Thursday 30 June 2011

Back to the machine


So although HM was off school due to Teacher Strike action...I did manage to get a few hours stitching done...not back working on the Fruit Salad Quilt but on a Thank You gift for said striking Teacher!

I initially planned on making a version of the "Three Faces of Steve" Cat from my Denyse Schmidt Quilts book...I have some lovely Anna Maria Horner Good Folks Filigree in Dusk sitting in my stash which I think will be lovely...however the pattern in the book needs to be enlarged by 250% and with no photocopier at home I duly asked my Hubbie.  On arrival home from work, Husband presented me with the book saying I can't believe that you really wanted it that big..it doesn't fit on the paper...sigh....yes, I said ....that is right....can you try again but copy each pattern piece on separate pieces of A3 please?

Said book was still sitting at home this morning :-(

Anyway back to today's sewing action...instead of Steve the Cat, I decided to make an alternative gift...a while ago my Sister made some cute quilted wall hangings - one with a coffee cup & one with a tea cup.  She let me have a copy of the pattern & so I decided to make one & now my stash has grown there is plenty of fabric,wadding & thread which I can use.

I quickly chose my fabric (normally this is the longest part of the job as I can never choose) and started cutting out pieces before realising I had no instructions.  I thought that I could probably manage to cobble it together without them but I called my Sister & she read out the instructions to me down the phone (thank heaven's for my Sister!). Armed with her words of guidance I was ready to get stitching.


I am quite pleased with progress so far....I managed to get about three quarters of it made today before having to abandon my works due to hungry children & ironing calling and there is a nice little bit of hand sewing to do tomorrow, before adding the backing and I will probably add some binding.  Hopefully I will be able to get that done in the morning before I head off to HM's school with the Twins as it is Family Picnic day!


    

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Naughty girl

Again much to long since I last blogged but quiet a few projects completed & new techniques learnt in all that time.


My major achievements have been the completion of two more quilts...my Amy Butler Love Quilt which I started planning last year and my version of Red Pepper Quilts, Georgia Quilt....more on those later.


My current project is a quilt for my bed....I wasn't totally blown away by Amy Butler's Soul Blossom fabrics when they came out - there were a few that I liked but I was not sure about the rest.  I was lucky to receive a few quilting books for Christmas & my birthday and one of them was Patchwork, Comforters and Throws.  The Quilt of the front cover caught my eye and I thought that this would be a great pattern for the Soul Blossom fabrics... I purchased about 16 different fat quarters across all of the colour ranges, including some that I am not all that keen on (trying to move out of my comfort zone), along with some solids that co-ordinate with them.

The blocks are made up of fairly large pieces which are good for showing off some of the larger prints...so far I have made four blocks (the pattern only requires four blocks but I want my quilt larger than the one in the book so I am aiming to do six).  Here is one the blocks I have made so far.....







As for today...I am having a day away from the sewing machine & chillin with my boys...they have Rio on for about the fourth time today and we are having lots of cuddles!