February Round up

I am going to use the excuse that February is a short month which is why I didn't get much sewing done BUT to be honest I was just caught up doing other things.  Mostly launching my new coaching business.  Pretty exciting times but I did get some things done.

Firstly I made myself a new peg bag (no pictures) which is a little too big but I am enjoying using it.

Next I made Jot a new dress.  Excuse the photos she was not in a good mood when she tried it on.  I adapted the Little Explorer pattern that I made up for CT in January (you can read more about it here).  I obviously wasn't concentrating too hard though as I seem to have an extra couple of inches in the waist which means it is rather baggy at the back.  She says she likes it but has yet to wear it so not sure on that one :).  I will make it again though but will have to work on some measurements first.

I also got the Swoon quilt back from the wonderful Anita who now does my quilting on her long arm machine.  I attached 8m of binding by hand in about 3 evenings which gave me time to wash and dry it before my parents arrived from the UK.  If you remember back to when I first started this quilt in way back in March last year it was always intended as a Ruby wedding anniversary gift for my parents.  I did get the year wrong though and their Ruby wedding was actually in 2010 but it is the thought that counts.

Anyway they arrived on 23 Feb and Jot was bursting to give them their gift.  They loved it and I was delighted to nip into their room on the Sunday to find it already in use.  I love seeing my quilts in action :)

Most of the end of February was spent dealing with a sick little boy.  We have had the dreaded Gastro in our house and on top of that he had Tonsilitis and 8 new teeth.  Yup you guessed it he has been one mighty unhappy little chap.

Thankfully he is well on the mend although some of the teeth aren't still completely through he is well enough to return to childcare and I got to return to my machine today for a secret squirrel project I am part of.  No photos of that :)

Now though I am back to work and designing business cards :)

Swoon sewing & others

With CT at childcare three days a week I am meant to be studying.  I always knew that was going to be a tall ask for the first week and I was right.

Instead I concentrated to finishing up my Swoon Quilt top (which is for my parents Ruby Wedding Anniversary in 2010).  I started a Swoon along in April 2012 with some online quilting buddies, we were meant to finish it in about July but well you can guess I didn't manage it :).

I finished the last block yesterday morning and sashed it yesterday afternoon.  I pieced the back today and now it is all ready to go off to the long arm quilter.  I am still hopeful that my parents will take it back to the UK with them when they visit at the end of February.  Fingers are crossed.

So here it is (Mum if you are reading this close the browser NOW).

Please excuse the not so great photography I had to move furniture and then stand on the back of the sofa to be able to fit the whole thing in the shot.

I have to say that it is growing on me.  I was distinctly unimpressed by it yesterday when I had to unpick some sashing but now I think I like it.  Hopefully once Anita has had her way with it I will love it and so will my parents.

Once that was finished I felt like I was on a roll so I whipped up a quick quilt top for my next Aussie Heros Quilt.  I really wan't enamoured of the fabric but do like it now it has been put together. I really like the strips running the length of the quilt rather than the width.  The best thing is it only took me about an hour from cutting to pressing.

{NINETEEN} Blogtoberfest

Busy Busy Busy Sewing.  Yay!

I have managed to finish Jots Halloween costume in the end we made her a red butterfly costume which I will take photos off on costume day (Halloween) to show you as I don't want her wearing it before then.

I also ran up a quick pair of summer PJs for her as it is PJ day at childcare next week and all her winter PJs have seen better days.  Photo to follow as I haven't quite finished the top.

Finally I finished another Swoon Block.  This is block 7 only two more to go.

 

Feeling very pleased with myself BUT I have been using it as a procrastination technique.  I really need to do the homework set by my career transition lady but sewing is soo much more fun.

Doh moments

I had another Doh moment last week.  I got all my bits and pieces to put together the back of my Mondrian Quilt (my blocks from the Melbourne Modern Quilt 2011 Bee) and took the time to draw it out and measure all the black sashing bits needed and work out how to put them together and then I cut.

That was my Doh moment I forgot to add the seam allowance.  So each time I add a new bit of black to the blocks I have to trim down.  I am therefore feeling particularly blah about it right now and want to just put it away BUT I promised R a quilt for our sitting room this winter so I guess I need to push through my blah moment and get it finished.

I have reviewed my WIP List though from earlier in the year and discovered that I might have a slight WIP problem

Genuine WIPs

Laras Quilt - - Finished and Gifted
Mondrian Quilt - Top complete
Fandango Quilt - blocks complete - am likely to split this into two smaller quilts, just need to lay it out and have a look.

WIPs in Planning stage

Central Park Quilt - 24 hour quilt complete
Quilt for Nephew O
Ruby Wedding Quilt for M&D - Swoon Along -  4 out of 9 blocks complete

CT Quilt - blocks complete

New WIPS started or planned since January
Jot Car quilt - needs to be sandwiched, quilted and bound
Big Bed Quilt for Niece A - 2012 - I think I might use one of the Fandango quilts for Niece A
Baby Quilt for Baby B - 2012 (baby due Jan 2013 but I want this to be in the UK before Baby arrives) - currently choosing fabrics
Jot Big Girl Bed Quilt (5th birhtday) 2013
C & K10th Anniversary Quilt - 2014
A & J 10th anniversary Quilt - 2016
CT Big Boy Quilt (5th birhtday) - 2016

As you can see I am looking ahead but it tooke me two years to get my sisters wedding quilt to her so I think starting most of these soon is a good idea.  I already have a deisgn and fabric picked out for C&K 10th anniversary quilt (fabric doesn't come out till October 2012) and also for Jots big girl quilt so the main decision I have to make in the near future is for Baby B who is due in January.  Do I wait till i know if it will be pink or blue or make both and then send the right colour :)

So now I am going to have a quick look at baby fabric and then I will be off to bed but tomorrow I have great plans to finish the Mondrian back (after a nap to catch up on sleepless baby nights).

Doh

I had a Doh moment the other day when I finally finished Jots winter nighties and to make it worse it wasn't just on one nightie but two out of three.  Luckily she doesn't seem to mind and who is going to be seeing them anyway other than family :)

Can you see it?  Yes in both the pink and blue nighties I cut the body so the print is upside down.  Doh!

Anothe Doh moment occured while putting together my first Swoon block.  I managed (and I am still not quite sure how) to end up with flying geese that were shorter than they were meant to be.  So some unpicking, a fair amount of swearing and solution g finding later (Thank you CT for staying asleep through all this) my first Swoon block is finished.  I love it and am looking forward to seeing how the rest turn out (without the Doh moment).

Anyway this is who I am blaming for my Doh moments.  The lack of sleep is taking its toll on me.

But he is so cute I forgive him.  Pictured above with R on Easter Monday.

I'm back at my machine

Having decided that I just didn't have enough space to use the machine comfortably while it shared space with the computer I have comandered part of the kitchen table to get some sewing done and have made an inroads into my WIP.

Laras Quilt is finally finished.  You may remember I mentioned Lara last year when she was diagnosed at 2.5 years old with Leukemia.  I wanted to make her a quilt to take with her to the hospital.  Due to illness, morning sickness, and renovations I have had to keep putting it off but it is finally complete and ready to be gifted.  Lara is doing really well with her treatement and has even had it shortened by one cycle which is great news. 

I have also had time to start sashing my Mondrian blocks from the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild Oh Beehave quilt bee.  It is looking really good and I am very excited about this one - no idea how the quilting will work yet so it may be some time before it is actually complete.

I made two pairs of winter Pjs for Jot as the nights are starting to get quite cold.  Each one cost a total of $7 to make (not including my time) so I am really happy about being frugal especially when Kmart has Pjs for $9.

I have signed up for a Swoon along with some online quilting friends on facebook.  We are starting on 1 April so I have a couple of weeks to finish getting the fabric together.  The main block fabrics have arrived and I love them.  This quilt is destined for my parents as their Ruby Wedding Anniversary present (it will only be about 18 months late if all goes to plan).  The fabric is Redwork Renaissance by Choles Closet and it is going to look great.

and in addition to that this little guy has been sleeping well over the last couple of days.  I took this after nipping out to the bathroom for a couple of minutes and returning to find him fast asleep. 

He is currently asleep again (loving it) so I am off to  finish sashing my Mondrian blocks or maybe I will start cutting my Swoon blocks.  Decisions Decisions :)