showing off... family style

I've not been up to much sewing lately, partly due to needing the room as a guest room amongst other things.  So I've decided to use this post to show off about my big sister Carol and her amazing craftiness.  Carol is the complete opposite to me when it comes to most things - where I need to have read 125 different books on how to do something before I ever embark on it, she just dives in and fathoms it all out for herself.  This has resulted in her being a great knitter, crochet-er and sewer, leaving me panicking, in her wake, about knowing all the rules first.

Carol, Bethan and Hannah

Carol is also the mother of two of my nieces - Bethan and Hannah - both of who are completely gorgeous and amazingly well mannered and at university in Edinbugh and Aberdeen, respectively.  [I won't dwell on what they get up to there.... suffice to say, facebook can open the eyes of even wordly aunties ;-)].  They each got a handmade quilt from their mum for Christmas last year.  Here's Bethan's.....

with obligatory feet!

Now, Hannah has been a little slack in providing photos of her quilt so I'm hoping this will shame her into doing so!  My big sister is a genius and I am immensely proud of her.

Back to me(!) - we finally managed to get my sewing room straight yesterday so here's what's on Bertha at the moment...

I should finish in time for the next Skirts lunch!

Other than getting Jo's quilt done, I have a couple of bags to make and a new quilt for Laura to start.  I've got a side project on the go as well - not sure how it'll end up so I won't go into detail at the moment.  If it works out, I'll let you know.  Of course, I should really be working on my assignment which is due in at the end of the month but I figure I'm working it out in my head whilst sewing. How easy it is to convince yourself of things!

crazy crazy crazy quilt....

oops..got my big hair metal head on there for a moment!  Apologies to the easily offended :)  Blame it on my tumble down the stairs on Jan 2nd - I haven't been quite right since!

I've finally finished Jo's b-day quilt top - drum roll please....


crazy nine patch madness

 Apologies also for not showing Laughing Boy's legs in this photo - it's quite a big quilt top and I think he was not entirely 100% focussed on the job in hand (sport on TV at the time).  I'm really pleased to have finally finished this top and I am prepared enough to have the backing fabric - some Amy Butler Love I bought in the Saints & Pinners sale (always excellent and speedy service)

Just waiting for the wadding (really pleased that Mandy from Simply Solids is doing wadding by the metre now too) and then we'll be good to go.  Not sure how I'm gonna quilt this baby - I'm not brave enough to try free motion quilting on a present quilt just yet so I need to have a think.  Hand quilting may be the order of the day....  I'll get back to you on that :)

2011 baby yeah!

Happy new year to you all - I hope you had grand Hogmanay celebrations.  We opted for a night at home watching Avatar (average), eating ham cooked in coke with chilli mash, drinking some wine and a tarte tatin that finally came out of the oven at 11pm!  Handmade puff pastry though - now that's what I'm taking about!

So I was thoroughly spoilt over christmas - here are some of what I received....

hours of fun already and I still don't really know what I'm doing!

much love to ms roy

santa read my amazon wishlist!

I have another book to come apparently but Laughing Boy can't remember what he ordered.  I'm hoping for Elizabeth Hartman's book - icing on an already full cake.

I actually started Jo's belated birthday quilt over the holidays too.  Since I'm about 9 months late already, I used the crazy nine patch block from Oh, Fransson! but don't want to do the lattice design so am figuring out the lay out, starting with these two....

But I've got a third one that keeps popping into my head so I think I need to map out how that will look before making the final decision.

I've had a smashing Christmas break so far and one of the best things has been that I've fallen in love with cooking again.  My yorkshire puddings were a triumph and my first stab at red velvet fairy cakes a total thumbs up!  You can always tell when I've made dinner as the kitchen looks like downtown Beirut when I'm done - thank God for Laughing Boy! 

I have lots of plans for 2011, hopefully some of them will come to fruition.  One of my plans is to give up alcohol for January - managed it last year and after a pretty sodden couple of weeks my liver is thanking me already. I'd like to visit my friends and family more often too - I miss you guys! I want to tweak the blog as well so watch out for some changes.  I hope to join in with some bees and quilt-alongs too.  I'm excited about what I might make this year - eeek!

plans

Well, we made it to Scotland and back without getting caught in too much snow.  We even made it to the bottom of our friends' street in Dunblane in the snow before chickening out, turning round and heading home! Pressies were exchanged and Maia just loved her quilt, which was a relief.  She and the boys ended up having a picnic on it.  I'll see if I can get hold of a photo of it in action.  I came home with a quilting hoop, how to crochet book and hook, flat head pins and a list of things to add to the to-do list!

So today, apart from cleaning out the fridge (a chore left over from my birthday to-do list!), I'm working out my crafty plan for 2011.  I read about this quilt-along today....

It's going on the list! I've started a "quilts I want to make in 2011" list in the side bar of kettleboiler but it is by no means definitive at the moment.  I've made 6 quilts in my first year of sewing - I want to beat that next year!

having a stevie wonder moment...

.... cos it's my birthday today!  It's Altered Images and the Beatles next!  As is my tradition, I have taken a day off from work.  I take Laughing Boy's birthday off as well even though he never does - someone has to!  Anyway, I have two lists of what I plan to with my day:

List 1: unrealistic and overambitious
clean the bathroom
clean out the fridge and my Nigella cupboard (pantry)
hoover until exhaustion
bake til I run out of stuff
order christmas food from farm shop (despite the -12 degrees, ice and the big hill to get there)
finish all christmas pressie shopping by going into town and physically buying rather than internet shopping
make 25 mug rugs and 4 bags and 1 scarf
have lunch
watch the Gilmore Girls
finish reading Kafka on the Beach
re-organise my fabric shelf
wrap some pressies
make a cup of tea for the in-laws
go out for dinner

List 2: the probably gonna happen list
clean the bathroom CHECK
have a coffee and some pancakes CHECK
think really hard about making my first ever red velvet cake but put it off until Christmas CHECK
watch the Gilmore Girls NEXT
make some mug rugs
do some internet shopping
wrap some pressies
make a cup of tea for the in-laws
go out for dinner

Re red velvet cake - although I've never tasted it, I have this idea that it's the nicest thing in the world and I am obsessed with cake in a jar like this...

.... from mycakies blog

How delicious does that look? It's a definite make for Christmas I think, although maybe not in a jar.

Re internet shopping, I wasn't going to but I think I'm going to treat myself to some AMH innocent crush as a wee personal pressie

and when I say some, I probably mean the lot!

And the sun's out.  It's a beautiful day :-)

navel gazing

Since my last post and my continued frustrations at my lack of accuracy in cutting AND sewing, I read a really interesting post, from someone who is a much better sewer than I am, talking about her frustrations with imperfection.  I agree with Rachel when she talks about feeling like the only one that makes mistakes.  I get depressed when I read a blog about someone who knocked up a perfect quilt in 5 hours.  But I guess I should remember I'm still pretty new on this journey and could probably relax a little and ease up on the self criticism.  At the same time, I need to learn from my many mistakes.  In a strange way, this crafty journey mirrors my wider life in many ways........  Ahem, as you were!

riding the wave

It's the fastest I've ever made a quilt, but as it's a christmas present I wanted to get it done so I could cross at least one thing of the mightily long to-do list.  I give you Maia's "sofa with mum" new wave quilt...


it's kind of cute, huh? if you ignore some of the wonkier match ups!

 And for the obligatory photo of Laughing Boy's legs, here's what the back looks like...

he's so patient with me!

quilted with straight lines following the wave

The finished quilt is about 40 inches by 43 inches, which I think will be big enough for her, given that she's nearly 4.  I made the binding with strips of the material used on each wave.  Although I think it looks good, I might have been better with one fabric - maybe the ginger mermaid one.  Also, I see EVERY flaw and continue to struggle with accurate cutting.  I am the proverbial bull in a china shop -breenging in all gun ho and not paying enough attention to what I am doing. I am a child of the MTV generation I guess!  I am getting better but so slowly. Perhaps I need a list of commandments on my wall that I refer to before, during and after.  A lesson I am still learning. 

As is the consistent seam width thingy - I lose concentration or something.  Maybe I need to get me one of those tracer wheels - I hope you're reading this, Santa! 

I'd use this pattern again - it was straightforward and fun to do.  I'm a little concerned about the wadding - it seems to stiff for me - hobbs heirloom something something - not happy :(  Maybe a few washes will soften it up a bit.

Onwards - I'm on a bag making frenzy this week, with mug rugs next week and hopefully some basic dressmaking the following week.  (or a glass of wine and a kip on the couch watching Ace of Cakes! Cake Boss just doesn't compare!!)