Sunday 5 October 2008

Filling time

Now that I am not watching telly in the evenings four days a week, I have decided to take up a new hobby and and am now going to Show and Tell all about it!

You might think that I already have enough to do in the evenings, but I do like variety and the option of being able to pick and choose what I want to do in an evening and let me tell you now....there is absolutely no way that I will ever study four or five hours in an evening after a day at work, I am just not going to do that as I wasn't built that way! (is anybody!?!)

For a while now, I have been wanting to learn about this particular craft and to attempt it for myself, but every book about it that I have looked at has just freaked me out because there are pictures of so many beautiful and creative versions of the finished products related to this craft and I just haven't known how to begin.

Anyway, I went looking for a card-craft shop the other weekend as it had recently moved premises. Having bought some nice paper I then walked back to the car and spotted that there was another craft shop in the same shopping area. It perked my interest, so I wandered in and had a look at the materials and chatted to Yvonne, the shop owner and asked if she held classes.

Of course, she said yes and so yesterday I went back and began learning all about this new-to-me craft and I had two hours of fun choosing materials and deciding how to lay them out. Yvonne was great too, very patient and explaining things clearly, not to mention suggesting that I only buy one or two bits of equipment until I decide that I will lay out the money to have a few more bits at home as I can use the cutters and irons at her shop.

So....what is it? Perhaps a picture will help?

The picture may not necessarily make sense to you unless you have done or seen this before, but this is very very beginning of a Christmas Quilt. Yes, I am learning how to make a quilt using the usual technique of patchwork (although I always thought that patchwork WAS quilting - to me the two are the same thing!), and what I have to do is create a pattern that has three squares in a row and three rows in a block, so you can see that the above picture really is the very early stages of this quilt!

I have got to make several more squares and blocks and then put them all together to make a quilt. Quite how big this quilt will be I do not know, perhaps it will just be a lap-quilt that I can snuggle under in my armchair when it is cold and blowy outside. I don't think that I am up to making a double bed-sized quilt just yet!! That may take a few years, but in the meantime I am having great fun making this one. Perhaps in a few "show and tells" later I will show you where I have gotten to.

10 comments:

Lorrie said...

that looks like its right up your street Sam. Will you sew by hand or machine? Can't wait to see how you get on. xx

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing! As a fellow quilter... "Happy stiching!" I recently graduated to a long arm quilting machine and love it. But I still think that piecing the top is my favorite part.

And. You busted me on my Show and Tell post! Annoying Neighbour should be my new blogging name...

Anonymous said...

Sam - it looks lovely, I just know you will get hooked! It brings back memories of making a quilt for a dolls pram! From experience I can definately say you will enjoy making your quilt (can't wait to see it)
love A xx

Kristin said...

It looks lovely so far. Are you hand piecing or piecing on your machine? Also, will you had or machine quilt it? I just finished a quilt for a Bat Mitzvah present (pic is on my blog).

Katie said...

Looks fabulous. Quilting is one my list of things I need to learn how to do, I think spinning is going to come first though!

Lori Lavender Luz said...

I've always loved quilts. So cool you're getting into quilting!

And what IS the difference between quilting and patchwork?

Wishing 4 One said...

Brave woman you are I think its great you are learning to quilt. I so wish I learned how to quilt, patch anything, never have. Maybe someday I will. Can't wait to see your finished product.

Sam said...

Lori,

Apparently the difference between quilting and patchwork is that patchwork is putting all those bits of material that make up the front together, and quilting is putting the three elements together - front design, middle comfy bit, and back piece of material and then sewing all that together.

But I still think that the whole thing is quilting!! ;-)

Cara said...

Good for you!!! Um...I have to admit I am the study five hours after work type, but check my blog for the full admittance of my nerdyness!

BYW- my mother is a quilter and had me pick out a design for my wedding quilt. I don't have it yet. I've been married eight years.

ENJOY!

Baby Smiling In Back Seat said...

Looking good! And congrats on cutting out so much telly.