Ickle Tomato Handmade

2014 in mosaic

2015-01-03T16:10:00.002+00:00

How did you do with your list this year? As you can see mine has plenty of ticks.

A good part of the year was making Bee Blocks which was on my list to join a couple, so definitely a big tick there. For those of you who don't know, modern sewing bees are now organised online and can be for charity or just a bit of fun. There are blocks for both here. Also there are some for the traditional meet up bee where you physically go and sew together in a group.

Here are all my quilts that I finished this year. When I realised there were only 7 ( no. 1 and 6 are just the front and back of the same quilt) I was surprised, I thought I had made a lot more than that!

Quilts

1. Modern wonky blocks, 2. Monkey magic quilt, 3. Baby play mat, 4. Murphy's quilt, 5. Thanksgiving Quilt, 6. Modern wonky blocks, 7. Pastels baby quilt modern kitchen windows, 8. Peach turquoise modern quilt

Of course, there are 2 others, one at binding stage and one top which will be my first finishes of 2015.

The other two big time eaters were 2 craft sales that I held, in the summer and just before Christmas.

Summer Craft Fair

blogged about here

Christmas Craft Sale

Another event I held this year was my first craft class. It was a lot of fun but needs some refinement before I would attempt another one.

The craft sales led then to some custom orders. I love and loathe these in equal measures! It's great that other people appreciate and like your work. Also you are making for someone in mind and not just 10 bags that might or might not sell. However they can put you under a lot of pressure (although most of it is mine and not the customers!) Some requests are also so unusual or specific that they can really stretch you or your supplies.

1. Purple cushions, 2. Pot holders, 3. Cushions to match Harlequinn rug, 4. Kids Hudl covers, 5. Coffee pot cosy, 6. Table mat

And finally, all the other stuff that I made, mostly gifts and some I actually kept!

1. Tweed Baby Trousers, 2. Baby booties, 3. P1010458, 4. Christmas trees modern table runner, 5. Receipt wallet, 6. P1010626, 7. Voucher wallet, 8. Voucher/Receipt wallet

It's nice to have a new clean page for 2015.

It won't stay that way for long!

Merry Christmas

2014-12-25T10:11:00.003+00:00

Table runner, a year in the making,

just finished

in time.

Happy Thanksgiving

2014-11-27T13:50:00.002+00:00

This is my Thanksgiving quilt. I started it at a class last December after buying some fall fabric in the USA on holiday.

I just followed the pattern for the class so you can see this isn't as modern as some of my other quilts. I chose the Barn Rising layout as I thought it gave the most impact.

I have been making an effort to finish my WIPs and so I perservered with this quilt even though I wasn't sure what I was making it for. Then a man in our church was taken into hospital on holiday. And I just knew that this quilt would cheer him up. He is always such a thankful guy in every circumstance. It was just perfect as it is that bit more traditional and no girly colours, and the right size for a lap quilt.

I sewed this verse from the bible onto the corner to remind him "In everything give thanks."

That turkey fabric just makes me smile.

It was also a great time to practice my free motion quilting and especially some feathers.

Enjoy Thanksgiving.

Murphy's quilt

2014-10-16T21:21:00.000+01:00

I think I will name this quilt Murphy's quilt as in Murphy's Law - you know the one, everything that could go wrong will go wrong! This quilt has nearly been the death of me!

First the purples - most quilters will say if they are short on one colour it will be purple. I don't think that it is so much of a conscious choice rather than a lack of that shade available. It is so hard to get. If you go to the purples section on a fabric website it will show mostly that magenta pinky colour. I had really wanted a much darker truer purple. But in the end I settled for the mish mash of anything that remotely resembled purple. So I basically started a quilt, one of the few things I make to keep for myself, with a lot of fabrics I barely liked.

Then the pattern I chose way back when I first started quilting. I thought it looked so striking. However when I looked at the cutting, it was really wasteful if you weren't using a layer cake. So I reworked it so that I could cut with yardage. It still left a lot of crazy diagonal cuts and loads of half square triangles.

The sewing was basically 2 seams which I found it a bit boring and then there were no directions as to how to square up which meant if you didn't create your own system you could easily cut way off as each block is asymmetrical. So now I had a load of fabrics I didn't really like using a pattern that I didn't like making.

I got the quilt top finished and my husband thought I should really add an extra row to one side. But I had been sewing rows the other way and didn't really want to add it cross wise. So if you're keeping track we now have fabrics I don't like, a pattern not pleasant to sew and a quilt that is too small for the bed!

Next up comes the quilt sandwich. Easy, right? I had bought bamboo quilting especially for this project. But by the time I got round to this one I might have cut into it for something else. So I had all these large scraps and had to piece them together into a super king quilt! It took me about an hour to do the maths - and I am not kidding. Not that it really helped. I sewed bits to the wrong side and it was still just big enough...which wasn't enough when trying to square up the quilt sandwich. So some sides were over and some bits short.

It was even a nightmare to photograph with all the dark colours in it which is why it has taken me so long to blog about it.But at last it was done. Yay. We got it on our bed for a few weeks until the weather here got too cold and I begged for the duvet to go back on.

Posted with Blogsy

Quick Weekend sewing project

2014-09-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

Getting back from hols, I just had to get at my machine again quickly.

So I picked a quick sewing project from my increasingly long list.

A receipt and voucher holder to remedy stuffing all my receipts in my bag and never having the right vouchers with me in the shops.

I made a bit of a boo boo when cutting out the holes for the magnetic clasps and tore the fabric and had to start again on that side.

I also wanted this yellow bike to be on the front but didn't think that through right when cutting.

I got the magnetic clasps in a parcel from Etsy seller, 3DPatternPaper and they were thinner than normal which is great for projects like these. However being square you really need to watch how you put them in so that they are both straight! Ask me how I know...

You could also make without the clasp as it stays together pretty well. I used a stiff interfacing on the pockets and exterior fabric but no wadding or fleece to keep it slimline.

September Queen Stash Bee

2014-09-06T16:24:00.000+01:00

This month it is my turn as Queen Bee for the Stash Bee group. Check out my post that is over there at the minute to see what it is all about and the blocks I have chosen.

You will find out more about me and may even contain some pictures. I am trying to get over the weirdness of them being online as I don't usually participate in the whole "live my life on social media" thing.

Craft fair update

2014-07-30T22:17:00.002+01:00

Just thought I would share the pics of all the stuff I made for the craft fair last month. Less said about the actual fair the better.

This is what I started with 10 days before the big day.

Cushions, baby shoes and clutches.

Coffee pot warmers, ipad covers and dummy chains.

Clutches

The finished table.

The fair was not an amazing success but my work colleagues loved a bit of Monday morning leftover shopping!

Fabric scrap packs and buttons. Some items still available on Etsy.

Purples - discuss

2014-03-22T13:17:00.001+00:00

Plum, violet, maroon, burgundy, lavander, lilac, amethyst, mauve, magenta and (my personal favourite) Cadbury. What do you think of as the colour purple?

But why are nice purple fabrics so hard to find? Any blog you read, even in the US, where quilters go through their stash the one colour they all are missing is purple in any significant quantity.

Unfortunately for me our bedroom is just such a colour so I need to do a super king size quilt with what I could scrape together to match. Do you think I've got it right?

The big flower in the upper left corner is the same as our painted walls. It's a hard colour to describe but is kind of a pinky white. I managed to get a solid the exact match in my local quilt shop! This is only amazing because they only stock about 20 solids. You can see it in the bottom of the picture.

This fabric is from the curtains and blinds. I had wanted to go with that really dark purple in it rather than the reddish pink

But since I had to buy off the internet, you can see the colours vary greatly. Purple seems to be very much a matter of opinion. I took out this Alexander Henry. It just kept sticking out. What do you think? Have I got it right? Any others you would take out?

I also bought a lot of fabric designs that are just so-so. Not my favourites which is a shame as it will be one of the few quilts I will keep.

So instead of showcasing the fabrics I thought I would choose a big impact design. This was one of the first quilt patterns that I saw and printed off when I started to quilt. Now I will actually get to use it. It's called Java Stars from the Moda Bake Shop website. I will just have to super size it up to super king and maybe leave off the boarder.

I hope it will all come together when all the purples are cut up and mixed together. So what do you think?

Sign up now for Modern Sewing Class

2014-03-03T15:17:00.000+00:00

To sign up just email me at: IckleTomatoHandmade@hotmail.co.uk

Date: 5 April 2014

Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm

Cost: £15

Location: Belfast
Making: Cushions

What you need to be able to do

As this is a beginner’s class, I do not expect any particular level of sewing ability. However if you can familiarise yourself with your machine, that would be great. If you can sew a straight line, that would be better. If you’re fairly confident at sewing for the home, but have never done patchwork, you will learn lots. In other words, whatever your ability, come along, have fun, you can learn from scratch or learn better tips and tricks. Please let me know what level you think you are when you apply so I can tailor the class accordingly.

What will be covered

· What makes patchwork modern

· Fabric selection

· Cutting out

· ¼” seam

· Proper pressing

· Half Square Triangles

· Finishing a cushion cover

What you need to bring

· Sewing machine (if at all possible – I have access to 3/4 machines but it is so much better if you have your own). Also bring the instruction manual if you still have it.

· 100% cotton thread in white or neutral with bobbin (not polyester)

· Scissors

If you can, bring

· ¼” sewing foot

· Rotary cutter

· Cutting mat

What will be provided

· All supplies including fabric (choices available), cushion filler, pattern, instructions

· Tea, coffee and buns!

It's all about the equipment

2014-02-19T08:27:00.001+00:00

I got a new smaller cutting mat yesterday to hopefully make a bit more mobile from the sewing room. I figured I could do a bit of trimming and scrap sorting away from my main cutting table. This is not a speciality quilting mat but check out all those angles and marks to the quarter inch in places. A great buy for under a £5!

The making of a quilt

2014-02-13T17:12:00.001+00:00

I thought I would share the thought process that accompanies the quilt making. I may not be the right one and it may not be pretty but it is mine.

First of all you get the brief. Really it is usually just a thought about what you might want to create. For this project mine was 2 quilts for 2 little sisters.Use what you have. Try to use up some scraps. Not too much white - the quilts will be going to the jungle in the Philippines. A pretty quick design - they're leaving soon. And even for the pattern - use what you have, remember all those great books I got for Christmas...

What I had was 2 massive peachy linen tablecloths gifted to me. I thought this was the perfect project as I would have enough for 2 quilt backs and the backgrounds for the front. I really wanted the quilts to look like they belonged together but not the same so they would be personal for each girl.

But peach?? - how to make that work in a modern way? It's not exactly my go to colour.

So I did my usual design. One colour with a totally different contrasting colour. Use a modern improv design. Ok, one quilt sorted. So how to make the other one different. This is where the totally amazing Design Seeds website comes into its own.I searched for the yellowy peach of my background fabric and found this great palette.

This is me totally out of my comfort zone now. Pastels? Could they work, or will it all just look a bit meughh.

So I just went for it. Pulling out all these colours and just hoping that when they where cut up they would look great together. I think the mink spotty fabric is the lifesaver here. Just enough contrast to give the quilt life.

I used a pattern from Modern Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman only cutting it down to half the size to make a crib quilt. So what do you think? Did I pull it off?

I love the result! It was hard to give this one away. But it has the girl's name written on it so its fate was sealed. Both quilts all mushed up and crinkly from the wash. Totally out of focus I know but as you know photography is not my strong point - especially using an ipad standing on the bed!

I had wanted to make them the same size but when I did by adding extra peach borders where necessary it just looked plain wrong. So I trimmed them back to their original measurements.

And just a little shot of the backs.

New additions to my sewing room

2014-01-29T19:02:00.001+00:00

These are just above my cutting table. I got the one on the left from TK Maxx in the summer so totally by chance and never to be repeated. I got the material on the right from USA when I was there in October. I did not think it would take this long to source a canvas staple gun and a strong man to get it up on the wall!

Saturday saw me attend the first Bee Blessed of 2014. It is a local charity quilting bee that I have joined to do something with the (limited) skill that I have been blessed with and also to be more sociable in my sewing endeavours. But if you look at the website photos and want to spot me, I am the one who is beavering away, looking very serious sewing and not being at all sociable! I didn't even know the picture had been taken.

Hopefully will have more quilty pictures to share soon but hope this has been enough to keep you hooked.

My first ever quilt retreat

2014-01-04T15:54:00.000+00:00

This was held the last Saturday in November and was organised by the lovely Charlene.

I didn't really know what to expect but it was a great day out. Charlene had arranged surprise treats all day long and so I can show you the goodies:

I got a gift just because it was my birthday in December - how good is that!?

The finished product and what we were all aiming for

And some of the work I did on the day - obviously still incomplete.

My table was kinda messy

We also got to try out the Accuquilt Go Cutter which was great as I've read about it online and really wanted to see how it worked in reality. I didn't realise you could even buy them in the UK. Charlene had all different dies available and I only wish I had brought more wonderweb.

Charlene's next day is all about scraps so I can't wait.

My busy December

2014-01-02T23:50:00.000+00:00

My friend at work wanted a present for her godson and so I said I could do a ball for him. She then decided that it would need a bell inside.

So I made this cute ball and threw in a dummy chain too as I had ordered the clips to make some for my own nephew.

Obviously the ball is completely hand-sewn which is a nice change of pace usually but not when there are more presents to make. Especially when you get carried away..

Just look at those doll clothes - adorable. And so satisfying, you could start and finish within an hour and have like a whole dress done! Addictive. I just kept making more and more items. It was great as well to use up some scraps from real dress making or old clothes.

After some fitting issues (ahem see facebook for more on that) Tiny Tears finally got fitted out with a pair of jeans. Skinny just wasn't your style. To complete the look I made a little drawstring bag to store them all in.

Other last minute presents included the aforementioned dummy chains...

And finally a mini skirt for my sister in law...

Since she only came over for the holidays on the Friday this needed to be fitted and finished the weekend before Christmas. I am so proud I matched up that centre seam!

Some more sewing related goodies

2013-12-31T15:49:00.001+00:00

Just wanted to show off my sewing related pressies from Christmas - and there are a lot of them! I think the family has got the memo - Amazon wish lists are great new invention.

It will take me quite some time to read through this lot, never mind actually quilting through them!

This is a really boring present but quite a practical one. There was no extension table made for my machine when I bought it but it has come out recently.

Sadly it was really expensive - let's be honest it is just a piece of white plastic. My machine is a bit funny that way in that it mostly has accessories that fit it and only it. Makes it a real pain to buy bobbins. It will be a real help though when doing some free motion quilting. Maybe I will even improve!

Tune in next time for things I made for others and meanwhile here is a bundle for a Christmas table runner that I didn't even get started but I may just do now and store for next year.

Blogger Quilt Festival

2013-10-25T12:20:00.000+01:00

Almost a year in the making, but what better time to finish my sampler quilt than the week of Amy's great Blogger Quilt Festival . This time it feels like I really have something to show off!

This quilt is also special because it is the first one I get to keep!

I designed it to go in my living/dining room to match all the yellow and grey in there. But to make it a little more interesting, I decided to go with a sampler design. I thought this would be a good way to expand my knowledge base of quilting in a shortish timeframe.

I tried to go with the widest variety of types of block. So there is some paper piecing, hand stitching, applique, improv and of course standard piecing. I was fortunate and grateful to all the kind bloggers out there who generously post ideas, pictures and all important tutorials that I was able to use to pull together such a stunning variety of blocks. There are some old school blocks in there two like this 9 patch tutorial but with the simple colour scheme I think the overall look is modern.

Although I really enjoyed making this quilt, the time involved was way more than I had anticipated. Not just in sourcing all the different blocks but then working on each for the first time. But the thing I think held me back the most was the quilting. How was I going to pull all these different designs off?

I decided I didn't just want an overall design, so again much research was called on and finally I got this baby quilted! Once I had started doing the different designs to emphasise each block, I became more confident in the look I wanted to achieve. I reckoned as long as this was a sampler quilt, then I should sample as much different types of quilting designs as I could manage.

There were some blocks where I was just totally winging it. Some I liked better than others. But overall I am proud that I gave each technique a go and I think I got the mix right between simple outline quilting and some heavier free motion quilting.

My first ever feather attempt

Trying out all the different stitches on my machine

For the nerds among you here are it's vital stats:
Block size: Aimed for 12" (probably trimmed a bit smaller, all due to my error!)
Overall Size: 56" x 72" (or as I like to say big enough to snuggle under in front of TV - and maybe even room for two!
Filling: Bamboo wadding

The back - almost as pretty as the front

Very Autumnal

The one with the "fleg"

2013-08-08T22:17:00.000+01:00

I am so happy for my cousin's wife that she has achieved British citizenship by a test so vigorous that I am not sure all who reside here naturally would actually pass. Especially considering English is not her first language.

So as usual to celebrate any occasion, I made something!

This quilt is to celebrate her dual citizenship and to keep her Thai toes warm on Irish winter nights!

The pattern is adapted from Lily Quilts on Moda Bake Shop. The secret pillow pattern is one of the first that my mother-in-law learnt and I love the one she made for me.

I have to confess it wasn't all plain sailing with this one though. Because the two patterns were different sizes I had to wing it a bit but as usual got it wrong. The pillow was meant to be 18.5" which making a slightly smaller quilt I did not think I would need. So I made it 12" sq to fit in with the blue stripe on the back. You, of course will have spotted that there is no way a quilt will fold up into a 12" sq and you would be right!
So I had to add a few boarders and eventually ended up with something more like 14.5" sq.

Anyway the most important thing is that she loved her present which also doubled as a 30th birthday present.

Could IckleTomato please come to goods in...

2013-07-22T21:24:00.001+01:00

The hot weather and time off at the weekend led us to the beach but it was a beach that just happened to be near a fabric shop. Now I wonder how that happened...
Anyway, these were the goodies I picked up in The Crafters Basket Sligo Ireland.

And just while we're on the subject of stashing, I thought I would share some recent gifts (from others and sometimes myself!)

Way back at Christmas, my family came up trumps with some great sewing related presents.

I know what you're thinking - what sewing stuff? This is all just boxes and books! But think of the storage possibilities...

These are all my little squares for my Tokyo Subway Map Quilt by Oh Fransson. The sign was from my sister who has the cheek to comment on my messy sewing room! The dresses book was from my mother- in-law and has some fabulous inspiration in it like this gorgeous Farah Fawcett style wrap dress.

And just recently my friend was in Scotland and totally surprised me by bringing back this beauty!

Of course your nearest and dearest could never buy all that you possibly need (or want) so that is when you just have to treat yourself - like all the time!

So here is the haul from Spain. As you can see not as much compared with other trips as devastatingly one of the local fabric shops in Malaga had closed. Grr recession. The bits and bobs are from what our family calls the Chinese shop up the town! It is a hyper bazaar that my sister discovered and it is full of everything you imagine comes to Europe from China. Anyway there is always much cheapness and good for stocking up on random items. Oh and you might noticed I've bought more storage!

I love the big chunky zips in the back there. Perfect for bags.
And finally...

Spotted these ribbon sets in TK Maxx here at home and couldn't resist. They are so great for tag blankets and wrapping up quilt gift sets.
So now I reckon I have all bases covered - just about!

Back at the wheel

2013-07-05T08:41:00.001+01:00

Hey rat fans...I'm back with a quick baby set gift I was able to make at the weekend. It felt good to be at the sewing machine again.

This is the first time I made this particular pair of booties by a pattern by ithinksew.com and I was really pleased with the result. They came together well after. Had made an oops cut the first time round.

The matching tag blanket came together really quickly and is just a simple patchwork of 36 2" squares. I think with the little eye spy animal prints this looks quite effective for something so simple.

I used a thicker filling than usual to give it plenty of oomph in the puffy department. The back was the print that got it all started as the recipient had chosen it but I knew the print would be too large for the shoes but when I looked I found I had loads of fabrics which I could pull together to compliment it.

And finally, I did something slightly different with the name. Normally I would just write the name of the baby and date of birth on their quilt with a laundry marker but when I did it for this it didn't come out so nice. It was too obvious on such a small scale. So I used my machine to embroider on the name. Easy and quick right? After much pursing of the manual and many attempts, I eventually worked out all the options to produce this sweet little square.

All wrapped and away to happy customer.

Jungle path

2013-05-27T15:51:00.003+01:00

The blog may have been quiet for a while but the sewing machine definitely hasn't been. First to show you was a baby quilt done in double quick time (I always forget my deadlines until they are upon me).

I used the Jungle Path pattern by Jessica Kelly from ModaBakeShop.

It wasn't until I was finished that I realised that I hadn't actually followed the instructions correctly! Not that it matters. I still have a gorgeous quilt finish. I think it is one I am most pleased with in terms of technical ability.

All the practice done on different quilts seems to be coming together to give a really good finish. I used Elizabeth's technique of kind of robot quilting (much more suitable for a boy's quilt than standard meandering). I am proud of how this looks, as sometimes I think my quilting really spoils the quilt top because it is so bad. But with this I think I nailed it!

Not that there aren't' any oops bits...

What nearly broke my heart though was the thread. I bought two 100m rolls thinking that would be plenty for a cot size quilt... where does it all go? With a deadline looming, I had to just work on and try and use some extra thread which was a bit greeny but hopefully the recipient won't mind.

I have had to remove my Goodnight Pooh Bear quilt from Etsy as it has also gone to a good home. But don't forget you can order one just like it in a pink/grey colourway, (or in a completely different pattern to it!) by contacting me.

Price £50.

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway away winner

2013-05-12T14:29:00.001+01:00

Thanks to all of you who visited my blog and took the time to answer the questions. I enjoyed reading all of your comments and was sad to think that there could only be one winner. However, I think I've learned a few things common to all quilters:

We all want more fabric - even when we cannot have the time to possibly use it all!
We'd much prefer to visit a shop in person to touch and feel said fabric - only price and location prohibit us.
And most of us have long suffering partners who adorably not only put up with our crafting exploits but encourage and motivate us too. I know I am truly blessed in that sense.

So enough of these ponderings - on to the winner. As I said the number was going to be picked by my beloved who chose at random: # 7!!!

Congratulations Mimi Love, who said:

I rarely ever buy for a specific project, I buy what catches my eye and worry later whether or not I have anything to coordinate with it :)

Thanks again to all who entered - I hope you won somewhere. I never do!!!

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

2013-05-06T14:00:00.000+01:00

If you've arrived here from Sew Mama Sew's blog - hello, welcome, please take a look around. But straight on to the giveaway, which you are definitely here for!

Regular readers (are there any??) will know that I was trying to organise a local (UK) scrap swap. I got some lovely scraps from some very nice people :-) In fact they were so nice they did not take anything in return.

As you can see each pack contains mostly small scraps. Some as big as 10" by 15" but none as large as a FQ. It weighs roughly 200g (that's 7oz for our American cousins)

So I still have some of my bundles left over from then and now I am giving you a chance of winning them by just answering one simple question of your choice:

1. Where is your favourite place to buy fabric? (It can be a bricks and mortar shop near you or an online shop, or even the proverbial man in a pub!)

2. Do you buy for a specific project or are you a hoarder like me?

3. How often does your spouse/partner help you with your crafty endeavours? (Guess who suggested this question?!) Like a human quilt hanger for photos, going to the store, impartial advisor or is he just the money?!!

Answer whichever question you like in a comment below and I will get the subject of no. 3 to pick a random number to choose the winner on 10 May.

For more information on the scrap packs see my previous post here.

Comments are now closed.

Today on my work table...

2013-04-01T19:51:00.001+01:00

... modern drunkard's path pinwheels!

I haven't had much inspiration lately and so have been doing all those jobs that you put off because sewing takes over. Of course they are all related to sewing activity so it still counts, right? I tidied my sewing room and have been trying to transform this:

into something useful and manageable:

I have made a bit more progress into larger squares. Does anyone else think that their batting is this precious. Sometimes I feel like giving up halfway through and think - just throw it out and buy a few metres but it is expensive and feels like such a waste. It feels more in the spirit of original quilters to use up bits and pieces rather than always going brand new. I reckon I have salvaged over 2 metres square of the stuff. But do wonder if all thread, sewing machine wear and tear, and electricity is actually making it cost effective!!

Anyway these are going to be the basis of my fabric laundry bins so won't be washed regularly like a quilt. I wouldn't use this patched stuff for a quilt.

Other updates: I have made a quilt back which I may get round to photographing before quilting (which I am still too afraid to start, I finished a bag for a friend's birthday which I will blog about soon. I am stitching 2 scarves for friends involving mainly handsewing. The drunkard's path is for a doorstop for the guest bedroom and was just to get me sewing creatively again. I think it is pretty.

I bet you feel spoiled getting two posts in the space of a week! Don't worry I will be back to my mediocre standard soon.

Something from the snow

2013-03-28T16:20:00.001+00:00

At last my sampler quilt is done!

I thought we had better take some shots while I had the perfect white background - snow! At Easter.

I love the way this shot actually makes the dark grey translucent.

This quilt is for my living - dining area which is all done in these colours. It kind of grew from a small throw to become this huge 54" x 70" monster. I just couldn't stop trying out all the different blocks.

I have tried to inlcude a range of different techniques, paper piecing which I blogged about a few posts back, hand sewing hexagons, applique for the bunting, improv and curves.

I think the end result is stunning. Now I just hope I won't ruin it at the quilting stage. Any ideas for particular blocks?

I have made the back which is a mod podge of big chunks of fabric. I had so little of the grey left that it kind of dictated the style of the back. This is the first quilt I have made to keep myself so I'm glad I like it so much.

Splurge Part 2

2013-03-08T16:36:00.000+00:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this dress yet because I think it is the most professionally finished item I have ever made!

It was for my niece who was 1 year old in November.

Look at that buttonhole - professional or what?!

The adorable fabric was bought in Sweden which adds to the quirkiness of it all.

The dress closes at each side with a button and elastic to get it over the child's head.

Now on to something my own size! This is the Hot Patterns 1070 Weekender Monaco Top & Dress pattern (why always such a mouthful?). I made it in a brown marl wool mix and lined with a stretchy satin.

I made the belt with the ends done in the lining fabric just to lift it a bit. I think it turned out ok for a first go. Although the sizing was good (unusual for me!) the look wasn't really what I was expecting. I think the knit was a bit heavy for that. But it is perfectly wearable and got a compliment on one of its first outings! yea!

And finally something for my sister's birthday.

This is the tote from the Sew Mama Sew! website.

This bit wasn't as hard as it looked!

It didn't turn out as big as I had thought it would but it is still a handy bag to have around.

She also got the infinity scarf that I have featured on facebook.