Thursday, February 24, 2011

My Family Day Sewing Project

I enjoyed my last "sweet" project so much, I really wanted to try something a little bigger. I'm not sure how smart it was to choose a white pillow with four boys and a dog on my couch, but I still really like how it turned out!PDRM0812

I started out laying my pattern out on paper. From there, I transferred it onto a double sided iron on adhesive, which I ironed on my fabrics, and then ironed onto the white background.

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Choosing the fabrics, then cutting out the pieces to assemble on the background.

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The iron on adhesive really made it easy to stitch around each piece without any movement.

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It's a bit hard to see in this picture but I used a washable marker to mark where I would be stitching all the little details, like the birds tailfeathers, and the leaf stems.

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I used coordinating thread to go over my marked lines five or six times each, until I got the thickness of line I wanted.

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Lastly I layered the top, some cotton batting and then a backing and free motion quilted the swirl pattern all over the background.

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I trimmed the edges to a 20 inch square, made a pocket to insert a pillow form and finished with a coordinating edging. Ta-da...all done! Took me the better part of a day...but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Yup...I'm still here!

So sorry it's been almost 4 months since I've last posted...what a dirty rotten shame. My crafting time has been drastically cut due to a new florist position at a local flower shop.
However, I'm still doing bits and pieces as I find time and I still enjoy checking out all my favourite blogs looking for new inspiration.

Okay...what to do when your husband tries to help you with the laundry and shrinks your favourite wool sweater ( besides hurt him). As you can see this happened more than once... I turned them both into carry all bags...and I love them....almost as much as I enjoyed wearing the sweater!









This is an attempt at a new applique technique...raw edge applique. Then around it is machine quilted in a swirly pattern. I'm thinking the quilting on white looks like a paper towel! I quite enjoyed doing this and may attempt a pillow or even a small quilt using this technique...stay tuned.







Monday, October 25, 2010

Beautiful Fall Bouquets.



I just found this beauty of a bouquet at the Treasured Petal blog. I just love the vivid combination of colours an especially the anenomes....beautiful!






















Here is a bouquet I did last weekend for a beautiful bride, Amanda, last weekend. I love the fall colours she chose, and the great mix of different flowers she chose.
She was lucky to have a beautifully sunny Saturday to have her outdoor wedding just outside Awenda Provincial Park in Penetanguishene. I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures!


























Monday, October 4, 2010

Verna Quilt

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The inside was quilted in random circles, various sizes, all linking one to another. The outside 6" was quilted in straight lines.

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The border and backing are both the same. I used a flat bed sheet! It was affordable and coordinated again with all the fabrics I was already using.

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I'm really happy with how Verna turned out!  I love the mix of colours...I love the white lattice....and I'm really loving the quilting too.

I used a Verna charm pack for all the 5"squares. These charm packs are great for getting a nice variety in colour and pattern, yet they all coordinate without too much thought.

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Monday, September 27, 2010

Finished just in time...

It's finished!
I've been working fast on this one...it's due for a wedding this Saturday. I just made it with enough time to wrap it up pretty.
It's kind of hard to let it go. I've spent so much time looking at it, I think I'm kind of liking it. Hopefully it will be enjoyed by a very special bride!
















Saturday, September 4, 2010

Trying something new...

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I have been wanting to try the "quilt as you go" technique. I have seen beautiful large quilts done this way. It saves you trying to fit a large quilt into your machine...you just quilt as you go and attach them at the end.

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It is essentially the long cabin technique, sewn right onto your square of batting. After you add each piece, you take the time to go over each strip. Then you add the next piece and do the same thing again, working your way around the block. It is another great way to use up all your scraps.

 

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When you're finished, cut a square for your backing, trim up the edges and bind as you would a quilt.  Mine became hot pads...with matching tea towels for an upcoming shower gift!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Frolic Quilt

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This quilt was simply pieced using Moda's FROLIC charm pack! I loved all the colours. In some of the squares I appliqued smaller squares just for fun.

I quilted it just with my walking foot in one way wavy stripes.

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The back side.

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A couple of close ups.

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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Scrappy Lap Quilt.....done!

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My first quilt....done!  I think it took about 2 hours to stipple quilt the entire thing. I can see why everyone says to practice, practice,practice! It takes some time to get the feel of the machine and the fabric. Even with a lap size quilt it is easy to get hung up on just about anything, and with the feed dogs dropped, your needle can move anywhere, anytime. I think another time I may try doing a smaller stippling. But over all I'm happy with my first run.

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The back side. Using a pattern allowed some forgiveness if my stitches weren't quite right. It also gave me a chance to use up the few scrap blocks I had leftover.

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It is all bound with a my favourite blue and white striped fabric. I love the effect of striped fabric on binding!

Finished size: 42"x48"

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Scrappy Lap Patchwork Quilt


I finished sewing together my scrappy lap quilt top! It was made from all scraps....bits and pieces I've had forever. Many were scraps from recycled mens shirts.
The patchwork squares were made using strip paper piecing. It's the first time I've tried it, and I'm sure I'll do more. It was easy and fun, and a great way to use up scrap.
I've been reading a book "Quilt As Desired" which is all about machine quilting. She had some great advice about sandwiching the layers. She recommended using masking tape to tape down the back side, stretching it taut. Then layer the batting, and then the top. It worked wonderfully, keeping everything nice and tight. Well, I guess I shouldn't confirm this until I've actually quilted it, but it appears to work nicely!
So...next step...quilting! Stay tuned...




Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Isn't She A Beauty?











I'm sooooooo excited about my new machine. I've been wanting a new machine for a while, but never imagined I'd have one with all these great features.
I think I'm most excited about the "stitch regulator" feature and trying my hand at some free motion quilting. I've got some "quilt sandwiches" all ready to go when she arrives, and I've had some time to practice!
I purchased her on Ebay and had it shipped to my parents in Pennsylvania. I'm just waiting for my first opportunity to pick it up!










Friday, July 23, 2010

Inspiring Quilting Blogs




There are so many great and inspiring blogs out there. I could go on for hours just jumping from one blog to the next. What a great thing to do when you need a little push to move on to a new project. It's like flipping through creative magazines...only free!
The Lattice Quilt is from Film In The Fridge. I love it! Really, I don't think there is a quilt on her blog I don't really like. Go have a look at them...you will be inspired too.

This beautiful quilt is from Sugar and Stiches. I love her colour choices, with just the right amount of white to set of the bright colours!












Saturday, July 17, 2010

It's mine...


How did I live without it?
It's itty bitty, it's hot pink...and it's mine!

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Buzzing of the Sewing Machine...

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There's been a little bitta sewing going on around here...just a little. No big projects or anything too difficult. These were just readymade tea towels that I embellished to go with my kitchen using scraps I had.

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This really cool girl I know inspired me with this idea. Do you have any of those off white canvas bags laying around that you may have been given ....sometimes a marketing promotion? If you don't, you can pick them up at the thrift shops. They make excellent bases for a brand new, more beautiful bag. Because of their sturdy construction, they make perfect book bags or beach bags, depending on the size. You can simply create a "slipcover" to fit just over it and stitch around the top...how easy is that?

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I LOVE blue and white....and I LOVE stripes so this one is my fav so far. Its made from a man's dress shirt!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

How Does Your Garden Grow?

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My old washtub filled with flowery goodness.

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My $10 find at the flea market last weekend...it's all chippy and in great shape.

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Poppy's, which my Sam picked out and planted himself several years ago...it has taken them awhile to get going.

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Have a great day everyone!

Monday, May 31, 2010

Asrai Garden

Through blogland,I have recently heard about this cool little flower/gift shop in Chicago. It looks so very unique and trendy. I love it when flower shops are mixed with unique giftware that compliments it. Check out some pics...and their website:   http://www.asraigarden.com/home.html

LOVE the mix of flowers in the bouquet above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful!