Nothing like a deadline is there?

I really hope the lovely people at Minerva aren't reading this or they may begin to panic. The quilts will be there on time for the hanging I promise! I worked like a demon yesterday and again all day today to get the 3rd new piece for our SiX and Friends Orientation exhibition finished. Thank goodness it's only small and the other two bigger pieces are already complete.

Here it is under the needle yesterday lunchtime.

For a bit of light relief from the repetitive quilting I painted in a little critter using discharge paste - can you tell what it is yet? He's swimming between the waterlily stems blissfully unaware of the fate that awaits him. If you've been paying attention and seen the two mad heron quilts in this triptych you'll know what I mean!

Here he is once the dry discharge paste has been ironed to remove the colour of the digital print. That's the beauty of Fingerprint fabrics - they are printed with dyes that discharge just like regular Procion dyes!

I quite like his unadorned state but he may have additional painting - I haven't decided yet.

While I was in free motion quilting mode I finished the lower edge of this Fingerprint panel. It's a sample destined for our stand at Festival of Quilts in August so for once I'm ahead of a deadline.

I'm not the only one being productive- our Creative Sketchbooks students have been busy again as well this week and I'm grateful to Rosemary for agreeing to share a few of her latest pages with everyone.

Laura and I love to see all our students' work but sketchbooks are secretly our favourite.

Lovely monoprints!

Thought I'd end this post with a photo I took in the lane this week. After watching Springwatch on TV for days on end, when nothing happened with the bee's nest they were filming, we had this happen on our doorstep. It's a honeybee swarm hanging in the hedge like a big squirming egg! No sign of them next day so the scouts must have found a nice new home!

Thanks for dropping by - Linda