Dyeing for Sunshine

Our dyeing day had been planned since January - it is with much (muucccccchhhhhh) excitement we hold our annual dyeing day.  For the last two/three weeks we have experienced temperatures of nearly 30 everyday. The weatherman however had predicted heavy storms all day - with our dyeing day definitely being an outside event we began to get slightly worried.

Saturday morning we all woke to Sunshine  - yippppeeee  - climbing into old clothes - picking up our boxes of 'stuff' off we all headed off to CD.  We nearly had a full house this month - however HS was away welcoming  her second grandchild into the world - little baby Alice (wonderful name). Congratulation V & R and of course congratulations HS - we all look forward to seeing the pictures of the little one!

Now this dyeing does take a little concentration to begin with - we had previously mixed our soda and salt solutions (more details can be found on plate-spinning-mama) - so this morning we headed straight for the dyes. We are so very lucky to have a resident expert within out group - CD - who, as part of her City and Guilds study was able to go a bit more in depth with the dyeing.

Choosing the base colours - warm and cold.

Such lovely colours - just missing a straw, ice and maybe a cocktail umbrella.  Some extra colours made - just because we could!

With the dye ready - other 'extras' were laid out.....

One of us was much better prepared than the rest of us....... now a little test - remember this pictures - you'll need it later on!

Even the spoons got us excited......looooook at those wonderful colours.

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And here we go - we all had white cotton fabric to dye - as we generally do on a dyeing day - but this year....

With our new found love of all things wool - HW had also come along with some white cotton wool.....

White cotton T-shirts from CD, cotton top to revamp from AB and a few cotton shopping bags .......

Experiments ......

Variegated wool.......

Dyeing in a jam jar.......

Over dyeing from a previous session - velvet....

We broke off for lunch, a very welcomed break after such a busy morning.  Now guess which one of us had the yellow rubber gloves on?

A trip round the garden before lunch.....

Lunch was tremendous as always - 

Summer refreshments - Elderflower cordial - fast becoming the must for lunch times on a QQ meeting.

And a whole host of desserts - even one that camouflages itself with the table cloth.....

We finished a long leisurely lunch late afternoon and decided that we were actually all dyed out - so the afternoon was spent enjoying tea, flowers, general chit chat and a little bit of show and tell.

A massive downpour at 4pm did nothing to to dampen our enjoyment - we had all achieved what we wanted - the boxes were safely packed in the car and we were under cover!

We even had a new craft person amongst us today.....

With his 'man tools' set out in the garden producing some 'manly' wooden mirrors.....

Now ..... a small thought ...... we should be able to dye that wood..........



May in Funky Fulham

The Quirkies made their annual Spring trip to Fulham for our May get together.  Four travelled up through Putney High Street where men dressed in onesies as elephants and monkeys appeared (only wish we had some photos!), along with two attired as rubbish bins who did a runway twirl in response to CB's catcall from the back of the car!

So by elevenses, we had all settled down to work and biscuits.  Aren't CD's crocheted elephant and piglet just the best - they almost didn't make it back home with her!

HW brought hand work making scissor keepers to sell; she really went into production mode.

CB's  double wedding ring quilt is coming along nicely and she figured out how to get all those pieces to match up!

CD is working on a quilt inspired by traditional Japanese style Sasahiko quilting. HW (who has made this style quilt for her home), explained Sasahiko originated with fisherman (to keep warm) and fireman (to stay safe) in the 14th century and subsequently became more and more decorative with the stitches like grains of rice.

 

AB got to grips with crocheting in a fun colour (near to purple),

and EL is working on a project started at the Lakeland Florida quilt fair.  See all that fabric turning into 'Autumn leaves'?

Following a lunch of EL's experimental quiches (broccoli ham and onion/mushroom/asparagus- after all it is asparagus season) and chicken tabbouleh wraps, we soldiered on as the weather and HW's cold worsened.

CD made a few adjustments to her applique blocks with stylised flowers - here's hoping for Spring!!

AB persevered with her crocheting, past the 'bookmark' stage and she teased that it will become a scarf in a few years time.  She offered a crochet day for June which will challenge EL to take up another craft.

Craft magazines were read, hints and tips were shared as we all worked on.  Whilst Skype was fun last month, AB is right it face-face is much better!

All too soon the day was drawing to a close, and we hadn't even touched AB's strawberries!

EL's Sunday Postscript:  As I try to work with 'invisible thread' on my Autumn Leaves and listen to the FFC chants in the background, I find a quilter's dilemma:  what seemed easy yesterday, isn't so easy today, and what was hard yesterday is still hard today!  I miss those Quirkies to spur me on and provide a few tips!!




 

Birthdays in Abundance

I know this is supposed to be a post about sewing but April is a busy time for birthdays with the Quirkies. HW, CD and HT all have April birthdays. So, yes we were a bit preoccupied with celebrating and that involved a lunch with posh sandwiches (no crusts and delicious fillings), quiche, pork pie, parsnip crisps and CB's lovely trifle with blueberries. Did anyone refuse second helpings?

Even we can't be eating all the time, so we also got on with some sewing.

CB is making a double wedding ring quilt for a special occasion. It is in blue and pale yellow batik fabrics and will look stunning when finished.

HW was busy crocheting Afghan squares, from chunky yarn, for charity blankets.

AB was working on a lap quilt for her Mum. It is a pretty quilt in pale pinks and greens, with mostly flower fabrics.

HW was working on quilts for her grandson. One was a number quilt and the other a height chart.

CD was working on a long term project,  number 8 of 12, 20 inch applique blocks with stylised flowers.

We had a Skype conversation with EL who was in America (Chicago). EL showed us some blocks she had been working on after attending a workshop. We look forward to seeing them close up when she gets back.

We opened our presents, rather a lot with three birthdays. Then it was time for tea and cake, chocolate and lemon curd cupcakes - delicious. Note the sewing machine, evidence that we did do some work.

Another productive day with lots of laughter. You can't beat getting together with a bunch of like-minded friends to have a really good time.

March.....I Sew, I Sew, Its off to work I Sew, with a needle and thread.....

Three go mad sewing. 

A bit thin on the ground this month for our monthly QQ meeting, but, oh the three of us were soooo productive.  Two projects were finished during the day and some major steps forward on all the other projects being worked on.

The day started with a 'show and tell' with a complete difference.....CB had brought 'SPRING' to the meeting.  With snow predicted again this week - is was so wonderful to see 'spring' is all its full glory.  These flowers are actually destine for the Stitching and Knitting show at Olympia next weekend.

CD: The first hour was spent finishing a small amount of binding and sewing the name on the final 'trilogy' quilt...

And then straight into continued work on the wedding quilt.....with the ironing of 194 arcs.

CB: Worked on the final stages of the newly named 'Pick'n'Mix' quilt.  Perhaps coming to a quilt show near you soon.

HW: Continued on quilting a rather magnificent 25th anniversary quilt.....so much completed it won't be long before we can show it in its full glory.

This was lunch being prepared at 7.30 this morning...ready for hungry quilters.

And this was dessert being prepared by HW.  A quick whipping of the cream to go on the 'Lemon Mess' she had prepared - based on the dessert 'Eton Mess'.

Home made meringues.....

So.....first step ..... break up the meringues.....

Add a blob of lemon curd.....NOTE: not just any old lemon curd.... but special 'Zingy' Lemon Curd - homemade by HW.

Add a blob of cream.... Mix once more....

And eat......while pulling the best zingy lemon face you can!!

And to prove how productive we were....Finished 'Pick'n'Mix' by CB

And another UFO for CB to continue working on...a Shirley Bloomfield pattern.

Ben's Quilt finished .... just a label to add... (and maybe an iron!!)

And then 194 arcs to mark for CD to finish in the afternoon....

A different kind of meeting this month....although we were soooo productive we missed the chat and continuous laughter of when all six of us are present.  And of course we missed the best ring tone during various parts of the day telling us 'It's Raining'.

January jottings....

Our plans for great started to the quirky quilting year were dealt a side swipe by the snow, that quickly became ice in the middle of January.

HW had an enormous butter nut squash left from last year's harvest in her garden - perfect for Squash and Apricot soup for hungry quilters...

 

Amazingly, considering all the ice outside three quirkies made it through and great progress was made on projects...

CD continued applique flowers

HT made snuggly fleecy coverings for grandson's toes

CB continued to needlepoint colourful happy thoughts

And HW wrestled some borders around her latest project.

We must have worked very very very hard all day - the soup disappeared before a photo could be taken of its finished state and we made very short work of the delicious apple and almond crumble HT brought along...

It was a productive day but strangely quiet without a full compliment of quirkies... lets hope the weather has warmed up in time for next month.