x-blocks

I have a new batch of X-blocks on the go. Same colours as in the previous one, but different setting. I don't know what took me so long, because once I got started this was done in no time at all. But there you have it, I seem to be procrastinating big time lately. It might be that the holiday season arrived so suddenly (so what else is new...) that I feel the urge to put the brakes on. As if my silent protest would help at all - no, I might as well embrace the season and get going on those Christmas projects. Hm, maybe I need to make a list first. That usually helps...

Don't listen to my grumbling - I don't mean it really, I love the holiday season, although I could do without the snow - or slush, which is what it has become today. Now I just need to sit down and decide what to make, bake and buy for the holidays, so I can get started...

Pre-Christmas inspiration

Look what as in the parcel I picked up from the post office yesterday: hours of browsing fun and inspiration! So what if the first snowflakes are floating through the air? They still melt before they hit the ground and I don't actually need to go outside. So I'll spend some time stitching and a lot of time browsing through my new mags gathering ideas for things to make.

The world might turn white during the day, and I might just be tempted to venture out to place my first footprints in pristine snow once it does, but not just yet - I have important reading and planning to do :-D

Anybody home?

Yes, still here. And thankful that the weekend has arrived. Busy, busy, busy. And there has been very little sewing going on. I'm hoping that tomorrow will improve matters, though. I have started on some new x-blocks, for another red and turquoise quilt and I'm having a friend over for some cutting and stitching lessons tomorrow. The plan is to make a holiday table runner. We'll see how that goes... She has been very interested and made one quilt under my guidance a few years back. Now she feels ready to attempt her next one, but claims to have forgotten everything, so we'll see if I can manage to teach and inspire her to continue down this quilted path I seem to follow. Or maybe we should call it a slippery slope of fabric and notion purchases... - I won't mention that during her first lesson though ;-)

Seed stitches on photo

Seed stitches on photo
Originally uploaded by crafty mathea

Still working on the bag. There will be a bit of handstitching - seed stitches on the backround of the photo, beading around the edge and some decorative embroidery along the seams.
I'm enjoying a bit of quiet time stitching by hand before I start on the main job, which is constructing the bag itself.

Sneak peek

I've been working on my sister's messenger bag today. This is just a glimpse of the flap with a photo of her as a little girl transferred to fabric. I have stitched angled strips of fabrics around it, log cabin style, finishing with charcoal linen, which is what the rest of the bag will be made from. Next it needs a bit of hand stitching - some embroidery and some beads - before I construct the rest of the bag. I never thought that I would be making another one, but luckily I jotted down some measurements and a rough sketch in my notebook for the previous one*, so I should be able to remember how I did it.
I'm enjoying a quiet Sunday at home, sewing, reading and watching films. It feels really good to slow down a bit after yet another hectic week at work. There doesn't seem to be much energy left for evenings during the week at the moment, but things should improve in about a fortnight. I do have some pretty quilting fabrics waiting in the wins, and if I can just concentrate for a while, I might be able to remember what I was going to make from them as well...

*I can't believe I never posted a picure of the finished bag! Here it is now!

Blog hopping

I have spent most of my morning here hopping from one blog to another, following the Cross Country Christmas Designer Blog Hop started by Gudrun. There are 12 quilt designers sharing stories about their Christmas traditions and memories, and a free project every day. I only found out about this yesterday, and they are half way through, but there is lots of fun stuff to read and some pretty good projects to get inspired by too. I feel myself getting into that good old Christmas spirit, and have also stocked up on some nice holiday magazines. So I guess this weekend will be all about planning holiday projects - what to make and buy for everybody and to get started on all those lists: shopping, baking, parties... oh, what fun! I think I like this part of Christmas the most - all that anticipation and figuring out what to get for everybody that they'll really love - luckily we aren't that large a family, so the strain on the credit cards doesn't get too heavy. And I tend to go in for lots of handmade anyway, which means that most of my spending has been done in advance (read: fabric stash!).

The illustration is yet another of those "Listen, Honey..." designs from Twisted Thread, see the links in the sidebar.

Red and white

I thought I'd show some of the things I have made from that red and white fabric, over the years, and have managed to unearth some, not very good photos. The items in question have long since gone to new homes, so these photos will have to do for now. These Christmas hearts were made some years back when I came across a bag with lots of little cross-stitched christmassy motifs I had stitched when I was a young girl. I added some fabric, cut out heart shapes and stuffed them, making them into Christmas ornaments for someone's tree. It might not be entirely clear from this picture that this is a fabric cone filled with sweets. It has an angel's head and wings attached to one side, making it look as if the angel is offering an armful of sweets to you. I made some of these for friends, and had planned on making some for myself as well, but as these things go, I never got around to it. This Christmas, however...

These angels in their nighties are ready for bed. The pattern for these, and the angels above came from one of Tone Finnanger's books, one which has been put to good use here over the years. I think I might have made about half the little people and creatures she presents in this book, so it is one I can really recommend. Hm, I suddenly got the urge to sew something - must go and have a look at that book...

Preparing for Christmas

Preparing for Christmas
Originally uploaded by crafty mathea

I have been rather quiet lately, mulling over what will be my next project, rifling through my fabric and notions, but not getting anything done. It might just have been that quiet moment before the storm sets in, though - it suddenly dawned on me that it is Christmas in just over a month, and if I am to make any presents I really need to get started! Some recently added fabric might give me the push I need, though.
Now, what to make... I'm thinking of making some storage bags/buckets from the first two. The red and white seersucker is one fabric I keep coming back to, so I keep buying more. It has been used for christmas ornaments, angel clothing, and all sorts of christmassy things over the years, and I'm thinking of making some candy cones from them, decorated with some pretty ribbon or something. The charcoal linen/cotton blend at the bottom of the pile is the only one I have very specific plans for - it is destined to become a messenger bag for my middle sister. She has requested one similar to the one I made for my youngest sister a while back. She didn't seem all that interested at the time, but after seeing all the use it has been getting, she has come to the conclusion that she "needs" one too. It's nice to know that my efforts will be appreciated, so I'm more than happy to make one for her. I'd better get my act togehter and get started !