Round Robin # 8 Hand Drawn Portrait

A quick turn around on this one which I received two days ago.  The centre is another hand drawn picture but this one took a tactile turn early on!  Master 11 years old here has already declared he would love a quilt with the orange finger duster fabric too (the central orange sash).

I have added the orange outer sash to this one. and now to me delight have figured I can provide a backing with some polar fleece from my stash - yippee.  Noe sure this is a good choice to begin quilting on, lots of slinky and stretch fabric which might be a challenge . . .

Round Robin # 7 House

Today I farewelled the little house in the garden, and received the next project in the Round Robin series.

I have added the sash.  Slightly challenging to contemplate with all the different colours at the edge.  After a conversation with a fellow quilter I went looking for a batik fabric in blue, and found the perfect piece at Warkworth's little quilt shop.  As is so often the case it was very enjoyable, and did not take as much time as I thought!  This will be quilted by a talented quilter, and I turn my attention to the next project . . .

Round Robin #6 Hand Drawn Flower

The centre of this quilt is a hand drawn picture.  This one gave me an opportunity to make my first ever purchase of quilt fabric, and enjoy the creative experience of laying a project out in a shop full of delicious fabric and play.  Planned to get two pieces of purple, but as it turned out bought three pieces - I think it often goes like that!

Arrived complete to the green sash.  I have added purple bands top and bottom, and a black and white sash around.  It is nearly single bed sized.  On it goes for the next step . . .
Meanwhile I have been clearing out ready to go to the Fabric-A-Brac this Saturday.  It has been a wonderful journey to find fabric purchased long long ago, and I hope it will find homes in new hands with refreshing new energy and ideas.  In the final measure and label there were several things I did re-consider, but decided to leave it in the lap of the gods, if no one wants it then it will come home with me again :)

Off the needle

The picture says it all, I have completed a sock.  Where is its pair you might ask.  Well that is still to come!
I used Malabrigo Yarn from Robyn Egge Yarns, lovely to knit.  It is from Uruguay, pure merino.  I can report it is a very warm yarn, I have one warm foot as I write.
This was created with patient one on one guidance from an excellent knitting teacher - Rosemary.  I knitted on a circular needle using a magic loop method.  The beauty of this pattern is it pretty much all knit, easy to do in front of TV, or in the car waiting for school pick up.

A little gift making

A recent 6th birthday gave me an opportunity to do some sewing.  This apron was for my niece and I make it out of some fabric from my Mum's sewing room - I like connections like that.  The bias was vintage, still is it's original packet, can't recall where I picked that up from.

Then to complete the gift the 13 year old here created the Cowgirl Cookies in a jar, after testing the recipe, and after a search for pink M&Ms.

Miss 6 informed my over the phone on the morning of her birthday 'I don't make biscuits like that Auntie Claire', however her thoughtful parents did send me a photo of her wearing her apron mixing the biscuits :)

Round Robin #5 Flower Garden

This is what I have to show for Sunday, love it.  This quilt has a lot of colour and angles going on, and as it is growing I decided that I would add to a pair of sides.  It came to be finished to the blue sash.  But then, once I was underway, I went the whole way round.

I learnt a bunch with this one,
:: better mastery of the fabric going into the machine
:: already I am used to the plastic rule which was on my machine as a guide to but up against
:: I am used to sewing 1/4 inch seams on the Featherweight (I did this on my Bernina Nova with the quilting foot, simply because that was the machine set up on the (dining) table, but I now find I prefer the older machine to quilt)

I think this might be nearly be the half way point these quilts?

Round Robin # 4 Lightening McQueen

Number 4 of eleven (!) quilts doing the rounds.  This was a late addition to create another boys quilt.  I loved the bright colours, and enjoyed working on my addition, especially as a generous friend shared fabric from her stash.  I received the 4x4 centre and my part began with the red sash.

Learnt a few quilting techniques this round as well; improved pressing, smaller stitch length, cutting off the bias and no back stitching.  Oh and sewing on my Featherweight as well.

Round Robin # 3 Compass

I finished my next challenge in the Round Robin.

Adding to the compass.

It came to me finishing at the pink band. I have added the lovely sparkly sliver of silver (looks white here), some new pattern to the teal band, and then a splash more turquoise and pink again.
Off it goes to the next person, and some day soon the next challenge will arrive :)

Another Barn Square - nearly

I have received some more wool lately, gifted left over sock wool, and the colours are a little different - a welcome change.  I was about the block this finished one up but, as often happened I have made it a little large.

It is becoming not at all demoralizing to unravel these squares.  I often think I must pay attention near the end and top and measure.  But casting off again is no big deal.

Finishing, finally!

Finally I finished recovering an ottoman this weekend!

This will be the second recovering this piece has had since we acquired it - happy with this version.

Quilt Round Robbin Challenge Sharks (#2)

I sent my vintage centre out to the group and I received a school of sharks in the next round.

The idea of the challenge is daunting, the execution, as is often the case, is less so it turns out.  I was able to rummage in a bag of fabric, circulated as part of this quilt group.
It is a nice project to learn about quilting, which I like more and more.  When the piece of fabric is too small you just sew it to another piece - simple really!

New lingo - Round Robin #1 Quilt Centre, Vintage Beauty

This week I faced a challenge, one of the quilt variety.  It came in the form of an invitation to participate in a round robin quilt.  These quilts are going to live in Mangere Women's Refuge.  Lovely sentiment and a deadline to produce by this Saturday and well, a hell of a schedule this week.  So naturally I bowed out.  And, well, there was quilt jargon I did not understand on the original invite, 'make a centre' (meaning what exactly to a non quilter?), so it fell to the side.  . . . .

Then a friend produced her centre and I was inspired.  So I hatched a plan on a swim at Omaha on Monday that just maybe it was possible, if I re-read the email, I recalled a couple of bits of fabric that could just work, and just maybe Thursday would give the window of time required . . . .

Then today a small space opened courtesy of my wonderful husband being in the kitchen, the washing all folded, and well, I made a centre.

Turns out the jargon was not as difficult as I imagined.  The hunt for the original fabric sent me off on a different tangent, and I think I have made a log cabin, a rectangle, approximately 10" in size.  The beginning was an embroidered rescued pillow slip, which seemed appropriate.

Next I put this into a bag, and I have added some extra fabric, and then I will get another quilt centre to work with.  No idea really how this works but figure I can always enlist some help if required!  And this was fun, and a very workable size, and for me a way to use up small pieces of fabric together which I enjoyed.

Needing to make something

Life is busy at the moment, at times the outlook is one full of things that must be done, and fun things on the horizon seems far away, and faint to view . . . . . . . .then the realization dawns, maybe to change the outlook is as simple as picking up a projects!  In fact I confess even the action of wheeling my sewing trolley across to the dining room table lifts the spirits!
So easy to remedy it turns out, re prioritize so that creative time does not get buried. And short of a new project or idea it turns out looking at a WIP comes to the party.

Barn Raising Quilt Blanket in progress  - with Diba the cat

I have 21 out of 42 squares completed - yes the final one is on the needles but I am counting that too.  So a good point to look at the whole thing.  It looks more colourful here that it seems to 'on the floor'.  But one challenge is getting different colours.

But the problem

Barn Square number 22 on the needles

was solved with some donated leftover yarn, a gorgeous turquoise - perfect.

Also happening has been a cushion cover.  This started with an image transferred to calico some time back. In the process of removing the paper my cat acquired some patches, but I believe that gives him character.

Black Cat Cushion Top

I am discovering I like this sort of quilting which allows a larger thing to happen with small left overs, and when the left overs are already recycled (jeans and curtains) well that is the icing on the cake.

Plans . . . .

The start of the year is so perfect for planning isn't it!  Lists of things I want to make just seem to itch at my finger tips, plans wanting to spill out and take shape, ideas brewing.  A Pinterest challenge? To actually make one of those inspiring ideas.  Or more finishing of the many projects previously begun?  Or the reward and excitement of something new . . .

While these plans take shape, and I toy with a possibly theme, there are little things happening all around.  Some are in the garden, and about compost making, which is hardly going to be an inspiring picture, but other things happening are more meritorious of a photo record.

Finally a chair recovered, and reassembled, and back in use.

Scout sewing post jamboree - I love these little badges

New Cub shirt requiring shifting of badges, good thing I like those badges!

And another little square complete courtesy of a long car trip.

So as this year unfurls maybe I will still be here, recording, making, . . . .