Tiny Dancers, Textiles and Travels

Last weekend we visited a Coin and Collectors Fair in Riga.

The Fair is held monthly in a school and is a sometimes strange mix of items. The majority of the stalls sell coins and stamps, but then you get two stalls together selling such odd bedfellows as military equipment and china figurines. The Fair takes over the whole school building so there are people setting up their stalls on the stairs as well as lots of trading going on in the entrance to the building.

Plenty of inspiration here for jewellery, but I was particularly taken with these tiny dancers

Aren't they cute? A couple of them might just have found their way into my hands in exchange for some Lats!

Walking around Riga Old Town at the weekend I discovered a poster for an exhibition by the Latvian Textile Artists Association that was taking place in a beautiful old church. Needless to say I hotfooted it straight there, as it was already the last day of the exhibition. As I had gone out without my camera I press-ganged my husband's camera, but it was a poor substitute. On leaving, however, I discovered that the exhibition had another day to run so I was straight back there the next day and this time my camera came too.

I have entered Rikka's Ring your Neck scarf challenge so was looking for inspiration. This took my eye

and in close-up

I just wanted to stroke it but managed to refrain!

These were also inspiring

The artist entitled this piece Drops of Emotion.

This, however, was my favourite

It is entitled My favourite scarecrow

and when I looked at the title label I discovered that it is by a textile artist called Edite Pauls-Vignere, whose work I have seen exhibited several times before. Every single time I have visited an exhibition where this artist is exhibited, without realising I have always picked one of her pieces as my favourite. If only I had the bank balance to match my taste!

When you read this the packers will have arrived and I shall be watching my sewing equipment disappear into the back of a large van, to be seen again who knows when. To keep my mind off of this state of affairs I have been busy cutting out fabric for more Saaremaa Star blocks for the journey home.

There hasn't been much progress on the WIP list this week but I guess that is not unexpected :)

Ongoing

• 7 blocks of In Color Order HST BOM ( 3 blocks behind schedule)
• (Almost) Irish Chain quilt basted
• 9/24 Zakka-style SAL projects completed
• Teatime quilt pieced, backed and basted 
• 5 blocks of NY Beauty QAL completed and fabric cut for remaining 5 blocks
• 14 blocks of Craftsy BOM completed (2 months behind schedule) 
• 12 Sunday Morning Quilt Bee blocks completed (on schedule)
• 4 Star of Africa Bee blocks completed and sent (on schedule just!)

Waiting

• Indigo and violet rainbow cushions
• Last block of Sampler quilt
• Holiday Cushion Blog Hop
• Hoop-la-la swap  
• Ring your Neck scarf challenge

Hope you have been having a productive week.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday

Songs, Stars and Bees

I just had time before the sewing machine was packed away for the move to catch up on my (late) block for the Star of Africa Bee. Benta, whose month it was, is planning to put the blocks together for a quilt for her upcoming Silver Anniversary in March. She asked for a wonky star block made up of four 8.5" blocks with a central 8.5" block to represent each member's country or culture. The thought of making 5 blocks had put me off tackling this in the run-up to the move, so although I knew what I planned to do, I just didn't think I had the time to do it.

As it turns out it wasn't such a difficult block after all! Although it probably helps that the centre block, representing the Latvian national flag was pretty straightforward.

The fabric surrounding the flag and the star points is of musical notes on a black background. You can see it more closely below.

Music is very much part of the national identity here in Latvia. Indeed the events leading to the independence of the Baltic Nations, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia between 1987 and 1991 are known here as "The Singing Revolution". So it seemed fitting to incorporate the national Flag and music symbols in one block to represent Latvia.

Each month in the Star of Africa Bee, I think I am never going to come up with something appropriate for the Queen Bee, but so far so good! This month Nicky has asked for blocks based on local fairytales or legends and thanks to my lovely blogging friend Kristy, I already have something up my sleeve for that! That will definitely have to wait until my fabrics are unpacked again though.

These fabrics won't be among those being unpacked but you can see why I just had to make one last trip to the linen shop in Lithuania :)

Actually when I look at those photos more closely I think some of them might have made their way into a box.


If you are a vintage fabric fan or love the DS quilt fabrics by Denyse Schmidt, check out the giveaway and money off coupon that Karen is currently running to promote her new Etsy shop.

Finally, here are this week's stops on the Travellin' Pic Stitch Blog Hop

22 Lucy @ Charm About You

23 Claire @ Sewing Over Pins

24 Em @ Sewing By Moonlight

25 Celine @ Esprit Patch

26 Shawn @ Creative Inspiraciones

Linking up to BOM's Away and Building Blocks Tuesday.

Halloween Pumpkin Lantern tablemat

I am on a roll with Halloween projects. Since I tackled the modern Dresden block in the Craftsy BOM I have been thinking of using the block as a tablemat, so what better excuse to have than a Pumpkin Lantern tablemat!

The pumpkin lantern in the photo was an impulse buy in Germany on our recent road trip. We passed through a village near the Polish border, where a whole car park was taken over with a gorgeous display of pumpkins and squashes for sale. I regretted not stopping at the time to take a photo, so was not going to pass up the chance later to buy the lantern as a reminder.

Enough of the reminiscing here's how to make the tablemat.

You will need:

Materials

1 FQ of 4 Different Halloween Fabrics, (I used 2 prints and 2 solids)
1 FQ black cotton for backing and centre circle
12.5" square of Insul-Bright Wadding
1.5m jumbo ric-rac
Easy Dresden ruler (optional)

Cut

5 x 4" Dresden Plate blades from each fabric
2 x 4.25" circle from the black cotton
1 x 12.5" square from the black cotton
1 x 12"    circle from the Insul-Bright wadding

Step 1

Join the Dresden blades together alternating the fabrics to make a 20 blade Dresden Plate. Join them in pairs, then 4's until you have a complete circle

Step 2

Pin the jumbo ric-rac to the outer edge of the Dresden plate right sides facing. Matching the curve of the ric-rac turn under at each end to hide the raw edges. Machine baste.

With the black backing square right side up pin the Dresden plate right side down to the backing square. The right sides will be facing each other with the ric-rac trim between them.

Stitch with a 0.25" seam around the edge of the Dresden Plate.

Trim the backing square to match the Dresden plate. Pull the backing through the centre circle to turn right sides out.

Step 3


Place the wadding circle between the backing and Dresden Plate by inserting through the centre circle and adjusting with your fingers to flatten.

Step 4

Pin the 2 x 4.25" circles right sides together. Stitch all around with a 0.25" seam. Gently pull the circles away from each other to separate them so that you can cut a slit across the centre of one.

Clip the curves, then pull the other circle through the slit. Press.

Step 5

Pin the centre circle to the centre of the Dresden Plate evenly covering the blade ends. Machine blanket stitch with black thread around the circle to attach.

Step 6

I used the scallop embroidery stitch on my machine to embroider black bats randomly on the mat to finish.

Set up your pumpkin lantern and wait for the ghosts and ghouls to come out!

Check out the great giveaway too at Plum and June , a bundle of Cloud 9 organic fabrics could be heading your way!

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday, Manic Monday , Sew Modern Monday and Sunday Showcase .