Karen Lowe

THE QUILT DETECTIVE For me, 2012 is The Year of the Quilt. As well as making two patchwork quilts for the new guest beds, I have decided to make a quilt of our family history, which I've been tracing back to the 1840s, so there are quite a few leaves on the tree. I am also working on my first quilting novel, The Quilt Detective. It is subtitled 'a mystery in sixty pieces' and I am uploading the motifs from the story each month.
	More motifs from the chapters of The Quilt Detective: ivy leaf, mistletoe, holly leaves, peony, and daisy. To download them for use with Cameo or Craft Robo, please click on the links (right). I printed out the PDF file, then cut them by hand once the fabric was backed with iron on t-shirt vinyl. I will use beads or sequins for the holly and mistletoe berries. Click here to download the PDF file of the motifs.	Craft Robo GSD file Silhouette Studio file
	Four more motifs from the chapters of The Quilt Detective: a daffodil, a violet, a bell and an oak leaf. To download them for use with Cameo or Craft Robo, please click on the links (right). I printed out the PDF file, then cut them by hand once the fabric was backed with iron on t-shirt vinyl.The centre of the flowers are highlighted with small flower sequins. Click here to download the PDF file of the motifs.	Craft Robo GSD file Silhouette Studio file
	The opening chapters feature four motifs: a rose, a primrose, a fern and a key. To download them for use with Cameo or Craft Robo, please click on the links (right). I cut them with the Cameo by first ironing t-shirt vinyl onto the fabric, then with vinyl side down, cut out the motif as normal, using the cutting mat. With the Robo, cut the motif first in iron on vinyl. You do not need the cutting mat for vinyl. Then weed the motif, iron it onto fabric, and trim the fabric by hand. I can then stitch the motifs onto the hexagons and decorate with more stitching or beading. The rose is already layered using iron-on backing. Always do a test cut before cutting. Click here to download a PDF file of the motifs.	Rose GSD file Primrose GSD file Fern GSD file Key GSD file Hexagon GSD file Rose Silhouette Studio Primrose Silhouette Studio Fern Silhouette Studio Key Silhouette Studio Hexagon Silhouette Studio
	December 2011 So far I love playing with my Silhouette Cameo, though I still prefer designing with the Robomaster software. This is the pieced silk and cotton cover for Mum's journal this year. The NOEL is cut in iron on vinyl. I have used the design welded into a frame to make some Christmas cards. You can download the design from the following links. Click here for the GSD file for NOEL cards and here for the Silhouette Studio version I have designed a border for the first page, On the First Day of Christmas, pictured here. Click here for the GSD file for the border and here for the Silhouette Studio version
	November 2011 An early Christmas present, or a late birthday present, I have now bought the Silhouette Cameo, which is really the big sister of my beloved Graphtec Craft Robo. So far I am thrilled with the machine, and decided I would do a Christmas Journal again this year, so I can play with the Cameo and cut some borders for the scrapbook pages. This month's free templates are the Christmas numbers for the scrapbook pages. You could use these to make an advent calendar. I have not as yet made the cover for the scrapbook, so might cut them in iron on vinyl to make a patchwork cover. Very much a work in progress. The Christmas numbers are a mixture of my own designs and some free Christmas fonts and dingbats. Download the GSD file for 1-14 here and 15-25 here or the Silhouette Studio file here Just as exciting for me, my Mum who is partially sighted due to age related macular degeneration, has just taken delivery of two great new gadgets. The first, Pebble, is a small portable camera based reader, and the second, the Acrobat, is a desktop version with a screen, which hopefully will mean she does not have to give up entirely on her crafts, and can actually do the crossword again, as well as do her makeup, file her nails... James, at Enhanced Vision, gave a good demonstration of the gadgets, so she now has them on trial for ten days, but she already finds the Pebble amazing. Far far better for reading than the magnifier she was struggling with before. So, with luck, she is now going to do her Christmas Journal with me. I will be posting some pictures of the border designs as we come to them.	Enhanced Vision
	October 2011 Thanks to a spell of warm sunny weather, we spent a few days enjoying the glorious autumn colours. On Friday we visited The Quinta, near Congleton. The Arboretum was created from 1949 by physicist and radio astronomer Professor Sir Bernard Lovell, the first director of Jodrell Bank Observatory, and there's a glimpse of the Jodrell Bank telescope from the garden. This is a beautiful peaceful site with some great planting. We loved the Scarlet Oak and the Acer 'Morning Glory'. Access is through the pub garden of the excellent Swettenham Arms. Just don't rely on the satnav to get you there, use a map. The garden is now maintained by the Tatton Garden Society. On Saturday we went to Bodenham Arboretum. Again a beautiful place, with glorious colours at this time of year, and lovely reflections in the lake and pools. We've been coming here for a few years now so it's great to see how the plants have grown and matured. Again a Sir Bernard Lovell connection, as the arboreum was formally opened by him in 1989. Sunday we went with a shopping list to the excellent Dingle Nursery near Welshpool. They also have a stunningly planted lakeside garden, well worth a visit, though it is quite steep-sided so access can be a little tricky. We came away with one of the Acers we wanted, and a Scarlet Oak, Quercus coccinea. And a Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' which wasn't on our list but just such a lovely little tree, we couldn't resist it.	Quinta Arboretum, Swettenham Bodenham Arboretum, nr Kidderminster The Dingle Nursery & Garden, Welshpool
	Christmas crafts This is the Mini House printers tray kit I bought to decorate for Christmas. I have cut and assembled the bits and pieces, and added a chimney. The sides are now covered with ribbon, and there is a ribbon hanger attached. I have put the instructions for the pieces I've designed, including the holly wreath, NOEL, and the gingerbread man which were cut on the Craft Robo, in the step by step guide, together with a link to download the GSD templates, here .	Skrapz craft supplies, crops & classes
	September 2011 This summer I visited the Quilt Museum exhibition in York, a beautiful building, and a wonderful display of historic quilts and garments, and beautiful modern textile art. In August we visited the Quilt Association exhibition at the Minerva Arts Centre in Llanidloes. The collection of DeAnne Hartwell-Jones' historic and modern quilts was beautiful, and I was amazed at the miniature quilts created by Dorian Walton. At Hay on Wye I discovered the wonderful Bedecked selling fabulous buttons, trims and fabrics. September 17th was the Stafford Arts Festival and I joined a group of local writers to promote our work. I couldn't resist buying these wonderful little doors which Catherine Cooper made for her Jack Brenin series of children's books. Can't wait to use them on a scrapbook cover.	LINKS Minerva Gallery York Quilt Museum Bedecked, Hay on Wye Catherine Cooper