Quilting

Interesting discussion of the myriad batting options over at http://quiltingismytherapy.wordpress.com/, plus a generous giveaway.

I've reached that stage with my lap quilt. It's a simple top and I'm planning a similarly uncomplicated back, but am being overly-ambitious in my hopes for quilting. I'd love to create a scene of wisteria flowers tumbling down the patterned squares, with leaves winding through the rest. Confidence exceeding ability, but I'm not going to be deterred... until I balls the whole thing up, turn the air blue & have to lie down with the onset of a migraine.

I'd like to find a soft grey-blue back and quilt in white, to match the front. This could all go badly wrong. However, it is All About Experimenting, and I won't be as happy as I could be if I let myself be put off without trying. Poo to doubt!

Orange

I love the colour Orange.

Who am I kidding that I have, or ever will have, a regular reader. This gets updated when I feel like it, and the primary reason it exists is so that I don't feel a total fraud in commenting on others' sites.

I've been reasonably busy since last post, when I was getting to quilting stage with my first quilt. Well, I had a technical difficulty with my free motion foot (forgot that I had to set stitch length to zero until about 3 days ago) so I did it with my lovely new best sewing buddy- Mr Walking Foot- oh, what a well-spent 37 quid (!!) you were) and some lovely orange thread.

I am inordinately pleased with the result! I tried to pick up the disappearing nine patch theme in the quilting, and lovely the more geometric nature.

Yeah, it shows how I didn't get all my seams perfect on the front but Guess What? I prefer the back!

The binding was pretty pleasing too.  I used squares from the same layer cake for it.

Also, I made a couple of lovely cushions for the new sofabed in My Space, following the instructions on PurlBee. I didn't mean to follow the colours as literally- I found their site through How About Orange- but my local fabric shops are rubbish at stocking made interesting shades in felt. I didn't go for wool felt, but the washable acrylic. I have a toddler and am a realist/pessimist.

What's that lovely thing nestling between the two flower cushions, you ask?  Well, I used the cuttings from one of the cushions, plus a jumble sale shirt in wonderful dusky ORANGE to cuddle into my comfort zone! A cushion costing under a fiver, in a slapdash mosaic, handsewn (apart from cushion edges) and immensely fun to create! Get me, "creating"!  Not following instructions and making something that delights me has been a bit of a revelation... I still have a sloppy grin on my face!

Finally (!) my work-in-progress. The lovely layer cake from Christmas, finally being done justice. I'm aiming for a 5'x6' lap quilt constructed of 16 15"x18" very simple blocks- all about the pretty fabric & cuddling up on our new sofa, watching the world go by! It's sewing up faster than expected so more within 6 weeks... max

Gah

It's coming to my attention that I am being rubbish at regular, timely posting. I can only hang my head in shame. Excuses include the fact I'm posting from my mobile phone, having other things to do (washing up, making more banana bread, having a well-earned cuppa when baby naps instead of doing owt productive, drinking in the evenings instead of doing owt productive, ETC.) but primarily, I feel disconnected.

Meh.

My mum has a blog that's enriched her life more than any of us ever thought possible. I'm yet to become enchanted with blogging, although I love reading others' blogs. The idea of an open diary terrifies me, and yet anything less seems empty.

If I had anything to say, creatively, it'd feel enough, but I really don't. As the title goes, Gah.

Watch this space for occasional photos of cushion covers & baked goods ;-)

Softly softly

January's been bloody interminable. It's still only the 12th; not even halfway through! I don't like to wish away days, but this month's been all about bills, tax (tax return finally submitted- huzzah!) and Norovirus. Enough said.
Anyway, now that we're all better, I'm hoping to regain some of the enthusiasm with which I started this blog project. I made banana bread and took a photo... what's a post without pictures?
My mum's going into hospital to have her hip replaced later this month. She's been putting off having a health visitor carry out a home assessment, it turns out because she's embarrassed at the state of the house. It is a tip, but my parents have always seemed happy, if not proud, of being eccentric clutterbugs. Anyway, I've talked her into letting me, one of my brothers, and her daughter-in-law give the place a blast on Thursday... I'm excited at the prospect of taking a load of crap to the tip! Can't believe they're going to let us do it.

Look!

I don't know yet whether it'll be a table runner or a wall hanging (I'm leaning towards the wall, boom-boom) but I am quite pleased with my first attempt at piecing bits together!

I love the fabric, a Christmas present, from a Moda layer cake, Arcadia by Sanae. Love the colours, especially the orange and brown, and the delicate leaf patterns. In the photos I'd seen online, the bluey-grey came across more grey, but I'm really looking forward to using the other 33 squares.

I followed the excellent tutorial on Helen's site (thank you, Helen!) using seven 10" squares cut into fours, so I have one little one left, which I'll try to incorporate into the backing.

I'm not looking forward to taking the next step & quilting it. At all. I'm sure it's going to get bodged with my amateur stippling. I'll have another go on a trial block, but I'm also thinking about using random straight lines... although I don't have a walking foot... any thoughts?

I've been away from the machine for a few days as we've all had a tummy bug, and last night the Christmas tree had to come down... hadn't it lasted well? Photo taken the day it came down. I think the fact that it was in a cold conservatory (my space) helped keep the needles so well, but it's a beautiful Nordman tree, gift from dear dad.

Anyway, all this is welcome procrastination from the dreaded basting & quilting!

Got to start somewhere

I made a pincushion!

From a book given to me at Christmas, thanks mum! Quilting in No Time, Emma Hardy (link)

To be honest, I'm drawn to things of a more freestyle nature, but a pincushion is a Very Useful Thing & I've got to walk before I can run.

I've taken the decision to start a blog as I am very aware of a wonderful community out there on 'tinternet and I've been a lurker on various sites for a few months now. Having a blog of my own is a precursor to me commenting, participating & getting the most out of this new hobby of mine... GULP!