Über-Cute Quilt

 This the "Über-Cute" quilt. It's very Very cute. My daughters think it looks very Cath Kidston but not a single fabric of hers has been used.

 The drunkard's path blocks were easier than I had anticipated. It did take me a while to decide how to quilt it. I thought my normal cross hatch might be a little too minimal. I am pleased with the overall look of it.

I even splashed out on an expensive back for it.

Lime twist with a twist finished

 I finally have this one finished. I was finished end of April but I had quilted it using a blue green colour.

 It didn't work for me. The colour had to go. I spent a fun day with a seam ripper and quilted it again.

 This time I used cream. Much Much better. It blends in with the scooter fabric. So much happier.

Finishes

 Finally finished these quilts. It was a long wait but I think it was worth it. I like the red with the Aqua. The fabrics are two fat quarter pack Rowan fabrics and the Aqua is Valori Wells by Westminster fibres. The centres of the log cabins are lilac polka dots. You can't see them very well on the picture but they are there.

The back is an Ikea print. It's just shy of the width I needed, so I added this lovely strip of pink hearts. They are leftover from a dress Daughter2 had. I quilted diagonal straight lines (almost straight) in Mettler topstitching thread. It works quite well and my Pfaff seems to like the thread.

I also finally finished the Shirt scrap trip. And yes, Shirts were harmed in the making of this. I prefer to call it upcylcing though.

The back is another Ikea print. I must learn to make my quilts at little less wide though. I added another upcycle element here though, an old pillow case from Habitat. The wadding was made from recycled bottles, which fitted well with the upcycle theme here.

Home life has been a bit all over the place Husband was in a car crash. Luckily he wasn't seriously hurt but he is home for at least another four weeks nursing his broken vertebra. He has commandeered my sewing table. It's height adjustable, so he can stand and work. I have had to move back to the dining room table this does slow down progress though.

Two more of my finish list for Q1.

Hello still here

Well it turns out I am seriously rubbish at keeping up with the blogging. I have have been sewing though.

 I have finished my red white and blue quilt top. This is entirely made from the stash. Total bonus I have managed to get rid of some fabric.

Lots of people we know are expecting. These are for a baby born last week. 

 This a quilt I was commissioned to make for a little girl. The brief was not too pink. Well pink did sneak in but I am not a fan of pink, so I understand about not liking pink but some pink is necessary.

 Bibs for a new year's eve baby.

 Makeup pouch for an 11th birthday. I was filled with makeup and hair suff, just what you need if you are a pre teen. Also great to see the father of pre teen realise what the future holds.

Table runner for the parents.

So this month the plan. Quilt some quilt tops and a table runner and make a another baby quilt.

The bibs are part finishes from my Q1 list.

Finished winding ways

 I finished my mini Winding ways quilt. No it's not big it's only 60cm x 60cm but it is a finish. On close inspection you will see that all blocks are perfect. However there is improvement The last blocks are better than the first.

I like how the patterns work. There are circles and ovals. I will have to make a larger version of this.

Because this is going to a young lady who is now 15 days old and around 9 lbs I decided to use fleece as a back for the quilt.

The stats:
60cm x 60cm finished
Accuquilt winding ways 8 inch finished die
Fabric from the stash; no new fabric was bought. The fabrics were all bought at Lady sew and sew.

First strike of the finish list for Q1.

Friday Finish and start

I have finished a little project for my Neighbour. Her husband passed away suddenly from a stroke two year ago. It has taken her a while to clear out his cupboard. She asked me if I could make cushion covers from his shirts. 

 She grouped together three set of colours that she wanted as cushions. We had a fun afternoon looking at different patchwork patterns and she chose the Crystal star, the hands of friendship and the Ohio Star.

 I tried really hard to make these as neat and straight as possible for her. I don't want her to regret asking me to do this.

 I hope she will like these.

Another little commission I am working on is a Christmas stocking.

The brief is Christmassy but not too much. These are the fabrics I chose. There are Christmas fabrics but also just normal dress fabrics and the lesser spotted Christmas Camper van.

Have a good weekend.

Picnic Quilt

 Next week is sports day. This is as far as I am concerned my least favourite day of the school year. Carol concerts -  great, Easter service -  fab and of course the summer fete - a must (if only to see if Midsomer Murders is right and all fetes end in disaster). Sports day not so. You stand around and are not allowed to cheer on your child (well that was the case at the previous school - we don't want to encourage competitive behaviour).

 No standing for me this year. I am bringing a picnic quilt with water proof back. Lots of scraps were used (this makes the husband happy). The binding has insects on it. I thought this would be great for a picnic quilt. There are always insects (wasps) at a picnic.

The waterproof back is from Abakhan fabrics. This was bought for this quilt but here in the UK the ground is hardly ever dry enough to get a way without the waterproof-ness.

Now to make myself a dress. Have a good weekend.

Edit: Forgot say I am linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts Friday Finish.

Friday finish

 I actually have three finishes this week but I only took pictures of one. The Quilt top for Husband. It's finally done. Now comes the hard part though. I have to quilt it.

I have the back. Another grey batik print to go with the grey batik check between the blues and greens. The children are of school next week though, so chances of getting it basted etc. are slim.

The other finishes were a pleated skirt for me and quilting the nine year old's nine patch. She claims that as her finish though...

Some bits and pieces and a new WIP

 I have a few finishes. 

Daughter 1's drawstring bag. 

 Bunting for my birthday. 

 The fabrics a maybe a little Kidstonque for my liking but the daughters told me I had to make it like that. 

My new WIP. I think I need to change the layout. There maybe some seem ripping going on later.

Finish seven of 2014

 Finish seven? Well I sort of forgot to blog about the other three finishes. I would but two are in the laundry basket.

 And well one still needs to have the lining slip stitched to the zip, so technically not finished.

This skirt however is finished. I love the birds. I bought the fabric on a whim at Lady sew and Sew and luckily daughter 1 loves it. I used Simplicity pattern 1723. I decided to line the skirt because white can be a bit see through. 

My daughters used to love to model new outfits but they seem to be going through a phase of not wanting to be in photos. 

I am also making something for myself. Actually it's almost finished but need help with the fitting. I am wondering if maybe I need a dummy for my birthday this year... Must discuss with husband.

Seeing as the weather is so lovely at the moment I hope to have finishes 4 and 5 washed and photographed by the end of the weekend.

Lots of love
Fx

Shirt of my back

 I have a Friday finish with photos. I can't find my camera. The eldest borrowed it to take pictures of some toys she wants me to sell on ebay (hurrah more cupboard space for fabric). These pictures are taken using my i-phone. I apologise for the poor quality.

I have finally finished the scrappy trip quilt top. All up cycled shirts from my dad. It's been christened "the shirt of my back" quilt.

 It's 60" by 90"  It had to be folded double because I didn't want to risk it hanging on the muddy grass.

I hope to find my camera again and to take some decent pictures when it's not

Sunday Sewing and small blog meet.

 I have been stupidly busy this week. There has been an Advent Assembly to attend, then the traffic on the A34 was so bad one day that I might as well not have bothered trying to go anywhere. (the diversions were the route I take to pick up the daughters). I volunteered to help at the Christmas Fayre, so that was three days of not seeing my beloved Pfaff.

 Today however I found my sewing machine. The daughters did their homework on the table I was sewing at. Not always the easiest way to sew. I used my cute Japanese fabrics to make some purses for a Craft evening I am attending.

 I love this super cute box corner pouch. You can get so much in them. I thought it would make a great little first aid pack.

 I think you need to be cold hearted to not love these little girls in Kimono.

 I just need to find a popper stud for the purse on the right.

Daughter 2 "needs" one of the kimono girl purses. I don't see her need as much as she does. But they are lovely.

I am linking to Lily's Small blog meet. Hope you all have a great first Advent Sunday.

Sunday sewing.

 This morning I used some child free time to make a little cushion. This lovely Elephant print by Valorie Wells from her Karavan range was just screaming out to be a cushion.

It would have been so cruel to cut into the elephants. I left the fat quarters in tact as much as I could.

One more item to cross off my to do list. Mind you Husband has just asked me to make him a wash bag, so the list has not gotten any shorter.