27 June 2014

Blue bow ties finished!

After a trip to get some matching thread, the blue bow tie quilt is done! I am really pleased how it turned out.

Just did a simple quilting in the ditch, it's light and airy. Finished size approximately 90cm x 70cm. I think it's going to make a perfect gift for tomorrow's baby shower! My Berenguer baby boy wanted to have his picture taken today....





21 June 2014

Shades of blue...

Still cleaning up the sewing room, but managed to put together a pile of coordinated blues. Must admit, though, they aren't all cotton, but they go together quite well so I discounted this as a major issue! 

I went with the 3D bow tie design again, in random sequences. Total of 7 fabrics, 20 blocks, to make a 4x5 quilt. Squares started as 10x10cm. The blue is almost on the grey side - the pic is a bit off colour wise, which I will get a better pic once it's done.....


I have a soft, brushed cotton for the backing and a light batting. Probably not a full size baby quilt, but still a reasonable size for a pram or wrap.....

It's pinned up and ready to quilt, but it's getting late so it will have to wait for another day. ;)


15 June 2014

It needs something...

...like, maybe, a pocket??


It's so big that it needs a button to keep I closed... Just means more room to put stuff in! ;)

13 June 2014

Quickie bag....

Today, I did a bit of cleaning - I know, I'm as shocked as you are! - and found a pencil case I made AGES ago, but also found the fabric I made it out of. Coincidentally, it's the same fabric I used for my Economy Block doll quilt, so I whipped up a quick library bag to go with it. 

The fabric itself is a bit flimsy, so I lined it with some curtain lining to give it some body. Not too bad for a quickie.... :)


Also found a piece of awning off cut (I have quite a few rolls of assorted widths and colours) and some corduroy, and used the off cut to make the base. It's really easy to sew and holds its shape really well! As long as it's a simple seam, though.....

A pair of cushions...

The other cushion is DONE! 

Since this one is slightly bigger than the, I did the zip slightly differently - which worked a treat! I sealed the seam all the way across, with the tacking stitch between the fixed ends bits, stitched the zip in an unpicked the tacking. Really easy, although it took two rows if unpicking to get it right... Measure twice, people! LOL!!

Anyhow, I didn't have a big enough cushion insert so have had to make do with the smaller one, but it still looks OK. I will probably sell these anyway, so the new owner can sort that out....

Here they both are, with a few friends...

08 June 2014

One down, one to go!

Since I started this pretty late in the evening, I just realised it's quite late - and I gotta go to work in the morning - so I'm calling it a night.

I did, however, finish one cover. Once it was squared up, I realised I was really crooked! Thankfully, once it had the cushion in it, it doesn't look too bad.... Note to self - make sure you square up BEFORE you put on the borders!! ;)


07 June 2014

Almost done!!

Both fronts are now quilted and ready for backs! Yay!!

Side by side, one is visibly larger, for two reasons. Firstly, when I marked the vilene for number one, my accuracy wasn't that great and so the gaps were slightly bigger. Add to that a slightly larger seam allowance on number two, and you get a difference of about 2cm overall. It's not a big deal, 'cause once they are plumped up with cushions inside, you won't even notice... ;)


It's amazing how two items made from the same fabric can look so different!! The first one (right) looks fuller, but a little lopsided. The second (left) is finer and not so solid. I think they are both successful, though. I will definitely be trying these again!

I have given them a simple quilt in-the-ditch around the squares, although I haven't added a backing -  since I knew these will be cushions, I didn't see the point. Just need a couple of zips and they will be done! Good thing the shops are open Sundays! :)

03 June 2014

Am I crazy??

I think I must be..... After starting the first colourwash cushion, I thought they would look better as a pair - so I'm doing another one!! ;)

In the middle of the night, I thought I would try a "X", but after many tries, it just didn't look right, so another heart it is! 

A couple of changes, though. The vilene that I used first time was far too heavy, although it was white. This time it's black and much, much lighter - not by choice, but it's what I had on hand. Time for a fabric shopping trip! YAY!!

Here's where I'm at after a whole weekend playing around with it. Trying not to overthink it is hard! I love puzzles, but this has no "solution", so it's hard to know when to stop. But I think I'm ready to stop now. My head hurts....


01 June 2014

Cushion, maybe??

I have put a couple of borders on the base, and now it's cushion sized. Difficult decisions on colour, but I think this was the best option in the end. It's actually grey - I'll have to get a better pic once it's finished....


I think I might make a cushion cover, since it's a bit girly and I already have a cushion that it will fit. It's already pinned to the batting so I can quilt the front, just add a backing and a zip and that's it!

Distractions.....

I have wanted to do a colourwash quilt for ages, but never really found the right fabric. While cleaning up my sewing room, I found a piece of floral that looked like it had enough open space as well as dense flowers, so I took the plunge!! :)


I used 5cm squares cut randomly from strips of the floral, and so the fun began. Firstly, I put the squares into piles of similar type - low, medium and high, plus halves both diagonal and straight - to make it easier to start. I found the best shape for the top and bottom peak of the heart shape, and just went from there! I used the halves to shape the curves, the corners to fill the gaps. When I thought it looked ok, I took a photo. This gave a better idea of how it was going and allowed for adjustments to be made, rearranged again and again, until I was happy.


I then put it on some iron-on vilene, pressed it and stitched down the seams. And this is how it turned out :


Not sure what to do with it - maybe a doll quilt or table runner, or a bag? Current size - 36cm square