Q2 Finishes - A Summary

I've been having a great few months being a crafty soul - but that has meant I've got very slack at documenting what I do, especially blogging.  So I'm going to take a little short cut and summarise my Q2 Finish Along and link up with Adrianne at 'On the Windy Side'.  I know doing it this way will mean I'm not eligible for the prizes (that's fine by me) but it does mean I know unto myself that I have completed some goals.

So here goes my summary...
1.  My Double Wedding Ring Quilt in blues for our master bed - not finished, but I have the quilt top in one piece (yay!) and have all the necessary pieces procurred to continue and finish in the next quarter!

2.  Flats' Pluses - not touched!

3.  Hoo's in the Forest - also not touched!

4.  A jersey for myself - Yay!  Finished and has been enjoyed!
I used 8ply Skeinz Vintage in 'Carmine' and knitted a Customfit 'Ayana' by Amy Herzog.  I'm really pleased to have  jersey that fits me well.  The fit is not perfect (nor is the body under it) but I've learnt heaps and already have another one over half-way done.  I loved knitting with this wool and the colour is great, but it's been pilling like mad, so I can't help but be disappointed.

I tried to take a picture of myself in the jersey, but I'm struggling with the 'selfie' pic still, and having a blemish free mirror!  And it's mid-winter here so a jersey has to be warm rather than photogenic.


5. Curtains for our Entry Way - yay!  Finished these today and they look great!
I had been given a bag of brown curtain trimmings from a friend of my sister's and then mixed it with some matching red, and added a thermal lining, I've made them into warm, stylish curtains. 

I started making them before we had our entry way re-wallpapered, and sort of forgot about both having stripes!!  Oops!  As the room isn't big and the curtains are quite thick I'll probably taken them down between seasons too.

6.  Curtains for my Sewing Room - not done yet

7.  Ironing Caddy - Finished -yippee!
I used this pattern to make myself a caddy to carry my iron to patchwork group.

The fabric is from 'Button Tree Lane' by Anni Downs (Hatched and Patched).  I used proper thermaflec heat resistant fabric which I got through fishpond.co.nz, as well as insul-brite and two layers of cotton batting.  I quilted through all layers (except the therma-flec) using a stipple and then quilted all layers on the folding lines with my walking foot.

8. Ballet bags - done!
We have a young ballerina in our house and she needed a bag for her costume and another bag for her hair 'bits'. 

I used a fat quarter of this Kokka ballerina print and matched some yellow dottie with it for her costume bag.  This was easy!

But making a hair 'bits' bag was trickier.  I used a basic - open wide pouch  design - and mixed in some other bag techniques I had learnt to make the side pockets.  This linen-mix print for this is also from Kokka.

From the initial photo (below) I used both the left and centre fabrics.

9.  Applique Dove - done!!!  Yippee!!
Earlier in the year I went to my high school reunion and it has inspired me to have a go making a mini applique using the technique and base pattern from Sarah Fielke's 'Quilting From Little Things' book.

The finished result... except I used steam-a-seam and raw-edge applique.

(Excuse the poor Instagram photo!)

10.  Quilty Mugs - Also completed!!!
I made Lori Holt's cocoa cups from 'Quilty Fun' in assorted Pam Kitty Morning fabrics.  Love the finished effect!

11. Flowering Snowball - not even started....

So I completed six out of eleven.  Not too bad, but it will certainly give me plenty more to do over the next few months!  I'll be off now to link up to the Q2 Finish Along!

Q2 Projects - Better Get Busy!

Firstly here are my goals for the Q2 Finish-a-long at 'On the Windy Side'.  I have rather a long list but need the inspiration to get things done!

1.  My Double Wedding Ring Quilt in blues for our master bed.
My goal in Q1 was to get the top pieced and I am only two (rather large) seams away from this.  It's been a HUGE task, but I'm pleased with how it is coming.

As you can see I chose a blue background (Kona 'Cadet') and it really changed the whole layout.  I'm not 100% happy, but it's too late now so hopefully I'll love it when it's quilted and finished - my Q2 challenge!

2.  Flats' Pluses
This one has been hanging around for far too long.  I need to piece the scraps into a design for the back, then quilt and bind. - Still to complete from Q1!!!

3.  Hoo's in the Forest
This one is even older!  I have the main pieced, but need to add final borders, then piece the background, quilt and bind.  I'm being optimistic here.  I do love the colours and hope I'll have some scraps left.
I made my daughter's plywood tree to match this quilt, so better get this finished before she is too old for both.

4.  A jersey for myself
I'm using 8ply Skeinz Vintage in 'Carmine' and knitting a Customfit 'Ayana' by Amy Herzog.  I'm super excited about having a jersey that fits me well, but just a bit nervous about how careful I was with the measuring. I just have some finishing, more blocking, then neckline and seaming!
This has been sitting in the 'almost finished/partly blocked phase for a couple of weeks, so once I get my head around the last tricky bit, it should be my first Q2 finish!

5. Curtains for our Entry Way
These are very close to being finished.... I have to just to hem one, the other needs lined.  But as winter is very close they need done ASAP!!

6.  Curtains for my Sewing Room
I'm using a plain white fabric as a base, then will applique a variety of clothes on to it in the style of Kasja Wikman.  It will then be thermal backed and turned into a roman blind.
Needs done soon!

7.  Ironing Caddy
I'll use this pattern to make myself a caddy that can be unbuttoned to make an ironing board - just right to take to classes.

8. Ballet bags
We have a young ballerina in our house and she needs a bag for her costume and another bag for her hair 'bits'.  For the former I'll go with one like this and for the later I might try and adapt a 'Sew Together bag'.

9.  Applique Dove
Recently I went to my high school reunion and it has inspired me to have a go making a mini applique using the technique and base pattern from Sarah Fielke's 'Quilting From Little Things' book.

10.  Quilty Mugs
I'm looking forward to Lori Holt's new 'Farm Girl Vintage' but in the meantime I want to make these cocoa cups from 'Quilty Fun' in some assorted Pam Kitty Morning fabric.

11. Flowering Snowball
I love 'Mimosa' by Windham Fabrics and want to use it with some Kona 'Coal' to make a Flowering Snowball quilt.  I'm keen to try another type of curved piecing.

I'm linking this up to Adrienne's blog for the 'Finish-Along' - and just in the nick of time too!!

A Pillow to Call Home

Another cushion I made as a Christmas present for a different sister...

I used the same linen-style fabric as the backing of this cushion.  The lettering is a floral print from 'Madeira' by Blackbird Designs for Moda.  I'm sure it is at least two years old - but I really like the colours in it and it looks great against the background.

The mini rose behind is 'The Fairy' - one of my favourites.

I cut the cushion (pillow) out as a 18 1/2 inch square.  I wrote the letters in a document using wordart, reversed them, then traced over the printed versions with steam-a-seam.  I later used my 'fake' buttonhole stitch on my Bernette to applique the letters.  The letters don't line up perfectly as the 'M' wants to be big, but I'm very happy with how they turned out.

I've attempted to link up my master copy of the lettering so please let me know if this does or doesn't work (I think you have to be able to access Google Docs):
Click here to download a pdf for the HOME letters.

I love this cushion as well and think I'll have to make another one or two...

Floral Dresden

I made this for one of my sisters as a Christmas present...

The centre circle and back fabric is a linen 'style' fabric I found (unlabelled) at Spotlight.  The petals are made using favourite floral fabrics from my collection and  the front background is Kona 'snow'.

The idea came from a pattern in 'Pillow Pop' by Heather Bostic and allowed me to use my dresden ruler by Darlene Zimmerman.

I appliqued the dresden bloom and circle on with a machined button-hole stitch.  I have this on my Bernette 65 and it is one of the few things it gets used for - but is very handy to have!  I went against my original plans and hand quilted the top together with perle cotton.  I am pleased with this and must remind myself to try it again some time.  The well rounded circle was made using a technique I read about in a book by Sarah Fielke - using a cardboard circle and aluminum foil.

K loves posing!

I really like this cushion and hope my sister enjoys it too... I could easily find a space for it here if it is not her style.

Kiwi Gifts

A cousin of mine got married a few weeks ago in Canada and although we were kindly invited to the wedding we never made it... another time??
After my earlier wedding gift my mother requested a set of two cushion covers to send over for the married couple.  These were made two months ago - and now I can finally post pictures.

 

As with my previous cushion I patched strips of co-ordinating fabrics together then used steam-a-steam and raw-edge applique to attach them to the wool-poly backing.

I must get around to making myself a set!

Roller Skate Flip

I have had in my mind a plan for a new dress for K for a while now and all I needed was some encouragement to make it.  This came when I read about the 'Flip this pattern sew-along' with FrancesSuzanne.

The challenge was do 'flip' an Oliver + S Roller Skate dress - and this was exactly what I was planning to do anyway!  I had already made a version in March and it was very popular, so out came the pattern a second time.

Now... the story behind this all...
My mother is a great sewer.  When my sisters and I were young she made all of our clothes for us.  One of the resources she used for patterns was the german 'Burda' magazines for children.  Now I have no idea if they still do magazines for children, but they were like what 'Ottobre' is now.  (I know they do single patterns and magazines for women, and have a very popular website - I presume it is all the same people?)

We had some beautiful clothes made from these patterns and one outfit that always stood out was this:

Mum had made it for my youngest sister who loved it, wore it and now has it for her daughters.  I don't have a picture of it on a niece but here is the actual overalls that my mother made:

So I decided I could make a dress version for K using the roller skate pattern.

It worked out really well and I am thrilled with how well it went together and how popular it is with K.

And... I think I did a fantastic job of sewing it... I can't really fault my own work ... that is really saying something.  All the seams match, the lining lines up and there are no fudged bits.  It is a brilliant pattern though.

The first change to the actual pattern was to only use the lining for the bodice - so it finished on the bottom side of the elastic casing. (The lining is a DSQuilts fabric from Spotlight that has been used before.) This worked well as the main fabric, a denim, was a good weight already - it is not too stiff so can 'float' but yet has enough body to take the embroidery without adding extra backing.  And denim wears well too.

All I did to change the actual pattern was to cut the denim at the hemline rather than full length.  I added the hem onto the green and attached the inside of it to the actual dress, before turning it the right way out and cutting to create the 'grass'.

The embroidery was added last - and took the longest time - but was really worth it.  K is especially thrilled with the kite on the back .  I love the flower stalks.

And just to top it all off - we even found a bumble bee in our midwinter (looking very desolate and drab) garden during our photo session this morning.

Finally... I have read that the same pattern is being used for Round Two of 'The Super Online Sewing Match' hosted by SewMamaSew.  Maybe I can use it again?

Little Red Bag

I have a small bag in which I keep a knitting project - usually some socks - the bag is only about 20cm high.  This bag goes with me lots of places because you never know when you will end up waiting - and knitting is great for small time slots.

Then I decided that I needed another one for small stitching projects.  

 It even has small inside pockets to hold thread etc.  It is big enough to hold a small embroidery hoop as well.

The cord is too thick so I need to replace it sometime soon.  But I am very pleased with my little red bag and am getting better at designing items to match a need/size.

Currently I am working on a red handbag that has a stitchery panel on it.  Just the project to keep in my little red bag!

NZ Love

We have a wedding dance to go to - so instead of the routine gift of money or vouchers I made a cushion (pillow).  The main fabric is grey wool/poly Italian suiting.  I added a map of New Zealand using strips and then raw-edge appliqued it on.  I'm not sure how strong it will be - but am hoping it will be well received.

Hint:  I remembered that with a digital image (my map of NZ) I could mirror the image in Word and print it off like that - it saved me double tracing!