Durham Quilting in Weardale

What better place to see some Durham Quilting than Weardale in County Durham itself.
The good weather enticed us out of the house ;- first to picnic on the moors
and then to visit the Weardale museum at Ireshopeburn.
I had pleasant memories of a holiday there as a teenager with my friend Judy. We swam in the river every day- and that was before it was called wild swimming and was the trendy thing to do.
The Weardale museum is also the home of the Weardale tapestry. The 16 foot tapestry in five large panels was sewn in freestyle embroidery by Friends in Stitches. It depicts the history of Weardale from prehistoric times to the present day.
There were 3 quilts in the museum too. A whole cloth quilt dated 1875 in the downstairs "kitchen" and this one hanging in the stairwell.

And then there was this fabulous whole cloth quilt by Amy Emms on display too. It was good to be able to get right up close to look at the intricate stitching.

Here is more of a close up.


I am still working on the pin wheels - they are quite slow to do. I am trying to keep them quite precise, I do each one exactly the same however some come out perfect and others don't!!


I made a pin cushion and needle case for my DD who has just started an A level textile course. I made her this starter kit with scissors, pins and tape measure to stop my kit disappearing off to school.

I have done a bit knitting too, finishing off a beanie hat in the left over baby cashmerino to match the little cardigan. I just hope the baby is a boy - I don't think this teal colour is unisex- I thought it more of a green when I bought it.
I've also bought a couple of magazines - I don't actually knit or sew in bed but I can always read these for inspiration.

Happy Quilting xx

UFOs

I decided that if I wanted to make some space to work on my sewing table, I should get some of those UFO's out of the way. I have finished the cushions from the Sandy Lush North Country Quilting day back in January. The quilting had been finished for ages but not got been put together into cushions. A miserable day on Sunday got them both finished. Thanks to Margaret who quilted one of them but didn't want a cushion. Now my DH has 2 more cushions on the bed he is not allowed to lie on , there's hardly room for him in the bed now.

This is a sneaky peek of a bag I have made for a pressie, Peter Rabbit fabric for a Rabbit loving friend. The pattern from Leanne's Living the Dream book was straight forward and turned out well.

Sunday also saw Jenny and friends off to a fancy dress party, what a celebrity line up, Marco Pierre White , Duffy, Minnie Mouse, Cruella de Vil, Cleopatra and Velma from Scooby doo.

And finally, this week's scenic shot is Sycamore gap on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. If you wait a minute or two, Kevin Costner aka Robin Hood Prince of Thieves will ride past in a minute.

Happy Quilting xx

Snowdrops and a walk in the Woods

At last the ice and snow have thawed, just in time for the school half term so we are able to get out and about. Today we set off for a picnic and a good long walk. We went to Allen Banks which is a National Trust owned walk amongst ancient woodland. The steep sided gorge where the River Allen flows down to meet the River South Tyne was once part of a large estate which was landscaped in Victorian times to make pleasure grounds for the nearby Ridley Hall.

It was good to see these snow drops had sprung up under the snow and there was quite a drift of them down by the river. After a picnic lunch we set off up the valley towards the first bridge

This is just the sort of bridge the Three Billy Goats Gruff had to cross but Jenny wasn't taking any chances and jumped up and down to scare the troll and to wobble the bridge and scare me too.

Leaving the main track and the other walkers behind we started uphill towards Morrallee Tarn. The climb was heavy going but worth it as it was so quiet and peaceful up there, only the sound of the birds and me gasping for breath. We have seen deer up there before but today there was only a large Heron sitting on the Tarn looking for fish. He flew off as we crashed out of the woods disturbing his peace.

I have eventually finished my piece of Durham quilting from the Sandie Lush class. Once I got the hang of it , I found it quite relaxing to do. My stitches are about 4 times bigger than Sandie's were but I think she has had a bit more practice than I have.

Margaret finished hers in a couple of days , it has taken me a couple of weeks. How I have to make them into a pair of cushions.

Last week I also made a quick bag from the Tilda Sew Pretty Homestyle book. This was quick and easy to make and using up fabric from my stash , there were only the handles to pay for.

Oh well, back to work tomorrow.

Happy Quilting xx