OK so I have not been well and been pretty miserable with some rubbish weeks, which is an excuse but a valid one, and the other problem that I have is that I am trying to finish off the "wedding makes" blog post and although I am really proud of everything we made, the wedding seems like such a long time ago and so the enthusiasm just isn't quite there.
In the mean time, I am carrying on with other projects and the blog is missing out on them, so, I will leave the wedding post to simmer and in the mean time try and keep you updated.
A lot of work has been going into my patchwork kit that I got from a friend as a wedding gift. The top is finished. I have bought the wadding and found an old bed sheet in a charity shop to use as the backing and I am currently trying to line all three up without any creases so that I can quilt it. This is really not easy, in fact it is ridiculously difficult and I am panicking about the quilting so I think I will be getting some advice and reading some instructions before I attempt it. Here is the quilt so far:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4BS6LBOHQdeUPAJzTeeDId80Td0JqoN76GQSLCPfo6V8fMu6ipMN6KGnAPboEv_xbXTXIl0ciBtFrRP8S5U_NGfdiKV9vGOPKSJJTFfVnpCIAwVIotcYFg2s9OHD_XIJ1z6kEvfdflw/s400/IMG_0086.JPG) |
My first patchwork |
Outside of this I have been continuing with my C&G work. I have completed my basic two-piece dress:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu27UFtEYAf0B6kw7Uv1h440YXlps_nDLEEKkOCtVA3-3qd5jOPW1_-WYylMpU5cdbZcR8ZiDpg9WMNfQqQ-tyNKdkJXT6pwvclVK885Dq58sEKm2r-LRgtMNSRAVl9Txb2LqPJ8ctQA/s400/IMG_0093.JPG) |
Basic two-piece dress |
and, am looking forward to making it into my own style. I dug out some fabric today but it didn't look how I thought it did so I may be heading back to the fabric shop!
I have also been working on my bodice, shirt and one piece dress too so watch this space.
On a design front I found a few blogs today that showed people's sketchbooks from their C&G and it really inspired me to get going again. Here are a couple that really impressed me:
http://lizbenjeddi.blogspot.co.uk/
http://madebymelanie-cityandguilds.blogspot.co.uk/
I created my mood board the other day and it is full of poppies and polka dots. I started with Mr Jones' fantastic poppy picture:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi24ktEKr8Ub-tVhWXdUpAd6Dzn3jyupGmIaocXGr-fso3KvkPzeVQRkkrTWOSG_Z-FA6Khv_jLphWArzIiGuzisPjqXWB3SWzaBU9n1mzKggn4s3DyDoMJsLrRKOq37KSWRK1cWhWtsw/s400/IMG_0100.JPG) |
Poppies in Norfolk |
Then drew out a poppy onto some solufleece, attached it to some denim and embroidered over it:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN49_Os2DF6-BIat80jFbSv7RyUD6jqboeiwZGKczFB1O1A1QBaddw74EE8hi47-wR0PEywT9x1Kv9TH-SkTACiwrc-J2TL8LlX_cKbElyrNE0NHq1wkQAF1YN-4cfrhMrtHnm8RQ9Llk/s400/IMG_0094.JPG) |
Embroidered poppy |
I am really pleased with the results. Then the rain came so instead of going out I decided to do a bit of painting. I started with the end of a pencil (the rubber end) and moved onto some bubble wrap to produce these prints:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPIp7vSL2AWJ6X5314TWMLwF4pYNVinBR36bOCKlMEUrekHkErjS3xqfbDQwXS6im-vCeH41NBn-xJAVbq-SuIFZj44sPbMDfZf9GXZqr7YrOSh72d0pM6_o0rHmmPcGs_9rIyAPQmPk/s400/IMG_0092.JPG) |
Using the end of a pencil |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4i69H9zCOWqY5LvsYcnQFaPLrADpAG4aCwMro60QF0X96MhJK4aMO6q4pR-L94Xn3BhaqbSMa2Ree-y9VVec6QsEw9LtMrc3fHIuAMCL_h1MOoR4WaCJ5Al6Sy9ueH7_FTTmC51TlwE/s400/IMG_0088.JPG) |
Printing using bubble wrap |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHamxtjgwxJ4DESpxYDscNKlaj6Ix1ibohU-pHf8doaaQrveZMFgsFRS6Fmg-8Zsiui_VqyUUDOP7zF8y0vCDGialbZkX94qQnpWQHqaCQb8ZImrwUvsgv4lW0cPirTHXh4K7mVEn63ZA/s400/IMG_0087.JPG) |
Still bubble wrap but adding centres for the look of poppies |
Hopefully there will be more to follow shortly although I am off Norfolk for the weekend (which is where the poppy picture was taken!).
Love,
Mrs Jones