Bits and Pieces

Here are a couple of cute crochet hexagon bags made from this pattern at Lion Brand Yarns. I made the darker one a couple of months ago and have been using it as a library book bag. I found the handle a little too long so made a much shorter handle on the lighter coloured one.

I really liked the Papillon layer cake quilt I made for my Mum in an earlier post, so decided to make a quilt in the same pattern for myself. I chose the Vintage Modern range - this simple pattern is so good for showcasing beautiful fabrics, and who can resist gorgeous florals and red polka dots?

So I've finished piecing the quilt top but need to get some backing fabric before I can quilt it.

Other things I've been working on lately include this courthouse steps log cabin quilt top. I made this from one of the bargain quilt kits I bought at the Penrith show a couple of weeks ago. The fabrics are kind of unfashionable, but I guess they suit the design.

Finally, on the quilt top front, a simple jelly roll quilt from Gypsy Girl fabric.

I also finished a table runner made from the sashiko fabric I bought recently. This fabric was fantastic! It had the embroidery design printed on it, and it washed out with a quick dunk in water, so I could choose which lines I wanted to stitch and which I wanted to leave blank. Believe it or not, the below three blocks were made from the same pre-printed fabric - I just sewed different bits of the design in each.

It was kind of fun and relaxing sewing these blocks. I think I will have to get some more of this amazing fabric!

Scarf marathon

I had so many nice comments on my ruffle scarves that I made a few more to give as gifts. I'm over knitting these now - time to move on to something else! They are quick and easy to knit but the "yarn" is not really pleasant to work with as you have to keep stretching it out to find the next loop in the mesh to knit into. So it feels like really slow going although they knit up quickly in under two hours even for a slow knitter like me.

I'm still working on clearing my sewing room of old quilt tops. Here is the latest that I have quilted - an old Bento Box quilt from whenever there was a mild craze for this pattern .... a couple of years ago I guess. I've quilted this one simply with straight(ish) lines 2" apart so it was quick and easy to quilt and only required marking on the borders. This quilt is about 180cm square.



I just need to find some binding fabric for it now. It's a cold and blustery day today so a good day to rummage through my stash to find the right fabric.

Catwalk dogs

I quilted another old quilt top made from pre-cuts yesterday. There seems to be an unlimited supply of these quick quilt tops in my sewing room!

I enlisted the pups' help to model my quilt and some ruffle scarves I knitted up the other day. They were not very enthusiastic or cooperative. (They thought we were going outside to eat bones so were a bit disappointed when I just wanted to take photos).

Still, they have mastered the moody, looking-into-the-distance-in-an-aloof-sort-of-way pose.

Mad Quilters' Gathering at Penrith

I had such a fun morning at the Mad Quilters' Gathering at Penrith this morning. It was a lovely quilt fair - just a nice size and not too crowded, so it was easy to see everything and chat to the stall holders and see all the latest gadgets. All of the stalls had the most beautiful quilts on display ..... so inspiring! 

And of course, I couldn't resist picking up some patchwork goodies!

Firstly, this Art to Heart book and a pre-printed Rosaline Quinlan stitchery kit I've been admiring online for a while.



From Craft Depot, some bargain Fat Quarter sets, including this lot of 10 citrus coloured flannels for $20. I was also lucky enough to find some matching yardage for borders for only $7.95 a metre.

And this lime and green coloured set as well (modelled here by my grapefruit tree!):

One stall had some quilt kits massively reduced - they were too cheap not to buy, even though they weren't really to my taste. This bright quilt kit was reduced from more than $100 to about $40:

And this log cabin quilt, including ruler and buttons was just over $20:



I also bought some sashiko fabric with the embroidery design printed on - you just sew the design you want and rinse it and the rest of the lines wash out. Wonderful stuff!

I was also lucky enough to catch up with a patchwork friend and her hubby for a nice cup of coffee at the show. Altogether a great day! I just have to decide which of my goodies to play with first now.

Some works in progress

Here's a little peek at some other things I have been working on lately.

I absolutely love the Aunt Martha's iron-on embroidery transfers from Grandma's Attic. I've bought a few over the last couple of years and have had hours of fun with them. At about $2 a pack they are such great value too!

The latest pack I bought was a fruit themed one, and I have completed four embroideries (about 6" x 8" finished blocks each) to turn into a little quilt:

The pack included 7 different designs plus some extras for borders, but these four were my favourites.

I'm currently in the process of turning these stitcheries into a small quilt (it looks like it will turn out about cot sized) using Farmer's Market charm squares.

The postman brought me the first instalment in the Among The Stars Block of the Month yesterday.  This BOM is designed by Kimberley Jolly of Fat Quarter Shop and uses the beautiful Moda Sentiments range of fabrics.

The BOM goes for six months with two blocks every month. I couldn't wait and made my first two blocks straight away! One is below, the other is the same design but with the red and green reversed.

Now I'll have to wait another month for the next instalment! What I love about Fat Quarter Shop kits is that they provide enough fabric to allow for mistakes (which is lucky because I did make one!). There was just about enough fabric in the first pack to make two more blocks, which I might eventually do .....



One and a bit

Another week of my annual leave is just flying by ..... I'm not sure where the days have gone. I certainly haven't managed to do all the things I planned to do this week! But I did get my tax done (and yippee, I may actually get a refund this year instead of having to pay more - although mainly because they have been billing me extra tax quarterly in advance this year, so I'll just be getting my own money back!) and spent a day cleaning out the vegetable garden and planting some seedlings.

I also finished another quilt. This was a simple quilt top I pieced a couple of years ago from Mill House Inn charm sqaures and a jelly roll. At the time, I hadn't purchased any yardage for borders or backing which is why it remained unfinished - as I had nothing in my stash that would do.

Luckily, a quick search of a few quilt shops online turned up the elusive fabric and I was able to finish this quilt.

I quilted this one quite sparingly ..... I am a bit over quilting ..... but I quite like the simplicity of it. This quilt is about 160 x 180 cm.

I also finished quilting this quilt top, made from a jelly roll quite recently, and plan to sew the binding on today if my raw fingertips will permit! The finger I use to push the needle through is all bloody and pulpy and the thumbnail I use to receive the incoming needle actually has a groove worn in it! I just can't use thimbles, although in more sensible moments I wrap elastoplast around my fingers like a boxer preparing for a fight before long bouts of hand sewing.

The bottom border looks a bit fluted in this pic although it looks ok when lying flat so I think it is just the way it hung on the line - the house is too dark and the ground outside too damp to photograph any other way. This quilt is about 160cm square. I think it really misses not having a narrow inner border but I couldn't find the right fabric for it so decided to do without.

Finally, I'd like to give a big thumbs up to The Fabric Patch and Stitcher's Cupboard. I ordered some fabrics to finish some quilts from each of these stores and the courier came 2 days later. Great service! I've bought lots from the Fabric Patch before but hadn't even been to the Stitcher's Cupboard's site before - it's great and has lots of Moda fabrics on sale at the moment. Postage was a little high, although I did buy lots of batting too so I guess my pacel was quite big and heavy. The service was so fast and the prices so good, I'll definitely be a return customer.