Skill Builder Block of the Month (BOM)

Another challenge for 2013...

Nesting - Part 1: Painted Chevron Rug

Nesting was never something i got to do with Miss E as she arrived at 32 weeks - and i was so disappointed as i had awesome ideas about what i wanted her room to look like! oh well bubba number 2 has given me some time, and we have a new place and they get to share a room so the nesting has begun!
Problem : Don't you just hate it when you have something pictured in your mind but then you can never find exactly what you want! Well I decided long ago that I wanted a yellow chevron rug bam smack in the middle of their room. I found a few overseas but nothing in Australia and in my budget. Solution: Then I came across a few tutorials about painting your own Ikea rug (a good one was http://gypsysoulinteriors.com/2012/03/painted-chevron-rug-tutorial/) Brilliant! And I live just down the road from Ikea, so I acquired a rug, some yellow Taubmans paint, hubby found some fabric medium and some painters tape. All set!
Well if someone who is 35 weeks pregnant decides to do something silly like this - please stop them! Hands and knees I crawled round measuring and taping all morning.

I had some help from a good friend for the painting - that was the easiest bit! I left it to dry for a few hours and then started ripping off the tape. The tape going along the grain was the hardest to remove - I would probably buy better quality tape next time. I didn't have and problems with bleeding - so happy! The fabric medium said I needed to heat set it - how lazy is this - it was one of those stinky hot days in Sydney so I just hung it on the line!

So happy with the results! And Miss E loved it when she got home!
Total cost :
Ikea Rug ERSLEV. $50
Taubmans sample pot $8
Tape $2
Fabric medium (I think) $10
Total = $70

Simply Solids : a modern {bee}

Yeah- have finally decided to participate in a quilt bee - now lets hope there are enough Aussies to participate! Sign up here by December 31st

Why not? Scrap vomit!

This is a 2013 project on my to do list! Mainly for 2 reasons - a) I feel my scraps are taking over my life and b) who wouldn't want to make quilt that has vomit in the title! Over the past few weeks I have been trying to organise my scraps a bit - I have a few future scrappy projects in mind so I have been sorting and cutting different shapes. I am also getting rid of all those scraps that I will seriously never use - like tiny strips and triangles. Heartbreaking but time to get realistic! Bubba boy has decided 5am seems a nice time to start kicking my ribs so I have been trying to get a bit of early morning sewing done. I am in no rush to get this one finished but it is good to get started.

Bubba boy Quilt

A little early (currently only 27 weeks pregnant) but I was determined to get this one done sooner rather than never! With Miss E, I had the most awesome Heather Ross quilt planned, along with curtains, sheets, toys I was going to make when I went on maternity leave. Somethings you just cannot predict and my little preemie princess was born at 32 weeks so I never had to time to do any of it, and the fabric is still sitting there. Lucky my gorgeous friend made Elsie a lovely quilt so she had an awesome playmat for mothers group!
Back to the quilt! I bought this Saffron Craig fabric at a quilt show a few months ago. I love the blues and greens together and I thought it would work well for either boy or girl depending on what colours I put with it! Boy it will be so some other blue solids got thrown in. I decided on the lone star again - I think it might be my favourite pattern - so quick to make!
The back is a snug piece of Anna Maria Horner flannel. I quilted with each if the diamonds and then echoed around the lone star.
originally I was also going to appliqué the name we had chosen, but as that is still in discussion, it missed out. I can't wait to meet he little guy and have his first photos on it!

Baby Eva's quilt

Or why I should pay attention when reading patterns... Quick little quilt for Baby Eva that has been sitting in my "to do" pile for a while - especially as she is already 7 weeks old! I kinda used The Blueprint Textiles "Insignia Quilt" tutorial - gotta love those chevrons! I originally read the pattern - loved it - but am also a bit lazy. I don't have a 60 degree triangle - just a 45 degree one, so I made a mental note that I would have to amend the pattern slightly. Was on a fabric cutting bender one night so I decided to cut out the fabric - of course forgetting to amend. So my chevrons are a bit knobby! Oh well! Fabrics used - a lot of Ann Kelle, some Lizzy House and a few other randoms Quilted - a giant off centered chevron

Squee!!

3 blocks down! Only 6 more to go! We have a long weekend in Australia at the moment - gorgeous weather in Sydney (though a little windy) so far my weekend has involved a bike ride, a domestic in the paint aisle of Bunnings :) , lovely walk with the dogs, a bit of baking, a picnic and playing in the water park with Miss E and a lovely friend, enhancing my vitamin D the natural way, Visiting the garden centre and SEWING! and I still have a day to go! Though that will involve painting a chest of drawers for new bub that hubby has been "altering". Anyway 3 spinning stars are complete! I love the craziness!!
Block 2

Block 3

Sleep is certainly overrated

I couldn't help it - I just needed to sew the first block of the spinning stars quilt! I had just finished the late shift at work and was a little hyped up, also realising I probably would't get a chance to sew for a while as we had a super busy weekend. I decided sleep could wait (said the 24 week pregnant lass who had to work the next day) and sewed to well past midnight - which is late for me and I got a giggle out of the coffee girl the next day when I pleaded for a large coffee! I love it - it's crazy, it wild - it makes me want to do a little dance... Can't wait to get more done. And dang it - my weekend was so busy I am buggered and can't do any sewing tonight =sad face