A new Quilt

It must be the time of year ... whatever that means!  The creative bug needs feeding.

I mentioned earlier that I am making a BOM quilt in Our Craft Forum.  I have no wish to race ahead and complete this project in a shorter period than designated ... there is a great temptation to do just this!! 

Yesterday, whilst shopping for fabric, it just happened that a selection of fabric, suitable for another BOM quilt, Nirvana, dropped into my shopping trolley, and not wishing to be nasty and toss it away, I of course, purchased same ... along with matching cottons.  As I am not tackling this quilt with others I am completely free to do it in the time span that suits my wishes; be it three months, or six.

The colours of fabrics available this season are vibrant and colourful ... the finished quilt should look great!  Another plus is the fact that I will have more practice in matching points.

Another Mug Rug

Rug Mugs are fascinating little projects to make, and the variation is as endless as your imagination ... and talent!

My swapee in the Craft Forum suggested that the mug rug I made for her could find a home in her bedroom decorated in lime green, cream, purple and chocolate brown.  I hope she is happy with the result that is at this moment winging its way across to the  UK.

I sometimes wonder just how inattentive I can be!  The number of times I have forgotten to take a photo of the hexi swap flower is becoming embarrassing.  This time the envelope had slipped into the post box when the realisation dawned.  Maybe next month I will be less remiss?!

To compensate I have taken a photo of the lovely hexi flowers I have received.  I requested either blue or green flowers with a cream centre; the add-ons are ones I have made in a moment of boredom!

Another Month

September and Spring arrive hand in hand, though the weather seems to lean back towards winter at the moment.  All the better to sit indoors and stitch!

Our Craft Forum has several swaps on the go, which gives me plenty to think about, and skills to put into practice.  The Row x Row Round Robin is almost at an end so I have spread my wings a little and put my hand up for other projects.

The mug rug swap proved interesting allowing scope for a small scale project to show a little imagination.  Mug rugs are on my list of possible Christmas gifts; this latest effort may be the first of many.

As well three of the ladies from the Craft Forum decided to do a BOM, Sentimental Journey, and invited those willing to join in.  For more details check out Vicki's blog.  With a little trepidation I have completed the first block, Stars Fell on Alabama, and am more or less happy with the result, especially considering that this is the first time I have tackled such a large block.  Since joining the Craft Forum I have extended myself well beyond my wildest dreams ... three years ago patchwork and quilting were crafts I wondered if I could do.  Sometimes it does pay to jump in and try!

I have ideas aplenty and fear that I will need to live to be well over 120 before I have a hope of tackling all of them, and no doubt by then the list will have grown even further. 

It does seem that as I flick through magazines it is cushions that capture my attention the most ... sadly a home can only have so many cushions!    A cushion I recently completed ...

As Christmas approaches it appears imperative I make a list!

Mug Rug

Our Craft Forum's forthcoming swap is a small one; something we can make in a day or two ... a mug rug.  I have previously made a few mug rugs, but decided that in view of the forthcoming swap I would  refresh myself on the basics.

This particular mug rug will fly to Otago ... blue and gold being Otago colours.

Makeover

While it has been some time since I posted that time has not been idly spent.  The sewing machine, and I, have been busy.

When I first purchased the Janome, my first real electric machine, I thought the stubborn foot-control was simply my lack of experience.  Although the machine is only three and a half years old from the beginning I had to 'put my foot down' more than once to get the machine to work.  Recently it became more stubborn; sometimes racing ahead stitching even with my foot off the pedal.  I knew then the fault lay more in the foot-control than my foot/brain co-ordination, and after a chat with the shop where it was purchased I discovered these foot-controls sometimes need repairing, or replacing.  Mine was replaced last weekend.  Now I have a machine that works perfectly and is a pleasure to use.

Since my last posting I did make a reversable apron for a swap, but forgot to take a picture, much to my regret as it was rather cute.  And of course I have stitched a few hexagons for swaps and didn't bother to photograph them either.

After completing another row for the Round Robin in a Tam's Patch block, I decided the block was rather lovely, and simple ... an added bonus.  As my stash has grown considerably [one buys fabric knowing that one day they will be useful!], and having colours that went well I decided to update 'my chair'.

This chair, while not exactly the most modern, is comfortable and allows me to sit with my feet curled under me [a favourite position] while I embroider, or sew bindings on quilts, or read, or do cryptic crosswords etc.  The chair was purchased for the mighty sum of $5 from a garage sale, or was it the Op Shop ... I forget now, but that is by the by.  It was covered in Autumn toned fabric, which was rather dating.  A small project, not only to add to the chairs charms, but also to allow me to wallow in the freedom of my new foot-control pedal, I have made a quilt cover for the chair.  In choosing to quilt this cover I am attempting to improve my quilting skills in readiness for when [WHEN] I have completed The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt, which I know will be a long task.

Quilt and matching cushions

The sewing machine has been busy these past few days with the last stitch in place only moments ago.  Not to mention tying in all those ends!

Though the block pattern is easy the fabric gives the substance.  I had the brilliant green in my stash box for some time, originally purchased it for a project I forget what.  That project never left the ground!  When thinking about a birthday gift for my son undergarments, T-shirts, and other wearables hardly made the list.  I suppose it might be true to say I have taken to this quilting lark and look for any excuse to make another.

As I expect this quilt to find a place on the couch ... a warm cover for cold wintery nights ... a couple of matching cushions may be handy.  The quilt is backed with a warm flannel and I machined stitched 'wavy lines' for the quilting.  In the Ditch would not have given the same effect, whereas the wavy lines were just as simple, and in this case, I think, more effective.

Ladybugs

Ladybugs ... or what I call them Ladybirds, though when one gives the matter some thought, of course they are bugs.  But ... bugs?  Mmm, conjures up images of creepie crawlies doesn't it?  And I am not a particular fan of creepie crawlies.

"Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, your house in on fire and your children alone" is a ditty we chanted as children.  I wonder if children of today's oh so modern age know such ditties.

Over the last few days I have sewn the top of a post and rail, or is it just post, quilt top, completed a huge cushion to match, and feeling rather pleased with my calm temperment [meaning everything went well] decided to have a slight change of tempo.  The sandwiching of the quilt, actually quilting it for it is larger than I have ever attempted before, and sewing on the binding is best left for another day. 

The washing was on the line [must get it in shortly before the damp night air descends], and I felt like making another dishcloth; this time from a pattern that incorporates a ladybug.  Not having red cotton ~ I use a cotton/bamboo thread ~ I opted for pink ... a paler shade of red!

A little over two hours later I had it finished.  Another item for the gift box!