Starting Out--2 April 2007

I confess to being a novice with websites but as I have recently joined a number of craft groups I thought this was the time to set up a blog so I can display photos of my craft work. I am hoping that being a member of craft groups and having a blog to update will encourage me to forge ahead with my crafts and bring a number of them to completion.

I am currently working on two quilts and actively working on one cross-stitch. The quilts are the one I call my China quilt which I'm making for my daughter Jade's former foster family in China, a flannel quilt kit my sister Bobby-Ann sent me and the cross stitch is a Debbie Patrick design called The Cottages at Oak Bluffs I and features two cottages on Martha's Vinyard.

I started the China quilt about 3 years ago. At that time I completed 6 12" blocks and the flying geese border. My intention was to personalise the quilt by adding blocks with photos on them using iron-on transfers. I picked up the project again at the start of this year, completed the photo blocks, made 4 more 4square blocks for the corners of the quilt and completed the quilt to the point of handstitching the binding. Unfortunately, while the quilt was sitting folded waiting for me to stitch it, one of the photo blocks cracked right through the middle and I was faced with the dilemma of how to repair or replace it. Last week I managed to 'unquilt' the two centre blocks and to unstitch and remove them. I have replaced them with two fabric blocks which I am in the process of hand-stitching in. I then need to requilt them. I am going to do some special quilting on those blocks as well as doing stitch in the ditch. The quilting will say 'China' and 'Australia' in Chinese. I am also about half way with handsewing the binding on so this quilt is in an unusual position with regard to finishing.

The flannel quilt is a kit my sister sent me for Christmas a year ago. It is made up of beautiful bright coloured squares. So far I have rotary cut the squares to 9.5" square and stitched them together. I have also stitched together the two sections of the back of the quilt. I have to add the two borders to the top and then put the layers together. I have decided to use polar fleece batting for warmth. I haven't yet gone out and purchased this yet.

My cross-stitching efforts go in waves. About mid-2006 I intended to start work on a chart I've had for quite a few years. It is Verandahs of South Battery, a scene from Charleston, SC. As the kids and I were going to the States to visit my Dad and sister I thought this was something I could take along to work on. It's a biggie though and when I looked at it I decided it was too unwieldy to work on while travelling. So instead I started to work on a Debbie Patrick design my sister-in-law sent me called Cottages at Oak Bluffs I. I did a good bit of work on this during the trip. (But when I wasn't flying also enjoyed doing some knitting. Can't do this on the plane because knitting needles aren't allowed.) I am now doing the second house of this design. Both houses are on the same piece of Aida and I plan to frame them as a pair with a strip of matting between them. I will post some photos when I figure out how.