Hello again,

Just a quick post to show you another two of my small quilts with a Scottish theme. The first is called ‘Deer in my Garden’ and is a variation on a log cabin design with some added surface embroidery. Our garden has so many fuchsia coloured flowers appearing throughout the year that this seemed an appropriate colour to choose in a festive design from Moda, with a touch of gold from Lewis and Irene, for Christmas. It’s just 7″ (approx 18 cms) square. I may add a small quilt hanger so that it can go on the wall.

The second quilt, ‘Thistle Cottage’ is larger: 14″x 10 1/4 inches (approx 36 x 26 cms) and uses fabric from one of my favourite designers, Lewis and Irene, for the house walls, roof and border.Quite a few of Lewis and Irene’s themed fabrics suit our Scottish landscape. This one is quite muted, a lilac grey with touches of pink and green which I have echoed in the quilting stiches. I found the black, red and lilac plaid fabric with tossed Scottie dogs (also by Lewis and Irene) irresistible and just had to have one of the dogs peeking out of the window.There were two leaf designs already printed on the part-striped, dusky pink piece I chose for the background so I decided to embroider around them. I was going to add a plant pot but decided I prefer them just as they are.

My first Winter Fair is getting closer (19th November) so I’m moving onto a set of tall Christmas houses now and a larger, floral quilt which is not at all Christmassy but is so pretty and cheerful. It’s always nice to have something you can use all year round.  I have so many new ideas of things to make for the fair but time is beginning to run out on me. It surprises me how much I need for the day, so much more than my little creations, and I have been writing huge lists of stuff I need with me from paper bags and tags to sticky tape and staples.

When I post after the Winter Fair, I will not be sewing as frantically and will have more time to photograph the various stages of what I am making, something I have not done much lately. Perhaps I will have some photos of the Winter Fair to share with you. I also want to post more on techniques in English Paper Piecing and to sum up what I have learned on my quilting journey this year.

Till next time….