Finished to give away

This afternoon I got to the Post Shop just before it was closing. The photo is quite dark but I love the purple boots I made for my Mother. The day I did the dyeing of wool blankets I then drove on to their place. My Mother chose the colour she wanted for boots, the inside lining is actually material she gave me years ago when she was clearing out her stash. So I thought it great to put that in. 

The cushion is going to our school library. I gave them three others that used the scraps like this, but had black with white dot background. The Librarian came to see me especially to say thanks and my son said the kids were fighting over them. So I washed and pressed this cover, got a inner from the Op Shop (Charity Shop). 

I have started my study and getting stressed about the load and what I have committed too. So to be able to do some craft to de stress and cushions are good little projects to get finished and feel that I have achieved.

Linking to these places.

Back into sewing

It has taken a long time for me to feel like sewing again. But lots of things are sorted so now I feel I am on a roll. Signed a new contract at work, sorted my sewing room and read a really inspiring article about just making changes by 1%. So am attempting to sew just for half an hour a day.

I finished these two blocks last night and quilted them. They will be a zip pouch for a lovely young lady who is going to Medical School next year. We will miss her. sigh. Anyway, am feeling more inspired with the little bit of sewing and a bit more exercise in my day.

I link to these places.

Scrap, applique cushion

Still using the scrap bag. I had grand illusions of making a complete quilt. Using all my pale scraps for the background and all the bright for the applique sections. Well after doing one section I needed to change the game plan!! Not my style and I knew it would just end up being another UFO.

Up close. I even hand quilted it
using perle 8 thread.

So at my recent retreat I turned it into a cushion. It is a large cushion 25inches square. And amazingly, satisfyingly, I managed to find a gorgeous condition feather inner exactly the right size at the Op Shop (thrift store). A bargain of $10 as the original cover was yuck (but I saw underneath that).

I came home from retreat and did my wee show and tell at home and Jakob immediately pinched the cushion for his bed.

Linking to these places

Goodness gracious I started another project

This was meant to be a zipped bag. But no - I kept going. Now everytime I find a scrap of material, on the floor or cut off my current project, I start making another random block. When it is big enough I add it on. It is about 1m wide by 60cm high. This will take ages to potter on and do. But it is something where I can sit at the sewing machine for half an hour and feel that I have done something.

I link to these place

Is it a new project or finishing an old one?

Hmm I can't decide. I am trying to use all my bags of stuff that have been organised into projects. Now I have three shelves of unfinished or planned projects and yet I also have tons in my head ready to start. This is a bag of orphan block - the photo is not good sorry.

sorting all the blocks on my bed

 Every-time I make a project and have bits left over I put them in this bag. I can see my taste change just through this bag. Last night I decided it was time to get rid of this bag. The main block of green half square triangles (hst) I made about 12 years ago. The square blocks were a quilt I started but from all my scraps about 10 years, but no progress was made and I decided to put them in the orphan block pile. Then lately my scraps have been a lot brighter and more white based from slightly more modern quilting.

looking coordinated now but maybe not later!!

So last night I sewed some of the blocks together and now it looks all coordinated - that is the end of the blocks from 12-9 years ago. Now I have modern bits and bobs to put around it. I think the quilt could end up looking quite confused but at least it will be another quilt for the charity I support - Hope Homes International.

So do I classify this as finishing something or starting something? As you can see, I am good at starting and not so good at finishing.

I link to these places and especially WIP Wednesday and Anne at Domesblissity.

Scrappy triangles are now all used.

Yes I made another cushion / pillow cover. I have been trying to change layouts and try different things. It is only by trying that you see what works. This is 22 inches square and I have decided to use it on the European pillows we have on our beds. They are feather and old and getting a bit saggy and the thicker quilted cover has made the pillow look new again. I made it slightly smaller than the feather inner in an aim to plump the cushion up again.

When I first patched the triangles with the borders in-between I did not like it at all - somehow the triangles got lost. I still think I would have preferred it if the material was black with white dots but I had run out and I am trying to only use my stash. But once the quilting in black thread went on the triangle look came back. Not the best job and not my favourite but it is a finish!!! I still have sitting in my quilting stuff some of the remainder triangles which I had sewn for another cushion may unpick and use on my new project. That is the end of this stash of triangles!!! yay.





As it is going to be used on the bed I just made a basic envelope opening for the back of the cover.  

I will be linking to several parties - their buttons are over here.

What's on my sewing table at the moment

Well there is somehow not as much getting under the sewing machine as I plan. I just don't seem to have the steam after dinner to get things done.

BUT I have started a couple of things and have worked on them for the last few nights. This is after having some full days doing fun school holiday things. We have scooter-ed around Lake Pegasus after a lovely morning tea with friends. That time ended up with swimming in the middle (in our clothes as I did not think to bring togs), dodging the sprinklers and having a generally lovely time.

We have also been on the miniature railway out at Steam Scene, raced on the hydroslides at Jellie Park, the males all went to see the new Hobbit movie and all this in the first week of the school holidays. ( I managed to squeeze some work in today while they were at the movies).

Anyway..... I have started a refashion of this denim jacket.


And started to piece together a big pile of scrappy 60 degree triangles. These triangles have been in the making for a long time. Whenever I have sewn strips leftover from a project I cut triangles from them. Jakob is in need of a few cushion covers so I thought that was a project that killed two birds with one stone. The only things is that I have a LOT more than I realised. So I have started the top of his cushion cover, started another cushion cover for a much bigger cushion but I still have leftovers. Hmmm...

Not sure how to use them up so am thinking of putting a strip between them all, am liking this look so far. 

So still sitting on my sewing table are the cushions, the backing (black with white dot) and the patched triangles. 

I link to these places.