Arts and Crafts

Project One (ii)

My printer is finally working so I've been able to print out larger hexagons, and so I made a nice simple pincushion.

Just one hexagon flower.

Then I stuffed it, and added a button.

So there is my pin cushion craft all ready.

What do you think?

Love Eggs xxx

Arts and Crafts

Project Three

Small notebooks are always a useful thing to have in your handbag, particularly on camp, where the campers are often taking lots of notes from all the talks, and seminars we have, so I thought another nice project, that doesn't have to involve any sewing would be pretty decorated fabric notebooks.

I just wrapped this as one would a present, or a hymn book at school (did anyone else use the Come and Praise books when they were little?). I stuck it down with PVA glue.

Then the idea is to decorate how they see fit. Lace, scraps of fabric, buttons, I even bought a nature book, from our Oxfam books, to cut up and use the flower/butterfly/bee pictures. There is something abhorrent about cutting up a book like that, but I managed to hack through the first couple of pages, so I shan't feel so bad on camp now.

Here is my one. I decided to go for a bunting theme, but after a trip through the new Paperchase, that has opened on the high street, I'm really wishing that I had done strawberries. Oh well.

This is the wee bit, I embroidered and stuck on the back.

Hope you are all enjoying the Sun shine.

Love Eggs xxx

Rule Britannia (or it's never too hot to drink tea)

One of the things that I really love making is tea cosies, they don't take too long, as they're not very big, and quilting them is a dream, as they are titchy in comparison to quilts, and have a mentioned how much of the stuff I drink, it's always worth while making up a pot. When we went off to Uni I made them for all my friends, as we faced the dreaded freezing halls. My tea cosy is practically a pillow, but then that is what you need when you go to uni in Scotland.

Some of my friends are moving to Italy, and although its rather hot there one of the things they are going to miss the most about the UK, is the ease of buying proper tea, I think half their luggage is taken up with tea leaves and bags. So I thought I'd make them a tea cosy.

This was the design I decided on, just in case they forgot where they're from.... 

I used Dandylion's daydreams tutorial to make it, and it was great. For a long time I have been frustrated with the fact that I can't find any Union flag blocks with uneven white diagonal strips. It just looks completely wrong when they are the same width. But this tutorial makes the flag properly. I used some of my Lario fabric, by 3 sisters for Moda. I think the red is just right, though I'm sad I couldn't find a darker blue.

It was really clear, and well explained. There was a wee bit of ripping stitches when I rushed ahead with the St Georges cross, without being told to, whoops. Please don't anyone mention the upside down top right block. By the time I noticed it was all together, and I couldn't bare to pick it apart again. But if I was making more then one of these, those problems would be quickly fixed.

On the back I used a simple cream and green fabric, from the 3 sisters Martinique collection, and stuck with just simple stipple quilting all over.

I added a wee embroidered tag in the corner.

I also embroidered this on the back, as tea really is the Elixir of Life, I don't think I could survive with out it.

What do you think?

Love Eggs xxx

"Its a Boy" (or at least that's what every newspaper reads this morning)

Look I completely unintentional, but clearly unconsciously and serendipitously managed to be patriotic at the right time yesterday.

I made this lovely Union Flag block yesterday afternoon, clearly as a celebration of the birth of our future King (at least that is how history is going to relate it). More on this and its purpose tomorrow.

Love Eggs xxx

Blocks for my Scrap Sampler Quilt

I have been making some blocks for a Sampler quilt I am working on, that you may have caught sight of in some of my pictures, so I thought I would share them with you. As far as they have come along.

This one is a Grandmother's fan block, I still haven't added the centre quarter circle as I can't decide whether to go low or high volume for the fabric. What do you think?

The pattern magazine that I got this template from called this a Lazy Daisy block, which I think is a lovely name, but I haven't seen it called that anywhere else. Again, I need to add a centre circle to this block, but need to decide on fabric.

I used the Missouri Star Quilt co. tutorial to make this star block. I absolutely adore this way of making half square triangles, particularly in this case when you need four of each type for the block. I love the grey fabric in this block, which I have used else where, I never realised how much I liked this soft colour, and I think I shall buy more of it at some stage.

Then for another block I am doing a strip of  patchwork hexagons, I think I need to add another row of hexagons on each end of this to be the right length. About nine inches I think? I might end up doing another Block of appliqued hexagon flowers in this quilt?

I think I'm going to embroider a Bible verse for the central block, and am pretty sure I have one in mind. (Isiah 14v 26-27) I'll sew it then decide whether thats the one I want.

I'm also getting on with my quilting of the rose trellis quilt, which is staying on my desk, until I get it done. As you can see its still rather sunny outside.

If anyone has any suggestions of blocks (or verses), I could do, I'd love to hear them.
Love Eggs xxx

A Book Bag

Hello. I thought I would share something I made this week end out of odd bits in my fabric scrap box. I felt like making a bag. Not quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet. It may end up a present, probs.

I made it using five inch squares for the outside, just sewn together in rows of eight. Which I sewed together to make a tube.

I then used three squares for the bottom, and made so that it had a rectangular flat base. I vaguely based it off a pattern from Cath Kidston's book Patch!, but changed the size.

I also added a lovely button, from my button box, and a tab to keep the top together if desired. One of Mummy's requirements for any bag.

I then used this lovely material for the lining. It is called Peonies and Roses by Jane Churchill, and is from about the mid nineties. I got these off cuts from my grandmothers curtains, when she moved into her house she shortened them.

I think it turned out pretty well, what do you think?

Love Eggs xxx

Free motion quilting straight lines.

After a slightly less productive weekend then I had hoped, sorry but Tennis just got in the way, what a match, then there was the lions match on Saturday as well, I've finally got my quilt top together.

I'm really happy with how it looks altogether, and it fits my bed. I went for just a plain white border as there wasn't enough of it in my quilt, I tend to favour a half print ,half cream fabric, type of quilts.

I managed to get it basted quickly, thanks to those lovely curved safety pins, so now its on to quilting it.

Just looking at that makes my neck ache. It's so heavy. I tend to use curtain cotton interlining as my batting. I can usually get it rather cheap, its so lovely and soft, and it's just what I've always used. Probably as it was something that was always around the house in bolts, to use. My mother makes lots of curtains.

I'm quilting it free motion as it's not just lots of long lines, I'm picking out the lattice shapes. But they are still for the most part straight lines, absolutely horrible. I'm doing roses in the white squares, and that's nice and easy. But I am not having fun with the straight lines. But I don't fancy having to turn that great big lump at every corner, if I had the dog teeth up, so I'm persevering.

Love Eggs xxx  

Well Done Andy!

Yes, finally a British Wimbledon Champion, I can't believe how happy I am, imagine how he must be feeling. I thought i might get a wee bit of quilting done to take the edge off the stress as I watched the match, but I was just on the edge of my seat the whole time. What a match, and what a win. I knew you could do it, and you did. 

Well done.

Andy Murray Wimbledon Champion 2013

An Update on my Rose Trellis Quilt

Laying out blocks is horrible. As I have been hinting in my other posts, I have not been enjoying avoiding the same fabrics and colours touching etc. I've decided on my layout now, its not perfect but it will do, as this is just a quilt I'm making for myself I'm not too worried. I've managed to get the dark colours spaced out well anyway.

Seeing it all together like this, makes me wish I didn't have the reds, or the dark yellows in the quilt. I really like the fabrics, but they don't go with the more faded aspect of the other colours, which would be lovely all over the quilt. I think when I come to use my Paris Flea market Jelly roll, which I have squirreled away, I shall take them out.

Now I've sewed all the rows together, so I'm on the last we stretch for the top of this quilt.

Love Eggs xxx

Arts and Crafts

Project Two (continued)

I was babysitting the other night, and before I knew it I had these two lavender bags to add to my examples foe camp.

I do like the fact that this one decided to be a non quadrilateral shape, though I think I shall have to make a proper template for the girls, so theirs turn out more even then this one. 

I really wanted to do heaps with the daisies and flower design on this one, but I left it simple as the girls have to think its easy to do, and it really is, I love how quick a daisy stitch is.

I didn't make this little lavender bag, I admit, but its so lovely that I had to add it. I bought it years ago at a fete thinking that I could easily freshen up the lavender in the lace under her skirt, but never got round to it until I was stuffing these. But I do want to try and make a copy, my sister and I used to make peg dolls all the time. Hmmm maybe another project for camp?

Love Eggs xxx

Ten things I want to get done this Summer

Sherri from a Quilting Life asked everyone what the ten things are that they hope to get done this summer and then link their post with hers, so here is my list. I can't promise that they are all perfectly quilt/sewing related, but those that aren't are really important.

1 and 2. 

I need to get my Rose Trellis quilt together (all blocks now finished) and quilted, so that by the time I move in September, I have another nice quilt to decorate it with, and it will need all the help it can get.

3.

Finish binding my baby quilt, so it can go away in a wardrobe and be at my fingertips when my next friend has a baby.

4.

Watch Andy Murray win Wimbledon. Gosh that was a nail biting quarter finals, so stressful. One lesson learnt is not to listen to the last ten mins of one of the most stressful games of tennis ever while driving on the radio. I'm sure that all that tension while driving is defs not a good idea, safety wise. Come on Andy.

5.
Finish my blocks for my scrap sample quilt.

6.
Learn how to quilt the above quilt using the quilt as you go method from this book- More Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel.

7. Watch as we retain the Ashes, and take great pleasure in casually mentioning is a couple (maybe over ten) times to my Aussie best mate.

8. Get all my Arts and Crafts supplies ready for camp at the end of August, including plenty of worked examples.

(Some more lavender bags)

9. Watch as Paper Piecing becomes the new craze around the camp, for the girls to just be doing with their hands as they talk, at the mo its friendship bracelets. (I hope).

10. Start a Irish chain quilt using this fabric. (Moda Mills Book Series, Collections for a Cause)

So we'll see how I do on that list, hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be able to tick of all of them.

Love Eggs xxx

Laura Ashley Dress Fabric

I love Laura Ashley, most of the dresses in my wardrobe that are my favorite graced their shelves at some point. Its just so pretty, floral and British. I often buy them from charity shops and make them over. But I think the time might have come to let one of them go?

It has a ripped seem, which I've fixed, but I don't know how long it will last. So should I just cut it up for fabric? Part of me is tempted to make a skirt out of the bottom half, but then  just think of how much less fabric it will give me.

 

Its lovely isn't it?

I think most of my favorite fabric patterns have been Laura Ashley dress fabric. I wish they would re-release a lot of the eighties dress fabrics for quilting. 

Often I find myself thinking that fabric would make a lovely dress. But even more often I find myself wishing that the day when a dress ends up in the scrap bag would come soon. Like this lovely cotton Cath Kidtson dress (above)

 
Also this Laura Ashley dress, which I haven't even worn yet (its for my best friends wedding this July). Do you find your self feeling like this? Or am I alone? Also Any thoughts on the top dress?

Love Eggs xxx