Saturday, January 31, 2015

ALYOF - Jan Finish!

Well I made it......but only just!

January was meant to be my nice quiet month of only 1 child, minimal housework, watching the Charmed Series and an almost endless supply of chocolate, wine and sushi! It was meant to be all about me - quality me time - just me and my sewing machine!  

Yet here I am with a bit over an hour posting about my finishes for January - as part of the A Lovely Year of Finishes 2015 and only just finishing off my goals and wondering where on earth January went!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, here's how I went.........


#1 - Superman Sleep Shorts - still currently in production. Just a few more seams and hems and they will be done.



#2 - Fox Cushion. I had so much fun working on this one. I was able to stitch and watch Charmed at the same time - so a huge win win for me. Originally I had planned on making a cushion for Mr 5, although the more I stitched the more I fell in love with this fellow and I have now decided to keep making more of these blocks and make the full quilt.  Bugger you Toni from Me and My Red Boots for making such an adorable pattern - this was the year of finishing projects - not starting yet another quilt!!!!!!!!!!

I am totally loving the tone on tone chevron yellow that I used for the backing - I am thinking next time I am in the vicinity of Spotlight, I might grab some of the other colours for the rest of the quilt.



#3 - My Bonnie & Camille Interwoven Quilt. I thought I would be ecstatic when I finally finished this top, but now I am finding myself wondering whether or not to put a white border around it before quilting it???? and also do I still use the red n white minky for the backing as planned or should I just stick to a plain cotton backing????? Decisions decisions. I think I will pop this one aside for the time being and take it to my next Quilt Group and ask the girls for their thoughts. 



#4 Everyday Angel Block - YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have finally finished another block. Only three more to go and then I can put the top together.  Just in case you didn't get the drift at the start of January - I am so over this quilt. Mind you stitching and watching Charmed episodes has made it go a lot quicker. 


Linking up with Fiber of All Sorts and 2015 Sewing my Stash






Sunday, January 11, 2015

Sunday Stash - #2 2015

  WOW - it seems that this week has just flown by. Not much has happened in our little household - although I did manage to finally take the Christmas tree and decorations down.

I am pleased to say that I have stayed all from all fabric stores - both here locally and online! However...... I did manage to pick up some fabric from a local Op Shop. 


The first was this awesome bundle of pirate quilting cotton for $10. There were a couple of sewn rows - but the rest of the fabric has been cut into rectangles waiting to be sewn. I am estimating that teamed with a little black homespun - this will be almost a single quilt sizing. Not sure whether this one will be for Mr 5 or just a throw for the back of our car. I am sure though it will be used throughout Scouts somewhere as the Pirate theme is very common.


I also picked up this cutie - only a polycotton though and the shop had this stashed in the baby sheeting section, despite being clearly home hemmed. I snavelled it anyhows as I am sure it will come in handy for something for me, seeing I am a sucker for cows.


The next few items (not fabric) were Christmas presents that I thought I would share with you all.


Two books - both only $4.99 at Spotlight. Miss almost 11 has claimed the sock one, telling me that I will have to teach her how to make them now that I have a book - LOL! The Fresh Fabric Treats was put together from the Moda Bake Shop Designers and what really appealed to me was a gorgeous scrunched table runner featuring Pure Sweetwater fabric. Although there are also several other patterns in there that I want to make too.


Argh - The dreaded Bobbin Box. I constantly seem to break those rigid plastic ones - so Hubby brought me this one. He liked that it had a more secure lid, it held more bobbins and it also came with not one but two needle threaders.


Can you tell that I am a bit OCD when it comes to the placement of my bobbins!!!!!!!


This is my favourite thing about the bobbin box....... I can drop it whilst it is open or turn it upside down and the bobbins stay put - they don't come out. Totally a bobbin box match made in heaven for me.   Made by Birch and the only downside I can think of is that they are a bit more pricey at around $15 - but so totally worth every cent.


Linking up with The Sunday Stash by the fabulous Molli from Molly Sparkles.



Thursday, January 8, 2015

I have been published..... EEEK!

Despite the magazine coming out on January 1st - I am still pinching myself about having a quilt that I made published in a magazine.
And not just any magazine either - in the funky new digital magazine - Make Modern - Issue #3.

To the girls that I go to quilt group with - it is no secret that Emma Jean Jansen is one of my favourite designers. I have a stash of her fabric range Terra Australis 1 that is currently sitting in my fabric cupboard - every now and then I pull it out and play with the fabric, petting it and telling it how stunning it is, before packing it all away. To be honest - I am just waiting for that perfect pattern to come along before I cut into it.

Anyway, I was asked if I would be willing to make a quilt for an upcoming issue using the scrumptious range The Linen Cupboard by Emma Jean. I squealed like a child in a lolly shop that was told they could have whatever they wanted. See not only is Emma Jean one of my fav designers - but I am a total sucker for vintage fabrics (we won't even go into that small stash that is hidden away waiting for that perfect pattern).

Anyway the pattern is called The Contrary Wife and was designed by the talented duo Kristy from Quiet Play and Jane from Where Jane Creates.


(Please disregard my dodgy looking design wall - I have been asking Hubby for months now to attach the sheeting a little more securely - oh well, all in good time I suppose!)

This was the very first time that I had used curved pins to baste a quilt and I was really impressed with how easy they were to use. I only pricked my fingers a couple of times - LOL.



I am really really happy with how this turned out. This quilt is meant to live as a snuggle quilt on my Futon in my craft room to provide inspiration and boost my confidence - but every now and then I have to make the trek through Miss almost 11's room to retrieve it.


(Photo taken by the Make Modern team - 2014)


For the pattern for this gorgeous quilt head on over to the Make Modern website and purchase Issue #3 or even a 6 month or 1 year subscription today.





Saturday, January 3, 2015

Sunday Stash - #1 2015

Unlike last year - I am not putting myself on a self imposed no new fabric ban (which I will point out that only lasted around 6 months anyway). But in saying that I am going to try and make a conscious effort to use what is in my stash - only buying new fabric for an actual project that I am currently working on, when there is nothing in my stash that is suitable. 


A few new goodies this week that snuck in.....


Some softer reds, greys and a black n white. These lovely FQ's are destined to be a quilt for one of my Aunts.The pattern I have decided to use is Short & Sweet from the September 2014 issue of Homespun, which is a gorgeous quilt by Sue Bellini featuring Dachshunds. As my aunt owns a Dachshund called nothing other then Schnitzel von Krum, I thought this was only fitting. Her favourite colour is also red and last time I visited, her new black leather lounge was looking very plain and screaming for a fun and funky quilt to be loving drapped over it. Seeing this is a combined Christmas and Birthday present (and her birthday is in May), I had better get a wriggle on this one. 




Would you believe that I found these two gorgeous prints on the clearance table at Spotlight in Port Macquarie???? Despite being marked $8 and $10 respectively, I held my ground, waiving my SL catalogue and pointed to the only sign on the table stating that all clearance fabric was now only $4 per metre. The result - I got 1.7m of the pink birdcages and 3m of the flying birds for the bargain basement price of only $4m.  Mind you Miss almost 11 has claimed the flying birds for a pair of PJ pants and cushion once she learns how to sew - LOL.



This Cat in the Hat Panel was also only $4, so I snavelled up one of these to put with my growing collection of Seuss fabric which will one day be made up into a cot quilt.

I know, I know - my first paragraph said no new fabric unless it was for a current project - but how could I walk past these lovelies at such a fantastic price.


Anyway, linking up with the fabulous Molli Sparkles - Sunday Stash and the #SewMyStash 2015!






Friday, January 2, 2015

Lovely Year of Finishes - Jan '15 Goals

Despite fizziling out early on last year - I am determined to give the Fiber of All Sorts - Lovely Year of Finishes another go!  Why? Do I hear you ask - well frankly I need the motivation to complete some of the projects that I have envisioned, brought the materials for and then just sat them on the cutting table thinking, yeah I must make that.

So without further ado, here is what I am planning on FINISHING this January.....


#1 - I have already cut out hubby a pair of sleeps shorts in this fabric - but am yet to sew them up. I have made so many PJ bottoms both short and long in my life that I can sew them in my sleep - but the thought of having to change the overlocker thread from white to black stopped me from making these. I had to change it to make a pair for my brother for Christmas - so no excuses now.



#2 - Both of my kidlets are fox mad (they may have inherited this love from a friend of my sister's who introduced us to the song..... What did the FOX say?) and when I saw this pattern from Me and My Red Boots, I knew we had to get it. Anyway, Mr 5 1/2 is currently staying with my parents for a couple of weeks as a holiday before he starts big school. My plan is to make one of the fox blocks into a cushion and send it to him as a surprise. He has no idea!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait!



#3 - The Bonnie & Camille Charm Swap Quilt - I only have a few more rows to sew on before I can sandwich and then quilt in the ditch. If I can finish this one this month at least it would be one less UFO WIP. 



#4 - The dreaded Everyday Angels quilt! I have been making this quilt for the past *Sigh* 10 years now - so this is the year that I plan to make one block each month until it is done.  This quilt belongs to my Mum - so I am planning on giving it to her for her birthday in September, unless I surprise myself and can have it done in time for Mother's Day! As much as the block comes together quickly - I am hand appliqueing it - so it is taking a while to complete.



Linking up to January 2015 - Goal Setting Party


and to

#SEWMYSTASH2015