Winter woolies

What is cheekily known as "Goods out" in our house has been fairly busy of late.

Firstly another commissioned scarf which I decided to do infinity style. It looks better than the pictures. It is really hard to photograph a scarf well. 

I have just checked -  I haven't even shown the first one - ok here it is. 

I'm not sure what this fabric is. More like sweatshirt weight but softer. It has come out really weird in these photos but it is a gorgeous unusual colour. So much so that I bought myself more of it to make a Hot Patterns dress - more on that later. Anyway it was half price so a bargain!

The first was for a friend who asked me to do one as a birthday present. The grey one she wants to keep herself! I used really soft jersey material for the actual scarf rather than cottons. It is always really challenging when making for someone else - they usually think of something different that you have never actually made before but because you can sew, well anything should be possible.

Some nice labels to finish.

Tick tick tick...

...Ticker taping. Love it!

I love the way you don't have to think too hard straight lines only.

I love the way the needle wobbles before your eyes. (especially the faster you go!)

I love the fact that you are quilting as you go.

I love the fact you can use up every bit of precious fabric.

I love the way you can make something pretty out of seemingly very little.

I love the result.

Did I tell you already that my husband once scooped up a bunch if these scraps and said "do you want me to throw these out for you?" Aaah no - they're the best part!

Result: 2 quilts for doll bunk beds

The week that was

A few weeks ago I had a full week off with no plans but that of my own devising. Bliss! The weather was beautiful all week but one day. So how much sewing do you think I got done?

Yep never enough. Although a sewing related project took over so I was happy enough.

Since getting another room decorated in our house I was able to move some furniture around to leave more space in my sewing room. So I treated myself in IKEA to a new cutting table. So first I had to paint it and build it. That took up most of Monday!

All tidy with scraps sorted my size and colour in these little drawers and bigger pieces in the cupboard in shoeboxes.

This is now what my husband refers to as "Goods In".

The room all completed and tidy for about the next 5 minutes! I should be much more productive now.

Obviously no week off is complete without a trip to the fabric shop. This is my stash that I got from the local sewing shop to make myself some clothes. More to follow on that soon. It makes a pretty stack I think.

I just can't wait to get started on that lot, but have a few gifts and orders to finish first. Why does the project list never go down no matter how much you tick off?!

Feast your eyes

No trip is complete without a jaunt to a local fabric shop.

I was in Sligo for the weekend and dragged my family to the Crafter's Basket. As always I broke my self imposed fabric buying ban (out of the country - doesn't count) and treated myself to these lovelies.

One is a Stof fabric which I have used before and liked. The yellow and greys are for a project that I hopefully will be blogging about soon and the purple is a start on gathering supplies for a quilt for my new bedroom. The others are just because!

Satisfaction

Isn't it lovely when this:

becomes this:

And this:

turns into this:

A stack:

becomes a WIP:

from the the windswept

to the final get the artsy shot:

And this boring pile:

changes to this (which everybody hates too 70s):

with a little inspiration becomes:

All in all not a bad few weeks at (or out of) the office.

Last two quilts for sale in my Etsy shop now.

My Stockholm Souvenirs

We took a short break last week and obviously I wanted to scout out the fabric trends from our European neighbours. Sadly when I surfed I couldn't find any concrete addresses to fulfill my birdie Scandinavian style stash needs.

But on the free tour of the city (which was excellent) we all traipsed past Ohlssons, a local fabric store. I made a note to nip back at some stage - luckily a big Addidas store was right opposite which kept OtherHalf occupied.


That was good but what happened next, even better. We strolled round the corner after I had picked up some goodies and stumbled into Panduro Hobby shop. Wow. There was whole wall of fabric in there and 70% off! Yeah!

Stockholm is an expensive place (and with a self imposed fabric buying freeze)  I was fully prepared to limit my fabric buying to a small souvenir piece of something typically Scandinavian. I didn't really see much in that style but the locally stocked fabrics (Holland Art) and the 70% sale meant that actually the fabric was some of the cheapest I had bought. Surprises all round then.

I also saw some gorgeous Windham fabric which I really wanted to get but was £17.90 a meter! I knew I would be able to get it at home cheaper so I held off only to find out it was an old one and no longer available. So if anyone is able to point me to the right place for Timber by Jessica Levitt I would love to get my hands on some of it.

And for anyone who doesn't think this haul wasn't restrained, compare with what I brought home in June from Spain. Eeeek! Too much, maybe?

Happiness is...

Sigh... so nice.

Sunset strip

It is so nice to get a quilt finished and washed. 

I tried to dash outside and make the best of the sunlight - it started to rain literally within minutes of me taking these shots.

Remember this post about a commissioned quilt for a friend of a friend? And all the options for her in case it was a boy or girl? Well turned out to be a boy and this is the quilt that the friend picked.

 A simple back of orange gingham (that my mother in law had wanted for a project and I immediately used up in one go! - never mind there's plenty more in the shop.)

All wrapped up ready to go.

A few finishing touches. I have decided to give out washing instructions because some of the materials are running badly even with prewashing but colour catchers are our friends.

Excuse # 101

This is the reason that I haven't been posting all my wonderful progress lately. How can you take good photos in light like this? This was the view last night from my sewing room window.

Yes this is the summer here. It has been pretty much like this for the last month!

Another excuse is not having my camera at the minute so just iPhone snaps.

My sewing space went from bad to worse with all the WIPs going on.

But now hopefully there is light at the end if the tunnel. Here are some pics of the progress.

And a lovely one of organised WIP of the beginnings of 3 bags.

The "fabulous" Bucket Bag

I completed my first project from the The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam which my sister bought me for my birthday.

It is the called the Reversible Bucket bag and the free pattern can be found here. I actually did not do the reversible part a changed some of the closure details - but hey that's why you make these things yourself, right?

Not only has this book got great ideas but also the instructions are really easy to follow. There is a chapter for each part of the bag - closures, handles, pockets etc and then a bag pattern in each. So a really good  mix if you like working from a project or if you want to design something yourself, or just to get tips for say putting a zip in something.

The bias binding handles on this bag are a little tricky but with a bit of patience it all came together. I think it looks as fabulous as it claims to be!

The material is a Timeless Treasures - Cardigan Girls panel sewn into Moda Just Wing It Twill Blossoms Aqua. The handles are made from some really old material I had stashed away from when I sewed as a teenager with my gran all those moons ago. Sis and I recognise it but cannot for the life of us think what it has been used for before.


Look at those really cute line drawings on the panel.

The bag itself, went straight to my big sis, of course, who seems to have an insatiable appetite for all that I make. 

Does anyone else's workspace look like this??

At the minute, I have all these piles of fabrics lined up and ready to go. All I need is the time to get sewing!

I have been commissioned to make a baby quilt and as they don't know the gender yet, I want to give the recipient lots of choice. I also need simple designs so that I will actually be able to produce said goods on time. Lets' face it, the baby won't wait for me!

This is the first quilt to go - I'm thinking neutral could go either way. I am using a half square triangle simple pattern for this one. The backing fabric (the bottom one) was going for a song at my local sewing shop. The girl was throwing it in the scrap bin and literally hit me with it as I was hoking through. It was meant to be. It worked out about 60p per metre!

This is for a girl quilt but not too girly ie. no pink! Just going to go with basic charm squares for this one.

This is the more girly version.Not sure of a pattern yet but perhaps 9 patch of the Oh Fransson! variety with the plain pale turquoise as the alternate squares.

And to celebrate the "Jubilolympics" and just about every other British thing that seems to be happening this year - a red white and blue rail fence for a boy.

Many of these fabrics I purchased in Spain so are a bit different from all the usual designers that you see. If you are interested I have a few pieces on my Etsy site for sale.

I think that covers all my bases as I also have another boy's and girl's quilt in progress - did I mention them already???

The other bundles are for me to make myself something - when is that ever likely to happen??!