Stitching my way into spring …

Thank you so much to everyone who sent kind and supportive messages about my new quilt project incorporating many of my embroidery projects from past issues of the Bustle & Sew Magazine.  I’ve made further progress over the last week and above is a selection of my latest blocks – it’s definitely going to be a vibrant, colourful creation when complete!

There will be plenty of colour in the March Magazine too, celebrating the reawakening of life in the garden and countryside around us as spring advances, as well as the countdown to Easter which this year falls at the end of the first week of April. It feels as though I’m stitching my way into spring!

On another note, I often feel that working on a coloured background fabric can be a bit of an act of faith when you’re using soluble transfer sheets as the colour isn’t really visible through the sheet…

And you have to keep turning your work over to see how it’s working out!  This is the Fine Feathered Friends Hoop from the March Magazine and it’s stitched on pea green linen from a supplier I discovered on Facebook.  I’d resisted their adverts for quite some time – I’m always a bit sceptical about Facebook adverts – but I finally took the plunge and ordered a pack of their fabric samples…

And was especially impressed with their medium weight linen fabrics that come in a positive rainbow of colours.  They are absolutely perfect for stitching, being firmly woven and quite a fine weave.  Best of all for my budget, I ordered the 5 1/2″ square samples which turned out to be just about big enough (they were quite generous) for a 5″ hoop.  The supplier’s name is Earthy Textiles and they’re based in Lithuania…

Their linen fabric is £17.65 per metre for 145cm width which I think is extremely reasonable, and they ship worldwide.  I’ve placed two orders with them now and both have arrived within 10 days – so watch out for lots more colourful stitching from me in in the weeks and months ahead!