Larking around and Cool Britannia

Today I put into motion a bit of sewing for me again, I know I should be slaving away at the Christmas Makes list but I'm always so easily distracted! Since receiving the very beautiful Lark by Amy Butler I have been mulling over ideas for using it. Here's one of them that I've very unimaginatively named 'Larking Around'. I've been meaning to make something with equilateral triangles for ages, this will be a quilt eventually :) Excuse the extremely hideous floral ironing-board.

After establishing that I could accurately piece the triangles I thought I'd better get to work on crossing something else off the Christmas makes list. I've done my take on Lynne's Double Fat Jack, Cool Britannia; this will be another man gift. Loving all that Echino :) I'm not sure yet whether it will be a monster cushion or a wall-hanging. Hubby tells me that it's far too cool for the intended recipient but I'm not for turning ;-)

Catch you soon x

A manly cushion

Today I set about crossing off an item from my Christmas makes list. I'm pleased to say I achieved my goal by whipping up a "manly cushion". I bought these 'Modern Grace' fabrics from Kaelin (the plaid scottie) when she was a having a destash and thought they'd be good for a 'man present'. Men are so difficult to make for but I hope that the use of these masculine colours will pass muster.

The back is a bit busier than I intended but I think it should still be ok.

I'm delighted to be crossing a man present off the list, only another 4 men to make for!! Catch you soon x

Wouldn't you know it?

I finished the Echo framed quilt in enough time to get some photos in decent light!!

I have to admit I love it! It feels very modern and funky to me. Here are some close-ups of the details. I bound with a print from Innocent Crush.

Backed with a house print from Ikea.

Straight-line quilted with a mustard/gold thread.

Then, wouldn't you know it...claimed by the teenager!! Darn, I felt certain this would be far too colourful for her tastes but apparently not. It now resides in her pit room!

I also finished the tree skirts today! Woohoo! This rather dodgy picture shows the tree skirt for my Savvy Seasons Swap partner.

I bound it with green and white twill ribbon which was marginally easier than with bias-binding. I cheated by sewing it on by machine. The binding is far from perfect but I hope my partner will appreciate how flipping difficult it was and forgive my inadequacy in that area ;)

Then for contrast, here's my finished tree skirt. I love how Carol's pattern translates so beautifully regardless of the fabrics used!

Tomorrow I'd better crack on with some of the items from the Christmas makes list! Catch you soon x

Echo

After seeing Echo by Lotta Jansdotter in various online locations I had to get some for myself! I found that Raystitch do a charm pack of the range which was a bonus :) The prints are fabulous and I didn't want to cut them up any further so decided they were crying out for some solid colour frames. Hooray for hubby and my birthday stack of solids!

I dug out 8 co-ordinating solids and set to making frames. They went together really quickly and the top was soon finished!

Needless to say by the time I got the top finished the light had gone! Here's a shot of it anyway to give you an idea of where I'm going.

I've actually finished it now apart from the hand-stitching of the binding so I'm hoping for decent light tomorrow so I can get some better pictures. Lotta Jansdotter, your designs rock! Catch you soon x

Brit Quilt Swap received

The postlady delivered my Brit Quilt Swap today! Woohoo! I wasted no time in opening it and it is already in use :) My partner was the very talented Judith (needles and lemons) who I sent to in the last round! Check out all these details...

text prints, melody miller, innocent crush, linen....the list goes on. So much yummy fabric in one place! It's so lovely to finally have a crosses cushion all of my own. I have made so many but have never kept one!

Judith also sent this organiser pouch with the cushion.

look at those tiny crosses...

and this little detail is just perfect for the Brit Quilt Swap, a miniature British Passport. That is just too cool!!

I just love it all and it's in use already :) Thank you Judith for making such a perfect cushion, just for me!

Note to my partner: Your parcel will be on its way to you this afternoon is on it's way :) Catch you soon x

A bag...of course

After reading your comments I did the only sensible thing I could do with the Snowman in his Winter Woolies and turned him into a bag :) I think his new owner will love swinging this around!

Today I bit the bullet and wrote my Christmas makes list! It's nowhere near as scary as I thought it might be, so that's cool. I was so relaxed afterwards that I thought I'd try out one my new purse frames. I drafted a purse shape, which I referred to as the cottage loaf, and hoped for the best. The purse itself came together extremely quickly but the hand-sewing to the frame was not so quick. Next time I get purse frames I will be looking for the glue-in type as me and hand-sewing equals stress! I love this Echino print and think it will make a quirky present for someone.

I lined it with this fabulous purple Echino linen. Yum! I have 2 more purse frames in different sizes so I think tomorrow I will be experimenting with them, right after I post my Brit Quilt Swap out to my partner.

Catch you soon x

Snowy day

I've been playing at paper piecing again today :) I used Kerry's fabulous Winter Woolies pattern as the basis for this little snowman. He's far from perfect but I think his new owner will be forgiving of that, given that she is not quite 2.

A few little French knots for coal and some back-stitch twigs and there he is. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with him yet but I'm thinking either a little bag or a wall hanging. Do you have any other ideas for a not quite 2 year old? All ideas gratefully received :)

Catch you soon x