Birds and chairs

A bit of a random title for this post, but there we are.  We have had a new visitor to the bird feeder recently.  While a goldfinch may not be unusual for many of you, it is for us.  We have mainly sparrows, the occasional blue tit and I think there may have been a great tit once.  However, not a goldfinch!  

I have been really excited each time I have spied him/her! (apologies for the washing line cutting straight through the photo - I was taking this from the sitting room window and had to zoom in). I hope I continue to see him/her.

In other news, I have eventually finished a major sewing project.  A few months ago, I was looking for a large patchwork blanket or something similar to cover my very boring brown chair.  I am not a 'brown chair' person - I like colour.  I couldn't find anything that appealed to me, so thought I would make a patchwork blanket myself, using my large stash of fat quarters and other material.  This has turned into a major project, requiring many hours of work, quite a bit of unpicking and the use of my sister-in-law's kitchen table and her floor on several occasions as it required a big space when I was sewing it together and then quilting it. It is the biggest sewing thing I have attempted!  It also turned into a chair cover, rather than a blanket, and this necessitated looking up how to bind inner corners. (It would probably have been easier to make a big quilt blanket, but that would have been even more difficult to manage!) 

It has also turned into quite an expensive cover as I had to buy the wadding and a bigger piece for the backing.  However, it is finished!  The inner corners didn't work that well as my cutting and sewing was not as precise as it should have been, but as I am the only one judging it and the 'Quilt Police' are not going to call round any time soon, I think I can live with it! 

It has lots of lovely colours and patterns and makes me much happier than the brown cover.  Of course, it is now somewhat obscured by the cat blanket (as he has decided this is his chair - rude!), but I know it is there.  It will cover any chairs I may have in the future too, so all my hard work was worth it!

Latest cards and other things and a new project?

I have been making cards (of course) and here are a few of the recent makes.  Above was a thank you for my mother-in-law.

This was made for her 90th birthday earlier in August.  I really like this Sizzix 'Romantic layers' die set as it gives such a pretty result.

Here's the inside of the card.

Here are a few cards for the dreaded 'C' word - yes, these are for Christmas!

This card was for another 90th birthday for one of Chris's friends.

Another birthday card using a watercolour background...

...and another, again using a watercolour background.

The 'Other Things' is my neglected hexagon English Paper Piecing project - to make a cushion cover in shades of blue, with the idea of graduating colour.  I have been following Jo at Through the Keyhole and she is just starting an EPP project, which prompted me to get mine going again too.  Since I took the photo above, I have discovered a huge stash of blue fat quarters, so I was busy cutting and stitching more hexagons yesterday, while watching the film 'Tremors' on TV.  You wouldn't think these pastimes would work together, but they did.  Well, I thought they had but then realised that I had cut the paper patterns too big, so had to take them apart, re-cut and re-sew (this time watching three quarters of 'The Day of the Jackal' - a film I have never yet managed to see the whole way through!)  I wonder what anyone would make of my viewing on a Sunday!  Anyway, I am just finishing off re-sewing and then I shall lay them all out again and see what I have got.  The idea for this cushion cover came from a book - Wabi-Sabi Sewing , (I love the idea of 'perfectly imperfect') but I have gone a bit off piste and am making a different version for my cushion.  We shall see how it all goes.

Having finished my Index Card A Day Challenge, (and now constructing a box from an old shoe box to keep the cards in) I have been thinking about what to do next and I think I may have found the perfect thing.  More news on that later in the week, all being well.  I know, how enigmatic...

A quilt for Scruffy

As you know, Scruffy decided that my patchwork lap quilt would make a perfect bed for him.  As I was hoping to use the quilt, (after all, that's why I made it) I didn't really want him taking possession of it.  Chris said "You know you'll have to make him one now", so I did.

 I used pre-cut squares (although they weren't actually that accurately cut) from my rather large material stash and managed to make it over a weekend.  It would have been quicker except I originally used some of the backing fabric as part of the binding and it was too heavy and frayed too much, so it had to come off.  I then had to make more binding. 
Anyway, I think His Majesty likes the finished result.

Yes, he likes it!

Finished - at last!

Here is my patchwork quilt, almost finished and ready for binding.  I don't know how people manage to quilt a big quilt on a domestic sewing machine because I did struggle fitting this small quilt through, even though I rolled it up and everything! (Many choice words were muttered under my breath!) The walking foot was brilliant with the straight line quilting and I was pleased with the result.

 Here's the back, ready for binding.

 Someone (I'm looking at you, Scruffy!) decided that the quilt would make an extremely comfortable bed.

 No, he wasn't going to move...at all!
The binding went remarkably smoothly, owing to my little Accuquilt Go Baby machine which cut beautiful straight strips for me.  So, here's the finished quilt (I need a drum roll or something).

Hmm...I was trying to artistically drape the quilt over the wall, but it just looks a bit crumpled.

 Here it is laid out on the sitting room floor.

Here's the back.  Choosing a nice patterned material disguises any wobbly stitching lines.

So, what have I learnt from this project?

• I don't like rotary cutting, which is a real skill.  If you don't cut accurately, you can't sew accurately.  This may well curtail any thoughts I had about attempting other quilts
• I would not want to attempt to quilt anything bigger than this quilt myself. (It is about 32 inches square)
• I like using the Accuquilt cutting machine
• I enjoyed making and sewing the binding on
• I still like the materials used in this quilt
• I am not a perfectionist, which is a slight disadvantage with quilt making.  I am much more of the 'oh, that'll do' school of sewing 
• I may attempt another quilt one day, using strips, but won't be quilting it myself, unless it is by hand

The biggest positive is that I am proud of myself for completing this project, my first patchwork quilt, and on the whole, I am pleased with the end result.

Progress with the patchwork

I have made progress with my first ever patchwork quilt.  I have completed the top and will now need to create the quilt sandwich with wadding and backing fabric, before quilting the layers together.  I do like the material, which has been the saving grace for this project.  I still do not like using a rotary cutter (however, I did find that if I slowed down and took my time, I did get marginally better results).  In the end, I cut card templates for the squares and rotary cut around them, but they were still far from perfect.

I have decided that I am not going to worry about whether the seams line up (they don't) and am just going to celebrate the fact that I have made this!
I am looking forward to cutting the binding strips but this is because I have an Accuquilt Go Baby fabric die cutting machine which will ensure perfect strips every time.  I may make another quilt, but just using the strips...

Make do and mend - Bag number two

I spent a day last weekend sewing hexagons together and then machined them onto the second bag which had a logo on one side which I didn't want.  I chose shades of blue for the logo side and the hexagons did a great job of covering the logo.

 It was very relaxing sewing the hexagons together.

 As I felt that the other side of the bag also needed a bit of brightening up, I sewed more hexagons together.  Five of these were given to me in a swap by Dotty's Daughter, so I hope she'll be pleased to see I am using them!

Here is a close up of the greens and blues.
I am really pleased with the way both bags have turned out and have enjoyed these relatively quick projects.

A bit of upcycling - or should that be 'Make do and Mend'?

I was given two very nice thick cotton bags which was great.  However, there was a company logo printed on them which I didn't really want to see.  I made a calico patch and sewed it over the offending logo and then printed some patterns using wooden stamps and fabric paint.  I was really pleased with the end result. You can see the patched side above.

 The other side of the bag, without any logo.

The stamps I used were Blockwallah  stamp blocks which are hand carved in India out of a type of rosewood.  They are very decorative and beautiful in their own right and if I had an empty shelf, I would display them.  (I bought mine from Create and Craft  and I have bought them all with my hard earned money - no sponsoring or freebies here!)  I thought I would post about them because I really like them.
The second bag will be decorated with patchwork hexagons (once I have sewed them together...)

Buoyed by this success, I attempted another project.  I was going to throw the ironing board cover out because it had worn where the iron usually stands.  Then I had a brainwave and located an old cover which I had kept as a spare.  I cut a piece from that and patched it over the current cover and hey presto, a cover that we can still use.

OK, it looks a bit odd, but at least the colours work!  Now, what else needs sorting?

Stitching Sundays 30

Stitching Sundays 30 - how did that happen?  Over this last 30 weeks, I have achieved far more with embroidery, sewing, patchwork and making than I would have thought possible! The photo collage above shows a variety of projects I have completed, including decorations, bunting, embroidering a felt piece which I started three years ago and trying patchwork for the first time (collage created using picmonkey).  I am sure that without the added excitement of having something to share on a Sunday, I would not have achieved so much.
Having said all that, I have decided that I am not going to continue posting on every Stitching Sunday. This doesn't mean I am going to stop making, sewing, embroidering - far from it (especially as I have discovered a love of split stitch!) - but I shall be sharing my projects on an 'as and when they are progressing' basis.
I would love to attempt to make myself a skirt that actually fits; a simple A line, knee length or a little longer, perhaps in denim, so that is the next challenge I have set myself.  I am a beginner at clothes making so am hoping this won't be a project too far!  I would also like to mend a childhood knitted rabbit toy (Gonga), who needs sorting out and a new pair of felt shorts making, so there is something else I'll be doing too.
It has been great to join in and I hope to have many more projects to share in the future.

Stitching Sundays 29

Stitching Sundays 29!  I have made progress this week, taken the plunge and created my first patchwork pieces.  I used patterns from Tilda, also from Helen Philipps' book 'Pretty Patchwork Gifts' where I was inspired to add the cross stitch, lace and buttons.  The lace is some vintage handmade lace which was tucked away in a tin and which Chris gave me to use in sewing projects.

 The back of the hearts is also patchwork.  I discovered an interesting thing about rotary cutters when I was using one for the first time - they are very good at cutting skin, if you happen to look away from what you are doing!  Luckily, it was just a little nick, but it made me pay much more attention, which was a good thing!

 The buttons are ones I have collected, or have been given (in a Christmas cracker swap, in the case of the pink flower above).

 Here are the hearts being modelled by the door handle.

 I'm not quite sure where to display them yet.

 I am really pleased with them though and I got better at making them as I went along.  I may make some more with some of the other material which has featured on my blog.

Stitching Sundays 27 - a trip down memory lane

No sewing or embroidery to share today, but the start of a new project.  It may look like a fabric jumble sale, but these fabrics all have some kind of memory attached to them.  

There are blowsy roses, delicate flowers, embroidered patterns... 

...a piece of the material which was Mum's wedding dress, a shiny blue taffeta which Mum wore as a bridesmaid and my blue and white puffed sleeve dress material too...

 Shiny florals which were carefully made into dolls' dresses by Granny and a red floral which may have once been a skirt.

I am intending to use little bits of them to create patchwork - perhaps hearts, but I haven't quite decided yet. Instead of these pieces from my past being in a box, at least I will be able to see them and enjoy the memories.  I am sure I have set myself quite a challenge, with different thicknesses to work with, but I can always use to interfacing to help them behave better (well, that's the plan).  So, here's to my first foray into patchwork!

Treats

I have been guilty of buying treats for myself over the last week or so.  Here is one of the latest - some material (V&A Benedictus) that I have been coveting since last Autumn when I first saw it.  It is based on designs made by Benedictus in the 1930s (I need to do a bit of research on him, I think).

 The patterns range from loud, floral and overblown, to geometric and totally Art Deco, but I love them!  I think there was another pattern when I originally saw the material, with a navy blue background and pale blue blossom shapes, but that didn't seem to be there when I ordered.

This is my favourite out of the ones I bought and just makes my heart sing (to use a cliche, but a very apt one).  We all need things like that, don't we?  So, what (you may be asking) am I planning to use this for?  Well, I want to see it, so am planning more bunting - but probably with a plain back - and perhaps I may attempt a panel cushion or even a patchwork one.  I haven't bought very much of each one, as I was attempting to be relatively economical, so no huge projects can be attempted.
Incidentally, just a mention for the company I bought the material from, called Eclectic Maker.  I ordered on Monday afternoon and received an email saying it had been shipped later that afternoon. It arrived on Tuesday - I was so impressed by the service.  They have a wonderful range of fabrics to look at and drool over too.  I shall be keeping my eyes open for the navy blue material as well, to add to the collection.