Something for the weekend

It's just been another one of those weeks, apart from the peg bag I haven't had time to do any sewing. I am just starting to back my yellow puffball today so hopefully I'll soon feel some sense of satisfaction!

Thought I would find a quick moment to post my favourite page of the week that I found on Stumbleupon, Rick Rack Rosettes…

I have absolutely got to try to make these, very pretty. They could turn out to be a lovely gift for my nieces birthday in a couple of weeks!

Have a look, there's a tutorial on the site.

http://thecraftingchicks.com/2011/03/rick-rack-rosettes.html

Half term next week so I doubt I'll be sewing at all, just enjoying having all my family at home!

Let me know if you like the link or make the roses!

Happy sewing.

Rachael

Peg Bag

It was just the most wonderful windy day today and with my washing billowing on the line I set about making my peg bag!

It was nice and simple to do and I'm really pleased with the result. I used Pots and Pans from the Cut Out and Keep range for the main body of the bag, white polka dots on chocolate from the Itty, Bitty Bella range for the bottom and the sides and a brown lining fabric for the backing.

No quilting on Wednesdays

I'm having a very hectic time this week already. What with the rush making the costumes for Monday I then had to spend the day catching up on chores I'd let slip last week. I spent Tuesday with a friend cutting fabric when I received a phone call from guy telling me he'd won vip tickets to Liam Gallaghers store opening on Thursday night. Wednesday is my full day helping at my children's school, so I've spent the whole day panicking that I have nothing to wear. Now it looks like we may not go because guy now has tonsillitis and is rather unwell …and breathe!

I hate disjointed weeks. I need to sew to calm my nerves. Until then this is my second 'none quilting/sewing just photos I love post'.

I love this photo, obviously which is why it's here. The photo of Tink through an A5 card of film samples that we had from when we ran the company in London. I've included a shot of the card so you can see what I mean.

Hope your weeks calmer than mine!

Book Week

I had two very excited little children this morning… there's nothing like going to school in disguise. Both of them became their characters – My boywas jumping off walls and running about. Tink was very dainty and skipped along! 

I had to re-make the bottom half of my boys costume yesterday, so the pants, legs and boots are all new. It would have been easier to make the whole costume from scratch but apparently I am now "the best mum I've ever had!" Thanks son, I think!

Fabulous Fabric

I had a lovely parcel arrive today…

The fabrics are absolutely gorgeous, all from the cut out and keep collection, I just love Hydrangeas (third from the left). Thank you so much to Fabric Rehab for the opportunity to win these.

I can't wait to find a use for them!

Rachael

Something for the weekend

So this week my favourite thing I've 'stumbleupon' is these stools…

…I  want one.

Go to http://www.contemporist.com/2010/07/09/bright-woods-collection-by-giancarlo-zema-for-avanzini-group/ to see different colours.

Little Red Riding Hood - Part Three

So yesterday I made the apron. I was a little pre occupied due to my MRI scan appointment… so I didn't take photographs of my progress and I spent most of the day unpicking. I'm sure it all went wrong because it was my unconscious trying to keep me busy.

So I started with a rectangle, I hemmed it on the bottom with some lace from my mums stash and used my old favourite elastic running stitch across the top of the rectangle to gather it.

I cut a really long thin rectangle to be the waist and form the tie back, and I pinned the bottom part of the apron inside this. I then stitched it closed along the outside.

Little Red Riding Hood – Part Two

The cape…

Not as complicated as the dress. I knew how I needed it to look so I took a guess at how I may get to that point.

I cut a large circle and then took just over a quarter out. I put binding round the edge so that once again I didn't have to hem it, and the small circle in the middle is to go around the neck.

I then cut a smaller semi circle for the hood, it was still quite large because I wanted the hood to be very loose.

Little Red Riding Hood – Part One

Book week is coming around pretty quickly for us and this year Tink is going as Little Red Riding Hood.

Luckily I had some red gingham in my fabric stash and a finger puppet for inspiration.

With no pattern, and I'm not sure I would be able to follow one anyway I decided to cut two rectangles and stitch the short sides together as a start to the skirt.

Then I moved on to the top, I drew around TInk to get her size and came up with a shape that I thought would work for the top panel. I then cut another one out for the back which I was going to make in two pieces, I cut the neck slightly higher and overlapped the two pieces so that I could have buttons up the back.

Pinned the front and the two back pieces together and stitched at the top and side seams.

No quilting on Wednesdays

… I've decided on another weekly 'non quilting' post this one will be for Wednesdays but only if you can cope with all this excitement…

Just because my obsession is fabric doesn't mean yours is, and I understand post after post of my quilts being made can be pretty mundane. So I'm going to post my weekly favourite photo. Chances are it will be something that my gorgeous hubby has taken as he's a keen amateur photographer, and I have to admit I love his shots but in this instance my first one is a photo taken by Oscar.

He took it last week at Brooklands racetrack on his dad's iphone. He had a great time and took so many fantastic shots of some gorgeous cars but this was one of my favourties, I love it. Hope you like it too.

Fabulous Tuesday

I woke up to find an email today telling me I had won some fabric…yay!

I won the cut out and keep bundle from Fabric Rehab.

If you haven't visited them before you should look at their site, they have a gorgeous range of fabric. I can't wait to get my fabric, I'm so excited.

http://www.fabricrehab.co.uk/
http://www.fabricrehab.co.uk/blog/

Just in case you haven't seen, red pepper quilts have a fabric giveaway too.

http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2011/05/pooches-and-pickups.html

Hope you all have a good day, I'm off to make a little red riding hood costume!

Rachael

Weekend Chores

…sewing, sewing, sewing!

Sewing my single quilt rows together.

I just love the gentle little purr of my bernina.

Let's get inspired

I love stumbleupon. If you haven't tried it you should, it's a site that allows you to search for interesting things on the web by categories. I have found so many clever, craft people out there so I have decided to share some of the things that I bookmark.

I'll limit myself to picking one a week otherwise you'll be bogged down with my posts.

…thinking of a name, hhmmm lets call it… Inspirational monday, Tuesday Treats, no no. Friday Favourites. Any suggestions?

Anyway until there's a name and a day here's my first one. Beautiful coffee filter roses. There's a tutorial on how to do it too so there's no excuses.

http://www.auntpeaches.com/2010/09/coffee-filter-roses.html

If you guys find something inspiring then share it with us. It could be fun.

Don't forget to help me out with the name…

My fledglings have flown the nest (figuratively speaking)

Whilst reflecting on the lovely morning I had with one of my friends who is learning to quilt I came up with a great idea, I think. I'll set the scene…

Several months ago two of my girl friends coerced me into teaching them how to quilt. They decided it wasn't worth attending classes when they had me to help them. I decided that if we were going to do this seriously we needed to make a quilt that approached several aspects of sewing – much to their horror! It all goes back to my theory that if you can sew a straight line then you can sew anything,

I designed three quilts but one contained applique hearts, little squares and striped squares, nice and challenging for the beginner. So then it was my turn to coerce them into choosing the quilt that I wanted them to do. Actual lets be honest, I pretty much told them they were doing the one I wanted!

I got side tracked

…of course I did, but in my defence I did sew all the binding to the front of the quilt, I just didn't go and find the wadding or backing so that I could finish the binding!

I got side tracked in a productive way though. I decided as my sewing machine was all set up that I'd sew my single quilt. Only three more rows to stitch together…

Hooray…I'm sewing again

…kids back at school – but I do miss them terribly
…ironing done
…house tidy-ish, well at least it was for a bit
…beds made
…washing on
…grass mowed (thanks dad)
…bathroom cupboards still need painting but hey, they can wait.

…sewing machine is coming out!

This is it. My lovely Bernina 730 record. 40 something years old.

It was my mums machine and she lent it to me quite a few years ago now on the understanding that she could always ask for it back. She never did. Sadly my mum passed away 18 months ago but I always think about her when I'm sewing, what I mean is I especially think of her when I'm sewing. I think of all the things she made for us as children and adults with her Benina… clothes, toys, aprons, duvet covers even my sisters wedding dress and three bridesmaids dresses. She was a clever cookie my mum. So with all the things that have been made on this machine it's job for today is binding.

I've cut the binding for my yellow puffball – first job on my 'to finish' list and I'm all ready.

What's the betting I get side tracked before today is out and start on something new…

…nothing to do with quilting!

I've had a few of you tell me how much you like my site and would like to follow me if you only knew how! Quick lesson…

…on the right hand side, underneath the posts there is my no followers list – thank you to the two lovely people that have changed that.

Directly underneath that is a google follow symbol. If you click on that it will ask you to sign in with an existing account that you have with Google, twitter, yahoo, AIM, Netlog or OpenID, If you don't have one you can click on the link to sign up!

Now all you people that have asked me how need to do that so that I don't look like I'm making this up… go on, it's easy!