from world alphabets.  First I introduce myself, using letters from the Touareg  orthography plus printed 'translation'.

 Then a rotation of a Gujurat letter

 Then repeats of a Tamil letter

 And a Tibetan rotation on indigo dyed fabric.

The letters are cut out of printed and painted sheets from an old CQ newsletter and are handstitched in place on background fabrics suited to the origin of each letter.

Phew.  Now let's see if it publishes properly.