Fifty Flower Friday

So I haven't partaken in the OFW that so many are, that's because I am just too unreliable, so here is fifty instead! This is a total of 350 hexies sewn together. At first I felt I had made HUGE progress, that's over half of the 80 centre flowers done! woot!... wait, I calculated how many hexies all up will be in this quilt.... over 2500. Perhaps 350 isn't impressive after all. I really cant wait to finish the last 30 though, they are all basted ready to go, then it is on to 12 around the outside in a solid colour, and then 8 white ones so they are ready to join together. after finishing a flower with 7 hexies, 20 will feel like slow going. I am hoping my motivation to slog through this will be because at this stage I will be able to lay the pieces out and begin to see my quilt !!

No bullet points this year.

There seems to be so dang many people posting new years resolutions. I don't want to. Sure I have tried to set new years resolutions in the past, both you and I know I didn't keep them. By the end of January I cling to them as they become painful chores. February sees them become twinges of guilt. June.... What new years resolutions??

I do see the appeal though. I am honestly finding it hard not to say to myself in my head "this year I will..." and it is probably best I restrain because honestly when I think of it, all my declarations really only bring forth an image of me being some demented reincarnation of the perfect 50s house wife.. making more clothes, baking more, meals from scratch, my perfectly renovated 50s house and sure I want to do all those things but public announcements made in bullet point format are not going to get me that.

So it has been a while since my last post. I do have some Xmas wears to share with you, some baking, and I am sure a few other things.. they will come later. For now I just want to share my op shop purchase... a whole whopping fifty cents worth
To be honest though, I cant see myself using any patterns really soon except for maybe the sun hat, it is divine. I hope to attempt one for Moo very soon :D Otherwise, some of the designs will make great starting points for a few of my on ideas.... hmm.... Talk soon guys

"Threaded Gems"

Friday was mum's 50th birthday (Happy birthday mum!) and so being that all birthdays with a zero are pretty cool I thought it was quilt time. (this is the quilt mentioned in my previous post).
The last quilt I made mum was for her 40th if I remember correctly. That quilt was made as a bed topper and so while well loved does not get the "drag around" use I like to see my quilts get. This quilt is made as a lappy quilt. I like my quilts to be used continually, under them in winter and on top of them in summer. If this quilt is but a scruffy rag by the time mum's next zero birthday comes around I will be more then happy. Quilts should be used and loved and if some trashing happens in the process, such is life.

The name for the quilt came to me while I was quilting it. The very simple rows of stitching through the coloured squares looked (to me at least) like a string of beads.

This quilt was ubber fast to make. I think I have forgotten just how fast a quilt can go together when it is a simple strip peiced design and simple quilting. It also helps that this one is a smaller size, my quilts tend to grow and end up massive. As I mentioned before, mum's birthday was on friday, and on the Monday prior, I had not started, but that evening when kidlets were in bed I put rotary cutter and ruler to fabric and it was done by friday evening :D I am happy with it.

Vital Stats.
Name
-"Threaded Gems"
Finished Size
-156 X 180 cms
Pattern Name
-"Sunshine and Shadow" - I think!
Top Fabrics
-all 100% cotton
-13 X 20cm prints
-2m cream
Batting
-100% wool
-Upcycled wool felt blanket
-This blanket actually used to belong to my mums
grandmother (my great gandmother) - very fitting re use.
Backing
-100% cotton sheeting
-2m
Binding
-Remainder of backing
-Quilting
-Line quilted by machine

Perfect Points.

Perfect points really are the (dare I say it?) single most important element in a 'good' quilt.

I was working on a quilt today. Now this quilt is by no means my normal 'style'. It is very reminiscent of the 1930's quilting era. In fact the design is very similar to the "Shadow and Sunshine" design that was so loved in the '30's. The colours are not really my 'thing' either, they are not '30's repros but they do have that '30's feel to them. They are small prints, floral an the like... very '30's. So while I worked on this quilt who's design and fabric palette was not appealing to me... it made me smile. why? because perfect points give me inner peace!

Thinking about why I was so happy every time I opened out another freshly sewn seam, it was obvious. A quilt isn't made wonderful by using hideously expensive designer fabric, a beautiful piece of fabric is one that makes your heart sing and when you know it just has to come home and live with you. It doesn't matter who's name is on the selvage, we cut that bit off! A quilt isn't made wonderful by the expensive pattern, or by the intricate pattern. It wont matter if your quilt has thousands of minuscule pieces, not if they don't have perfect points! the simplest designs when pieced with perfection will outshine an uber expensive, million piece quilt if it is poorly pieced.

So this is why I smile when I open seams on this quilt. Not because of the expensive fabrics, because they aren't. They are run-of-the-mill, Spotlight quilt section cottons, but the person receiving this quilt will love them. I don't smile because I am working on a piece that is a triumph of patience... but because the simple, humble quilt I am making, I am making well.

Now I don't claim to be a master quilter.... not by a long shot.... But I am very particular about precision in quilting because this can make or break them. Some may call me OCD about this, and they are probably right, I don't care.. When I say perfect, I like perfect. I accept that there will be the odd seam that may be a few threads of the fabric out. I will allow these to exist, but with hesitance and annoyance. anything beyond that, and I am talking about a full stitch of your machine, so say 2mms out, and it is time to find the seam ripper. So, over 6 square metres in a queen size quilt, and I am going to stress about 2mms... YES. Yes I am. It all contributes to the final effect, and that 2mms here.. there... it adds up. It adds up to a sloppy and haphazard looking quilt, certainly not what your hours of work aims to achieve.

In short if you are going to do it people, do it well. It will make you smile. It will be your inner peace, and then you will realise that perfect points are chicken soup for the quilters soul.

ahhh nice....

Hmmm... not so nice..... Seam ripper, Stat!

Fancy dress.

This Saturday just gone we had a fancy dress party to attend. Brynach asked to go as the joker, which, at first, seemed way too much work and tried to talk him out of it, but alas, he was determined... The Joker it had to be!

So with some thought, I set to work. I had some green fabric and whipped out a litte (rough!) tie. I had some purple fabric, so a little pair of elastic waisted pants, pressed down the centre to give the look suit pants and a simple collared shirt, made with long sleeves but no cuff and lengthened at the back and cut to shape to make a set of tails, split and all....

Add to that a white shirt from the cupboard, some green hair spray and face paint, oh and a $5 silly string gun and Taa daa!

I think he really looked the part and somehow took on the evil persona quite well after some part food consumption..

The Quilt Top

Here is the quilt top for Bryn's bed, complete and ready for quilting.... I am still not Entirely happy with it... But Bryn loves it. so that is the main thing.

40 blocks..

... all done and dusted...

I made 40 cos thats how many diferent prints came in the charm pack and jelly roll...

the quilt will only need 20 something...

here is a random 16

I will put black sashing between each block with coloured corner stones... the border is still under mental creation....

Birthday Outfit

Here is the final birthday outfit.....

I am suprised... he chose the planes...

Nanna made the shirt.. she can whip them up in minutes.. I will get my but in gear one day and get the pattern off her so I can make my own... I did make the shorts though ..

Front

Back

A task for tonight

Picking fabric for little boy outfits is tricky. 2 outfits, twice as tricky, but with some luck after I have made the 2 party outfits tonight, Bryn will be able to pick 1 to wear to his party tomorrow, I am putting my bets on the 'pirate' one... but we will see

Lemons and Lady bugs..

I made this little outfit up last night for a birthday present for a special little girl in Bryns life. His Best friend, she tuns four 2 days before Bryn.

I was planning on doing a top in this style, the came across this fabric at spotlight, alread Shirred, clearly it was ment to be :D

The outfit came together quite quickly and I am really happy with the result, I hope it is like by the recipients. The birthday girls mum know very much what she does and doesnt like :D

My "something for Mum" swap

This is what I received for my end of the Nappycino 'something for mum' swap.

I love it.

Its a 'sock box'. A little project bag, the perfect size for a sock project, or any project that only takes 100gms I would pressume (inc nb woolies :D)

The colour anf fabric is totally me!! and I dont have a small preject bag, even though I tend to take a small project with me where ever I go :D

Thank you swapper !!!

I broke my cardinal rule.

Through all my crafting years I have always kept multiple projects.... 3-4 sewing, 2-3 knitting etc...

BUT.. always only 1 quilt ALWAYS, I have always stuck to this rule, for 12 years of quilting, untill now...

Firstly is my 'Tropical Cycone' quilt which is sitting shamefully in the cupboard. I am not sharing another pic of that till its done!

Secondly.. I have always wanted to do a Desden plate quilt, very much not my usual style, I am definately not a traditional quilter, so I felt doing such an old, mature pattern, required 'older', more sophisticated fabrics then I would usually use. Ihave collected these fabrics over the last few months.

I am working slowly on this, its more the secondry project atm, something for me to refresh myself with when i get bored with the bold, yet chucky simplicity of the next preject.

This quilt will go on our bed, I have NEVER had a quilt for my own bed before, hmmmm....

Thirdly.. Bryns quilt for his 'big boy' bed going in his 'big boy' room. I really want to get this finished asap, cos we are starting his new room in the upcoming weeks, and I want this quilt ready to go straight onto it.

its made with a charm pack and jelly roll, from matching collections, and will also have bright contrasting hand dyes,

above is the pic (albeit sideways, how do you fix that in blogger) of some of the prints matched with thier hand dyes.

and above is the first few blocks, these are big block they will be 12iches square finished, I am not used to working with such large blocks...

I am thinking I will use thinnish (1 inch maybe) black sashing between the blocks with corner stones from the left over hand dyed,

there will be 40 blocks all up, so as long as i am happy with them all, I will probably make the quilt with 6 X 6 blocks in the body, then a black border and a block in each corner of the border as a corner stone there.... and i would love to do something diferent for the binding this time too.. thinking maybe some lil triangles all the way around, then i can get a theme going and make some bunting to go on the curtains or something..... ohh I will make it up as I go.. tis my way...

Tthe 15/15 Mei Tai

WHY 15/15 ??

Because it cost me $15 and took 15 minutes to make.... yep.... easiest ever!

excuse that the threads arent snipped in the picture... I am absolutely stoked with how this came out... I plan to make another tonight...

Ohh and i forgot to take a pic of the other side... but its double sided :D