Fabric Boxes and Stumpwork

I am having a sort of break from quilts at the moment and moving on to my other activity of making fabric boxes. With Christmas looming on the distant horizon I thought I had better get on with some presents. This is my first one, the bottom base inside in a Paisley fabric, the lid is the next picture with an embroidery on plain red fabric with an Elizabethan Roundel from the wonderful book by Jane Nicholas that I am in the process of working on. I have finished the vine leaf and grapes and am doing the thistles next.

I have most of her books and can recommend them for all Stumpwork enthusiasts, her instructions are so clear and easy to follow. Her work is magnificent!

Church Banners

Here are the Church banners I have been involved in making for the Parish Church Bi-Centenary. They were designed by a member of the congregation and sewn by a group of ladies of the congregation and quilted by yours truly! The first one is based on the Old Testament

The second one is based on the New testament. it doen't show well in the photo but the border has Wheat ears and Grapes surrounding the central piece.

We have also added little extras which can really only be seen when up close. In banner 1 there is a stumpwork dragonfly hovering over the water and a little embroidered church mouse running up the side of the banner border on the bottom left. In banner 2 there is a little stumpwork ladybird on one of the wheat leaves on the left and a heron fishing in the loch on the right. Also in both there is a trapuntoed bare foot in the sand. I did enjoy doing the stumpwork.

The group of five ladies had never done any P&Q and so it was a leap into the dark for them, but I think anyone the final result will agree they took to it like a ducks to water !

I did enjoy teaching them the various skills. The feed back from the congrgation after last Sunday's dedication has been positive which is lovely! They measure 3ft x 7ft.

Work in Progress

Several days of "life" getting in the way of quilting etc.has stopped me from blogging. This is a photo of the work in progress of my "Clyde Falls" for the Quilt Uni classes. I am using a tencel fibre fused to background fabric with misty fuse to get the feel of falling water. I am enjoying using this method.

The church banners I have been involved with making were hung and dedicated at a lovely service on Sunday, and the congregation were very complimentary about our work which is lovely. I will post photos soon.