Christmas Sewing - It's a Wrap!

As with every other household in the world, things here have been crazy!!  We've had my 16 year old God-daughter staying with us for three weeks - which meant I had five kids to sort out, children finishing school, organising school for next year.  Christmas parties, birthday parties and work work work.  I'm also struggling dreadfully with a horrid virus called "pityriasis rosea" - otherwise known as "the rash from hell". In between all of that and more, I've managed to get a ridiculous amount of Christmas sewing done.  I didn't actually realise just how much I had done, until I sat down to do this post.  You see, although I haven't been blogging very regularly lately, I HAVE been taking photos of what I've made and waiting until I had time to sit here and document it all!  Now is that time.....  Here are lots of pretty pictures, capturing all the pretty things that have been gifted or are waiting to be gifted!

 

Three lovely little zippered pouches.  The middle one was gifted to my Mum and is Liberty - it proved very interesting to sew.  Anyone with tips and hints on sewing with such fine fabric, feel free to share!  I love the other two pouches also, as I cut up little Cotton + Steel selvedges and added them.

 

I've become obsessed with metal zippers.

 

This yummy cushion cover has been sent to our December birthday gal from the Australian Handmade Birthday Club.  Simple AMH squares working together beautifully with linen and 12wt Aurifil thread.

 

I added a fat quarter of Tula and a little key fob.

 

We had our annual family Christmas party for my father in law's family this past weekend.  We only buy gifts for the kids under 16, and there's only our kids and two others left in that pool now!  So little Bianca received her own little personalised cushion.  She loved it!

 

Teacher's gifts have been received now.  This zippered case is for my daughter's teacher - a 23 year old man in his first year of teaching.  I was very happy with how enthusiastic he was upon opening it!

May have had something to do with the contents....

 

The prep teacher was gifted this yummy cushion.  I asked her what her favourite colour was a few weeks ago - yellow.

 

More 12wt Aurifil.  I freakin love using it for a distinctive finish!

 

After last week's horrible siege in Sydney, my lovely friend Molli took it upon himself to rally the quilting troops and whip up some of his hashtag blocks, which will be made in to some quilts for the victim's families.  These are my contribution.  If you want to know how you can help, head over to mollisparkles.com for all the details.

 

I joined the key fob gang, and whipped up these for little gifts.

 

I caught up on November's QCA Bee Blocks.

 

And put together this personalised cushion for my son's best friend's birthday.

 

And last, but certainly far from least, I participated in the Sweet Pouch Swap - Xmas edition - run by Ros at Sew Delicious.  This is my AMAZE-BALLS package I received from the ever lovely Peta!  I was gobsmacked, and thrilled with what she had sent me.  It was all a little overwhelming really!  The pouch itself it divine.  And when I took it with me to our Melbourne MQG get together, it got a whole lot of attention!!!  

 

In return - I sent off these goodies to Peta.  I forgot to take photos, so Peta very nicely sent these to me!  Peta is a huge fan of Bonnie & Camille, so I took out some of my charm squares and made her a linen and B&C pouch in Christmas colours.  The Christmas tree is really simple to put together - basically three little flying geese and then a trunk on the bottom.

And this is the other side.  Isn't she pretty?

So - that, my friends, is a WRAP!  I do have one gift left to make, but will get to it asap.  You know, given Christmas is two days away......

I hope you all have a super fabulous Christmas Day and enjoy time spent with family, friends and/or doing what you love.  I am looking forward to some time away after Christmas, so am unsure whether I'll be back here blogging before the New Year.  If I'm not, I'll just say Happy New Year now!
xxxx

Sunday Stash - Tokyo Part Two

Now, where were we?  Oh, that's right - the fabric!

 

In total, I returned to Melbourne with 14 kilos of fabric.  Which is quite considerable!  But what I can tell you is this - I was actually very picky about my purchases!  I really thought about the fabric I chose, basically because I knew I'd have to get it home and also be able to fit it in my house.  I'm pleased to say I am very happy with each and every piece of fabric I chose....So, here goes.....

 

When Alyce and I walked in to Tomato, we stepped in to an alternate universe, where bolts of Melody Miller fabric were sitting patiently awaiting attention.  I knew there was plenty there, so whilst they continued waiting, I walked around the corner from the bolts and nearly fell over my jaw which was dragging on the ground.  Huge rolls of wide Melody Miller prints.  HUGE I tell you!  AND $4 A METRE!  Just let that sink in for a minute.  $4. A. METRE.  It took about 30 seconds for Alyce and I to crash tackle the rolls and join them to our hip.  I'm proud to report we emptied the roll of arrows between us.  I think we got four metres each.  There's about the same of the other two up there also.  Great quilt backings in my future.....

 

We returned to the smaller bolts a little later, and I happily got myself some telephones and roller skates.  What for?  Who knows!

 

I bought these gorgeous linen blends from Pandora House.  I think I have three metres of each, but once I was home, I wished I had more!  I've fallen in love with linen this year.

 

All of the little precuts on the bottom of this photo are from Tomato.  Some Sarah Jane, Kate Spain and Cotton + Steel to name a few......  The geometry print and Ghastlies Xmas were from the shop I can't remember the name of!

 

All of this deliciousness came from Pandora House also.  Love me some low vol prints.

 

Tomato's extensive range of American Designer prints was very satisfying.  I was able to get some Cotton + Steel prints I didn't have, as well as stock up on a couple I really love.  These were all around $10 a metre.

 

Now, if you ever head to Nippori, there's a little pre-cuts store down the street from Tomato.  The cuts are all in clear packaging and they are all DIRT CHEAP.  The pink C+S butterflies was a 2m cut for $12!!!!!!  AMH was from Tomato in the remnants and the pretty deer print was from Yuzawaya in Ginza.  I had a morning to kill time one day by myself, so printed off the address and hailed a cab.  I had been told great tales about the Yuzawaya stores (think Spotlight, but way better), but I have to say I was a little disappointed with the newly opened Ginza store.  I think it's quite small compared to others!  I still managed to find some goodies though....

 

These two double gauze prints were from the precut heaven.  Enchino on the left and Nani Iro on the right.  I bought both to make dresses/tops for my big girl.

 

And another win from precut heaven - Jolli Pomme.  I think these were about $6 per metre!!!!

 

Japan obviously has an amazing supply of Enchino!  I picked up various different prints from all of the stores I went to.  And they were all around $10 per metre.  A few were remnants and were even cheaper.

 

And a close up - because the colours of these fabrics are sublime....

 

I grabbed a few novelty prints!  Frozen fabric for my husband's cousin who wants me to make her nurse scrubs, as she works in a children's hospital.  And princesses and unicorns, because - why not?

 

One of the few things I specifically marked on my shopping list to purchase whilst in Tokyo was Liberty.  I am one of the few quilters who did not own any Liberty.  And basically only because of the cost factor.  Here in Australia, we pay around $60 per metre for Liberty, which is just so far out of my budget it's not even funny!  Given it was half that price in Japan, I selected a number of prints I REALLY liked (because it's still frigging expensive!) and got myself 30cm cuts of each of them.  I really adore the Hello Kitty range of Liberty, so made sure to get some (far left).  I also realised I really am more of a geometric girl when it comes to their prints.  But there are a few florals I threw in for good measure.

 

But you know what I really got excited about??  I bought myself an Enchino umbrella!!!!!!!  I was bummed I couldn't get one of the long ones, but hey, who cares!

Last but not least - I also did some serious fabric shopping for my Mum.  She put in a special request for lots of indigo fabrics - which I had absolutely no problem finding!  I also got gorgeous precuts of Japanese fabrics and a few bright American designer prints.

Phew.....

I hope you're still with me!  That, my friends, is my fabric tale from Tokyo!  I did SOOO much more than fabric shopping whilst there, and have a million tales to tell.  But will save them for another day.  Tokyo is an amazing city, and the Japanese people are sooooo beautiful.  If you ever have the opportunity to travel there - GO!!!!

#f*cktober - A Cushion For Eden

**Potty Mouth Alert**

A couple of weeks ago, Beth from Babymac wrote a beautiful blog post for her friend Eden.  Eden and Beth are REAL life friends - meeting through their blogging world, but becoming face to face friends instantly.  I don't know either of them in real life, but feel like I've gotten to know them somewhat through years of reading their blogs.  Especially Eden's.  Eden writes like there is no tomorrow.  Sometimes, literally.  I have commented on her blog hundreds of times over the years, especially last year when I was going through a rather turbulent time with a family member and her battle with mental illness.  Reading Eden's blogs - her feelings, her perspective, helped me infinitely in trying to understand what my family member was going through.  I would tell them this, tell them I was trying to understand and trying to help and that I felt like Eden was helping me too.  Through her words.

Sooooo, when Beth put out the call to help Eden get through a really shitty October, I was very quick to answer the call!  Beth re-named this month #fucktober.  With a hashtag - cos everything needs a hashtag!  Now obviously, I was going to make something.  But what?  This is what I came up with.....

 

One of the most divine cushions I've ever made of course.  Eden has a "thing" for feathers.  So I printed out one of Quiet Play's arrow patterns and then turned to my fabric for help.  After half an hour of trying to work out colours, it hit me - WORDS!  So out came all of my text fabrics....

 

And with painstaking patience, I fussy paper pieced words in to the pattern.  Not just any words, but ones which have power and meaning.

 

I used this sensational Essex yarn dyed linen and pulled out some spools of 12wt and 28wt Aurifil I was sent.  Experimenting with the denser threads was really good fun, and I'm happy to report that it worked beautifully in my sewing machine, with a 40wt thread in the bobbin!  The texture in the cushion cover is amazing.

I was also very happy to discover that I had enough of this divine feather print for the backing.  I think it's perfect.

So, I sent this little present off on its way last week with a little note for Eden - Words are weapons.  Eden uses hers for good.  I have no idea if you have received it Eden, or if you even read my blog hahahah.  But I really hope you like it and that it puts a smile on your dial.

If you'd like to send something to Eden for #fucktober, you can head over to Beth's blog post HERE for all the details.  I don't think Eden's local post office will know what's hit them!

Sunday Stash - The Magazine Edition

A few years back, a friend's Mum de-stashed a huge amount of sewing goods.  Part of that stash was a big old pile of quilting magazines.  At the time, I was not a quilter, so had absolutely no use whatsoever for them!  A lady from an online sewing group came past and picked them all up happily.  Then, once she found out I was quilting, she dropped a bunch back in to me.....

Where they have happily sat atop my shelves in my sewing room.  Without being opened.  Ummmmm.......

So why am I telling you all of this?  Wellllllll.......... Something very exciting is happening in the quilting world, and I just happen to be playing a part in it.  You see, the first and only Australian online quilting magazine will be released tomorrow!!  And I was asked if I would like to be a contributor!  Ahhhhh, yeh!!!

Make Modern is - well, let them tell you what they are:

MAKE MODERN: An online quilt magazine for quilters, by quilters.

We strive to inspire, motivate and enable quilters around the world! The Make Modern team is passionate about modern quilting and sewing - and we know we're not alone in this. So if you're looking for your next project (despite the fact you may have 15 projects already on the go), then you have come to the right place. Our magazine has projects for those new to sewing, as well as advanced projects for those sewists looking for a challenge. Let us unite in our love of cutting up perfectly good fabric and sewing it back together again!

Let's Make Modern.

Doesn't that sound perfect?

So I decided on my project, completed it and sent some delightful photos to the team.  Just so excited to be a part of something so fabulous, and it turns out they liked my project so much - they asked if they could feature it on THE COVER!!!  Whattttt????

Needless to say, I answered with a resounding YES.  I was so excited, I nearly wet my pants when they released the cover photo last week.

The Make Modern team released a preview of the magazine today, to entice you with its fabulousness before it's big debut tomorrow.  You can check it out HERE.

Now, given I have just confessed to NOT reading quilting magazines (OK, I bought one a few weeks ago, and actually read it from cover to cover. But it was because I had a little spot in it with artist trading cards!) why would I be gushing about a quilting magazine and telling you all how much I love it?  Well, I'm an "online quilter".  I have learnt to quilt through the online community.  I share my quilting through this here blog.  I spend a hell of a lot of my time online.  It is only fitting that my first magazine feature and quilt pattern would be in an online magazine!  Yes?  

As you can tell, by all of my babble, I am incredibly excited.  I am incredibly proud.  And I am incredibly terrified!  There are so many amazing and talented artists in the first edition, you HAVE to get yourself a copy and share in the excitement.

Make Modern have a wonderful Blog Hop lined up to celebrate the release, and I will be sharing more about my quilt and the pattern with you on the 23rd of September.  Be sure to subscribe to their newsletter, so you can stay up to speed with all things MM.

And just because I love you all so much - here's a little out take from the photo shoot I did.  This gorgeous girl was ever SO helpful during the process ;)

I'm linking up - You can too!

Coloured Happy - Wavelength Finish

You know when you see a quilt somewhere on social media and you think "I have to make that"?  Well, that happened when I first saw Lee's Wavelength quilt - her latest Freshly Pieced pattern.  I bought it on the spot and then pondered how I would make it mine?  The answer came a few days later when a new parcel of acquired fabrics arrived on my doorstep!  A divine little fat 1/8th's bundle of V and Co's Color Me Happy would do the trick....... And it did!

 

I started with the brightest print in the range - the hottish pink - and went from there.  Stuck with my love for radiating colour, moving outwards from pink to green, and then after much arguing with myself - chose to use the low volume prints in the range and then some white on white prints for the last couple of rows.  I was pretty damn happy with the outcome!

Lee's pattern is for a throw/lap size quilt, but I wanted to make it larger, so actually did some maths and added a few more rows here and there. So it now sits at a full single size!

The backing is made up of three shades of pink and one shade of green, along with a big strip of white down the side.  I love this too.  Well, I love everything about this quilt!

 

The pattern gives you the option to either paper piece or template piece.  Strangely enough, I chose to use templates!  I didn't fancy printing off a million paper piecing patterns!  The templates were very easy to use - I actually printed mine out and then pasted it on to two layers of cereal box cardboard, then cut around the templates when the paste had dried.  Perfect!

 

When it came to quilting, I had a complete anxiety attack!  It was soooo big, and there were soooo many seams and intersections, that just the thought of wrangling it through my Bernina gave me a conniption!  Instead, I sent it off to one of my long time friends, who just happens to have her own longarm business.  Debbie has just started a blog - Quilts from Nana's Trunk - but has been quilting ever since I met her.  And that was wayyyyy back in circa 1991 just after moving to Melbourne!   Debbie uses pantographs for her quilting designs, so after a quick lesson on how on earth a pantograph works, I chose this gorgeous design.  It's sort of a cross between a clam shell and a cloud?!!  I wanted a design with curves in it, to sort of play off the sharpness of the hundreds of pointed blocks in the quilt top.  And I'm VERY pleased with how it has turned out!

And this, my friends, is how beautiful it looks on a bed!

What I like most about this quilt is that you can take a pattern, which looks SO amazing, and change it ONLY by the fabrics used, and it can look SO different!

IN THE DETAILS:

SIZE - 81" x 55"

PATTERN - Wavelength by Freshly Pieced

FABRIC - Color Me Happy & Homespun white and solids.  Binding - April Showers

THREAD - Pieced by Me using 50wt Aurifil #2024

Quilted by Debbie using 40wt Aurifil

I'm linking up - Because I can!  You can too!