Stitchin' the Void

Happy First of June and thank you for stopping by to catch up with Boo and me as we furtle our way back through May. It was a bit of a mixed month for us but thankfully with more highlights than low points, and I've actually been more productive than I usually am at this time of year... My main focus has been to plough on with the fpp Highland Cow for my island-dwelling friend and I have to say that the quilting part has actually gone quite smoothly. If I want anything to look at all reasonable, it has to be walking foot for me but that's ok. For the cow, I decided to pick out the detail on the head by quilting alternative sections (I think this gives it a little extra texture) and then tackle the background with sweeping trails of leaves. Quilting to pick out the forelock Leaves leaves and more leaves Basic leaf shapes are simple and confidence-giving, and I think the cow looks like she's peering through a hedge! And for the first time ever, I have no r...

HAPPY BELTANE to one and all as we move out of April and into May. 'March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers' and all that. Oh, but there's also 'Ne'er cast a clout 'til May be out' - and certainly the weather has taken another chilly turn  here in Lanarkshire.  Which may be as well for me as I have TONS of the stitchy stuff to finish but as the days get longer and warmer, I get further away from my sewing space. I need to make the most of the chill and crack on a bit, I think. So, what was happening stitchy-wise at the Grout Homestead in March? Well, perhaps not as much as should have been but I have enjoyed Highland Cow wrangling as I got a good start on the enlarged version of Tartankiwi's pattern. A friend had asked me to make her an fpp cow at double the size of the original and this seemed perfectly doable. Until I got to the printing, that is. I'd assumed I just needed to find an A3 printer and increase the print size but, n...

APRIL Already and the year seems to be rocketting by even faster than normal - which I deny is a sign of age. THE age, maybe but definitely not MINE! However, with the longer evenings and a bit of warmth in the sun, I'm certainly not going to complain. I've had a good month out here in the sticks and it's been amazing how the indoor stuff has all revolved around fpp. And I'm not going to complain about that either (my goodness, I AM going through a mellow phase!) as I am a real fpp addict. So, this is what I've been up to ... Firstly,  my owl project has progressed nicely I think and I finally came to the decision to yes, include the mouse but to show him escaping. The back story is that the owl WOULD have eaten him cos that's how it happens but he's not actually very hungry as he's just eaten a vegan sausuage roll from a well known chain of bakers. So if mousie escapes, no-one suffers.  I love it when a plan comes together .... except ... The love...

Hello from a very warm, unseasonal Scotland. I am generally no fan of February but this past month has been great. I've had my first two mountain days without being wrapped up to the nines, been able to have my first old-fashioned brew up on my backpacking stove above 650m without risking hypothermia while waiting for my tea to boil and I've even ridden out on Murph the Smurf without a coat. Happy days indeed. And the stitchin' hasn't been bad either. I think I'm most pleased with getting a quilt top finished using bee blocks from kind members of the Edinburgh Modern Quilt Guild and being able to prove I'd actually done something with them by our February meeting! I'd asked for citrus colours in  a Calico Puzzle block I'd stumbled across and the result really is nice and fresh. When it's finished, the quilt will go to Siblings Together; it will be my first designated charity quilt - something I've wanted to do for ages but have just not ...

Hello everyone, and welcome to my  NEW blog. I've wanted to write a blog for a long time but I've been either too technically inept or too lazy to fathom out how to go about it. However, the lure of being able to furtle the blogosphere with Mini Archie on a monthly basis has been just the carrot and stick I've needed! So, I'm Sue and  have a harlequin personality.  I'm (hopefully although I sometimes wonder) an Improving Quilter who loves all things outdoorsy and adventurous and when not puzzling over my sewing machine can be found yomping up pointy things with my trusty hound, Uisken (aka Boo) or clinging on for dear life to my new riding pony, Murphy (aka Murph the Smurf). On Instagram Uisken and I go by @sue_and_boo But enough of that for now as I need to get a wiggle on as time is running out for the first link up with MA's furtle and I still need to get his help in posting these ramblings! I am not the most prolific of stitchists (read, slow) but...