Feeling a bit blue today. I always feel a little flat the day after magazine publication day – all the effort, all the planning and creating has come to fruition and – pouf! That’s it until the next time! I’ve also had some upsetting personal news …. so my flatness has turned into feelings of blue (does that make sense? I’m not sure). Anyway .. as my grandma used to say “When you’re feeling blue my girl, just stop and count your blessings!” And I do have a lot of blessings to count, probably many more than I deserve. But the real pick-you-up for me is fabric and sewing, so I thought I’d make something I’ve been planning for a little while. Nice and simple, but lots of colour to cheer me up:
Doesn’t look very colourful at the moment does it? But I’m sure you have guessed what it is …..
It’s a picnic blanket – a patchwork one – with a waterproof backing (perfect for our damp English weather). And it’s a gift for one of the most enthusiastic picnic-ers I know – my daughter Rosie. I’ve tried to choose fabrics that she’ll enjoy, and not too much Cath Kidston!
I’m trying to convince Rosie that there are lots of other lovely fabrics to choose from as well as Cath. So there’s quite a lot of Tilda in this blanket, as well as some Cape Ann by Liesl Gibson for Oliver + S, vintage Laura Ashley and some pieces that I simply can’t remember where they came from. I think the strong geometric designs of the polka dots and red gingham set off the florals nicely and stop the blanket from becoming too “wishy-washy” (another term from my Grandma!). It’s nice and lightweight for carrying too. I cut 5″ squares and joined them into strips and then into a 12 x 9 square rectangle which I lightly quilted onto a Hobbs Poly-Down Crib-size backing. I chose this as it won’t shrink on washing and is nice and light.
I didn’t quilt the waterproof backing though as in my experience(!) water will leak through even the smallest needle holes if given the chance. I simply stitched the backing to the top, right sides together and turned out, topstitching all the way around the edge to encourage the layers to lie flat together. During this process I developed a strong admiration for anyone who works with waterproof nylon on a regular basis – it’s the most horrid, slippery stuff! Two pink (very girlie) ties stitched into the turning gap when closing complete the blanket. I do hope Rosie likes it.
Now we’re off to the beach – perfect for blowing at least some of those blues away!
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