Always another quilt to finish ...

The last of the binding has been attached and I finally get to call this improv quilt finished. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but making it taught me a lot about making curves in patchwork, and about applique. Also, about being brave / reckless and being prepared to do something drastic if a quilt just isn't 'working'. In this case I literally chopped the thing up and rearranged it as I wasn't satisfied with how I'd put it together. Rearranging the pieces left me with a smaller quilt than I'd originally planned, but a better quilt, for all its faults.

The material I chose for the backing fabric was a wee bit too small, so had to be patched up to make it fit.

The extra section in a similar grey isn't so noticeable, but the bright green is! I like the randomness of adding that little square.

When I wasn't occupied with sewing I managed an hour on the allotment, collecting raspberries and deadheading the calendula, and a trip to the charity shop too.

The dress is a size 10, so I'm not sure if it'll fit. My clothes seem to range from a highly improbable 8 right through to a more realistic 12, so it's pot luck when I buy something as to whether I'll get into it. The numbers on clothes labels seem pretty meaningless, don't they? It all depends on the clothing brand. Some have a generous cut, others are less so. Anyway, this secondhand dress only cost two quid, and it's lovely fabric. So if it doesn't fit I'll happily chop it up to add to my fabric stash.

The book by Elizabeth Bowen is a collection of short stories. I've read various novels of hers in the past and enjoyed them, and hopefully these stories will be equally good.

Now that improv quilt's finished I can return to this partly-completed mini quilt. It needs binding added and - this might be over optimistic - but I'd originally had the notion that I'd embroider it. Lots of leaves and flowers and hares. Yup, hares. That's because my starting point for making this, and for the colour choices, was a drawing in a childrens book about the tortoise and the hare. The book's illustrated by Brian Wildsmith, and I wanted to embroider golden coloured hares among lush foliage. However, I've only got as far as a few leaves and stems as my embroidery skills are basic.

Time to watch some YouTube videos on how to embroider, and to browse Instagram, don't you think?

Comments

Sari scraps, PVA, a couple of books and a necklace

I'm typing this as snow's falling, and has been steadily all day. It's not settling to any great extent, though I bet by tomorrow morning the paths will be slippery with ice. Which always makes me paranoid about falling over and at the very least looking undignified, but at worst breaking a bone or twisting an ankle. Oh well, it's ideal weather to stay inside and craft, isn't it? I finally got around to listing packs of sari scraps on Etsy this morning. I only made up six bundles as I've no clue whether they'll sell or if I've set a reasonable enough price point. Time will tell. This is a link to the listing, if you're interested. This vaguely pink fabric isn't from one of my Etsy packs. It's from a bit of experimenting I was doing yesterday. I'd seen a post on Instagram showing how a DIY version of batik could be done without using hot wax. The Instagrammer used PVA instead, and I wanted to try this out....

In praise of wool

Just a quick post today. I'm offering you a short but peaceful break from the overwhelmingness (is that a word?) of Christmas. By now you've probably eaten your bodyweight in sweets//roast potatoes/pigs in blankets/cake/After Eights ... whatever your festive indulgences are. You're under-exericsed, over-stimulated, feeling broke and possibly guilty about an argument with a relative or friend you've never entirely got on with. So, here's something to take your mind off all that. I've two videos to refresh and revive, and they both concern wool. Interesting fact. Well, I found it interesting. About 1% - yup, one per cent - of the world's textiles are made of wool. Out of curiosity, I also googled how much is made of cotton. That's higher, but it's only about 24% and that's heading downward instead of up. Synthetic fibres are the bulk of all textile manufacture. Anyway, back to woolly wonders. My firs...

HOW TO MAKE: these decorative birds

I suggested yesterday that I'd run through how to make a fabric bird wall or window hanging (can't think of a snappier title for it than that!) so here goes. I'll start with the first decorative hanging I made. It's something you could make in any colour combination you want, and would look good hanging at a window with translucent beads that'd catch the light I used five birds for this, but you could make it longer if you prefer. (Incidentally, if you're wondering about what's hanging off the bottom on this, it's a metal Christmas decoration, shaped like a lantern. For some reason I thought it looked appropriate to leave it there, looped over the end.) WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO GATHER TOGETHER: Assorted scraps of fabric for the front of the birds - aim for a mix of colours and textures. Silk looks good, as does anything with embroidery or intricate patterns. You might aim for a hippy-ish boho look, or maybe you're ...

rubykittyruby

Search This Blog