Lazy Days skirt

My latest project was the Lazy Days Skirt from the tutorial from Oliver and S

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. I didn't quite have the full selvedge to selvedge, but as Possum is pretty small it didn't really matter.

It was really simple and the instructions were very easy to follow.

As I didn't have the selvedges intact I watched this YouTube video on French seams, and I am now a whizz!

Shirring - Aarrrrrgh!

Here's my first attempt at shirring......



If it were competing in Vancouver - "Nil Points!"

I'm off to google to solve my problems! Wish me luck.

Pillow talk

Here's what I've been working on recently.



All the kids in my mothers' group turn on in the middle of February so they all had a joint birthday party and Possum and I were the guests!

So as little present for them all I made them name pillows.

Since making Possum a stocking for Christmas using this tutorial and using this tutorial to learn how to embroider I've really gotten into my embroidery.

I hand embroidered the names and then made borders in coordinating fabrics. I used this tutorial to make the actual pillows.

When it came to Isabella's I didn't have the stamina so I found a different stitch and a different font and did a slightly different version, I think I need to practice my raw edge applique technique!!!

Uh-oh!

I finally succumbed a ordered the Single Girl quilt pattern from Cia's Pallette. I've been coveting it for a while now and I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy to finally have a copy! However now it means selecting/collecting 36(!) fabrics to make it! I've been wanting to make a qult for our bed and this has been the pattern that's been in my head for a while. I'll machine peice this baby and then ahnd quilt it so I'll be at this one for a while, but I do love the look hand quilting gives.

Here are my collected fabrics so far....

I've had the Heather Ross russian dolls for a while with our bed quilt in mind. I'd really like them to be dominant in the quilt so I'll probably double up on those. I'm just not sure about the oranges or the mermaids, what do you think? Maybe I should seek out more browns and maybe a pinky/red colour to pick out the colour in the russian dolls?

Christmas Gift and latest project

Here's a little gift I whipped up before Christmas for Possum to give to her Daddy. I used this tutorial from myrtle & eunice and I changed it slightly as I didn't want to use ribbon as a fastener so I sewed on velcro and it worked pretty well.

I also created my own vouchers for trips to the zoo, the botanical gardens, Sentosa and a few other places. I wanted tears from the recipient which I didn't get, but he was pretty chuffed with the present. The fabrics ae just ones I found at Spotlight with an animal theme.

And here's my latest project, little stacks of blue and green coins for a coin quilt. I'm using Jaquie of Tallgrass Prairie Studio's tutorial found here.

New Years Resolution

My new years resolution is to look after this blog a little better!

There are so many projects which I made in the last few months but I've given them away or lost them before I got chance to take a picture! I worked on them all right up to the wire and didn't have time for picture taking. Maybe better time management should be another new years resolution?!

So I'll have to ask people to take pictures of their gifts to show you, there's the birthday quilt, Molly Monkey, a handbag and the B&W photo quilt to show you. And I made a Ruby doll from this tutorial, but Possum lost her somewhere on Orchard Road : ( So I'll have to make another and show you pictures of the new one.

I the meantime it's the hubbies birthday tomorrow, and there appears to be a distinct lack of husband birthday cards here in Singapore, so I found this tutorial on AlphaMom for a shirt and tie father's day card, I started making it and was inspired by my colour choice and the little bits of qhite poking through to the right side to turn it into the hubbies football team's home shirt, so here you go.

Done!

My blocks for the Sis Boom Pow! block gather are all done and I'll be posting them off to V in NYC tomorrow (weather permitting - the walk to the post office!), and my Black and White quilt top is done too, I'm just waiting for the bacing fabric to arrive from Spoonflower. I can't wait to see the fabric, it should be here soon as it was post two weeks ago tomorrow! It's dark here now, but I'll take photos of the blocks and the quilt top in the morning sunshine and post tomorrow.

In the meantime, have you seen the new Block Party quilt along? There's a giveaway over on the blog to celebrate.

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Catch up

So....... had visitors galore for the last eight weeks, and now we're home alone! Yay in one way, but boo in another as I miss my mum : (

Aforementioned visitors have resulted in limited crafting and even more limited blogging. So here's a post full of the goings on over the last few weeks.

I received my parcel from my swap partner for the friendship bag swap. The lovely Frieda of sheknitsallday sent me not one but TWO beautiful bags, one for me and one for Possum, she's adopted the one on the right and took it out yesterday to carry her maraca and a little cow (as you do). Frieda also sent some lovely FQs, a covered tape measure and a little toy for Possum (not in the picture - already in toy basket!) Possum also love the tape measure, she pulls the whole thing out and then looks on in amazement when I push the button to retract the whole thing.

The birthday quilt was not finished on the actual birthday, so I whipped up this tutu from this tutorial as a quick on the day present, and the quilt was finished in time for the party a few days later - unfortunately it was finished in the nick on time and was hastily pulled from the dryer and promptly wrapped and arrived only 15 minutes late to the party - which meant no pictures! But I have asked for some pics so hopefully I'll have some soon.

I sign up for the Sis Boom Pow! block gather which V from Bumble Beans has organised. Fabrics donated by Jennifer Paganelli and a request for appliqued blocks. Here's the fabric parcel I received from V (I don't know if you can see in the pic the little bee in the cornerof the envelope, a nice little calling card - very cool, think I may have to get me one!)

And here's my first attempt at machine applique, quite a few puckers so I think I need to lift the foot at every pivot and be a bit more careful, now I just need to finalise my design, hmmmmmm.

And onto my most recent project, the black and white quilt for the Grandparents for Christmas.

I have already printed lots of black and white pictures of Possum and her cousin onto the inkjet fabric, they are all wash, pressed and cut out. I think the fabric worked quite well, although it did skew slightly after rinsing, and the colours look a little green tt me which I think will annoy me beyond belief as I am a real stickler for colour matching (used to be a big part of my job!)

My inspiration for this quilt, started from this, and eventually turned into a version of this but with actual pictures. I'm going to frame each picture with one of the black and white fabrics, and then put them all onto a white background courtesy of the Ikea flat sheet, and the Piece de resistance of the whole quilt will be the backing courtesy of spoonflower, but you'll have to wait for that to be revealed!

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A new week.

Well another week rolls, by......

I kind of got a bit behind on the Fall Colour Week, and I'm afraid short of going and buying some plums, I give up with plum! But here's Thursday Chestnut, our lovely family dog, who sadly went up to the big kennel in the sky last week : (

I finished my friendship bag and posted it on Friday, but being the complete numpty that I am I forgot to take a picture of it before I posted it, maybe my partner will take a picture when she receives it. Also in the post I posted back the DVDs which my MIL had sent that week - wrong envelope - we hadn't even watched them!!!

I have a deadline this week, the birthday quilt which is in progress ....... birthday is on Wednesday! Party isn't until Saturday so maybe I could give myself a little extension! But I've had quilted some bit and started machine quilting, but I just couldn't get the tension right, and then I got lots of tucks in the fabric, so I'm unpicking all that and then I'll have to decide what quilting to do........

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Wednesday Fall Colour Week - Goldenrod

The colour of Jiffy envelopes which the postman brings contain recordings of X-Factor! Yay!!!!

Friendship Bag Swap

I've been beavering away at the bag for the Friendship Bag Swap, and I'm very nearly finished, then I just need to fill it with some goodies and sent it off to it's new European home.



I've been checking out all the blogs from the list of other swappers and so far haven't found one which I think is heading my way, I v much looking forward to receiving mine, and even more excited about my European swap partner getting hers!

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Tuesday Fall Colour Week - Burnt Sienna

Day Two of Fall Colour Week is Burnt Sienna - Meg from Elsie Marley describes Burnt Sienna as like the rooftops of Sienna - how about a picture of the rooftop of Sophia?

It's not actually Burnt Sienna, some would call it "ginger", others "red", hairdressers have told me it's "Titian" so as Titian was Italian (but from no-where near Sienna) I think it counts!

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Monday Fall Colour Week - Brick Red

Elsie Marley is hosting a Fall colour week, based on Crayola crayon names, so I thought I'd play along, despite there being a complete lack of seasons here in Singapore!

I'm running a little behind as yesterday was a public holiday here in Singapore and was spent doing fun family stuff, but the way I figure is it's still Monday in the US so I think this post counts! Yesterday was Brick Red, so here's my pic, it's of the Buddha Tooth Temple in Chinatown.

Tomorrow is Burnt Sienna.....

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WIP

Here's my latest WIP, it's the birthday present quilt for a friend, and here are the blocks all sewup, threads trimmed and pressed.....


Next came laying them out to plan the quilt layout...

Then came the ginger possum destruction unit, and this is the aftermath!


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Another beach ball and a new project

We're back from a little holiday to Bali, which was fabulous, for the trip I made Possum a little beach ball with some of my prized Far Far Away fabrics, she seems to love it which is pleasing!

And now my next project...... a 1st Birthday present for a friend's daughter. I order some fabrics from afabricoutlet on Etsy, and I pulled together this bunch of fabrics for it, what do you think?

Now I think I will pre-wash these - that must be the worst bit of making a quilts! Then the cutting up, then my favourite bit sewing the first few pieces together. Although I think the bestest bit of making a quilt is that last seem which finishes the top - what's your favourite part of the quilt making process?

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Snuggy

I've been meaning to make Possum a snuggly/security blanket type thing for a while now, and here's what I came up with....

I used some Heather Ross Far Far Away double gauze for the front, and Princess and the Pea panel, surrounded by little snails. And on the back is leftover pink fleece. I sewed some ribbon loops into the seam on the front panel for some interest and something for little hands to explore, and I bound the whole thing with peach coloured satin blanket binding (not easy to work with!) I hand quilted a loopy line around the border, kind of like a snail trail, and I quilted Possum's name down one side.

So far she has quite liked it, and it's been everywhere with her (my choice rather than hers!), I hope she really takes to it - I still get a warm fuzzy feeling when I think of my Bowie (my baby blanket which I had until I was 11!) and I hope Possum feels the same about her snuggy.

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Oh Fransson's pincushion organiser.

Introducing my latest sewing project.......

It's the pincushion organiser from this tutorial by Elizabeth from Oh Fransson on Sew Mama Sew. It was really easy to make and the instructions were al very clear. The little bag for scraps and threads is very useful. I used some Erin McMorris Wild Wood, and some cool batik-y type fabric from Quilts n Calicoes.

Spot the mistake? I cut the piece to make the organser section the wrong way round, so the trees grow sideways - never mind!

Definitely a tutorial I recommend - I'll be making my mum one of these for Christmas - and speaking of Christmas - flights back to Blighty book - YAY!!!!!

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Handmade presents

One of mine and Possum's bessie mates is moving back home tomorrow and we had to say goodbye today : (

As a little token departing gift I made Possum's buddy this little fabric beach ball using this tutorial from Purl Bee. I used some Amy Butler Full Moon Dots, some Jay McCaroll's Wood Maze, some cute birdie fabric and some orange solid. It was really easy to make, except the circles on the ends, the tutorial says to cut out the circles and iron the the fabric in a little, but this was waaaaaay too hard for me, so I used this tutorial for circles, and they turned out pretty well I think!
And for my buddy I made the "Poopy Clutch" from this tutorial. A few things went a bit worng but I gave it to her anyway as I thought she'd see the wonky bits and think of me!

I'll definitely be making more of the beach balls, they're fab!

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A leson learnt.....

I'm fairly new to the quilting world, and I'm learning all the time.



I've recently learned a great lesson in pre-washing fabric, well I had a pre-washing incident and I am yet to assess exactly what I have learnt.....



These are my lovely owl and mushrooms Alexander Henry prints, and I pre-washed them along with the other fabrics inteded for my next project all together. I bought the other fabrics from Spotlight and they were a poly/cotton blend. I suspect the culprit of the above and below pictured grievous assault was the red!



The pictures don't look toooooo bad, but in real life the fabrics now look murky and horrible, luckily I only prewash half of what I had of each fabric so I'll use the other half in the quilt. Do you think some of that dye-gone type stuff will work to get the fabrics back to their pre-pre-washing beautiful state?

And do I take from this to.....

a. not pre-wash fabrics?

b. pre-wash dark colours separately?

c. don't buy cheap poly/cotton blends?

d. to pre-wash fabric on a very cool wash?

There we have it, still so much to learn!

But the fabrics are intended for an outdoor play quilt - here are all the fabrics together.

I want this quilt to be used and so I want to back the quilt in something hardwearing - any ideas anyone?

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Another bag

I've made myself another bag - my Heather Ross Weekend Sewing Hold Everything Tote actually holds too much! So I looked around the good old "t'internet" for a bag tutorial. I knew what kind of shape and size I wanted but didn't know how to make one without some guidance. I stumble across this tutorial, and it was brilliant as I could alter the pattern to fit my needs.



I made the strap shorter and wider, and I made the bag bigger all around. I also lined the pockets and made the fastening from velcro. Big lesson learnt here - when pressing a project involving velcro avoid the velcro! I managed to melt the loops! I made it using canvas from Ikea which I bought to make Possum some curtains, and lined it with some orange fabric I have. Here the bag in use - carrying toys!





I'm well chuffed with it! It's just what I wanted! And I loe the super-bright colours. It could maybe be an inch bigger - but I'll just have to make another one with some amendments!

I've also signed up for a Friendship Bag Swap over at the Quilting Gallery - should be good fun, check it out. It'll be my first ever swap - how exciting!


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