Stitching along...

These last weeks seem to have been flying along - is the world spinning faster, or is it just me? I have been working on several different projects and started a few more.

With new fabric and inspirational books arriving I feel the ideas are popping up constantly, so I should probably write them all down before I forget.
My mum's birthday was a fortnight ago and I got her a new digital radio, which she was very pleased about, but of course I had to add something hand made at the last minute. So I made her a shopping bag from some retro looking fabric I had intended for her and which has been lying in wait for a couple of years... ahem.

I snapped a few photos just before I left for the party and realized just now that they aren't all that great, but they will have to do. I had been considering using the fabric for an apron, and kind of regret that I didn't, because that's what she thought it was at first, and she seemed to be happy with that. But, never mind, she liked it as a bag, and it brought back memories of her childhood visiting her grandma in the country, as I had thought it would, so it wasn't that bad.

Talking of bags, I have been thinking of making Noodlehead's 241 tote for myself for ever, and recent sightings have put that idea at the front of my mind again - I think I know which fabric to use finally, and that means that half the job is done already! Picking fabric for those sorts of things is a main reason for procrastinating for me it seems.

With new fabric coming in, I decided it was about time I sorted out some new projects and set down to make myself some new quilt kits to have at the ready for when the stitching itch hits. I got the first one cut and decided to stitch just one block to see what it would look like, and before I knew it I had chain pieced all my pieces together - so much for kits for later! The seams are pressed and I'm ready to piece them into blocks, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I'm still working on the hand stitching on my garden quilt and that's where I'm concentrating the effort this evening. If I finish, I have a witch to stitch for a new pillow - it never stops, does it? :-D

The next kit is also lying in wait - the fabrics are all picked out and the pattern sketched for a purple and turquoise quilt - a yummy bunch of fabrics that will be so great together with some yellow, grey and text fabric, I believe... Yes, I'll be happily stitching all through October, it seems...

2013 - bring it on!

Beginning a new year is like starting a new journal, isn't it? Lots of blank pages to be filled in as we continue our journey and wonder where it will take us. It's also a time to stop and look back and contemplate on what we have achieved.
2012 for me was a year of waiting, not a year of doing, and I really need to snap out of it. I decided in the end of 2011 that I needed to find a new place to live, as this flat is too small, needs more work done to it than I am capable of tackling and the thin ceilings give me too much information about what my neigbours are doing...

I was lucky and had a bit of a windfall in 2011 which will allow me to buy a bigger place, and I thought that would happen just like that. But it is not so easy - one has to find the right place first. I don't think I'm too picky, but I have some criteria that must be met, and I spent 2012 searching and waiting for it to appear.

I remember packing away my christmas decorations a year ago, thinking that the next time they would be used at my new place. I also started purging my belongings and packing away things I wouldn't need for a while, so much that when I was to start decorating for the holidays, most of my decorations were buried under so much stuff in the basement that I just couldn't be bothered, so I have gone for the minimalist approach to decorating this time - no tree, but christmassy quilts, light chains and lots of candles. Different, but very nice anyway.

I am also in a better place when it comes to preparing for a move than I was a year ago, so that's good - a lot of stuff has been cleared out, given to jumble sales or to friends, so the things I have left will be the things I really want to hold on to, which should make an eventual move much easier.
But I see that I really need to be more active and do new things, spend time travelling, visiting, doing, not putting everything on hold.

I'm not all that into making new year resolutions, but I think it's about time I made one - to make this year a more active one socially and also to spend more time making quilts than dreaming about them. And that should give me more to blog about as well...
Happy New Year!

All decided - more work ahead

When in doubt, make a mug rug. That's what I did to come to a decision about my quilting lines. I stitched some of the leftover bits and pieces from the quilt top together and started making a mug rug. First I quilted it all in parallell(ish) lines using the same distance as on my quilt. Then I started stitching in between the lines. You can see the tighter quilting here, on the right hand side. Much better, I think. That means that I still have lots of work ahead of me, but I will be far happier with the outcome, I believe. And what's the rush anyway?

Anybody in?

I'm contemplating titles for my new quilt, and "Anybody in?" is one of the options. You  might have to see the whole thing to get why?  Can you see what inspired it from this glimpse?

I'm halfway through quilting it - or am I? I'm beginning to wonder if the quilting lines are too far apart - maybe I should add new ones in between? It will be very compact if I do, but it is meant to be a wall quilt, so that doesn't really matter. I've gathered some of the off-cuts to make a mug rug where I can try out the tighter quilting before I decide.

More new plans

I found it! The power switch on my sewing machine, that is ;-) My fruit blocks are coming together and I have started planning a new project. This is my EQ sketch of the new quilt I just started cutting pieces for. The blocks are from the Fat Quarterly blog and they will be huge. 20 x 20 ". I never work that large, but I wanted the different fabrics to be allowed to shine, and big blocks seem to be the way to do it. We'll see how it looks once I get started piecing them together. This will be a lap quilt for my youngest sister who is a bit of a minimalist. Her living room is all neutral: black, white, gray with just some little hints of colour, so I had to run my colour choices by her. I sent her a photo of the pile of fabrics via my mobile asking if these were colours she could live with. The answer was positive, so now she knows I'm up to something. Well, it doesn't hurt to have her wait a while to see excatly what is going on :-)

Climbing quilts

Not much sewing going on here recently, I just can't seem to get my act together and get started.
But I haven't been totally idle - I have painted my quilt ladder to match my book shelves. Ah, much better! Now perhaps the teddies' bench next... Or should I go quilt something...?
Paint or quilt, that's the question...

Or maybe just sit here until the urge to do something goes away...

Sampler

Sampler
Originally uploaded by crafty mathea

I bought a Jelly Roll of Authentic by Sweetwater a while back, and thought I'd use bits and pieces of it in collages and whatever. I just love fabric with words printed on them, and this line has several of those. As it often is with these things, I found myself reluctant to start cutting into it, but I wanted to "get to know" all the different fabrics, and while reading Jane Brocket's new quilt book and what had inspired her to make her sampler quilt, it dawned on me that I could make a sampler of my own. I worked it out in EQ, and decided that if I cut the pieces 4 1/2" for a finished size of 2 x 4" and used 1" sashing, I would end up with an almost square quilt when I chose a layout of 5 by 8 blocks. Once I finished stitching the blue top together this morning, (more about that later) I got to work, cutting my pieces and getting them up on my design wall (which is just a fancy term for a flannel sheet with grommets in two corners hung from two hooks at the top of my wall!).
I've been moving them about for a while, and I quite like the layout, but now the big question is: what colour sashing should I choose? Initially I thought some sort of neutral like bone, cream or grey would be good, but some of the fabrics might get lost by blending into the background too much, I think. I have a solid bright blue which goes well with all of the colours, but it might be too dark. Any suggestions?

x-block top finished

x-block top finished
Originally uploaded by crafty mathea

I actually managed to get my X-block quilt top finished this weekend. It has been so cold lately that there has been precious little sewing done, but there's nothing like a guild meeting coming up to get me going. It would be nice to have something for show-and-tell! I've found a fun IKEA fabric for the backing, but the red I was planning on for the binding is mysteriously lost, so I'm considering a black and white stripe instead?
Now if only I could come up with a way to quilt it. I must sleep on that, I think...

Mark the day

I treated myself to a pretty day planner, or "Date Book" as it calls itself, for 2010 instead of the standard issue ones we get at work. The idea is to bring a little cheer into every day, no matter how drab. Although I like my job, there's no getting past the fact that there are periods where I'd rather be anywhere than there. Some nice pictures and some food for thought is excactly what is called for at these instances, and this sweet book seems just the ticket. I love the art of Kelly Rae Roberts and have several of her pictures. The book has gotten me a lot of attention at meetings all through this first week as well, and that's not a bad thing in my book ;-) On using it I quickly realized that it needed an accessory, though. This being the first week of the year, finding the right date wasn't too much of a problem, but as the year progresses I could envision a lot of leafing through to find the right place.

So on Friday night I settled in front of the telly with some felt, fabric and floss to make that little accessory - a bookmark. I used some wool felt and added bits and pieces of fabric from that lovely Authentic Jelly Roll. I just pinned bits and pieces of fabric on to the felt and attached them with a running stitch in variegated thread. The wool is thick enough that I could bury my stitches in it without them showing up on the other side, so I could easily stitch one side at a time. I added some decorative stitching on both sides and around the edge with three strands of cotton floss, and added a ribbon to attach it to the book.

So there it is, I think the colours match the book quite well, and the affirmative words from the fabric are in keeping with the style of the book as well, I think. An added bonus is that making this entirely by hand was very restful and enjoyable, so I definitely see more projects of this kind in my future. More pictures here.

Spotty panthers?

After getting my Material Obsessions Two book home earlier this summer, I went straight online an searched for this Echino fabric. It's surprisingly called Panther. A big cat with spots, I would have thouht the designer was aiming to depict a leopard myself, but who am I to judge? - I love it anyway. It is a bit coarser and more heavyweight than standard quilting fabric, but has a nice feel to it, so I am looking forward to working with it. If you have seen the book (highly recommended) you will know which quilt I'm planning to make. Maybe this will be my next one? Or maybe I'll open my Bali Pops. I also have a red and aqua x-block quilt in mind. I'd better get started on one of them, soon though. I haven't spent too much time with my sewing machine lately...
I really shouldn't have gone in search of the link for the Echino fabric - I just found another one with circles and ladybugs... No! Put that credit card away!
No shopping today!! I think...

Quiltalong

There is actually quite a bit of sewing going on here at the moment! Carried along by the momentum of finishing the Sunflower quilt I also finished adding the sashing to my Quiltalong sampler. I need to be extra creative when it comes to piecing the backing, though, as I haven't got any large enough pieces of any of the fabrics to follow the directions. I think I have worked out how to do it though, and while my mind is mulling over this, I have unearthed another UFO to try my hand at some machine trapunto, now where did I put that water soluble thread?
And there is another project I'm just dying to start...
It must be Spring Fever or something! There seem to be so many ideas buzzing around in my head these days that I don't know where to go next. So maybe I should just take a deep breath, and try to focus. This might be a good time to get started on a craft journal, just to get all those ideas down on paper before they drift off again. Or is starting a journal just another project that should wait in line until I have finished some of these quilts?
There won't be any more sewing until Friday anyway, as tomorrow there's a stitch'n'bitch night at the quiltshop. I'd better get some handsewing together to bring along for that!

Aaah, much better!

I'm getting there - more organized by the minute! At least I can use my cutting table again! I've managed to find new places to store all the clutter - all the things I'm keeping that is. And there's a new project ready to be started. Yes, I know, I have a few (ahem) on the go already, but I was tempted to take part in the Mod Sampler Quilt-along on Oh Fransson!, and who am I - someone who can resist temptation? No Sir!

I might actually have managed to settle on the twelve fabrics for the blocks now after much dithering. I haven't quite decided on the sashing yet, though. White would be nice and crisp, but a bit impractical I think? I have never made a white quilt before, so I could make this my first. I was thinking of black initially, but have decided against it - the colours here are just so sweet and tender that the drama of black would be totally overpowering, I think. I'm also considering a light denim blue, and that could work. But so far I haven't got enough of any of those colours, so I need to get some shopping done. But that shouldn't stop me from making the first blocks!

Odd blocks and contrariness

We have a quilting guild meeting tomorrow. This marks the beginning of the new year in a way - we elected a new chairman and board in February and this is the first meeting they are in charge of. And with a new board there are new ways of doing things. We have received a mail announcing that we are to make monthly blocks, to learn new techniques (or practise old ones). So why does that wake the contrary child in me? - "Been there, done that" was my first thought. I rummaged through my boxes of odds and ends and found the old blocks from the last round. That's them in the photo. I just grabbed a couple of fabrics for that first meeting without giving it much thought. After six blocks we stopped (or maybe I missed a few meetings?) and I never got around to making anything from them. I'm not so sure I like them, to tell you the truth. But the funny thing is that I realized while looking at them that this Block-of-the-Month thing was one of my contributions as chairman back then!
So what if it doesn't seem all that exciting to be making more blocks, I do remember how difficult it could be sometimes, to come up with a program that would be of interest to the majority of members, and I know that we have new members now who haven't learned the "old fashioned" hand piecing methods. So I'd better get down from my high horse and be positive and supportive!
- It isn't easy to get people to run for office in a small guild, and the least I can do is show interest and take part in the activities offered. Who knows, maybe I can help teach a novice how to improve her skills, the way one of the elder members helped me when I started out. Quilting is about honouring traditions after all, isn't it?
So there we are, I have talked my contrary inner child into participating with good grace, and enjoy the companionship with my fellow quilters. The question now is: do I continue with these fabrics so the blocks I've already made can come out of hiding and actually end up in a quilt, or do I pick some other fabrics and go off in a completely different direction? Hm, I'll have to sleep on that, I think...

Zigzagging

It is such a sunny day that I really shouldn't be cooped up indoors, but I just had to have a look at my zigzag strips before I venture outside. I just draped them all over the back of the sofa, and the sun is shining in through the window, so the strips in the middle look more faded then they actually are. But it is looking good. Quite good. Only I'm not quite sure about the second strip on the left.
I'm thinking that these two fabrics need a new friend. They are both quite busy florals, and might need a calming influence in between them. The aqua one has apricot coloured berries, and the geranium has red flowers with some lighter ones veering towards apricot, so I thought maybe that was the direction I needed to take, but I have auditioned the only apricot one I've got (my stash is rather limited in that area, it seems) and no, I don't think so! I don't want to add more green than I have already, and red would clash with the hot pink a few strips off, so I might have to have a little think here.
Maybe it's a good thing that the sun is shining, a walk in the sun might clear my head :-)

Will I, won't I?

Do or don't, zig or zag?

Who am I kidding, we know I will, right? Nine days in a row thinking about that zigzag quilt, there is really nothing for it, I have to make one! I have been sorting through fabrics, adding and subtracting for days now, and I think I have come up with the right blend. The first one was a bit heavy on the green on one side and on teal on the other, but this one seems more balanced colourwise - to me at least. So I'll start cutting fabric, once I work out how big I want those triangles to be. I was thinking 7 or 8" at first, but I did the math (I'm such an old fuddy-duddy...), and realized that wouldn't give me enough triangles to make an impact, so I'm down to 6 1/2 or 6". I am leaning towards 6 1/2 (the bigger the better), but I have a 6" ruler, so cutting 6" squares would make the job easier for me...

Yes I know - get on with it! If I used less time worrying about these things I'd get more done. I really need to tear myself away from all the rules and rulers and wing it more. But I'll just make the zigzag first! There, I've said it - new quilt on the way!

It's very pink, isn't it?

I finished the rose quilt at last. I have had serious misgivings about this one, but told myself to get over it - it's just a small quilt after all. My sister wanted me to make this for her after finding a pattern for a lap quilt in this pattern and these rose fabrics. However, she only wanted a small wall quilt. I've been thinking that the pattern and fabrics would have worked better together in a big quilt. Whatever. It is finished now, and it actually looks better when you get it up on the wall than I thought it would. Let's hope she likes it.
And having finished this I can justify starting a new one, can't I? I just can't get that zigzag quilt out of my head, although I have kept myself in check so far this weekend...

Stitching time?

I have had a subscription to Cross Stitcher Magazine (UK) for years, and my shelves are groaning with magazines. If I am to keep up that subscription, some of them will have to go. So during the last few months I have been going through them, little by little, to sort out which ones to keep. The problem is there are so many patterns I might like to stitch, but I know that I will probably never get around to even a tenth of them.
So far I have put stickers on the pages where I find tempting patterns, and then ruthlessly thrown out the ones that end up without stickers. Still the pile of magazines is high, so I know I'll need to have another go and be more realistic about it. There are some that I keep coming back to, like these three, so they will stay, but I think I'll have to be even more ruthless to really make a dent in that pile. And then there are the quilting magazines, the interior decorating ones... It seems that I have my work cut out for me this summer, but little by little even I might become more organized... I think... But not today - I got a sudden craving to go look through my embroidery floss...

The builder

My house is almost done. I only have to decide on some fabric for the background and frames. I've been auditioning several different fabrics, and I'm leaning towards a blue one with stars - the house-block is a bit weird, so I thought why not let the whole thing be floating in space? Another idea was to use a green foliage fabric to give the idea of a house in the woods. Or maybe some neutral fabrics... Hm, I'll have to think about that until tomorrow, or Friday more likely... -I'm going to a work convention thing tomorrow - a long trip, so I'll probably not be up to doing much when I get home. I hope to get it done by Saturday though, so I can take it to the quilt shop for display - there might be enough interest to run a class...
When this is done I'll finally get started on my turquoise Chelsea bag. I know I promised myself I'd finish the tree skirt before I started anything new, but Christmas is miles away and I have to do something else right now. I don't want quilting to become a chore, so a break is necessarry I tell myself ;-)

Bags of fun

I finished both the handbags. I'm still not sure about the Velma one, it's a bit too soft and floppy, so if i make another one I'll use something sturdier for the interlining. I love the Madison one, though (the yellow one), and I think I'll make one for myself in a different fabric. These are for the quilt shop and they are both on display now. Apparently ten people have signed up for the class already, so it's definitely one that will take place! I have until April to plan the actual teaching and maybe make another bag. It's not like me to be so organized, something is bound to go wrong...
I think my sisters might like the different styles, so I might make one more of each (half done for the class so I can use them to demonstrate the process). And, as I mentioned, another Madison for myself. Maybe with longer handles so it can be used as a shoulder bag, we'll see...



I couldn't help myself - I had to start a new project to celebrate ;-) It's a one-block quilt of a 3D house from a book by Sarah Nephew. I bought the book and ruler to explore easier ways to cut and piece building blocks and other shapes with 60 and 120 degree angles. It's not to difficult to use, although there's a lot of leafing back and forth, since the pattern I've chosen uses parts from different patterns and I also have to keep going back to the instructions to make sure I'm doing it right! Being left-handed doesn't help, so I have to adapt the techniques a bit, but I'm getting the hang of it now. Here's half a house and some trees ready to be stitched: