Bridget B
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bugshaw.bsky.social
Bridget B
@bugshaw.bsky.social
370 followers 320 following 1K posts
Science fiction, movies, robots, Cambridge-UK based, don't eat nearly as much chocolate as when I first wrote my profile but I do much more sewing.
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bugshaw.bsky.social
An intermediate stage looks like this
Five fabric squares sewn together with fiddly geometry. The top of the shape is a straight line. At the left and right are squares, joined by a half square. Overall it's a rectangle 2 tall by 6 wide, with a 1x2 chunk missing from the middle. The square at the left (call its left edge A and its right edge B) is two pieces of fabric sewn together along B, open at A. The centre rectangle was also sewn into the B seam, with its open side at the top and its folded edge in the middle. Similarly for the right hand square, sewn along C, open edges at D. It's all open along the top edge for now, next we will bring the sides together so B and C meet, the centre piece making a pouch, then sew the top along and I'm still confused.
November 25, 2025 at 8:55 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Catching up on the bowtie block from last week's quilt class. Pleased with getting my points lined up for the first two. The 3D version (where you can get a finger under each of the four edges of the "knot") is much more fiddly and will take another 2-3 attempts before I properly get the knack.
Two "bowtie" quilt blocks. Each is a square made from two red squares (red fabric with dark spots) and white squares (cream fabric with small red hearts). The matching squares are top left and bottom right, or vice versa. In the middle, on top of where the squares join, are two small red triangles with points in the centre and long edges connecting the red squares. The overall effect looks like a bowtie. A "3D bowtie" quilt block. This is very similar to the previous image, but the centre piece joining the two big red squares is a square (not two triangles). The 3D effect is created by sewing the seams hidden underneath (not visible), from the top it is only attached at the four corners, making the square puff out a bit. It is a bit rucked up at one corner because it's very fiddly to get all the seams lined up and fabric lying flat when you stitch it down.
November 25, 2025 at 8:40 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Tuesday's Log Cabin sample block. I made it to class this week, got a couple of tips to make my cutting easier.
Log Cabin pattern quilt block. Three different fabrics, base colour pale peachy pink, pale teal blue, and navy blue, all with the same pattern of stylised white flowers. A square of the dramatic navy blue in the middle (the "hearth"), then logs are added around it, blue on the right and bottom, pink on the left and top. Increasing in length each time you go around so the square gets bigger.
November 11, 2025 at 9:16 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
That's my question about cuffs, but more so, you want it to hang properly at the neck and not have a stiff spot. Here's an edge darn (red). Also suggested basting a piece of old tights behind the hole before darning, a good base for flexibility. Or patch darn with a bit of different jumper.
A square of grey knitted wool full of brightly coloured overlapping darns. The red and pale yellow are edge darns, bringing the thread straight back into the weave without anchoring it with running stitches at the far side.
November 9, 2025 at 10:44 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
It would! And maybe give more people the confidence to try at home. There are so many creative approaches. The dark wool pictures are the tutor's samples, she also brought these to show the variety.
Grey sock, darned with five neat squares in different colours. A cream wool garment. Darned in deep red thin thread, so you can see the irregular shape of the darned hole in a rectangle of tiny reinforcement stitches. There is an extra column of small stitches at the side for decoration. A square of grey knitted wool, full of darns in different colours, overlapping, looks a bit like an artist's palette. A square of dark knitted wool with seven darns in bright firework colours. Densely woven darns surrounded by trails of running stitches.
November 9, 2025 at 10:31 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Darning workshop - great basis for understanding tension, reinforcement, stability, decoration, techniques. We started by cutting a small hole in a bit of sleeve and darning in contrasting colours. I went on to start on actual holes, and got tips on handling cuffs and larger holes.
Visible darning. Part of a pale grey jumper sleeve, a rectangle of reinforcement stitches (horizontal orange, vertical purple) with a central oval of those colours in a tight weave for the darn. The reverse side of the grey jumper sleeve. A small hole with neatened edges, surrounded by a 1-1.5cm circle of untouched grey jumper, then the reverse sides of the orange and purple stitches that cover the front. Real darning. A mustardy greeny yellowy jumper, with green wool vertical reinforcement stitches and long bridging stitches over the hole. One tail of darning wool needs to be sewn in. The horizontal stitches and weaving are still to be done. A second small hole is visible on the shoulder.
November 8, 2025 at 3:29 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
A last CFF Craft Finish Festival wrap-up of what I finished in the 11 days.
Since then I've done another patchwork sample block, 2/3 of a cross stitch robin, missed quilt class because I overdid things the day before :-(
Today I'm out for a half day darning workshop with Toby's jumper.
Craft projects laid out on a desk. A cot quilt top, a blueish Liberty fabric cushion, sample blocks of four patchwork patterns, a small reindeer cross stitch, and a folder with some papers on it listing craft courses and progress.
November 8, 2025 at 9:18 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
The area covers Mill Road's junctions with Romsey Terrace, Ross Street, Coleridge Road and Hemingford Road.
Screenshot of a map showing a highlighted box of streets where work will take place. The area covers Mill Road's junctions with Romsey Terrace, Ross Street, Coleridge Road and Hemingford Road.
November 8, 2025 at 8:57 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
I try not to post too close to Bethany Black as our userpic haircuts are now too similar - but this is getting ridiculous.
Two Bluesky posts, consecutive in my feed, by Bethany Black and Bridget B who have similar icon pictures, and we have both just posted photos of bird feeders.
November 5, 2025 at 9:47 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
My fat balls ain't bringing the birds to the yard.
A bird feeder with three untouched fat balls, photographed against a white wooden fence and some big japonica plants behind.
November 5, 2025 at 9:36 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
CFF Day 11. Finished some things today! The Liberty patchwork cushion kit, and the reindeer cross stitch to go in a card. Didn't do the quilting, mending, or get to my stretch goal of learning to knit. This was a great way to focus and get started, but I can't sustain it over such a long period.
Patchwork cushion seen from the front. Nine large squares of floral/birds fabric. Cushion from the back. Pale blue fabric with birds and flowers in a similar design to the front. You can see the pillowcase type closure. Cross stitch embroidery of a reindeer head with brightly coloured baubles hanging from its antlers.
November 2, 2025 at 9:02 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
From a happier time.
A calico cat curled up on my lap in a garden chair on a sunny June day.
October 30, 2025 at 9:37 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
CFF Day 8. Sewed together the cot quilt top, did sample blocks of HST and
QST (Half and Quarter Square Triangle) to practice technique. Need to get those points closer!
And a chat with mum, and finished reading a book.
Rectangular quilt top made from 2" x 4" rectangular pieces, in autumn colours and patterns with flowers, owls and foxes. Pegged to a coat hanger and hanging from the back of a wooden door. Quilt sample blocks. Two Half Square Triangles, which are a grey square and a red square cut diagonally and sewn together to make two red and grey squares. Two Quarter Square Triangles, similar but in navy blue and peach pink fabric, then cut diagonally and sewn together to make two squares with pink triangles at the top and blue ones at the side, points meeting in the centre.
October 30, 2025 at 7:25 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
New pic who this!
My previous avatar pic is how old? I used it for my Light Cinema card which I got in May 2015. That might be the same door in the photo. Anyhow I look different now. Still enjoying the haircut, 5 weeks on and it's still going up. In another couple of cuts all the dye will be gone.
Short haired woman Younger, longer haired woman
October 29, 2025 at 9:44 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
CFF Day 4. Cut and arranged the pieces for the autumn colours cot quilt. Managed to nick the ruler which is annoying. Separated the fabrics into patchwork/non patchwork so they're easier to pick from. Cutting is quite hard work, pressing down hard. Tired after lunch or would have done more...
Several rectangles of fabric in autumn colours, arranged ready to stitch together.
October 26, 2025 at 6:27 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Finished setting up the bird feeder. It started with getting 6 free fat balls with my worms. It might finish with their bird feed subscription box tailored to the seasons and me having to spend all my time catering to increasing numbers of demanding birds.
The end of my garden. The cream coloured brick wall and slate roof of the house behind me, a backdrop for a row of plants in my garden. A small fig tree, a coat stand style bird feeder pole staked into a large plant pot, and a small apple tree. The feeder has four hooks, a holder for a dish of water, and a perch. It only has a fat ball feeder on it currently.
October 26, 2025 at 9:27 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
CFF Day 3. Tried to clean the stain out of the ironing board - failed but at least it doesn't bleed into what you're ironing. Redid the square in a square correctly, so much easier to work with the proper cotton fabric. And sewed up the 9-square front of a cushion, from a kit.
5.5" square patchwork block. A deep mottled purple square in the centre oriented diagonally, surrounded by mid blue fabric with coloured blobs. 9 squares of Liberty fabric sewed into a square grid. Muted colours, forest and earth colours. Patterned delicately with birds and plants.
October 25, 2025 at 7:33 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
CFF Day 2. Shopping in the morning for fabric bits and pieces. Then sew up the Quilt Class Week 4 blocks. Stack and Whack, and Square in a Square.
I'd got lots of polycotton to practice with but it's ghastly to sew! Slips, gives, got chewed up in the feed dogs, and colour bled on the ironing board!
Patchwork blocks, 5.5" square. Each has three sloped quadrilaterals in blue, yellow, purple. Square in a Square patchwork block. 5.5" square. A smaller yellow square in the centre, on the diagonal, surrounded by blue and purple pieces. There is a purple triangle on the ironing board it's sitting on, where the colour bled.
October 24, 2025 at 7:36 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
CFF Day 1. Good progress on the crafts; the first film doesn't start till gone 8pm.
Progress on the cross stitch card, did the cutting prep for Quilt Class 6 (early Nov but a good warm up to cutting) and for class 4 (2 weeks ago, I couldn't make it but tutor puts the instructions online).
Cross stitch embroidery of a reindeer. The stitched version has the full head, the pattern next to it shows it should have some baubles added. Fabric strips on a large cutting mat with grid lines. There are two colours of fabric, red with white dots, dark blue with pale green dots. The strips are all 2.5" wide, and range from 2.5-8.5" long. Colourful squares of fabric on a grid lined cutting mat.
October 23, 2025 at 6:33 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Toby gave me some extra hands.
Me in a café, wearing a denim jacket, smiling with my hands folded on the table in front of me. Toby took the photograph with a decanter stopper in front of the lens, which has fractured me into multiple overlapping images, some more transparent. It looks like I have a head and two ghost heads, three hands and two left arms.
October 23, 2025 at 9:10 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
It's Craft Finish Fest! I've dug out all the projects and mending that are currently on my radar, and cleared my workspace. First tranche (7 days?) includes 2 cot quilts, a cross stitch card, four things to mend, quilt cushion, 2 example blocks from quilt class, and writing up quilt class notes.
My living room table with all the projects I might work on laid out or piled up. There are cross stitch Christmas card kits, half made quilts, practice quilt wadding pieces, quilt cushion kit. At the far end, a plastic crate of wool projects, one of mending, and some more mending heaped on top. My fabric stash. A plastic crate with material in many sizes and colours, reds, blues, autumn colours and patterns, large pieces, fat quarters, jelly rolls, charm squares.
October 23, 2025 at 9:10 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Visiting Toby. Being visited by Lucia.
A brown/grey cat sprawled on my lap in the living room.
October 16, 2025 at 7:19 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Choices
Close up inside a kitchen cupboard. There is a mug, a box of herbal tea labelled "Sleep", and a tin of Nescafé Azera americano intense.
October 13, 2025 at 12:52 PM
bugshaw.bsky.social
The weirdest thing I'm doing at the moment is growing a cauliflower.
A black felt planter bag in the garden. A stalk, a purple ball about 6cm across, with caterpillar eaten leaves sprouting from the sides and in a big spray on top.
August 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
bugshaw.bsky.social
Today I am starting this great thick book, later I'm ordering curry.
Thick paperback book of Earth Is But A Star: excursions through science fiction to the far future, edited by Damien Broderick. It's lying on my lap, my legs stretched out the length of the stripey sofa.
August 30, 2025 at 10:48 AM