My husband's brother and his wife are celebrating their Ruby Wedding Anniversary today, and so I've been rather busy making their present. I borrowed one of their wedding photographs from my mother-in-law, which I then copied onto an EQ printable fabric sheet, and gathered together a collection of fabrics and lace and buttons and set about making it... ...I made the cushion using the quilt-as-you-go method, and added an assortment of buttons - some of these were the ones my mother-in-law gave me, and then decorated the cushion with some lace fabric and lace trimming too... ...it always looks "sew" much better once it's filled with a nice plump cushion pad! I normally use feather ones, but this one is foam, and does the job just as well... ...then I inserted a covered zipper on the back and added one of my labels too. I then machined the binding into place, and hand finished this on the back. Then it was time for the photo shoot out in the garden. Happy Ruby Wedding Anniversary Stephen and Betty!!
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I know, I don't normally blog TWICE in one day, but here is the completed "Friends Needle Case" - pattern designed by Rosalie Quinlan. I'd bought this as a kit from The Fat Quarters back in 2008, made a start on it (well - I'd completed the stitchery) and put it one side - and as I'm still taking part in the FB group "Tour de Fibre" I decided to tackle this as my next project. Hanne who organises the group challenged herself to complete 5 unfinished projects before starting a new one, and I also took up the challenge! This is my fourth project that I've completed so I'm doing quite well! And here it is - it really is very pretty - and just like shoes and handbags, a girl can never have too many needle cases..... .....first of all I traced and cut out some hexagon templates, using some template plastic. I've stored these away in my sewing box incase I ever need these again! Then it was time to cut out the main fabric, the lining, the pocket, the wadding and the woollen felt for the needles - all hexagon shaped of course!..... .....I constructed this a bit different to Rosalie's instructions. Firstly I decided to machine applique the stitchery onto the front of the needle case, and used a pale pink King Kut thread for this, stitching quite close to the edge of the applique, and stitching it into postion before attaching the lining. I used the same colour thread when I made the handles, and to top stitch around both pieces of the needle case too..... .....I love the vintage style buttons that decorate the inside of this needle case. They are SO pretty! Oh and another slight change in the construction - I used a button magnet to keep the case closed (really this was because I forgot to attach the tab to loop over the button, but don't tell anyone!! and also I sewed through the pocket making 2 smaller ones as I thought it would be easier for storing a couple of packets of hand sewing needles, reels of thread, etc. This was a super kit, as it had EVERYTHING I needed to complete the project without having to search for other supplies. Now - where's my next unfinished project?!
Well I've found yet ANOTHER unfinished stitchery project! This one is called "Friends Needle Case" and is by the Australian designer Rosalie Quinlan. I bought this kit absolutely YEARS ago (?2008!!) from The Fat Quarters, and they still have this pattern in stock if you're interested in making one too!! The kit had just about everything I needed to complete it - the fabrics (Lecien - my favourites!! - part of the Dunham Quilt collection), the pellon, the stitchery stabilizer, the embroidery thread, even the cute buttons for embellishment. AND it is a hexagon shape - too cute! I had initially completed the stitchery and then packed it away - and goodness only knows why as it's SO pretty - or should that be SEW pretty?!! I had traced the pattern with a fine Pigma pen, and stitched the design using 2 strands of DMC embroidery thread. As everything was included in this kit, I was ready to go - however, life got in the way - and it didn't get finished, like so many of my other projects! So today I am having a super sewing Sunday and hoping to get this one finished! What are you busy doing today?
One of my colleagues had a VERY special birthday last week. Judy is a lovely friend, and she has been a great mentor at work - I really couldn't have asked to work with anyone nicer. I wanted to make her a special gift - so I set too with some fabrics and buttons and lace, and printed off a retro picture (I used a piece of EQ printables - these are really great for printing off pictures - they don't distort, and are lovely to sew with too) - I thought this picture would be perfect to have on a bag to keep all your beauty bits and bobs in..... .....anyway, I made up a rectangle using some other fabrics and a quilt-as-you-go method, then embellished it with some vintage buttons and lace. This was based on a pattern called "Anna's Sminkepung" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa. Well now I've just got to get this wrapped up, as Judy is coming round for afternoon tea today - as I'm still off work recovering, I haven't seen her to give her this earlier - hope she doesn't mind it being a bit late!
This pattern is called Beehive Sewing Book and is by Lynette Anderson. 3 years ago I started this project when I went on a class at my local shop, Quilters Haven. The class was taught by Lynette, and she was a great teacher - we learnt all about needle turn applique, and stitchery, and oh yes - Colonial Knots!! and most of all we had lots of fun. My friend Eva was staying with me, and she really really enjoyed this class too. Well, I'd put the project away, and never seemed to get round to getting it completed. Now I am trying to get some of my unfinished projects completed before I start anything new. So today I've been very busy!..... .....I had already cut out all the remaining applique pieces last week (see this blog post) - some more flowers and LOTS of little leaves all from wool felt. I spent a wonderful afternoon sitting in the sunshine stitching these into place, and look at the finished sewing book - it's super! It's embellished with some beautiful buttons..... .....here you can see the inside of the sewing book - a little woollen patch for needles and pins, and pockets for packets of hand sewing needles too. I added a sew-in magnetic button fastener (I bought these from Sew and So's at Bungay a few weeks ago). And the inside is also trimmed with applique flowers and leaves and embellished with a cute little beehive button. Oh and of course I didn't forget to add one of my "Quiltystuff" labels either! I really love this - and can't wait to show it to Lynette when I see her in a couple of weeks at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.
It's Tuesday again and so it must be "Sew Cute Tuesday "- hosted on the Better Off Thread blog, you'll find lots of gorgeous crafty stuff - and each week Janice features her favourites from the previous week - and I'm really excited, as this week Janice has featured my "Sew Laugh Love" picture that I had completed!! Anyway, this week I'm adding a picture of the Memory Cushion that I made at the weekend - there are other pictures on my blog here that show this cushion in progress! Now I'm going to grab a cuppa and browse at all the other lovely "Sew Cute Tuesday" goodies - why don't you join me?
Last year I made a very special cushion for a very special friend, using a picture of her with her mum, who had sadly passed away earlier that year. I never really appreciated how much Fran liked it, until she asked me if I could make another one, using a picture of her with her mum, for her aunty Margaret's birthday..... .....Fran emailed me a picture of her with her mum, which I then formatted into gray scale ready for printing onto a sheet of EQ printables fabric. I gathered together a collection of cream and white fabric, and some lace and sketched out some design ideas, and set about making it up. I quilted the whole of the cushion in a mixture of straight rows, and angular spirals..... .....I had a good old rummage in my button tin, looking for an assortment of old buttons that would compliment the fabrics that I'd used. I made a covered zipper backing, using a soft grey floral fabric. I also used a piece of this fabric with some white and creams for the scrappy binding too. And then one of my labels was added to the back for the final flourish. The binding was stitched in place by hand. Well Fran was really pleased with this, when she collected it yesterday, and I hope her aunty Margaret is too!!
One of my colleagues, Juliette, had commissioned me to make a memory cushion for her husband's birthday. I borrowed one of her wedding pictures, scanned it, formatted it to black and white, and printed it onto an EQ printable sheet. This was then surrounded by a collection of white and cream fabrics, and embellished with vintage lace and buttons, and quilted..... .....I added a zipper with a flange to cover it on the back, and used a half-inch finished double binding, made with 3 different fabrics for a scrappy look. Then one of my labels "made with the hand, given from the heart" was added to the back, and the cushion was finished! Juliette was really pleased with this cushion - it looks great!
I've had a fantastic week away in Yorkshire, and will share all my pictures and stories on here during the next week, but firstly here is something that I took with me on my holipops! Last year I made Philippa a cosmetic bag as a small gift, and this year I decided to make her a cushion. I had already emailed her to see if I could "borrow" a picture that was on her website - it was taken by her father, when Philippa was 5 yrs old. I added the usual lace and buttons and lots of straight row quilting. This shows the back, with the binding sewn into place by hand, and a covered zipper. Oh and yes, one of my labels too... ...and here is the front of the finished cushion. It was such a beautiful sunny day when I left for Yorkshire, it was difficult to get a photograph without the sun getting in the way! Philippa was really pleased with it, and we had a super week on the course with her - I feel full of design ideas now - what a shame I've got to go back to work tomorrow - I could easily spend a creative week at home making crafty plans and putting all my new ideas together!
Here is the finished cushion that I made to celebrate our Silver wedding anniversary - I used a photograph from our wedding album, and used a mix of cream and white fabrics and some wide crocheted vintage lace for trimming and used an assortment of buttons for embellishment too. I also added a prairie point with a button, using some inspiration from a wall-hanging in issue 01/2013 of a Norwegian magazine, MyQuilt..... .....I used 2 different fabrics for the back of the cushion - some cream fabric that I just LOVE and also part of a an old duvet cover that had worn out but I couldn't bear to part with - this was an old Laura Ashley duvet cover that we'd had for a wedding present! I also inserted a zipper, using a flap to cover it with, as this looks neater than leaving the zipper exposed, oh and one of my "made with the hand, given from the heart" labels was added to the back too of course! |
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July 2023
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