a holiday & a thank you gift

We are going on a holiday next week for about a week (and I can't wait) so I thought I'd make a bag as a thank you gift (along with a bottle or 2 of wine). It's a relatives' house and they didn't want any cash for our stay. The bag is a cotton/linen blend with leather handles lined with a cotton print, a good size for the milk, bread & paper - or whatever you like.

Popped in to Mum & Dad's on the weekend and offered to help Mum out with her quilt, this is her first (after a little convincing) and she chose one that involved 60 degree angles & jelly rolls. So I've cut out 2 rolls and she seems to have come to a bit of a stand still, after several months. Mum has sewn together quite a few rows which look great, but of late - not so much. The excuses range from emailing, being on skype, watching tv and on it goes... (you know it's true Mum, love you!) I've put a couple of rows together in between my quilt, it's quite nice to do something different and I don't mind. After all, I feel a little guilty having talked her into making a quilt...

This is just a snippet of the on-going quilting. I imagine it's going to take another month or so until the quilting is finished. What to do next.....?

it's cold and knitted items are required

It's a slow process, but every night I do a little more. I'm loving the linen thread, the randomness of the quilting and the warmth on my lap - this is such a cosy quilt. It has been rather chilly of late, not surprising since we're in winter.

Went to a Wondoflex last week, what a wool treat that was wow! wow! wow! so many beautiful wools. It makes a nice change when you have to decide on which beautiful wool to use rather than which one out of this mound of crap will I relunctantly choose. The wools chosen below are both from Italy, wools you just wouldn't find in those gigantic barns. The red scarf is complete as well as a beanie, now the order is in for 2 more beanies. Just when I thought I had fulfilled the knitting orders... They are quick knits so it's not too bad I guess, I am not however putting my hand up to make any jumpers.

all together

I’d been eyeing off this linen thread the last few times I visited Amitie and on Friday I bought it (only $7.00), I’m going to do the quilting with it since there is quite a bit of linen in this quilt – it should go nicely.

It's all together, basted and ready for quilting. The top is about 58" square, I'm not going to do a border on this one.

100% wool batting was my choice for this quilt, it's sooooooo soft & cosy warm with a nice loft. Previously I've used 100% cotton or a cotton mix batting, I don't know if I'll be able to go back to it - maybe the cost will decide.... I would like to try bamboo batting though, I've read that it is supposed to be super soft. That may have to be ordered online as my local doesn't currently stock that one, that's going to take preparation...

For the backing I chose a nice flannel which was 50% off (this made the decision even easier). It could have been made into a nice pair of pj pants - oh well...

The binding fabric was also purchased on friday, I love it and can't wait to get to that stage. It's a medium weight cotton (I think) with a linen sort of look.

skirt & scarf

Yesterday I made this skirt for bells from a free pattern, the oliver + s lazy days skirt, very simple and very quick.

Test run today out and about in the wilderness, I also made the scarf last night, another very quick little project, bells chose the wool - a nice purple merino. That's one scarf down, one to go for flip - the order is for a red one.

Bamboo needles again...

a little sewing, a little knitting, a little tip

The scrappy (not so scrappy) quilt is coming along, I've finished all the blocks - 42 in total which will measure 8" square when all sewn together. At the moment I'm sewing the horizontal strips together, in between each block is either a 1.5" or 0.5" strip of cotton/linen blend fabric. I'm not sure of the spacing between the rows yet, I want to have a few random strips where I'd like to freehand quilt a few rows - we'll see how that goes...

I missed putting a piece of linen in the block below so it had to go on afterwards.

I love the nani iro fabrics, the linen with the writing on it is a scrap from a window covering (2.5 m hanging over a rod), the mint fabric has been in my stash for ages - I haven't made anything from it yet but I just wanted to put a snippet in this quilt.

I must admit that I made a block that I couldn't include and I had to un-pick a strip of another block and replace the fabric with another. I knew that if I didn't do those adjustments, when I'd look at the finished quilt I would be drawn to those 2 points and not be happy.
It is a time consuming process, but it's one I love.
Some knitting has also been going on (4 or 5 days/evenings), a scarf for my husband. There's nothing fancy about it, just knit one row purl one row but it is very warm and has been getting some good use of late.

I used these bamboo needles which were so nice to use, the wool & needles were from The Brighton Button Shop. The kiddies have now put in orders for a scarf each.

I learnt something last week, when hand sewing you should thread the needle with the thread as it comes off the spool, it's got to do with the way the thread is spun and how it should flow through the fabric. I was always threading the needle with the newly cut end - you learn something new everyday...

(The little gorilla was an addition to the photo by Ella)

These needles were recommended to me but one of the ladies at Amitie and they are great to use, nice and thin with good length. I use the green for piecing and the yellow for quilting.

over the last week or so

Just an idea (I was bored at work, surely everyone has had a moment or two like that...)

Quick fix on a pair of old jeans Flip used to wear that had a hole at the knee, Bells picked the fabric from the stash - good choice I think.

I am attempting a scappy quilt, I'm not very good at 'too scrappy' I find it quite difficult. I want to limit myself to what I've got for the top, of course I'll have to buy the backing & binding. My only other rule I'm giving myself is to use a piece of linen in each block. I've admired other scrappy quilts I've seen in shops & mags etc. so I thought - why not, and the top isn't going to cost me extra dollars, you could say it's costing me 'zip' (it may have a while ago but that's not the point...) So I've cut out quite a bit, I don't think it's enough for a complete top but it will do for the moment. I'm working with widths of 2.5" and we'll see how it goes.

I know, it's not that scrappy, I will try harder...

maybe next time...

I went to a sewing class at Amitie Thursday evening with my friend Em where I did a couple of scrappy blocks, it was great to go out have a chat and sew and know that that was all you're going to do, it was lovely.

pencil wrap

After a week-end of frustration - wanting to make something but not knowing what to make...

I bought a black pen, black pen & a grey pencil (there's a little art shop near where I work, I love pencils, pens & paper) so whenever an idea pops into my mind I can jot it down. But I needed something to house those items within my handbag, so I started cutting out some fabric from my stash.

The pencil wrap...
the outside...
the inside...

all wrapped up... with some leather...