Autumn Tints

Block two in the Farmers Wife sampler quilt, Autumn Tints, is done! It was a nice quick one since I could rotary cut and they're all squares. I had to join the stripes, which came from the Rose Parade jelly roll, but am still happy with how it looks.

The colours in this range are so bright and lovely. I think the block would be more aptly named Spring Colour, since there are really no autumn tints in there.

Next!

Hello Mrs Farmer

I wasn't going to cave in. I had plenty of other things on the go, so didn't need a sampler quilt to add to them, but I was finally convinced by Susan and her beautiful Rose Parade blocks that I had to get the Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt book and sew my own little blocks.

I am using Rose Parade by Moda, and adding some other fabrics I've got laying around. I just finished my first one earlier today. Here it is, Attic Windows:

I used Rose Parade in the middle only, but it's there. The Eiffel tower triangles should have probably been put on their opposite corners. As it is, the only complete towers are upside down. It doesn't worry me enough at the moment to bother changing it though.

So many more to do! Kinda exciting. :)

Catch-up

I did a bit of sewing earlier this week and caught up with the Bloggers' BOM blocks. Here are blocks three and four: 

I did block two a while ago, but haven't posted till now. Here it is: 

I love these colours so much. They just give me a real lift when I see them together. 

Bye Bye Christmas, and 2011

Hello New Year.

Here's a pair of cushions I made my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas. I think the recipients liked them. I was told I'll have to do another one when number 3, currently brewing, gets here, but I think that was just politeness. I don't know. It is hard to tell when you don't really get an enthusiastic response at all.

Anyway, to make them, I took a couple of side-on photos of the niece and nephew, turned them into silhouette outlines in Photoshop Elements and printed them. Traced onto fabric, ironed onto Vliesofix, cut out about 1/4 inch outside the line, then ironed onto background and stitched around, on the line, by machine.

They are very recognisable as my niece and nephew, and I was quite pleased with how they came out. What topped it off for me though was the little tags, done with Moda twill tape from a jelly roll, and a laundry marker. Simple, but it added a spot of colour and a kind of professional touch.

I enjoyed making these, and though I wasted a bit of time doing needle-turn applique first up, not liking the nose area, unpicking, retracing etc... it all worked out in the end.

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.