And here we are!

Finally, I have finished the purses I cut out years ago for the Sew Powerful project. I was working on them throughout February. I am so glad they have a updated pattern now, so when I get back to doing more, I can make them more swiftly. If you remember, Jason and Cinnamon were at Festival of Quilts last year.

  

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I wrote the words on the back of the purses using free motion zigzag stitch.

Sister Artists new exhibition

Update on the Sister Artists project.

“Exciting news - the dates for the exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum have been set. 1 - ‪4 April 2020‬.

‪Thursday, April 2, 12:30‬ - Brown Bag Lunch - The museum has invited us to give a Brown Bag Lunch talk. This takes place in the Genre Gallery and can have anywhere from 5 - 20 attendees.

‪Saturday, April 4‬ - Hollis Chatelain will be speaking about her Stories of West Africa exhibit. Hollis came to the event in DC and was very moved by all your work. She will be announcing the quilts she has selected for recognition. We will also be recognizing the three quilts which were selected for Viewer’s Choice in DC (there was a 3 way tie!). “

Ramshackle- a fresh one

I wanted to take part in the SAQA Spotlight auction which will take place at their conference in Toronto. But after the cough was gone, last week my back was so painful I couldn’t do anything much, especially machine sewing.
Finally yesterday I was able to ignore the pain enough to get a new Ramshackle piece done.

Ramshackle: Big House Small Tree

The size is 6”x8”, but they will be framed in a mount with an aperture 4.5”x6.5”. So I have laid paper strips around the sides to see what it will look like.

So, today I managed the post office, though I drove. And the piece is winging its way to the collection point!

When I was checking through the requirements, I came across a photo from a previous year, used as an example of how they will be displayed for the auction.

And there in the middle is one of mine! Ramshackle Hilltop from 2016.

Shoeboxes

A couple photos of our shoeboxes which will be going to Samaritan’s Purse for Operation Christmas Child.

We have collected over 30 boxes...some still to come.

See Change - I see you

Recently our small church took part in an advocacy project organised by Open Doors which raises awareness of gender based violence and sexual violence in conflict. It takes the place of a large banner petition made up of squares of white fabric with the words ‘I See You’ and a signature.
@opendoorsuk #iseeyou #seechange.

Many of the squares of fabric will be sewn together into a series of two-metre banners that will hang in Westminster Abbey’s Chapter House from 17-24 November 2019
 The Handmade Petition: I See You coincides with the conference of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The petition will be submitted to the government at that time.
Perhaps you could visit the installation at Westminster Abbey!

At the last counting, over 13,000 squares have been received! Here are some quick photos of our pieces. It was near the deadline, so I didn’t get proper photos. They are stacked, so there is some show through.

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Sew Powerful helping to keep girls in education

one of the things occupying my time while at Festival of Quilts was to help at the Sew Powerful stand. This company has been involved in supporting ladies in Zambia to get their  children into school.
They taught and employed mothers to sew school uniforms. But after a time they learned that girls stay out of school when they are on their period. This means that they have lost so much schooling that they cannot pass their exams. So the project expanded to having the mothers sew reusable sanitary materials.
Soon they discovered that the families of the Ngombe slum where the project started, didn’t have soap! It was too expensive. After purchasing soaps from the market, eventually the project expanded to training more of the mothers to make soap, also being paid.
This part of Sew Powerful’s project is what impressed me the most. That mothers are being given the means to earn money that can mean the difference of their children being fed or not.
when I heard Sew Powerful  were to have a stand at the Festival of Quilts, of course I offered to help.

I met Jason and Cinnamon from Sew Powerful, Sandy Simms UK rep, and also Ginny who has been making purses with her sewing group. (I forgot to get a photo!) I gave a big pile of fabric to Ginny for a sewing day she was organising for the 3rd of  August. UK made purses can be sent to Sandy Simms.

Part of the project to keep the girls in education is to have people who quilt or sew to make cross body bags/purses. Then they are collected and with the help of World Vision are taken to Zambia to be filled with the items (including 2 pair of pants) and given to girls in their health class. The whole project has grown to include providing the kit to girls in other schools in the Lusaka area.
Last year 6,000 purses were sent. This year they hope to send at least twice that amount.

If you are interested, you can find out more on their website. 

Off in the post

I was almost out the door with this today when somewhere out of the blue I got the thought about hanging it. Oh. So, I came back in , undid the parcel and put a hanging sleeve on it. and parcelled it again.
THEN went out the door.

Ramshackle Homes - for SAQA Benefit Auction 2018

12x12in

I didn't do hand stitch in the end. I had it 'visible' for sometime and I just thought it was fine as is.

Ramshackle Homes - Finished

Even though I am spending time watching the Winter Olympics, I am getting things done. Mostly handwork things. So, incentive to finish the hand-stitching on the binding of the Ramshackle piece I will be sending to the Benefit Auction. The call for it hasn't come out yet, but I wanted to get it done before next month, which will be a bit busy.

So, Ramshackle Homes

12x12in

I wanted to explore the golden colour at a slightly larger size. And I wanted to play with differently shaped plants. So, I think it is okay, but I prefer the darker lines. Still, it is bright and cheerful and someone will like it.

In progress

A new Ramshackle in progress.


I wanted to explore the golden yellow lines a bit more from the last piece - Ramshackle Row. This fabric is more mottled and has some darker yellow spots.

It almost gives the look of watercolour, where the pigment pools up in areas and dries darker.
In person, I wasn't too sure. But seeing the photo helps me look at it as a whole. I think it works!
I will probably experiment with the stitching a bit, but that is to be pondered.

I had a name in mind and now it is not. (in mind 😁 ) so I have to wait for it to come back.
The finished piece will be 12x12in. and sent off for the SAQA Benefit Auction.

DONE! Ramshackle Row

In spite of finding thousands of other things to do, including sorting our the cupboard with glasses and mugs (What is that about?!) I have finished Ramshackle Row and it is ready to pack up and send to America for the SAQA Spotlight Auction at the conference in San Antonio.

Ramshackle Row
8in x 6in

I tried something different with golden yellow lines instead of dark ones. And this time I have worked very small with the cutting...not totally intentionally! I usually use chalk, but couldn't see the pale chalk and didn't want remnants of dark chalk on it. So, I used a pencil, which with a smaller line makes you think you have left plenty of room. However, I do like this. I wanted to do terraced houses, and I think this way of working helps to add to the idea of the houses being close together.

The Spotlight pieces will have a surround about 6 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in. for people to frame them. So, it only needs a zigzag finish.

Deadline 1 March! So, that is out of my head now. 😁

I like Thankful Thursday

A bit late today. Getting things done! so, just a few.

Related to that...finally done with the 'secret' projects that I can't show yet. and I definitely like being able to work on something I can show.

Just at the fusing stage.

Ramshackle Row will be sent off for the SAQA Spotlight Auction at the upcoming conference. Nice to work small again, too! Should get to the stitching tomorrow.

And something I like very much - my collection of deep red glass which came from Romania.

This was about 27 years ago when we were visiting several times with aid after the revolution. Most of these vases we bought. And last year we were left the tall one we had previously gifted to Mum.

To see what the others like today, go to Lee Anna's blog for the links.

SAQA Benefit Auction - 2017

The other day I got a notice that the Ramshackle piece I donated to the SAQA Auction had sold. Wonderful!

Ramshackle Abode

Now living in Louisiana in America.

Thinking about whether to do a Ramshackle again next year, or to try something else.

Forms and Parcels

This week has been a filling forms week. Sometimes it takes all day to take photos and do an entry. Or to get things parcelled and off in the post.

However, though I can't show everything, I will show you a collection of work I sent off for the 70,273 Project. The TVCT group did 86 blocks! Over half were done in January at the meeting, but the rest were done by people and their friends at home during the months til May. Well done!

Margaret Jackson near Durham is going to piece them and quilt them with her group.
Jeanne sent this message:
TVCT: I know y'all won't meet for a while, but when you do, promise you'll tell the members how very grateful I am for their participation and for commemorating 86 people so beautifully and mindfully.

And now I have committed to making a 'Long Skinny' 15in wide x as long as I like (which should be about 2metres). I have sent on my entry forms for the Festival of Quilts. 2 entries already complete. And since I have time on my hands (not) I thought I better do something to spark the interest of all the quilters at the Festival of Quilts. Better get stitching then! (as well as beads on a dragon gown, beads on the Other Bead Project, and 3 pieces for possible entrance into a book which I have to keep mum about for now!)

Oh dear. Would someone tie my hands down when the next cool thing comes along?

Another Ramshackle

for the SAQA Benefit Auction.
This was one thing I worked on last week.

Loving this tree that sort of designed itself.


Ramshackle Abode

Another in my series of Ramshackle houses with character. This piece explores the idea of individuality which carries over into the 'accessories' which come with a house or home such as trees and garden.

Shoebox 2016

Yesterday , at church, we gathered our collection of bits and pieces for Operation Christmas Child Shoebox appeal. We are a small group, but look!

And they will be delivered this week to the drop off station.

A bit last minute, but on Saturday I made some puppets for the boxes our family gave.

For the boys

For the girls

The past few years our boxes have gone to Zambia. I hope the children have fun with the puppets!

Harvest - last Sunday

Last Sunday we had our harvest celebration.

I usually decorate the front table.

And this year, we did a fry-up or Full Cooked English Breakfast instead of a dinner.

Fun! Everyone had their part in the kitchen or out of it.

My part was cooking Scrambled Eggs. (easier than getting individual fried eggs right!) We had sausage, mushrooms, tomato, baked beans, hash browns, bacon and more!

We are collecting to send to Haiti via MAF - who fly teams of doctors and health professionals, building teams and more to places that are inaccessible. In this case, inaccessible because of the damage.
We have supported them in other ways in the past, including the teams who went to Nepal. MAF has a slogan 'Flying for Life' So they had already planned for a fund raiser called 'Frying for Life'... and we decided we could do it as a meal! And then the Haiti disaster happened, so it gave us even more impetus.