Playing with Labels

Before I got sidetracked by giveaways and then remembering I hadn't yet posted my plans for August, I did promise to come and show you the bits and bobs I've been up to.

Able to snatch only a few minutes here and there lately, I have been trying to do little contained pieces of sewing like piecing the label for my red and cream hipBees quilt.

I will admit I turned those little siggy blocks every which way before I decided this was the layout I like best.  Karen very generously sent me some extra fabric when she returned her hipBees blocks to me in May and I think it adds a great feature border to my giant label panel. Just need to order some backing before I tackle piecing it into the back of the quilt.

As my hexagon quilt is (hopefully) going to be finished before too much longer I thought I should also make a hexagonal label for it.  I have to confess that I got a bit carried away and whipped up this one in no time at all, pressed it and took a photo for blogging before I realised what a dreadful error I had made.

This is a machine stitched label for what will otherwise be an entirely handstitched quilt!!  How can I? I did spend a minute or two looking at it, wondering if I should just add it anyway, and then shrugged off my laziness and set to making a handstitched version.  So, this is the one that will be going on the quilt -

I'm trying to be authentic here as I think this will probably be the only quilt I ever make entirely by hand, so I might as well do it properly and maintain its integrity as a handstitched quilt, don't you think?

measures just 7" wide

Then, after a little diversionary play with a mini heart shaped porthole (just refreshing my newly aquired skill before I lose it), I had a lightbulb moment.  Instead of having created another little sample piece that will lie ignored in a basket, this can be a label for my Pixellated Heart Quilt which I am going to make at Judith's class in September.  Brainwave or what?  Feeling a bit chuffed about that one!

So, that's it - little bits and bobs from a hectic summer household.  Hopefully soon I might have something a bit more substantial to report.  Though I'm not making any promises!