Making of a Diary Quilt - 1

I was fortunate to discover the #dailypracticeqal being lead by Heidi Parkes on Creative Bug.

It was just my thing because it asked for the use of fabrics found around the house and upcycled materials.

For the quilt top I used a piece of cutting waste and I got a 3 feet × 3 feet piece.

Day 1 - the prompt given was to make a running stitch doodle in the top left hand corner of the quilt top.  Use an embroidery hoop and make the doodle within the hoop.

I don't have embroidery hoops because I never use them so I made the little doodle using running stitch to represent my walks in the garden accompanied by Blackie, my pet dog and Gin the Calico cat.

That's Blackie and Gin. They love their morning and evening walks with me. It's become a ritual. They wait for me to say - come on let's go for a walk.

Day 2 - Running stitch doodle - left hand side of quilt
Choose any colour thread and make another running stitch doodle - make lines of running stitch - exploring how many stitches you can make gathering the fabric on your needle and making one pull of the needle . Then move to the next row.

The lines of running stitch in green represent the tea estates which surround our property. That's a picture of the hill opposite our property. Amidst the tea stands an Indian Gaur, commonly called Bison. They are wild and roam the countryside in herds, they have adapted to living close to human habitation, that's the reason the two women tea pluckers are walking past the bison which is in such close proximity.

Day 3 - keeping to the left of the quilt top once more and using running stitch make a geometric shape and fill it in with running stitch.

I chose to represent the passion fruit for the prompt on Day 3. It grows wild in the garden and the purplish fruit turn a lovely orangish yellow when ripe and we love it.

Day 4 - on the lower half of the quilt embroider with running stitch any organic shape. 

I chose to embroider a bird, not just any bird but the Malabar Whistling Thrush or Whistling Schoolboy as it's know. It wakes me up list mornings with its inimitable Whistling call. A small bird with  beautiful shiny royal blue feathers. 

The quilt top with the first four prompts completed.

Day 5 - on the lower half of the quilt applique a small curved shape or shapes.

That's raindrops which I've appliqued onto the quilt top.

There are light showers all through the year which is good for our gardens and for the tea. We get the North East monsoon in November when it I wait for the sun to make an appearance. I like the sunshine more than the rain.

The quilt top with the addition of some appliqued raindrops. 

Day 6 - applique a large curved shape in any corner of the quilt top and attach the shape with running stitch.

Day 7 - hand yoga

I cut out a large piece of a floral block printed fabric from a top which used to belong to my mum.

It's a representation of all the various flowers which grow in my garden.

I know I've got carried away with so many pictures of flowers. I should have made a collage of these pictures but I hope you enjoy them as much as I delighted in discovering them blooming in my garden and snapped a picture to delight in their beauty in the future.

Day 8 - long skinny strip to be appliqued anywhere on the quilt top.

I appliqued a piece of a printed batik border from a sarong.

The colours and floral motifs remind me of the shola forests which are border our property. The trees grow dense and it's quite dark. The sunlight struggles to filter through the thick canopy.

I'll be back with the next installment of the making of the diary quilt in a couple of days.

Take care and have a good week.

90th birthday present for twin sisters

 I'm always surprised when someone contacts me via social media about a commission.  

The request was for a poem to be embroidered.                                    

I was taken by surprise when I was told I would have to embroider the poem  twice because it was to be given to twin sisters for their birthday 🎂 in July.

This was a first.                                    

The twin sisters are creative. One a poet and the other a designer.

The poem I was requested to embroider has been written by the poet.

The embroidered poem - Hometown Blackpool by Naomi Beth Wakan.

A frame for the embroidered poem was created with strips of shibori fabric.

The two copies of the embroidered poem.

The finished piece.

I have an account on Instagram @giftablewords for the express purpose of commissioning unique embroidered poems, quotes, birth samplers and wedding samplers, which one can gift 🎁 to friends and family.

Do take a look. I'll be delighted to work with you to create something special.

Have a great week.

Seed Bank - #areyoubookenough_red

I've been following @areyoubookenough for the past year but I didn't  get around to making a single book. I was determined to set things right this year.  

The theme for February was Red. My favourite colour.

The empty red plastic casing of the Vitamin B12 I take was the starting point of this little seed bank. 

Made entirely from materials in the house. It was a pleasure putting this book together. 

The materials used are the empty plastic tablet casing,  the covers of the book were cut from the carton of Monsoon Harvest muesli , a bit of jute rope and the paper and red thread are from my stash.

Recycling, repurposing and using fund or thrifted objects are central to my work. 

The little seed bank can be reused. It will make a great gift. People around here are always exchanging seeds and seedlings.

Lime and orange seeds in one page and chilly seeds in another. 

Seeds are precious and I 

Follow @areyoubookenough on Instagram to see how various artists interpret the themes each month. It's extremely inspiring.