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An old photo of my boro scarf.

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Beautiful appliqué art at Osho Leela, Gillingham.

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A new design full of spring colour!

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Spotted this yarn bomb in Amsterdam. Cheerful colours for spring!

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A Bristol Orphanage Sampler

My version was inspired in particular by two historical examples. The first was stitched by Mary Ann Tipper in 1868 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The second was stitched by Rhoda Morley in 1875 and is held in the collection of the George Müller Foundation Museum in Bristol.

Find the pattern in my Etsy shop: Quiltify Design. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/QuiltifyDesign

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This is my work in progress for a Bristol Orphanage style sampler pattern. If you have a keen eye you might spot the missing Y and j which I now have to find space for! These samplers were stitched at the Müller orphanages in Bristol and all follow a similar pattern with rows of alphabets followed by rows of border designs and motifs. You can find more information on the Bristol Orphanages HERE.

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My new pattern: Nouveau Vierlanden

Vierlanden is a marshy area near Hamburg, Germany. From about 1770 to 1850 samplers from this region featured densely stitched circular motifs of all sizes alongside crowns, diamonds and angels. I have named this sampler Nouveau Sampler to reflect the fact that is a modern interpretation of these traditional designs and because the alphabet font that I have created incorporates curves inspired by art nouveau designs.

The arrangement of the circular motifs is inspired by a sampler stitched by Metta Putfarcken and dated 1848. The original is held in the collection of the Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte in Germany. However my version is significantly smaller, being 249 x 237 crosses with 21 major motifs, compared to the original at approximately 460 x 490 crosses with 125 major motifs!

Find the pattern in my Etsy shop: Quiltify Design. www.etsy.com/uk/shop/QuiltifyDesign

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Adding a wide binding to this quilt. As this is my first attempt I’m bracing myself for the likelihood that I’ve messed up on the measurements. Fingers crossed...

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Sitting in the van in my dog walking jeans. I’ve internally patched with a layer of red cotton and a layer of denim so they are nice and warm. Perfect for the frosty weather.

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Just visited the Blackmore Vale Spinners and Weavers open day. A friendly bunch, I came away with lots of inspiration and some great knitting tips. Their members are all getting elderly and frail, there is a worry that knowledge won’t be passed onto the next generation. Fingers crossed this event helps to draw in some younger enthusiasts.

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I bought this simple Sashiko (刺し子) kit from a little yarn store called Echizen_ya (株式会社 越前屋) in Tokyo on a recent trip. This type of Sashiko is called Hitomezashi and I love the way a simple running stitch can be used to create this stunning pattern. A great way to pass the time on this train journey!

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Thanks so much to Jessica for featuring my All Souls Vielanden sampler pattern on her YouTube channel!

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A selection of tenugui at Blue & White in Tokyo

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I was recently lucky enough to visit the Blue & White store in Tokyo where I met owner, author and artist Amy Katoh. The store is a treasure trove of found Japan including this beautiful indigo fabric and sashiko supplies.

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Fabric salvaged from a sample book all cut and ready to be made into a simple patchwork quilt. The fabric pattern is quite large so I'll keep these big blocks as they are. The fabric is the Maritime collection from Clarke & Clarke.