Saturday, March 06, 2010

 

A Milestone achieved, just a marathon left to run!

Since writing my blog at the beginning of February, I have been beavering away in my little room, writing the text for my book and drawing the patterns and diagrams.  My personal deadline for completing all ten projects was 28th February and I achieved it with just two days to go.  It has been a very steep learning curve for me as up until now, I have only prepared small projects for publication in magazines but a book is a different matter altogether.  It requires meticulous and correct detail in every element and I am far from that yet.  I will now have to go back over each project and check everything and re-write where necessary, but I have learned an enormous amount over the past few weeks and feel more confident that I am beginning to get things right.  Of course, I will probably be proved wrong next month when the first two projects have to be sent to Australia to my editor Anna.  She will be ready, I am sure, with her big red pencil and all my efforts will be reduced down to more manageable proportions.  Another thing I have learned is that when I design something whilst making it, I pay no heed to how difficult it might be to describe in words.  Many a time over the past few weeks, I have gone potty trying to remember why I made things so complicated by adding a bit of piping here and a difficult quilting pattern there.  I have been assured by hubby and friends that this is why I have been asked to write a book in the first place.  I have yet to see the relevance but press on just the same.

I have also been in touch with Michele Hill http://www.michelehill.com.au/ , the author of 'William Morris in Applique' which has also also been published by Country Bumpkin Publications.  Not only has she published this book but she has nearly completed all the work on another William Morris inspired book which is to be launched at the Houston Quilt Festival in November this year.  She has been of enormous support to me, so I was delighted to be able to tell her that her two proposed workshops for the Festival of Quilts this year, sold out in the first two minutes the workshop website went live last Monday.  I am so looking forward to meeting up with her and her husband when they come to the UK in the summer.  I am sure we will have a lot to talk about.

Whilst I am having a little break from all that computer work, I am trying to finish a new silk christening gown I started at Christmas.  Once again, it was quite a simple pattern at first but it has grown more complicated as I have gone along.  I try to make my gown skirts in one piece so there is only one seam involved at the back.  It also helps whilst the bulk of the quilting is done, having a flat piece of work.  I am using an ivory silk dupion overall and a salmon pink, which is reverse appliqued in medallions and then quilted.  I have completed this now and have just added an additional lower hem of salmon pink silk which in the middle of being quilted.  My problem will be very soon when the back seam has to be joined, a medallion inserted, piping added and the lower hem joined and completed.  I think you understand what I mean, don't you?  It is a real headache at the moment and I will be very glad when Easter comes as I know I will either have solved the problem or given up altogether!  If it all turns out OK, I am thinking of entering it into the National Quilt Championships at Sandown and later in the year at the Festival of Quilts.  Must make sure I don't miss the entry deadlines!

It is Spring Quilt Festival time again and I will be going to Chilford on the 13th and am particularly looking forward to seeing the display of quilts by Roy Dickinson.  I have competed against and very much admired Roy's quilts over many years now and ran into him for the first time at the Festival of Quilts, a couple of years ago.  He is the most entertaining and funny man, enthusiastically supported by his wife and I could understand why some of my friends who have attended his talks, rave about his performance.  I do hope I will be able to attend one myself soon.

The weather has been awful this winter but in a way, I have had no distractions whilst doing all that other work but we did treat ourselves to a day out, during the week, at Wells next the Sea, just a few miles away from us where we live in North Norfolk.  The sun shone brightly and it was almost warm.  We walked along the harbour wall out to the beach and watched the birds, who are now paired up and looking for nesting sights.  It was very peaceful and restful and it is amazing how much good it can do to have a few moments like these in a busy life. 

Happy quilting,

Jacquie
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