Crayon Rolls

I've done more sewing.  Mainly making crayon rolls for the school fair this Thursday but it has got me back into it.  I've also finished cutting the sashing for LJ's quilt.  I want to get both tops finished before I start on the backs, mainly because I want to piece a label into the back and at the moment both boys want the Cogsmo quilt.  I need them to see both finished and choose one each before I write on the label and sew it in.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the crayon rolls I've made

Apologies, I should have credited my source.  The pattern came from here

Productivity At Last

I finally cranked up the sewing machine this weekend and got some sewing done.

DH has gone down south to visit friends for the weekend (it's my turn next weekend) so my sewing machine has taken up residence on the kitchen table.  I spent Friday afternoon before the kids got home and Friday evening  (after a KFC dinner and a snuggling up in Mummy's bed movie night) piecing together fabric that has been cut for months.

Do you know when you're going so well you just want to get 'this bit' finished before bed?  Well that's how well it was going.  I got all the blocks pieced and sewn into rows but starting after 9pm meant I didn't get to bed 'til the wrong side of midnight!

I spent an hour after dinner piecing together the rows and I now have a completed quilt top ready to press.  I want to piece the back and piece in one of the labels I had printed up by the lovely people and Spoonflower.  Fortunately this should come together quickly as it'll be made up of a couple of large pieces af fabric plus some fancy twiddly bits and a label.

So here is the finished top.  It's a combination of Kona Solids (Sage, White & Red) and Cosmo Cricket's Cogsmo (Spaceships Aqua & Gears Aqua (white sashing), Stripes & Tossed Robots (red sashing), Sprockets Multi & Spaceships Tangerine (sage sashing))

TJ approves and is impressed with the size (about 6' x 4'), the last quilt I made him barely covers his lap now.  I can't remember where the pattern idea came from.  I know I saw another quilt with a similar pattern and fell in love so out came the squared paper and colouring pencils.  Obviously I tweaked the pattern to fit the size / layout I wanted.  For the technogeek that I am, you can't beat squared paper and coloured pencils for quilt planning.

Here's hoping the creativity continues, I have all but 1 lot of sashing cut for LJ's quilt and obviously both quilt backs.  LJ is having Riley Blake Allstar fabrics, photos will follow.

Is that normal behaviour?

The week before last I asked my husband if he had any plans to do any baking within the next few weeks. Not as random a question as you might think. It's my birthday this week and he has been known to gather the children and bake me a cake. Infact the year before last they made me a Nigella chocolate fudge cake which was to die for. I had to give some away though, there's only 4 of us here and I'm supposed to be dieting (have been for years, hmmm) so DH took some to work and DS1 took some to school to help.

This year a friend of mine who makes wedding / birthday cakes to order has started on the mini Christmas cakes that she will be selling later on in the year. In a fit of inspiration I asked if she'd be able to be me a large one (approx 3" sq) early. Happily she agreed and as she has over 100 cakes to make I wasn't expecting anything different to the standard (Orangey gold with a Christmas tree on it). I told DH I had ordered myself a birthday cake and his reply?

"Is that normal behaviour?"

What? You mean ordering your own birthday cake is not normal? Darn it, lol

Here it is, it's gorgeous isn't it? She added that lovely flower and a candle just for me. It's just the right size for all four of us to enjoy a slice each without there being too much to straying from the my diet, lol

Day Zero

I was reading a blog and saw that the author, Sharon, is doing a goals orientated project where she aims to complete 101 goals in 1001 days and blogging about her progress.

I liked the sound of this so headed off to Google it. I found Day Zero. I'm not sure if this is where the idea started but it certainly looks that way. You can browse random lists for ideas (or just to be nosey) and, should you wish, you can sign up and start making your own list.

I thought, seeing as it's my birthday soon, that would be a good day to start my list. I've signed up to DayZero.com and spent about 2 weeks putting together my list. I bought myself a shiney new Domino filofax in slate to use as a journal and I've stripped all the contents apart from the lined paper and dividers, written up my list and I'm all set to go.

I toyed with the idea of getting an A5, more room for everything but in the end decided to stick with the personal. I like the fact that with the personal I can have a Day Zero section in my everyday Filofax and just transfer pages between the two as and when necessary.  I'm hoping as I get going into my 1001 days that it's going to start looking all fat and well used ;-)

So I'm planning on putting the list in my sidebar, and hopefully come back and update it as and when I complete the tasks. Quite a few people have as one of their 101 goals to 'Inspire someone else to start a Day Zero list'. It is not one of my goals but if it does interest you and you decide to join in, please do let me know

Craft Update

There has been a distinct lack of blog posting here so I thought I'd treat you to a crafty update.

Firstly I received this gorgeous quilt from Kelly (Redcleo) for the Doll Quilt 9 swap over on Flickr.

Not only did she send me this quilt but some VERY generous 'scraps' of Joel Dewberry fabric that I've been lusting over, 2 packs of gift cards and a magnetic notepad for my fridge.


I spent the last two weeks putting together two fabric Dollhouses as per the UK lass US tutorial for a couple of birthday presents. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of the first one, it was a bit of a tight schedule. This second one was going to be a dollhouse too but after I consulted the birthday girls parents it became a garage. It's great that it's so easy to adapt the pattern :-).

Finally, here is the finished quilt I posted off to my Doll Quilt Swap partner. I had plans to include some other handmade goodies but I was late enough just getting this out :-(

I don't think I'm going to bother even trying to sign up for DQS10. I had a really great time playing this round and round 8 but I've posted out late both times and this round I just couldn't keep up with the chatter on the Flickr groups. And to be honest the amount of re iterating of the rules (and the amount of rules) irritated me. Saying that, I feel like a teenager rebelling at rules just because they're there, despite the fact that I obviously need them as I'm fairly sure I was one of very few (if not the only one) to post out late this round. It's not fair on the other particpants and my partner, not to play by the rules so from here on in I shall be watching (and maybe chatting a little) rather than taking part.

I'm Ba-ack

I had a very successful move to Vox but they've just announced that they're closing their blogging service so I'm coming back to Blogger.

Hopefully I'll be able to move my posts accross before Vox shuts down completely.

DQS9 WIP

I have had a great day of sewing with SJ today. We cranked up the sewing machines and I put together the fabrics I'd cut for my Doll Quilt Swap 9 quilt whilst SJ made some scrappy blocks from a very impressive sack!! of fabric scraps.

I'm thinking I may have just found a use for those 5" charm blocks I bought off Ebay. But not before I've finished this Doll Quilt and the boys quilts.

I did do some sewing on TJ's quilt today too. Photos will follow just as soon as I can.

Now, do I add some sashing to wide this top or leave it as is? Hmmmmm, decisions, decisions.

Thanks for stopping by.

Karen

Doll Quilt Swap 9

I was lucky enough to get a place on the extremely popular Doll Quilt Swap 9. We were notified on 5 June whether or not we'd gotten a place and then on 13th June the eagerly anticipated e-mail containing the all important swap partner details. Unfortunately I've spent the last few months concentrating on my British Sign Language Level 3 portfolio so I haven't had much time for joining in with the Flickr Group let alone sewing. Well my portfolio was submitted this evening and barring and major revisions I am now free to sew and plan and talk about sex (no, really. You should read some of those discussions over in the Flickr Group) and do all those things with the boys that I said we'd do 'after I finished my college work.

So... I have an idea in mind and it won't go away and there's no room in my head for more. I think I'm going to have to make it up just to get it out of my head. I has lots to do with these (the Lego, not the children)
I think there will be another version so watch this space.

Now a little something for the lovely person who is making a doll quilt for me.

If I remember correctly my likes / dislikes were rather vague with an 'I will love it just because you made it' kind of comment. Whilst this is all totally true I thought maybe my special someone might want just a little bit more information.

I love bright, modern fabrics with a hankering after Joel Dewberry's Deer Valley (in persimmon or azure) collection, Cosmo Crickets Cogsmo (it's fun, I'm using lots to make a quilt for my 3yr old son), lots of Riley Blake. Green / pink, red / aqua and hot pink / orange seem to be my favourite colour combinations at the moment, usually paired with white so as not to be too fussy. Having said that, I'm not really 'up' on all the new designs. These are just an indication of the types of designs / colours I like, not instructions on what fabrics to include lol.

I live in a house full of boys so anything girly would be a welcome addition to the house :D

I don't think I have any dislikes per se just that I prefer unfussy and uncluttered.

Was that any help partner? I hope so, a little less vague than my original e-mail I hope.

Final words of wisdom? Please don't stress partner, I really will love it, whatever you make.

More to follow but it's late here and I need to spend a little while figuring out why I can't seem to add pics to this post.

Birthday Gifts

These are my latest projects. My niece turns 13 today and she's very much a goth (or Emo, not entirely sure about the distinction) and Twilight fan so rather than the usual tenner in a card I thought I would make her something for her birthday.

I think this is Alexander Henry fabric but I'm not entirely sure as I bought it off Ebay. My Thursday was all about sewing these up and TJ kindly obliged by keeping himself occupied or sitting in the kitchen chatting and watching me sew.

Two clutch bags and a laptop case later (all courtesy of Oh Fransson patterns) we just needed to add a couple of pieces of Goth jewellery that Adam found and the gift was ready.





We delivered the gifts yesterday at her birthday BBQ and they appeared to be well received. Adam explained what the laptop case was for and DRH announced that it was going to be her new schoolbag instead :D