Happy Thanksgiving

This is my Thanksgiving quilt. I started it at a class last December after buying some fall fabric in the USA on holiday.

I just followed the pattern for the class so you can see this isn't as modern as some of my other quilts. I chose the Barn Rising layout as I thought it gave the most impact.

I have been making an effort to finish my WIPs and so I perservered with this quilt even though I wasn't sure what I was making it for. Then a man in our church was taken into hospital on holiday. And I just knew that this quilt would cheer him up. He is always such a thankful guy in every circumstance. It was just perfect as it is that bit more traditional and no girly colours, and the right size for a lap quilt.

I sewed this verse from the bible onto the corner to remind him "In everything give thanks."

That turkey fabric just makes me smile.

It was also a great time to practice my free motion quilting and especially some feathers.

Enjoy Thanksgiving.

September Queen Stash Bee

This month it is my turn as Queen Bee for the Stash Bee group. Check out my post that is over there at the minute to see what it is all about and the blocks I have chosen.

You will find out more about me and may even contain some pictures. I am trying to get over the weirdness of them being online as I don't usually participate in the whole "live my life on social media" thing.

Purples - discuss

Plum, violet, maroon, burgundy, lavander, lilac, amethyst, mauve, magenta and (my personal favourite) Cadbury. What do you think of as the colour purple?

But why are nice purple fabrics so hard to find? Any blog you read, even in the US, where quilters go through their stash the one colour they all are missing is purple in any significant quantity.

Unfortunately for me our bedroom is just such a colour so I need to do a super king size quilt with what I could scrape together to match. Do you think I've got it right?

The big flower in the upper left corner is the same as our painted walls. It's a hard colour to describe but is kind of a pinky white. I managed to get a solid the exact match in my local quilt shop! This is only amazing because they only stock about 20 solids. You can see it in the bottom of the picture.

This fabric is from the curtains and blinds. I had wanted to go with that really dark purple in it rather than the reddish pink

But since I had to buy off the internet, you can see the colours vary greatly. Purple seems to be very much a matter of opinion. I took out this Alexander Henry. It just kept sticking out. What do you think? Have I got it right? Any others you would take out?

I also bought a lot of fabric designs that are just so-so. Not my favourites which is a shame as it will be one of the few quilts I will keep.



So instead of showcasing the fabrics I thought I would choose a big impact design. This was one of the first quilt patterns that I saw and printed off when I started to quilt. Now I will actually get to use it. It's called Java Stars from the Moda Bake Shop website. I will just have to super size it up to super king and maybe leave off the boarder.

I hope it will all come together when all the purples are cut up and mixed together. So what do you think?

Back at the wheel

Hey rat fans...I'm back with a quick baby set gift I was able to make at the weekend. It felt good to be at the sewing machine again.

This is the first time I made this particular pair of booties by a pattern by ithinksew.com and I was really pleased with the result. They came together well after. Had made an oops cut the first time round.

The matching tag blanket came together really quickly and is just a simple patchwork of 36 2" squares. I think with the little eye spy animal prints this looks quite effective for something so simple.

I used a thicker filling than usual to give it plenty of oomph in the puffy department. The back was the print that got it all started as the recipient had chosen it but I knew the print would be too large for the shoes but when I looked I found I had loads of fabrics which I could pull together to compliment it.

And finally, I did something slightly different with the name. Normally I would just write the name of the baby and date of birth on their quilt with a laundry marker but when I did it for this it didn't come out so nice. It was too obvious on such a small scale. So I used my machine to embroider on the name. Easy and quick right? After much pursing of the manual and many attempts, I eventually worked out all the options to produce this sweet little square.

All wrapped and away to happy customer.

Today on my work table...

... modern drunkard's path pinwheels!

I haven't had much inspiration lately and so have been doing all those jobs that you put off because sewing takes over. Of course they are all related to sewing activity so it still counts, right? I tidied my sewing room and have been trying to transform this:

into something useful and manageable:

I have made a bit more progress into larger squares. Does anyone else think that their batting is this precious. Sometimes I feel like giving up halfway through and think - just throw it out and buy a few metres but it is expensive and feels like such a waste. It feels more in the spirit of original quilters to use up bits and pieces rather than always going brand new. I reckon I have salvaged over 2 metres square of the stuff. But do wonder if all thread, sewing machine wear and tear, and electricity is actually making it cost effective!!

Anyway these are going to be the basis of my fabric laundry bins so won't be washed regularly like a quilt. I wouldn't use this patched stuff for a quilt.

Other updates: I have made a quilt back which I may get round to photographing before quilting (which I am still too afraid to start, I finished a bag for a friend's birthday which I will blog about soon. I am stitching 2 scarves for friends involving mainly handsewing. The drunkard's path is for a doorstop for the guest bedroom and was just to get me sewing creatively again. I think it is pretty.

I bet you feel spoiled getting two posts in the space of a week! Don't worry I will be back to my mediocre standard soon. 

Something from the snow

At last my sampler quilt is done!

I thought we had better take some shots while I had the perfect white background - snow! At Easter.

I love the way this shot actually makes the dark grey translucent. 

This quilt is for my living - dining area which is all done in these colours. It kind of grew from a small throw to become this huge 54" x 70" monster. I just couldn't stop trying out all the different blocks.

I have tried to inlcude a range of different techniques, paper piecing which I blogged about a few posts back,  hand sewing hexagons, applique for the bunting, improv and curves.

I think the end result is stunning. Now I just hope I won't ruin it at the quilting stage. Any ideas for particular blocks?

I have made the back which is a mod podge of big chunks of fabric. I had so little of the grey left that it kind of dictated the style of the back. This is the first quilt I have made to keep myself so I'm glad I like it so much. 

Splurge Part 1

I have been very bad at updating my blog and I realised there were loads of projects that I have completed that I haven't blogged about. So the next few posts will be a splurge of all of them. Lots of pictures you'll be glad to know! Also I need to get that awful picture of a failed block from the last post off the top of the blog!

This Kobo case was a request from a friend and I just got some shots in before I gave it to her.

Isn't the button absolutely adorable?

Sorry this picture is a bit blurred. I was able to get some coloured elastic from this website. I think it really makes it - black or white would have looked horrible!

 I appliqued the patches on and hand sewed the message - Never judge a book by its movie.

Finally I quilted this squarish crossover stipple in turquoise thread.

This cover turned out so well I could not believe - my next attempt (which you think would be better and easier right?) for my Mum's was more awkward and did not come together as easily.

It took a few attempts to get right. I think I cut it too small - and then there is no going back. I don't even have a photo of it. You will have to make do with WBP (Work Before Progress!)

More to follow soon.

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

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.

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??!

First WIP of 2012 - handkerchief corners

Here is a bunch of fabrics all cut up and ready to go.

I can't wait to dust off my machine and get sewing.

...and this little guy next

I finished him up just over the holidays. Here is a close up of the stippling - which I think is getting a bit better. I did the eye with one of the decorative stitches on my new machine. It worked out really well and gives him that dozy look I was after.

He is of course a pal for Pingu. I hope to do a few more mini quilts like this. They are so satisfyingly quick - I may end up with an entire zoo. It is also good practice of all quilt making skills - choosing matching fabrics, applique, stippling, binding.

Cushions

I wanted to show you two cushions that I completed earlier in the year. They were my first patchwork projects so the quilting is simple in the ditch. For anyone starting out cushions are the perfect projects as they can usually be stitched in a day. The hen appliqué came from a patchwork book. The houses cushion design came about by fussy cutting the material.