a quilt finish

For her birthday, DD2 asked for a quilt. No other requirements, just, Mum, please make me a quilt.
Now the birthday is in early October, and the request came in early September, so, plenty of time to make that quilt, yes?

Well, other than that I also work full time, and have one or two other responsibilities, yes, that is bags of time...

I thought hard about this, but actually, I knew what I wanted to make, and I wanted nice cheery colours,  and to make something she would love despite all the inevitable flaws...

 this is where I started. A simple but scrappy look, And it grew.



slowly I added to it.

and eventually I had thirteen like this...

which needed twelve to go between...

 
to make this.

Put on a spare bed

 and here is the back

and the obligatory rolled up shot..




Did I make the deadline?    well,  not quite.
The little one came home the week after her birthday, and I did manage to get it done for then.

And, I think she likes it.

mini arrived

the Mini quilt that is, has arrived with it's new owner, so now I can tell!

The theme had been circles and curves, and I was lucky to receive a partner who said anything goes!
In some ways this makes it easier, because you can do whatever makes you happy, but in other ways it is more difficult, because there are no boundaries, and perhaps she will be disappointed when it does arrive..

Anyway, thinking hard went on and I tried to get to know my partner a little better.. One busy lady! an energetic whirlwind, with a love for animals and her garden..

and slowly thoughts coalesce..  and a lily pond emerged.



 and after all, the theme is round, so a round lily pond seemed indicated. Dinner plates are also round? It is a mini quilt after all.

 Water will be needed for a pond..

Quilted and a line of stitching to indicate the approximate limits

You get a type of film you can sew into your project, dissolve out in warm water, and then set into shape.

petals for a waterlily can be made this way..













and they can be shaped over a rolling pin.

and a water lily constructed,

 and then the pieces played with to produce the preferred composition..

 a little hand stitching did have to be done here. And the binding was hand stitched on the back, too.














So, this is one pond that will not get slimy and sad!

and in keeping with the theme, some drunkards paths for the back...

I think she likes it!

Hers is on it's way to me, so I am looking forward to a surprise mini !

    

Wedding present

We were invited to a wedding. Lovely. Plenty of notice and so pleased to accept the invitation, for a good friend's daughter's wedding...

As it transpired, the fates conspired against us and we were unable to attend. Other priorities had to be made. So sorry. i am still hoping to see photos... But anyway, a gift had to be made.

Taking things to the extreme, you may know I am a fan of portholes?  So, I thought, a cushion with portholes... But we do want this to be totally special? yes...

How about portholes in letter shapes? well, some letters happen to be easier than others...


It took quite some doing... but I finally got there... No telling how blue the air got at times...

 No prizes for guessing bride and groom's names!

 Staged on my daughters bed...

And a modern take on the other side, just so they can ditch the kitsch if they wish!  I do hope they like it .

busy...

Having decided on a new project I have been getting on with it... and I have managed 9 blocks so far this weekend... back to the fray!  but just now they are kind of secret... You will have to wait!



Having made damson jam, it is always good to share a little.. so two pots trotted off to a new home, with nice wee hats on their heads, and a cosy little basket to sit in for the journey..  The recipient loves owls, so I found a few to go with her jam...

I even lined the little basket the jars went in with some owls.. 

I think another time I would make the dividing flap attach to the sides of the basket, so it did not fold down, but this was an experiment, and I was quite pleased with the result.. 

Then another friend did not possess a hottle bottle... and sometimes the comfort that a hottie gives just cannot be replaced by any other source of warmth... As there is a small one also in the household, it felt right to make a hottle bottle cover for both Mum and Small... 

I wonder who will win which one?

I know the dinosaurs are intended for Small, but you just never quite know!




These hottle bottle covers are a quick and easy make. Can you tell I had fun?

Flying to a finish...

My last flying geese managed to come through for the 'take your time' swap with those Lazy Bums...


It is obligatory to get something wrong, isn't it?

so I obliged here, attempting to sew the background on wrong side to right side...


Luckily I spotted it pretty quickly, and was able to put measures in place to remedy the situation...Ok, ok, I got the stitch ripper out and sewed it on correctly!

Which gives me this block...

 And then this one flew in to land,

the fourth block.. 

closely followed by the fourth one, here...

I used freezer paper piecing, and was able to reuse the same papers as I had used for Lizzie's blocks and May's blocks...

I did make one fresh one, as it had lost a lot of it's sticky properties... But I would choose freezer paper again, as it is reusable., And I like the crisp result with FPP, it is the waste that upsets my natural frugality... Ok, natural meanness!  No dressing it up for you!



So, all these are to wing their way across the pond, to a new home in USA.. soon...

 Editing to join with Scraptastic Tuesday- handicapped by lack of easy access to putting photos onto the computer just now...

Bank holiday sewing...

Yes, I have been sewing... but as so often happens, just too busy, and some secret bits, so it does not get itself up here!

 The last of my Lazy Bums Flying geese has got itself started... This is for Laurie, and will need a few more to go with it.  She asked for a grey, low volume background and bright colours against it.  So, here is the first of four 6" blocks.

Then, we have the fat Stash Brit Bee. It is DD1's month this time, and she has kept it simple. Log cabins, with a good red centre, and low volume on two sides, and cheery brights on the other two sides. Some low volume strips were sent, and one bright, and the centre square, the rest to come from stash.

 A second block whizzed up in next to no time..











 It will be a bright and cheery quilt when she gets it all together.





















And the big event happened yesterday. We had a tutu bodice sew-in.
Our lovely teacher had some tutu bases to use, but wanted pretty bodices to make the girls feel special and different. There were three of us, but four tutus, so, as it was a learning day as much as anything we played with fabric and selected what seemed suitable for three of them, and we each made one. Some fabric was brought, some came from my stash. And the effect of some fabrics is very different depending what lies below...

so this red organza looks delicate and pretty over white, but quite different over a red backing. Quite solid, really.

and is a pig to sew... but enough of that! we did not use that one this time.

 This delicate printed sheer fabric was mounted over a pink, and again, is a bit of a trial to sew, as it stretches in it's own fashion, and slips, but can be tamed with a wee bit of patience and an overlocker!
 
 My poor old overlocker is seeing plenty of use, and I trust it will go on providing its great, if temperamental, service...

 Elaine was an overlocker newbie, but within seconds she was confident, and got all her pieces neat and ready to go in short order.


between the three of us we used four machines... including my elderly Singer, which came out of retirement to fill that gap...

And she sewed the gold ribbon at the bottom of the net...

She has made a beautiful job there... Just hope these actually come near fitting- Having no child to fit on is a problem, as I do not finish edges before fitting usually. but hey, It was as much an exercise in how as anything else...

'I really made it!'

Yes, it will need trimming yet, but, the basic is there!


and both new to boning as well!

And, yes, I made this one. But then, I have done a few before...

In the middle of all this we had lunch- just quiche and salad, and then stopped for tea and cream cakes in the afternoon.... I had fun, and I hope the other two did as well, .... and, just perhaps, next time, I may have someone else doing tutus with me....

Bee-ing for August

This month's Fat Stash Brit Bee mama has asked for 'Birches'
She provided background fabric, and also some neutral scraps, to which we add, to make the block.

and she also said, we could add leaves or birds if we so desired... I guess I desired... I love those little additions.. 

The block will be squared up to 12.5", and although simple in concept, is surprisingly tricky to get the edges of the background lining up... My seam ripper did come out to play... And I experimented with some freestyle curves. 

About those freestyle curves... I signed up for another swap... It is the type of swap I never did before, where it is a disclosed swap. In this one, I have been assigned my partner, and she has been given me to make for. So, both of us know who we are dealing with, and have discussed likes and dislikes before we begin.. The theme of the swap is circles and curves... so I used this block to do some gentle 'organic' freestyle curves. 

My project, without giving away too much about it, shall involve some more of these curves, and all the practice is definitely helping, and will also involve some applique, I know what I am planning and shall be posting some sneaky peeks and hoping my partner does not hate it too much! But I have some other thoughts lurking so, if I get negative vibes, I shall start over!here is a first teaser...

There are some gentle curves to be seen there, I think... 

and then, just to make you jealous... this little sweetie has come in to my life this weekend...                                                                                                     Her name is 'shimmer' and she is the daintiest of clematis. I shall have to find a good spot for her in the garden.