Camping it up on Dartmoor!

With the nice weather we've been having, it seemed like a good idea to get out on Dartmoor and enjoy the outdoors life, unconstrained by tents and excess baggage. So grabbing a tarp, a bivi bag and sleeping bag (and in my case my self inflating mattress!) we headed off for a night of peace and quiet in the tranquility of the country.

The evening was gorgeous, the views clear and the air warm.


We walked into the moor and set up camp.












Having cooked dinner, we settled into our sleeping bags and sipped tea as the sun set






Everything was perfect. Until 1am when this happened! Apparently they occur about once a month, but since you can hear it for miles (and there was no way to sleep through it!) we ended up packing up and walking off at 2.30am. Back home for 4am and a long lie-in!

The best laid plans eh...?

Max's Quilt

Back in May I did a course (with Marlene at Fancy Free Workshops nr Exeter) introducing several basic 9 patch patchworking techniques. As my friend's baby Max was born right around this time, I decided to practice by making him a cot quilt in time for his naming ceremony.

I found these gorgeous Michael Miller fabrics from his Gray, Citron, Black range and thought they would be stylish, suitable for a boy, but still fun for a child.

I used the course as a prompt to try several new techniques, including fussy cutting for the birds and animals

and "triangles" which certainly tested my quarter inch seam allowance. However, having been given a tip on checking that (using a ruler to bring the needle down on the quarter inch mark and some masking tape on the sewing machine along the ruler's edge) it didn't go too badly.



With some new patches to play with (Jacob's Ladder and Ohio Star) I designed the quilt, using the former in the corners, and the latter in the centre - with a variation on the Ohio Star for the middle patch.

As many of the blocks were different and I wanted each to stand out, I used sashing to give them some space. The rule on sashing it that you can go up to 1/3 the width of the block (in this case three inches) but I only used 1 inch sashing here. I added a slightly larger border (1.5 inches) to give it some balance.

Instead of a 3 layer sandwich (top, batting, back) I used fleece which acts a both batting and backing. Being easy to wash I hope this will be more practical. It was certainly easy to work with.

I used my normal binding technique - ironing the binding in half, then half again before opening it out and machining it onto the front of the quilt. It should then fold itself right to the back of the quilt, ready to be hand stiched in place.
I have since ordered some incredibly cute fabric from the very helpful peeps at Gaga in the same colours (Owl by Myself) and am looking forward to using this for another cot quilt which should be required shortly...

Meanwhile, my next course is in June and covers free machine quilting - watch this space!