I made it!

For some time I have been aware of the absence of a drop cover to go over my sewing machine. My daughter's machines have them supplied, but my machine came with a carry bag, which is brilliant, but doesn't function as a cover you can just stick on when you stop sewing for the moment.

I also have a promise to myself, that at some point I will attempt to become reasonably capable of free motion quilting. I have dabbled for years, but truth to tell, you have to practice, like with other skills, in order to be able to actually produce a half way acceptable result.

With current conditions - coronavirus-I am spending a bit more time at home,so perhaps now is a reasonable time to actually do something about it?

I had spotted a tutorial on Youtube, which was really easy to follow and did the thinking for me. You may not want the thinking done for you, but when I am feeling brainless, it is lovely to have someone tell me what to do. Just some of the time.
Luckily I found suitable fabric in my stash. Would't it be frustrating if you got that urge and there was nothing you wanted to use that way?

So I made my template, made the pieces, put on a couple of sensible pockets, and done!

 This rich dark red, printed in gold, it was picked up at Abakhan some time ago, as being too useful looking to leave behind, And rich and pretty looking. It never occurred to me at the time, I would use it for me!

The kimonos on thie panel are part of a sheet of kimonos. Again, serendipity, I had not realised these fabrics, bought at different times, would work so beautifully together. 

Having attached kimonos to red, I sandwiched with plain white on the back, and cut side panels without the kimonos, and got to the scary bit. FMQ. 

This one was the starter. And boy, does it show. I had no clear idea what I was going to end up with, or where I was going with it. I knew that I would get a smoother result by going a bit more quickly, but how quickly is a bit more ? And you can see my strange meander is just that, strange. But this is warts and all, and everyone has some things that aren't quite, well, quite. 

Having done this I felt a bit more as if I might get somewhere- No way am I ripping it out, no matter how awful, and starting again, so this will be there to remind me how I can get something randomly dreadful, move on!

So then I did side two. I know it is not perfect, but I am a LOT happier with this one. The pattern emerging reminds me of tree bark. It is organic and flows . Yes there are plenty of hiccups, and I realise I need to stop the machine only when I want to change a direction radically, as I will get a jerk whenever I do stop. I think it will not be obvious to the uninitiated that there are loads of jumpy jerks there. I know, you know, but except for the quilt police, no-one else will know. 

So then, the main panel. I wasn't going to do my tree bark over my kimonos, so I just did the lines between the little panels, to keep everything together and left it at that. Tree bark on the rest. 

Don't judge me on the mess on the floor. I still say, he who never makes a mess, never makes anything else either!

A full width pocket on the back. I can slot my standard flat bed in there. 

An elastic topped gathered pocket on the side panel- the one with the grotty quilting- for in case I need it. Overlock everything and bind the bottom edges

 The sides are then bound to the main body. I added a slot in the top to grab the handle by, for if I need to lift it.

 Amn't I posh?

What would I do differently?
I would make the binding for the attachment of the side panels to the main a little wider. Instead of 2" strips, I would try 2.5". This would let me cover the layers at the bottom corners more readily.
I would also make the whole thing about 1" shorter, It is a tad too long. It is not an issue worth taking apart for, but it is unnecessarily tall.

The details for those who like them
Outer fabrics from Abakhan, white lining from Black Sheep, wadding from festival of quilts 2 years ago. It is iron on double sided wadding, which I love. No it does not iron on firmly at all, but just enough to keep it stable, but you can peel it off quite easily. And yes BOTH sides are 'iron-on-able'
Which is now a word. Official. Yes.
Thread used was all Gutermann, apart from the overlocker. The quilting was done with Sulky 02776, weight 30.


I am reasonably happy, but I now need another FMQ project to keep up the practice.
Any ideas?

fishy thing

I decided to turn my last Applique block into a cushion cover, A friend of mine will appreciate it, and I think it looks wonderful. ' Even if I do say so as shouldn't'.

I mounted it with a border in deep green, and put it on a skinny layer of batting, and that backed with white cotton I had in stock, Stitched at the inner and outer edges of the green, and then did a rambling set of wavy lines on the green by way of free quilting, to fit the watery theme. Then piped the edge with gold scroll fabric ( another first- never done piping before) and used furnishing suede, left over from DD2's Christmas bag, for the reverse of the cushion.
 The piping was surprisingly easy, using a zip foot, and 1" wide strips of fabric to cover the cord. I would definitely do it again, it produces a really professional result.

I was pleased with the way the Green mitred neatly at the corners, Thank you, I adapted this to do the mitred bit. and when I trialed it with a cushion pad it looked better than I had expected.
I debated doing a bit of quilting on the face of the picture, but decided, less was more, and I could ruin the whole thing if I got too enthusiastic.

I did an envelope back, which has a big overlap, and should be tidy and secure.
Hopefully, she should receive this at the weekend.

My daughter tells me I now need labels to put in projects, as this will finish it off even better. I am giving this consideration. What do other folk do? I am not at all sure. 

Now, I have a little list, of definite projects I wish to work on in the next few months. I do  not know how time and energy are going to run, but this is the brief list. I am sure other things will add themselves. These before April, I hope. 

1. Book bag- Son no. 1

2. Imogens cover-DD1

3. Cushion- Elizabeth--Done, Hurrah

4. Throw-Gill

5. Throw no 3-Living room. (for me!)

6. Finish quilt that began all this

7. Join a bee

Now one of those has already been finished, other than gifting, and one is, I trust, on its way. Sunni from Love affair with my brother is hosting a stash bee, the first hive is complete, but she is happy to do another to start in February, so I have signed up, with trepidation, as I have never done the like before, so I just hope enough other folk will join in, that it will run. She has several links on her page, to tell us how it is meant to work, and giving ideas of rules. 

Fingers firmly crossed, how about it?
Now, the lovely Lucy from Charm about you is having a birthday, and wants us to help her celebrate, by giving us a charm pack-well, she is giving two packs away, so go and visit her, and put your ha'porth in for that. They are lovely Kate Spain charm packs, and would go well in any stash!

Back again!

I have had some frustration this week. All of a sudden the computer couldn't find google. it would accept emails, and if I knew where something was, I could get to that. But I couldn't sign in to google. Nor would it find bing, or yahoo search engines. And we didn't know why.
Luckily my son came home on Friday, and took 10 minutes to sort us out, so now I can write here again.
What have I been doing?
I took Thursday off work and went to make fabric origami Christmas decorations. They are very pretty, so I better show you what is there.

this was the first one we made, obviously they may be as decorative or as simple as you wish, but a good contrast of fabrics is helpful. The first three were designed on a circle, then one on a square and one on an octagon.






 

                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

I am really struggling to get these pictures where I want them, so you will have to excuse that, for the moment... 

I have also had a few tries at the next FMQ design. This is pine needles. I have to say, I quite enjoyed it. That doesn't mean it looks particularly good, just that I felt reasonably relaxed with it. I forgot to changethe colour of cotton, ok, I couldn't be bothered to change the cotton, so the result doesn't really show up, but this is the result

front of first try,

second attempt

and the backs.. 

yes, I ought to have clipped the tails, but I hadn't. Now I can visit the others who have been doing this too, via Fluffy sheep  and see how they fare.

And I also made a hat. For the Knave of Hearts, though I expect it is too big, but will take some tucks as required. 

I think it will do the job. 

And now I will go attempt Leila's next block. It is more paper piecing, which doesn't thrill, but the finished block looks lovely.

Free motion Friday

It is Friday and time to try posting this weeks 'stomach lining' project with Fluffy Sheep, and have a look at what everyone else has done. The whole basis for this is that we try to do 10 minutes every day- I do not succeed in this. I do a mad scramble at the last minute, and what ever I do, that is it. I have been tied up with other projects, not literally, of course, but busy, too busy to be doing that as well. So this weeks effort started badly. I had not quite got the bobbin in properly, and so the machine seized up slightly. Sorted that out and the first try was awful. Truly dire. Crossing over itself, sharp corners instead of gentle curves, all awry.
see number one here

I am secretly- ok not so secretly- pleased, I free motioned my numbers on the corners!
The back views go something like this

See all those sharp corners? and the crissy-crossy bits. Not good.

try 2 went a bit better, here is the back view of that one,
  still a few sharp corners, and one place where the lines of stitching meet, but definitely an improvement. I was going for try 3, but other life intervened, so I may try again tomorrow.

I have also been making these 

which are intended to have a safety pin attached on the back, and they will then go to a friend, who has craft stalls at times, raising money for autism. I think they will look well on a jacket or a coat, and hope someone may buy them to raise funds. If anyone asks I will do a mini tutorial for them- they are fiddly but not difficult.

All for now, I am off to try to link up with the FMQ Friday lot! See what the others have been doing, I expet they have done their homework and will look fabulous!