Works in Progress

Aiming for a bit of a quick progress report here:

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced

Put together a quilt back for the shirt quilt, really nice cozy flannels, the blue stripe is from some much loved old kids' pajamas.

Pepi is getting the idea that walking/lying on the quilt when I'm taking photos/basting is not always appreciated. What a good dog!

Hoping I won't regret cobbling together some batting. I had some big offcuts of batting left but not a single piece quite large enough for this fairly large quilt so I butted them together and zigzagged. It looks as good as new... Does anyone have any experience of joining batting? Please tell me... how is it holding up..?

Anyway I basted it using my favourite pin method.

My Oakshott order for a few more blues came incredibly quickly halfway round the world.

Yummy yummy!

So now adding to these and trying for some colour decisions.

At this stage the ones on the top are possibly not going to be included, although I'm dithering about that decision (no surprises there!)

(which reminds me have you seen this? Maybe a bit of background re the love hate Kiwi Aussie relationship is necessary?)

maybe some yellow and green would be good (nod to the dear friends across the Tasman), but I don't want it to be too rainbow...

or to cut up too many samples trying to work it out...? Give me your 2c worth.

don't like this yet

Finally I've started cutting up old jeans

beginning with the lighter colours

My problem here is I'm set on largish HSTs with some corner sections like this or this but the leg width of the jeans defines my squares as a bit smaller than I'd ideally like and I'm worried about too many thick and bias seams. I do have some denim yardage and old skirts I'm using to supplement, which could yield wider bits, so the narrower jeans could all become smaller corners, but I think that might get fiddly... I'd rather make HSTs by the two squares method. then improvise colour placement on the design wall. More dithering...Could be overthinking this...?


Celebrating ANZAC long weekend here (TransTasman mateship in the trenches in Gallipoli 100 years ago) there won't be any sewing progress as we're looking forward to having some friends visit, though this lot are fellow kiwis this time round.

What have you got planned?

A Happy Easter

With lots of nice relaxed time over Easter I've managed to nearly complete quilting of the plus/cross quilt. Annoyingly, I've run out of thread and can't easily find more of the same, so will have to look more intently when it's not a public holiday. Might just have to stop procrastinating on the straight line quilting that's taking so long!

It's been good to practice my FMQ a bit. Getting even stitches all of the time still evades me. It's all about the ratio between the speed of the pedal and the speed at which you move the quilt. I've been trying to turn down my machine speed a little and then floor my foot and try to get a rhythm with the moving of the quilt. I tend to move the quilt a bit fast and get really long stitches too easily.

 It's also been harvest time. We gleaned some figs from a local tree (on public property, I should add), which were delicious! We've had  our eye on them for some time, waiting for the right moment and hoping no-one else got them first!

On Saturday we joined our friends to help them pick their quinces, walnuts and chestnuts and prepare quince paste, quince and walnut cake. Delicious and convivial. My photos of the collected produce are on my husband's phone though, but there are some quinces left to poach.

These were my favourite Easter eggs, praline ones with a sugar shell. Aren't they beautiful? They were just as delicious!

For Christians the custom of giving eggs at Easter celebrates new life. Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the dead. They believe that, through his resurrection, Jesus defeated death and sin and offers people the promise of eternal life

Of course Easter's not complete without Hot Cross Buns and there have been several batches of those over the weekend!

On the rise

Tea and buns with English china-how civilised!

I finished my April block for the Simply Solids Bee for Sally of Salsy Safrano Quilts. Sally sent us the fabric and my central block was pale blue. You can see more from the international bee here.

What did you get up to over Easter?

Linking up with Lily's Quilts for Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet.

WiP Wednesday

My Work in Progress is a quilt for a new baby boy.

It's coming together quite quickly.

I managed to sew the pieces together today and tomorrow hope to make the back and baste it all ready to quilt.

I used Katie's tutorial here: so good to have all the cutting and fabric requirements maths already worked out! It made it so quick- does feel like cheating; but then again, why re-invent the wheel?!

What are you working on?

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced

The Shape of Things to Come

After a bit of a break enjoying family and friends (not least the Uni boy home for the holidays and lovely interactions between siblings), a bit of very low key work and visitors, it has taken me quite some time to catch up on my blog reading and I've been a bit out of the way of posting here (and sewing too). But I have been pondering the year ahead and what I'd like to achieve creatively...

Like many of the people I've been reading, I have a few WsIP and many many more planned. I have a few fabric stacks around the place and lots of ponderings in my head and a few on paper in my journal.

WIP

1. First up on the finishing is probably my older son's computer sleeve.

I have had mixed success with leather, but this has finally defeated my machine in terms of the layers to sew through, so I need to take it to a cobbler or tailor for a few strategic stitches with a more industrial machine.

I think I'll give up on the leather, at least with turned edges and lining, for the time being.

2. Next is the as yet nameless quilt which was waiting for the right blue for the backing, but that excuse long since expired and the pile of pieces has been languishing in the cupboard for many months.

On the subject of quilt names, I've struggled to name them, seems a bit try hard somehow, but it's certainly less cumbersome when describing them, so perhaps I'll try to come up with some this year.

Suggestions welcome on names for past and future projects....?

The following are only in progress in my head and as fabric piles:

('Scuse some of these photos taken at night in bad light, can't delay this post any more by taking new ones!)

1. Table mats as a birthday gift for a family member.




2. Computer case from these fabrics for my daughter




3. An envelope clutch in this pattern from Anna at Noodlehead (whose patterns are great btw) in this combination of black silk with orange lining for my daughter's formal




4. A skirt for me




5. A wall hanging inspired by this photo:




6. Another small piece with Australian colours and inspired by Australian Indigenous art




7. Another table runner or something with these:

8. A cross quilt using text fabrics and some other accents.

9.  My biggest and most challenging idea is a large piece utilising shot cottons or similar, returning to the gum bark inspirations which began with this. It plays away in my mind with possibilities and techniques gleaned from here and here and I'm trying not to be put off before I start by thoughts like "It might not work"!!  I don't want this to be last on my list...!

10. Plus of course there's the Simply Solids bee I've joined which will give ongoing interest, not to mention deadlines...


Hopefully this list will be supplemented too with little items as the need/whim arises for gifts etc.

The order of these will be fluid and I need to keep in mind that this list is about encouragement for me to create, rather than a stick for me to beat myself with!

Have you got a list of things you want to create this year?