I hope you all got what you wanted from Santa and that you had a fun filled time :)
Having done so much before Christmas including my first sale where I sold items other than jewellery, I thought I'd be taking a rest, but had resolved that this year I would start, AND finish my first quilt, as Piper's vintage one has started to come apart as the fabric itself is fraying. I do want to patch it but I figured if I had the experience of building a quilt from scratch I would be in a better place to understand what's needed to tart up the eiderdown that's as old if not older than I!
So, I knew I had plenty fabric, just getting up and on with it would be the question. During the festive holidays Sigrid came over and brought with her her vintage Pfaff sewing machine, fabric to make some tote/weekend bags and surplus fabric which she was generously donating to my sizable stash! I couldn't believe how lucky I am to have a friend like her when she told me that she's happy for me to keep her machine here, so I can use it whenever I need to!
It was invaluable when stitching this dog collar. It was done for a swap on Bead Buddies, for Cazz, and more specifically her pooch, Riley. It's woven webbing covered with cotton fabric and the buckle/clips are polypropylene and were a b*tch to make the right path! But so very worth it as Cazz and Riley love it. Not bad considering she's in no way royalist or olympic loving :)
I also made this taggy blanket for a friend whose baby has arrived almost ten weeks early. Luckily both Mum and Baby Evie are doing grand despite the rather scary start!
Part of the fabric Sigrid brought was a fat quarter pack in chintzy pale pinks - immediately I set to work (in between helping with the weekender bags) chopping up the fabric. I envisaged making a trellis effect with rectangles of patterned fabric surrounded by a plain framework. I had a brainwave to use a flat sheet for the inbetween bits and the back and have also cut a butterfly appliqué for the plain side for a bit of interest.
Today, was the day, I could delay no longer. I made a band the width of the quilt as my first ''block'' and started by piecing a band to each rectangle of pattern fabric. Ironed it. Took two completed strip/rectangle combinations, pieced them together. Ironed it. Did another combi of two, Ironed them until I had four. Ironed them. Put two together. Ironed it. Put the other two together. Ironed it. Put it all together. Ironed it. Took a long strip, ironed it to the newly pieced section. Cursed a lot when I spotted my deliberate mistake. Ironed it. Ironed it some more. Ironed it again for luck. Put it away before I burned it with the iron!
I've stopped for today
But I shall try to do a little more tomorrow! :)
But I shall try to do a little more tomorrow! :)
It's looking lovely thus far, just don't iron it to death!
ReplyDelete:D cheers love, that means a lot! I chose something simple and fly by the seat of my pants stuff! I'm sure it would have turned out more professional had I followed an actual pattern, but where's the fun in that? Rustic will do me (ok, Piper) just fine :) Shabby Chic and all that eh? What I want to know is when it's all done, and has the sandwiches sewn into place is it worth having a bash at doing the overstitching myself or should I send it away? (can one really iron it to death? *nibbles fingernails* ;)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see this progressing. Sewing and other textile stuff is definitely going to be my things for 2012, along with a bit of quick and dirty beading.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to catching up in person next week - seems like ages!!
L xoxo
It's looking great and I love the dog collar and taggy blankets. My aunt recently surprised me with the news that she's making my little girl a quilt, hopefully it will be finished in April when she next visits. They are such an amazing thing to own a really precious heirloom.
ReplyDeleteWell done, I wish I could sew.
Mel :o)
I think the thought of making one has, so far, been worse than actually doing it. Of course, the Pfaff had helped loads, and Piper too as you can see, for a given value! Be nice for her to pop it on her little one and say, your granny made this when I was little and I helped! *misty eyed*
ReplyDeleteLisa, looking forward to it too!
X L
it looks ACE!
ReplyDeleteOMLG you talented chica!
I keep looking at it and thinking, 'that doesn't look too bad!' of course once it's complete I'll look at it and think pah! :D
ReplyDeleteI am VERY impressed with quilts. I had the idea of going to Williams-Sonoma and buying all those pretty napkins and making a quilt with those -- but, did that get done? Um. No.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteI thought it would be a lot harder going than it is, but I don't think that the tricky bit is here yet. I'm fairly certain binding it will be a pain inthe bum as will actually stitching through all the layers, so I am going to make some pot holders or oven gloves to practice my freestylin' technique :) Guess what folks will be getting as gifts eh? ;D x