Pam Holland Designs and Productions

A chip off the old block

Tilly had a sleep over last night.

So you copy Bamma and get up in the morning...and  first thing you do is a little Drapplique.

Truckers Quilting.

How many stitches.?

How many stitches in the small of your back does it take to render you an invalid. 

10... unexpected stitches in the back and 10 in the leg...

The problem is, they won't come out for 3 weeks and I will have to do it myself...!!!

Well the leg will be OK,  the back... interesting.!!

Maybe I could make it a class project.

It's almost Easter.

Download It's almost Easter

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It's almost Easter and I'm chatting on my podcast about the trials and tribulations of camping with 15 children and the quilting of the Rhino Quilt....!!! ooh, how the fabric moved.

Block 18 is a little different.

How did I make it? well I cheated, I already had the flower and the rabbit on the piece of black felt... I don't even remember why I did it really. I don't even know how old it is... I just found it as I was cleaning out...

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Do Rabbits chase birds?.... well in my imagination they do.

Follow the URL above for the inspiration.

Latest Video

Join me on my travels while I worked in the village Teotitlan in Oaxaca.

I hope you enjoy the colors, the inspiration and the new quilts.

It's about as close as I can get to sharing the sounds, colors and inspiration with you.

 visit the Quilt show

Students work.

One of the nicest things about being a teacher is the interaction with Students. One of my students in Mexico has made a super quilt with inspiration from class in San Miguel Allende. It was lovely in class and now it's finished. It's just great.

Take a look.

Quilts and threads blog

It's a huge responsibility being a teacher... a few years ago it worried me considerably. I wondered where the bar ended... and was I having the correct impact on the students in my class. I sought answers from friends that I held in high esteem. Basically they told me, you worked hard to get this far, now work with it.... so I am.

The photos below have been sent to me by some of my recent students... I love seeing how they have progressed. I'm chuffed

King

Marjolein  Bastiaans

Jan Reed

 

Lucy, Mexican Tiles in Mexico City.

Thanks on Mothers behalf.

You know, I guess we take it for granted that our parents do things... Mum embroidered all her life... I thought "every Mother does that"

Just like all my children thought that every Mother had a shed and went out there to play with fabric.

Joshua, aged 33, had one of my books in his bag the other day.... "What are you doing with that Joshy." I said....

"Oh, I'm going to show it to my mates at Strath......"

His comment later the next day... "Gees they thought your work was Wicked"

Joshy is my staunchest supporter... almost getting in a fight with a fellow worker over whose Mother was the most clever a few years back......! I shake my head and smile.

So now I will make sure Mums work is  appreciated and remembered.... and I thank you all for you kind comments.

Block No 17 completed.

Beginning with the lips, and a rayon thread, I first began quilting with a straight stitch and very quickly changed to a free motion zig zag. I change the stitch to 1.5 stitch width and 1.5 stitch length, feed dogs up, free motion foot on the machine and go for it... You will the width is really  set by the dial, however, the length is up to you and the speed with which you move the fabric.

To view the process click the URL below.

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Tomato lips.

The ear problem is sort of solved... It seems my jaw is out of alignment and pushing on my inner ear....

I mean to say, how darn whacky... now what to do... visit the chiropractor for a face massage... it conjures up all sorts of images...!!!!!

So no work in the shed today until a short time ago....

Last night I began to prepare challenge block no 13 and tonight I started block no 17, this weeks block.

I have a Mexican theme one for No 13 and a topical one for the tomato lips for this weeks...

Both are done in a similar way....

The tomato lips have subsided, but I thought it would make an interesting block.... but how on earth am I going to quilt them?

(for those who missed the previous blogs, I am allergic to fresh fruit and veg, but my home grown tomatoes are too much of a temptation. I ate tomato on toast at every meal.....So I had very swollen lips.... still I ate the tomatoes.)

 

I'll explain more as I work through them.