...a quilt for K

It is a strange thing. Over the Christmas/New Year 2011/12 break we had in Perth I blogged a lot. The most recent break - hardly at all. 

Which means that although I took (sometimes pretty ordinary pictures) of all of the gifts that I made they have't made it here. In the last few days I have been cleaning out my camera and temporary image folders and come across them again so I think there may be a few catch-up posts!

I have a group of friends that have been friends since high school. Since then we have remained friends through extended international trips, interstate moves, weddings, children - pretty much the events of life that can lead a friendship from teen years to fizzle. Because we are all origionally from pretty much the same place we all tend to end up back in Perth at the same time for big events, like Christmas with some additions since high-school of partners and children. 

In the last few years we have implemented a 'not-so-secret-Santa' gift swap over lunch in the week between Christmas and New Year. This year K was to be my gift recipient. She had mentioned earlier in the year that she might like a quilt for Christmas and I have a sneaking suspicion the Santa drawing was not so random this year. 

The inspiration for this quilt came from a shopping center floor - I was sitting having something to eat in IKEA and looking down at the floor below and snapped this image. 

After a couple of different design options were tossed about in my mind (all squares on point or 9 rectangle blocks?) I made a decision and went about choosing fabrics that were true-ish to the image and would match K's couch. 

Once the top was complete I quilted the 'tiles' into the background with cross hatch squares and hand quilted inside each of the 'pattern tiles' in perle thread.

Because it was a gift I thought is also needed a gift bag. This is from Melody Miller's Ruby Star Wrapping - with a few variations.

Because I used batting scraps rather than the fusible fleece in the pattern I quilted the outer and batting layers. On the top I used the spots as star centres and quilted the petals in.

On the base and the bottom of the sides I quilted squares around each of the circles.

Pressed into service immediately! Later discovered to be 'fully machine washable' and with proper pre-wash prep strawberry doesn't stain!

SMS Rec'd: Quilt down, Quilt down!

...same, but different

Towards the end of last year I found out that some friends were expecting a baby and naturally my thoughts turned to quilt. The baby was still very new and so the thoughts were put aside while I started to plan Christmas gifts. A few days later a got a call from a mutual friend hoping to commission a quilt for the same child and we hatched a plan for a joint gift. Then I got another call a little later…could the order be upped to two quilts? It seems there was not one baby, but two.

When we got to the planning stages of the quilt we went through various options - same quilt, same colours/fabrics; different quilt, same colours/fabrics; Same quilt, different fabrics colours. There were positives and drawbacks to them all - the babies will share a bedroom so they had to look OK together, we wanted them different enough to be easily identified different and I, at least, didn't want one to be 'better' than the other - they needed to be equal, but unique as the babies will be.

In the end we decided to use the same prints with variation, different by complementary background colours and the same blocks but in different sizes while making the same size finished quilt. I used a variation of block 1932 on page 244-245 of the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.

I sent a whole bunch of images to be co-gifter (did I mention that this was a cross border exercise) and then we skyped the fabric purchase (did you know it is easier to turn your webcam to the screen and show and image of a fabric rather than sending a link? I do, now). 

And then I waited for the fabric packages to arrive. One did and then I waited, and waited and waited for the second. It was caught up in the Christmas mail and as each day went by I saw my chance at taking one to Perth for the Christmas break to be hand quilted slipping out of my grasp. In the end I sewed the tops up after I had got home and based and had and machine quilted them in the week before the shower. I machine sewed the binding on both of them on the morning I caught the flight for a weekend away - that included the shower.

The hand sewing of the binding of one was finished, in the recipients house, on her couch with the quilt hidden under another blanket while I was chatting with her and another friend. The second was done on the morning of the shower.

  

In the end I did end up with a favourite, but so did the co-gifter and they were different quilts so I think I met my brief. Especially as mum and dad to be seem to like them both!

...Japanese crafty gifts

Last year when I turned 30 I went to Bali for a celebratory trip with some friends. This year it was N's turn and he went to Japan with some of his friends.

Naturally I gave him some crafty gift ideas I might appreciate on his return.

As some background he is really supportive of the time I spend sewing but he hates visiting Spotlight and quilt shops. I have been know to be given time limits when we have stopped somewhere in trips out together. And he always waits in the car.

So after a few days he went on a trip to 'Tokyo Spotlight' and let me know later in the day that he hadn't been able to find anything from the list and 'it was not more fun visiting there just because it was in Japan'. A few days later he took a train out to one of the other stores I mentioned - to find it shut and shuttered. At that point he said my gift was coming from the airport.

 As luck would have it a few days later he happened upon a gift shop outside of Tokyo and found some of the books I had mentioned - but they weren't for sale. Eventually, apparently, the language barrier was difficult to overcome, with many apologies from the girl in the shop a map was drawn and directions were provided to a store in town for some books and fabrics purchased.

The fabric - minimal as I'm trying to use up what I have - consisted of two napkins from Echino (at least I think that is what they are, they have finished edges)...

...and these two that seem to be cut from the length of the bolt. I especially love the cranes.

It's all great, all the more because he chose them himself and I know this was not the most fun he had on the trip. Apparently that goes to eating pig guts and bee larvae - and no, there is no sarcasism in that comment Seriously.

I wanted to see if this was a real thing - I think it might stay just like this!

And I think he has earned a few passes when it comes to fabric shop visits!

...gifts for big sisters

Being a big sister to not one, but two I can say that it is no walk in the park.

So for a.new big sister, some gifts. The kid in me thinks these will be fun to play with, the adult, that they'll keep the new big sister busy while Mum attends to the new little one.

For happy changing time, some dolly nappies. These ones are inspired by those from the swaddled baby love pattern in Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings. I added a 1/2" seam allowance to these using this method cut two from the fleece and one from quilt batting from the unaltered pattern piece. Sewn and turned they have some real bulk like a real happy. A fancy stitch along the top of the back to simulate elastic, some velcro tabs and done!

And what dolly baby could do without a swaddle blanket? This one from the same pattern, including the swaddle pocket to help little hands swaddlr dolly. You ask me though a doll is a lot easier to swaddle than a real live squirmy baby.

And for trips out, a dolly bjorn from Little Things to Sew from Oliver + S. I used some navy cotton duck for durability and do as to huge some dirt but made a feature of the edge stitching and buttons. And I just love the little pocket on the front. I changed around the cutting placement a little to get the little colour strip at the top.

And finally, for a big sister bedroom, some new curtains.

...for Nan

My  Mum and Nan came to visit a few weeks ago for the night and we sat on the couch in the evening, Mum knitting some socks for me (still waiting on them Mum),  Nan knitting a blanket for a great-grandchild, me quilting my Bakeshop project and Nik looking like he wished he was anywhere else (or wondering how he ended up in the 19th century).

On their return home I realised Nan had left her knee rug behind and sent it back to her with the idea I would also get to sewing her a lap quilt not too far in the future.

This quilt ís the result. It was made, in the majority, in one weekend including the hand quilting. Small quilts are good like that. In fact the thing that took the most time was getting it photographed before posting, including washing it after I dropped it in dirt and almost falling in the lake when I finally got thd pictures I was after.

All the fabric is the Spotlight Picnics and Fairgrounds and the solid is Homespun in 'Sand', also from Spotlight.

...supplies for a quiet Sunday morning.

1. A foot massager
2. An audio book
3. A ball of perle cotton
4. A needle, thimble
5. A basted quilt
6. A seat near a slightly open window.

Not a one holiday wonder!

Looking for the Flood Relief Auction? It's here.

When I took the Green Bag Challenge I fully intended to wrap all my gifts from that point forward in reusable cloth bags... and I fully expected to do the Christmas presents and Mum's birthday present and from there i would inevitably revert to the speed and convenience of wrapping paper, while feeling guilty every time I did.


But with some friends due tomorrow and a Christmas present (a late one to be sure but on time for our schedule, I promise) I made a little zippered bag to package the said gift.

This friend like blue so I literally tipped by blue scrap jar out on the sewing table next to the machine and made the front panel by improv piecing a quilt as you go rectangle, lined it with some blue dots and used a scrap of linen for the back. The zip was in the box of random zips.

I'm so proud of me....how long can I keep it up I wonder?

Tis the season...

I started this post a long time ago. And needed only pictures to finish it but as it the way with this time of year visitors, cooking and other activities meant that did not happen. So I have edited it a little, added  the pictures and now it is good to go!

.... for trying to finish up all my grandiose plans.

I like making gifts for people but around Christmas time the sheer volume of them if I chose to make them for everyone would put me in the seriously crazy group. So I bought giftsb but, inspired by this post from Sew Mama Sew and some of the great links they provided  in this post and this post I am making wrapping in the form of reuseable bags. I started by sending one off to my friend in our freindship group's (Not so Secret) Santa made from a pattern from the Lunch Bags! book.

I made the quilted drawstring bag, the last project in the book. I used a Kokka Linen and cotton blend for the outside and a simple solid for the drawstring closure. The batting was normal quilt wadding but you could also use insulbrite to help things stay cool I suppose. I am really happy with how it turned out, less happy with how long it took because I kept making simple mistakes, although sometimes I think the directions could have been a little clearer to prevent that. These unpicking issues also meant it took about and hour longer than it should have to complete and I only just made it in the mail before then end of the day. Hopefully it makes it before Christmas. 

Boyed by the experience I sat down this morning before work and wrote a list of the style of bag that I thought would actually be used by each recipient and would fit the gift. It didn't seem a green option to gift a white elephant. The thing that worked the best in all this planning was that I can make most of these entireley from materials already on hand! 

And here they are, all done.

1. Picnic Bag for Lydia - inside, 2. Picnic Bag for Lydia, 3. Simple Lunch Bag for Dad, 4. Lunch sack forJustin, 5. Bike bag for Mum, 6. For Iva, 7. Grocery bag for Ana, 8. Grocery bag Amy, 9. Lunch bag for Adrianne, 10. Mum's birthday, 11. A book bag, 12. Too cute!

I think this is a tradition to stay.

Progress - Pinning, Sewing, Pressing - Progress on the Double Wedding Ring quilt

I have been making progress and I think I have got into a little bit of a groove.

I have cut a whole bunch of the small patches, all the centres and melons and this makes a little sewing here and there more accessible.

I also made this little pressing cloth as recommended in the little book at came with the templates. It has certainly made pressing the arcs a more exact science and quicker and better than checking with the template as I was doing in the beginning.

I'm almost finished the first column, just have to sew the melons to the final centre and attach.

Only three more columns to go!

I'm trying to decide about the edges. I was originally going to use a template I have to square up the edges but I'm not sure now?

Opinions?

Arc, Melons and Centres - The Double Wedding Ring quilt

It seems I have taken on a lot of things that all need to be finished about the end of November, the St Nicholas Swap, The Scrappy Mug Rug Swap, the 3x6 Bee Holiday block swap and my normal bees and well as this quilt and my Christmas sewing.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not complaining. It is more of an explaination as to why I haven't got further with this quilt this week. Or on anything else. I seem to have a constant mess as I move from one project to the other without much to show for any of them.

Until today, for this project at least.

I have pieced some more arcs. Yesterday I bought the background colour, a light grey, which has meant I could start pieceing the arcs to the melons and then to the background centres.

I was a little nervous about this step, I'm often not patient enough to do a lot of unpicking so I was really pleased when the first melon segment turned out perfectly.

So pleased I forgot to take a picture.

An hour later, after reading and following the directions very carefully, I had this.

I'm so pleased, that even with all the joins most sections matched up like this.

A deep breath....and start - The Double Wedding Ring Quilt

I took a deep breath and took the fabric out of the box, with the plan and the templates.

 I had drawn this plan up per the instructions in the first flush of excitement a month or so ago. The finished quilt will be 4 rings x 5 rings,  generous lap size.  I added the reference scraps of fabric to keep track of the position numbers.

 I followed the instructions really carefully, took a deep breath and cut (and cut and cut - there is a lot of that in this quilt). And then I sewed, really carefully and much slower than normal. I came up with this.   

 A little more time and I had all these.

 Once I added the corner squares I had this.

Only 19 more to go.

Any suggestions on the background colour?