Studio Surin

I would like to tell you about one of my dearest friend's Rachel, and her lovely mum Nicola. 

I have known Rachel since I was about 5 years old.  (Oh my goodness we have been friends for over 25 years - where has the time gone!)  We have such a lovely friendship.  It's one of those where it doesn't matter how long we haven't seen each other, as when we do, we just carry on where we left off.  We don't get to see each other anywhere near as much as I would like, but we always manage to come together for those important occasions; our respective weddings, my daughter's naming ceremony, and as many times in between as time and travel will allow.

 

In France, the day before Rachel's Wedding

 

 

Rachel has a wonderful mum, Nicola.  I have been very inspired by Nicola, as over the years I was lucky enough to see some of her work as she completed her Diploma in Patchwork and Quilting.  (You can read more about that here: http://www.quiltcandygirl.blogspot.com/p/about-sarah.html) 

 

Rachel's family have now moved to France, and Nicola has a beautiful little studio, Studio Surin, where she teaches patchwork, as well as continuing to make beautiful quilts and cushions using vintage French tapestries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I am sure Nicola would be thrilled if you took a look at her Etsy page, where she has a large selection of beautiful cushions for sale. 

 

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioSurin?ref=top_trail

 

And wouldn't they make the perfect, unique Christmas present!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have enjoyed looking at Nicola's work :-)

 

 

Tea and a Chat

In case you haven't seen my other blog www.quiltcandygirl.blogspot.com then I just have to tell you my exciting news...I have been interviewed!

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.com/2012/11/tea-and-chat-with-sarah-ashford-of.html

 

If you haven't already, I would love it if you spared a minute or two to take a peek, and I would love to know what you think. 

 

Thank you so much to all my loyal followers and supporters, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. xxx

Stitching Social Media

At long last I have finished all 6 samples for the latest module of my C and G course. Hooray!

It's taken me ages and ages, for excuses  reasons including procrastination and diverted attention (www.quiltcandygirl.blogspot.com) but finally, here they are:

From top left, clockwise: 1. English quilting, inspired by the Newsvine logo; 2. Corded quilting, using the 'Blogger' logo; 3. Shadow quilting using the Picassa logo; 4.Trupunto (stuffed Quilting) inspired by the Twitter logo; 5. Tied quilting, inspired by the Kiwibox Logo; 6. Suffolk Puffs, based on the Facebook Logo. 

So now to putting a portfolio together, which is great fun, before doing the dreaded paperwork!

Tied Quilting Sample

So back to the business of my City and Guilds coursework.  This time, a sample using tied quilting, based on this logo.  Have you seen it before?

 

 

I know I hadn't till recently.  It's for Kiwibox, a social media network for teenagers...that's about all I know, but if you're interested, here's the link  http://www.kiwibox.com/

 

Anyhow, as part of the 'media' theme, I decided to interpret this into my tied quilting sample, and this is what I came up with.

 

 

 

 

The buttons, are tied on, and then the rest of the sample is held together with little green bows using pearle cotton thread. 

 

It was quite fun piecing this together, but I found the little bows quite fiddly.  I don't think this would really be a very durable method of holding a quilt together - a few of my buttons fell off and had to be tied on again, and that was with just a little bit of handling!  

 

Only one sample left to go for this module, corded quilting.  I have been putting this one off for ages as it sounds fiddly.  We shall see.  

 

 





I'd love you to join me...

I really do promise this is the very last time I am going to mention my new venture. 

But I just have to share with you my new blog that I have been working on.

Non-Stop. 

All Weekend. 

I am sure you will forgive me for hoping you will take a look. 

www.quiltcandygirl.blogspot.com


And I would be *delighted* if you would become a follower. But no pressure. Only if you want to ;-)

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I will be back soon with more sewing updates!

And the Winner is...

So today it's time for me to draw the winner from my little giveaway that I ran to celebrate the launch of my brand new website www.quiltcandy.co.uk.  Thank you to all those who took part and 'liked' me on facebook, I really apprecaite it.  So without further ado, and with a little help from Mr Random number generator, the winner is...

Menai 24 October 2012 19:34

Liked, followed& tweeted (and will be pinned as soon as Pinterest is back up & running!) - congratulations, all items are gorgeous especially bunting!

 

 

Congratulations Menai! And thank you for being such a loyal and dedicated follower.  I shall be in touch soon to find out which book you would like as your prize :-)

 

Menai also has a wonderful, funny, humourous and fabulous blog at http://menai.posterous.com/ I am sure she would be thrilled if you take a look.

 

Thank you so much if you took part, and I promise not to harp on about Quilt Candy in every blogpost. 

 

I now have a Quilt Candy blog, www.quiltcandygirl.blogspot.com so I shall keep all my QC ramblings on that blog.  I promise! 

 

Back soon with pictures of my tied quilting sample :-)

 

 

 

 

Fresh Sewing Day

So it's the 1st of November and Fresh Sewing Day over at Lily's Quilts. 



But I have to say I am feeling pleased with myself  because I think I have got my biggest collage of finishes to date.

Main: Vintage India baby quilt; Top Right and down: Cross Stitch card for baby Amelia; Applique towel for Zane; 'In a Spin' pinwheel blanket for dolly; Applique towel for Indy; Pirate blanket for Patch the dog; shadow quilting sample using Picasa Logo; trupunto sample using Twitter Logo;  English quilting based on the Newsvine logo; Suffolk puffs using the Facebook Logo. 

 

The samples using the logos are for my City and Guilds coursework, sampling different quilting techniques.  And the Vintage India quilt and the mini quilts are for Quilt Candy...which is my brand new website www.quiltcandy.co.uk

 

 

 

I would love it if you would take a look, and to celebrate I am having a giveway, closing at 12.00pm tomorrow!  Click here to read the post and enter...there's a quilting book of your choice to  be won!

 

If you are new to my blog then thank you so much for stopping by.  It's lovely to meet you.  Leave me a comment and I will be sure to check out your blog too :-)

 

Happy November and only 4 weeks till the C word, I best start preparations soon!

 

 

 

 

A Shadow Quilting Sample

So as well as setting up my new website www.quiltcandy.co.uk (with a little help from my husband) I have been working on another quilting sample for my City and Guilds Coursework.  Sticking with the social media theme, I decided to use the fun and colourful Picasa logo;

 

This time I had to put together a shadow quilting sample.  Bascially the design is the 'wadding' which comes through a see-through top layer.  It's a fun technique but to me it does seem a shame to 'dull down' such bright colours...applique would look much better!  But there we are, shadow quilting is what's required, so shadow quilting is what I've done. 

Close up

 

Next up, tied quilting!  It's nearly finished, I just need to add the finishing touches.  All I will say is, it's based on this logo...

 



 

Do you know what it is??!  Me neither until not long ago!  Come back soon to find out and to see my tied quilting interpretation...

Oh and don't forget the giveaway!

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2012

It was easy for me to choose which quilt to submit  for the Blogger's Quilt Festival. 

 

 



 

It had to be the one that I am most proud of, and the one that took me the longest to hand quilt this year by far.

It's my Vintage India Baby quilt. 

 

I had great fun putting this quilt together.  As soon as I saw the fat quarter bundle on the internet I just knew I had to have it and I knew instantly that I wanted to make a quilt that was as bright, colourful, busy and detailed as possible.  It only took me two afternoons to design and piece the quilt top, but several weeks to hand quilt it.  I know the the quiltng on the red panels stands out the most in these pictures but every single panel is hand quilted, that's why it took me so long.   

Here are the stats:

Finished quilt measures: 102cm x 82 cm
Special techniques used: hand quilting
Quilted by: Sarah Ashford
Best category: baby quilt, hand quilted quilt

Are you entering a quilt this year?  If so, good luck!

Dolly Needs A Quilt

First of all, a HUGE thank you to all those lovely people who have shown me encouragement and support in my new venture, Quilt Candy, it is appreciated more than you know :-)

If you don't know what I am talking about then please do take a look, www.quiltcandy.co.uk and also find me on facebook  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quilt-Candy/297065567075042

And don't forget the giveway! A personalised prize not to be missed, still 7 days till it closes!

It's been a very busy and exciting week so far but I have still managed to make a little quilt for dolly;

 

 

 

It was fun to have a quick finish, and using the quick pinwheels method, (have you tried it?) it came together in no time at all. 

Over the weekend I hope to work on another City and Guilds sample. 4 down 2 to go.  I shall post more about that soon.

What are you going to be working on this weekend? x

Launching Quilt Candy...and a BIG Giveaway!

So I have been making and posting children's and baby quilts on my blog for some time now.  And no, they are not all for my children, dear as they are.  They are in fact for my new business.

 

I would like to introduce...Quilt Candy! www.quiltcandy.co.uk

 

 

 

 

I hope you like what you see! 

 

And to help me celebrate the launch of Quilt Candy, I am hosing a very special giveaway.  I am offering the winner the chance to choose ANY book of their choice from Amazon, relating to sewing/patchwork and quilting, up to the value of £12.00! 

 

For example, you might like this one;

 

 

Or this one;

 



 

Or this one;



 

Whatever you fancy.  As long as it relates to sewing, I'm happy and it's yours!  Entries welcome worldwide :-)

And there are 3 chances to win!  This is what you have to do. 

1) Visit Quilt Candy on Facebook, 'like' the page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quilt-Candy/297065567075042 and leave me a comment on this blog telling me you have done so

2)  Follow Quilt Candy on Twitter https://twitter.com/QuiltCandyGirl and leave me a comment on this blog letting me know you have done so

3) Share the Quilt Candy website/facebook page/twitter link (one or all!) on your own blog/facebook/twitter (feel free to use any of the images in this post) and leave me a comment on this blog letting me know you have done so.

 

 

The winner will be drawn using Mr Random Number Generator on Friday 2nd November, at around midday.

 

N.B Please make sure that you are not a 'no-reply blogger' and that I have a means of contacting you if you win, so I can send you your book of choice!

 

Thank you so much for supporting me in this new, exciting adventure, I really do appreciate every single one of you.  And thank you to all my lovely friends who have already been too kind with your comments.  It really means a lot.  Best of luck with the giveaway!

Sarah x

Newsvine Time

Well I promised another sample soon, and so without further delay, here it is.  Based on the Newsvine logo, which until recently I hadn't even heard of, but I chose because I liked the colour.

 

From this...

 

 

To this...

 

To this...

 

 



Luckily it didn't take me too long to do, so now it's onto the next 3 samples.  3 down 3 to go!



From sandcastles to samples

On a little family outing yesterday afternoon, we came across the most unexpected and breathtaking exhibtion of sand art.  Take a look at this castle!

And there's more. 

 

 

And here is the man himself...who goes by the name of 'The Sand Wizard'.  None other than World Champion Sand artist, and I can see why!

I couldn't help but bombard the poor man with questions and his answers were fascinating.  Apparently he learned he could make 'castles' when playing in the sand with his daughter when she was young...and has been doing it ever since.  He is World Champion and travels the world; (off to India next week) he doesn't use normal sand but builder's sand, and the sculputures get sprayed with a glaze to preserve them from the elements.  He doesn't even plan them, just works them out as he goes along!  And apparently the castle took him 17 days and about a month for the whole exhibition.  See told you I asked him lots of questions!  It was great to meet him and learn more about what he does, and such a lovely surprise as we had no idea he was going to be there. 

 

Anyhow, onto sewing realted business, and this week I have been focusing on my City and Guilds coursework.  The theme of the module I am currently studying is 'media' and I have decided to focus on 'Social Media'.  Here is my Suffolk Puffs sample, which is meant to look like a famous logo, I hope you can guess which?!

 

 

I have also finished the Trapunto/stuffed quilting sample, again using another famous social media website as a basis for the design...

And now I am working on an English quilted sample based on the Newsvine logo.

No, I hadn't heard of it either.  Until I did some research on social media logos and decided I like the colour.  So I shall be working on that tonight while watching Downton Abbey.  If it's as good as last weeks installment, I might not get much sewing done!