SAL and an update

Yesterday was my usual Sunday SAL with Sally. I got quite a lot done as –despite the numerous colour changes – it’s a pretty easy stitch, not too much fiddly detail. I have one small row to do – another darning pattern “path” and then I will be at the half way point – not bad for three sessions work! If I keep this rate up, I should be finished at the end of May, but I have a lot of gift stitching to do next month, so it probably won’t work out like that.





This is the project I’ve been calling the “Sludge Monster” – it’s actually not a very fair name for it, because although the colours are muted, and mainly browns, it’s quite warm in tone. I had hoped to have this finished for the end of the month, but that won’t happen now due to my evening commitments over the next couple of days, and I will be laying this aside whilst I work on my gift stitching.





This is the first block in my rather ambitious quilting project – a sampler quilt! I’ve not stitched this in the usual American pieced way, rather the old fashioned English way, using papers, as I’m stitching it all by hand (and without a rotary cutter and stuff). This block is called Rail Fence, apparently.





And this is a work in progress – the second block, called Maple Leaf. Given the fact that my partner is Canadian, I had to work this one in! Again, it’s pieced using papers. The green cotton I’ve used to tack (baste) the papers in with was some from my late gran’s stash, which I inherited. Actually, I’m using a lot of thread from her workbasket – it’s nice to have that connection to her.

As you can see, the colours are quite warm and bright - I will be introducing a moss green at some point, too, and another accent colour. I've chosen fabrics with abstract patterns or mottles rather than (say) flowers or leaves - I want the fabric shapes to be the pattern, not the print on the fabric.