So while waiting for these supplies I have designed another quilt.

It is going to consist of 12 blocks each 10 inch square. The two edge strips will be white (and will work like sashing). I’ve been inspired by the Fenced In quilt in The Practical Guide to Patchwork (By Elizabeth Hartman). The remaining four pieces will be one of six fat quarters (in the image above).

My plan is  to rotate alternate blocks by 90 degrees (as happens in the Fenced In quilt).

Where did 2011 go?

Last year I made

• Four pairs of socks (I was aiming for 12)
• Two quilts and a quilt top
• Two dolls
• A skirt
• Finally finished Miss A’s birth sampler
• Embroidered and Appliqued four T-Shirts
• Finished knitting my scarf
• Made an apron for the school fete.
• Made fourteen hair clips
• Two cushions
• Knitted a jumper for Miss P (although it was too small)
• One set of quilted coasters.
• Machine Embroidered cards
• Designed 4 machine embroidery foundation pieced quilt blocks

When I look back over the year I am pleasantly surprised by how much I achieved. I would have liked to have done more, but at the time I felt like I wasn’t achieving anything.

I meet almost all of my 2011 goals (see here).

2012 is going to be the year of finishing things – I have the dinosaur quilt to finish, an applique dinosaur cushion to start (bit of a dinosaur theme) and I’ve just started a pair of toe up socks (but more of that later).

I’m going to keep working on my machine embroidery designs, challenge myself with my knitting and try to use the stuff in my stash!

Modern Top-Down Knitting by Kristina McGowan and

Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop.

Reviews to follow in due course.

Slowly working away on my knitting. I’m intrigued by knitting in the round and I’m quite keen to try a big person version. Maybe something like this or this (although this my be beyond my current ability).

]]> http://sewwitty.com/2010/10/25/more-progress/feed/ 0 http://sewwitty.com/2010/10/24/baking/ http://sewwitty.com/2010/10/24/baking/#comments Sun, 24 Oct 2010 09:31:09 +0000 SewWitty http://sewwitty.com/?p=1063

My self-imposed challenge of blogging every day has meant that today I’m struggling to find something to write about. As we all know, craft takes time and although I have made some progress on my knitting – it would look very similar to yesterday’s image.

Today I made chocolate cup cakes. I made Chocolate Cake No.2 from the Golden Wattle cook book. Stuck them into patty pans (it made 9) and then sprinkled icing sugar over the top.

Today the girls had to go to school as something Western Australian. This is Miss P dressed as a redback spider. It’s been the best costume – it’s simply a black t-shirt, black leggings and I sewed four extra legs to the t-shirt (stuffed opaque tights). We’ve taken the red patch of the back and used it as a Charlotte (from Charlotte’s Web) costume.

As I’m still caught up in a tangle (somewhat of my own making), I went for a walk to the DNA Tower (see above – image from lifeonperth.com) to get out of the house, get some fresh air and a new perspective. It has worked for the moment.

I bought the Homespun magazine (not the current one but the previous issue) because it came with Inspired Machine Applique with Michele Hill DVD.  I love doing applique, but I’ve never worked out the best way of attaching my shapes to the background fabric.

Michele’s (she’s the one on the left in the image) quilts are amazing; complex with lots of intricate looking shapes.

Here she is laying out her pieces …

She had quite a simple technique (probably hard when you try it yourself). She copied the design onto applique paper which she then ironed onto the wrong side of the fabric. Cut the shapes out (this is probably a bit tricky), removed the paper and ironed them onto the backing fabric.

She then stitched around the pieces using a blanket stitch an embroidery sewing thread (she prefers rayon).

She has a great method for stitching points – she simply stitches across the points.

I should point out that she would normally use a matching thread (she used the white to make it easier to see).

Michele had a really personable style and a really relaxed approach to the process. If you are at all interested in applique, I would recommend seeing this DVD.

Michele has her own blog and a couple of books.

I went to my local fabric store and came home with this skirt kit (as you do).

So many new projects and nothing is getting finished – I am working away on my quilt and the spiral blanket!

I was sad to read about the end of Notebook magazine. It’s such a positive magazine with a lot of great craft, home and food ideas.