Pendle Hill Centre

I cannot believe that it is already a week ago since the last day of the workshops with Di Ford Hall.  This quilt has me gripped and I have stitched on it virtually every day. The centre of the urn is now completed and stitched to a square in readiness for the next stage which is to apply flowers to the edge of the circle.

My new passion is pentagons. These beautiful little flowers are stitched using 5/8" papers. Each one I make I declare it my favourite. Warning! Highly addictive. I already have a few ideas for making lots more of these. For this quilt I need 56.

These little beauties belong to my friend Marie. We had great fun playing with ideas for these. Marie has some great idas too for a whole new adventure.

Posing with Di in front of Phebe and Rotherfield Grey. Those quilts are amazing. 

This week I bought this little tray in a shop in Wellington. I love the colours and the green  suits my home very well. It is Mason's and the backstamp says Paynsley Pattern. I have no idea of its age. I just really like it. Think I mght look out for a bit more now. It goes well with my chair!!

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and it is warm and it is wafting the scent of these bluebells. As a child we used to play a game in the school playground called In and Out the Bluebell Windows. I did a bit of research into this game. Only in my area of Staffordshire is this game called Bluebell Windows, it is mostly known as Dusty Bluebells. What we used to do was form a circle holding hands high and one person would weave in and out of the bluebell windows and then that person would stop at a random person in the circle and we would sing "pat a little girl upon her shoulders" . She would then join in the weaving in and out until there were no people left and the game would start again until the whistle blew. As you can imagine, the patting upon the shoulders used to get a little vigorous at times especially as the chain got bigger. These games usually have their origins somewhere in history and this one I believe derives from the May Fairings. Anyone looking for a servant or anyone wishing to be hired as a serving girl would go to the May Fairs. The bluebells just so happen to coincide with appearing at the same time. The Hirer would parade up and down the line of hopefuls and when he got to one that he liked the look of she would be patted on the shoulder and they were hired. I am sure it would have extended to boys too.

Hope you are enjoying some sunshine and some stitching where you are.

Shirley.

Pendle Hill and Pentagons

On Tuesday my friend Marie and I had a fabulous day at Sue Watter's house on a Di Ford Hall workshop. As you know I am a big fan of Di and it was great to see her back and with a new quilt to start.

This is Pendle Hill. My start of it. Never has a day gone by so fast. Great company and a lovely atmosphere.

Once the urn was stitched, time to do a bit of flower arranging. This quilt has a lot of broderie perse and there will be a lot of cutting out in my future.

Part of the quilt has a border of 5/8 inch pentagons fussy cut. Oh my goodness! If you like hexagons then you will love this. I can see this being highly addictive. These three are ready to assemble. I have five completed and another four cut ready.

Today I have been to Cowslip for a weekend of stitching with Di. I have had my head down and worked hard on my applique. Hopefully I shall be able to show you the next stage soon.

This is a small section of Di's quilt. Yet to be finished and will not be revealed until publication of her next book which I am sorry to say will not be out until 2017.  Plenty to keep me going until then.

Just look at those pentagons and that applique. 

I sat opposite a lovely lady today named Jackie who said she followed my blog. I had no idea and had not met her before so, this post is for you Jackie.

Happy Stitching.

Shirley.