Category Archives: Quilting

July 5, 2018 · 11:37 am

Kindle Oasis Cover

Cover without the Kindle

I bought a new kindle – the Oasis – because it was light and water-proof (and I think it will help with my storage issues). In the past I have bought a cover at the same time, but they didn’t have any in stock and the whole point of this kindle is that it is light, so I didn’t want to lose that by adding a cover. However, I did want to cart it around in my handbag and so wanted to ensure the screen didn’t get scratched.

So I decided on a quilted zipper bag. I cut the wadding to the right size and quilted directly onto to it. I then lined the bag so the wadding wasn’t visible on the inside.

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Filed under Quilting, Sewing

Tagged as kindle cover, Quilting

March 6, 2018 · 2:10 pm

Another Project Bag

My completed project bag

A close up so you can see the ‘Baa’ fabric at the bottom

I finished another project bag – this one is for my knitting. It is bigger than the previous one – I can fit my plastic box of notions, the pattern (A4), yarn and a small notebook.

I still want to make more – I have two more embroidery projects and several knitting projects to house.

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Tagged as project bags

February 15, 2018 · 11:20 am

Multi-Project Update

Project Bags and a Sock

I have been rotating through my various crafting activities; knitting, sewing/quilting and embroidery.

I decided I needed to make project bags for my various projects – the image top right is my first attempt. It is great – my Live Simply cross stitch fits inside with the chart and my box of floss. However, my A4 pages (in a plastic slip) don’t fit easily inside, so I decided the next one needs to be 2.5cm bigger in both length and width. I have started another one (top left image). Check out the fabric, it’s sheep knitting! The front and the back are quilted and it is fully lined (no raw edges).

I finished one of my after thought heel socks – this is not my favourite technique and I will revert back to normal heels for my next sock (which is going to be Winter Rose Socks – I have joined the hand made sock society and they are going to send me a new pattern bimonthly.)

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Filed under Cross Stitch, Knitting, Quilting, Sewing, Sock Knitting

Tagged as after thought heel, project bag, sock knitting

September 7, 2017 · 2:59 pm

Update

Blackwork Triangles

I have been trying to rotate through my various projects – to get the ones that were languishing on the go again.

Above is the piece I am working on at my embroidery class I only seem to have time to work on it there – I never make it back to it in my rotation. I should finish it this week and then I am going to need a new project. Various different ideas are floating around in my head, but I haven’t settled on anything yet.

I am also knitting Miss A these mitts

Meow Mitts (image from Ravelry – tinyowlknits)

this is proving to be trickier than I expected – 30 minutes yesterday to knit one row! There’s balls of yarn everywhere and I needed to learn how to capture the floats in purl. I am hoping to achieve more next time.

And then finally I am back onto this quilt

Block for my Sampler Quilt

I have gotten a bit more savvy about this quilt – I’ve cut the fabric, backing and batting for 12 blocks and I am just quilting them when I have time. I would love to get this finished because it has been going for a long time.

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Filed under Blackwork, Canvas Work, Colour Work, Free Motion Quilting, Knitting, Quilting

August 25, 2016 · 8:24 pm

Progress on the Sampler Quilt

Just keep quilting, quilting, quilting …

I got my sewing machine out to zig-zag around some canvas (for my embroidery class) and thought I should make the most of the easy access and work on the sampler quilt.

I started to think about work flow and the best way of tackling things – at the moment I am cutting each piece of batting as I need it (same with the backing fabric). Should I cut everything at once? What is the best plan?

In a bit of a win I found the note I wrote myself about the sewing machine settings!

I must say this quilting as you go thing is working well – so far at least. I guess the joining together of the blocks might prove to be the stumbling block.

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Filed under Free Motion Quilting, Patchwork, Quilting

Tagged as quit as you go, sampler quilt

December 28, 2015 · 1:05 pm

Sampler Quilt

Another block is quilted

I am back to trying to finish my sampler quilt. I am trying to spend a bit of time on each of my three main crafts – knitting, canvas work and this.

I discovered today (in the manual) that my sewing maching has a setting for free motion quilting – how good is that? And it worked well.

I have never tried ‘quilt as you go‘ before and I am interested to see how it comes together. It has definitely been easier to pin the quilt sandwich together and to quilt the squares.

I have been thinking about my goals for next year and the big one is to finish my ongoing projects – this quilt was started in May of 2013! The other goal is ‘no more craft supplies!’ – always hard.

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Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Free Motion Quilting, Quilting

Tagged as digitising, Free Motion Quilting, quilt as you go

February 17, 2014 · 4:40 pm

Sampler Quilt – Courthouse Steps Block

Courthouse Steps Block

I finished the four blocks that make one courthouse steps block. As I want this quilt finished, I’m trying to do a little often.

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Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Machine Embroidery, Quilting

Tagged as digitising, foundation piecing, foundation piecing with an embroidery machine, Machine Embroidery

April 12, 2013 · 2:40 pm

Golden Wedding Ring Quilt Block Digitised

SewWitty’s Golden Wedding Ring Block

This is another block that is only 1/4 of the final block. Check out a whole one here. It came together quite easily – I’m starting to feel more confident using Embird. As you can see in the image, I had a bit of difficulty cutting my pieces big enough, but this is just a practice run to determine whether my digitised design is OK.

I think I now have eight blocks: Log Cabin, Pineapple, Flying Geese, Courthouse Steps, Snail Trail, Iowa Star, Golden Wedding Ring, Hour Glass. My plan was to make 12 blocks for my sampler quilt, so only four more to go. Although at some stage I changed my template, so I need to double check the earlier blocks.

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Filed under Digitizing, Foundation Blocks, Quilting

Tagged as digitising, foundation blocks, Machine Embroidery, Quilting

April 11, 2013 · 10:26 am

Quilts 1700 – 2010 Redux

Quilts 1700-2010 Hidden Histories, Untold Stories

I know I have written about this book before, but I have finally finished reading it. This book is a textile lover’s dream – the illustrations are beautiful and it is full of fascinating information. It is not the type of book to read all at once, but just dip into every now and then (even to just look at the pictures and be awed by the skill, patience and dedication of the maker).

The book consists of four chapters; Making and using quilts in eighteenth century Britain, Complexity and context:nineteenth century British quilts, Maintaining the craft:British quilt-making 1900-45 and Negotiating space:fabric and the feminine 1945-2010.

Here are some of my favourites …

Unfinished Patchwork of Silks, c 1860-70

Pieced Wool, c 1863-77

‘Sanderson Star’ quilt in cotton sateens, c 1910-1920

Sara Impey, ‘Punctuation’. Machine stitched Silk, c 2009

Janey Forgan, ‘Liberty Jack’, c 2008

Coverlet, patchwork of printed cottons, c 1803-1805

As I love liberty fabrics, Liberty Jack is probably my favourite, but Sara Impey’s Punctuation is brilliant to, and then the amount of work involved in the earlier quilts is mind-boggling.

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Filed under Book Review, Patchwork, Quilting

Tagged as quilts, V&A Quilts

January 26, 2013 · 11:52 am