2014

2013 has been a fun year for me in terms of social sewing! BOM's, QAL's and Bees!

So to start off 2014 ....

 

that should keep me out of trouble for a while! (and 2014 is going to be the year of FINISHING all my other WIPs!!!!)

New Cushion for ME!

My 11 month old is mobile and he has discovered my little stash of fabrics that I keep in the dining /sewing area. I mostly keep fabric for current projects and the last fabric order or two cause I am a bit lazy. As I started to pack it all away I found my three waterfront park fabrics and decided to do something with them before they get absorbed into the stash! Oh and there was a lovely low volume pack from pink castle fabrics as well...

Teeny log cabins with strips just 1 1/2" wide with some sweet carrot Essex linen (which is being used for another project) as the centre. I made all the log cabins and could not decide what to do in the centre so I winged it. As math was not my strong point it failed so I sliced and diced and it turned into what it is! 

If I had more waterfront park I think I would have kept going as I think this would look awesome as a quilt - but then it would probably never leave my WIP pile so it turned into a cushion. It is fairly big and fits a size 20 cushion nicely.

I followed Adrianne's lapped zipper instructions and I will certainly be doing more cushions like this!

I feel very satisfied with getting this completed and am one more step into making my home reflect me as a crafty artist. Is there anything wrong with giving myself a cushion for Christmas? Let's say it is from the kids!

Linking up with Ms Midge and the Christmas Cushion Blog Hop . There are certainly some lovely cushions to check out here!

Skill Builder BOM 2013 and 2014

Wow, have you seen Alyssa's Skill Builder BOM 2014 yet? How awesome does it look! I am very excited to be testing some of the blocks for her as well. So come and join us in 2014 for it!

I have almost joined all my 2013 blocks together - 1 row to go! I am loving joining the QAYG blocks together. And how fantastic is glue - no stabbing myself with pins! 

 

I see myself making more larger quilts in my future using this method as I struggle to quilt larger quilts. So they tend to sit around while I end up making more. 

Here are all my blocks - the final placement is a little different but I love how they all look together. Except for the grey solid all the fabrics used in this came from my scrap pile. I love how they work together - even the pink!

My favourite quilting on a block has to be the Candyland block. I thought it was the most challenging block for me to sew (ekkkk curves!) but I love the woodgrain quilting! no bad for someone who had never free motion quilted before starting this quilt.

Favourite Block has to be the Starlight Block

I cannot wait to finish this!

Catvent Quilt Along

I have a niece called Kitty. And an overflowing scrap bucket. This was so going to happen ...
Join in at Oh Fransson! Catventquiltalong

 

Ferdinand the bicycle riding fly swatter 

 

Bernadette the Fishy Mermaid

Sunny the keen Ninja Ear

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Fall 2013

Welcome to the Blogger's Quilt Festival - Fall 2013 hosted by Amy at Amy's Creative Side
 

The Quilt I am entering is a modern eye-spy quilt I made for my son completely made from scraps. Last festival I showed my daughters eye-spy quilt, so to combat any future sibling rivalry I thought my little man also needed one!

I love this type of quilt as I can look at all the different fabrics I have acquired over the years (and maybe some new ones as well!) I am also reminded of fabrics hiding in my stash! This time round I have used a text print for the background and 9 patch blocks with a coloured centre. I tried to use different "windows" than his sisters quilt.

Again, very scrap friendly - scrap batting & scrap binding. I am hoping he will treasure it for many years.

Thanks for visiting and be sure to drop by some of the other amazing quilts at the festival.

Details
Size: 30"x 38"
Quilting: simply curvy lines by me
Category: Favorite Baby Quilt

FAL 4th Quarter Goals

Here we go again -2013 Finish-A-Long 4th Quarter Goals!

Well my list is very same, same as last quarter. Just a few to add!

1. Washi Quilt
This is a carry over from the last quarter. I would love to have this done by Summer for my bed!
What needs doing: border, back, quilting and binding.

2. St Louis 16 Patch
I may have accidental started this and finished the quilt top 2nd quarter. It is currently basted and awaiting quilting - it is a monstrous size so I am waiting for a chance that I can dedicate a few nights quilting it.
What needs doing: Quilting and binding.

3. Tsuru Quilt
Another accidental start. I was waiting until I finished my Washi quilt before starting this but I could not help myself! I am using the Sew Mama Sew modern Block of the Month. I am totally digging the Navy and Orange Combo!
What needs doing: 3 blocks, and everything else!

4. Simply Solids Quilt - Solid Scrap Vomit Quilt
Mmmmm might need a better name for this quilt! The lovely ladies from the Simply Solids Bee have kindly made me some awesome B Blocks. I still need to decide on the layout - but my A Blocks are ready to roll. My little girl decided to rearrange them all the other day and asked if it was going to be a "beautiful quilt" for her - cheeky monkey!
What needs doing:  sewing the blocks together, quilting, binding

5. A and A Wedding Quilt
This is a must to finish for my sister-in-laws wedding at the end of October. I am using the Sew Mama Sew Modern Block of the Month again - in a purple and grey scheme. I will need to add an extra 3 blocks to finish it off, but I will remain hush just in case she sees this!
What needs doing: finish blocks, back, quilting and binding

6. Elsie's Bento box quilt
Wow, this is another one from a while back that I was aiming to be done in time for my daughter's first "big girl" bed (which she has been in since Jan) Using Ashley from Film in the Fridge tutorial and one of my most favourite Amy Butler prints and some coordinating solids - I would love this on her bed for summer! I actually ended up making a winter doona cover for her bed so at least she had some lovely handmade goodness on her bed. Sorry for the poor pic!
What needs doing: finish blocks, quilting and binding

7. Kate Spain Quilt
I starting playing with a mini charm pack of Kate Spain Cuzco a few weeks back. I just need to add two borders.

8. Alchemy Quilt
A jelly roll and charm pack may have accidentally fallen into a shopping cart a while back and I started to play with a few different layouts. Not sure how this will evolve but I am keen to see!

9. Enchanted Forest Quilt
A carry over from last quarter.

10. Down Under Doll Swap Quilt
A new one - trying my hand at some paper piecing. I am using the Foldstar pattern free from here.

11. The Petti-Skirt from hell

My sister-in-law is getting married week after next and my 3yr old is going to be flowergirl. I made this sweet Betty Kingston Peek-a-boo dress and my goodness does it have a hell of a petti-skirt! I have completed one layer, still need to do another that will have pink tulle on it. Did I mention that there is 90 yards of ruffling in the entire pettiskirt. I am crazy with a capital C as I am ruffling by hand as well.

12. Salme Bib Top

I have been trying to have a more handmade focused wardrobe of late, so last quarter I got hooked on making April Rhodes The Staple Dress. I am now attempting to make the Salme Bib Top. I just need to finish off the neckline and arms and find some cute buttons. I omitted the ruffle around the neck as I thought it was a bit too frilly for me. I am super impressed at how smooth I sewed the bib in and it might even convince me to do more curves in my quilting!

Anyway ambitious as always so lets see how I go!

Q3 FAL round up

Well I was ambitious, and despite having a extremely creative quarter I only completed 1 item on my list. How sad - 1! My original list is here

I finished my little man's quilt which kinda matches in a "same same but different" way to his big sister's quilt which was a Q2 finish

A modern i-spy made entirely from scraps (ok I fib a little. I did purchase some FQs very cheaply for some of the pictures in it but if hubby asks it is all scraps)

I think he is happy with it!

 

 

The good thing about my FAL list is that I can roll it over to next quarter! But I may need to add a few other starts....

The Staple Dress version 2

I am loving this pattern! Though I don't want to end up with the same dress in different fabrics so I am making adjustments along the way. I had a little sick man this week so we had a day at home (love carers leave!) and while he had his nap I got most of the dress cut out and sewn up! So my second staple dress is some gorgeous batik fabric a friend bought back from Indonesia. I really wanted to do the drop hem as this fabric has some drape - but alas did not have enough fabric. Instead I added a Peter Pan collar. I have never drafted a collar before but I somehow managed to do it. So here we are...

And for my next Staple dress I am thinking a maxi with a tank style top .... Stay tuned!

The Staple Dress

It has been YEARS since I have done any clothes sewing for myself. I think the last thing I made was a bridesmaids dress in 2006. I have been a regular op shopper for clothes for the past few years - I hate big name brands unless I can say I got it for less than $5 from Vinnies. Anyway, I decided to turn my wardrobe round since nothing fits me anymore (2 months of the worst chest infection ever straight after having a baby lost me a lotta weight - but I seriously don't recommend it) and have a more handmade focus.
So first off the rank is April Rhodes The Staple Dress. What an easy gorgeous fun pattern! No interfacing, no zips, no button holes - but there is shirring. But I was surprised at how easy it was to do - I even did 6 rows of it. I made it as a medium but I think next time I will do a small up top - it is just a bit roomy there! I also adjusted the neck line a bit - I just copied a neckline on a top I already owned and loved.

The fabric is a cotton poplin from Spotlight but I can't wait to do a voile dress in it! I think it would be divine!
Took it on its maiden voyage today - with a pair of leggings underneath and got lots of compliments and surprised faces when I told them I made it. Staple Dress number 2 is in the works - this time some lovely batik fabric a friend had bought me back from Indonesia.

Fly the Flag Quilts finished - and how I do my binding on kids/baby quilts

What fun these quilts were to make (part of the Aunty Cookie Fly the Flag QAL). And I managed to finish both of my twin quilts. They are very same same, but different.
First is the orange version. I included a cute little peekaboo under 1 flag on each row. I would have loved to have done more but I think I would have gone a bit crazy!

 

And then the Aqua version... 

I used up some scraps for the binding. With kids quilts I figure they are going to be grotted up quickly and washed heaps, so I always use a zigzag stitch on my binding for extra durability. Plus I hate hand binding and will only do it for the specialist of quilts.
So here is how I do bindings (This is mainly for my friend Adrienne who I have recently being teaching how to quilt!)
I usually use a 2 1/2" straight binding strip (thought these quilts I have done using 3"). How I join them depends on my mood - either using a 45 degree angle or just straight. I first sew the binding on the wrong side on the quilt.

Again depending on my mood I will join the binding up using whatever I feel like doing at the time!
I then flip the quilt over and use a zigzag stitch to secure the binding down. I stretch the binding just over the line I have just sewn and zigzag just off the binding. I like to do it this way as I feel as through I have more control on the look of the binding on front. I would rather have wonkiness on the back - though I lately feel I am being much more tidier with it.

When I get to a corner I use a pin to secure it neatly in place. I then zigzag to the where the seam meets the other seem, put my needle down and rotate the quilt.

 

So that's how I basically do my binding on kids quilts.

Fly the Flag QAL Week 3

I have been happily plodding along with the Fly the Flag Quilt-a-long. I went back to work this week from 9 months of maternity leave so i was expecting to fall behind on this one. Sewing seems to be my relaxation method in the evenings after the kids are in bed.
My aim is to make twin baby quilts for a pregnant friend of mine. I have chosen an orange and aqua theme, with one quilt mostly orange with a hint of aqua and the other one the opposite.

I used my equaliterial triangle template to cut out the flags instead of the template in the pattern. I think my flags turned out a little smaller. Oh well! I have started on the Orange quilt but have the Aqua cut and ready to sew.

I also added some little hiding peek-a-boo pictures under some of the flags.