Blog – Page 7 – triciamustsew

Quilt to match the living room

My daughter and her fiancé requested a quilt that would match their newish living room furniture and that was big enough for snuggly nights watching television. I obliged with a very simple design.

A dear friend of ours once told us about how he loved to go “chateau bashing” in France – the meaning being that one knocked as many chateaus off one’s list for every visit. Steve and I just got back from four days in the Loire Valley where we explored eight chateaus in four days Usse, Amboise, Chaumont, Blois, Azlay-le-Rideau, Vilandry; Chambord and Cheverny). Every one is different and has a unique claim to fame. We wandered around the interiors of the buildings, but we also took lots of pictures, visited the gardens and had numerous leisurely picnic lunches under the trees.

We walked for miles, but I never got bored of any of the properties, although I had to rest the old bones in the evenings after dinner out and a few Kirs, of course!

Flowers are my inspiration

The tulips in our garden were particularly good this year. Then a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley Gardens provided even more photo opportunities for taking flower pictures. Oh and a couple of photos of a duck who was investigating my ice cream during a quick break. Isn’t nature wonderful?

Magnificent Tyntesfield

I recently took a one day course on silk shading in Bristol – I may post a picture of the fox design if I finish it soon. As a treat we travelled down the day before and spent the afternoon at Tyntesfield, a National Trust property near Bristol. The setting and the interiors are magnificent as is the inspiration for future embroidery projects. Have a look…

Spring flowers

Colour and activity is slowly coming back to the UK as Spring begins its steady passage towards Summer. These pictures were taken in the Cotswolds and in Freeland, Oxfordshire – perfection in the petals and the new lambs.

RSN Certificate Jacobean

After several months, numerous hours unpicking and redoing, debating between restricted colours (aren’t leaves and stems supposed to be green; who ever heard of a blue flower?) and waiting with bated breath while the tutors reviewed my homework I have finally finished my Jacobean unit. I am taking the Certificate in Hand Embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court. The Jacobean is not at all what I pictured when I started out, but that is the essence of learning and trying new things. In short I am very happy with it and pleased that I have received so many positive comments.

I get there in the end!

Long story with this Christmas quilt. I bought the pattern at the International Quilt Market in Chicago in 2006. I started hand-piecing the trees on the Queen Mary 2 during our 25th anniversary trip. Appliqed the bulbs and hand/machine quilted the top during the last year and it is now ready for Christmas 2016! 10 years in the making, but I just love Alex Anderson’s design and the modern colours for the season.

Christmas is bright in the capital

Steve and I went into London yesterday to see the Christmas lights and windows along Oxford Street, Regent Street and Trafalgar Square. I took a few pictures on my iPhone and thought you might enjoy seeing some of the displays especially those of you who don’t live quite so close to London. The Santa displays are in the Selfridges’ windows; the foxes and other animals are John Lewis (love the foxes taking a picture with a selfie stick). My profile picture shows us in Trafalgar Square in front of the Christmas tree that is annually sent from Norway as thanks to the UK for services rendered in WWII.