handsewing, a course

Hello all

last weekend, there was a break from routine and I got to participate at a wonderful hand-sewing, english paper piecing course at Peekaa. Which means, now I officially know how to paper-piece :D

Jokes aside, as always, there were so many "Aha!"-moments, which makes me wondering why I keep on struggling alone. Also... what made me handbaste, when there are these wonderful glue-basting-sticks available.

Cutting out thick paper templates. Pencil for scale. Gluebasting the fabric around the templates.

The center piece: yellow star and turquoise borders.

Whipstiching along. More then once did we establish that I am SLOW.... Slowly but surely the ring of pentagons gets assembles. Slowly.

 

We ended the course with the first of ten tiny starts. Pen for scale!

So fun.

All in all, I loved the challenge and I loved the newly learned techniques. Will it become a while quilt? Questionable. But I will continue for a while. Not that I would need more started projects...

Handsewing again

Do you ever wonder where all your batting goes?
I buy it in six to nine meter batches, and then it sits there in my closet, taking up a vast amount of space. I open my closet and there is this nothing in it but batting.
And yet... I finished my table topper (see last post) and my baby blanket, ready to get the quilting started... and... not a single crump of batting in the whole house. Just a few scraps, sewn together not even enough for the table topper....

This has me confused.

I don't get to the LQS before friday, so what does a woman do? Handsewing.
I took my long-term-travel-and-in-between hegaxon project out. There are times I wonder will it ever get finished. And there I times I want to through it out all together. What made me start it?

But today... it actually felt good. Some relaxing handsewing, while watching the latest QI-episode. That is a nice way to spend the evening.

Today's yield. Maybe it will be finished eventually. In a few years time....

table runner in top stage

Hi all!

Last weekend, I managed to fit in some quite sewing time. What a bliss in my current hectic lifestyle!

The first priority was set on finishing the table runner top from lasts post, and I am proud to announce that after lots and lots of ironing seam allowances in the right direction (and sometimes re-ironing in the other direction, because...). The second part of my bargello table runner got ready:

I am so pleased with it, and I love how the the bargello shades give the appearance of a blurry shadow. I am sure, this was not my last bargello-type project. However, this work will have to wait now for a bit until I have time for quilting.

I have a baby quilt in my head and the deadline is approaching. The first step is ready:

With all the sewing going on, I also made a big dent in my leaders-and-enders project. This almost gives me anxiety, because I will have to think about a new l-a-e project soon. Any idea? Do you use leaders and enders?

My boxes of 5x5 cm2 pieces.

The fabric squares were already sewn into two pieces, and this weekend I got to sew two two-pieces together this weekend.

These fabric pieces will eventually turn into 4x4 them, as seen above. I have a bit over 80 squares and I am aiming for about the same amount still. When all squares are sewn, I will either sash them or sew them together with out sashing. What do you think? What would you do?

Sneak preview

Hello all, time for an update on my current work in process. This is a gold-black-beige bargello style table runner. I love bargello quilts, and yet I have never done anything larger than a small block in my sampler quilt. I worked the pattern out with the help of the owner of our local quilt shop. She had a wonderful christmas tablerunner in this pattern. Choosing the right fabric... that was so far the hardest part, followed by deciding on the sequence.

 

Taking picture of the arrangements to look at it every now and then... does this work?

 The tube all sewn and ironed.

 Cutting the strip sets and opening the tubes.

 Nesting the seams works quite nicely. Sewing and sewing and sewing.

 Aaaaand first half done, time for a sneak preview :-)

I quite like how this is coming along. Maybe I need to add a further unit to the end to make it longer, but I'll decide on it, when I am further. Hopefully I can continue soon.

Happy New Year 2017

Hi all,

We have crossed the line and welcomed the New Year yesternight. I wish you all success and joy with your quilting endeavours as well as the other important parts of your life.

Is there some special quilting goal you have set for myself? Drop me a comment, I would love to read what you are planning!

My goal for 2017 is to finish a couple of UFOs and be more consistent with my quilting. A little bit sewing here and there goes a long way, even though I may not have time for a full weekend retreat-style quilting. I would like to master some new technique, but have not set my eye on anything specific, let's see what the year will bring. Maybe even working on free-motion quilting?

And remember:

Merry christmas 2016 everyone!

This is it. Christmas Eve 2016. What a year!

Advent wreath

We are visiting the grandparents, so I had the chance to take a picture of a table runner I gave them a couple of years ago. I love the pattern! Simple squares of assorted christmas and red fabrics, together with simple eight-pointed stars in yellow. I quilted simple wavy lines across the length.

Christmas table runner

I used cut and sewed and cut and sewed. In the end I had material for four runners and matching oven mittens. :-)

Detail of table runner

This project was before someone told me how to do the binding properly. At some time I will need to fix this :-)

Are there things you constantly did "wrong" or more complicated before someone told you? What are some things you could measure your quilting-progress?

End of the year thoughts?

We are living now in the middle of the run towards christmas, the mid-end of december rush of the year. And yet it is also time to reflect on the year that has passed, to think what we have achieved, and to ponder where we could do better.

Of course that includes a quick review of the quilts finished this year. My overall yield of quilts was depressingly low this year, mainly due to work and schedule problems. This is not a complaint, I feel truly priviliged to have work and my life is richer than ever. Nevertheless, next year, I surely want to give my hobby a bigger priority than I did in 2016.

Below a scrap quilt, that was lying in top-staged for the longest time. I found a deal for a suitable back fabric in august and quilted simple crossing serpentines with the walking food of my maschine. I gave it to our neighbour yesterday, because I used many of the scraps she had given me.

Some colours in the white-grey snowy landscape.

For this project I had cut up all my leftovers strips and patches into suitable length and width. They were foundation pieced on very 25 x 25 cm squares of very old and very thin bedlinen. Sewing took place either as "leaders and enders" during other projects or every now and then a square or two by itself. After all squares were covered in strips, all of them were squared up and sewn together in a diamond manner.

I loved going through my scraps and remember the rpojects they were used in :-) THere was definitely a green and a turquoise time. Oh and all the pinks!

 spread on the snow.....

How are your thoughts concerning 2016? Any plans for 2016?

Have a great holiday season!