Pillow talk

I've coveted those bus destination blinds forever, it seems, but never managed to find one online to buy at a price I could afford. So eventually I decided to create my own. I showed the fabric I ordered from Spoonflower earlier, using an edited list of destinations from the #72 bus in London that I used to take on my way to college way back when. The full list would have been too long for my purposes, but this was just right for a pillow - who says pillows can't have a vertical orientation? ;-)
The fabric wasn't as black as I initially would have wanted (I knew it wouldn't be from the information on the Spoonflower website), and when washed it got a bit of a crinkly worn look, but I have decided that I really like it, an old destination blind would have been a bit weathered and worn too, after all. I used the first of eight panels for this pillow.

I used another Spoonflower purchase for the back - rows and rows of red brick houses went very well with that London theme. And thanks to February being pillow month on Sew Mama, Sew, I came across this great tutorial on how to add a zipper hidden under a flap and it worked like a treat.
So there it is, a brand new pillow for my sofa. It makes me smile every time I look at it, and that can't be a bad thing, now, can it?
Now what to do about those remaining 7 panels? Hmm, I think I might have some ideas...

Sometimes...

.... when you are close to the finish line it pays to stop and take a deep breath and make sure you know where you are going...

Heart rug

Now I'm not crouching in a corner wallowing in self pity, if the last post made that impression - I'm just yearning for spring or a warmer climate, LOL!
A few cheerful projects might come in handy along the way, though, and this idea from Jodi at Pleasant Home was just the ticket for Valentine's. I had an overly optimistic idea of making two of these by hand in time for the 14th, and decided to forego the patchwork and make mine "wholecloth quilts", but even though they are small, I didn't make it in time. While watching "Must love dogs" on DVD yesterday (OK, but NOT the best romcom since "When Harry met Sally" as the cover claimed, IMHO) I put the final stitches in. I'm off to my mum's for dinner today and these will be a little hostess gift for her.

February is the shortest month, or is it?

I don't know what it is about February that hits me like a ton of bricks almost every year. I think it has something to do with the euphoria from Christmas having faded, everyday life picking up speed again and then suddenly realizing that we still have months of winter left. And I'm sooo not a winter person!
Well, I'm fighting my way through it and trying to beat the winter blues by surrounding myself with bright and cheerful fabrics and a bit of hand stitching, while watching so many Gilmore Girls-DVDs that I feel high on caffeine and sugar just from watching. Also reading my way through stacks of books and magazines and only getting some machine quilting in during weekends when my bedroom is warm enough to work in during the daylight hours.
Now, this sounds a lot like I'm moaning and feeling sorry for myself, but it isn't all bad. I quite enjoy this hibernation period, really, and maybe this is something I need at this time of year, gathering my strength for spring when it is "all systems go" again. I know that come March I will begin feeling energized again and start planning, working and playing. I have never understood the concept of New Year's resolutions - to me that's absolutely the wrong time of year to start being strict with yourself. In March, however, I know I will get the urge to spend more time outdoors, becoming more energized by the increasing daylight and craving lighter food. So why fight those natural urges, I'll just lean back and enjoy the quiet life for a couple of weeks more. And maybe I'll do a bit of stitching... 

Figgy Pudding log cabin

Finished! I spent most of my weekend quilting this baby, and miles of binding later, it's finally finished. Well, miles is probably an exaggeration, but sometimes it just feels that way - I haven't been in a hand stitching mood lately, but a little bit every day goes a long way.

To emphasize the difference between the light and dark areas, I used white thread in the light areas and a dark red in the dark areas, and I tried out several different quilting patterns radiating out from the off-centre dark diamond shape. The fabrics are so busy, that this was a nice practise quilt.

Not all the quilting was sucsessful from a perfectionist's point of view, but it was a good learning excercise anyway, and at a distance it all looks rather good, if I may say so myself ;-)

I've come to enjoy making pieced backings lately - this is a great way of making inroads in my ever growing stash instead of buying yards and yards of designated backing fabric. Two leftover blocks also found their way into this one. So there you go. One finished Christmas quilt to be tucked in among the Christmas linen, making a nice surprise for myself when I pull it all out again in December :-D

Fruit salad

I have finished my first piece of work in 2011! I started this back in October, but once I had the blocks finished, something else must have grabbed my attention, because there they were, when I tidied my sewing table on Boxing day. I stitched them together, but somehow adding the border must have seemed too much at the time (note to self: must persevere). Anyway, I did get around to it eventually, and now even the quilting is done!

I don't know the name of the block, but it is one I spotted in an interior magazine years ago and made a quick sketch of. I put my EQ to good use, redrafting it several times before I was happy with the proportions and the right block size to get a tablecloth to the size I wanted it.

I didn't really use that much of the fruit fabrics I had gathered for the top, and I had no idea what to use for the backing, so I ended up stitching together strips of all the fruit fabrics alternating with some lettuce and veg fabric, making a colourful fruit salad backing. I used a thin soft batting (Thermore, I think) which gives a soft drape for a tablecloth and quilted in an open swirly pattern in green thread.

The mouthwatering fabric is Kyle's Marketplace - gorgeous prints that make you want to pick the fruit straight out of the fabric and eat it.

Making sandwiches

Making sandwiches
Originally uploaded by crafty mathea

I was quite industrious the other day and got three quilts layered and ready for quilting. Somehow the tops tend to pile up as I seem to be better at starting new projects than finishing, but I'm getting my act together and trying to finish all my UFOs before I start any new quilts, what with all this new inspiration from new fabrics and books, thast might be a good idea ;-). I think layering must be my least favourite part of the quilting process, but I must admit that it is quite satisfying once it's done.
Once I had everything cleared out of the way and got started on the first one, it was actually not too much hassle to move on to the next two, and now it's time to start quilting - yay!

Did I mention books?

So I mentioned my recent shopping spree. These three books also landed in my mail box. I've only had time for a quick browse, so far, but they look promising.  Ihave been on the lookout for simple, modern patterns to help me make some inroads in my stash, and I think I might have found some good ones here.
The first one is  Malka Dubrawski's "Fresh quilting" which really seams to live up to it's name. I have loved Malka's quilting style since the first time I came across her blog A Stitch in Dye, years ago. She has a fresh colourful style which seems to bring energy and makes me smile, so I'm really looking forward to exploring this book. From what I have seen so far, I'm really going to enjoy this one.
During the weekend I have concentrated my energy on finishing quilt backings, and preparing quilts for quilting, so I'll come back to the other  two books later.

The postman always rings...

There have been a few incoming items lately due to a few slow days during Christmas when a quick online shopping spree took place. Ahem.
What I meant to say: I have been spending a bit of money again. On fabric. And books. I have been meaning to cut down, but sometimes I just can't resist. Coming across Ruby Star Rising I had one of those moments. The nostalgia on seeing that ViewMaster Disc fabric is to blame this time. I remember really coveting one of those gadgets when I was a kid, and since I never got one, that fabric is going to make it SO much better. How's that for an excuse? ;-) I'm not quite sure about what to make yet, but the fabric is quite sturdy and would be great for a bag. So I got a bag pattern as well.

I love the big slouchy bag with cargo pockets - plenty of room for a laptop with all the trimmings. Now it turns out that I'll need a lot of different rings, swivels and hooks as well, but fortunately there is a hardware kit available, so I have an excuse for more shopping. Now if I can find a shop which sells these and also have this pattern, we're talking business. I love letters, so I just might have to make this quilt... More shopping anyone?

Things to do on a rainy day

Rain doesn't usually make me happy, but when the temperature rises and relentless rain is doing a very good job of removing the sheet of ice our roads have been covered with for weeks, I'm happy! Since I don't really have to go outside, I can just enjoy the sound of ice melting and spend my time doing something fun indoors. Like quilting, for instance. I finished my log cabin top yesterday, and here it is in all its glory. My two Honey Buns yielded 51 blocks. I might have managed to scrape together a few more from the scraps, but not as many as three, which would have been the next usable number, for a 6 x 9 layout. I was quite happy to stick to the 7 x 7 block layout I had in mind originally though, and chose an off centre barn raising layout.  The light/dark divisions might be a bit blurry here and there, but it doesn't really mater, does it? I just split the rolls in two with the lightest strips in one pile and the darkest in the other, and one of the reds for centre pieces, but since some of the fabrics have large patterns, some of the darker ones might look light in some areas and vice versa. I think I might do the quilting with white thread in the light areas and brown or green in the dark areas to emphasize the contrast, though.

My task this morning was constructing the backing. I used the two leftover blocks here. The larger areas are from a lovely, red, christmassy paisley. It looks a bit pink here, but the background is really a dark red which goes well with the red in the blocks. Some polka dots in white/red, green/white and brown/teal and some more greens complete the picture. So that's the backing done. I need to prep my batting (I always prewash) before layering, so that won't happen today. I have another top to piece, however, so stay tuned, there's more rain tomorrow...

Auditions

Auditions
Originally uploaded by crafty mathea

I finished my quilt top today. Sorry about the blurry photo and the partial view - I'll show it properly tomorrow. I have lots of Christmas fabric in my stash, but the colours are all too bright for the muted palette of Figgy Pudding, so I had to go to the regular stash. The quilt is 49 x 49" so there will be piecing involved. These are some of the contenders for the backing. I really wanted to use some of that light blue from the logs, but I haven't got a single strip of anything resembling it. To make some inroads in my stash, I have decided to piece all my backings more creatively this year, rather than buy new fabric (my one and only resolution...) so I need to do a bit of measuring and drawing...

So that was it for now...

Luckily, this isn't the state of my living room floor, as I have been cheating for years now opting for an artificial tree, but as of today it is all basted and bound ans snug in it's box in the basement. The ornaments are packed and ready to go back to the attic, and all the stuff I had stored in my sewing area has been put back in it's right place, so there's room to sew again! A new year and new opportunities. Yay!

Figgy logs

I fully intended to make a new Christmas quilt for myself this season, but once I decided to make some presents, that plan went out the window.
I managed to snag a couple of Honey Buns of Figgy Pudding just as they seemed to be vanishing from the face of the earth, and they have been sitting prettily on a shelf being admired for quite some time. I have been reluctant to untie those bows, because they were so pretty, but on boxing day I just couldn't help myself. The 1 1/2" strips in those Honey Buns are perfect for log cabin, aren't they? I started on one "bun" and I got 20 finished blocks and 8 half finished ones out of it. The light/dark contrast isn't all that strong on all of them, but I think it will work out all right in the end. I love the fabric and if I finish the quilt now, put it in the top cupboard and forget about it, come next Christmas I 'll have the lovely surprise of finding a new quilt among my Christmas linen. Good idea, no? :-D

Happy new year!

Best wishes for the new year from my happy little village, which has grown this Christmas - the two towers were among the lovely gifts under the tree. Some good books, and other stuff (more about that later) were also among the thing I was blessed with.

We had a white Christmas, but the weather at the beginning of the year has not excactly been delightful - wind and sleet makes it more tempting to stay indoors and contemplate what I'm going to make in 2011.

I have a few plans lined up, so there's no reason to be idle in the coming weeks. The idea is to keep busy through January, finishing projects and hope the momentum carries me into February, avoiding the usual February Funk. Above are the eight projects I'm currently working on. I'm hoping to make some progress here, and finish some of them, if not all, but of course I have hundreds of ideas of new things I want to start, so we'll see if I get distracted along the way... (very likely!).

2010 - a year in stitches...

1. Another X-block quilt, 2. getalife, 3. Authentic 2x4, 4. Happy Days quilt, 5. The blue quilt, 6. Edges, 7. harvest2, 8. harvestback2, 9. Placemats - set, 10. Shoulderbag, 11. gothic bag, 12. granny square bag, 13. Woman with Dog Kite, 14. Woo hoo, 15. coasters, 16. Austen angel

Holiday update

I left you with an image of burnt cookies and a rather minimalist Christmas vignette, but rest assured that the holiday has been a warm and happy one. Everything went by the same procedure as every year, what with family get-togethers, Christmas dinner, presents and all. It just went all too fast, and I have had two days back at work already, but now there's no more work until next year... Yay!
This is the bag I made for my middle sister. She had made more granny squares than she needed for an afghan, and handed me the remaining six a while back, hinting that they would look great on a white linen bag. I feigned indifference and promptly forgot about it. It resurfaced a while before Christmas and I set to work. I stitched the panel to a piece of linen and added a heavy interfacing to the back. I didn't use a pattern, just gave the bag pieces a bit of shape with my rotary cutter, tapering the sides and rounding the corners before stitching it together.

I had this sweet cat print in my stash and it worked out great for the lining and an inner pocket. I was going to add a magnet button, but it mysteriously disappeared before I got to sew it on. It has not resurfaced yet, so what ever happened to it, I don't know - and no, it is not trapped between the bag and lining!
Anyway - there were tears on Christmas eve, and not because she hated it - my sweet sis claimed to be the luckiest girl in the world, so it seems she liked it!
And by the way, I got the same reaction to the Austen angel, so yes, Christmas was a success as far as I'm concerned!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
Originally uploaded by crafty mathea

Progress

Well, it didn't seem so at first - I managed to burn my first batch of gingerbread cookies. I blame the timer. I have never before managed to fill two trays with dough shapes while the first one was still baking, and it suddenly occured to me that something was wrong. I had to go by the wall clock for the next two trays or they would have been burnt too. So what's a girl to do? I called my mum. And told her I want a new timer for Christmas ;-)

The rest were better though, and the taste is just right.

There was also time for a bit of sewing. If all goes according to plan I'll have all the presents finished by the end of tomorrow. Not too bad...

Angelic

Meet Mary Bennet, one of the younger Bennet sisters... I have made an attempt to make a Jane Austen angel from the Tilda book Sew Sunny Homestyle. I have been wanting to make this for a while, and when my little sis said she wanted one, I thought it would make a nice Christmas present for her.
I didn't have time to order fabric for her skin and used some pale pink cotton I had in my stash instead of the tan fabric Tilda uses. Combined with white for the dress, she became rather pale and listless, and my choice of yarn for her hair makes her look a bit dishevelled. Well, she is very bright, and plays the piano beautifully, although she is a bit of a show-off. She might be joined by one of her prettier sisters at a later date, but not in time for Christmas, though.
I didn't mean to be too harsh with poor Mary - being breathtakingly beautiful isn't all it's cracked up to be, and she is a strong and handsome young woman with a lot going for her.
And she has very pretty purple wings.

Birthday cape

The pre-holiday calm is still here, and I have spent most of my time this weekend doing chores, hanging out with friends and reading instead of getting ready for Christmas. So the panic might yet strike and send me into a frenzy of shopping and baking, but so far so good!
It probably helps that I haven't planned on making a lot of homemade presents this year, so there's no stressing by the sewing machine. In fact it has been so cold lately that spending time in my sewing area (which is in a corner of my bedroom and hence not too warm) is not very tempting. I might have to set up a work station in the kitchen to get anything done.
I have managed to sew this cape though. When my sweet little sis asks, I find I cave in every time and make whatever she wants. She works in a kindergarten, and this time the request was for a cape for the kids to wear when it's their birthday. I didn't have a pattern, so I just winged it, adding darts at the shoulders and back to avoid a lot of fabric bunching up at the neck. I wanted something that would work for both boys and girls, so I made it reversible. The blue fabric with silver stars adds enough magic for it to double as a magician's cape for playtime as well, and the red and white hippo fabric (Ikea)adds a bit of fun. I just hope they can use it! (They'd better...LOL).