Perfect Post 10
My month for the Star Of Africa bee was September, but I haven't yet received all the blocks that will be coming my way, and its actually lovely to get a surprise stand-alone squishy when I don't expect it.
I was very excited when I saw May's name on the package as I'd already see a pic of the block she was making for me. She's emailed to ask if I minded an ice-breaker, but I don't mind at all - I think these are awesome boats!
May had wrapped all the contents beautifully, but I didn't stop for photos, I just did my frog impression - rip it, rip it, rip it!
First there was the Ice Breaker Star
And if you cant see enough detail on the Ice Breaker . . . here it is again
I shan't even mention the box of yumminess that made it as far as the photo before, he'hem, vanishing rather quickly in my personal waste disposal system (far too yummy to share, good job the family don't read my blog)
There was also some fab sewing themed fabric tried into an intriguing roll . . .
. . . that opened up into this awesome travel sewing kit
Thank you thank you thank you May
I was very excited when I saw May's name on the package as I'd already see a pic of the block she was making for me. She's emailed to ask if I minded an ice-breaker, but I don't mind at all - I think these are awesome boats!
May had wrapped all the contents beautifully, but I didn't stop for photos, I just did my frog impression - rip it, rip it, rip it!
First there was the Ice Breaker Star
There was also some fab sewing themed fabric tried into an intriguing roll . . .
. . . that opened up into this awesome travel sewing kit
Thank you thank you thank you May
Paper Piecing Project
I'm following two bloggers as they share their paper piecing skills. Kristy, From Quiet Play is keeping her designs to sewing themed, while Katy, the Littlest Thistle, is going for a kitchen theme.
I've completed Kristy's January project: fabric and a tape measure, and today I was working on Katy's January project: a kitchen shelf with bottles on it. I'd like to combine these blocks into a sewing themed wall hanging, so I adapted the bottles slightly:
I've completed Kristy's January project: fabric and a tape measure, and today I was working on Katy's January project: a kitchen shelf with bottles on it. I'd like to combine these blocks into a sewing themed wall hanging, so I adapted the bottles slightly:
Changing a PHD
The PHD being referred to is not rocket science or micro bionics, rather it is a long neglected Project Half Done. I had an idea to do a Calendar Quilt, with different images for each month.
Years and years ago I got this far:
But I went off the blocks, so it never got any further. I remembered it as I was doing the paper piecing yesterday as, as you can probably see, the January snowflake had been paper pieced.
Today I decided to look at doing the designs as machine embroidery instead
So here is the new January
I'm not sure what I'll do with these blocks, but I do think I'll keep going with the designing
Years and years ago I got this far:
January
February
March
But I went off the blocks, so it never got any further. I remembered it as I was doing the paper piecing yesterday as, as you can probably see, the January snowflake had been paper pieced.
Today I decided to look at doing the designs as machine embroidery instead
So here is the new January
I'm not sure what I'll do with these blocks, but I do think I'll keep going with the designing
February Fun and a Flutterby
Carrying on with the calendar blocks, I have now done a February block - well actually I did two as I'm not sure which one I like best:
I also have been working in Janine's block for the Start of Africa Bee. Janine wanted a butterfly, where the wings represent our home location, and the centre has some words, preferably foreign.
This has had me thinking since November, very unsure what to do. There is enough OCD in my genetic makeup that if I make a butterfly, it has to be symmetrical and that didn't really lend itself to anything I could think of. I did think of a map, but went off that idea. Then I thought of a windmill - there is one within two miles of my house, we watched it being built, about 20 years ago. It's not a working windmill, its a cross between a home and a folly - the owner wanted to build one, so he did!!
I tried a machine embroidered picture of the windmill, I could easily do another one as a mirror image to achieve the symmetrical wings, but I still didn't like the idea
This morning I was clicking around some blogs (anything other than get up and go to work) and saw a pinwheel block described as a windmill - and a light bulb went off. I stitched two halves of a pinwheel block (but symmetrical) and used them for the wings.
Then I had to consider the requirement for foreign text. Well I AM Norwegian, and you would think that having lived there until I was three I would be able to speak some of the language, but sadly very little.
One of about three phrases I have left is "Jeg kan ikke snakke norsk", so I machine embroidered that (and it's mirror image) onto the centre strip. I will save you having to go to translate.google.com - it means "I cannot speak Norwegian"!!!
I hope you like this Janine x x
(Why Flutterby? That's what I used to call them when I was a kid, and the alliteration worked better!)
I also have been working in Janine's block for the Start of Africa Bee. Janine wanted a butterfly, where the wings represent our home location, and the centre has some words, preferably foreign.
This has had me thinking since November, very unsure what to do. There is enough OCD in my genetic makeup that if I make a butterfly, it has to be symmetrical and that didn't really lend itself to anything I could think of. I did think of a map, but went off that idea. Then I thought of a windmill - there is one within two miles of my house, we watched it being built, about 20 years ago. It's not a working windmill, its a cross between a home and a folly - the owner wanted to build one, so he did!!
I tried a machine embroidered picture of the windmill, I could easily do another one as a mirror image to achieve the symmetrical wings, but I still didn't like the idea
This morning I was clicking around some blogs (anything other than get up and go to work) and saw a pinwheel block described as a windmill - and a light bulb went off. I stitched two halves of a pinwheel block (but symmetrical) and used them for the wings.
Then I had to consider the requirement for foreign text. Well I AM Norwegian, and you would think that having lived there until I was three I would be able to speak some of the language, but sadly very little.
One of about three phrases I have left is "Jeg kan ikke snakke norsk", so I machine embroidered that (and it's mirror image) onto the centre strip. I will save you having to go to translate.google.com - it means "I cannot speak Norwegian"!!!
(Why Flutterby? That's what I used to call them when I was a kid, and the alliteration worked better!)
March Already?
And now I've done a block for March's entry for the calendar quilt.
I got married in March (nearly 25 years ago!!!) and although I had silk flowers in my bouquet, we had fresh daffodils on the tables at the reception: I love daffodils, and am really pleased how these have turned out.
And Now April
I think this is becoming a bit addictive!
I couldn't decide if I fancied bright colours, or pastels for April, so I stitched it twice
I still don't know which I like best
I couldn't decide if I fancied bright colours, or pastels for April, so I stitched it twice
I still don't know which I like best
Fabrics From Half a World Away
Last night I sat and watched TV and finished hand sewing the binding onto Stained Down Under (which should really be known as The Australian Quilt) it has taken a year to finish as it spent several months in the I'm-fed-up-with-this-quilt box, but I'm really pleased its finished - I love it!
HUGE Thank You to Sarah who came up with the design and encouraged and cajoled several of us to make our own versions, and to my lovely Sister in Law, Lisa, who took me to every fabric shop within a 100 mile radius of their home in Sydney, and waited patiently while I bought the fabrics.
This quilt is now on the sofa waiting for me to finish on the computer and snuggle under it watching something decent on TV.
I was finishing the binding while I was watching the Arctic Ice Hotel being built on Channel 5. I've seen it before but I was especially interested in how the workers were dressed, how they were keeping warm . . . next month himself and I are off to the Arctic circle, and will then have 6 nights on this ship
sailing down the west coast of Norway. I'm slightly excited!
HUGE Thank You to Sarah who came up with the design and encouraged and cajoled several of us to make our own versions, and to my lovely Sister in Law, Lisa, who took me to every fabric shop within a 100 mile radius of their home in Sydney, and waited patiently while I bought the fabrics.
This quilt is now on the sofa waiting for me to finish on the computer and snuggle under it watching something decent on TV.
I was finishing the binding while I was watching the Arctic Ice Hotel being built on Channel 5. I've seen it before but I was especially interested in how the workers were dressed, how they were keeping warm . . . next month himself and I are off to the Arctic circle, and will then have 6 nights on this ship
Working Weekend
Lots of creating this weekend, but none of it stuff that was particularly my choice, although it had the benefit of earning money, so I didn't mind TOO much!
One of my friends runs a transport company, and I do the machine embroidery on the company uniforms for her: she left a voice mail last week asking if I could do some embroidery . . . I didn't expect quite such large boxes!
She also decide that the team needed a new logo for the new year, so that took a bit of time to design. I am pleased though, as the old font was Times New Roman, and it's horrible to stitch - I managed to persuade her to change it this time!
Each one just take 6 minutes stitching time, but it needs to be hooped first, then attached to the machine; stitched; unhooped; stitches trimmed, stabiliser removed; next one hooped . . . a bit of a sweatshop!
(Still, I managed to type this post while I did 8 fleeces, so *some* multi-tasking!)
I'd also had a request from one of the teachers at school. She has a 6 year austic child in her class - his main problem is not being able to sit still. She found a 'shoulder weight' which claims to work, but was quite pricey for an experiment . . . could I make one. This is the pic she gave me
And this is my version of it. I used a cast off pair of cord trousers as the base, and added some pleated fabric and then some velvet to give him some texture to explore
It's like a scarf, but with Velcro openings so we can put weighted bean bags (in this case plastic bags of kitty litter as that's what I had) which have the effect of pulling the whole upper body down a bit: actually very soothing, like a heavy blanket at bedtime, or an extra quilt on the bed.
One of my friends runs a transport company, and I do the machine embroidery on the company uniforms for her: she left a voice mail last week asking if I could do some embroidery . . . I didn't expect quite such large boxes!
She also decide that the team needed a new logo for the new year, so that took a bit of time to design. I am pleased though, as the old font was Times New Roman, and it's horrible to stitch - I managed to persuade her to change it this time!
Each one just take 6 minutes stitching time, but it needs to be hooped first, then attached to the machine; stitched; unhooped; stitches trimmed, stabiliser removed; next one hooped . . . a bit of a sweatshop!
I'd also had a request from one of the teachers at school. She has a 6 year austic child in her class - his main problem is not being able to sit still. She found a 'shoulder weight' which claims to work, but was quite pricey for an experiment . . . could I make one. This is the pic she gave me
And this is my version of it. I used a cast off pair of cord trousers as the base, and added some pleated fabric and then some velvet to give him some texture to explore
Hooked on Hexies
I made 6 hexi flowers quite a while ago,
from fabric left over from a few table runners I made for my uncle and his wife a few years ago.
I planned to make the hexi flowers into another table runner for them which I could deliver in person as we'll see them when we go to Norway next month
My vague though was that this could be a hand sewing project on the holiday, ready for seeing them at the end, but then plans changed, and we are seeing them on our first day. (Did I tell you I was going to Norway? To the Arctic Circle?)
Ooops, I'd better get one with it then
The plan is to have a reversible runner, *hopefully* with the hexi flowers so perfectly lined up that the quilting will each both sides - don't hold your breath, but this is progress so far: 1.5 flowers stitched to the solid kona fabric
from fabric left over from a few table runners I made for my uncle and his wife a few years ago.
I planned to make the hexi flowers into another table runner for them which I could deliver in person as we'll see them when we go to Norway next month
My vague though was that this could be a hand sewing project on the holiday, ready for seeing them at the end, but then plans changed, and we are seeing them on our first day. (Did I tell you I was going to Norway? To the Arctic Circle?)
Ooops, I'd better get one with it then
Plenty of Pins
Thanks to all who commented on the plan to match the back and the front of the hexi table runner, and especially to Katy and Hadley who instructed me to pin, pin and pin through all the layers.
I finished slip stitching the hexies to the grey side, and then set to matching back and front. The first time I did the pinning I forgot to add the wadding first - a few, um, *choice* words were used! Then I took it apart and repinned
I think I matched all the points
I just hope it matches as well when I have finished sewing! If not, plan B involves the quilting being random hexagons on the plain fabric
I finished slip stitching the hexies to the grey side, and then set to matching back and front. The first time I did the pinning I forgot to add the wadding first - a few, um, *choice* words were used! Then I took it apart and repinned
I think I matched all the points
I just hope it matches as well when I have finished sewing! If not, plan B involves the quilting being random hexagons on the plain fabric
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