Awkward Love

I didn't do any sewing today because my mother and I took the kids shopping in Kingston for belated Christmas and birthday (for Alex) presents, so most of the day was taken up with that.

These cards were made a week or so ago, for a swap with the theme Awkward Love - some amazingly funny cards have come out of that swap, and I had fun with mine, despite the fact that I can't really draw, so am limited to things I can collage.

Finished bag

Here's the elder daughter modelling the finished bag (she specifically requested I not take a photo of her face) - I quilted it and put it together yesterday in preparation for the birthday on 7th March of my younger daughter's friend. It's quilted in variegated thread in swirls - came out nicely, I think - if you click on the photo you can see the quilting details a bit better.



Here's the bit under the flap and the lining.

Postcard Display Unit - How To

A number of people have commented about this display unit, which I showed the other day full of seasonal postcards - several even asked if I'd mind if they used the design to make something similar for themselves - of course I don't, as I actually adapated the design from my advent calendar anyway. Back when I made the postcard holder a million years ago (aka 2007), I posted instructions on how to make one for yourself, so do feel free to check that out and save yourself some of the figuring out!

Free to a good home

I have two small (not tiny, but definitely baby quilt sized) tops which I am happy to give away to someone who wants to turn them into charity quilts (I don't mind what charity). Let me know if interested, I will draw names after a week or so.

The rail fence comes with enough of the border to use as backing, as well.

Pick-a-theme

These ATCs were made for a Pick-a-theme swap (each player nominates his or her own theme). I made sewn cards for a heart theme



and a black, white and red theme.



And collaged cards for a frog theme and a bird theme.

Postcards...

On the wall in my living room is this quilted fabric postcard display unit - I made it a while back to display a selection of the fabric postcards I'd received in swaps over the few years I was swapping those constantly. Periodically, I change what's in the display - maybe 4 or 5 times a year. Sometimes it's seasonal (I usually have an autumnal one, for instance, and usually a Christmas/winter one) and sometimes, it's just what I feel like after a few months of having it the same. This past weekend I went from "winter" (all the actual Christmas ones had been swapped for more neutral ones back in the beginning of January) to a combination of spring and just stuff I like in springish colours...

Here's a few individual ones:



Made by Susan Lenz for her major PC and ATC swap/exhibition in 2008.




Made by me for a swap with a theme of "May".





Made by Sue W. for a BQL swap with the theme Circles.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I finished off these scrappy red hearts on the weekend, but I'm not going to save them to go with the blue ones, as it happens - my friend Clare, who does a lot of quilting for Quilts for Leukaemia, was in need of some red and white blocks, so I've sent them along to her.

Oh my stars...

One thing I did today was to complete the February installment of the Oh My Stars BOM - those of you who have been following along will know I'm using my relatively small stash of Christmas fabrics for this project, as I have no Christmas quilt larger than about 18" square in the house (except the tree skirt). Considering this was only two 12" blocks, a lot of scraps were generated, but that's because I took the opportunity to straighten out the drawer in which I keep my Christmas fabrics, including removing the contents of a small bag of Christmas (and a few co-ordinating, non-Christmas) scraps and adding them to the general scrap basket.

Here's the Christmas stash all neat and tidy:



I think I may move it elsewhere - for instance the basket which was made empty when I cleared out the batik scraps - as it's actually not a lot of material. (And very low on reds, which is presenting a minor problem in this project - problem is, I don't really like most red Christmas fabrics!) I could then put something else in this drawer - perhaps my collection of Japanese taupes and taupe-like fabrics, which is outgrowing its current home...

The Bag Beginning

Some time ago Olivia asked me if I'd make her friend Nina a bag like her messenger bag - she frequently takes it when she goes to Nina's for a sleepover, etc and I think it's been admired. I was requested, however, to make it in black and lots of colours - I knew what she meant, as her bag is black with teal pinwheels. Nina's birthay is coming up in March, so I decided it was time to get to the bag if I wanted it as a birthday present. So today, I raided my scrap stash (this was the neatly cut squares of the stash) for a variety of different coloured scraps, and made them into pinwheels and stitched it together into the two main bag panels. Next step is to quilt the panels, then they get assembled into the bag proper. I have to say, as usual, it didn't make much of a dent in my scrap stash!

More ATCs

I have loads of ATCs I can show, because I went for a long time not blogging the non-fabric ones - so some of these were made a while back, and some more recently. The one above was one of a set made for a swap with the theme Torn Paper - only paper allowed, and nothing cut, all torn.



Butterfly theme, as you might expect!




And this one was for an altered playing card swap - it uses vellum and a transparency - I like both of those things with playing cards because then you can still see much of the original card. And then some stickers and sequins to finish off.

A few more ATCs

I made four cards like this (with differently placed flowers) for a swap with a flower theme.




This card is for a personalised swap - the recipient liked kitchen & recipes, and also crows. Seemed to good an opportunity to miss!

Underwater

This is the second piece (or rather, the first, as I made it before the other) I put into the ALQS5 - it's a wholecloth piece, made from a small section of complex cloth, which was cut from a larger bit, done a while back for dyeing swap, I think. I quilted this piece in various ways and then bound it. Sometimes, the fabric speaks for itself...

Cross-stitch update

As you can see, some progress is being made with the house in this little winter sampler. Someone recommended using a Q-Clip Frame for working on fine count linen, and it is a bit nicer than my bog-standard round springy frame - and doesn't leave nearly the marks in the canvas the springy one does!

ALQS5

Well, now that all the entries have come in and all the preferences lists have been created, I can go ahead and show the quilts I made for the A4 (piece of paper) size round of the ALQS - this is the first of them. It started as a pieced batik scrap - quite large - which I found while clearing out the batik scrap basket - several long strips of batik pieced together along the long edge. No idea what it was from, but it was dying to be cut up and sewn back together with some black. It came out ok, I think, though I think I like the other quilt I made for this swap (which I will show later this week) better...

Red string hearts

To go with the blue ones I did in January. I have actually made enough string blocks for 10 hearts, but only had a chance to get the cream background on two of them. I intend to make 10 hearts in each of soscrappy's chosen colours this year (maybe!) and then do something - or more likely, several somethings, with the resulting blocks.

Final 3 Canal Houses

Here are the last three houses in my row - the far right one is again, one I made myself. A lot of people have commented on the houses and asked questions about them - if you click on the tag "fractured canal houses" at the bottom of this post, it will take you through the history of the project - scroll all the way to the end of those tagged posts and you will see the original picture which inspired the row of houses and the line drawing from which we all worked to make sure our houses were consistent and aligned properly.

It will probably be a while before I get them all sorted out, joined up, embellished, what have you, but I will blog progress as and when...

More canal houses

Here's the second section of houses - D (which is my own one) through to H (G&H are actually one unit, though they weren't going to be, initially). One more group to show, perhaps tomorrow, and then, well, it's going to take a little thought how I want to quilt them...

First of the Canal Houses

One of the things sitting waiting for me to photograph and blog are the canal houses that I got back from the project - here are the first three - and they are great (so are all the others, mind you) - I am really pleased with all the pieces I received. Now, I just have to work out how I will quilt them. And when!

String Hearts

These are blocks for the February Block Lotto - string pieced hearts with very dark backgrounds. Needless to say, I like them. Perhaps I'll win this month!

Wonky Blocks

A while ago I did a swap with my dyeing group of wonky log cabin blocks - I've had the returns sitting here for ages, but haven't got around to photographing them until now. I have a bunch more of these I made for myself upstairs - I think I have about 20 total.