Iron Carriers

Bought Mum a travel size iron to take to workshops and sewing nights and bought one for myself at the same time!  Peggy and Bev's Place ran a Thursday night group to make an iron carrier and I thought what a great idea!  I may have started it quite a few months ago but I have finally finished! 

Happy Sewing
Kristy

And more hats!

Yep, the crazy is back!  At least this time I only made 6!  2 for nieces that weren't born when I made the last lot, one for a friend, 2 for older siblings I missed last time and another boy one (not shown in the photo - I had already given it away)!  As it was, this lot was sent pretty much straight after I took the photo.  Peggy and Bev's Place held a lovely end of year sewing day on Sunday when I was able to finish the last part of the hats.  I had a lovely day sewing, chatting and eating!  We are off on holidays soon, hopefully the next post will be the pinwheel quilt bound and finished!!  And then I will write a new list of projects for 2011 (it is already on my sewing room door, we'll see how much gets done next year)!

Happy Sewing
Kristy

Pillowcases

I made the bottom pillowcase sometime last year? and it was so easy (and Master 4 claimed it) that my UFO list has included making another one!  This time I cut 4" strips instead of random widths and sewed them straight onto the backing fabric.  Must say thanks to the lovely Bev from Peggy and Bev's Place for showing me this technique.  I'm really happy that it was cut and sewed in one day - even with the distractions of 2 small boys and the MOTH!  Now that I have neglected housework for too long, this week I will need to get stuck into it.  So for dinner tonight we are off to the shop for chicken and chips!

Happy Sewing
Kristy

P.S - Only 2 items left on the UFO list - one of which will be at the quilter next week!  WOOHOO!!  Then I can make a new projects for 2011 list!

Showing off!

Now I'm just showing off!  After getting all inspired by being around other sewing minded ladies last night, I decided to get stuck into this one today.  For a quilt that was a block a week, it's taken an awfully long time to finish!  I'm not a real fan of triangles and hadn't really sewed many and thought that this might be a good time to challenge myself.  The pattern was from Twiddletails who called it a 'Pinwheel Party' and provided a free block pattern each week.  To make the quilt larger I have added extra blocks which you can probably notice as the 2nd and 4th rows.  I am so happy that it can go off to the quilter next week - this was a big UFO to finish and I'll be even happier when it's quilted, bound and presented to it's new owner!! 

Happy Sewing,
Kristy

Make It Perfect Book

I just had to mention this wonderful new book by Toni Coward.  I have a few of her patterns and they are very user friendly so I have hinted to Mum that I might like a new book for Christmas!!  Anyhow, here's the link

Make It Perfect Book

Things have been a bit quiet on the creative front while I have battled the horrid nausea that comes with every pregnancy.  Hoping it will settle soon as we've now passed the 12 week mark.  I have soooo many things I want to get done before Christmas and now before the baby too!

Happy sewing,
Kristy

New projects!

I have been a naughty girl!  I read Peggy and Bev's Place blog this morning and thought I would drop in to see the new fabric.  Well I have been thinking of making my FIL a quilt for ages and the pattern and kit that Peggy had put together was PERFECT!  That's about all that's been happening around here lately.  We are going to Perth next week so hopefully after the trip my motivation will return and I can finish the rest of the UFO's and start some new projects - perhaps the sewing room might need a good clean first!

Happy sewing
Kristy

Even More Cows!

Now I am just showing off!  I've had a few productive days, happily sewing in the still messy sewing room.  Although last night I did put away a pile of fabric and felt much better for it.  I also found a project that I thought I had lost - in the ironing basket - no wonder I couldn't find it - I never look in the ironing basket!  This cow pattern turned out to be a bit too big to be a wall hanging but will find a home in my blanket box for those cold mornings when I want to snuggle under a nice quilt.  The four patch blocks were made from some leftovers from the Sleepover bags, the red and the pale purple came from Needleworx, and the binding I had at home, more leftovers from another project.  I am loving using up some of my stash!  I was going to go away sewing for the weekend but have had the MOTH home sick all week and thought better of leaving him at home with 2 small children!  I had another go at quilting myself and went around the cows and then diagonally through the four patch blocks.  I am really happy with how it all turned out.  Now I just need to finish the pinwheel quilt so that I can start on some new projects!

Happy Sewing,
Kristy

Cows, cows and more cows!

I have gone cow mad!  I have finished another UFO - HOORAY!  This is a project that I made just for me to brighten up the sewing room - which at the moment is a HUGE mess!  I picked up the pattern a couple of years ago, thinking I'll do that one day.  One day finally came and I have literally just finished the binding and taken a photo - which is why the light isn't very good.  All the fabric came from Peggy and Bev's Place and I am really happy with how it has turned out.  I have a collection of cow buttons that I wasn't sure how to display and when I saw this pattern I knew how I could show them off!  I used the buttons as part of the quilting process and only quilted around the cows and fence posts.  So, another one bites the dust - or grass as the cows say!

Happy Sewing!
Kristy

Another Finish!!

How excited am I??  I ignored the messy kitchen and decided that sewing was waaay more important and have just finished another project for the year!  This Critter Book is a pattern by Kids Quilts.  I have a few of their patterns which are in my UFO pile at the moment.  This particular project is for a new addition to the extended family due in October.  I took it outside to try taking some artistic shots with one of the kids toys and then realised that the toy was upside down!  Oh well, I am very happy that it is finished and waiting in the cupboard for the new arrival.  I have also been working on the pinwheel quilt and have now finished all the blocks and bought more fabric for the sashing.  Just needs to be put together now.  So with that in mind, I am off to the sewing room again with some good music and plenty to keep me busy!

Happy Sewing

Kristy

Sewing Retreat

The lovely ladies from Peggy and Bev's Place organised a sewing retreat over the weekend and it was wonderful!  It is about the only time I ever get to go away by myself, no men, no kids, no cooking and no cleaning - heaven!  The food was fabulous, the teachers terrific and the ladies were laughing!  Peggy showed us a technique using no rulers which was very different to anything I've done before and quite fun!  So I have made 18 blocks and not quite sure what to make with them so I think they might sit for a little while until I can come up with a creative way to use them. 

I then moved onto some unfinished projects.  I sewed 4-patch blocks for one of the cow wall hangings I've been working on and got stuck into the pinwheels.  I finished piecing all the blocks then laid them out to see how big it would be.  Not quite big enough I decided so with help from the other ladies I have decided to add another block.  Crazy much?  Yep.  I have cut all the pieces and will hopefully get some done tomorrow night.  Anyhow, haven't really been up to much else.

Happy Sewing

Kristy

FINISHED!

Yep, that's right!  It's finished!  The robot quilt that was started before Master 2 was born is now completed!  How excited am I???  And how excited was my little man!  He is now very happy with his new 'blanket' on the bed, ready for sleep tonight!  It has been a very busy couple of weeks as the MOTH turned 30.  We have had a wonderful time catching up with both of our families and will sadly say goodbye to that last of the visitors later this week.  Hopefully this means the sewing room will get busy again even though I did manage to sew aprons for my nieces while they were here.  But that's enough boasting over a finished project for me.  The next couple of projects are a long way off being completed so I need to get busy!

Kristy

Weekend Sewing

Hooray!  I have bought my About A Boy hat pattern!!  I am going to try and whip one up this weekend - if the boys will let me!  I have been busy still working on my UFO list this week and have all my hand sewing ready to sit and enjoy James Bond tomorrow night.  But, so you don't miss out on photos, here is another finished project for the year.  Started in January 2009 maybe?  I was ambitious and made a total of 6 for the nieces and nephews and my own 2.  These are the best bags for toys in the car.  They have 4 pockets on the outside and since I have finished the boys, they have been well used and pretty much stay in the car loaded full of toys.  You can find the pattern here http://www.kidsquilts.com/products.cfm?SubCategoryID=35.  With the addition of 3 more nieces and nephews I will have to get a move on if I am going to make them one each for Christmas!!  I finished 4 for Christmas last year and these 2 were finished in April.  Hopefully I will get a hat finished this weekend!!

Kristy

Robot Quilt Post 2

The robot quilt is off to the quilter's!!  How excited was I to put it in the mail!!  Another one on the way to completion!  I chose a mottled red for the first border and a mustard yellow for the second border.  Because the quilt was long enough but not quite wide enough, I made the top and bottom borders from 4" strips and the side ones 2".  Now I just need to decide on a binding.  Hmmm, that might take a while.  Hopefully it will be fully completed by the end of July and on Master 2's bed for the end of winter!  Thanks for the comment Sonia, I will try using the clothesline next time to take pictures.  Anyhow, thought I would share a photo of a different completed project.  I bought the fabric a while ago and had enough to make 2 floor blankets.  I had one sandwiched and pinned ready to go for ages and pulled it out to quilt it and it just didn't work out right.  I unpicked it once and it puckered again so I decided that the boys could have it to play with.  The other quilt was for a new nephew in the family and it went together really well.  I also really like the binding on it.  That's enough sharing for me today, time to go and DO something!!

Kristy

The Robot Quilt

I have had this quilt in my UFO pile for over 2 years!  Mum bought the fabric for this before Master 2 was even born so it has been a long time!  Especially seeing as how I wanted it finished when he was ready for a big bed.  Well, better late then never.  I will be buying some border fabric on the weekend, and hopefully get it off to the quilter's early next week.  Sorry about the bad photo, I had to hang it off the curtains and it just hasn't turned out that well.  I took another one close up so you can see the detail.  I think I might be a bit hexagon mad!!

Kristy

Sew Slack (He he he!)

Well, as the title suggests I have been rather slack in the sewing department of late.  The children finally got better and we've had a trip to pick up our new bed which is exciting but I have now decided that the room needs new curtains.  And a new paint job.  These things shall have to wait for the MOTH (man of the house) to have some time off I think.  I think I have plenty of other projects to keep me entertained until then!  So instead of a photo of more fabric bought (although I did manage to buy more on the weekend), I am going to start posting the pictures of things already finished for the year.  My first finish for the year were these Lazy Day Hats.  I fell in love with the pattern and was crazy enough to start them as Christmas presents last year.  I think I made over 20 in total.  All different sizes and colours and I can say that all the recipients are very happy with the outcome.  Master 4 proudly tells anyone who will listen that 'Mum made my hat'!  Love him!  Especially as his was the first and had a few puckers.  I worked out the puckering issue and the rest weren't so bad.  Well, back to finishing my cuppa and think make sure I can put the bed together!

Kristy

Fabricolic

Hi, my name is Kristy and I'm a fabricolic.  I have enough fabric in my Fabricologists Resource Centre (fancy words for fabric stash) to last a lifetime but I can't help but buy more.  Saturday I added these to my collection

to make some of these nappy wallets http://and-so-i-sew.blogspot.com/2010/04/nappy-wallet-tutorial.html

And to further my addiction, I spent today at Peggy and Bev's Place sewing and came home with this

 

(there is a dinosaur panel that goes with this, and some other nice fabrics that almost came home too) for the ABC Wall Hanging project I bought the pattern for 2 or 3 years ago.  The first step to dealing with my addiction is admitting I have one.  Well, I have an addiction to fabric, sewing, patterns, pretty threads, and more crafty stuff.  Sadly my 12 step program ends at Step 1 because I don't want to give up my addiction anytime soon!  The only way to deal with this is to promise to finish some of these projects before the end of the year.  Only time will tell!

Kristy

P.S  Have been quiet while Master 4 was ill, but will clean the house tonight so that Saturday and Sunday will be sewing days!

Finished!!

Finally!  My quietness in blogging means I have been busy sewing??  Well, yes and no.  Master 4 has been rather unwell but is hopefully on the mend now.  I have been working on some hand sewing of my 'hexagon' quilt.  It is a long term project as it's paper pieced 1" hexagons made into flowers in pinks and purples.  I will get round to taking some pictures of the progress soon.  The big finish for the day was not one, but two sleepover bags for my mum and SIL.  I even managed to get to the post office in time for them to arrive Friday!  Considering I was going to have them finished for birthdays back in February, two months late isn't too bad!  The pattern was from Melly and Me.  http://mellyandme.typepad.com/photos/designs_by_melly_me/m069---sleepover-4x6.html 

So another project is crossed off the list and now i can move onto the pinwheel blocks.  Hmmm, that might take a while!

Kristy

New project

So much for more sewing.  Master 4 has been sick so I have been cleaning up after him which has sadly not left much time for sewing.  Hopefully tonight after both of them have gone to bed!  Anyhow, even though I shouldn't even think about new projects until the long list of UFO's is completed, I have to share this new pattern with you.  I am waiting for Bev from http://www.peggyandbevsplace.typepad.com/ to return from the Melbourne Quilt Exhibition (lucky things) to source the pattern for me and then will probably go into mass production!  I love them!  http://www.makeitperfect.com.au/MIP/About%20A%20Boy.html  I will post pictures when they are done - it might be in a couple of months but I'll get round to it!

Kristy

Cow Quilt

I thought this was the best picture to use as my profile! I have been collecting cows for a long time and Mum bought me some cow flannel fabrics. They sat in my stash for a few years before I could decide what to make with them. I made (with Mum's help) a shabby/shaggy quilt for my lap in the lounge. It's just the right size to cover my legs and toes and will be great as the weather gets cooler. This quilt was on my list of UFO's to finish in 2010 and was gladly crossed off about 2 weeks ago! Now off to feed the family and get back to some more sewing.

Kristy

???????

Hmmm, where to start. If you read my profile you will find out the reasons for beginning a blog. I guess the first thing to do is find a nice photo to put up? Hmmm, that might be hard. I will look tomorrow and post one then, and maybe find some photos of some of the already finished projects of 2010!