Patchwork frenzy!

Since the success of the sewing room quilt I have gone patchwork mad! I'm working away on yet another quilt. I think I need help!

 

 

Making log cabin mats for the dining table using the loveliest vivid fabrics. 

 

 

 

And this little quilt and matching bibs for my gorgeous new born nephew, I love the chance to buy fabric with dinosaurs and cars and other boyish things! :)

 

 

Sewing room quilt

Because obviously I don't have enough projects on the go right now, I decided when I was fabric shopping last weekend that what I urgently need in life is a sewing room quilt, I was inspired by the gorgeous sewing themed fabric that I recovered my sewing room lampshade in, I like to imagine myself cwtched under this quilt whilst hand sewing or knitting.

 

 

 

 

I was also inspired by this blog post on Posy Gets Cozy about speed making a quilt sewn from strips of fabric. I liked the idea of a quilt coming together so quickly (my other WIP quilt is currently timing at about 10 months and counting) so I followed the method of choosing fabrics quickly, not worrying too much about my choices, just going with what I like which is so unlike me.

 

 

 

 

I bought 10cm strips of each fabric, didn't even bother to straighten the cutting when I got home, which has resulted in a slightly wonky quilt in places but who cares? I certainly wouldn't show any of my quilts to an avid quilter, but they make me happy and even happier still when this quilt is finished, quilted and edged all within just over a week of having bought the fabric. Definite new record!

Recently...

Recent few weeks have been incredibly productive in the sort of way that I've started lots of projects, had loads of amazing ideas and picked up old projects that had been lingering unfinished for months in the back of a cupboard, which results in lots and lots of works in progress and very few completed projects! I've found myself being at a loss as to whether I want to do knitting, patchwork, dress making, bunting making, or something completely new altogether! So many pretty things to make and so little time!

 

 

 

This didn't however stop me from going fabric shopping yesterday of course where I bought fabric for another quilt, a couple of tops, a skirt, but also the backing fabric to finish two more quilts, which is good! I now need to concentrate on not getting distracted and finishing the myriad of items I have on the go. Focus! :)

 

 

A splash of colour

I recently discovered The village haberdashery which stocks the most gorgeous fabrics and delivers super quickly which for someone as impatient for new fabrics as myself is a big deal!

 

I'm collecting together fabrics for a new quilt to go in our new living room. I like the idea of always having something close to hand to snuggle under on the sofa. I'm planning the decor in our new place to be light and bright with lots of splashes of vivid colour so I've chosen these shades of orange, fuschia, and mustard and olive, I'll add to them a deep blue and some black and white.

I'm going to try something different patchwork - wise too. I visited a patchwork exhibition today which was full of gorgeous quilts and plenty of inspiration. I usually stick to squares because they're easy and because I like the simplicity of the design but I want to try a log cabin design as a bit of a challenge. Watch this space...! :)

I apologise...

...Two Christmas related posts in one day and it's not even December yet... I know I'm a bad person! :)

 

 

 

I spent the afternoon battling with layers of patchwork and wadding and fleece, desperately trying to get all the layers flat and lined up and all that. This is easily, easily the worst part about quilting. I don't know if there's a secret easy way to do it that I've just not been told?! :P but never mind. I got there in the end and now I just have hours of hand stitching around the edge to finish it up. Which I really don't mind doing, only it has to be finished by the beginning of December for the official beginning of Christmas celebrations along with a huge list of other things. Best get started really... :)

Look away now...

...if you're the kind of person who can't bear the mention of Christmas this early on in the year! I'd totally understand that. Even as an avid Christmas lover I tried to ignore it all and restrain myself until December but this project just couldn't wait that long (I'm not even certain it will be finished in time for this Christmas to be honest! :) )

 

 

 

So here's what I've been up to this week. The painstaking cutting of 435 squares and rectangles for a Christmas patchwork quilt. I am far too excited about this. I was like a small child on Christmas Eve whilst shopping for the fabric. Literally bouncing up and down. I'm fairly certain my boyfriend was a little embarrassed at my over enthusiasm. And the lady cutting the fabric was definitely laughing at me. But in a kind way. At least I like to think so! :)

Just imagine it. Curled up on Christmas Eve under a snuggly Christmas quilt, wrapping presents by fairy light with Bing Crosby playing in the background or the Muppet's Christmas carol on TV. The smell of apple strudel wafting from the oven and a glass of mulled wine nearby. That just sums up my perfect evening and the christmas quilt is absolutely integral to the scene. I need to get my skates on. There's no way I can wait for next year to play that scene out! :)

Unfinished...

It was probably around 10 years ago when my mum first introduced me to hand quilting and I took to it at once. All that cutting out of paper pieces and painstakingly stitching all the shapes together. I went crazy for it for a while and have a whole bag of started but unfinished patchwork pieces to show for it.

 

 

Around 3 years ago, I discovered patch working by machine and haven't looked back since. I have three large finished quilts and another one on the way to show for that! I think a lot of the problem is that once I've decided on making something, I want it done quickly because I just can't wait. And hand quilting, although lovely to do, just isn't fast enough. Perhaps this is why I have never pursued knitting...

 

 

But either way, it's lovely to keep these pieces, I like the way that I didn't care about what fabrics I used, just any offcuts I had; patches of cotton mixed in with silk, damask and even denim which makes these pieces wonderfully tactile, And who knows...perhaps one day I shall have a return of enthusiasm for hand sewing! :)

Patchwork

The weather here has been terrible lately, perfect for staying inside, watching Christmas films and doing a little hand sewing.

I learned to hand piece patchwork years ago and for a while was prolific with it. I haven't done any in a long time but rifling through (one of) my fabric drawers I was drawn to these red and blue fabrics. I adore a combination of red and blue, so bright and cheerful.

I'm not entirely sure what these will end up as although I have vague ideas of making a tea cosy. I don't really drink tea myself but I adore all the paraphernalia. and I'm hoping that one day I will learn to love tea itself. :)

This gingham patch reminded me of these sweet little Bon Maman jars that I seemed to be amassing a collection of. They're just perfect for storing beads and so pretty too!

Sweetheart Quilt

I think it must be that fabric I used to line my new bag yesterday, I've come over with a desire for pink; bright as can be, combined with ruby red. I have ideas for a romantic pink and red patchwork quilt maybe a log cabin design, I've been wanting to try that for a while. Luckily I appear to have great quantities of pink and red patchwork fabric to hand, it might be just the thing for a project to work on over the Christmas holidays.

 

I'm all about a mood board these days. Some of these images are mine, combined with others I've picked up across the Internet. Unfortunately I rarely make a note of where I find the images I save so I cannot tell you I'm afraid.

Conceptual patchwork

Whilst having a clear-out of the bottom of my wardrobe I came across this patchwork I made for a Uni project last year. 

This was during the few confused weeks where I thought I might be more of a textile artist rather than a designer. But with this one project I realised just how very wrong I was. I thought my patchwork was beautiful and was very happy with it, but was marked down for it not being conceptual enough.

'Shallow' was the word bandied about by a lecturer when I argued that I didn't want to make a grand statement about the state of society or for my work to be a metaphor for something else. Is it wrong to want to make things that are simply beautiful? Or rather, I like to make things that are practical, useful and beautiful. I've never considered myself to be a shallow person, not really I just don't want to make something that I consider ugly, under the guise of conceptual art. I have respect for those that do, and perhaps conceptual doesn't always have to equal ugly but at the end of the day I think it's just not for me.

And after all, I completely stand by the idea that there's nothing wrong with creating things that are simply going to make people happy.

Feeling domestic

I'm getting excited about the hints of Autumn in the air. For me Autumn is a time for blackberry picking, baking pies and puddings and curling up with some sewing as the evenings begin to draw in.

Recently, the boyfriend and I have been househunting for our first home. Not that this will be a reality for another year or so, what with my final year of uni, but we thought it wouldn't hurt to have a look see at what's about. I've dreamt of a home of my own since I was probably about 10. I've always been incredibly domestic. A flat, rented with a friend, is one thing, but an actual house, all of my own which I could decorate exactly as I please, somewhere to come home to at the end of the day, close the door and cosy up in. Complete bliss.

But all this makes being a student totally frustrating to me right now, whilst mister can be working hard saving up money for our nest, I am stuck scrimping and desperately trying to make my limited pennies stretch until the end of term. So, to ease my frustration I have been dreaming up all the kinds of textile things which we are sure to need when we finally do get our home; tea towels, peg bags, pillow cases, cushions, laundry bag, you name it, it's on my 'to-do' list. My own way of contributing to the house fund.

Pot holders - check! I found an old section of hand-sewn patchwork that I made years ago. Quilted, edged, voila. I'm not too sure how hardwearing these will be, some of the patches are silk, but i'm not too worried about things like that - they look beautiful and that's the main thing right?

Springtime Patchwork

Lately I've been absolutely loving the springtime and particularly the spring flowers. Beautiful shades of purple and yellow have been leaping out at me from parks, gardens and roadsides everywhere.

I have a tendancy to become obsessed from time to time with colour combinations and these stunning seasonal flowers have sparked my latest obsession. Couple this with a desire to get back into patchwork and the need for a new picnic blanket and...

I present the Springtime patchwork picnic blanket.

I'm super pleased how this has turned out, sometimes I spend forever deliberating on which fabric to put where but this time it came quite easily and I just love it! The splashes of red, the gingham backing, it was just one of those times when it all came together very nicely indeed and I can't wait to try it out. Now we just need some more of that lovely sunshine for a perfect picnic day!