fabric shopping

Fabric shopping on Sunday was really good fun. Friend Anna and I took our time, talked about children, schooling, what we are going to sew next and why don't husband understand the need to have 5 projects on the go at once.

I will take pictures of my stash but the battery on the camera is dead.

Nautical Brick work all done

 I don't think I showed you the quilt. Here it is with border, back and binding.

 I was lucky enough to find some material that was 108" wide, so I didn't have to piece the back. I used little bits of left over fat quarters for the small brick border. The binding is made of pieces of left over red sashing, backing and seagull (it seems I picked up and half metre rather than a fat quarter oops - I only paid for a fq).

Husband has been promoted to chief quilt holder upper.

I used Stitched in color's tutorial. Fabrics are all makeover (I think but they are available here).

Not going to plan

I hate it when things don't work out as I want.

I had promised the daughters brickwork quilts too (remember the stash of fabrics they bought with grandparents?). Anyway I sewed the sashing on the wrong side for Daughter 1's quilt. After throwing my toys out the pram and stomping my feet for a bit- well that is what the girls do, so I thought I would try it- I decided it wasn't that bad. Of the 65 blocks only 9 have a directional print.

Red brickwork with mortar coloured sashing

To make myself feel better about having to unpick I got on with daughter 2's flower garden instead.

 

 

 

 

I like the brickwork quilt because it is so quick to make. However once I have finished these two that will be five the same quilts in a row. I might wait a while before I make another one. 

 

 

 

 

Chain stitched pieces for flowery brickwork

Can't wait

My friend and I are going fabric shopping on Sunday. Can't wait.

The spare room

It used to be our bathroom. Then we had two children. Then it turned out that girls even at age six and seven need extra space in the bathroom. Husband called an architect. Well long story short we now have a shiny new bathroom and I have a spare room. I like to call it MY SEWING ROOM. Husband thinks it's a guest room. I leave him to believe this.
Look he put my thread rack up for me.

 And the magnetic notice board.

 I finally got round to basting my youngest niece's quilt.

 I must however report a sad casualty. My rotary cutter's button has broken. Overuse? Maybe.

Look a thread rack

I know I am a little "sheltered" as hubby calls it. But isn't it fab?

It would have been nice if it were white. I like white "furniture", especially if you are going to add lots of colour. Now all I need is husband to come home so that he can drill holes for me. My more feminist friends would despair and role their eyes. I can use power tools but it makes the much beloved feel needed and manly, so why spoil his fun. I will go and play with the ruler and spirit level to find a good place to hang it though.

Can't wait to sort my threads.

Basting

Or rather not basting.
I went to my parents' house today to baste the purple pink block quilt. This plan was foiled by the daughters having half term holidays. They found Oma's bead box. Instead of helping me with the quilt Oma made necklaces with her granddaughters.

Blue and white creation

Best worn with a pink wooden Hello Kitty necklace and small garnet necklace

Daughter two showing off what she wore today

 Daughter 2's creation. Jade with carnelian and glassonay (don't know how to spell that but that is how mother pronounces it. It the blue beads with white flowers.) I think she has added some little onyx beads to make the necklace the required length as she ran out off carnelian. 

Daughter 1 went for square white jade beads and big blue ceramic beads. My mother believes the blue ones were bought by me at Liberty's when I was a child. I do remember those blue beads but I don't know where they come from.

I love my parents

 There are many reasons why I love my parents. At the moment  I love them for being very very fair. My parents paid for the fabrics for my nieces and nephew, so my father went with my mother and my daughters and let them go mad in the fabric shop. Because fair is fair. Daughter 1 chose lots of red.

 Daughter 2 chose lots of flowers. The sunflowers are her favourite because there are Mummy and Daddy flowers and baby flowers and toddler and child flowers.

The fact that my daughters have three quilts each does not concern my father or mother as long as all is fair :-)

On another note; have you seen Lily's quilt giveaway. Looks like lots of great fabrics. Why not go over and check it out.

Internet shopping

I meant to buy wadding for Quilts last night but failed. Instead I bought a rack to keep my threads on.
Can't wait for it to get here.

More Brickwork

Yes, I know more quilts following Stitched in colours tutorial but they are so quick. Also I thought it would not be good to have different designs for each different niece/nephew. This way they can squabble over the colours but not the look of the thing.

Frantic activity but no pictures.

I was going to show some pictures of a quilted bright brick work quilt, a nautical quilt with border and a start I made on a pink purple number for niece 2. I can't I have failed to upload the pictures. I would like to get them all finished by this weekend. My main source of work wants to meet this week to discuss more things for me to do. I work free lance writing scientific documents. This is great as far as I am concerned I can work from home and fit it round the children; only down side is that my hobby has to take a backseat.

Fingers crossed I will have some pretty pics to show soon.