Monday 21 January 2013

A new dress and some sunshine.

It's been a bit cold and dark around here for the last couple of weeks but today the sun came out briefly and I went for a walk.

Sunshine in the trees
 
The suncoming through the trees was great to see.
 
And I love how the moss makes a 'mini forest' on the floor of the wood..
 
Forrest floor
 
For some strange reason I decided to make a summer dress for my daughter last weekend.
Maybe I just wanted to think about summer and ignore the fact that it is cold, wet and dark.
I haven't got a picture of her in it although she has worn it all weekend with tights and a long sleeved top so I think she likes it! 
 
Dress from New Look Pattern 6457
 
It's a halter neck style, although the pattern has various tops. I shortened the length by a good 4 inches but otherwise it was straight from the pattern, New Look 6457.
 

New Look Pattern 6457

 
I have also done some more cartwheels and started to join them up. 
 
The widmills are coming on
 
 

Monday 7 January 2013

New year new project

Three friends going away until next year
 
Three friends are now packed away in a box until next year.
 
 
Lavender flower
 
I added a little lavender flower to keep them company and smelling nice. 
 
Playing with cartwheels- Rowan fabric and shirts.
 
And now I'm playing with these cartwheels from a brilliant tutorial found
here and written by Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts
 
Playing with cartwheels- Rowan fabric and shirts.
I am using Rowan fabrics and various plains from my stash for the cartwheels, and recycled shirts for the backgrounds.
The tutorial is really clear and easy to follow and they come together fairly fast,
which is always a bonus. I think i'm going to do some more plains next.
 
More pictures when I have got a bit further and the light is better.

Thursday 3 January 2013

Dog's bed from old cords

 
I made a peace of patchwork fabric from old cords a year ago now posted here. It was going to be a curtain but just never quite made it.
 
Then I needed a new cover for the dog's bed and it seemed like the perfect thing.
 
Dog's beds from old cords
 
 I liked it so much that I made a second for my friend's dog too for christmas..
 
Dog's bed from old cords
 
It is made up of a simple rectangular bag with four ties to secure the opening.
I fill ours with half an old duvet (literally just cut in half and stuffed in although I'm sure it would be neater to sew it up)!
  
Dog's beds from old cords
 
 
A cosy dog's bed and a happy dog especially if it's put it in a sunny spot or in front of the fire.
 

Dog's bed from recycled fabric and an old duvet

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Streetwise cushion.

The second part of the elephant's load was this cushion.
 
Cushion
 
It is now sitting on our sofa and won't be going anywhere.
The front was yet more scraps from the Rowan fabrics I bought recently mixed with some plains, and surrounded by some houses that I can't for the life of me remember where they came from or what make they are! Sorry.
The central patch was quilted by hand (mainly in the ditch) and the border by machine in a pebble style (probably not the technical term but you know what I mean).
 
Cushion reverse- recycled cord trousers

The reverse was pieced from some bits of cord left over from another project soon to be revealed.

They were a collection of old cord trousers given to me by Mum. I used an old zip instead of overlapping the reverse panels as I ususally do, as the cord was a bit thick for this.
 
As it turns out, I think I like the reverse as much as the front so I can always turn it over when it gets grubby!

Tuesday 1 January 2013

An elephant's load: pin cushion, jolly molly and cushion.

The elephant's load
 
A few more gifts to share now that they have been given.
 
Firstly a pin cushion.
I've made various pincushions over the years but this type is one of my favourite both to make and to use. It's just a simple square made from cotton scraps, backed with a piece of recycled shirt and stuffed with toy stuffing. 
 
Pin cushion panel
 
The front was made sort of log cabin style with some added side panels.
Central fabric is Kaffe Fassett Roman Glass Leafy, which I bought from The Cotton Patch.
 
Pin cushion
 
I added a little penguin tab for decoration/interest.
 
I have a pin cushion like this of my own and regularly find my pins mysteriously arranged in various patterns according to colour and shape as well as being infuriatingly   endearingly pushed down so that only the head is visible.
 
Can't think who does that !!