Spiralling Issues

I've been having some spiral quilting issues for the past few days.

Mainly because the new walking foot I had to buy to replace my broken one doesn't allow me to position the guide bar to the left of my needle.  In fairness, I'm not sure that the last one did either in an official sense, but I was able to manipulate it slightly and the guide would stay in place to the left meaning that the bulk of the quilt remained to the left throughout the process rather than having to be crammed, coerced and downright bullied through the not-terribly-large throat of my machine.

The result of the substantial manhandling of this Bee Blessed quilt is that the wonk of the crosses has now been joined by a significant wobble in the spiral.  It's very hard to keep the curve smooth when there's so much hauling going on.  This 70" square looks a little more like a wobbly puddle ripple than I had intended.  Fingers crossed that the washer and dryer will help improve the look before this quilt is passed on for donation.

So, clever peeps out there, I have a sneaky feeling that there must have been a way for me to quilt the spiral with the guide bar to the right of the needle without all of this heartache (shoulder ache and backache too).  Was I doing something wrong?  Could I have helped myself by doing something obvious?  I do have a tendency to make life difficult for myself at times but I started this quilt 6 times and I just cannot see here how I could have changed the process without changing the guide bar position.  Any ideas?  Does your guide bar work both left and right of the needle?  Is this just a quirk of my Janome model that the bar will only sit to the right?  Any helpful suggestions will be gratefully received because I do like to quilt in a spiral but would honestly not want to go through this 'right of the needle' process again!

Sorry if that got a bit technical.  Back to quilts.  

I've stitched up the hipBees concentric box blocks into a flimsy and I really like how it has come together -

Then, I worked on piecing a back from some fun fabric with a ziggy siggy panel down the middle.

So yep, that makes another one basted and ready for quilting - not a spiral though!

At last Agnes has a cushion!

A number of projects have been sidelined by this summer's unexpected turn of events.  I'd left a little pile under the table in the sewing room and sort of forgot about them temporarily.  Among them was Agnes' cushion front - originally blogged here.  All it needed was a backing and a filler to be complete, and of course to be able to be gifted to Agnes.

I still love those Greenfield Hills blues!

Reconstructive Surgery & Lessons Learned

Oh dear!  Now that I know how it should have been made, it really is time for some reconstructive surgery on my son's floor cushion.  Several years ago when I tried to reconvene my long-abandoned sewing skills I had a go at making my little boy a floor cushion.  Inspired by some boyish cross stitch designs (hurrah) and my friend's encouragement to use old clothing scraps, I made up a simple 9 patch block with the personalised cross stitch at the centre.  The patches were cut from old shirts worn by his dad and me and the denim pockets and log cabin border came from an old pair of jeans.  Being zip-fitting ignorant I opted for a "simpler" envelope backing to the cushion cover only to discover it wouldn't stay closed without the aid of buttons.  This meant I had to add button holes and while I didn't really do a good job, I was quite impressed I managed at all!

BEFORE "surgery" - doesn't look too bad from the front...

At the time we were all very pleased with my efforts, but time and experience have revealed the many flaws of this project and recently I decided that this much loved cushion was in need of a little TLC and reconstructive surgery if it's going to last much longer!

BEFORE - not so great from behind...

BEFORE - Oh dear - warts and all.  That really is sad!

Lessons learned: -

• watch how you use fabrics of differing weights as heavier ones will pull at the seams of lighter ones (hence the interim star applique patches on the front to protect ripping seams)
• stretchy fabrics should be outlawed!
• adding wadding behind the patchwork adds structure and increases the durability of the patchwork (yep!  when I made this I didn't even know what wadding was, let alone think to use it!)
• actually quilt the patchwork to stabilise and protect it better (without wadding I had nothing to quilt to)
• zips are not as hard as they appear
• mismatched buttons are not always cute/quirky (they can be, but mine weren't)
• if you have a project you love and a little reconstruction would really help it survive longer, DO IT!

So two nights ago I set about doing what should have been done in the first place!  I know it's hard to tell from the photos but the difference is remarkable.  What's so great about this little venture is that it has reminded me just how much I have actually learned in the last year, and now the patchwork in the cushion is much more stable and much more likely to withstand being lain on, rolled over, dived upon and all the other things that might happen to it by a 9 year old boy with ants in his pants!

AFTER - cushion with a facelift and better botox (ie filler) job!

AFTER - zip neatly fitted to discreetly replace sagging envelope back -
wonder would discreet zipping help my sagging parts?!

Gift Voucher Wrapping

I have a gift voucher to give as a teenage birthday pressie and hated the thought of handing over just a little piece of 3" x 2" plastic.  However, when all the money has gone into the gift voucher what do you do?  Make a little gift-wrapping purse, that's what!  Thanks to a couple of coin purse tutorials and a wee adaptation or two, I made this little purse from some left over charm squares, scrap wadding, a zip and a D-ring.

In all honesty, there are a few things I would alter about the making of this next time around but I think it turned out pretty well for a first attempt. And, it certainly improves the look of the gift voucher.

Cosy Cushion Complete

Ta-da!  All quilted, zipped and sewn up.  I'm delighted with how my floor cushion turned out - though I think it's too nice to ever be anywhere near the floor.

Definitely a cushion to snuggle up to!

Keep an eye on the Rags to Bags blog for pics of the other cushions made at the class appearing soon - they were all so beautiful - worth a few minutes peeking, I'd say.

January Review

I didn't really think I'd managed a lot in January until I started to think about this post.

As the year turns and all you other bloggers out there put up your New Year Posts complete with details of the virtual bees you're joining this year, your Quilt-Along projects, classes you are holding and your own wonderful makes it has been soooooooo hard not to become distracted from the plans I had at the beginning of the month.  I have spent far too much time reading blogs rather than sewing but it's just so easy to spend an evening sharing in your creativity and wistfully envying your projects and talents.  I am still waivering on whether to join Little Miss Shabby's Birdie Stitches Quilt-Along and fear my resolve will not hold out much beyond mid-Feb, although of course by then I'll be playing catch up, but hey what's new in my life!

Wouldn't the blocks be easily made up and then the embroidery work could be a great little portable project to take on hols this summer (see, I'm already beginning to justify it to myself)?

Anyway, I have been a little more productive than I thought in January even though I may not have actually completed much except the baby pillow and little bird decoration (both in earlier posts) and the crochet basket from Chickpea Studios.  My hexagon quilt is slowly but surely growing, as I have been basting hexies and stitching granny flowers any time my hands have so much as thought of being idle!  I'm really pleased with how it's coming along.  All that's left to do with the top-piecing is to even up the height and the width (I started working outwards in circular fashion and now it's time to make the height and width more uniform).  Maybe Feb will see that come together ready for layering and binding.

I also managed to pick up an abandoned crochet project which I think I have secretly been hoping would finish itself. Not sure if I just became overwhelmed by the amount of loose ends which needed to be sewn in or if I have actually worked at this so long that I have gone off it.  Perhaps a little of both.  Anyway, I have been weaving loose ends in to the squares and pinning them out to block them ready for the final joining.  There are still a few more to crochet and another few to sew the loose ends in, but at least there has been movement this UFO and it looks like the end isn't too far out of sight.  Can you believe I've been at this so long that they have discontinued the wool colour I had planned to join the afghan squares with?!

Squares being blocked.

Scarey number of threads to sew in on just this one square!!

Some of the pattern squares ready for final joining.

Plans for the gift quillow haven't gotten much beyond the sourcing of fabric stage, but I am really delighted with the Denyse Schmidt, Greenfields Hills and can't wait to get cutting very soon.

Of course I've been busy with my class project too and really love how it's all coming together.  Quilting's done just needs zip in and finished off and I'll have a great big cushion to match my own quillow when I'm snuggling up against the cold February weather that's being forecast here.

I've even managed a re-think on my Dear Jane aspirations and planned the layout and design for that altered project.  I will blog a bit more when there's a bit of progress worth noting, it's very much a design idea at present.

All in all a good month - here's to keeping up the momentum (and sneaking in a few unexpecteds along the way)!!

Sew ... what next?

With Christmas over for another year and the festive fabric leftovers stored away I am very excited about the possibilities for a New Year of stitching. Determined to maintain my focus on making time to be creative this year, I am already considering too many projects, but that's half the fun!

My priority is going to be to try and keep going along to J's Rags to Bags classes for I still have so much to learn and the classes are a great way to keep adding to and refreshing skills, and J is so patient and encouraging that it makes approaching new challenges uplifting and fun.  Santa brought a gift voucher for the first two classes of the new year, among other lovely things, and I couldn't be more thrilled!  We'll be making a floor cushion and a weekend/project bag - check this link to see J's classes list - I can't wait!!!

My foray into a weekly sewing class just began in September and since then I can hardly bear to have to miss a week.  It's like therapy just getting away for a few hours to indulge in something I love to do.  It really has been a luxury to be able to give over this time out of a hectic home/work/parenting lifestyle and admittedly some weeks the effort is overwhelming - juggling school homework, swimming lessons, domestic responsibilities and hubby's work commitments just to be able to get there.  But always, always it is worth it to be able to realign my sanity and spend a little time pleasurably.

The unexpected benefit of attending classes is the social community.  Meeting others with a passion for patchwork and creating has been brilliant.  Sometimes the other people in our lives don't get the excitement that a little scrap of fabric or an odd button induces, but attend a class and someone else will enthuse alongside you at the 4" piece of ribbon you rescued from an old pair of pjs and might just actually put to use some day!  I have truly loved every minute of the classes I attended through the last four months and have met some really lovely, fabulously talented people.  I enjoy the different perspectives that everybody brings to a project - different fabric choices, different motivation, different intention - and I am amazed how an initial project can look so varied when made up by ten people with individual tastes and interpretations.  It's so inspirational and I think it's that community inspiration aspect of the class that I found so unexpected and refreshing. Here's to more of the same!

I am glad to report that my Christmas gifts were well received and mum has been raving about her quillow ever since she opened it on Christmas morning.  I think if she could take out a full page ad in a local paper to proclaim its virtues she would - nice to know all the sweat and pushing of quilt layers through the machine was worth it!  I have even had an offer of payment to make another one for another family member - I could be in business folks (in my dreams!).

So, today I am looking ahead to what should be tackled next.  Like all crafters I have a reasonable list of UFOs (unfinished objects) and I really should try to do something with a few of them at least.  I think my hexagon quilt, which became sadly neglected shortly after I started it in favour of spending time making quillows and keeping up with my class projects, should really be a priority.  I also shelved some planning work I was doing on a Dear Jane quilt and I'd love to pick that up again - even in slow time. There are other UFOs that should really be tackled too, but I'm afraid if I started to list them I would be scared off even beginning to  deal with them!  It would be great if I could find some time to make that quillow that was asked for (though as a gift not a charged item) and I have an eye on a crochet basket I'd like to make to hold some of the many sewing/knitting/crochet notions that have no real home in the house yet.   I would also love to teach myself applique, but as I am a complete novice it will take some effort and a heap of practice before it becomes a usable skill.  I have no idea if any of these projects will make it to completion or even progress in 2011 but it's good to have plans and lots of fun to look forward to!

Christmas Gifts

Well the time is almost upon us and I've been parcelling pressies and making lists to get me through tomorrow's final shopping blast.  Just thought I'd share two more of my handmade presents here (the recipients won't see them so I'm safe enough).

I'm ashamed to admit that the box I found the little Christmas labels in contained other forgotten purchases bought with great intentions and then sadly neglected as a result of a delay in inspiration.  Among my finds was anther strip of labels, this time with funky coffee designs.  I loved them when I bought them and it was such a pleasure to rediscover them a few weeks ago.  Aren't they great?

the raw materials....

Bizarrely there were 11 labels/motifs on the strip which is a weird number to work with, but 2 sets of coasters (4 and 6 respectively) and a cafetiere coaster (just enlarged a little with an extra strip of log cabin and finished with mitred binding) later all 11 have been lovingly put to use.  Or at least they will be shortly.

... the finished product

My really big Christmas present achievement is for my mum and I am so excited / nervous about giving it to her on Saturday.  Inspired by my making my first ever quilt at the Autumn Rags to Bags class, I made a second one as mum's Christmas present.  Actually the quilt is a quillow (a quilt with a clever pocket on the back to allow the quilt to be folded up into a pillow/cushion) and is made up from amazingly clever disappearing nine patch blocks.  Sure enough as soon as mum saw my completed quilt she oohed and aahed over it so I am glad I had already decided to make one for her.  I do hope she will like the colour and fabric choices because they do make it look quite different from mine which was purple and green.  Does everyone feel this nervous about gifting their homemade items?  Anyway, fingers crossed she'll love it.