Sultry Birthday

I found this picture of a card I haven't posted here, so thought I'd stick it on the blog. The paper is Basic Grey Sultry, from the 6x6 inch paper pad. I think the rhinestone flower is Kaisercraft. Not sure about the rest of the bits. It was a couple of years ago that I made it :)

A couple of things...

First up, here's a card I made:

The papers are from the Basic Grey Offbeat 6x6 inch paper pad. The stamps by Grant.

Second, a Wild Thing block, in miniature:

I will do more of these mini blocks till I have a mini quilt, but it will be bit by bit, between other things, so may take a while.

Lil' Rascals

I can hardly believe it's been over a month since I posted anything here. Time flies by so fast. I have no idea where it goes. I've made a few things, but photos are not yet taken of most of them. Here is one though, a small baby quilt for a good friend. It is made with a layer cake from Moda called Lil' Rascals. I fell in love with the little animals, but the colours are not at all my usual choice. I do like it though.

I went double sided, each side different, and was supremely happy with how perfectly the centres lined up when I quilted it. Not all the lines went through all the points on the 'back', but it was better than I expected. I got all the quilting done, turned it over (for the umpteenth time) and only then realised I'd sewn them with one side upside down. Not to worry though, it simply means that when the top is folded over, the little animals stay right way up, as demonstrated by Darwin the teddy bear above. I think it was a subconsciously deliberate mistake.

I really had no plan or pattern when I started this. I just started by cutting the animals out, and went from there. It was improvised I suppose, right up the the end. I still wasn't sure what I was going to do when I was cutting the one inch squares that are on the top and bottom of the side shown above. It all worked out though.

So, one quilt made and gifted in a few weeks. It's a record for me I think. I normally work on a gazillion things at once, so focusing on one thing, even just doing a small bit at a time, seems to work much better for getting it done. Odd, that.

Paper Patchwork

I keep seeing all the wonderful Farmers Wife blocks out in blogland and flickr, and wanted to do a sampler myself. I decided that rather than use fabric though I would use paper, and select blocks from The Quilter's Block Bible by Celia Eddy. I chose to use the Two Scoops paper collection by Basic Grey, as I had a 6x6 inch paper pad with half the sheets intact, as well as lots of little scraps from it.

Here are my first two. They finish up at 3 inches square. It is fiddly, but fun.

20.10. 2011

I just really like that today's date is what it is, so thought I'd do a post of something I've made in the past, just because I want to see the date typed up like that.

Here is a tea cosy I made a while ago now, in use on my kitchen bench.

The tab for holding/hanging etc is made from the selvage of the hummingbird fabric. I like it :)

That's it.

The Sugar Bowl Challenge 69

Two cards in two days is not bad. I had already coloured this Sugar Nellie image, I just needed to use it for something.

Urban Prairie papers from Basic Grey, and a sketch from The Sugar Bowl challenge 69 (rotated and elongated) and it was done.

It's Magic

Yesterday afternoon I had some therapeutic colouring-in time, and ended up with this Christmas card, first of the year. I absolutely adore this image, from Sugar Nellie. He is just so cute.

One down, several to go. I'm not going to count.

Dudley is DONE

I have a finish, and I am very happy about it. Dudley is finally complete.

It took me ages to figure out how to sew the legs on so I was happy with them and couldn't see stitches, but I got there in the end, on my fourth attempt.

He is not perfect, but I really love him, and so does Martin.

A good thing, since it was him who requested I buy the pattern and make him one.

Blogger's BOM Quilt Along

I've decided to join in with the Bloggers Block of the Month quilt along, and since it is just one block per month I don't think it will really impact on my other works in progress.

Here is block 1, which is available here at A Quilting Life:

I have changed it from the instructions ever so slightly because I didn't want a join in the floral, but the finished look is the same.

I love the combination of turquoise and orange.

Roses on Grey

I finished cutting the outside part of the Dutch Rose blocks from the Ruby fabric.

Seeing them on the grey of my dining table, I'm thinking a grey background for the blocks.

We shall see. I am putting them away for now to finish some other projects. Considering Christmas is going to be all over in 3 months time, I think I ought to get a wriggle on and finish the Christmas present quilt at least.

I Have No Will Power

I was going to finish what I have started and not make anything new till at least one thing was finished, but I got this in the mail on Thursday:

I should have been good and left it unopened and then I might not have been tempted to start cutting, but I had an idea of what I wanted to do, so I opened it to get a proper look. Then I decided it didn't suit what I wanted to do, so I changed my mind and decided on the following:

They're pretty bad photos in pretty poor light, but they give the idea. Dutch Rose blocks, with background colour to be decided, and centres yet to be cut. They will end up as a table runner, because wonderfully, the aqua in the range is almost the exact same colour as our dining room walls.

Now I should go and get cutting into the other colours :)

More Progress

More things closer to being finished. Both Glace cushion tops pieced.

Getting there.

Progress

Progress was made on the weekend, and a little bit this morning, but it was on the least progressed quilt, so not really the best thing to work on if I want some finishes.

Anyhow, Eva strips are now all sewn together.

NUDGE

I thought a collection of photos of my (sewing) works in progress would nudge me in the finishing direction, so here we have, in no particular order:

Dudley, from a pattern by Melly and Me. I only started him a couple of days ago. It's taking a lot longer than I thought, mainly because the turning is a pain, so I stop after doing a little bit at a time, but he is rather cute so worth the bother.

This little deer has a very cute tail. He is mostly finished, just have to deal with that hanging thread...

... and sew his right ear on, which is currently just sitting in its slot.

Eva jelly roll quilt. I shouldn't have started this, having a few other unfinished quilts, but I was wanting something simple that involved no matching of points. It would be simpler if the strips in the jelly roll were straight, but still better than points.

Two cushion covers in the making, with Glace fabric from Moda. I ordered a turnover of the fabric, and had to play with it soon after, and having decided what to do with it, couldn't resist starting at least.

Hexagon quilt, from a pattern in AP&Q magazine. This is all hand sewing at night in front of the tv, so it's perfectly alright to have started this one with other unfinished items on the go.

Dream Big quilt, from Simplify by Camille Roskelley. I started this in mid July, so haven't done too badly getting this far. Need to buy some batting to finish this one, and am thinking of hand quilting, so need some thread for that, which I can't buy locally (unfortunately).

Max and Whiskers quilt. This was meant to be a Christmas present for my nephew. Now I'm contemplating the next quilt for him instead, and saving this for his birthday. Borders will be black. I've got the fabric, just not done it yet.

Finally, what I am calling the Doggy bag quilt, because it's made of the leftovers from the quilt above it. I really like this one and though it's meant for my nephew, I may end up keeping it for him to use when he visits me :)

So, now I feel bad (particularly as there is one more in the cupboard which I just couldn't be bothered getting out to photograph) because I have so many almost finished items. I should decide on a finish order and get them done. It's nice to have a bit of variety when sewing though.

More Sewing

So, a bit of sewing has been done this year. Here are a just a couple of items for now, a little deer that I am using as a pincushion for needles, pattern from online somewhere (can't even find the file on my computer, so can't post a link)... and a dolly quilt from Sarah Fielke's Quilting from little things book, called Geese around the World.

I will get some decent photos of my other things soon, and post them. Just for Suzitee.

Archaic Birthday

Some craft, finally, after far too long. This is the card I made for my nephew's 2nd Birthday. Paper is all from the Basic Grey Archaic 6x6inch paper pad. I love the dinosaurs, cute but ferocious looking :)

Some sewing has also been accomplished, but photos of that are yet to be taken.