I didn't realise what a busy bee I've been until it was time to sort out my projects for this weeks "Sew Cute Tuesday" - hosted over on the "Better Off Thread" blog. I'd managed to get 3 projects completed! Firstly there was the "Kle Kjøkkenet i 60-tallsdrakt" table runners for my dining table and coffee table, with 6 matching place mats..... .....and then there were a couple of bags too - my "Nifty Nurses" Sminkepung, and a brown batik tote bag "På Quiltelaup". looking at this little selection it's a wonder I have got time to go to work! My machine is on holiday this week, in preparation for a very exciting trip that I've got planned for May - but I'll tell you more about that in a few weeks time!
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Well as I've had a quiet weekend (sewing machine is off being serviced) I decided to put my spare time to good use, and I've created a FB page for Nicola Foreman Quilts - so hop over and 'like' me and you'll see all my quilty projects there too - I'll add links to each blog post, and some links to my favourite blogs too. Come on - what are you waiting for?? A very very long time ago, I bought this fabric from my local quilt shop, Quilters Haven - it is a range called "Fresh Flowers" by Deb Strain for Moda. I had planned to use it to make a couple of runners and place mats, and over the Easter weekend I had the perfect opportunity to finally get this project done! The pattern I chose is by AnnAKa, and is called "Kle Kjøkkenet i 60-tallsdrakt" and was in issue 4/07 of Quiltemagasinet, a Norwegian quilting magazine..... .....these blocks made up very quickly, as I did lots and lots of chain piecing. I used a light grey Mettler fine embroidery thread shade 724 for piecing. In no time at all, I'd completed enough blocks for a runner for the dining table with 6 matching place mats and another smaller runner suitable for a coffee table..... .....I used a non-fusible pellon for the wadding. This is quite thin, and is ideal for runners and bags, where you want your project to have just a bit of structure, but not be too thick. Lots of straight rows of quilting with this gorgeous variegated lime green King Tut quilting thread, shade 927 and as a final flourish the prairie points are embellished with these bright yellow buttons..... ....quilted, bound and a couple of my "quiltystuff" labels machined into place on the back of the two runners (I didn't bother to sew them on all the place mats!)..... .....drum roll please - finished!! As you can see, I've now got a pair of very smart runner! These bright colours are perfect for the Spring and Summer and would definitely cheer up any dining room and lounge! This great fabric panel was from Lapp-Elisa. It's called "Nifty Nurses" and is by Loralie designs. This is just SO appropriate for me - and some of my colleagues - looking at this panel I can find all the members of team that I work with!!..... my youngest daughter Alice bought me a bundle of red and white fat quarters fro a gift for Mothering Sunday, and thought these would be ideal to go with this panel. I selected one of the "Nifty Nurses" (do you think it looks a bit like me??!!) and added some red crocheted late that I had bought from U-handbag a few weeks ago. I choose my favourite bag pattern, "Anna's Sminkepung" by AnnAKa, and set about making a bag..... .....and here it is completed! This bag was made a bit bigger than usual, and would be really useful to use as a first-aid kit to keep in my desk at work. What do you think?..... .....and for those of you who are wondering what might be inside it?? Well there's a spare pair of stockings (incase of any ladders), and some painkillers (incase of headaches) and sticking plasters. Oh and an emergency bar of chocolate too!! Over the Easter holidays I've been really busy getting lots of projects completed - and this is my favourite bag so far!! I bought this fat quarter bundle of brown batiks from the Festival of Quilts in 2011 so it was about time I finally used them! My original plan was to use them for a runner, but I decided I really wanted to make another tote bag. I used one of my AnnAKa patterns for this tote bag, called "På Quiltelaup"..... .....I used a variegated brown King Tut quilting thread, shade 992 for the quilting and I used a plain brown Mettler quilting thread shade 712 for stitching the sides and bottom together. I sewed extra rows of quilting on the handles too, as I think this gives the handles a nice ribbed effect (I also did this on this version of "På Quiltelaup")..... .....I used the pattern from Elizabeth Hartman for the pockets in the lining, and I really like this method of sewing pockets. Oh and yes, of course I added a key holder too - and one of my "quiltystuff" labels - well, you never know if someone asks where it was bought from hehe!!..... .....and here we have the finished bag - again, both the front and the back of the bag look different as they were made with different batiks. Here is the front, with this pretty floral pattern..... .....and here is the back, with a geometric pattern. I just need to get some large brown buttons to sew onto the prairie points as I didn't have any quite large enough in my stash!! 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! In all the excitement of my wedding anniversary, I nearly forgot about Sew Cute Tuesday - and this week I had a couple of completed projects - my lovely tote bag AND my anniversary cushion!! There are lots more crafty goodies on the Better Off Thread blog too - hop over there and have a look!
I can hardly believe it was 25 years ago today that I became Mrs F - wherever have those years gone to?!! It was Easter weekend when we got married, although the weather was VERY different to what we experienced this weekend - luckily 25 years ago we had glorious sunshine all day..... .....I've made several of these "Memory Cushions" for friends and family, and I've had a few commissions for these too, but I've never had time to make one for ourselves, so this weekend all that changed, as I decided to make one as an anniversary gift to Mr F - and yes I added one of my labels to the back, just to remind him what a superbly talented and crafty wife he has hehe!!..... .....my mother-in-law surprised us too - she had ordered this beautiful cake for us! We're off out for a meal tonight with our girls, and then at the weekend we'll have some of our family round for a glass of fizz and a slice of cake to help us celebrate! |
About me...Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! Archives
July 2023
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