New Beginnings

I have fallen out of love with Facebook lately, so I have decided that a blog may be the way forward!  I was frustrated to find though, that I have said this 4 times now, the first one in 2010, then again in 2011 - in fact twice in 2011, and again now, in 2014.  I'm not usually indecisive, but I obviously couldn't make up my mind :) 

Now, this meant that my Ryland Crafts name has been used 4 times in various formats (because a name thankfully can't be duplicated) , but it has taken me all evening to get back to the original one.  So, hopefully, here we are with an easy to find name Ryland Crafts.blogspot.com and now I have to get up the confidence to delete all the others.  So, if I completely disappear into the black hole that is 'tinternet' I'll be back!  See you on the other side xxxx

Lightbulb Moments

 It Changed My Life!

Crafty is what I have always been called amongst my close friends and  ‘Linda will be able to use it or make it’ is an all too familiar phrase. To a certain extent this is true, I do see a use in most things fabric, and I will have a go, although not always successfully, at making anything.  The problem is that once you start making things, and in particular quilts, you are always on a quest for something different, and these ‘lightbulb’ moments can happen at the most unexpected  moment of an ordinary day.

A recent inspiration was when my son and daughter in law moved into their new house.  We went to see it, before any furniture had been installed, and yes the architraves and light fittings were beautiful, the fireplaces were ‘period’ and the staircase was fantastic. However, the thing that jumped up and shook me was the floor.  You might have guessed it wasn’t wooden, lino, cushion flooring, and no it wasn’t carpet.  It was an original Edwardian Mosaic Floor. I could see stars, squares, triangles and rectangles – a perfect quilt block! I have bought the fabrics and intend to make either door stops or cushion covers (or both!).

 

This blog was written some time ago, and so I have now completed the challenge !

 

I am not a person who very often sits in front of the tv to watch a film.  If I do I am always sewing or knitting or crocheting to keep busy. Westerns have been a pet hate of mine for as long as I can remember. Not anymore!!!  My war cry is ‘QUILT ALERT’, and with sketch book at hand I draw out the block from a 5 second flash that appeared on a bed in a log cabin in a 1950’s film (colour if I am lucky). My family now help me spot quilts in films.  Mary Poppins and Nanny McFee I think have both got examples, but Downton Abbey, Larkrise to Candleford, Upstairs Downstairs have all – I am pretty sure – displayed fine examples.

I think the strangest time I noticed this happening around me – not to me this time – was in a restaurant in Birmingham.  My friend and I had been staying at a hotel while visiting the NEC Festival of Quilts. We had spent two days looking at beautiful quilts, spending copious amounts of money on goodies from the hundreds of traders, buying books with new patterns and generally being overwhelmed by the designs, craftsmanship and variety of quilts.  We were eating breakfast.  I noticed a group of ladies sit down at the table behind us.  They got comfortable and started talking as you would expect.  Then it happened.  They all got their cameras out and started pointing.  Trying not to stare I followed the direction of their stares.  It was the floor – again! This time it was the carpet! Circles, lines, oblongs, triangles squares, different colours. We all photographed the carpet with the full intention of making a quilt with the pattern. So quilting and patchwork has changed my life, I now watch westerns – much to family’s amusement – and wonder now if you will too. I also walk looking down at the floor far too often for my own safety!

If you find yourself shouting ‘QUILT ALERT’ think of me x

Stained Glass Applique

 

Part 1 

  So, I thought I'd make my first blog post a step by step of my current project.  I have been asked to make a cushion as a Christening present for a little girl, so the first task is to select some fabrics for my friend to choose. She has asked for butterflies to be included in the design so I have got my thinking hat on!

this is the template I decided to use

Number the pieces, matching both sides

Trace onto double sided vylene (Bondaweb or similar) and number to match the template

Take a piece of stitch and tear - non adhesive vylene will do the same job - and lay on top of the template, and secure at the top (I've used masking tape)

 So now the prep is done, I will share the next stage soon!


Part 2 

Cut out matching pairs from the bondaweb and iron onto the wrong side of 
your fabric choices

And then cut out, remove the backing paper and iron onto the stitch and tear, using the template underneath as a positioning guide

Next you need to secure the pieces to the stitch and tear with satin stitch. TOP TIP If you stitch from the centres out to the edges and do the final wing outlines last, you will secure all the ends of your sewing in place, so no need for reverse stitch which could spoil the appearance.

and then pull the back away from the butterfly.

I ironed the whole butterfly onto a piece of bondaweb, peeled off the backing and then appliqued it onto a cushion front on which I embroidered the name and other details my friend had asked for

 

Let me know if you have a go, and either visit me at Ryland Crafts on Facebook, or email me on linda@rylandcrafts.co.uk if you  have any questions x