My Churn Dash

I have been wanting to make a Churn Dash ever since I first saw one on-line. I don't know why it took me so long, maybe because I am always trying to find new quilt patterns and always changing my mind on my fabric choices.


But I came to the conclusion my next quilt was to be a Churn Dash, but then it was what fabric do I use. I had two dessert rolls to choose from and I kept going back and forth on what one to use. Then I finally decided what roll to use I wasn't sure if I really wanted to cut it for a Churn Dash... Arrgghh the indecision!!

I was worried it would be just a bit much red and a bit full on. But as per usual, once it is all together I loved it. I loved the boldness of the colours together.

I was rather chuffed of how well my points came together. I absolutely want to make this quilt again. I have another design roll, but I might hold off for now. Get a couple  of other patterns before I revisit this one.

I have given this one away to a friend who just needed a little pick me up. But first this kids had to have a test run, just to make sure it was perfect for watching tv and relaxing.

I finished the back with flannel chevron in black and white, I thought it complemented it perfectly.

Tx

Cross Quilt

For a last wee while I have been searching for the right fabric to make a cross quilt. I have loads pinned and a couple of times I have thought I had found the right fabric only to change my mind.


Originally when cut this fabric into 5 inch squares I had another quilt planned for it. But I didn't quite have the right amount, I needed a solid to go with it and I am trying, as always, to only use what I have at the moment. I went back to my pins and my scribbled down quilting notes and remembered this one and thought I would see if I had enough.



I have enough... Depending on who it ends up being for. It makes a great large baby quilt, but with a border it will make a great couch quilt. I just have to assess who it is for. I have a baby shower coming up, sex unknown, and I have a friend having an operation. Both worthy recipients.  I don't know if it would work for a baby boy, it is lots of blue and green so I guess it could. The colour way is slightly more adult.... I just don't know.



The fabric is Botanica by Free Spirit.



And just to finish, a wee photo of Venus and Jupiter.

Tx

Simple Retro-Retro

I really like to search the net for new quilting books and I came across Simply Retro by Camille Roskelley. It looks like the book has been out for about a year which makes sense as thats about the time I had been busy with my photography course. 

Of course then I googled finished quilts from her book and came across a great amount of inspiration on Flikr and blogs. This did mean that I had to make my own quilt and i made the Retro quilt.

I decided to make it from scraps with some grey. The pattern used two fabrics and then one contrast. To replicate this I used the grey and then one block of hot pink. 

I do like a good scrappy quilt, they end up a bit like a memory quilt. I look at all the different fabrics and reminisce about what I made, what age the kids were, what was happening in our lives at that time. 

The blocks did take a little bit of time to put together, but once I got a wee system going and had a few good hours to commit to it it felt like to time at all and it was all done.

I used so many different fabrics. Each fabric was use only twice, once in corners and once in the diagonal squares.

Here it is. I think I will give this to one of the friends who are pending new babies. 

Its school holidays next week, I am thinking on using that time to back and quilt some of the tops I have on the growing pile. I want to get them off in the post to their intended friends. I think thats a good aim, I only have four to completely finish so thats not an unachievable task.

Tx 

Black, white and Pink

I have been wanting to make a quilt of black and white for a long time. But I have never known what to do as the colour. I have seen a number with red and a few more with blue, which I have loved.

I brought a number of years ago a fat quarter pack with black and white and pink. I was never convinced this was what I was going to do, so it sat there and sat there  and sat there until I brought a plain just black and white jelly roll. Well, what do you know, the pink looked amazing! I figure I need a new quilt for me, but after making it I realised this one would be going to a new home. A friend just turned 40 and I thought this would be perfect for her. She is a bit of a hidden girlie fan. She rides horses, in the army but every now and then will wear a glam frock and brush her hair. This quilt made me think of her, pretty serious with a splash of colour.












I say that I am trying to use up my older stash, but I just keep buying more to replace what I have. I really don't have a lot of pre-cuts. I do usually buy what I need, but I have three large bins of clothing off cuts which I am trying to make a dent in. I have already cut my next quilt top out and it hardly made a dent. Every now and then I will make a donated quilt and use my off cuts and that wont make a dent either. I have two choices really, make more scrappy quilts or donate more quilts. Both come back to "Make more quilts". And I am fine with that!! Greta's day-care hasn't received a quilt from me so I can do one for them. Although they could have the one I have made and haven't backed, it's folded up on my shelf. So many quilts!


Tx

Baby Gift

This present is a little late, but better late than never. The baby this quilt is off to was born in December, but a quilt isn't really a super new born gift anyway ;)

I was so busy finishing my course and doing so much else that I just didn't have enough time which is terrible.

I have had these fabrics for years, like truly years. I have been trying to use up my stash, and have made a good dent. Which means I did go out and buy a little (massive) amount of fabric this afternoon, but thats a secret.

I really didn't know what I was going to do with it, so I started cutting 5 inch squares thinking I would just do a square quilt like my Little Kukla.

But I changed my mind and wanted to do something different, I make a lot of square patchwork quilts  and whilst I do find them rewarding still, but this time, chevrons. I think they are still in fashion, I don't know, I still like them.

This is "Wishing Well" by the designer Jenean Morrison and in a fan star moment, I posted the quilt on Instagram and she liked it!!!! Said she loved it!!!!!!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tx

Little Kukla Quilt

We have new neighbours, they built on the section in front of us and they not only have a new house but have a new baby girl too. I though what could be more welcoming than a cake and a quilt. I spent the afternoon and following morning putting together the gift. I made a simple 5 inch squared quilt from the Little Kukla range. It came in a fat quarter pack so there were some complementing fabrics from other fabric ranges. It is really bright, very bright, I thought it would look a bit, well not as bright, but it is still nice and I hope they liked it.

I love the little dolls, I do think it needed a little less green or yellow and a little more of the purple or maybe even blue. Anyway here it is.

Tx

Pinny by Make it Perfect

I had a spare couple of hours and I thought I would make a dress for Greta. She picked the fabrics, I wasn't so confident on the colours. But I must admit I am rather pleased of how well it looks. Greta says she will wear it tomorrow but I am not so sure.

I used a pattern from Make it Perfect, Pinny, and it goes together so quickly and easily. I did do it a little different than the instructions. They explain to cut to pieces and sew together but the length was the width of fabric so I just did that instead and had a seam up the back.

The fabrics I used are call Secret Garden by Free Spirit. They are lovely shades of autumn colours. Not really little girlie but I think they come together so nicely that if she wears it, it is still a fantastic lovely girl dress.

When I was sewing it together, from the above photo you can see I had the top of the dress a messy stripes sort of fabric. When I sewed it together I some how got it in the wrong way and ended up with the lining on the outside, which was fine as it was just one of the bands. AND I really didn't like the stripe so I am rather pleased I messed it up. And looking at it now, I put the bands in a different order too.

I am pretty pleased with it, I really hope she wears it. She still hasn't even tried on her Frozen skirt and with how much she loves Frozen I just don't understand it!!!

Tx

Too Small :(

What a bummer, I made a dress, and I really like it, like really like it and it is too small, not even just a small bit too small, but unable to sit in it too small. Like make me feel like I have a big butt too small.

The worst thing was that I cut the pattern, I don't usually but this time I did, so I can't even make another one bigger. AND, if it could get worse, it said it was an easy, but guess what, it wasn't!!!!!!!

I used New Look 6022, and I thought it would be a simple tunic, I put the sleeves on, which is always a bit harder and I liked the look of it so much. I was already starting to doubt it at this stage, so although gutting, I had a feeling that it was going to be like this.

See, look how nice it is, so sad!

I used a really nice light weigh denim and the contrasting flower strip was left over from a pair of pants I made for Greta. She has out grown them now so we would not have been twins. 

So I have two options, lose my butt. As I have been trying to do that since Greta was born thats might not happen any time soon, or give the dress away. What a lucky friend I will have.

Tx

A jacket for winter

Today is a terrible, dreary day. Rain, wind and just yuck. Perfect day to sit at the machine and do a bit of sewing.

I cut this all out yesterday afternoon and manages to get it all together this morning. I have made it before and the instructions are so fantastic that it went together so quickly. I used Make it Perfects pattern, Little Uptown Girl. I had a wee giggle as I made Adele one at the same ages, so the size three was all traced and ready to go. Makes it so much easier.

I used this awesome fabric from Valori Wells for Robert Kaufman called Ashton Road. I love the wee birds on the fabric, reminds me of Cinderella. I just need a button and then it is all done.

It is so handy having the two girls, I haven't really brought all that many patterns for Greta and with fabrics changing all the time it is like I am making something completely new for her. Finally "saving" money lol.

Now for the rain to stop so we can go outside

Tx

A couple of skirts

My baby loves twirling and hence loves twirling skirts. And leggings, boring old plain leggings. Not so good for a sewing mummy! I took her into a fabric shop and let her have free choice, and at 2, I was most impressed with her choice. Bright and happy like her.

So all I did was cut my fabric into 4 inch strips. The bottom was four strips sewn together and gathered, middle was two, top was one, sewed them all together, and folded over the top to make a case for the elastic and done. I overlocked around the bottom instead of a hem, took the morning to make. And she loves it

Then of course if you are making something for one child you have to do something for the other one. I made this skirt from this amazing fabric. I loved it and was worried Adele wouldn't be so keen on it, but so far so good and she has worn it.....once. Thats ok, better than some other clothing items. I cut a wide band, about 8 inches from memory and then cut the tree houses double the band width and gathered it and attached it. This one was super quick, maybe an hour all up. Its hard with Adele now, she is turning into a lady and isn't into so much cute sort of clothing. Makes me sad but all part of growing up.

I am loving having some down time. Well having time to sew, I loved doing my course but I am really enjoying the sewing. I have a project cut out ready to go for tomorrow, plus a whole lot of fabric for future projects!!! YAY!!!!!!

Tx

Ball dress for me

I have finally been back into the routine of regular sewing and I just forgot how much I loved it. Adele still gets excited and then refuses to wear what I make and Greta will only wear twirling skirts but hey at least it is something.

Due to their limited likes I made myself a dress. We had a ball to go to and I thought why not. I had never attempted something this challenging and I am happy with the results. Although I did learn the importance of making sure lining is the same size as outer when 5 mins till leaving, final stitches in place and the lining was a bit smaller, a bit of tugging and secret cutting it was on, with great cleavage!!

I started in on Thursday night and managed to do a bit more on Friday night and then made a mad dash to get it done Saturday before the ball. I was sewing in the car as we drove to drop the children at the Grandparents.

I made it from some chiffon that was on sale in Spotlight, a pale pink with neon flowers. I matched the lining to the neon flowers, there was about 7 metres of fabric in the dress and all so soft and floaty,  I really felt like a princess on the night. I am so glad that I made it, I felt quite a sense of achievement.

I used this pattern, and it went together relatively well. I was a bit worried about how it would stay up even with the boning in, but it seemed too do o.k. I bit pull on it a little during the evening, but no more than any other strapless dress. 

And here it is, I love it, I really do. We have another formal-isn dinner coming up and I think I will wear it again, with a small alteration to the lining.

Tx

Alice

We have Book Week coming up next term and I just know that come that week I will be crazy busy handing in And getting sorted my photography school work. I wanted to get some what ahead of myself and today I made Adeles dress-up. She wanted to be a rock star so I talked her round to being Alice of Alice in Wonderland. Thankfully this was well received and now she loves her costume and is happy with the plan. I sort of felt if I was going to go to the effort of making a costume I wanted it to be something I wanted to make. I know, all about me, but I just knew she would love it. We have been reading the story loads and pointing out how much she already looks like Alice.

I used McCalls Costumes pattern M4948 and it came together pretty easy. She's an average sized six year old and I made the seven, but I think I should have made the six. And it is really really long so I will have to hem it up quite a bit.

So pretty!!!!

TX

Chocolate Tart

Sometimes I feel like life is getting away on me, I haven't been crafting as much as I would like, nor baking and certainly not blogging. Crazy when I think at one point it was a daily affair. I have been working hard on my photography course, three papers to go, and I have been working on and completing my Course Four through Playcentre. So I sort of have had the feeling that life has been about working, doing, completing stuff and there hasn't been as much time for fun. And wow, school kids, if I thought I was busy with babies, school is a whole new world!!

We had our prize giving at Playcentre last night for people who had completed their course so I thought this was the perfect time to try a tart that I had seen, thought it looked yummy, but didn't want to have to eat all the delicious-ness myself. Sharing is caring right ;) It must have at least looked yummy as it was gone in a flash. Perfect!!!!!

I used a recipe from New Zealands Hottest Baker competition, Alice in Bakingland, such a pretty food and not for the diet concerned. Two bars of chocolate AND cream!!!!! I had a sneaky piece before I went and it was fantastic!!

Chocolate and Raspberry Tart (I used blueberries)

250 grams of plain sweet biscuits (I used Girl Guide biscuits)
4 tbsp cocoa
110 gram melted butter

Filling:
500 gram dark chocolate

1 1/4 cup cream

Preheat oven to 170 degrees, grease a 23-25 loose bottom tart tin
Whizz up the biscuits to a fine crumb and mix in the cocoa and better. Press into the tin and bake for 15 mins. Mine was a little dry, so maybe check at 10 mins.

Melt the chocolate and cream together, pour onto the base once the base is cooled. Spread a layer of berries over the top.  Place in fridge for about 2 hours and then serve. Super rich and yummy!!

Amazing!!!!!!!!!

Little Vicky

I was meant to make the kids clothing for Christmas, but this year I ran out of time, a blink and it was Christmas morning. I have the fabric, so it will give me something to chip away at over the next week or so.

Yesterday I started, and this morning I finished a "little Vicky" for Greta. She is wearing it at the moment, hopefully it will be one of the few dresses she actually wears. 

I used For Playground by Dena Designs. I love the wee animals on the fabric and the of course the lovely matching chevron. 

I have made it before but this time I put the collar on the dress, I rather like it. 

The dress is so nice and roomly, perfect for this hot weather. I am slightly envious.

Tx