Flying By The Seat of my Pants Quilt Finish!

Back in February, I made my first ever Dresden.  I was so completely impressed with myself, that I could pull something off, that looked so technically difficult!  It was meant to be made in to a cushion for my brother in law and his fiance for their engagement, however the colours just didn't feel right for the project - so I moved on to a second dresden!  I was left with this beautiful little piece of art and really had no idea what to do with it.  So over the past few months I have slowly but surely been putting together my "Flying by the seat of my pants quilt".  And this is is the end result......

Using the beautiful "On the Pond" range of Sarah Fielke fabrics, I had lots of fun with the colour palette and basically worked from the centre outwards.  Just adding rows of different piecing until I was happy with the end size and result.

The Dresden was made using THIS tutorial by Sew Mama Sew!

All of the quilting was done by me!  I used Aurifil thread (50wt) #2024.  A perfect, shimmery white.  There was a discussion in our QCA group on Facebook the last couple of days, with some wondering why Aurifil has such a great reputation?  I added to the discussion saying that I quilted this entire project without one single breakage!  Which is unheard of for me!  It also leaves far less fluff in my machine, which means less cleaning - equalling a happier quilter!

I basically echoed the star shape of the dresden, using my walking foot, and being ever so patient.  It was extremely time consuming, but once I committed, I knew I just had to stick it out.  I'm so glad I did!  The swirls in the white borders were another first for me.  A couple of months ago I bought a Craftsy class -  Free Motion Fillers Vol 1 by Leah Day.  So before starting this quilting, I finally sat down and watched about half a dozen of the "episodes" in the class, and thought I'd give the spirals a crack.  I have to say - the class gave me a hell of a lot of confidence, and made me feel like I could just do it.  Which I did.

I then also echoed around the triangles of the chevrons, balancing out all the quilting.

The flying geese were made using THIS tutorial by The Purl Bee.  They were a great size and once again, another quilting element that looks harder than they are.  The chevrons are made using HST's.  Super easy and super effective.

The backing fabric is a gorgeous cursive script print from Ikea!  I bought it ages ago and had it sitting and waiting for the perfect project.  I think it suits this quilt beautifully.

This lovely piece of heaven is a finished size of 52" x 71" - bigger than a throw quilt and smaller than a single size.  Perfection for snuggling.  I'm still yet to figure out who this quilt will be living with.  My lovely friend Gemma suggested I use it as a sofa quilt, however, so much white fabric + four children = disaster.  Sooooo, I am contemplating selling this beautiful baby.  I'll decide over the next week of looking at it!  I want it to be loved and cherished, not just put away in a cupboard or drawer.

I think that's SEVEN finished quilts this year!?!!?!?!?  You can see the others HERE.  I nearly fell over when I just counted them up!  I seriously have a problem addiction.  No rehab for me though - I'm just about to head downstairs to start on a new one!

What have you finished lately?  Are you addicted too?

I'm linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday over at Better Off Thread!  You can too!

Sunday Stash #9 - Accidental On Purpose Purchases.....

A couple of weeks ago, I heard on the grapevine fabric junkie line that Spotlight would be having a 30% off all fabric sale on the 12th and 13th of March.  Being the fabric geek I am, and knowing that I needed required wanted a few things, I put an alarm in my calendar, so as not to forget.  The timing was perfect, as I was working on the 12th and HAD to pop in there to get towels for a resident, so took my lunch break and made the most of it!

Got just a little bit carried away....

This was actually the one thing I really needed more of.  I'm in the midst of making a gorgeous quilt from the Sarah Fielke range, and didn't realise there were a few more prints in the range than what I got in the two fat quarter packs I had initially bought!  I chose the green leaf print for the backing.....I can't wait to get stuck back in to that quilt!

Once I'd chosen what was needed, I accidentally started looking at all the other fabrics.  I sort of knocked the mermaid bolt off the shelf and it miraculously landed in my trolley.  Who was I to argue?  Chloe adores mermaids, so a metre was purchased with the intention of making something for her.....win, win.

When I was standing in the line for the register, the lovely American accented lady in front of me, with her three cute girls in tow, had these prints in her hot little hands.  After I'd had everything cut and folded for me, I spotted these bolts on the desk and said I best get me 25cm of each......whoops.

After the knocking the bolt off the table in to the trolley debarcle, I couldn't help but notice this news print shouting at me.  50cm was promptly purchased.  For what purpose, I have no idea......

I did actually choose this print on purpose.  Strange I know.  I've used it for the backing of the cushion I made for a gorgeous teenage girl.  I think the words are powerful.

I had to go through the dress fabrics on my way to the registers.  Well, sort of.  Bit of a detour really, which led me to these.  Chevron + poplin = LOVE.  That was the end of my Spotlight journey.  Oh, except for some other little bits and pieces, but no more fabric.

And then, just when I thought I had accidentally on purpose acquired enough fabric for one week, I was called upon by some friends who have just moved from the UK to Melbourne, to help them out.  I had the joy of looking after their 17 month old cutie whilst they bought a house full of white goods!  Unfortunately amazingly it was at the Homemaker Centre, which also houses Ikea.  Danger, danger!  I left them somewhere in the living room section and made my way to fabrics.  Looking at my watch, I knew I had approximately seven minutes to find fabric, cut said fabric, find an Ikea employee to weigh and tag it and get to the register in time to check out and get to kindergarten pick up on time!  It was tight, and I DID run through the maze that Ikea is, and got to Kinda with a minute to spare!  AND I managed to get four metres of each of the above prints.  I'm thinking quilt backing?  $3.99 and $4.99 per metre!  BARGAIN and worth looking like a knob running in sandals!

Sooooo, it's time to re-shuffle those fabric shelves.  Again.

I'm linking up with Sunday Stash @ Finding Fifth!  Being hosted by the lovely Gemma over at Pretty Bobbins!  Go check it out!

February - done and dusted

February - you have been a fabulous month!  And it's been great taking part in the Photo A Day Challenge!  But today marks the end.....

Day 27 - Something I've Eaten

 Not a hard one......I eat chocolate every.single.day.  I don't gorge myself on it, I actually have very good self control.  One to two bars of a family size block every day.  About an hour after lunch.  It gets me through the rest of the day......

Day 28 - Money

I worked today.....and had the terrible job of going to Ikea to purchase a piece of furniture for a resident.  It was such a difficult task.  All that wondering around the massive new Springvale store.  Gazing at all the shiny things.  And even the not so shiny things.  My eyes were glazed over by the time I reached the checkout.  But I showed amazing restraint, and only spent $30.98.  My husband is astounded......

Day 29 - Music I'm listening to

The kids received $200 worth of iTunes vouchers collectively over Christmas.  Crying shame.  The result of this was an influx of great new music.  Lucky for us, the 13 year old has fabulous taste in tunes.  My favourite at the moment, and the song I always start with when beginning my sewing days, is Florence and The Machine's "Shake It Out".  It gets things moving.

Tomorrow, March 2012.  WOW.  How did that happen? 

Tomorrow brings Fat Mum Slim's March Photo A Day to life.  Are you joining in?

Clearing out the Cobwebs

The holiday is over.  The sun has disappeared (well, it had until today).  My tan is fading before I've had the chance to show it off to anybody who cares.  The exhaustion is lifting.  And my sewing machines have been dusted off.

Last week I used my time wisely.  I began tidying up my sewing space - taking the photo albums, uni textbooks and other crap out of the wall unit and re-organising it to accommodate my rapidly growing collection of fabrics and all things sewing related.

I happened to post a photo of my activities in a sewing group I am in.  And the most wonderful thing happened.  A lovely new friend of mine commented that the wall unit I have (from IKEA) has a desk attachment which works beautifully for sewing.  So I took my time worked up a sweat on the iMac searching IKEA's website looking for said desk attachment.  And found it.  Wow.  The twenty minutes that followed this discovery went something like this:

Screen shot of IKEA website MMS'd to husband to show how wonderful it was.

Reply from husband saying how wonderful it was.

Reply to husband saying I just got paid my penalty rates from working Boxing Day.

Thumbs up from husband for trip to IKEA.

Me climbing in car - childless - for trip to IKEA.

Angels singing as I wandered - childless - through IKEA.

Desk attachment purchased and taken home lovingly.

It's hard to believe that one little comment can lead to a complete overhaul of one room in a house.  But it did.  I can honestly say I would never dreamt of having the amount of room I now have in my sewing space, and I am thrilled!  Husband was very happy when he returned from work to find, not surprisingly, that I had pulled apart our desk to remove the return that we I no longer needed, and had roped in my 13 year old son to take all unwanted furniture out to the garage so I could put together my new love-child desk!  It's Uh-mazing!!!

The before and afters, which still really do not show just how much space I have now!

So, thank you to Bernii from Shnuckylove for the "heads-up"......I am a very content woman!  It was tried and tested yesterday with Ms Brother and Lady Huskylock...and worked wonderfully!

Ps.  Bernii makes the most gorg-wah ruffle bums - go have a looksy and tell her I sent you!