Show & Tell + Get Your Craft On – Quilt

There have been plenty of sneak peeks, but after yesterday’s free-form quilting session I was keen to finish this piece.  The wadding was particularly thick, so it’s quite a puffy quilt.  Last night I finished off all the threads & started the binding.  This morning I finished the binding, and I’m particularly happy with it!

I really don’t want to think about the cost of quilting, because for me it’s about aquiring new skills.  However, I have to admit that shopping the clearance tables is really rewarding.  The 6 different prints in this sock monkey range were nabbed for $6pm (instead of the original $16.99), and the rest was filled in with homespun at $6.95pm.  I was going to have a plain border & binding, until I realised that it would be cheaper to use the print!  I didn’t use a pattern.  I saw a strip, square, rectangle repeat on a baby quilt on Pinterest and figured out the math to make a full size single bed quilt all on my own.  I will probably keep this one … it’s the first quilt I have made, it has a few errors, and let’s face it … it’s red and has sock monkeys on it.  What’s not to love!!!???

Get Your Craft On – Quilting continued ….

Further to my quilting adventures last week, I completed the backing last night.  That meant I could take the top, back and wadding down to Frankensteins Fabrics and have my very first go on the big free-form quilting machine.  Wow … was that an experience and a half!  Marni did the first row for me in a freehand stippling design, and then just left me to it.  The peepers proved to be slightly problematic, and I got caught on them a few times until Marni figured out we should tack it down.  Overall, though, it was quite easy to do, once you get the hang of how it moves, how far you can go with it, and lose the nerves about playing with such an enormous and expensive machine LOL.

This quilt will probably stay with me.  Let’s face it … it’s red!

Show & Tell Monday – Tupperware cupboard

After a recent cull of unused appliances from an upper cupboard in the hall, I found myself with a lot of empty space.  Today I had a clean up of the Tupperware cupboard, and moved some of the seldom-used & larger pieces into that empty space.

It’s not that long ago that I purged the Tupperware cupboard, but it had become over-crowded, and with the girls on dishwasher duty, I was tired of showing them where things go, or not being able to find them because they were in the wrong place.  So at first glance my before & after shots may not look that different.  However, after moving the cake carrier and some large entertaining platters & bowls, I found myself with sufficient space that I was able to move my food processor and the basket of accessories into this cupboard.  The result is more bench space! Yay!

Sure, I may need a step-ladder to get down the lettuce spinner & salad bowls, but as the weather is getting colder and colder, they’re not going to get a whole lot of use for another 6 months or so.

More than anything I love that all the ‘like’ pieces are together, the medium use items are in the lower corner, and a quick “tour” of the newly shuffled cupboard left Miss K well informed about where things should go when she empties the dishwasher tomorrow.  What a great sense of achievement!

Show & Tell – Quilting

It’s official … I have been bitten by the quilting bug.  This was my first attempt at a quilt top.  I set aside the whole weekend to make it, but was finished before lunch on Saturday.  What was a girl to do but go shopping for more fabric to make another one?

And so I made another quilt top.  There were a few lessons to be learned.  Do not plot out and do the math for a quilt right before bed.  You will do nothing but toss & turn all night dreaming about fabric combos, inch to cm conversions and trims.  Also, to make the job easier, it is essential to have the right tools.  I started the first quilt without my 1/4″ foot (on loan to a friend), and I had a devil of a time matching it up.  For the second quilt I used the right foot, and it matched up brilliantly.

Now that I’m done with this design, I have already drafted out my next quilt, and I am on top of Christmas gifts for my nieces & nephews already.  Sure, it’s not the cheapest hobby I’ve ever tried, but it’s not the most expensive either.  If you’re considering quilting, but you’re not sure if you’ll enjoy it, try a small project first.  I started with a cathedral window cushion cover.

With thanks to my lovely friend Sharon for the photo … I made this cute little mug rug for her birthday.  Just scraps, a little lace, some applique … really, really quick to make, and just a little addictive.  I think I’ve made 6 so far LOL.

So … how did I go from dressmaker to dollmaker to quilter?  On one hand it was and easy progression.  On the other hand I hang out with a quilter … in a quilting shop … it was bound to happen! LOL  If you are on the NSW Central Coast and you think you might like to give quilting a go, or even just have a one-on-one lesson on how to use your sewing machine, then I highly recommend Frankensteins Fabrics.  Easy parking, beautiful fabrics, big tables and Marni is an excellent teacher with incredible patience!  You might even find me lurking about behind the fabric bolts LOL

 

Show & Tell – Getting it done!

It’s school holidays, and usually for me that means catching up on housework, reading a book and visiting family & friends.  This time I’ve been doing a few different things … having my gorgeous niece & nephew here for their very first sleepover was top of the list!  Nobody asked to go home, no fights and they’re still talking about it … I’d call that a big Aunty win!

Very close to finished my table runner, and I’ve even done a night market at a gorgeous local preschool.  Best of all, I’m learning how to action a new project quickly, without overthinking it.  Take the lovely little doll in the photo above.  I drew up the idea a couple of weeks ago and walked away from it.  But today I had the genius idea that if I changed the feet slightly I could turn them into rollerskates!  And so my first roller derby themed doll was born this afternoon.  I have to say, it feels pretty darn good to actually finish a project the same day I start it, and I have some roller derby friends who will be critiquing her this week.

Last week I had a couple of hours to kill before going out for the day, so I decided that the 3 tubs of fabric under my papercrafting desk would be better living under my sewing desk.  Likewise, the 4-hole cubby under the sewing desk would be more useful under the papercrafting desk.  I was surprised at how little time it took to swap them over, and while I still have a little shuffling to do to get everything the way I like it, the use of space is much more economical.

It makes me wonder what else I could do in an hour or two?  I have one more week of holidays, and while the schedule is busy, I reckon I could do a few more cool projects, and maybe even finish them!

Get Your Craft On – Try Something New #3

This week I have had a bit of a running theme … trying something new.  I finally took the plunge and had a proper go at patchwork/quilting.  This was my first project …a  runner for my sideboard (to cover the ugly laminate benchtop section).  It still requires wadding, backing & binding, but I’m pretty pleased with it so far.  Big thanks to Marni at Frankensteins Fabrics for helping me with the planning & the math!

This was today’s effort … another cathedral window cushion front.  This time I added an extra layer of fabric to show in the petal sections, and I’m quite pleased with the colour scheme.  I tried a new technique to create the cream base pieces, and while it was great to start, it was difficult to finish in sections.  It’s far from perfect, but I’m learning how to perfect the process, and my next one will be better!

When my Mum used to drag me to quilt shows as a teenager, I swore I would NEVER take up this quilting, patchwork monstrosity of a craft.  It looked like hard work, I hated the fabrics and secretly … the math terrified me.  However, now I get to hang out with some of my favourite people at Frankensteins Fabrics once a week, it’s been growing on me.  Yesterday I purchased my own cutting mat, craft ruler and rotary cutter (why would I ever use scissors again????).  I am yet to make a full size quilt, but I do believe my fate has been sealed … and Marni helps me with the math & planning LOL  She is nothing but patient and cleverly makes me figure out the hard stuff on my own.  I highly recommend a class with her, even if you’ve been sewing for 30+ years like myself, you can always learn something new from someone who’s learned it the hard way!

Get your Craft On … Try Something New continued ….

Just yesterday I was talking about combining crafts and trying something new.  I actually listened to myself and wanted to show off my latest collaboration piece.  The little fox was drawn by my daughter, the teen brains behind Etc. Anime.  She joined me at the markets last weekend, and is now smitten with the idea of selling her work.  She’s already been drawing for 10 years and literally gets better and better every week as her style evolves, and currently she is very fond of anime, manga and chibi styles.  I asked her today to draw me a fox … 2 minutes later this was in my hands.

You see … she can draw, but painting … not so much.  I can paint, but not so great with the drawing or imagining of whimsical creatures.  So, while she was busy I prepped a canvas and after she went to bed I painted up her little fox … I hope she likes it.  Tomorrow a friend of ours is going to take her turn with the fox and create her in a different medium.  Somehow I think we’re going to have lots of little foxes on our stand in various forms at the next markets!

Can you tell that I am immensely proud of my clever girl?  She is living proof that if you encourage a child to pursue their passion they will surprise you daily