to see or not to see your stitches

This one of six has been a lesson on finding the right thread.
Whether you're happy to show a few stitches
 or want them completely hidden is a personal preference.

Generally I use an offwhite or a pale grey thread,

which are usually okay if I'm piecing patterned fabrics.

I have used darker threads in the past when I'm stitching dark fabrics.

And so we have the dilemma of stitching dark and light together.

I am a pretty lazy stitcher, in that I like a long continuous thread with few knots.

 However I'm not keen on the white showing through the green.

I tried a medium blue but wasnt keen on the stitches showing on the paler fabrics.

 So I've taken the decision to sew quality stitches,
afterall I am in no rush,
so mindful stitches it is.

Apologies for the colour of my photographs

the green I have used is really green in real life.

Check out my Instagram page for true colour pictures

lets start at the very beginning

 Last summer I went to the Festival of Quilts 

and met my friend Rachel.

Yep I met Rachel from Stitched in Color

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever actually meet

the lovely Rachel who I've known online for years.

Minutes after our meet

we were sat next to each other oohing over the antique quilts 

being shown by Christopher Tate from the

Antique Quilt Company 

I partitculary loved the intricacies of the tiny hexagon quilts.

And so the seed was sown.

As you know I like to make my own templates,

 however

 finding precut papers in tiny sizes from 

Sew and Quilt

was a shortcut I was willing to take.

An idea began to form in my head,

the easy option would be to go for the 'pretty' route,

but you know thats not really me.

I began to struggle with the idea I had,

I knew what I wanted the quilt to look like, 

I just needed solid inspiration.

And so I have finally vowed to make a Charleston Farmhouse quilt

and stick faithfully to their colours and ethos.

Charleston Farmhouse is the beautifully hand decorated

home of Vanessa Bell and friends of 

The Bloomsbury Set.

The descriptive I'm working towards is 

a quilt that Vanessa Bell might have bought from

 Tinsmiths beautiful store

 I have chosen to sew purely with Kona cotton solids

(purchased from WoolWarehouse UK)

I feel this quilt will be busy enough without added patterns.

Colours for reference

Starting at the top left.

spice, wasabi, ballerina, kiwi, stone,

curry, parakeet, pepper, silver, holly,

creamsicle, cerise, pickle, candy green,

mango, mahogany, buttercup, gumdrop,

bluegrass, biscuit, maize, glacier.

There have been and will continue to be many decisions

regarding the design and colour.

I hope you will follow along with 

the rollercoaster ride I feel this quilt will take us on!

Calling this quilt 'The Vanessa' quilt for now.

a new hope

 hello

I have missed this little space of mine.

I have been lost in the world of fast-o-gram

for too long!

I am still english paper piecing

and currently working on a 

half inch hexagon quilt.

This will be my quilt diary.

 I shall be sharing more details and decisions

but for now I just want to get this first post published

and get on with stitching!