Thursday, July 25, 2013

1 xmas item



Well it's that time of the month, the 25th, so I need to show my finished project for the month, as I am participating in Narelle's ' 1 Xmas item'.



My idea came Pinterest, which was pinned from http://onesimplecountrygirl.blogspot.co.nz/. Take some cinnamon sticks, frayed plaid fabric, rusty bells, rusty stars, string & a hot glue gun.........& after a bit of playing this is what you get!

A couple of months ago a few friends & I set a challenge to make something from some cute little blocks found on Pam Buda's blog. This is what I made........................




Some pebbling & Celtic Bubbles for my background filler, I really love this table setting. Thanks to Pam for the online tutorial & Raewyn for the hands on lesson!

Last but not least a customer quilt, made from Joicelin's fathers & husbands old shirts. Quilted the same as the pattern found in a magazine.



I will have a lovely quilt to show you in a few days that I have nearly finished for one of my customers........think English paper piecing, think appliqued houses...................

Happy days to you all..............loving your comments as they are my fuel!






Sunday, July 21, 2013

productive weekend!



A whole weekend of productiveness!!! Gardening, cleaning the oven, yes, I even cleaned my oven! And sewing.
First up I made my granddaughter a bunting for her bedroom, I thought it would be bright & cheery, it should go with the quilt I made her when she was two.




The butterfly quilt was a Buggy Barn pattern, I backed the quilt with flannel & a butterfly label.
That was back I in 2009, seems a million years ago!!!

I also made 40 bowtie blocks that I can't show you for a few months yet as they are going to be a border on a special quilt I have been plodding away on.
I found some nice hand towels in Brisco's the other day, so today I 'pimped' them, they can go in my gift box, although the laundry one might not make it as it would go nice in my laundry with the rag/plastic bag holders, washing machine cover & peg bag made from the same fabric line.



I also made some Christmas decorations, but I will show them later in the week as part of the link up thingie for 1 Xmas item over at Narelle's.

I didn't finish this next item today, but a few weeks ago, but as this runner was for my friends birthday & that was yesterday, I can now show you!

I bought a panel of this coffee cup fabric, I might have to make myself something from it as I really like the fabric........next weekend maybe?

And last but not least a book finish........it took me a month to finish, I'm pretty slow on the reading front, as I only read when I go to bed in the evening & I don't get far before I'm nodding off!
Another by Clare O'donohue, the third so far, a nice read.


Book #3
Nell and the gang head to a quilt retreat in the Adirondacks. What’s supposed to be a fun week in the woods soon turns deadly, and one of their own is the chief suspect.

I have started the fourth book, I see on Clare's website, there are two more!......maybe I need to go to bed earlier!
Who's watching the new TV programmes, 'Mr Selfridge', 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'. The clothes are amazing, so pretty! & tonight a new series of 'Call the Midwife'.
Thanks for stopping by to my neck of the woods!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Quilting, a bag & other bits




When I contacted Ileen yesterday to say her quilt was finished, she couldn't get to my studio quick enough! I didn't even get time to take any decent photo's of the quilt! Ileen made this one........a HUGE quilt measuring 100" x 110" for her son, the starry border to represent Matariki . Matariki is the Maori name for a small cluster of stars............you can read more here .
Ileen is not alone in the problem of wavy borders, until I had pointed out the importance of measuring borders, she had no idea. I gave her the link to Bonnie Hunters tutorial on borders for some help, also telling her she was not alone, this is a problem I see all too often. So, much unpicking went on before any quilting could take place.
Illeen wanted simple all over quilting in the middle, then 'something' on the border. I know bad photo's, but I did an all over in the middle, then the first border straight lines, second border more straight lines framing stipple, third border, curling ribbon & finally the outside border I quilted  roaming, looping stars.


Just to give my arms a wee rest after that huge quilt I did two wall hangings from Ngaire. Ngaire has been making these hangings from patterns featured in the New Zealand Quilter magazine.



Ngaire told me exactly how she wanted both these hangings quilted.


Not sure of the birds in the first hanging, but I'm pretty sure these two are Moreporks?
To see more of the series she has been making you can go here & here.

In my last post I mentioned hoping I would have a productive Sunday, well the answer is yes & no. I wanted to do more the time just seem to run faster on the weekends. Anyhow I did get a Library bag made for on granddaughters 6th birthday. I used Leanne Beasley's lovely pattern. I spend way too much time fussing with what fabrics to use, I know my granddaughter is into fairies at the moment, so I chose the yellow background fabric as my starter.



I hope to make her a bunting for her bedroom too, but we will see, I have plenty of other goodies in my 'gift box' that can be popped into her parcel if I run out of time!
Also on the home front.....................

I have been slowly plodding away at my Dresden plates.

I am starting to think about how I want to put this together, sashings, on point or as is? Of course my mind goes off to 'how will I quilt this?' Then of course what will I use as my centres?

Also another project that gets some 'plodding' time is my Angel Story by Annie Downs. I  have completed all the applique, I just have two blocks left that need the stitchery to be completed, then I can start putting the top together!


Thanks for stopping by, wishing you all a happy rest of the week!


Friday, July 12, 2013

Gollies & Fairies



That's a big title!


Jenny made this & the following quilt. The applique is blanket stitched by hand, I'm guessing the pink flowers will have buttons? For the tan border I tried out some new thread I got given to try. It is a new thread from Aurifil variegated poly, nice thread!

 This quilt has a lovely mix of country fabrics, many I recognize as Thimbleberries. If I know Jenny, this was likely to be done as a BOM.
A shot of the back..............................


Jenny's next quilt.....................

 Jenny was keen for me to use some gold metallic threads for a bit of 'bling'. I used Gunold's metallic, lovely thread.



Glad you are enjoying them Jenny, take care.

Thanks for stopping by, I am hoping for another productive Sunday, if all goes to plan, keep your fingers crossed for me & I will do the same for you!


Monday, July 8, 2013

customer quilt & another productive Sunday.




I am delighted to have Diane as another one of my new customers.
Diane wanted an all over meander through the middle of the quilt, then something a bit fancier on the border. I love the colours of this quilt.
Over cotton batting I used Madeira & Gunold threads for the meander, straight lines on the sashing & the hook feather on the border.
Diane was delighted when she picked up the quilt other day, she said was going to use the red for binding & it was going over the back of her lounge suite.
Enjoy Diane!

I managed to have another productive Sunday. On Thursday I picked up this months Sewing Essential Project from The Country Yard. So far I have been making two of everything.
A block holder, scissor fob & mini pincushion, arm chair husiff, clam shell case, & rotary cutter case.


Don't ya love these fabrics? If you click on the photo you will see I have a CD in the base ( under the pincushion ) as I need to get another tile. The tile is what is used to weight the whole creation!
My second one..................

Tee hee........don't ya love it when your photo's go Topsy Turvy.....................................
The thread catcher on this one I put a slippery fabric for the lining of the bag & used RicRac & Velcro as I can take the bag off the empty the thread & the odd chocolate wrapping!

Wishing you all a happy & productive week!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Sunday afternoon bliss



I am still feeling happy inside about my blissful Sunday afternoon.................................

From this to this......................................................


She is 31" tall, a bigger build than my other dolls, but so much fun to make. My friend Julie over at Threadbear Cottage got a few texts from me asking for doll making tips...........Thanks a million Julie!
She...........sorry how rude of me! Beth, doesn't have painted boots as stated in the pattern designed by Debbie Magee of Always Stitchin. I didn't have paint, only exterior house paint in lime green & after some lengthy thinking, came to the conclusion that perhaps I would leave the boots unpainted until I have consulted the experts, AKA Julie! Besides because her lacy edging on her dress ( the doilies ) are long you can't see her boots any how.


I even found a bit of blusher to give her cheeks a slight warm glow, found a lovely old button from my Mum's button jar that looks just like a brooch. I found a sheer embroidered hanky that I tied from a pink ribbon to her waist.  Not sure about the hat, it is wool felt, this shape & size are from the pattern, what do you think?
Her dress fabric is the same as fabric I used on a quilt I made a few years ago.
This was 'Tuesday Mystery' at my fav shop, The Country Yard

 
One day I will have a spare room decorated with my 'pretty stuff', this doll......I mean Beth will be there!


For now she will have to settle for hanging in my room, off my Lynette Anderson's 'My Garden' BOM.
Thank to Barbara for the loan of the pattern, I have searched online for Debbie Magee to find more of her patterns, but with no luck.

P.S, this took more than one Sunday afternoon to make, a few evenings were used up to 'play dolls' too!



Butterflies & Metalic thread



I have had a steady stream of new customers the past few months, Catherine is one. When Catherine saw Lois' quilt she gave up the idea of doing the quilting herself & asked if I could please quilt hers just like Lois'.


Catherine's quilt is larger than Lois'.
 Using Mettler's gold Metalic thread, Madeira poly neons, I did loopy stipple, Celtic Bubbles, straight lines & echo feathers over cotton batting.


if you click on the photo you will the gold!



This quilt is actually bright, but it was the end of the day, the sun was disappearing when I took the photo's. I hope Catherine's granddaughter is happy with her quilt.