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. 

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.

Work in progress

I took some pictures of my latest WIP. This baby quilt may be going to a friend - depends whether she has a boy or girl!

This was my first attempt to stipple a whole quilt. It is still a bit jaggedy but overall looks ok. Now that's done i've come to a bit of an impasse with which colour to bind this with. As always, open to suggestions.

One last thing apt to the title of this post. My whole blog design is a WIP. Hopefully over the next few weeks I will get to grips with how to use blogger and produce something much more pleasant to view.