Royal Bulls Head Inn

A couple of weekends ago Hubz and I visited a local historical building ....  long overdue

The Royal Bulls Head Inn - originally built in 1847 which has been an Inn, a family home and a post office over the years.  The National Trust obtained it and have done a huge amount of restoration - at the same time keeping a lot of the originality.

Once a month they open house and for a small fee you can go in and have a look - they are also encouraging locals to showcase some of their handcrafts - you can see some quilts on the veranda.

There were a few chairs that had been recovered, it was fun to see they had used fabric the same as what I used for my stool recently.

 I love these fold up chairs .....

.. there was a small model of the building

It's hard to see in the picture but the walls were cheesecloth overlaid with wall paper....

(no sound privacy between rooms!!!)

pictures from the 30's were pasted on the wall - there is a cut out piece so you can see how the wall was constructed.  No insulation of course.

The outside kitchen - set up but in disrepair so you can't walk inside....  really fun to see and they have some great information about how it all was originally.

.. this is the kitchen view from the outside....

... and the outside laundry ....

love the charm of those wringers....

the outside dunny ...... leaning over precariously now.....

the outside structures were made without using nails.... you can see how the poles are wired together at the top there.

at one time the building was used as the local post office and this is the entrance that was used then... and the lovely old post box.

A fun couple of hours and I bet this building has some great stories.... 

Apparently is was first a meeting place for squatters and the 'rougher sort'....

Righto, Gotto Go... coffee and quilting....

Sampler quilt

I do enjoy sampler quilts.   I did Sylvia's Bridal Sampler....

... and made a backing with leftovers ....

... and I did the Splendid Sampler....

... and made a scrappy backing with the left overs!!!

And this year the 3 of us who sew together on a Tuesday (we sewed the other samplers together also) are making this one...

My friend Deb was destashing some French General fabrics and these ones are just perfect ...

Here are the first 6 blocks and my choice of cornerstones and sashing and border/binding depending on how I finish it up...

I couldn't resist trying out the sashing and corner stones....

 

This week we got another 4 blocks done...

the blocks are smaller this time and some pieces are hard to hold on to ...

I am using my classic Elna Stella machine (the others are using their vintage Singer featherweights)

I have decided to try and keep up with the sashings and cornerstones on a weekly basis...

Here are all the blocks so far....

I am liking the look ....

I think I like the challenge of a variety of blocks, and the fact that the three of us sew the same blocks together - all our quilts always look completely different...

One day I hope to quilt and finish off mine?????? hmmmmm

Righto, Gotto Go.  I need to photocopy a foundation piecing pattern for next week!

This week.....

I've started working on my applique for the next block of the Stitch-a-long where we are making Michelle Ridgways Holly Cottage.  This month there is the star, a heart and an applique picture so a bit of work to do!

This week I finished my first ever crochet blanket and I am enormously proud of myself... I feel I can now say I am a crocheter!

I got this kit sent to me when I arrived in the UK at the beginning of June and worked on it there - on trains, in the car, etc.  It kept my hands comfortably busy and then in the cool evenings here.

It is an Attic24 pattern and she gives a wonderful tutorial on her blog HERE  

There is a fair bit of yarn left over so I think I will make another but in small size... will be cute and perfect for when there is a boy baby that needs a gift...

On Tuesday there was a birthday to celebrate - so I baked - went for the healthy fruit and dairy choice!

.. and the beginning of the month heralds a new colour for our Scrappy Challenge - this month was light neutrals which I have to say I found rather unstimulating and wasn't very enthusiastic... however I got my quota of 30 done and I don't mind the look after all.  They will be mixed in with other colours.

I love my own house in light neutrals so I don't know why I wasn't keen....

Oh... and just because I can here is another picture of my wonderful ripple blanket with some of the very little colour we have in the garden at the moment....

Righto, Gotto Go..... quilting today...

Finished.....

This quilt has taken me a little while... I've done it in stages but at last it is finished...

I decided to add a bit of texture behind the applique... so this echo paisley went behind giraffes....

.. and echo behind the flowers and an orange peel is the square blocks,

.. and imitated the leaf shape in the border....

and on Friday night with the girls I got the binding done....

To be honest I would not quilt so densely another time... it looks nice but I think it is too firm.... personal taste really but I like snuggly quilts the most...

If it's too stiff to wrap around a child (I have visions of a cardboard wrapped infant) then it will make do for a lovely play mat....

One UFO down... and this is the next one I will sort out...

I have a small collection of the Japanese blocks... so I'm going to put them together then at a later date do some more with a more consistent background...

Here's hoping some dark sashing will deconstruct the colour violations I have here...

Righto, Gotto Go.... Sunday to enjoy.... I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend....

Thank you .......

I forgot to show you my pin I got from Toni - such a handsome dude is Henry and he is perfect on my dark winter coat (yes, we do get cold enough for a coat up here!)

Toni has them for sale in her etsy shop ....

Lately I have had a few quilts of Toni's to play with - I think you all know I am a fan of her designs so I do love getting her finished tops to play with.....

Christmas in July is celebrated quite widely - and Toni had lots of special on but most importantly 2 new Christmas designs - so plenty of time to get one done before real Christmas....

I thought I would share some of my quilting on the bold colours and big pictures. 

I like using the clear thread in and around the applique - this means the quilting on the applique won't show especially with the often change of colours from one part to another....

I find this defines the applique shapes quite well whilst showing them off nicely - you can see the shape on the back ....

.... afterwards I do a loose filler on the background - usually in one dominant colour thread.....

I was talking to a friend the other day saying I have so many flimsies and tend to put the quilting of them aside whilst I do 'work' ones... she suggested I do one of my own every 5 of them.... I don't think I have that many but I did decide that this week I would quilt one of my own.....

This quilt is called Hush, the pattern is by Calico Farm Designs and I bought both the pattern and the fabric at The Quilters Angel.  I don't need another baby quilt  but as soon as I saw the fabrics I knew I wanted to make this quilt with them.... so I did!

Sorry but I don't remember what the range is called - it was a while ago .....

Here is the backing.... it's quite a course weave but just right - so I gave it a good wash and hope it softens up a bit....

the grey spot fabric (rolled up on the side of the quilt) is what I will use for binding....

so that's what I am playing with today - hopefully be able to take it to Friday night sewing to bind tonight....

Marina sent me a 'just because' gift this week .....

It is just perfect for me..... whenever I get cranky or antsy in the house Hubz suggests I go and hide in my hole to sew or quilt!

(so I pretend to be cranky a lot!!!)  

with it was this perfectly sweet little pincushion - I love glass bowls so this miniature is just right for me.....

They have both found their place in this little corner of my quilting room....

Thank you Marina.... perfect (it's freaky how you know me so well!!)

I still like to hand sew in the evenings.... and this block for Gardeners Journal took quite a few evenings.....

I can't admit to enjoy the repeats of the same thing!!!

This is the blocks to date.... still quite a long way to go but I do think they are so sweet (even the vegetables!)

Righto, Gotta Go - back to quilting my Hush quilt.....

Finishing stitches and OPAM roundup .......

An update on my progress on finishing UFO's and linking up with Joy's Finishing Stitches.....

Japanese Blocks...

I did two more of these blocks... but now I've decided to change the project completely and wait to purchase a dark background so it's not so mixed up and vomitty...

 I'm thinking of using plain black and then doing the pieced parts in the different lovely Japanese fabrics...  I will also be more selective on which blocks I do so it's not too much black in it...

That means it will be a new project - not a UFO??????

Dutch Treat

I've done 4 more blocks of this quilt this month.... my original goal was 1 a week so I'm happy with that progress...

No proper UFO finishes this month.... I need to pull my big girl panties on and do something about that!

However, I did finish some projects for OPAM so I can report to Peg and Kris .....

Michelle's Pincushion

 Lyn's project bag

 Marina's sewing bags...

Thanks Joy, Peg and Kris for helping to keep on track with my projects

Righto, Gotto Go..... busy day ahead.... hope you have a good one ...xx