New Year Stash Sewing

The weather outside has been a little bit nasty these past two days.  

Good for the garden and water tanks though. And it has given me a lovely opportunity to start some sewing projects.

As warm up I cleared a couple of items from the mending pile (both re-hemmed) and into the wardrobe. Then as I was in the wardrobe I found a couple of wooden coat hangers to transform with some vintage fabric.

Next I am onto something to hang on these hangers - watch this space.

Challenge

Thread work spotted in a library book

The end of March is the deadline for the first of 10 quilt challenges.  Kiwi Summer was the theme for this one, and there was as size criteria and a time frame.  Each quilt is 12"x 12" finished work completed over a two month time frame.  We have been inspired by the 12 x 12 Challenge which later published their work in a book.  There are ten participants in our group so over the next two years we will each produce ten quilts, all taking a turn to submit the theme.

 Kiwi Summer was relatively easy fit for me, and immediately called to mind a sea theme.  My inspiration was East Island, of East Cape.  We visited the Cape in the heat of January, and took shelter in a small patch of shade at the base of the lighthouse after climbing 700 steps.  From this vantage point we overlooked an azure blue sea surrounding the Island, the original site of the first East Cape Lighthouse.

Gathering ideas

Turning to the challenge of the quilt I began with a slightly abstract idea of the sea and the Island and knew I wanted to print an image onto fabric.

Sea colours were easily gathered, and I recalled my favourite pair of aquamarine coloured togs when I was 16!

This post won't be a reveal as our group of ten is committed to an exhibition of the entire body of work, and we have agreed not to share the individual works online in the meantime.

I can however record some learning so far.
:: Fabric shrinks when quilted.

Work In Progress

Couching Inspiration

:: Making a start is the key; an abstract idea facilitates this and makes it easy to start cutting the fabric when there is not a particularly clear end point in mind
:: Mixed fabrics are more difficult to quilt and press than using all cotton.

Quilting with my Walking Foot

:: Couching is fun, and adds texture, but a couching foot is on the wish list.
:: The 12x12 size is perfect for  novice quilter in terms of composition, slightly more challenging for the finishing!

Off the Needles

Finally finished my second pair of socks, courtesy of a car trip recently.

Hand knitted wool socks

I realise that this time of year is not the temperatures that make you think of knitting, but a sock is a small portable project!!

Recycling

This week my local Emporium had cotton tape in stock, so I was able to finish some aprons in the pile.

Apron made from recycled bedspread

These are made from a piece of fabric a friend gave me last year, originally an old bedspread.  There was a generous amount so I have 4 aprons in production,couple for home, the others for gifts.

Something for the pyjama drawer.

Yesterday I sewed up a couple of pairs of PJ pants.  Surprised myself how quickly they came together.  I used a Vogue pattern from my collection, 7054, and I have made these pants before.  Two pieces so really easy to make.

First pair in stripe, a piece of fabric from my cupboard, and it was completely used up on these pants - perfect.

Second pair I made from a recycled table cloth, also in my cupboard.  I am working on a quilt with table cloths, but this fabric was slightly off theme, yet perfect for a pair of pants, as the fabric is very soft.

I think I will call them my bush wren pants, as there sport a kiwi and a bush wren.  They also have an eclectic mix of Provincial New Zealand Buildings, including the Canterbury Cathedral, and Rotorua Rotunda. Sort of kitsch Kiwiana I guess.

On a roll

With the machine up there is nothing like a quick look in the stash while there is momentum about.  I bought this pattern inspired by a Fabric Store blog.  The was purchased with the takings after selling off excess fabric at the Fabric-a-Brac, (very very disciplined I thought).

The fabric was also purchased at The Fabric Store, at an earlier time, ahem, but now it is a dress, hooray.

Vogue V8805 in Linen from The Fabric Store

So now I know what I will be wearing when I go back to work 2015!

New Year Holiday Making

A lovely start to 2015 at my sewing machine.  I received a gift of some sheer fabric, collected by a special friend from the road side inorganic collection.

 

I created a top with two rectangles, a couple of seams, and added a belt.  The hemming and seams were far less scary then I imagined, and have given me confidence to embark on a few other pieces in the stash.

Then as a final challenge I have installed the Blogger App to publish this post, nothing like a New Year to prompt new skills.