Stashalong

Might have a go at some of these for my stashalong - great stash buster for odd balls - that's be me then :)

Noro Squares could use any yarn you have in stash tho'

All That Jazz 2

AlthatJazz2
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

While I was organising myslef over on flickr I realised I haven't posted about the 'All That Jazz' quilts now that they are made up.

Do visit Annie's blog to see the wonderful job she has done of making all the beautiful blocks into 3 marvelous quilts.

Annie has also generously given the additional time to blog the whole process - invaluable to those of us who have only ever made a few CQ blocks and have yet to make them into anything - erm - that would be me. I only hope I can do half as good a job and I am sure it will be on a much smaller scale when I do get around to it.

I am stunned to see my work like this, (that's mine top lefthand corner), isn't the quilt great? Aren't the colours brilliant? Sorry there aren't enough superlatives in my vocabulary *rolls eyes*.

When I was making my block I felt as if it was not in the same league as the others. As Sharon Boggon, whose idea this project was, put the pictures of the blocks on her blog I felt that mine somehow didn't 'fit' with the others. But look! Annie can do miracles. My block doesn't stand out like a sore thumb at all! It even looks to me as if it belongs there with the others *blushes*. How clever is that? Very clever indeed!

Thank you Annie so much for all your hard work and for making me feel as if I 'belong'. VBG

Anything else?

It'sall been a bit CQ around here lately. Nothing wrong with that but if anyone wonders if that's all I do please take a look at my flickr account.

i have just upgraded my account so I can have more sets and upload more photos so please browse around and enjoy. If anyone sees anything they'd like to know more about - post me a comment and I'll do my best to tell you what I know ../ might be a short conversation ... don't aks about SRE VBG

www.flickr.com/jam_mam

This SRE thing

You know how I don't think I can do SRE? well, seems I may have another SEX problem (Stash Enhancement eXercise). Hmm guess I could be practicing :)

To frog or not to frog?

Last night I asked my class forum if I should pull out the large ribbon flowers on the right of the bunch of SRE roses - somehow they didn't 'fit' - the balance was wrong. Anyway the consensus was "No, do not frog!" so tonight I worked on the block some more and ... ahem... er... I went a bit mad! *shock* But ... now it feels more like my block - it's been far too restrained up until now - and now it's loud and cartoony - much more like my sewing altogether :)

blackworkrose

blackworkrose
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

A little more progress on the class block - i am still working on lesson 3 adding motifs - did some more on the SRE to balance it up a bit - will add beads next - also did a 'blackwork' rose on the other side.

Started on my lesson 4 work - adding lace seam embellishments. There isn't any ribbon or cord on this block so decided to add beads to the lace which has started to take the attention round the block from the SRE. Lots more to add to the blackwork yet this is just the beginning :)

SRE

SRE
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Can't believe it's a week since I was last blogging! Where did that week go? I have been so busy and with the kids all ill and then me catching the bug when they got better my evenings have been spent zombied out in front of the tv.

So back on track at last and back to the cq tonight. Not very confident about the SRE but it gets better as it gets busier so I guess this is a snap shot of where I am so far. i will add some more embroidery and some beading to the flowers. The scan squashed the larger peachy coloured flowers so imaging thenm a little more perky, if you will :)

Any advice on the SRE welcome definately not a strong point for me :( As you can see I did decide to go with the contrast of the green for the foliage - well, it was hard to stick with the pinks and purples when leaves were a possibility. I intend to go back to my cream on cream pieces after this and get the rest of those christmas decorations done.

Also I was pondering while i was not sewing last week. I find it very difficult to have more than one project on the go at once. Sometimes I can get away with a sewing project and a knitting one as they fulfil very different needs for me. My knitting is a relaxation occupation, definately not something I like to have to struggle with. I am a competant basic knitter but find anything more challenging than a few cable patterns too much and I am not good at reading patterns so find learning anything new difficlut. maybe that is why socks appeal to me. they look difficult with all thse DPN but really it's just stocking stitch - just round and round and round :) and joy of joys no sewing up.

My sewing is different, here I enjoy a challenge. I like to try something new. learning new stitches, working on a new patterns for a traditional quilt, thinking about fibre art postcards, oh it is a joy. But that sort of stitching is very difficult when you are tired and everything else in your life seems to have priority and everyone else gets to call on you before you are able to find time for what you want to do. At 10pm m I really wanting to get out all my bits and bobs ad start experimenting with heat guns and confetti? No. At that time of night I need something I can sit down with and that I can become medatative with. Seam treatments are a possibility if I have had the chance to plan which stitches I am going to use earlier in the day but I am not up to beginning the process after a long day with a three year old snapping at my heels (bless!)

So I have been contemplating giving the cq a rest and going full out on the knitting. After all thanks to Nancy I have a stash that would keep me in Aran jumpers for the rest of my life (the kids too *rolls eyes*) CQ is so time consuming for so little product. Not in terms of quality but if you measure it in inches. Hours and hours of my limited and precious time and what do I achieve? Well, the photo above shows what 5 weeks of all my sewing time has ammounted to and frankly, it's not a lot, is it? So is this why it is crazy to do this quilting? how many sane quilts would I have made in thsi time? How many jumpers?

But there is something satisfying about it, something that keeps me stitching into the wee small hours and keeps me wondering. What is it about crazy quilting? VBG :)

seams5&6

seams5&6
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Everytime I add a seam or two I take a scan and post it here and looking at t on the screen is very helpful - the equivalent of taking a step back to see more clearly. I notice for example that each scan has a different orientation - I guess my block doesn't know if it is on it's head or it's heels yet. VBG. Maybe the silk ribbon embroidery will help it find which way is up - should be starting that tomorrow :) Not looking forward to it - need lots more practice - and more silk ribbon. VBG.

Just added some button hole stitches today on the dark patch (velvet) and on the bottom left corner seam. These will have some beading added at a later date - maybe much later :) so they look quite simple for now.

Through the forum set up for the joggles class I finally managed to email Carole Samples and get a response - a lovely positive one :) so i will be sending for her 'Dream a Seam' templates maybe my button hole semi circles wont be quite so 'niave' in future - well, that is if I every get round to buying some decent drawing tools - I know I have a couple of quilting pencils somewhere in the house - but I have waited long enough for them to put in an appearance and they are obviously not going to turn up until I buy some more! ho hum, a shopping we will go, a shopping we will go -( all together now) e i n g o a shopping we will go.

seam4

seam4
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Here is seam 4 - look closely it's only a little one :) Click on the photo to visit Flickr and see a larger version - avoiding the eye strain. Making steady progress - slow but steady and due to other things going on at the mo. really quite pleased to just be doing even a little every day. Still wondering about a contrast colour but I have decided to ask 'teach' what she thinks ;) That way i can deny any responsibility VBG

seam3

seam3
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Another seam - this one only part finished I need to add some french knots to extend the 'arms' of the stitches. Colours are beginning to look a bit samey even tho this one is done in a varigated thread and a much thicker texture than the stranded embroidery silks - I may need to get out of my omfort zone and add some green sometime soon, eck! Thanks to Sharon at beyoned the balnk page for her thoughts on timescales and falling behind the class schedule. i was feeling this way too but we will give ourselves permission to be slow learners :)

seam2

seam2
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Top left. needs something more I think but maybe some SRE in the patch above will cascade across this seam - maybe, who knows - do I have a plan? No. Am I having fun? Yes :)

seam1 on my SharonB block

seam1
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Well, finally, after a ridiculously hectic week (that's my excuse and I;m sticking to it) I have done my first seam on the block for the joggles class with SharonB. Click on the picture for a larger version - I am pleased wth how it turned out.

Looking at my colours for embellishment I think i may need to add some greens - this would also be useful for a Roses theme :) bt i am dithering as to which colours shades tones so i will have to audition a few in daylight and see how they look - then I go with what feels right. Not a lot of theory going on here - just a lot of feeling, and so far it feels good :) hopefully more sewing tonight - might even sit up to the table and put the good light on - however, saying that, this seam wouldn't have got done at all if I'd waited until i felt like that - this one was a lounge-on-the-sofa-and-squint-so-you-can-guess-where-to-put-the-needle job *rolls eyes* Hope everyone else is having fun. my place for a show and tell?

Ronnies

Ronnies
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Here is a closer view of Ronnies works of art - I am sure you will agree that they are just stunning. Thank you so much for this precious gift.

Ronnie says the "names of the flowers - all being Australian Natives. The Red Bottlebrush - common here, the Flowering Gum - orange flower and the National Flower of Australia the Golden Wattle. Reading somewhere the other day I note that the Golden Wattle is described as a weed in Sth Africa. Each State of Australia also has an emblem flower but there was not enough space or time..... "

Another thing which has struck me repeatedly thoughout this project is the modesty and humility of the participants. Many of them, Ronnie included, underestimate their abilities, IMHO, and I hope reading about other people's reactions to their work will help them to raise their opions and recognise their abilities.

Why do we put ourselves and our achievements down? What is it that we were taught as girls that makes it so hard for us to see that we have done something well, and to be able to say so.

I was certainly taught that it was boastful and would make other people feel bad if I did well and acknowledged it. That pride was a character failing and that I should strive to be self effacing. Not taught overtly or intentionally but via the 'social programming' we all pass on to our children as we received it from our parents. My own mum has always discussed her own knitting with disparaging remarks - 'not clever enough to do anything differnet' 'never try anything new' 'sew up too tight', never, 'i do knit with very even tension which makes the knitting so very neat', 'i like the finished item' 'I'm happy with the way that one turned out', 'I can knit quickly and always finish my projects'.

Is it because other people don't value our crafts that we don't value them? Or, is it because we don't value them that other people don't either!

Say it loud, ladies - we are good at what we do and we get huge satisfaction from it. Thank you for coming on this journey with me, it is always a pleasure to have such generous travelling companions :)VBG

Mairead's CQ Block 28.02.06

Mairead's CQ Block 28.02.06
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Whilst I am talking cq how about a peak at the second of my DD's wonderful blocks? This one is still in Aus and has just been worked on by Ronnie of http://www.sew-happy.com/ (no conection to me :)) Thses beautiful flower that Ronnie has taken so much time over both in the planning, designing and the execution are simply breath taking. I can never repay the time and commitment of the ladies who have worked on M's blocks and I will do my very best to help her treasure these wonderful works forever.

sparkly bits

sparkly bits
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

I am still thinking cq eve though I haven't had a chance to pick up a needle yet this week. I did get half an hour to go through my threads and i chose these colours as a basis for the embellishment of the seams of my rose block for the encrusted crazy quilting class over at joggles.com.

i am wondering it i should choose a contrasting (accent?) colour? what do you think? Something from the other side of the colour wheel? Or is that just too cartoonish, should I play safe and stay with my pinks creams ad roses? It must be good if my greatest dilema in life is whether to throw in a little green/blue :) Fingers crossed I get to sew something tomorrow VBG