Finishes and beginnings…

The hotchpotch lap quilt, took longer than intended to complete. I always underestimate how much time hand quilting takes! Even random wonky lines can't be dashed off in a couple of evenings. Nevertheless, I'm happy with the finished result—it's just the right side of homespun. While not exactly what's needed for a June heatwave, the brushed cottons and woven fabrics will be comfortingly cosy when winter comes around.

With so much time to spare, I've been able to start two new projects. The first is a traditional quilt made of half square triangles. I've wanted something like this for as long as I can remember, and although there's nothing remarkable about it, it needs to be just right, with points properly matched and devoid of any wonkiness. I've chosen some suitably prim fabrics to reflect the 'correctness' of the quilt.

As usual, I've tried to use fabrics from stash, rather than go out and buy more (I did purchase a couple though). However, I was surprised to find how many Liberty tana lawns I already owned. Despite sniffily claiming that I prefer woven to printed fabrics, it turns out I'm a Liberty girl with a hoard of ditzy prints in my drawers! In my defence, tana lawns do have the most glorious feel. They handle like silk rather than cotton, and when cut into, they sound wonderfully crisp—like boots crunching through snow. (How a fabric sounds and behaves when cut into is strangely important to me; stitching is therapy, but cutting fabric has to be pleasurable too).

I intend to use the wedding rings pattern for the quilting, but that's a little way off yet.

Also new is some pojagi, or bojagi if you prefer.* I've done a little in the past for magazines etc, but these have usually been to a brief where colours, or the item itself, were determined by a commissioning editor. This time I'll do what I like. I've made a start but as yet, am undecided if it will be a shawl or a blind. I guess the drape will determine which it is to be. For the construction, I'm using French seams rather than pojagi seams. Other than the seams the only decoration will be pojagi bats (imagine a tiny double scroll of fabric turned back against itself). Any light, fairly translucent fabric will do for pojagi. Linens are popular, so is silk, which is what I'm using. The problem with silk is that it is as slippery as wet fish. One way to stabilise silk is to layer it with a thin sheet of tissue when sewing but then you have to peel away the tissue and pick out all the little bits that get trapped in the stitiches. Too much faff for me. Instead, I use spray starch. The fabric then behaves itself and the starch can be simply rinsed away.

And just for fun a little hand stitching. I used to do a lot of bits and pieces like this, particularly when making penny mats. It's nice to get back to this sort of thing again. I always think it's like doodling with a needle and thread, and generally leads to something else.

Elizabeth,

x.

* I'm never sure which is correct, and why, so if you know please let me know.