Winter Sunshine

I have to admit to struggling a bit just lately with this horrible cough and the grey days we have been having in the UK recently.   New Year's Day was a lovely bright day but somehow we didn't get ourselves outside so today when the sun came out DH and I stirred our stumps and took a very short drive to the local canal.

We had no sooner stepped onto the path than I caught a glimpse of a streak of bright blue from a kingfisher zipping along the canal.  What a treat!  It flew off twice more before we lost sight of it but sadly was never within reach for a photograph.

We havn't walked along this stretch of the canal before even, though it's only about 2 miles from home, so it was a journey of discoveries and very pleasant in the unseasonably warm sunshine.

I think this milestone was in roman numerals telling us we were just 2 miles from the town as we definitely weren't 11.

 

This sight of rooks getting organised in the treetops brought memories of my old Ladybird book, "What to Look for in Spring", one of my favourite childhood books.   I love the sound of the rooks chattering in their rookery, a harbinger of Spring.

There were lots of reflections to enjoy even though the water was a bit cloudy.  We havn't had as much rain as some parts of the country but there is quite a bit of run-off from the surrounding fields so that probably accounts for the colour of the water.

On a creative note I have been looking for inspiration for my traveller's blanket inspired by Dijanne Cevaal.   Dijanne's own blanket is on the cover of the latest issue of Quilting Arts. Some time ago I bought a piece of fabric that had been dyed and printed by Els Van Baarle and it has been sitting in my stash waiting for me to feel brave enough to use it.  I was loathe to cut it up and thought it might be suitable for this treatment.  

 

This is not a good photo of it but it gives the general idea.  The overall size is about 24" square or thereabouts and the fabric is loosely woven and lightweight.  I have layered it over a soft blanket base and silk, scrim and sheer fabrics so it should be gentle on the hands for sewing.  As the weave of the top fabric is loose it allows some of the colours underneath to show through and the patterns on Els's fabric are enhanced in turn.  

I have decided to add random squares echoing the colours in the main fabric using the fabrics that form the layer beneath and I am hoping to use stitch to enhance and echo the printing.  You should be able to see the nature of the fabrics in the images above.

Aren't these interesting marks?

This will be a very slow cloth as I don't want to wreck it with the stitching so I will take my time.  Maybe it will provide me with a portable project that will last me all year.

I have finished one piece since the start of the year so I hope I can carry that on through the year too.

I won a jelly roll at a Quilters Guild Regional Day last year and I added to it with strips cut from some African fabrics in my stash to make this lap quilt.  Actually, using the piecing method I used I have 2 lap quilts and the other is waiting to be finished. 

The backing is an African shawl that I found in my Mum's belongings (her neighbour used to travel to Africa regularly) which I felt fitted the bill.  The words are Swahili and seem to translate loosely to ' heart desire I cannot pronounce'. (You didn't know I could speak Swahili, did you?).  As this is going to be a Linus quilt it seems very apt.  I have finished the quilt using decorative machine stitches and variegated thread.

Onward and upward!

Glorious Sunday!

Did you have a glorious days' weather today? In the Midlands in the UK we woke up to a sharp frost which soon cleared away to a wonderful Springlike day with the birds practising their Spring songs. It has been a "good to be alive" day
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After a visit to the local crematorium to commemorate my DH's Mum's birthday which would have been this Tuesday (she passed away 2 years ago), we decided to do a quick supermarket shop and then pop out to the Vale of Belvoir for Sunday lunch. We went to the Rutland Arms, known locally as "The Dirty Duck" adjacent to the (currently unused) Grantham Canal. The service here is so quick you barely have time to settle at your table before the meal is in front of you! Roast beef twice (one normal, one child's portion for me!) went down very well! There must have been at least 9 vegetables including the potatoes and it was all piping hot! Lovely!
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We didn't linger too long and thought we really should make full use of the sunshine so we decided to walk along the canal in the opposite direction to the one we normally take. As you can see from the collage there was plenty to see. The reeds and rushes looked beautiful in the afternoon sunshine.

Aren't these reed seeds so delicate?

You can see from my hubby just how tall the reeds are along this stretch of the canal (he's about 5'8" tall). There are plans to open up and clear all the canal from Nottingham to Grantham so that it is navigable.

Looking across the fields you can see Belvoir Castle on the hilltop. (Excuse the pylon, DH wouldn't move it for me lol).

These gouges under the bridge arch were caused by the ropes which were harnessed to the horses which used to pull the barges along the canal. Iwould imagine you can see these on many canal bridges up and down the country.

I don't how long this sign has been painted on the bridge over the canal but it has a lovely feeling of age about it.

My DH took this photo of our drive home after the walk - yes, there are hills in Lincolnshire!

These ladies were also enjoying the sunshine. I am fascinated with the marks on the old building in the background of this photograph which seems not to be in use.

The patterns on the hardboard must have potential in mixed media or even in fabric and I like the pattern over the door.

And how about this tree trunk for texture? Click on it for a proper looksee. Wouldn't this be fun in Photoshop?!