Foray into hand quilting - Material Obsession's Avalon quilt

Realising I had only two weeks to whip up a present for Mia's best friend Saskia's 4th birthday, I decided to make her a simple quilt. I decided on a smaller version of the Avalon quilt from the wonderful book Material Obsession by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke.

Funnily enough, I think this will end up being the first in a series of three quilts I will have made from this book - as soon as I finish this post I'm starting one for my nephew's 9th birthday and then want to finish off another I started last year!



I decided on a palette of pinks, greens and purples, many of which I've used in other things I've made for their family...



Cream floral sashing to make the colours pop. I used it wrong side up to mute the pattern. Pinned and ready to go (you can see I am not a huge pinner!)...



With a week to go, I decided to have my first ever go at hand quilting. Thanks a million to my friend Sarah from Kit Bik Quilts for her invaluable advice! I used two different shades of the variegated 12 weight Sulky Blendable threads to go round each block and then in a cross or diamond shape over each one. I used a Clover Chaco Liner and my ruler to mark the quilt lines. Am not sure what I'd use for freehand quilt markings - advice welcome for next time! I didn't use a hoop. I started off using band aids instead of a thimble (thanks for the tip Sar!) but then found it easier to use this thimble which belonged to my grandmother - very special.

I love hand quilting! If I hadn't have had a deadline I would have kept on quilting and quilting!



This double gauze Japanese fabric is SO soft in quilt. Think I will have to make a whole quilt out of it!



Sass and her mama with the quilt...



Perfect showcase for Tula Pink's Parisville's gorgeous Topiary print...



This shot is very Kaffe, don't you think?!!



Hope the quilt gives much warmth and love to a very special girl! xx

Flea Market Fancy sewing machine cover by Bloom

Another week, another project!

This week I completed this wonderful sewing machine cover called "Beyond Measure" designed by Roslyn Mirrington of Bloom. It was featured in the 10th Birthday Celebration Edition of Australian Homespun magazine (No. 90, Vol 11.11). You can also now buy the pattern here from Roslyn's website.

Roslyn featured Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley, but I used Denyse's Flea Market Fancy fabrics. (I think I'll have to make a second for a special someone who gifted me some Hope Valley fabric! You know who you are!).



I really like it when I fall in love with a project, and that desire to make it compels me to master new techniques! I LOVED making this project, not only because I adore the design and the fabrics, or because I really needed a cover for my sewing machine - but because I learnt lots of new things. I enjoyed quilt as you go, loved doing the hand embroidery (using cotton that used to belong to my Grandmother, so special) and was thrilled to successfully make piping cord by using my zipper foot for the first time. Satisfaction and beauty!

Selvedge reading glasses case

I made this quick project one afternoon last week, for my dear friend from The Woolly Tree. She has recently started wearing glasses and is studying again. I wanted to give her a present to say good luck and congratulations!

I used the template from Betz White's caterpillar eyeglass case tutorial and foundation pieced the selvedge strips onto interfacing.



I padded it using bamboo batting and chose a happy yellow spot for the lining.



Voila!



I secured it by sewing on a press stud, to stop the glasses sliding out.



I was thrilled to finally make a selvedge project! I have been saving them ever since I read this issue of Down Under Quilts. It featured lots of amazing projects using selvedges, including the work of Karen Griska, author of "Quilts from from the Selvege Edge" (you can check out her Selvage Blog) and Jodie Carleton. Check out Jodie's INCREDIBLE Selvedge Dress that was featured in DUQ. Her blog has more photos of this incredible work of art plus lots of other cute project tutorials.

Busy start to the year

I've finally put aside some time to update my blog. With Lily at school now I have more time to sew but life is also more hectic!

I just did a post on the Christmas projects I completed last year.

I started the year off with this amazing haul of goodies from Hancocks of Paducah. I couldn't resist their limited offer of free postage and 10% off, especially with our exchange rate right now! I got all this for around $100!


My haul included a jelly roll of Punctuation by American Jane. I am in love with these fabrics! I made a quilt for my new baby cousin who will arrive earthside in a month or so. I used the Pandora's Box pattern out of the fantastic book "Jelly Roll Quilts" by Pam Lintott and Nicky Lintott.


I made this skirt for Lily, using the Twirly Girl Skirt Pdf Pattern available on Etsy. I used some of the spare Punctuation fabric I bought for the quilt back and also some vintage Laura Ashley cotton lawn fabrics from my MIL. I am in love with the fine, light texture of these and would love to know where to get more!


I made this wrap for another special man in my life for his first birthday. It uses super-soft double gauze Japanese cotton and satin binding.

Christmas - finally!

Here are the projects I whipped up for Christmas...

Using the super easy Monkeysbug Picnic Dress pattern available on Etsy, I made three cute Christmas dresses - one each for my girls and one for their little cousin:





I made some aprons for some of my friends, using tea towels and lots of ruffles!



I also made an apron for my lovely Mum, from a fabulous book called "The Perfect Apron: 35 Fun and Flirty Designs for You to Make" by Robert Merrett.

Small Projects

I have been snatching time lately to make some small projects. While writing this post to share them with you, I came across photos of something I made a few days before Lily's accident. Using two of my favourite fabrics, I made this apron for my dear friend Anna (inspired by the utility belt I made for her son). Ironically this was the last photograph I took before Lily was in the car accident. The next photo in my iPhoto library is of her in hospital.



On a happier note, the first thing I made since Lily's return home and finishing my friend's quilt, was this long promised belt for her. As requested, it's for her to carry her iPod and notebook/pen.





I also finally made an apron for myself, using the remainder of the panel from Be Be Bold that I used in a previous project. I made it to wear at home, to carry my iPhone (so that I would be more inclined to capture moments for my other blog), my ever-present daily list of things to do, lip balm and other such Important Things.



I made this top using the free Museum Tunic tutorial on Anna Maria Horner's blog. Create with a panel of her gorgeous, soft Square Dance toile, it was the perfect gift for my Mum's birthday earlier this month.


Cutting into my precious new collection of Flea Market Fancy fat quarters for the first time, I made a camera strap cover using this tutorial on design*sponge.



Last weekend Lily got her first wobbly tooth. Like a woman obsessed (me? never!), I stayed up late whipping up a tooth fairy pillow. I had one as a kid, made out of white broderie anglaise. This crazy patch one is my version! After my late night feverishness, it was almost a week between the first wobble and when the tooth finally fell out. In the end, the pillow ended up not being used for the toothfairy's first visit! I know though that there are many teeth to come.



I've now put aside anything non-Christmassy and launched myself into Christmas sewing. Go here for a sneak peek of the fabrics I'm using. Oh for more hours in the day!

Back with old friends

Well, it's been almost three months since my last post. For those who don't know, my daughter Lily and my husband were in a car accident in early August. Lily sustained some serious injuries and was in hospital for almost 7 weeks. Thankfully she has recovered, but it was a real rollercoaster. It took everything I had to get through it, and it didn't leave time for much of anything else, including my beloved sewing. I loved reading your blogs though!

I am thrilled to be sewing again! I finished off the quilt I was in the middle of when the accident happened, for a lovely boy's 6th birthday. It's a scrap quilt, and the fabrics remind me of past projects and gifts from friends.



I'm itching to keep going with my list of projects, especially as Christmas is only just over two months away! And includes some rather daunting needle felting. Eeep!

I have also started a new photo blog called Great-Full. It's inspired by Hailey and Autumn at http://365grateful.posterous.com/ It's a fun format which I hope will have a profound impact on my life.