done with Making Christmas
- Christmas gifts for kid's school teachers - done! I did give the fox brooches but gave up trying to make any more.
- custom quilt order - done!
I haven't blogged about this one yet as it was a custom order for a friend to give as a Christmas present.
It is square patchwork of pretty prints and an embroidered label. Based on the Girly Garden quilt I made last year in 2012, so this is the 2.0 version. I love the little floral print binding, I will definitely be using more small scale florals in this way, it's a cute frame for the quilt.
I haven't blogged about this one yet as it was a custom order for a friend to give as a Christmas present.
- dresses for the girls - fail. Maybe this year?!
Thanks to Janine and Rebecca for hosting Making Christmas!
Linking up:
and finish it up friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
as you mean to go on
I ended last year and started this one just as I mean to go on.
On 30th Dec I stepped out with my honey. Our perceptive next door neighbour very kindly gave us a restaurant voucher as a Christmas present so that we could have a night out. Hubbie and I had a lovely meal while my mum babysat and even walking to and from the restaurant was just blissful. Spending time with the man I love (with and without the children around) is wonderful but I would like to spend more time this year with just him!
New Year's Eve we stayed in (though I was taxi for my mum and step dad), lit sparklers (outside) and danced to the Proclaimers.
On 1st Jan we all went to Formby and enjoyed some time on the beach - amazingly it stopped raining and blue skies appeared so we could have a lovely (if cold) afternoon looking for shells and bits of crab (yuck!). We then went to visit my amazing Nan, who filled the kids full of biscuits and chocolate. She's just as brilliant as a great-Nan!
I snuck in a little make too and finished the apple bib (pattern in Patchwork Please!) from my FAL list:
On 30th Dec I stepped out with my honey. Our perceptive next door neighbour very kindly gave us a restaurant voucher as a Christmas present so that we could have a night out. Hubbie and I had a lovely meal while my mum babysat and even walking to and from the restaurant was just blissful. Spending time with the man I love (with and without the children around) is wonderful but I would like to spend more time this year with just him!
New Year's Eve we stayed in (though I was taxi for my mum and step dad), lit sparklers (outside) and danced to the Proclaimers.
On 1st Jan we all went to Formby and enjoyed some time on the beach - amazingly it stopped raining and blue skies appeared so we could have a lovely (if cold) afternoon looking for shells and bits of crab (yuck!). We then went to visit my amazing Nan, who filled the kids full of biscuits and chocolate. She's just as brilliant as a great-Nan!
I snuck in a little make too and finished the apple bib (pattern in Patchwork Please!) from my FAL list:
Love, family and sewing - sounds like a great recipe for a happy 2014!
Have you seen the Wishes Quilt Along? The Fat Quarter Shop is doing a monthly qal and asking for donations to their campaign for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Moda and the Fat Quarter Shop will be matching up to $10,000 of the donations made. So you can download the patterns and help raise money for a great cause!
Butterfly block
To download / print the instructions to make the Butterfly block CLICK HERE.
This block is based on a pattern by Jay Bee Designs - unfortunately no longer available online. I have slightly changed the pattern to make cutting easier and since this is an option for my Bee A Brit Stingy bee mates I'm giving a quick tutorial to show how I pieced mine. If you are in the Bee then please check our Flickr group for details about the block options you have this month.
If you use this block and share on social media or blog about it please include a link back to this tutorial - thank you!
All measurements are in inches and use a 1/4" seam for piecing.
Cutting -
background:
3 1/2 x 4 1/2 - cut 1
1 1/2 x 3 1/2 - cut 1
2 1/2 x 2 1/2 - cut 3
2 1/2 x 3 1/2 - cut 2
1 1/2 x 1 1/2 - cut 4
2 1/2 x 4 1/2 - cut 1
(borders)
2 1/2 x 8 1/2 - cut 2
2 1/2 x 12 1/2 - cut 2
large wings:
2 1/2 x 4 1/2 - cut 2
small wings:
1 1/2 x 1 1/2 - cut 2
black body:
1 1/2 x 1 1/2 - cut 3
Instructions -
Draw a diagonal line on the back of a 2 1/2 square of background fabric. Sew the square onto a 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 large wing. Trim and press. Be sure to sew exactly as below to get the correct shape for the wings:
Lay out all your pieces as below:
And put them together. I pieced all the small squares together first and worked from there. Press your seams as you go - whatever way works for you.
Once the block is pieced add the border pieces and press the seams to one side. Then use the zig zag stitch on your machine (or embroider if you prefer) to add some antennae! The great tutorial for this is at the end of this post by Leila.
To download / print the instructions to make the Butterfly block CLICK HERE.
For colour inspiration I chose beautiful Hydrangeas and used the handy play-crafts palette builder:
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I would love the bees to use these colours - mix the dreamy and pretty tones of the palettes.
For the wing fabrics I would like 30s repro, small prints, Liberty or anything vintage looking (doesn't have to be floral!) - in pinks, purples and blues. Please use two fabrics for the wings - one print for the larger wings and one print for the smaller square part of the wings.
For the body please use black, preferably a text fabric if you have it.
For the background please use one solid colour in either off white, cream, pale grey or very pale yellow.
The butterfly block above is one option and the other is slightly more of a challenge - using Leila's tutorial for an Alice Brooks Butterfly. These blocks are gorgeous! I haven't had time to make one yet but I will.
I would request the same colours as above but obviously use more fabrics for the wings.
I am also planning on appliqueing some flower blocks and combining them to make a beautiful butterfly garden quilt for my daughter Joan. She's already chosen the applique designs and she chose the colour scheme. She needs a bigger quilt because I've only made her baby ones. I know she's going to be so excited when these butterflies start flying through our letter box!
I am also planning on appliqueing some flower blocks and combining them to make a beautiful butterfly garden quilt for my daughter Joan. She's already chosen the applique designs and she chose the colour scheme. She needs a bigger quilt because I've only made her baby ones. I know she's going to be so excited when these butterflies start flying through our letter box!
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 :)
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