Sunday 21 January 2018

Winter Chicken Quilt


Today it is snowing in Lincolnshire, soft and wet stuff that does not settle but will make the roads freeze and dangerous tonight. It is a day to stay inside and eat cake. Hibernation seems a good idea and it was hard to get up this morning from a warm bed. So I want to tell you about this lovely book, a just right book for a day like today.....


Making Winter by Emma Mitchell, quilt by Green Star Quilts
I will just say that I am not under the quilt, the bed is made and I am dressed in many layers and jumpers, woolly tights and a big scarf...... Emma's book is all about the way we feel in winter and how to comfort and encourage ourselves to get outside and make the most of all things wintery.

 
Making Winter by Emma Mitchell, quilt by Green Star Quilts
It is a beautiful book, with lovely photos, so carefully composed. There are things to make, recipes to try, and lots of good advice, a book to dip into when eating that cake and drinking hot coffee and a book which opens your eyes and makes you look around on a winter walk or in your garden. 
I bought it from my local book shop and Emma also has a blog with beautiful photos too. 

Making winter by Emma Mitchell, quilt by Green Star Quilts
The next thing to tell you is about is my  chicken quilt. I am making this from fabrics I have been saving in a box specially and at last I have time to start it. Here is the top so far, up on the design wall, a grand name for a flannel sheet on the wall!

Chicken quilt by Green Star Quilts
I love the way the chickens flounce across the quilt, this way and that....

Chicken quilt by Green Star Quilts
The egg, stripes and red fabrics are part of the same collection by Makower....

Chicken quilt by Green Star Quilts
It is a very simple pattern but the random placing of the small squares gives the scrappy look I love. I hope to quilt it next week and then it will be for sale on my website.

Last of all is my Project Linus UK quilt for January. Jan and I are trying to make one each month this year to donate to children in need of an extra cuddle.

Project Linus UK quilt by Green Star Quilts
I made the colour blocks from scrapes left over from another quilt and just made them into random log cabin style squares...

Project Linus UK quilt by Green Star Quilts
Each block is a little different...

Project Linus UK quilt by Green Star Quilts
The backing is bright colours to match the front and the quilting is in straight, well fairly straight lines....

Project Linus UK quilt by Green Star Quilts
Now we are going to bundle off in the car for Sunday lunch with our little ones and their parents. I have the chocolate cake ready to take too.... This is apparently a 'Random Act of Kindness' my little grand daughter informs me, as taught at Sunday school. Last week she brought me her last two chocolate pennies from her stocking as a 'R.A.K'  but was rather surprised that we ate them without sharing! Life can be so hard to understand when you are little!!

The snow is hanging in tiny pearls from the bare branches of our beech tree, I'm just admiring winter beauty, we have snowdrops coming up though so soon it will be spring,

This is the week for hand sewing quilt bindings, nothing like a nice warm quilt over the knees,
 Happy quilting week,
Kind regards,
Sue 













3 comments:

Laura said...

Making Winter looks like a lovely book. We are having an unexpectedly cold and extended "winter" here in Florida, and I am thinking about cold weather activities in ways I haven't had to in years!

I love the Project Linus quilt -- so bright and calm at the same time.

Sue @ Quilting the Green Star said...

Hello Laura,
Gosh, when I think of Florida I think of sunshine and oranges not cold winters! I hope you have plenty of woolly jumpers to wear!

The Joyful Quilter said...

Your Winter Chickens quilt looks SEW soothing compared to that vibrant Linus Quilt!! Nice work on both.