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