woodland sampler 2013
I finished my woodland sampler. I learnt a lot during this year of stitching my first cross stitch project, mainly that I love cross stitch!
Another check off my FAL list, although I was hoping to have it framed I just don't have the money and my efforts of creating a DIY cardboard frame are best forgotten. It will lay around until I have the funds to frame it properly.
I suspect this is the last finish off my list but there's still a few days until the link closes so I may be able to sneak one more in... possibly... actually I've been feeling a bit lazy since the chaos of Christmas, so I doubt it!
Happy New Year's Eve! Have a fun and safe one :)
making a list
checking it twice, and then again because I've still got lots to do... nothing is even wrapped yet!! Thursday is usually my day of random but this post is a little all over the place so today will be random too! I have been spending a lot of time just thinking, possibly the upcoming new year is making me reassess and prioritise. I'm questioning myself a lot and trying to get more in touch with what makes me happy and the direction I would like to go with my sewing. Anyway I will share my thoughts with you when I'm ready. For now here's what I've been up to...
First up I chose this Herringbone block for my turn as queen in the Simply Solids Amaranth group. I picked it after making one in prints for Erin in the Bee A Brit Stingy bee. I followed her lead and am asking my bee not to sew them together. That way I can decide on the final layout. I will be making this quilt for charity. I'm hoping for lots of bright colours!
I've finished sewing all the rows on my star flower quilt, just need to sew them together and do the borders. Definitely planning on hand quilting this, it's just so pretty!
Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings to you all!
First up I chose this Herringbone block for my turn as queen in the Simply Solids Amaranth group. I picked it after making one in prints for Erin in the Bee A Brit Stingy bee. I followed her lead and am asking my bee not to sew them together. That way I can decide on the final layout. I will be making this quilt for charity. I'm hoping for lots of bright colours!
I finished up my step mum's present, this pretty yoga bag. I used Amy Butler's brilliant free pattern.
It was simple to follow and cleverly by near total fluke the fabric on the pockets lined up perfectly:
I also managed to finish a superhero cape for my friend's son. I love these, my kids still enjoy the ones I made them. It's easy to personalise and though I have used the free pattern, the full PDF makes things easier and there's lots of great applique symbols. You can buy the pattern here at Georgia Leigh's Etsy shop, ages 2-7 or 8-11.
I've finished sewing all the rows on my star flower quilt, just need to sew them together and do the borders. Definitely planning on hand quilting this, it's just so pretty!
I'm hoping to get the family jumper reindeer appliques done, I've had a little helper do some tracing for me!
Randomly I was looking at my sister's wedding pictures from this summer and I don't think I ever shared pics of me in the dress I love most in the world (other than my wedding dress). I can't make the pics larger because I become pixelated but hopefully you can see how pretty it is. So retro. It has lovely bling on the cuffs and my sister got me and her bridesmaid a gorgeous brooch that just finished it off perfectly.
And here's the weirdest shot, it's like I have an earpiece or something?!
I also wanted to show you the most beautiful picture of my youngest daughter that was taken by my husband... so adorable
Finally I am hoping that santa will stop spamming blogs since he has a job to do!
Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings to you all!
Christmas lunch
No I'm not about to start sharing recipes, I still go to my mum's house for my Christmas lunch ;)
Today was the kids Christmas lunch day at school and also 'wear a Christmas jumper day'. Well they don't have Christmas jumpers but they have a mum that can sew. I searched for a reindeer applique pattern and did some easy zig zag stitching to make these:
Happily worn by the kids in blurry pictures:
Mine isn't as inventive as Susan's recent creation but I'm pleased with them. It was actually quite hard to find a decent free pattern but this one is brilliant and comes in three sizes. Husband has suggested that I make one for the baby too and possibly even for us. Honestly I don't even think he was being sarcastic!! She has a red dress that would suit this perfectly and it would be cute for all three of them to sport rudolphs.
My son took it upon himself to decorate our house at the weekend. He creatively used his drawings and attached pipe cleaners to hang them up. Some are lovely and Christmassy:
That says 'Christmas decoration' in case there was any doubt. It also says 'chop chop', that's pretty random.
Some are not so festive, unless you live in Australia maybe:
He literally has tied these everywhere:
My banisters are covered. It is so cute though and I love that he just did this himself with no prompting.
If you're doing any last minute Christmas projects and need a fun quilting pattern, try my holly and berries fmq pattern, it is super fast and easy!
'tis the season
for utter panic. The realisation you might need to go to plan B. Not everything is going to get made/sewn in time.
I'm embracing plan B. I'm going to do what I can and only what I want.
So this little project can go to hell!
If anyone managed to make this without getting glue everywhere and sticking their fingers together and actually made it work I doff my hat to you, you're a better crafter than I am. I will not attempt a small frame purse using oilcloth ever again.
After that annoying failure I relaxed by making an embroidered label for a commissioned baby quilt.
Ahh feeling better already, then on to some fun but necessary sewing last night - I will show you the results tomorrow...
And finally a bit of time spent back with my true love, hand quilting my feather bee quilt. Only two more feathers to outline and then on to the stems.
Now I feel jolly :)
sometimes you have to go with what you've got
I'm afraid my le challenge finish for this months theme PRECIOUS is not a sewing project but a result of some crafting with the kids that we did the other day. Yes I fully intended to make something else but I've had no time and with a poorly girl earlier in the month and makes that had to be finished it got pushed aside.
So I admit defeat and offer you some glittery painted pinecones (a la Making Rebecca Lynne) in a jar.
The jar itself is precious because it housed the delicious bramble jelly my nan made and labelled. She always asks for the jars back but I'm secretly squirreling them away because I just love both the jars and her handwriting. This was also some fun precious time spent with the kids. Apologies for not getting my sew on for this one but there may be months not quite as good as others ;)
Go and visit le challenge, link up any precious finishes and see what the other challengers got up to (hope they did a bit better than me!!).
a hat trick
Less blogging more sewing going on around here...
I finished this second Rainbow Log Cabin quilt and it's in my shop
I used happy bright colours and a bit of low volume to balance it out.
There's lots of fun panels, strawberries and a pot of jam?! So cute!
I also finished another embroidered custom cushion with pretty girly prints:
Another custom order from a dear friend, a bright and bold play mat, backed with soft flannel:
This was not an easy make because I picked the highest loft batting. While this will be great for a baby it was not great for my machine. I attempted quilting and it went horribly wrong. So I had a re-think and after seeing Rebecca's post I decided tacking was the way to go. No way was I going to do fmq when my walking foot couldn't even deal, so I turned to what I love - a bit of hand stitching.
I did some little star stitches, coordinating the thread with the fabrics on the front. The back looks like a chesterfield sofa and it stops the fabric from shifting around. I hope the family it's gifted too will love it!
And I do enjoying wrapping and sending out my handmade wares:
Right back to the making, I have another custom quilt and a yoga bag that need finishing!
Linking up:
sshhh
can't chat, I've got my head in a book...
(gotta love bargain second hand quilt books)
stash and glitter
Oh I love fabric parcels of yummy happy fabric!
These gorgeous fat quarter bundles arrived from Fluffy Sheep Quilting, Happy Go Lucky and 2wenty Thr3e with coordinated solids:
A beautiful Summer Kona jelly roll, some yardage (Children At Play - Hopscotch Soft Pink, Pam Kitty Love - Grey Dots on Check, Lakehouse - White on White Dots) and a Baby Jane charm pack from the Fat Quarter Shop:
Today there's been no playing with fabric but I've enjoyed crafting with the kids. After seeing Rebecca's sweet tutorial we picked up some pine cones on a walk through the park and after unsuccessfully trying to wrestle the lid off the PVA glue I remembered we had glitter paint so we went with that instead (also saved cleaning up the glitter!).
Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to find a suitable vessel to display their glittery handiwork!
Linking up to Sunday Stash at Finding Fifth (for some reason the button isn't working for me?!)
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