Choices

After I posted on here yesterday, I looked back at my blog entry, and said "oh no!". Because I noticed in the photo, I had placed one of the star tips upside down in the yellow section. I had to unpick quite a few seams to fix it. However, I have fixed it, and sewed on the remaining sections also.

Here's what my quilt pieces look like now.

I laid them out like this, trying to make a decision about the border fabrics. I have a large blue chambray sheet, which is one option. But I rather think the panel looks best with a white border, in which case I can use the blue for backing. Thinking it over... I must decide, and buy wadding, this week. There are only a few weeks left before dd's birthday now.

Seeing stars

More rainbow quilt progress: I've now made the yellow stars section, and they were much easier than I anticipated. In fact, I'd say that the green log cabin section I did before was more difficult.

If you are making this quilt, errata alert! In the stars cutting list, the imperial conversion for the centre squares is incorrect, and should read 4 1/2 ins, not 5 1/2 ins. The metric 11 cms is correct though.

I feel quite sentimental about this section, because it has pieces from one of dd's little dresses, plus some of the fabric I used to sew her a cot duvet cover when she was a baby. This quilt is going to hold lots of memories by the time it's finished.

Then I made a start on quilt-top assembly. I had to put it away before I finished, as dd was expected back from school, but here's where I am so far:

Shaping up nicely!

Posh laundry

I recently sewed this laundry bag. I would have blogged about it sooner, only I didn't take pictures till today.

I made it from a pattern (and templates) in Sew Hip magazine no. 39. The original version in the mag has embroidered words on it too, that say "posh pants" below the appliques, only I wasn't convinced my embroidery skills were up to that task, so I went for a simplified version. If you want to see the original, there is a picture in this blog post by the designer.

For my version, I re-purposed an ancient pillow case for the white sections, and used some Cath Kidston polka dot fabric I had in stash for the appliques. And I'm really happy with how my newly-serviced machine now manages applique!

This is going to be a birthday present. I'm thinking of making another for myself, in which case I may try the embroidery part. Will let you know!

Minifolk

Yesterday, I went to the Minifolk market in West Bridgford. On the flyer it said: "recycled, vintage, old and new, clothes and toys and things to do".

I've found the quality of local crafts fairs to be variable, but this one was a pretty good one. There were sewn items, card-makers and illustrators, children's clothes, machine-knitting, cupcakes - proper crafts stalls staffed by the makers, not imported stuff being sold as "craft". There were also various second-hand stalls - mainly toys and kids' clothes; sale stock generally high quality (and I am fussy!)  It would be a good place to take your small-ish children, as there were hands-on children's crafts, and a small cafe area also.

If you live locally and want to take a look in person, Minifolk are having another event at the Lady Bay All Hallows Church Hall, 10.30 to 1.30 on Saturday 17th March. I liked it so much yesterday, I might go again.

If you live further away, you can find your way to lots of the sellers through this website for Nottingham craft and creative businesses, where there are also links to various other local events and classes.

I did actually buy something at the fair:

This little lavender bag was made by Rachel Ainley. I asked where the fabric with a little picture of Canterbury Cathedral came from and Rachel explained she uses pictorial tea-towels in her work. She makes gorgeous coffee cosies as well. How clever! Actually, when she said this, it took me right back to when I made my tablecloth skirt (which I was still wearing last summer).

I felt a sudden urge to start buying souvenir tea-towels myself and working them into my kitchen sewing, so I picked up these two in the Oxfam shop later

But you can't expect to see these anytime soon. I MUST finish my rainbow quilt first.

I would like to make it clear, no-one paid me, or even asked me, to write this entry -  this is an independent and non-profit blog.

Stashdown2012: #2

I am stashing down! Oh yeah baby! I haven't been near a yarn shop this month, or bought any yarn on-line, so there were no additions at all. Hurray.

And I have used up:

• 100 yds dishcloth cotton (2 dishcloths). I now only have 5 partial balls of this left - down from 12+ at the start of the year
• 450 yards Rowan cotton jeans - just under six balls out of 8 used up. I expect to have none of this left by end March 
• 130 yards of Twilleys freedom spirit DK 
• 150 yards of Babylonglegs sock yarn = Just over one sock. I will finish the second next month!
• Scraps of Cygnet superwash dk and Wendy merino dk

That means over 800 yards down in February.

Here's more evidence of stashing down this month - simple fingerless mittss made out of Freedom Spirit dk.

Next month I will definitely be using the rest of the cotton jeans, more of the Babylonglegs sock yarn, and stashed yarn for my final pair of Arithmancy OWL socks.

Sewing green

On Friday, at last I had a day when I was at home, dd was out of the house, and my sewing machine was back from the repair shop. So obviously, I made the most of it, and completed the green parts of the rainbow quilt.

It was my first ever attempt at log-cabin squares, and I'm not sure I really achieved the light versus dark contrast adequately. Most of my green fabrics seemed to fall in the mid-green range, so it was quite hard to differentiate - I did try, but think I was more successful in the left square, below, than in the right one.

I looked again at my violet section and it isn't really that bad (thanks for saying this, Claire, as you helped me to know it!) so I didn't re-sew it. I sewed the violet border pieces yesterday also, so it looks like I only have the yellow sections left now. That one is stars (gulp. I'm a bit scared).

Also, I have to source backing and border fabric. I'm inclined to use a plain, dark colour this time, if anyone has any  suggestions for this that won't break the bank, please write this in the comments box. Feedback very welcome!

The Case of the Kindle

My dh gave me a kindle for my birthday last month. (I didn't write anything about my birthday at the time, because frankly, what's another birthday when you are as old as I am now?!)

A kindle is consistent with my reduce and de-clutter policy. Even though I've been sworn off new book purchases for a while, I've still been accruing books as gifts, second-hand books and sewing/knitting magazines. An e-reader won't add any more actual books to my shelves - at least, that's the theory.

I had this idea I would take my kindle out and about for reading opportunities, only I haven't yet, as I was worried about it getting scratched or otherwise damaged whilst rattling around in my bag.

But I have now knitted a kindle cosy:

So next week when I take ds to his swimming class, I'll be able to catch up with the latest case of Agatha Raisin!

This was a stashdown project also, as I used yarn already in stash, and repurposed a button off a pair of discarded trousers. The pattern was this nook cozy (free pattern), worked in 4mm needles with dk yarn.