Quilting for fun on the PowerQuilter and a blustery day out.

DMTV viewers will be familiar with my recent iris piece. I've really enjoyed adding the details that bring it all to life on the Pfaff PowerQuilter this week. I can't praise the big machine table enough - makes free motion quilting an absolute pleasure and so quick!

On the same subject I was happy to receive this lovely image yesterday........

One of our DMTV members, Mary, tells me she had great fun stencilling the iris design too. Thanks for allowing me to share your photo Mary and good luck with the quilting. Hopefully this week's video will give you some ideas to inspire!

We've been anticipating it for so long so it was very exciting to see wonderful work materialising in Laura's first two classes last week. The pavilion had seemed so pristine and almost clinical until the place started to gradually fill with the buzz of creative people and their colourful output. I was itching to join in too but had to content myself with providing snacks and lunch! There are lots more photos of both days over on Laura's blog. We've decide summer is upon us so it won't be wholesome vegetable soup and homemade bread next time - we're moving on to salads. Of course there will still be home baked cake and shortbread. You need to keep the engine stoked!

On the day of the second class we voted to leave Laura in peace with her students and entertain Amelie at a local hands-on farm. There were new lambs and goat kids only a day or two old as well as chickens which roam free and peck at your shoes as you sit eating your lunch! It was a wild and windy day with horizontal sleet from time to time but what made my day was meeting a lovely lady who cares for rescued owls. The Tawny owls above had all been involved in car accidents but were obviously recovering well under her tender care. She had a complete parliament of owls for us to admire and even stroke.

You probably know how much I love birds and I really feel I need to paint some of these gorgeous characters even if this little fellow looks more like a stuffed toy than a living and breathing creature!

Hope you're being creative and feeling optimistic for the coming months. There is so much trouble and horror in the world right now we all need to find solace in small pleasures. Be thankful that we have our passion for art and stitch!

Talk again soon,
Linda x