More goodies

There is a new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum (which I think is the best one in the world!) and it is all about quilts!

http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/quilts-1700-2010/

I haven't been yet, but I've done some shopping from the online shop. They have an exclusive set of fabrics produced by Libertys just for the show and I bought all of them in 3 fat quarter sets as well as some yardage of my favourite. I also got the book to go with it. The idea is that when I do get to see it in person I won't be too tempted to buy too much!

ps. for some annoying reason the photo with the book keeps importing upside down!

Shock to the system

This work malarky is a bit of a shock to the system after a year not doing it. Luckily I only had to do two days this week as an induction, but I'm not keen on getting up at 5am and spending hours on the M25. On sunday I start shifts which are going to be 4am - 2pm. I'll be staying in a hotel near work so it will only be really painful on sunday when I set out in the middle of the night!

I don't forsee much sewing happening for a while so I will show some more of last years makes.

This was my first baby quilt, and the first one to actually go to a new born. It was really simple in principal as it is a snowball block that finishes at 6 inches. I just kept making mistakes. Firstly I kept getting wrong cutting the 6.5 inch centre square for each block, I was being a total numpty.

The other mistake I made was the cream fabric I picked for the corners. It's hard to see from the pics, but it had a striped pattern in it so I then spend ages trying to make sure that all the corner triangles were going in the same direction. I won't make that mistake again!

I fell in love with the spots fabric I found for the back. I'm dreadful at remembering brands etc, but I know this was from John Lewis and I think it was their own brand. I've never seen it in there since, I really wish I had got a lot more!

The straight line quilting came out much better than I expected, I marked it using a hera marker and it was easily to follow as the fabric was so light.

The quilt ended up at 36x36 inches.

Curves and crosses

I''ve done another block using the drunkards path templates and I like how they come out but they are so much bother, I couldn't imagine doing a whole quilt with them. I might make a cushion cover or something out of them.

I've also rediscovered a stash of cross stich magazines I had tucked away from the 90's. The kind that had a little project free with each issue, so I pulled one out and finished it.

I used to do lots of these little ones but haven't done one for years. I stil have about 20 left in the box for when I next fancy it.

Circle block playing

I've been playing with the curved seams a bit more and ended up with this block.

I like it but it is a bit slow and fiddly to do the curved seams. A couple of the joins aren't great but its okay for a first attempt. It might have been easier if I had done the 1/4 circle blocks bigger, trying to get it through the machine is tight.

I got some Marti Mitchell drunkards path templates, I love these as they are so sturdy but I have a large rotary cutter and it was a bit hard to cut. I think they would be easier using the smaller cutters, something else to add to the shopping list.

Look at my new goodies

I decided to treat myself to some more fabric, as if I haven't been buying enough over the last year since I really caught the quilting bug. I had been forcing myself to not look at the lovey websites out there, but as I got a new job this week I thought I could justify the spending to myself.

I don't know why I feel I have to find excuses to allow myself to spend my own money! Its silly. I haven't got any dependents, I have enough to pay the mortgage and bills, don't smoke and my heavy drinking and partying days are over. Why should it matter that I want to stock up on more fabric that I will use in a decade?

I am waiting for some more goodies as well which I will share later but this pile came from http://www.quilterscloth.co.uk/ which always has offers and delivers in a day or two.

Happy Paddy's Day

And enjoy if you are out and about getting hammered in celebration, but I'll pass on that part thanks.

I am a true plastic paddy, Irish parents english born but I hate going out on paddys night. I think it was being traumatised at a Irish club when I was little that caused my aversion, being flung around a overcrowd room but drunken loonies to the Siege of Ennis did it for me! Not that I have a problem to the drinking, at certain occasions I'd be the drunken loony these days but tonight I'll stay in and enjoy a nice glass or two of the rose in the fridge.

I'm not doing much sewing as I am trying to get all my annoying jobs done as I start back at work next week. I've been off for a year and on monday unexpectedly someone offered me a 3 month contract. I couldn't really say no but have been sulking ever since and the thought of not having loads of sewing time.

Today though I just did a few little bits to keep my hand in, some foundation paper piecing and my first ever curved seam! Its not great but I been too scared to try one for ages.

Tidying up the scraps

Since finishing my last big quilt I've been having a bit of a tidy up of all the scraps and bits that have been getting out of control.

Rather than save to use later, I am trying to get them turned into things as I go. So I've been making loads more wonky stars from any odd triangles and small and large string blocks.

I've also been cutting anything else odd shaped into 2.5 inch squares and saving them. Then I have a little box of odds, I haven't decided what to do with them yet.

From the 2.5 inch squares I've made the this lovely doggie from this brill pattern http://www.dsquilts.com/fabric_and_patterns.asp?PageID=187 and have one half of a second one ready. I even stuffed it with the left over wadding scraps I've been saving from my quilts! Old button and ribbon and he's good to go!

Nine patch quilt finished

Yippee! I'm so pleased with this, considering how horrible a lot of the fabrics are its a lot better than I expected.

I pieced the back with the left over fabrics and quilted it in the ditch (well roughly). This created a lovely grid pattern on the back. The strips on the back managed to remain pretty straight and I managed not to get any puckers!!!! Hooray!!!

I got the binding from stash so the only fabric I had to buy was the green used for the sashing and backing.

I'm giving it to my Auntie next week so she can take it with her when she goes to Ireland in the summer.

Boring basting

This is the bit I can't stand. Basting. I don't mind anything else, even binding (although I do it all by machine). But basting the quilt sandwich is horrible. Even if I did have the floor space, I wouldn't do it on there as my back would give out.

I do have a great table for doing it though, its old enough that scratches from the pins don't matter. The whole process just bores me and it nevers seems to go together easily.