Big quilt

The day has come - I've finally finished the Big Quilt!

It's for my colleague's sister's 21st birthday. It's taken about 3 months to complete. She wanted detail of handbags, cherries, cupcakes, birds, and lots of colours. Quite feminine, hence lots of red and pink, without being too girly.

I used several different fabrics for the binding - mainly because I didn't have enough of one fabric to do it all the same. The cupcakes worked really well on the binding.

I found it challenging working on such a big quilt, having done so many small projects lately. The last big one I did was all by hand, and I was living in my flat which had lots of space to spread out. For this one, I had to use the spare room, and laid out flat the quilt took up all of the floor space!! It made pinning very tricky, and I'm sure the backing isn't as smooth as it could be for that reason.

I couldn't do any quilting through all the layers though, which I was disappointed about. The quilt was just too big for me to manoeuvre around my sewing machine - especially as the wadding I used was quick thick. I tried to quilt by hand but ditto the problems of thickness again. I bought a sewing loop hoop recently, but again, the wadding was too thick to use that with it! Lessons learned for next time however.

My colleague was really pleased with it, and has already asked me to make one for herself in the new year. She wants some castle fabric if possible, but I'm having trouble finding any.

I always get a little sad when I have to say goodbye to one of my quilts.... it was even sadder for such a large quilt. A lot of time and effort goes into making things for other people. Sometimes it would be nice if someone spent so much time and effort on me.

Greeny baby quilt done

I've finished my colour-themed baby quilt. It's to go with the Next Ziggy nursery set and I'm really pleased with how well the colours go together.

I used a turquoise flowery fabric for the binding and I think it goes with the apple green backing really well.

There were a few 'deliberate mistakes' but then it wouldn't be a handmade quilt if it was completely perfect - you have to know it's home-made.

I love it and hope new mum and baby do too!

Three stages to baby quilt

This is my latest baby quilt, with a specific colour scheme - my first quilt that's not been allowed to be random!

Step one: laying out the blocks.

There are two types of white fabric: one plain, and one with a paisley pattern that's very subtle and cute. I love the random patches of gingham, flowers, and the baby letters.

Step two: all the strips sewn together:

Although I think I got a bit gung-ho with the strips, and perhaps in the future I'll stick to making blocks up. I found that doing strips meant there was more chance of the width being slightly out in places. Not a lot, and I'm sure the receiver won't notice, but I do....

Step 3: the finished quilt top:

I think it looks lovely! A great time spent in my newly-painted sewing room which is getting more comfortable by the day - there'll be shelves going up soon.

Time for tea

That's what's happened this afternoon so far.

That, and panicking because I can't find one of my fat quarters that I need for my next project. Work borrowed some of my FQs for a photoshoot last month, and I have a distinct feeling that the FQ in question was included in the bunch - suggesting the photographer decided to keep it. Or, is just useless and didn't give it back. I am beyond annoyed.

Baby quilt all finished

I've finished my latest nine-patch baby quilt. I'm quite happy with it - a bit different to my normal plain square pattern. The binding is turquoise, although it looks pale blue in the photos, and the backing is lemon (we don't know if baby will be a boy or a girl yet, so I covered both possibilities).

I did mitered corners, although I'm not sure they look entirely how they're supposed to. But that's what practice is for.

Naturally there were a couple of mistakes! Just a couple of wonky stitches that hopefully won't be noticed. There was a patch where I'd sewed the binding through the backing and the wadding, but not the actual quilt top, so I had to do some ad-hoc handsewing and luckily you can't tell now.

Fingers crossed the new arrival likes it (and the mother too!). On to my next baby quilt that's been commissioned now - this one has a specific colour scheme rather than my normal hotch-potch of random patterns and colours. I'm having trouble finding the right kind of pastel green fabric though, so I'm on the hunt before I can start any designs.

On a sour note, the lady at the fabric shop fleeced me. I bought 0.5m of plain white cotton, and when I got home I realised she charged me for 1m. Rip off Britain!

9 patches done!

I got into my sewing room at the weekend (before I was struck down with another illness) and finished the nine patches of my latest baby quilt. I used some lovely new ABC baby fabric, and some nice green dotty fabric. Loving the scarecrow at the middle of the first block...

 But I'm not sure about the cat in the middle of the last block:

I don't know whether I wasn't paying attention when I was cutting the blocks out, as I'm sure I wouldn't intentionally use the cat wonky. I might have to find something to patch over the top, but we'll see.

This is the potential layout:

Now I have to think about whether to lay strips of a plain colour inbetween the blocks, or just sew them together. I was planning on a lemon yellow backing fabric, but I can't decide what colour to use for the binding. Maybe a green?

I can't do any more at the moment as I'm poorly, so I'm just laid out on the sofa off work for the second day. Doing the washing up wore me out so it's resting for me. And, as I gave it up for Lent, I can't even cure my illness with chocolate!

Three's a good crowd

I did some good sewing tonight - three of my squares - looking good. 

I'm enjoying doing more of a pattern, albeit a loose one, rather than just regular square patches. Learning more about my sewing machine as I'm doing it - including how I ought to change the tension for different-weight fabrics (the left square has a much thicker, suede-type material).

Stocks of stockings

The stockings have been made! Christmas is officially on the way. 

I made them with red fleece material, with a cream thick sock edging around the top. They're massive - but that means all the more presents to be stuffed inside!! 

Am planning to stitch on a couple of hearts in green fabric. We discussed adding one element every year - awww!

Unfortunate bag placement...

Also known as Phoebe's husband Mike's alternative name in Friends!

Waiting for the machine...

I don't currently have my own sewing machine, but I'm borrowing my boyfriend's mother's, which is a brilliant machine. Only problem being, she keeps wanting it back, so I have to go days without doing any sewing. So frustrating when you've got a project on the go and can't get on with it!

At the moment I'm halfway through a quilt with teapot and cake material. It's going to be lovely, just for my own amusement. It'll be the first time I attempt binding, and I'll be doing straight line quilting too. But for now, it's just sitting, waiting....

I also have two cushion covers I want to complete, for a friend's moving in present. I could hand-sew them, but I want them to be just right. She moves in next week, but she'll just have to be patient - something I'm having trouble with!