move along now....

....nothing to see here.  This might help to explain....

back to school

Not much sewing happening chez kettleboiler over the past week or so as life tried to get itself back to a more even keel.  I even managed to miss the slow blogger linky do da  over at Catherine's #sorry.  I am now panicking a little about all the FQ Retreat sewing I need to crack on with.  So in an exemplar piece of procrastination, I buckled down and made my first Schoolhouse Tunic...

I used the Liberty Lawn fabric I bought nearly 3 years ago from Fabric Galore at the Festival of Quilts.  Most of the seams are French seams (a wee aside:  did you know that the French call French seams English seams?  Quelle bizarre!).  Anyway, I know I need to provide a "wearing the thing" shot but before I do I need to tell you that Laughing Boy doesn't do cameras or photos.  We have hardly any photos of us - when the wee man was born, it was a quick camera phone jobbie and that was pushing my luck.  So when I asked him to take a photo of me wearing my tunic, there was a lot of persuasion and very little effort. I was hoping for something a la Mary's lovely fashion shoot.  At least this one is in focus:



it was meant to be the test shot!

The eagle eyed amongst you will note in the bottom right corner... a newspaper.  He didn't even get up off of his seat or move his paper so no scene setting or working together to get the best shot.  Anyway, he gave me a usable shot (out of the two that were taken) so I shouldn't complain.  #bitching

When I first showed this tunic to my beloved, he mentioned that it looked like I was wearing my mum's curtains!  What this meant, apparently, was that it's too long and would work better shorter.  It's not hemmed yet so I'll have a think about it.  I changed the pattern slightly so that instead of two pleats at the front, I added a bigger one in the middle, as I though it might look less boxy. The finished top is ok although  I can't say I'm in love with it.  It's a little roomy and I'm not sure the neckline suits me that much (it's a bit high I think).  As you might remember, I was planning on using my lovely AMH linen feathers to make one of these but I have totally changed my mind now that I've seen the finished top.  I'm now thinking about a washi dress having seen Laura Jane's beauty in the same fabric.  But I'm still not sure as I don't do no sleeves (hence my gargantuan cardigan fetish collection).  So the jury is out but I reckon this top may make an appearance at the FQR (length undecided).

Again, avoiding what needs to be done, I finally ordered the last piece of fabric I needed to make my nephew a bean bag for his birthday (thanks Justine for the speedy service). To be fair, his birthday was back in May so I guess this was a need to do thing....

another "it needs a good iron" shot!

I don't have the filling yet and will probably get this sent separately to my sister's house as they are in Scotland.  So I attempted a dodgy shot with the bean bag half stuffed with pillows.  Anyway, you get the idea I'm sure.  My real triumph with this was ignoring the instructions to use a Velcro closure and installing an invisible zipper instead...can you see it?

#result

This was the second time I had attempted an invisible zipper (the first being a hastily abandoned effort for the PTS 10 pillow cover) and this time I followed a couple of YouTube videos and it worked!  I was even more surprised because the seams have a slight curve in them. I am so stoked that I may just put an invisible zip in everything I make from now on!  Anyway, the link to the PDF pattern I used is now broken so if you're keen to make a similar bean bag, I can send you the PDF.  Again, I think Mary beat me to it, in terms of making one!  I didn't make a liner as you can get them for free when you order the filling.

Now, I need to focus on my FQR stuff ...oh look a sunbeam......

swiping back

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post.  I'm still working my way back to equilibrium and your kind words have helped.  I'm also focusing on the lovely things that happen as a way of swiping the swipe....such as my beautiful niece getting the First Class degree classification that she deserves, even if it means that she is definitely moving to Big Bad London (I'll be calling on the London MQG to adopt her, obvs.)  And, her equally beautiful twin sister's upcoming degree show.  And this little guy trying to teach himself how to jump.....

too cute!

The little sewing I've managed over the past few days has involved upcycling some old blue linen troosers and scraps of white to make the wee man a pair of shorts for the summer.

Look I put in some piping!  I accidently sewed too much into the seam on one side and was about to unpick when I saw an opportunity to use one of the many labels I made a while back to cover the oops and add a little design detail. It looks cool, no?  They are flat fronted and I used this great tutorial by Dana from danamadeit. I will be making some more I think.

Anyway, inspired by lots of photos of beautiful kids posing in their handmade clothes like pros on Flickr, I tried to talk the wee man into a fashion photo shoot.  I knew it may not work out so well when he refused to get off of the couch or take his socks off....

mum, the cricket's on! #hisfather'sson

best shot I could get but check out those eatable legs!

He didn't want to take the shorts off in the end and kept calling them pretty so a result I'd say. Take that, side swipe!

side swipe

I took all the stuff I needed to make four different bee blocks to the East Midlands MQG meeting on Saturday.  It was a glorious day, the sun shone, the company was excellent, the food was divine...all of which meant that only one block was completed by the end of the day.  But I was all prepped and ready to go for a big sewing week this week.  Then things started going a bit wibbly wobbly (technical term!). 

On Monday, I sent off my PTS10 parcel and it cost me a tenner in postage!  Then, I realised that I had starched two of the bee blocks with 505 basting spray rather than spray starch - note to self: red top = starch, blue top = glue! #doofus #poorironingboard

On Tuesday, I was 95% finished bee block #3 when I decided it wasn't good enough and scrapped it, starting a new one and cursing myself for changing my mind half way through and ruining what would have been an ok block. At the same time, an ok block would have upset me so I was right to start again I think.

Yesterday, I got a card through the post saying I owe £18 custom charges for some fabric I bought for my niece's quilt #swearword.  And then the wee man ran full pelt into a table (not the corner thank goodness) and got a massive goose egg bump with a straight line bruise through the middle of it.  He was chasing a girl.  A metaphor for his future maybe?  Anyway, the first person I wanted to call and talk to about it is no longer here and can't give me the sage and sensible advice that I would probably ignore anyway.  Side swipe!  Anniversaries come round regularly but first anniversaries are unique and, in this case, flipping rubbish (and not until next week). 

So I have taken today as a day's leave to have a pity party give myself a chance to breathe and I managed to finish the reworked block.  It's for Brandy as part of the Modern Mavericks bee.  She wanted Dresden plate blocks in a very limited palate of greys, blacks and white. I wanted to make a really light one and had planned to have the whole block as one giant plate - no background but soon realised that, the way I was going, the final block would end up over 20" square so I improvised.  So here it is:

not exactly how I envisaged it

And the two blocks together (I made the first one a wee while ago)

I love the first block (pattern from the Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop book) and am conflicted about the second block but it's much better than my first attempt and I am waaaaaay behind getting this to the ever patience Brandy so off it goes.  I wish I had gotten the maths right on my total Dresden idea though.  I may make another one.  Maybe I shouldn't be sewing right now #conflicted.

My other blocks this week have been for Sarah, also for the Modern Mavericks bee.  She wanted x&+ blocks in lime and grey....

a little more glued than starched!

I like these blocks and they came together well although they're just short of 12 1/2" square.  I think my 1/4" seams aren't scant enough.

Anyway, I'm off to the Post Office to pay my exorbitant custom charge and post these blocks off  to the US and Canada and probably buy some cake on my way back home.  Cake might help lift the mood.  And the big pile of Glimma that I'll have too (it was 25% off! #justification).