Christmas cake

 

 

Oops....I forgot to take a picture before I cut the Christmas Cake.  It is yum.

 

On Saturday, I spent a happy hour and a bit cutting out this simple quilt top.

 

Two days later that's exactly how it still looks!

Shame I'd really hoped to sew it up.  Maybe one night this week.....

 

 

ttfn.... x

9 patch etc

quilting has been my craft of choice lately, taking over from the knitting and crochet.  I pieced my Liberty quilt together so it's another quilt top in the chest.  I picked up my blue and brown from the long arm quilter.  I'm really happy with it.  I like it more now.  It has the dubious title of my least favourite quilt to date.  but I'm wondering if by the tme I bind it I won't like it even more.  It certainly got a BIG help along by a visitor to the house this week.  An interior decorater came round and was in raptures over it.  I just thought 'how funny!'

it was so fun to have a decorator in the house.  It was something I've never thought I would do, but fate thought differently and bestowed upon me a voucher at a quiz night I went to recently.  "It" must have known that that is exactly what i needed to help me over my serious fed-up-ness with the house. Norinda is just the person to help me bring all the bits of the house together.  She's a wonderful resource.  She liked my ideas and I liked hers.  Also helped that she was very complimentary about my ability to work with colour.  It was lovely to get a pat on the back.  Very encouraging.  Often as mums we are the ones encouraging and nurturing and complimenting, but with teenagers - or just as we age and are the grown ups - you don't often hear that you're doing a good job.  And I guess you don't even really think about it, but when someone does say lots of positive things, it's very nice, isn't it.  Too funny.

Here's Gypsy enjoying the brown and blue quilt... which I've draped over a sofa for the time being.

Gypsy has a habit of seeking out quilts....

I've gone completely off track.  What's new?  I started with pictures of my latest quilt.  My first 9 patch.  I'm having my very own quilt-a-long, all by myself.  A patch or 2 a day.  I've wanted to do one for ages and found a couple on line...crazy mom quilts  did one a few years ago.  That boat's sailed so I'll just merrily bob along by myself!

Works in Progress

Years ago, when I was first married, I lived in a house with a small sleepout tacked on the back of the house.  It was MY room for projects and study and sometimes guest room.  It became a trur reflection of my life at the time I think.  Busy with babies and toddlers, lots of ideas and projects started.  It had a bit of everything, relics from my single life, craft supplies, books, sewing machine, toys, bed.  A hastily made curtain acted as the door.  Of course my girls loved it.  They'd toddle or crawl and busy themselves amongst the "busy-ness' of it.  Exploring and discovering to their heart's content! 

After a while I lovingly christened it "The Temple of the Unfinished Project".  Somethings are destined to be finished over time, others... well they pass their use by date and just represent an exploration into some new creative cupboard of my brain, but destined to stay in the cupboard or become a building block for another creative idea.  Very occasionally I'd admonish myself for so many things started and not finished, but really I'm quite comfortable having many things on the go.

I've moved several times since and again I have a room where all my ideas and projects seem to come to rest for a while.  The Witch's attic it is now, tucked behind my the mezzanine creative space.  I've been in the throes of "organising" it.  Getting things out of boxes that have been stored for 7 years through the renovation process.  I can now group them together and see exactly what I have.  It's very interesting....!

But through this process I've thought I would chronicle the current works in progress.  All of which I want to complete in 2012, so that I can enjoy them around the house and as part of my life.



 

So here is the start of my WIP list.

1. Russian/Babushka/Matroyska Doll Quilt

The blocks are in various stages of completion.  The black are the closest to being finished.  I have plains to add to the other blocks.  I think the plain borders really make it 'POP, and as usual am excited to see it coming together.

 



Hand Piecing Hexagons

 I realise I was a bit of tease yesterday talking about my hexie progress, but not sharing any photos!  Naughty for those readers interested....!  So here, just in case you're in suspense here are a few photos. 

My quilt is a completely random scrap quilt.  Most fabric is scraps from quilts I've made or in progress.  My English grandmother spent lots of time hand piecing and there are several hexies she made but never included in a quilt.  They are stitched on scraps of paper from the church bulletin.  They are absolutely precious.  So much so that I hope to somehow frame a few.

This quilt has been a work-in-progress for 2 years now!  I work in bursts on it.  I am really inspired to finish it this year though. 

Lately I've felt a bit of falsetto craft blogger with my lack of real craft posts.  But I'm over that...musings about life and things that inspire and happen on our own journeys are all part of me and my creative"ness".

Pottery Barn Quilts

I dream of a house filled with quilts.  Every room to have its own quilt and/or crocheted or knitted throw.  For years now I've watched the inspiration rooms on the Pottery Barn website.  Every one of their bedrooms looks so inviting.  They present beautifully, if not a little unrealistic for this little black duck.  I don't think I can ever live their reality - I'm way too messy.

There's a formula to their rooms I think... great looking bed, lots of pillows, bedside tables usually piled with an enticing stack of books, walls adorned with interesting finds or artwork - (I love the giant buttons), a sensational lamp and great light in the photo and evidence of a cuppa.  They just sing to me, relax and loose yourself in the comfort and luxury that I am - your bedroom, your haven.  A bit different to my reality...I do try to make my bed everyday but I forget as my mind screams coffeeeeee and I stumble to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Yes I am working towards my bedroom evoking all these positive feelings, but there always seems to be a pile of discarded clothes, odd shoes, towel, handbags....perhaps I'll share a photo, perhaps not!

Anyway I digress, I'm not doing too badly, there's a quilt for 4 rooms.  Perhaps one day I'll manage a B&B and it will give me an excuse to dress up more beds, or maybe there's a job going somewhere for a bed dresser... eh, Pottery Barn??  Quilts supplied. 

But aren't some of these quilts just fantastic.  PB have embraced American quilt history - you can watch a video on their website.  They've collaborated with the American Craft and Folk Museums, Gee's Bends and Denyse Schmidt, I love how they are so proud of their quilting heritage.

BTW all the above images are from the Pottery Barn website either recently or saved to my inspiration file over the years - I am not responsible for any of the images and am not pretending to be!

Scrappy Hexie Patchwork Quilt Progress Report

Recently I took all my hexies over to a friend's house and put them up on her design wall to have a look at my progress.  It was very exciting stepping back and seeing it all - it's so different than spreading them over the bed or floor. It's now been 21 months in the making (probably at least that to go!!)  I haven't stitched a stich in months, but am keen to make a bit more headway over summer. I'd like it to be big enough for a queen bed.  The pattern is completely random.  I toy with the idea of a second one with a pattern to it, or one made from my Liberty Tana Lawn stash, but that's a way in the future (possible) project.

I started using scrap fabric from all the quilts I've made to date, then I visited my mum who gave my hexies my grandmother had made in the 80s and 90s that hadn't made it into any of the quilts she made before she passed away, so I've added those in too.  Mum also gave me some old pieces of fabric from dresses we had as children so I've put those in as well. It's fast becoming a nostalgia quilt! Typical of me.  I'm very sentimental in many ways.