The Sanguine Stitcher

More FMQ ...

2012-01-24T10:38:00.001+08:00

I am still working on the FMQ with Leah Day and I think I am getting a hang of things. Leah's quadrant concept is quite logical and it gives the randomness of stippling a direction of sorts. From the front of a busy pieced quilt you can't tell that it was worked in rows but from a solid back it's only slightly easier to figure that out.

Christmas Quilt. Designer: Cheri Payne

I completed Lori's QAL Pink Lemonade top. I don't know when I'll get to quilting it as I want to zoom into some sewing, at least till end of February. I don't usually work with such bright colours but I bet the antique quilt was once this bright too.

Pink Lemonade. Size:20" x 26 1/2"

Just Takes 2 - Jan 15th

The house block was a royal pain, but it'll have to do!

An old lap size quilt top that needs to get quilted. This was one of my early largish quilts that I pieced. I didn't know about the importance of stitch length then. I had to hand stitch all the seams tight before quilting further on this baby ... sigh. Straight line machine quilting for this. This quilt will be for my aunt who is not well.

My sewing book finally came early this month. Still reading it. Wonderful techniques and finishes. Since cotton and linen are my preferred fabrics to wear and work with, this book is right up my alley.


I did not need to add to the crotch line length to the front pattern after all. So I removed the slashes that I made previously.

I altered my pants block yesterday and even cut out a new piece of muslin for the front. A tedious task because I had to unpick the waistband, inseams, side seam and hems, fortunately I used basting stitches. I suppose I could just as well cut out a new back piece but I thought I should be frugal with my muslin.

The pants fits well now and I have a basic pants block to refer to. Next will be to learn how to draft a bodice and sleeve block pattern.

Free Motion Quilting

2012-01-17T10:39:00.000+08:00

I have been following Leah's blog for some time now. She does FMQ so effortlessly. If only I can muster half her skill, I'll be happiest! I've bought some essential tools from Leah's shop some time back. Although I've had spurts of practice but not enough to really get out of the 'ditch' (pun intended). Stippling / Meandering has always eluded me but I hope that will change this year.

My humble practice piece. I took an old bed sheet and sandwiched with a high loft polyester batting, the cheapy kind. It took quite a bit of getting used to but it was quite free-ing! I am using the speed slider on my Brother sewing machine with the foot pedal disengaged. That way the speed of the sewing machine is regulated and I just had to work on my hand movements. I find the FMQ were more coordinated when I increased the speed. So perhaps I may have found a happy medium. When my hand movement got wonky, the stitches on the front of the quilt was bigger and they in turn formed eyelashes at the back. So that's something I should look out for. I tried to relax but only before the machine starts up :( I hope to try stippling in some doll quilts with low loft polyester batting and better quality thread. Hopefully these changes will help me look good! I can only wish ...

I've completed all the blocks for Lori's Pink Lemonade QAL. Now to find a suitable fabric for the setting squares. The amount of pink in this quilt was getting to me. Although I did tell Lori that I'd keep it as true as the antique quilt, I added some mauve here and there.

Designer: Kathleen Tracy. Book: The Prairie Children & Their Quilts. Size: 26" square

Completed the quilt top for the January 2012 challenge on SQT. I had the opportunity to use this large floral print for the border. It was in my stash for some years!

Some repro fabrics from This-N-That. The picture directly above are fabrics from a 1 lb grab bag. Very happy with the cut sizes and variety!

It Just Takes 2 ...

2012-01-09T19:01:00.000+08:00

... well not really. I have been using a variety of reds with Kona Natural for the Just Takes 2 first installment. 6 blocks altogether. I find it easier to manage this QAL rather than the CW blocks mostly because of fabric selection.


Block 01


Block 02

Block 03 with Redwork (DMC304, 3 strands, Backstitch and interfaced)

Block 04


Block 05

Block 06

I worked on Lori's Pink Lemonade too.

And the Crosses Mourning Quilt.

I have only completed 4 blocks of the Temecula 12 Days of Christmas blocks ... yeah ... pathetic!

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T10:59:00.000+08:00

May 2012 bring you much happiness and good health!

I've caught up with the Civil War blocks, at least with blocks that I want to piece. I've omitted blocks with applique, curves, Y Seams, templates and very tricky calculations. I can't manage those and honestly I prefer not to!

#44 Union

#45 Port and Starboard

#47 Dixie tea

#46 Apple Tree

#51 New York

#50 Grapes of Wrath

#49 Yankee Puzzle

#48 West Virginia

#52 Christmas Star

#41 Red White & Blue (Paper pieced)

I did not make Block 41 initially and when I went over the comments on the CW Flickr Group, there was a link to make the star using paper piecing. As I was telling Merilyn that my earlier paper piecing efforts leaves much to be desired! This star looks easy enough ... NOT! I had a terrible headache twisting my mind :) I watched the TQS video of Carol Doak again to GET it ... even then I made mistakes. Boy did I sweat over this baby!

I must confess that not all my blocks are 8-1/2" square, well some are but most aren't :( But since I firmed up my thoughts on settings it's not too much of a do or die situation anymore. I intend to sash every block with either black and light tan. Alternating the blocks on the quilt top. It's all in my mind right now. I've even got the fabrics already and their drying on the clothes horse right this minute. It will be a 6 x 8 blocks setting with 10-1/2" square each block (after sashing) which makes it 60" x 80". Not sure about the borders yet but that decision can come later.

I will be re-doing some of the blocks some were pieced badly, some did not have a good colour combos so there's still some work to do. Here they are all together on my Flickr set.

Some fabric stashing was done too and there were some anxious moments during the Christmas rush. A sewing book I ordered from Abe Books is not here yet, it's been almost a month :( But for those that arrived I am relieved.

Plaids for Jan Patek's 'Lincoln's Platform' quilt that I have plans for

The 2 bottom left fabrics are for sashing the CW blocks

I've been thinking of making a red and white quilt this year and I bought these 1 yd cuts of an old Judie Rothermel fabric line called Quaker Quilts. My idea was the Ocean Waves quilt. But that has all changed. After reading Lori's blog this morning she mentions about the Just Takes 2 mystery quilt. And yes I am sold!

For a table topper I have plans for. I know ... I am BIG on plans ...

When Gail Wilson was having her Christmas sale, I figured there's no time like the present to get the outstanding items I needed to make the Lottie doll ... and other dolls! I asked Gail if she sold courage too. She said that I've got to go and see the Wizard of Oz for that! So here's to courage and maybe a doll in 2012?!

A Merry Christmas indeed

2011-12-26T11:41:00.000+08:00

I spent Christmas morn opening my swaps. It truly was a delight that only Christmas can bring!

A feast for the eyes surely. There was little, little packages in the big box that Merilyn sent. I was amazed by my good fortune. Everything resonated Merilyn and Australia! The mug rug done with paper piecing was just perfect and Merilyn's signature ;) pincushion on ceramic is so pretty with it's crazy piecing. The little purse sewn by Merilyn with needle rest and to carry the beautiful Scissoroo embroidery scissors native to Australia! I love it all! Thank you Merilyn.

My swap to Merilyn. Partridge. Designer: Prairie Schooler. Floss: DMC. Fabric: Linen Scrap. Finished as pin pillow. The tatted ornament StarChic is a free design by Jon Yusoff.

And then there's Elyte's swap. A lovely pouch purse with a flexible metal closure. Lovingly embroidered in red. I adore it. And the wooden bird brooch by Elk, so cute. It'll be great on my grey scarf! Can you see the red & white and bird theme going on? Love, love,love it! Thanks again Elyte.

My swap for Elyte. Two by Two Deer. Designer: Prairie Schooler. Floss: DMC. Fabric: Linen scrap. Finished as pin pillow. The tatted ornament StarChic is a free design by Jon Yusoff.

I also sewed up my Little Apples embroidery into a cushion cover. It's for a 16" pillow form. I need to sew some press buttons at the back and maybe make some fabric covered buttons to pretty it up.


Design: Aneela Hoey. Fabric: Little Apples by Aneela Hoey for Moda

Block #43 Right Hand of Friendship

The Civil War Quilt Blocks will come to an end this coming Saturday. I am quite behind but I do intend to catch up. Barbara Brackman received a thank you quilt from some of us that partook in the QAL. My block is the first row, 4th from the left. Becky Brown did an amazing job putting the quilt together. It's a wonderful feeling to be a part of this project. Although many lives were lost during the war 150 years ago, the cause is a great one. Human slavery in all it's form should be abolished but sadly that is not the case in the world right to this day.

Christmas Gift and Needle Keep

2011-12-22T14:29:00.000+08:00

Lillie sent me a lovely Christmas pin pillow yesterday. It's really cute.

I finished my needle keep complete with pockets, wool felt pages, button and loop.

Size: 4-1/4" x 5-3/4". Cotton batting, hand quilted.

Preparing for Build Houses from Scraps that will begin in 2012. I've cut out the templates, gosh their really small. I may enlarge the block to a 4" ... let me have a go at 3" and see if I'm okay with it.

Over the weekend I sewed a sleeveless blouse and a pair of shorts for home wear.

Got a bit of a headache figuring out the inseam pockets!

It's been raining here most days hence the darkish pics. I've received two packages from my swap pals Elyte and Merilyn in Australia. The deal is to only open it on Christmas day ... So glad that it's just 3 more days otherwise I am not sure if I will keep to our agreement! :)

Merry Christmas one and all!

Quilting away ...

2011-12-12T12:36:00.001+08:00

The Depression blocks quilt has been 2 1/2 years in the making. I was quite determined to not let it get into 2012! So here it is all quilted, bound, washed and on my bed!

Depression blocks quilt. Size: 58 1/2" x 76 1/2". Batting: Polyester (Soft & Bright). Fabric: Harvest Home charm packs and brushed woven for backing by BBD for Moda. Scrappy binding (actually only two, interspersed). Quilting: Hand quilted (big stitch) with Pearl No. 8.

Am now quilting on Lori's Cheddar Cheese & Crackers and a needle keep for myself. I find I am using many different type of needles lately and wool felt pages will separate them nicely.


Auditioning some lace for the needle keep pockets

And a little Christmas stitchery for my toaster cover!

Designer: Bird Brain (freebie). Floss: DMC

Thanks everyone for coming by. The year is closing so very soon, time to sit and reflect on the year and list out some 2012 stitchy goals. Speaking of which Jeanneke will be running a QAL on Building Houses from Scraps. I've signed up but I just intend to make enough houses for a doll quilt.

Much Sewing

2011-11-30T08:52:00.001+08:00

I had to look at my old post to remind me of where I left off ;)

I needed some sleepwear so I sewed 3. These were really easy and the patterns are from a Japanese book translated to Mandarin. I don't know both. That's the thing about these Japanese books, the illustrations are excellent.

The bodice had ruffles on the front of the original dress

Mine ... sans ruffles

Another similar to the above

In front is a sleeveless top also from the same book. The other is my client's A-Line skirt in the making

Her selection of fabrics for the shell and lining. Did not need to use the satin bias tape after all

Invisible zip construction. Lots of pining, hand basting and then sewing

It is now finished and sent out to my client. I added a little card with some info

Sewing for a client brings a whole different dimension to sewing. You bloody well get it right! LOL!! I sewed up a toile (fancy word for muslin) for her fitting. There were some small adjustments here and there, the pattern was drafted again with these corrections. The lining pattern was copied from the original with some changes. Only then the proper cutting of the actual shell and lining fabrics are done.

I am recording all my sewing of garments with snippets of fabrics used and adjustments done on the main pattern. And I slip these notes into the pattern envelope. Gosh ... I don't know where all these organizational genius is coming from!

Drafting the pants pattern

Toile of my pants with the tailor tacks still intact

Next were my pants. Talk about a challenge. No wonder I had poor results with commercial patterns because they didn't cater to my shameful pot belly :( I had to make quite a major adjustment to the slopper as you can see above. The pants turned out really well except for it being a little loose. Maybe if I added the zipper and the waistband it would help. Okay it's a learning experience and once I get the slopper down I have a really good foundation of a pair of tapered pants!

All this little gem needs now is some binding love

Still quilting ...

I can see the end now of the quilting for the Depression Blocks quilt! I am on the last leg of the border. Just 3 more sides ... just 3 more sides ... Don't look too closely at my big stitch ... because they are MEGA! I just can't wait to get this over and done with.

He's Coming to Town (freebie). Designer: Red Bolly

My second Red Brolly Christmas sampler is all stitched. Love how it turned out. I won't be doing the 3rd one as the design doesn't really appeal to me. Now to think about the finishing. Most likely as a wall hanging or a cushion cover.

Stashing, Stitching & Sewing

2011-11-14T09:12:00.001+08:00

A couple of charm packs by Aneela Hoey and yardage from her line 'Little Apples'. I have a quilt planned for the charm packs but I will need to stitch most of her stitchery designs first. This will be quite interesting. Maybe 1 design a month. that'll be a nice goal for next year.

See how suited the fabrics are with the stitched piece?

Some lovely Blue Hill 'Colonial Poison Green and Cheddar' reproduction fabrics and Howard Marcus 'Collections for a Cause'.

'He's Coming to Town' is really so pleasurable to work on. Intend to finish this before Bronwyn issues her 3rd Christmas stitchery design.

New Look 6598

This was a pretty intense blouse to sew. A lot of hand sewing went into it. Mostly were like pin, hand baste and them machine or hand sew. I used Hong Kong finishing for my seams and that's a lot of work too but it's always good to try different seam finishes. The back neck facing was quite difficult to get right but I do like the details of the side vents, notched sleeves and back tie.

Little Apples

2011-11-06T15:07:00.000+08:00

Little Apples. Designer: Aneela Hoey (Freebie). Floss: DMC310, 321, 433, 3848. Background fabric: Kona White (interfaced)

I think she's a cutie. Although it took a bit of time with the filling it wasn't that tedious since full 6 strands of embroidery thread was used. I'll finish it as a cushion cover. I've bought some Little Apples fabrics and it should be here next week. So I'll be good to go then. Also got a couple of charm packs i.e. Shebert Pips and Little Apples both by Aneela Hoey for Moda. I've got a quilt planned ...

Christmas Sampler. Designer: Red Brolly (Freebie), Floss: DMC. Background fabric: Muslin (not interfaced) and Kona Snow

I love this sampler. These stitcheries / embroidery work up pretty quickly. The borders for the appliqued pieces gave me some grief as it's difficult to get all accurate when there is no marking. It's still wonky ... an acceptable wonky. I've got another piece of muslin all washed and ironed for Bronwyn's latest Christmas freebie 'He's Coming to Town'.

Cake Stand / Basket blocks Doll Quilt Top. Designer: Kathleen Tracy for SQT Challenge. Size: 17" x 22-3/4". Fabric: RJR red & Kona Natural

Can't get enough of red and whites ... thinking if I should make some Anvil blocks next ...

I love the details in this top. This is the back tie, to accentuate my non-existing waist perhaps? There'll be a notched sleeve hem too, so that'll be interesting. I'm trying to push to envelope in sewing, challenging myself with trickier constructions. The fabric is Heather Ross' Mendocino for Free Spirit. I am constructing this blouse meticulously and adding some fine finishings, I've been learning.

About time I organised my garment patterns ...

Walk in the Woods

2011-10-27T10:40:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was Deepavali and it's a holiday here. I walked to the Forest Reserve Institute near my home. It was bustling with activities of joggers, walkers and cyclists. I think I'll walk there on Saturdays next time instead of public holidays ... less people and vehicles. I stayed on the main roads but when I get stronger with my walking I'll take on some trekking.

Many years back I took tennis lessons here

And here's where I trashed out all my aggression on the squash courts! :)

It was a nice day albeit tiring, rediscovering the reserve again.

Size: 12-1/2" x 13" with 1" finished squares

Simple 4-patch block quilt top. It was a challenge on SQT. I have wanted to work with some blues and browns and this was the perfect quilt.

4-1/2" unfinished Cake Stand / Basket block

This too is another challenge on SQT. Red & White or any 2 colour challenge. I did not take up this cake stand block challenge some time back so I'm now killing two birds with one stone :)

I couldn't help not starting another stitchery design. This time it is Aneela Hoey's Little Apples (freebie). Love Aneela's illustrations, I may just get some of her other designs from her Etsy shop. With stitching all 6 strands of floss, it sure is a different experience and I quite like the beady looking effect of it. Now the filling of her jacket will be a task, with 6 strands my threads run out FAST!

And here's a start on a small doily. Faizon's blog is my go to blog for free tatting patterns. A generous soul indeed. The pattern is Merriment doily. I am tatting this with Zarina's hand dyed Hakelgarn tatting thread sized 20 Aubrielle. Faizon will know that I'm not into 2 shuttle tatting so I am employing her tip of using the SLT (shoe lace trick) instead.

Christmas State of Mind

2011-10-23T10:48:00.000+08:00

A free stitchery sampler by Red Brolly. Had a wonderful time stitching this sampler. The muslin was divine to work with. I did not use a stabilizer as the muslin was thick enough. The muslin is from Bird Brain Designs. And the small pieces are Kona Snow solid, these were interfaced. It'll be finished into a small wall hanging.

I completed the cross stitch piece last Christmas. Christmas Eve Flight is a free design by The Sampler Girl. With a couple of red and green fabrics from Judie Rothermel's Colonial Christmas for Marcus Brothers, I intend to sew it into a cushion cover. Maybe even a quilted one.

LHN's Quilt Time Sampler, going really well. If I am not quilting, I am stitching about quilting! Ha!

And it was about time I caught up with some of the Civil War blocks by Barbara Brackman. You will notice that I've skipped all those tricky and applique blocks, the last thing I need are some crazy calculations!

#31 Empty Spools

#32 Carolina Lily

#42 H is for Hospital

#38 Ohio Star

#36 Kentucky Crossroads

#39 Hovering Hawks


#35 Star of the West

#29 Railroad Crossing

I have done 35 blocks out of 43 (including yesterday's issue). I may look into my previous blocks and re-do them. Some I am not too happy with the piecing precision and some the colours just don't go right together. We'll see when all the blocks are issued and decide then. Here are my blocks together on Flickr.

Sewing and stitching

2011-10-15T12:49:00.000+08:00

I got some garment sewing down and I have plans to work on the online sewing classes. I've got to get some pattern drafting done too.

This is a top by New Look 6356. The fabric is a white cotton/linen blend. I employed the tips I learnt from my classes. I intend to make this again maybe in a different view a square or V neckline. I will make a few changes namely widen the facing, and lengthen the sleeves.

I've added some running stitches around the neckline, sleeves, hemline and vents. It's 3 strands of DMC321. Love that red. Christmas must be around the corner!

Then another pair of shorts for my dad. The pattern is Burda Andre. Fabric is dark blue cotton twill. I've added 2 seam pockets and a back pocket.

LHN's Quilt Time Sampler in progress. Stitching on 32ct Cream Belfast with chartered DMC threads. It's very rare that I start on a project the moment I received the chart and even rarer still if I complete it! So we'll have to see what happens :)

Lillie's Birthday!

2011-09-28T17:38:00.000+08:00

It was Lillie's birthday yesterday. She said she had a fabulous day! I stitched for her Blackbird Design's Souvenir de France (freebie) for the needlekeep. It was stitched on 36ct coffee dyed white linen with 2 strands of Zarina's overdyed embroidery floss Aubrielle. I went for a similar construction as the needle keep that my swap partner Mary C sent to me.

In keeping with the Paris theme I added the Kelmscott Paris needle minder and a mini charm pack by French General called Pom Pom de Paris. And here's the whole package.

I am working on the Jacob's Ladder blocks. Slowly but surely ... Please don't mind the colour grouping. I just cut and piece up some blues or red at a time and pin it on the wall. They'll be moved around when I finalise the quilt top. I am not sure how far I'll go with this but at this juncture it's twin sized i.e. about 140 blocks! If you know me the quilt top may shrink to a crib size!

Some stitchery on the side lines :)

Christmas freebie by Gail Pan found here

And then there's some joyful stashing :D

Fabrics from This-N-That

Rotating rotary mat is a genius invention!

Some lovely cross stitch charts ... be still my beating heart ...

This and that ...

2011-09-16T17:46:00.000+08:00

I've been playing with some stitchery lately and having so much fun with it. I traced Kaaren's First Friday Freebie pattern Apple 5 cents some time back on calico but only now I've earnestly completed it. Actually I pulled out all my previous stitches and replaced it DMC 498 Perle Cotton #8. I like the thicker texture of the stitches.

And I am currently working on Primitive Friends (freebie) by Jennie Baer. Just the love that pig! Working with Anchor 381 Perle Cotton #8. The satin stitches were a challenge but Helen's tutorial definitely helped.

I also completed Barbara Brackman's block for a gift quilt that the Civil War Quilts 2011 Flickr Group is planning for her. It was mailed out to Becky on Monday. I've not been catching up on the blocks unfortunately but I will ...

I did a test Jacob's Ladder block. And I think it has great potential. I've even cut more prints and shirtings to make a few more blocks. This will be quite interesting and we'll see how far I go with these blocks. Their 6" finished.

Just by moving the HSTs around, you get a different colour arrangement. Neat!

Basting them doll/small quilt tops

2011-09-01T17:17:00.000+08:00

I basted most of the small quilt tops I've done so far. There are still some not done since I ran out of cotton batting. Will get that rectified pronto :)

Some were basted with cotton batting for hand quilting.

And some were pin basted with polyester batting for machine quilting.

Also did some repair and finishing on some older quilt tops.

Removed the border fabric as it was not of the desired fabric quality.

And swapped it with Moda's brushed wovens. I think it looks better and will definitely quilt better too.

Completed this doll quilt top called Underground Railroad by Kathleen Tracy by adding the two borders. This is destined to be hand quilted.

And I'm putting in rows of fly stitches on Cheri Payne's Soot & Ashes (freebie)

I have enrolled in a 6 months online sewing course with eSewingWorkshop. I find the videos very informative and Nehzat approaches it on a step by step basis. No prior knowledge is assumed. Great for beginners like me. Nehzat's sewing skills are amazing. Here's a slopper or basic block pattern for a straight skirt. I am using calico for my muslin. I have not marked or sewn it up yet for a test fit. I intend to progress to an A-Line skirt sloper which is not too difficult and then to the pants and bodice.

Quilting a plenty

2011-08-22T12:42:00.000+08:00

The quilts pin basted. I used a hera marker to mark the quilting lines for the red and white quilt.

The binding all sewn together. I am using a single layer binding.


Designer: Cheri Payne (freebie)

I finally tried free motion quilting. It was really scary but interesting at the same time. The stitches are not perfect and their some jagged edges too if you look closely. But I hope with practice the meanders will truly meander :)

Designer: Ann Hermes

I used the same colour scheme in the magazine instead of those in the instructions. Straight line machine quilting in the form of a chevron.

Broken dishes block, straight line machine quilted.

The X-Quisite blocks quilt and Little Star blocks quilt (both are challenges on SQT) are all hand quilted and now for the binding.

It looks like I'm trying to clear all the WIP quilt tops that I have before I embark on a new one. I've not done any piecing for some days now :p But I think I need to pull out some fabric for some test Jacob Ladder blocks as done by Lucy.

Peahen's Valentine. Designer: Appleseed Prim (freebie)

Tutorial for zipper bag found here.

It's Margaret W's birthday today. She messaged me to say she has opened her package. It's a needlecase similar to the one I made for a swap recently but in semi-prim fabric Beach House by Blackbird Designs. The zipper bag was easy to tackle but the bulk caused by the fusible batting was a concern. I think I shall use regular interface the next time. I made another zipper bag for Jackie W too. Quite fun really!

The curtain is finally up but I think I need to swap the panels, too much red side by side. A little busy if I may say so but I hope to get used to it.

I'll leave you with some tin whistle music. Still working on Silver Spear :( This is a basic The Foggy Dew but I hope to learn the ornaments and incorporate it into this lovely melody.

Le Moyne Star quilt top

2011-08-14T13:05:00.000+08:00

I got the quilt top completed about a week ago. It measures 41-1/2" x 52-1/2". Blocks are 8" square finished. The 9 patch setting squares are 3" square finished. Fabrics are Beach House by Blackbird Designs for Moda with Kona Solid Snow. I opted without a border because I got lazy and decided I had enough of this quilt!

Before I put all the fabrics away, I cut up the binding and sewed them together. This will be a scrappy binding.

Designer: Primitive Bettys

The crow pincushions are all stuffed and sitting pretty on my desks. Weighted it with walnut shells and did some elongated blanket stitch all around the pincushion with cotton a broder thread. Just love the pairing. Beneath the pincushions you will see the X-Quisite doll quilt which is currently being hand quilted.

Patchwork curtains still in progress, took more time than I anticipated :s

Bought 2 more spools of YLI silk thread off eBay. So I got the lights, mediums and darks covered for future applique!

About Crows

2011-08-02T19:12:00.000+08:00

Designer: Primitive Bettys (Freebie)

When I was working on the applique portion of the bow-tie quilt, I was using a piece of felt to poke my needle and applique pins. For someone who does needlework, it's a shame :)

So I looked for simple pin cushion patterns and loved those by Betty Dekat. She's a generous soul with so many lovely freebies.

Her most recent freebie is Sunflowers & Crows. It was stitched with DMC 928, 3011, 3820 and 782. As for Crow it's stitched with DMC 3371. The linen is 35ct Fagales by HDF. I really love the pairing of these 2 designs, quite primitive I must say. I will weigh it with crushed walnut shells and finish it with a blanket stitch variation all around using Anchor's coton a broder thread. One for my stitching table and one for my sewing table!

I've completed the 20 star blocks and the 12, 9 patch setting squares. So now it's a matter of sewing up the sashing and the blocks together. It's gonna be a good lap quilt size and I'm quite pleased that it is nearing completion. This has taken a while.

The layout will 4 by 5 blocks.

I'll leave you with an Irish folk tune! This tune is recorded earlier before the lessons got to be more technical. Learning very important ornamentations in Irish tin whistle playing ... it's tough ...

My new Sewing Machine - Brother Innovis 50

2011-07-27T18:55:00.000+08:00

Image Source

It came yesterday morning. Although the old machine is fairly new i.e. 3 1/2 years old I figured it's about time I got a computerised sewing machine. I wanted some features that my old Singer Inspiration 4205 was not capable of. After all it's a basic model without bells and whistles.

And since I'm doing so much sewing, I thought I'd make it more enjoyable. And I was looking for some features like needle down, speed slider, drop feed dogs, etc. I narrowed it down to 2 sewing machines. The other was the Singer 988 Computermatic. Frankly, I 'm quite partial to Singer since their pretty old hands when it comes to sewing machines. But this model just did not feel right.

For one, there was hardly any write-up / reviews of this model on the internet. Singer USA does not carry this model. Although I am aware that certain models are only available regionally, the Singer 988 is nowhere in Singapore or Thailand either. It's only available here in Malaysia! I emailed the Singer regional manager in Singapore and he in turn passed the buck to the local sales manager. It's been 7 days and no return email from either of them. In fact a Singer dealer recommended another lower priced model when I enquired about the Singer 988. She said the Singer 988 had some inherent problems. Something is seriously wrong

Nevertheless, I tested the machine in a Singer shop nearby. To their credit the sales people were quite obliging and knowledgeable. They even opened a new box to demo the machine to me. It had all the feature of the Brother Innovis 50 (Innovis 80 for you people in the USA) and then some. It had a throat space of 7 1/2" which is wonderful. But after trying it out the upper thread tension was out of whack even when adjusted.

I decided on the Brother sewing machine without testing it. I read up on the reviews, website, forums, videos and made my decision based on that and of course the price being lower than the Singer 988 surely helped. I've been playing with it and it's really looking good. I want to explore the FMQ capabilities of the machine. The throat space of this model is 6 1/2", still better than my old one. It has a built-in 1/4" feature for seams when piecing. I had a good discount even with the extension table from a reputable dealer JP Doshi. The service was good and the delivery prompt.

Friendship Stars blocks still a work in progress. Piecing these blocks were a breeze with the new machine :)

The Cheddar Bow-Tie quilt top is completed. Love it to bits. It's 12 1/2" x 18 1/2". And it goes into the 'to be hand quilted' basket!

Bow Ties Anyone?

2011-07-17T09:35:00.008+08:00

Came across an interesting project going on in some blogs. I first read about it on Juliann's blog post where she wanted to reproduce a Cheddar Bow Tie quilt that she saw during the Sisters Quilt Show. She did start it but with a nice twist. Really like her version of applique for the centre square. Juliann shared the measurements with me i.e. the centre square is 3/4" finished and cut at 1 1/4". The 4 patches are 2" cut. I am using a remnant piece of Kona Solid Amber for my cheddar from Cheddar Cheese & Crackers Quilt. There's a tutorial by Bonnie Hunter on how to do a pieced version of the Bow Tie block.

I like the use of silk thread to applique. It's my first attempt and I find the actual thread could be a little fiddly but the results are lovely. Now to get some basic colours to play with :)

Sean's shirt is almost completed except for the buttons and button holes. I did a better job on this shirt this time round.

Last Saturday's Civil War block #28 called Next Door Neighbour.

X-Quisite blocks doll quilt top is completed. It's a challenge by Kathleen Tracy of the Small Quilt Talk Yahoo! group. The size is 17 1/4" x 15 1/2".

Fabrics from This-N-That Fabric's recent sales arrived mid week. Now in the process of being washed. The days are cooler here and it's been raining. But this morning as I write this, the weather looks promisingly sunny.

ETA: I'm trying out the Google Reader MP3 Player, so please bear with me.
ETA2: Sorry peeps, okay I decided to use another player provided by the files service instead. Should work now ;)

A simple tune, not polished yet but I'm working on it! It's called Roddy McCorely an Irish folk tune.

Irish Influence

2011-07-07T10:45:00.000+08:00

Block #27 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts. It's called Irish Chain. I kept to green. Also I would like to incorporate plaids into future blocks.

In keeping to the Irish theme, I bought a tin whistle over at eBay. It's a Clarke's Sweetone in D. I've been reading about inherent manufacturing faults in tin whistles. So I decided to get a 'tweaked' tin whistle by Jerry Freeman no less! It's sounding really nice and I am following online tutorials by Fr Ryan Duns. So I think I am set up for some daily practice.

Friendship Star quilt, coming along albeit slowly ...

Added 2 more blocks to this long time WIP.

And the winner is ...

2011-06-30T10:20:00.000+08:00

Pat from FL & MI. Thanks for playing everyone.

I've been reading about big stitch quilting and realise that I have actually been doing big stitch quilting all this while. I suppose I was brazen to think I was doing tiny stitches instead! Ha! I don't think tiny stitches is going to ever happen soon around these parts :).

Here's the depression block quilts that I'm really really hoping to complete. Gosh I need to give it a good wash and get it on my bed!

I bought 2 of Kathleen Tracy's eBooks from Martingale & Company recently and have started the Friendship Star quilt from her book Prairie Children and their Quilts. My basket runneth over ... oh ... how I wish ... :(

Giveaway!

2011-06-25T11:18:00.002+08:00

It's been a year since I started blogging again. Really appreciate the time you take to read and comment on my blog. Through my blog I've met some new friends and kept some old ones. I thought I'd do a small giveaway to mark the occasion. Just comment on this post and I'll put it through the Random Number Generator on the morning of 30th June 2011 (GMT +8). It's open to one and all.

The drawstring bag measures 8" x 12", fully lined with muslin and a pin pillow with a cross stitch design (freebie) by Primitive Bettys.

The blue and white quilt top is completed. Design by Ann Hermes. Instructions from APQ online. The borders were really intense, it's not perfect but it'll do. Fabric is Kona Solid Navy with white muslin. Measures 17" square.

Jess' birthday gift to me is now all pieced. I used Jan Patek's Lilac Hill mini charms for the border. Looks a little busy to me. Perhaps if I use a plain beige binding, it'll help calm the quilt down. Destined for a wall hanging. It measures 12 1/2" x 14 1/2". Love the cross-stitching portion and it's sentiment! Design by The Sampler Girl with a verse from Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen forever!

Civil War Blocks Revival

2011-06-18T16:53:00.000+08:00

I am now caught up with Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilt Blocks again. Except for the dreaded Seven Sisters! I think I'll skip that ;) My blocks are now uploaded to my Flickr set here.

I must admit some of the blocks turned out not exactly 8-1/2" square. I hope to remedy that by introducing borders and / or sashing. But that can be figured out at a later time. I had a lot of help from the excellent tutorials done by Ellen of American Homestead. There might be some blocks that I will re-do but that can wait.

A surprise gift from Elyte who is enjoying her sewing retreat right this moment. Love those tape measure like twill tapes, it'll be great for some sewing finishes. So glad my signature block got to her before her retreat. I did not get a picture taken of that. Speaking of signature blocks ...

I suggested to some of the quilters who completed Lori D's Midnight Stars QAL, perhaps we could do up a quilt for Lori. So18 of us decided on a pattern and sent them to Karen K. Karen did a wonderful job piecing and hand quilting it. Lizzy helped out further by sending a piece of vintage backing. Here's Lori's blog post. My only regret is not using a pigma marker for the signature. I had one which was too fine, but I got a thicker one later from Bird Brain Designs.

Some fabrics from This-N-That Fabrics. Love those blues.

This little red and white top is all pieced. Measures 12-3/4" x 16-3/4". Fabrics are Kona Rich Red and white muslin.

Clowning around with some rail fence blocks measuring 5-1/2" square. Who knows where this will lead to. I was inspired by the quilt on the cover of APQ.

Happy Birthday June!

2011-06-11T18:54:00.000+08:00

It's June T's birthday on Saturday. A cross stitched pin cushion with a complimentary design by 4 My Boys called Celebrate Life. Threads are DMC and linen is 28ct Cashel Sand. I thought is was quite apt for her birthday! The backing is an orphan block that I made during Cheryl's SAL last year. That was the only block I made :(

Izra's shirt all done and given to him. It fits him well. I lengthen it by 2 1/2". I did a better job this time round.

Two simple calico aprons with zakka fabric for the pockets in front. The pink one is for a friend, the blue is mine.

A simple mug rug resembling the US flag, sans binding for my cousin's husband Michael who is an American. We had lunch at Coliseum Cafe which is one of the oldest restaurant in KL. He was there over 30 years ago when he was with the Peace Corps. So you can imagine the nostalgia this place had for him. Some pics of the place.

A blue and white table topper in progress. It's designed by Ann Hermes and the instructions can be found online at APQ. Love the colour combo, sooo classy! I need 76 flying geese blocks for the borders! And to think this centre block is just 12" square!! Madness ...

Another small red & white quilt in progress also. I need to get the borders on and then the top is done.

Block 23 Illinois Roads by Barbara Brackman

I am starting to feel the love for these blocks again. Mostly inspired by Merilyn. Don't know if I can even come close to her perseverance and her top notch piecing skills. I figure if there is ever a sampler quilt that I will do, the Civil War Blocks quilt will be it. Here's to Block 22 Blockade:

Mary Glover - WIP

2011-06-03T10:53:00.000+08:00

Still at it. I've started the rice stitch beneath the band of satin stitch. Still some ways to go with the border vines and animal motifs.

Izra's shirt in the making. The previous shirt was fraught with mistakes that I could have easily avoided. The sewing is done more carefully this time. What did they say about practice?

Fabrics from Fabric Shack. I like the sampler fabric by French General. It's a panel from the La Petite Ecole collection by Moda.

I am thinking lately that I could really like country music. I like the story each song tells. I've been following Scotty McCreery on American Idol and really from his first audition, I knew he'd be hard to beat. Love his voice and the regular nice boy that he is. Very nice song for his first single, 'I Love You This Big'.

Strawberry Fields Quilt Top

2011-05-27T09:53:00.001+08:00

Strawberry Fields. QAL by Lori D. Size: 26" x 20"

I love this quilt top. It now joins my ever growing 'To-be-Quilted' basket!

My needlecase swap from Mary C in Canada. It's done in wool and roomy. There's a whole lot of work in the small XS piece that has been tea-dyed after stitching . Since I've been doing a lot of quilting and some sewing lately, I realise cross stitch is way way more time consuming. Mary Glover is going at a snail's pace ...

Ilhan's shirt in progress. It still needs sewing the sides. I am thinking of sewing the French seams method, buttons and button hole and pockets. Looks a little short to me. Maybe If I used a slightly smaller hem I would be able to pull it off.

More blouse fabric for myself. Mostly cotton and cotton blend. Second from right is a lining similar to acetate lining for a blouse I am planning. And right most is cotton-linen blend gingham for some crafting.

Strawberry Fields in Progress

2011-05-22T12:32:00.000+08:00

I am so enjoying this quilt. It's a QAL called Strawberry Fields run by Lori last April. There are a million pieces to piece but if you approach it 'methodically' it's a breeze I assure you. I find Lori's QALs are somewhat challenging in terms of skill building and patience! She surely has a knack of making quilts that pushes the envelope! Not that I am complaining of course :)

After I complete Strawberry Fields I would have completed all 3 QALs that Lori has conducted. Here's Midnight Stars and Cheddar Cheese & Crackers revisted.

Now to look into quilting them?

Stash and making of a bag

2011-05-17T10:02:00.000+08:00

More Civil War fabric for my collection. A number are Jo's fabrics . Took the opportunity when Z&S Fabrics were having their 50% off sale recently.

Yoko Saito fabrics that I got for my birthday will be used for the bag in the book and some from my stash. It's for the bag challenge due end of June. There's some applique involved and I better get cracking.

Cheri's Cross blocks quilt top is completed. It's 18" x 28 1/2".

Bloggers’ Quilt Festival :: Spring 2011

2011-05-15T12:30:00.000+08:00

This is Grand Slam Quilt. My first quilt that I made in March 2008. The pattern is from Quilts & More Magazine Summer 2007. It's finished at 60-1/2" x 84-1/2".

I made this quilt for my dad after his by-pass surgery. It really was a rather big task for a quilting ignoramus like me to undertake. I didn't know what I was getting into, in terms of the work involved, the frustration, the cost (yikes!) and eventually the quilting addiction I was about to suffer ;)

The rectangles were cut indiscriminately, seams were pressed anyway I fancied, blocks were not aligned, the machine quilting in the ditch were wonky at best, the backing fabric (a flat sheet) were folded at some places! Because it was for my dad ... I kept at it ...

I think or at least I hope I've come a long way from that first quilt! There's no turning back now.

Thanks to Lori for mentioning about Amy's Spring Bloggers' Quilt Festival. A big thank you to Amy for hosting it.

Huswif Swap and More Birthday Gifts

2011-05-11T17:15:00.000+08:00

My Yahoo Group Small Quilt Talk recently conducted a huswif / needlecase swap. My partner was Mary C in Canada. Mary said that she wanted to be surprised. Since Mary is in Canada, I went the French style :) Yeah corny I know :p It took a whole 3 weeks for Mary to receive it. In this year and age, in 3 weeks one can fly to the moon and back! Mary knows how I've been worried that it was lost. But all is well now.

The cross stitch design is a freebie by Casamia in Italia. Mary's initials flank the French maid. Stitched with DMC3777 on 32ct Belfast Raw Linen. The fabrics used are Rounneries by French General for Moda, with a piece of wool felt which has been blanket stitched at the edge. Also some French linen decorative ribbons along the wool felt piece and to tie the needlecase. I've used mainly the tutorials from APQ and Heidi's old blog.

Gifts from Margaret W! I absolutely adore the key holder. I am using it for my house keys already! I like the fabric combo, sometimes the simple things are the best. Great fabrics choices as usual which will be suitable for some XS finishings and 6 spools of lovely prim coloured cotton thread.

Lovely box from Lillie with a design by BBD (my favourite) stitched on top of the box cover. The box is quite sturdy and Lillie is utilising fully her lessons in cartonnage recently. The box was filled with sewing thread and buttons which have been thoughtfully included due to my recent sewing blaze. More Yoko Saito fabrics for the bag I am planning.

The 39 cross blocks measuring 3" square are completed and the setting squares are all cut.. Now to get them pieced!

My crazy quilted plaid mug rug has been selected as one of the finalist by This-N-That. So if you don't mind and be so kind, won't you vote for me? I am No. 5. Pretty please? Much obliged!

It's my birthday ...

2011-05-08T11:02:00.001+08:00

yesterday actually ...

My birthday loot from Jess W! I just love The Sampler Girl's Northanger Abbey! In fact I've bought the pattern ages ago and never got to stitching it (familiar?). The interesting thing about her gift as you might have noticed, it is not finished!!! She said and I quote 'interactive gift'. Gosh ... I think that must be a first on this planet! And she has even provided fabric for a suggested finish. Can you imagine that? ... the nerve ... In her defense, the lame excuse of her sewing machine having broken down.

All in good fun I assure you. But being the rebel that I am ... I am hitting for a small quilted wall hanging instead of the suggested small cushion. And the included fabric and shirting will surely come in handy. Also the very elegant antiqued monogrammed label. Need to put on my designer hat ... ahem ...

And then there's June T's gifts. For those who are unfamiliar with the fabrics, they are by the one and only Ms Yoko Saito for Lecien. Her fabric trademark are dark, somber, taupe pallete of colours. But therein lies it's beauty. A small quilt with these fabric as borders would look super or maybe even a patchwork bag with some applique? Now that I have some flower templates and the bag handle that June has conveniently included :)

Yes, I think a bag is in the horizon with these lovely fabrics, after all there's a bag challenge due end of June!

I'm back to a little piecing with a darling quilt by Cheri Payne. It's her January free quilt pattern. Cheri's one generous soul with a giveaway small quilt AND a free pattern every month. I've got 24 cross blocks done and another 15 to go.

Mug Rug for Lillie

2011-05-05T11:14:00.000+08:00

This mug rug for Lillie caused me some anxiety. As it took some time for Lillie to acknowledge receipt of it. The cross-stitch pattern is again by Plum Street Samplers. Stitched on 28ct evenweave with DMC threads. I had a hard time stitching on this unknown piece of evenweave. The weave was rather tight. The lovely thing about it is that it had little pink flowers printed on it. The stripes are from a honeybun by Sweetwater for Moda called Make Life. Machine quilted with polyester batting.

I bought some fabrics for my sewing projects last Friday. And the silk organza that I spoke off in my previous post. They are now all washed and ready to be cut. The seersucker fabric above are for shirts for four little boys and the right most for a dress for a little girl. And then there's the cotton-linen blend that I got for myself. Absolutely love these fabrics. I like the texture and the hand of it, not to mention the comparatively lower cost as compared to 100% linen. I have the patterns all ready for them.

This is Part 1 of the patterns, there is still Part 2 to print, stick and cut. A lot of work I must admit but it sure beats paying for shipping.

The Burda 8218 blouse is completed. Turned out really well. The pockets were a little fiddly though because of the curved corners. I intend to make another with the grey cotton-linen fabric above. I think it'll look slightly more dressy when worn with a scarf.

Happy Birthday Jess W!

2011-04-26T08:27:00.002+08:00

Jess is the mistress of all things prim. Another of her phase that we all have to live with ... :) I gathered some essential prim (dare I not?) items like crushed walnut shells, heavy muslin and a metal clamp make-do. I also stitched a mug rug for her (my current craze). The pineapple stitchery is a freebie design by Sue Allemand. Being the cat lover that she is, I knew I had to get her this kitty card. These are prints by a talented local artist Emila Yusof.

Another mug rug but this time for Margaret W. The cross stitch is a freebie design by Plum Street Samplers. I changed the chart a little with MW's DD as the elder and her DS as the baby! Stitched on Lugana 28ct evenweave with DMC floss. The fabric is from a honeybun called Make Life by Sweetwater for Moda. Sorry about the pictures being a little dark despite being rather sunny outside. I think I need to tweak some manual settings and see how that goes.

I bought this book without knowing that it wasn't REALLY couture. The techniques really looked impressive and quite polished to my untrained eye. Ann of Gorgeous Fabrics panned it just a few days after I got my copy :( Nevertheless it's really useful to me and I don't think I want to aim for real couture sewing as such although it is always good to know what's out there (famous words by Mulder). I would be happy with meticulously made RTW (Ready to Wear) garments.

This is the start of Burda 8218. I chucked this fabric aside as it was too sheer almost like organza. The fabric was Glace by Three Sisters for Moda. My friends say I could use a spaghetti T or a lacy camisole inside the blouse ... we'll see. I've cut another piece or white cotton fabric since, this time thicker.

I tried Hong Kong seam for the shoulder seams using the discarded organza like fabric. I think I better stock up on some satin bias tape or some viscose lining. Sure would be prettier and more comfy. And it saves a trip to the shop to serge it before attaching the collar.

I used the couture dart method as described in the book. I needed to sew 6 darts for this blouse. I am also using that same organza fabric as the interface for my facings. I have not got the silk organza that it widely used in replacement of interface. I need to make a trip to the fabric stores to get some essentials soon. The instructions for the Burda 8218 leaves a lot to be desired and for a newbie like me it zapped all the little brain power I had. It was a rather mentally exhausting weekend. For a more finished front facing I used Sunni's tutorial, which is very clever.

To soothe my tortured grey cells, I worked on Mary Glover, still some catching up to to. I had to unpick 'FINISHED THIS MARCH' as I used the wrong colour floss :( It's now corrected. When it rain it pours? That's how the weather has been here in KL for some days. There's a mini storm every evening starting at 4 pm. The lightning show is just above my roof!

Some clowning around with the T block. It's a 3" block, a little too small for my liking but I think I may make another 3 just to convert it into a potholder? I saw this just the night before on Taryn's blog. I used this instructions. I am using Kona's Rich Red and a white muslin.

Some sewing

2011-04-06T21:13:00.001+08:00

I have recently joined Pinterest. It's a great way to pin my To-Do List and tutorials that I come across while browsing the net. There are some red & white quilts that I've been fancying. I will be taking positive measures in stocking up some red & whites for sure :)

Some linen and cotton fabric from Ikea to be sewed into curtains.

Zakka linen fabrics for bags and aprons.

The Burda 2561 blouse is completed. Turned out great and quite comfy in cotton. Would like to make another with linen instead.

Andre shorts in process. I've actually completed it but did not have the time to take a pic. It's dark grey twill.

More fabric for shorts. Their for my dad, he picked them himself.

Some fabrics for my future blouses and a dress.

Finally some piecing albeit quite slowly. It's going to be Cheri's January quilt.

Mary Glover's 1/1 stitching is all completed ... and am I glad ... Now hopefully I am able to catch up on the SAL soon.

WIPs a plenty

2011-03-24T10:45:00.000+08:00

The going is slow on Mary Glover. I am only at part of Part 3, how pathetic :( Emmanuelle has already issued Part 5! The 1/1 stitching does not help speed things up even on 28ct linen ...

Block 10: Lincoln's Platform. From Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts

Block 12: Louisiana. From: Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts

I'm choosing the easier blocks to make ... much like cheating ;) NO stressing for me.

9 blocks to date and as you can see there's still only 1 Courthouse Steps block and 1 Strawberry Field block. I hope to work on that more with some fabrics being cut. Here's the proof:

I've abandoned the shirt I was sewing. I did however learn how to attach the placket on the shirt. I think I know how to go about the rest of the construction of the shirt. I wasn't too happy with the fabric of that shirt anyway. Now I'm working on hopefully a keeper. A blouse for me Burda 2561. Now the fabric is so much better to work with, Heather Ross' Mendocino.

Mug Rug. Size: 10" x 6 1/4"

Finally a finish ... My submission for the Crazy Challenge issued by JW. A mug rug. I used up scraps from an old quilt that I made some time back. I would have preferred to use Valdani Variegated Pearl 12 threads for the specialty stitches instead of DMC Ecru Pearl 12. It would have given it more dimension.

Strippy Triangles Doll Quilt - Completed

2011-03-06T14:14:00.000+08:00


I tried marking with the water erasable pen, hera marker and masking tape. I like masking tape best.

Designer: Kathleen Tracy. Size: 13-1/2" x 17-3/4". Batting: Cotton. Quilting: Hand quilted with YLI Light Brown.

I used the YLI thread which Merilyn gave me to hand quilt this doll quilt. And gosh that thread sure glides. No friction when pulling it out of the quilt sandwich, pulling out the quilting needle is quite another matter! The thread is thin, which I'm not used too as I normally use Pearl No. 8. But it presents a different look. I would like to try Pearl No 12 next.

The beginnings of the Courthouse Steps block. Kathie gave me some tips and it's working! So I think I'll proceed with a 9 blocks or 16 blocks table topper.

Humble start to Lori's Strawberry Fields. I always like to try out one block to see if I can manage it and then proceed cutting for the rest of the blocks. And yes ... I'll be proceeding.

Boy's shirt in the making. This is a test run. Hope it works out well and then I can go fabric shopping :)

Cheddar Cheese & Crackers Quilt Top - Completed

2011-02-26T16:21:00.000+08:00


Cheddar Cheese & Crackers. Designer: Lori D. Size 25-1/2" square

Loved piecing this and a definite challenge for me. Looks really super. Hand quilting is in the pipeline but it may have to wait some.

I've heard some good reviews on the YLI thread for hand quilting. So when there was an opportunity for a swap with Merilyn, I requested for it and in turn I sent some linen for her new cross stitching adventures. Clearly a win-win situation! So now to try it out and really see for myself what the hype is all about :)

Mary Glover after the completion of Part 2. I must mention that instead of DMC 437 I've changed it to DMC 436. 436 showed better on the sand linen. Part 3 is already out. I am currently trying to complete 1 motif from Mary Wigham.

6 Richmond

7 Log Cabin

8 Cotton Boll

The Civil War blocks are all caught up. The Log Cabin block is wonky at best ... I can see why foundation paper piecing is used for Log Cabins. I used Helen's instructions for the Cotton Boll block using the snowball method. Their not my best work but it'll do for now. Maybe I'm losing interest already ... I'll probably just do a few more enough for a lap quilt or a chair back and call it a day.

Move over Mary Wigham

2011-02-17T11:47:00.000+08:00

I had every intention to start on Mary Wigham until I read on Siobhan's blog (Thanks again Siobhan) that Emmanuelle was conducting a SAL on Mary Glover. I could not resist. So Mary Wigham has to wait for just a while longer. I believe you can still register to partake in the SAL if you leave a comment on this post.

Since there will be 1 over 1 stitching in a later section of the band, I thought I'd better go with 28ct Sand Cashel. You know the old eyes. I'm using DMC floss. I am thinking of tea-dyeing the fabric after all the stitching is done. I think it'll make it look pretty old. I'm trying to completed Part 2 this week.

CC & C to date. A little slow for obvious reasons.

On Monday, I bought a beginner fife in C. It's like a flute but with a shriller tone. It was displayed in the music shop window. I used to play the recorder in school and thought a fife which has a different method of blowing would be more challenging. Initially I couldn't even get a tone! It was all air ... sigh ... I thought my lungs would collapse from all that blowing. YouTube came to the rescue and I learnt how to blow with my embouchure on the lip plate etc. I'm only now learning the fingering and notes slowly. I'd like to play some Irish reels when I get better. As my piano teacher used to scream at me ... practice practice practice! I wonder if Jane Austen played the fife? Hmmm ....

Fancy Mug Rug

2011-02-12T13:09:00.001+08:00

This was so fun and cute to make. I've been warned not to spill tea on it! :) Slightly big at 6 1/2" x 10". Gearing up for another, this time with selvedges.

Lori's CC & C is coming along. Slow and steadily.

While cutting 1 1/2" strips for the CC & C, I'm cutting extra for Kathie's Courthouse blocks. A table topper will look good I think.

Mary Wigham by Needleprint. Fabric: Tea-dyed 36ct Edinburgh Linen Floss: DMC (as charted)

A long time WIP. I am resurrecting it after being inspired by Lillie's progress. I've completed 3 Parts out of 9. Hope to complete it by year's end.

Happy Dance!

2011-02-09T10:33:00.000+08:00

Friendship is a sheltering tree. Designer: Prairie Schooler. Book: More Friends. Fabric: 32ct Antique White Belfast Linen. Floss: DMC

Some years ago Margaret W and I decided to stitch 10 blocks but I think I will stop at 4 :p and incorporate them into a wall hanging quilt. Besides the other designs were a little more geometric for my liking. Now I need to look into how best to design this quilt to showcase the cross stitch pieces.

I finished this piece in November last year and was thinking of finishing it as a sewing pocket. I will finish it as a mug rug instead. Should be an interesting finish. I hear it's quite addictive.

CC & C to date. 3 more blocks to go before the 1/2 blocks.

Valentine Quilt Top - Completed

2011-02-07T09:51:00.000+08:00

Size: 18 1/2" square. Designed by Kathleen Tracy for Small Quilt Talk's Valentine Challenge

I am not a pink person, however I will tolerate it in small doses. I added some blues into this Valentine Quilt. I don't think Cupid is too happy :)

I've started on Lori's Cheddar, Cheese & Crackers. Lori did a quilt along last January. It's a really interesting block at 4 1/2" square. Have to be careful with the placement of prints.

PS More Friends (Friendship is a Sheltering Tree) is almost finished. There's still the bottom area with blocks of the same colour i.e. the grass, the lady's skirt. We stitchers call this 'vast' expanse of one colour 'yawn stitching'. Absolutely monotonous. But it has to be done and I'd like to see it finished this week.

Midnight Stars Quilt Top - Completed

2011-01-31T16:19:00.000+08:00

Midnight Stars Doll Quit. Designer: Lori D. Size: 22" square

My thanks to Lori for hosting this wonderful QAL. I really enjoyed myself making this quilt. One of the setting squares had to be pieced because I only had a skinny quarter. I don't know when I'll get it quilted but what I do know is it'll be a cheddar binding.

I've started again with the free star block quilt by Blackbird Designs. I am using an older fabric collection also by Blackbird Designs called Beach House with Kona Snow.

The Civil War Block 5 Kansas Troubles is completed. This was sure a challenge to get right, even then the points are not exactly perfect.

I have progressed some on Prairie Schooler's More Friends. It's still on the frame and the lighting was bad to take a pic. It's been drizzling the whole of yesterday and part of today. Sure is cold lately.

Civil War Quilt Blocks 4/52 - Texas Tears

2011-01-27T17:54:00.000+08:00

This was a tough block for me. I did not piece the triangles correctly resulting in a wonky block. I was aligning them until I read the Texas Tears block tutorial by Lilian. I should have left a 1/4" tip on both ends.

More fooling around with house blocks. This time I tried foundation paper piecing. I couldn't get my head around how things worked on the reverse. If truth be told, there was supposed to be two chimneys up there on the roof ... I calculated the height of the roof wrongly :( I think I'm losing grey matter rapidly. But it's a good size now at 6 1/2" square.

Midnight Stars Doll Quilt Along blocks are all done and awaiting the next part. Love it when things are on schedule.

Two tops in the works. I did not like how the collar turned out for the shirt by Angela Kane, but I think I'll just complete it as a muslin and learning process especially for the sleeve placket and cuffs. Also to get a feel of sizing. The blue one is another Patricia Tunic by Sis Boom. I've had the fabric for yonks.

Midnight Stars Doll Quilt Along - Part 4

2011-01-22T15:17:00.000+08:00

Lori blogged the instructions for Part 4 last night. And this morning I was busy cutting up squares. It goes along fairly quickly with chain piecing. Love the blocks and glad Lori encouraged me to give it a go since it's a 5" block which is small for me.

I ~~clowned~~ played around with a house block with some scraps. Did not use the instructions of using a template for the roof. I just winged it in my cockamamie way. Ah well ... I'll just let it ferment a little ...

Prairie Schooler's More Friends has been taking up my nights. Absolutely adore this piece. Feel quite motivated to get it done after seeing all those lovely cross stitch pieces from the girls!

Amish Star quilt top - Completed

2011-01-17T18:19:00.001+08:00

Amish Star Blocks quilt top. 1 Dusty pallete Kauffman roll-up. Black Kona yardage for background and wide outer border and Gold Kona for narrow inner border. Size: 81" x 81"

I am so happy that the Amish Star quilt top is completed. It's quite majestic. I finished it the night before my meet-up with Margaret W, Jackie O W, June, Lillie, Diane (Lillie's DD) and Paul the next morning. I really pushed myself to finish it and so glad I did. We had a good time chatting and stuffing our face! :)

The Burda blouse is also completed and even wore it for Sunday's brunch with above mentioned friends. Love making garments for myself, oh so satisfying. Now I need to start on the Trouser Sewalong.

Margaret W gave me this wonderful stitchy loot! Love it all. In the mag there's a beautiful XS piece by Thea Dueck.

Margaret knows me too well ... It's super pretty. This will definitely jump into my 2011 to-do-list!

And this is a close up of the vintage lace in a key-chain holder. Bought in London during Margaret's recent trip. Too dainty.

Last week I also received a lovely gift from Faizon, from her trip to the UK in December last year. I've been looking for the perfect Christmas Red tatting thread for some time now. Size 30 or 40 is my preferred size. Time to dust off my tatting shuttle :) Thanks so much Faizon. I have wanted to make a reverse colour option of this pouch I made some years ago. The snowflakes were tatted by Faizon.

I've completed Part 2 of Lori's Midnight Stars Doll Quilt Along. Loving the pace that Lori has set.

Civil War Quilt Blocks 2/52 - North Star

2011-01-09T13:10:00.000+08:00

Really enjoying these weekly blocks by Barbara Brackman. And the stories about the American Civil War is a wonderful bonus.

Recently arrival of 3 pkgs of fabrics. Their mostly CW and grouped by colours. The fabrics are currently being washed.

The blouse is coming along slowly. What's left are the buttons and hand stitching the front plackets down.

Civil War Quilt Blocks 1/52

2011-01-05T12:11:00.000+08:00

Jess alerted me Saturday night on a new Block of the Week that Barbara Brackman is doing to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War. I knew then and there that I need to get involved. On Sunday morning I set about cutting and piecing the blocks together. And to think Barbara featured my block on the blog! I'm totally chuffed! Blogland is buzzing about this new project!

The red and white bear paw quilt top is completed. It is now 46" square. Still unsure how I'll be quilting it or when for that matter. I need to get some piecing of bed quilts out of the way before I get to this again.

A Burda8368 blouse in the process. It'll have 3/4 sleeves. The instructions for the collar was vague but I managed it somehow. I prefer hand stitching the inner collar piece down. I'm trying very hard to ensure my construction is methodical, neat and generally done well. Couture sewing ... here I come :)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:54:00.000+08:00

And here's to a productive 2011!

I would like to really improve on my garment sewing skills, at present it is so mediocre. Keep telling myself ... I should be a neater / more accurate seamstress. Also I want to work on some stitchery patterns. Sure like the look of quilted wall hangings with a stitchery panel.

Red & white Bear Paw quilt to date. It's 39" square now. There is still the outer border in white. I'm thinking of having a slightly wider outer border ... we'll see ...

While taking a break from cutting all those HSTs for the bear paw quilt, I fooled around with another method of making HSTs and eventually a Pinwheel block. I followed Jenny's tut on YouTube. Sewed it up in a jiffy!

A small order of tea towels from Bird Brain Designs. Here's where the stitchery comes in :)

Anni Downs' pincushion is on my to-do list. However I will be changing the concept of the pincushion. I'm not a garden buff but I'm surely a needleworker!

My New Year start at the stroke of midnight. That's the measly result of 20 mins of work! By far for me cross stitch is the most time intensive hand work I do. It's Prairie Schooler's Friends - Friendship is a sheltering tree. Margaret W and I set out to complete 10 pcs from both Friends and More Friends some years ago. But somewhere in between realty kicked in ... or truth be told ... laziness :) This will be my last block of 4 that will be converted into a wall hanging quilt. Here's the other 3:

Amish Star Quilt - WIP

2010-12-27T10:42:00.000+08:00

All 42 blocks are finally completed and their arranged on the floor as above. This will be a square quilt with a 6 x 6 blocks layout. And the balance blocks will be for a pieced backing. A narrow and a wide border will be added in time. A block is 11 1/2" square unfinished.

Christmas gifts from Margaret W that arrived in the nick of time. Love the tatted motif with silver beads and the labels by V&A.

A pair of shorts for my dad using the Burda pattern Andre. I lengthen it according to a sample. Also I've added in-seam pockets. The fabric is black cotton drill and if it fits well I'll make another in grey.

Merry Christmas one and all!

2010-12-22T14:28:00.000+08:00

I received a lovely ornament pillow from Lillie today. Just super perfect for the season! It will join my row of ornaments given to me by my friends over the years and some that I've stitched below.

I've completed the binding for my sis' XS piece. Added plastic rings at the back of the wall hanging for a dowel to pass through.

Still working on the red and white bear paw quilt. There's sashing and HST borders to be done. Loving those red and whites!

Lori's CC & C is in the pipeline for next year. Pulled out all the fabrics required. This will be pretty slow as the placing of these blocks need careful attention.

Thank you all for coming by and leaving comments. I do so appreciate it.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Stashing all the way :)

2010-12-18T17:56:00.000+08:00

Purchases from Fabric Shack and This-N-That! More shirtings, precuts, Judie Rothermel and Jo :)

Christmas presents are all wrapped and ready.

There will be a Trouser Sewalong starting on 3/1/11. I am using Angela Kane's Wide Leg Pants pattern. We'll be working on a muslin first hence I need to get some metres of calico. Really looking forward to this. I am sure I'll learn loads!

Online Christmas shopping!

2010-12-15T10:56:00.000+08:00

Civil War reproductions by mostly Judie Rothermel and Jo Morton. There's another package coming from This-N-That. Couldn't resist their terrific Cyber Monday sale :)

I've got some table toppers / runners in mind for these pre-cuts.

Fabric for binding my sis' cross stitched wall hanging.

Some muslins and Kona fabric for dolls. Right most is Kona Amber which will be my cheddar for Lori's Cheddar Cheese and Crackers. Again I was enjoying Fabric Shack's deep discounts on pre-cuts during Cyber Week.

Purchases of a metal clamp make-do, heavy muslin for my future stitchery projects ;) , packets of crushed walnut shells and a strawberry emery kit from Bird Brain Designs. They're having FREE shipping till Christmas! Can't beat that!

And I've only got a cushion cover to show for a finish this week. Please ignore the points not meeting :p Bad patchwork on my part. I like the colours nevertheless. May make another with CW reproduction fabrics! I've got a red and green piece of Colonial Christmas collection by Judie Rothermel on the way ... amongst other fabrics ;)

I've got loads of projects lined up next year and I intend to revive some BAP cross stitch WIPs. Gotta make my list.

Bear Paw - WIP

2010-12-09T09:44:00.000+08:00

Just had to get a block going of a red and white Bear Paw block into my quilting pan. It's pretty huge at 14" square. My plan is a 4 block quilt with a million HSTs for it's border!

Season's Greetings all bordered up. Need to look into the applique for this baby. And the 5 miserable blocks of orange peel appliqued to date.


Design: Christmas Eve Flight (Freebie) Designer: The Sampler Girl Fabric: Scrap linen 2/2 Floss: DMC

Christmas Star Block with borders sewn in ready to be sewn into a cushion cover for a 14" pillow form.

Ellen pants by Burda is completed. Along with belt loops. There's some puckering on the front right waist band but no matter as I never tuck in my blouses. I like it. I've got another piece of dark grey cotton drill for another pair. It's either another Ellen pants or Angela Kane's trousers.

Pieces up on my design wall on this cold and rainy morning.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-12-04T10:06:00.000+08:00

I've got the borders to put on and I think I'll make this into a cushion cover instead. The points are somehow not quite meeting up on this :( Entirely my fault for not cutting them right.

Love letters. Designer: Blackbird Designs. Fabric: 32ct Vintage Country Mocha Belfast 2/2. Floss: DMC

Started this cross stitch piece some months back. Finished just in time for Christmas. Beneath are the red (RJR Supreme) and Kona Snow that will become my bear paw quilt ... soon. I lean towards red and white come Christmas, no wonder with all those lovely quilts I see during my blog travels during this time.

The start of a small cross stitch freebie piece by The Sampler Girl.

Cheri Payne's Seasons Greetings to date. I had to go slow when piecing the strips and had to get it on the design wall as it can get confusing when the setting squares and triangles are added. I've got to piece the rows and add them borders and then there's of course the applique!

The orange peel applique is coming along just fine.

Fancy a Jane day?

2010-11-28T15:59:00.000+08:00

Design: Fancy a Jane day? Designer: The Sampler Girl. Fabric: 32ct Belfast Flax 2/2. Floss: DMC 3721. To be finished into a pocket

This design has been growing on me and since Tanya of The Sampler Girl was having a Black Friday sale, I couldn't resist ;)

My miserable attempt at a red & white school house block :( I was inspired by a post by Laurie of Minick & Simpson. Love those red and whites. I think the school house block will have to wait till I figure it out some more or look into foundation paper piecing. However, I need to put a start to the Red & White Bear Paw quilt inspired by Moda's Bakeshop ... soon ... I was playing with Cheri's Home for the Holidays quilt called Season's Greetings and decided to go larger. Those 1/2" squares are causing me grief!

Started on another Christmas Star block. Going very quickly with the help of Lori's HST tutorial.

This is a quilt weight that I made a couple of months back. Since my sewing machine was in the shop for servicing ... finally ... I had table space to do some hand quilting. The quilt weight worked wonderfully and it was a great tip from Katell on SQT.

My lunch today with brown rice. I know it does look a little icky because the egg is supposed to be smooth but I wasn't bothered since I've steamed it in the rice cooker basket with the rice cooking. It's a Chinese dish called 3 egg yolks or something like that. There's Chicken egg, Century egg and Salted egg sprinkled with sesame oil, soya sauce and oyster sauce.

Design: Orange Peel Quilt Designer: Kathleen Tracy

So while my lunch was cooking, I did some applique! Yes, horrors of horrors! With the encouragement of some friends and a dare from another (you know who you are), I will give applique another go :) I bought an e-pattern from Martingale when they were having the Black Friday sale. Again I couldn't resist ;) Orange peel? Bring it on!

Soot & Ashes - Quilt Top

2010-11-21T10:27:00.001+08:00

I wasn't too inclined to get the vines, leaves and the berries applique done. Applique and me just don't jive ... for now at least :) Never say never?

The scrappy binding is also done more because I would like to put away the fabrics used.

A skirt in the designing process. I wanted to make the A Plus A Line skirt by Twinkle's Wenlan Chia. But I gathered there were too many sizing issues and I needed to print 50 pages of pattern. Just ridiculous in my opinion. So I'm using a pattern that I drafted myself a few months ago for a basic A Line skirt that was quite successful if I am allowed to boast and re draft it for Wenlan's skirt. We'll see how that goes.

The Ellen pants this time around is a success!! It's true what they say about perseverance. Although I could work more with the fit but it's good enough for me. The pants fabric is cotton drill, nice to work with. I'm using a different cotton fabric for the fly shield and pockets, it just reeks individuality! I need to top stitch the waistband down and get on with the button hole and button and I'm done. Oooh ... nothing come close to conquering a challenge!

The Underground Railroad doll quilt is pieced, it now requires an inner and outer border.

Need to think on how I would like to finish this piece by Primitive Bettys. Most likely a SIMPLE pillow! :)

Ellen Pants - Revisited

2010-11-18T10:07:00.000+08:00

I am giving the Ellen pants another shot. I've enlarged where needs enlarging :p and I've added a pocket too. It's a cotton drill fabric and quite nice to work with. I am using a different fabric for the pockets and the fly shield. I've joined a 1 year membership to Angela Kane's patterns. And looking forward to her shirt and skirt videos.

The Ute blouse is completed. Very happy with it despite the mishap which is rectified with a silly label!

Some cross stitch on the stand. It's been about a month since I've cross stitched. Enjoying this small stitch immensely.

Sewing a plenty

2010-11-16T11:54:00.000+08:00

The kimonos are all sewed. The bias binding was tricky as I could not get a roll of 3/4" coordinating ribbon. So I cut my own and used the Clover bias binder, it worked like a dream. You can get the kimono pattern from Habitual.

The receiving blanket got a small linen loop to facilitate hanging. Lined with flannel and top stitched on all the sides. The tutorial can be found here.

Lunch - Hong Kong baby kailan with salted egg. I only eat the yolk as the white can be too salty some times.

Have almost completed the Ute blouse from Burda. Look at the mishap :( I uttered some choice words! But the collar will cover it ... hopefully ... and I intend to put on a label at the back of the fabric to cover it. Just so that I don't get sick every time I see it. Apart from that I think it turned out pretty well. It needs armhole serging, button holes and buttons.

As usual I did the hemming by hand. I may try to use the blind hem by machine one day, we'll see. I followed this tutorial for the classic hem stitch.

And there's a great article by Carla Crim re hem width on Sew Mama Sew.

A Joan Elliot cross stitch piece done by my sis. Needs to be finished into a wall hanging. Still in the thought process on how I'll go about it.

Soot & Ashes - Applique WIP

2010-11-10T13:46:00.000+08:00

I've only appliqued hearts until this. It's an experience, an adventure no doubt. I don't think I'm doing a good job of it. Since the applique comes in small doses, I suppose I'll be okay with it. No Baltimore quilts for me for sure! There's another block with a bird to complete and then I hope to piece the blocks together.

Ellen Pants

2010-11-07T12:30:00.001+08:00

Since I wear pants mostly when I work, I wanted to try to sew me a pair of pants. So I started out with a free pattern from Burda ... you know I am cheap. And I bought 1.5M (60" width) of Tetron synthetic fabric (June helped me figure out the fabric). I think it's a low quality fabric with lots of fray and great price for trying out ... a muslin if you will.

Since there were some comments saying that the pattern ran large, I took one step down from my normal size. Big mistake :(

This might sound like sour grapes but my objective was to grasp the pants sewing process and the instructions being beginner unfriendly did not help. So from the onset I approached it as a lesson.

I ignored the belt loops, pockets and ironing the seam allowances apart. It frayed badly and I think my room needs a good vacuuming. But I get it now. And I will go for a larger size and I will know where to take in or put out the next time I try this pattern for my less than ideal figure :p

The Soot and Ashes block are now auditioned for comments from Jess on how I will go about adding applique and laying out the quilt. Cheri's come up with a fabulous finished quilt and if I can only manage half of the applique I'll be happy as a pea.

One of my lunches last week.

Got an 8' run dowel where the shopkeeper kindly cut for me the lengths I require. I sand papered them slightly and now their hanging my quilts in my room!

I really loved this design (freebie) by Betty Dekat of Primitive Bettys. It says so much especially with the impending crazy Christmas season! I've changed my mind re the white linen. Hah ... talk about simplifying :)

Fabric stash

2010-11-02T15:16:00.000+08:00

Fabric stash from Fabric Shack. Their the best! 6 days flat delivery from the US ... must be the Autumn winds or the efficiency of the postal staff of Malaysia. They just got a well deserved salary hike in the recent budget. The background is David Walker's Spring Fling for a baby girl's receiving blanket. Got the idea from Paul and the freebie tutorial from You Can Make This. I only got a 1/4 yd each of the red and green A Dicken's Christmas fabric. It would suffice for another Christmas Star block quilt.

Some Judie Rothermel and I'm good to continue with the Amish Star blocks. The Kona Gold on the left will be the inner border.

The Underground Railroad doll quilt is coming along industriously.

Christmas Challenge Quilt - Completed

2010-10-31T15:59:00.000+08:00


Christmas Star Block. Block tutorial from Quilters' Cache by Marcia. Size: 16" x 16". Batting: Polyester. Quilting: Machine. Backing: Calico.

Blouse in progress. Looking at the JJ Blouse tutorial as a guide.

Underground Railroad doll quilt in progress

Pumpkin Rice for Sunday lunch

Christmas Challenge - Quilt Top

2010-10-27T10:21:00.000+08:00

The Christmas Challenge quilt top is completed. The binding will be in green. I am not sure if I am going to quilt it by machine or by hand ... we'll see.

I am going to make another Christmas Star quilt but this time in Christmas fabrics. I've ordered a couple. Their from A Dickens Christmas by Sentimental Studios for Moda. So happen I had this little piece of cross stitch in the 4 1/2" square which will be just perfect. The design is a freebie by Lizzie Kate.

Yesterday's lunch was brown rice with stir fried bok choy with some fried anchovies. A little too salty, should have gone slow with the anchovies :p

In the process of cutting fabrics for Underground Railroad doll quilt found in Kathleen Tracy's American Doll Quilts book.

Amish Star Quilt - WIP

2010-10-25T10:08:00.002+08:00

The Amish Star quilt is coming on lovely. I've run out of Kona Black so I need to order from my favourite IQS Fabric Shack to continue with only 10 more stars left. Of course there's the borders and cornerstones too. I've got a whole LOAD of help from Merilyn (no blog) with deciding on the borders and it's layout. She even designed it on EQ so that I could get a visual picture of how it will turn out. My sincere thanks to you, Merilyn.

That's my anything goes fried rice for Sunday lunch, with prawns, chinese pork sausages, chopped french beans, sliced onions and I can't have fried rice without an egg! Needless to say I pigged out! :)

That's my HST and QST for the Christmas Challenge on SQT Yahoo! Group. My design is a block found on Marcia's Quilter's Cache. I used Lori's tutorial for the HSTs, it's really very clever. You can find the tutorial here. Now the QSTs were a royal pain. I did not measure the pieces bigger so that I can trim back the pieces after piecing to a 2 1/2" square and I was having so much trouble sewing them together. So I had to cut a bigger piece again and redo all 8 QSTs! The quilt will be only one block with borders around it. I am using the precious sampler fabric by BBD that Jess gave me some time back. Love it to bits. And I'll most likely hang this on the wall, the whole year through since their not Christmas fabrics.

More doll quilts to be quilted

2010-10-21T11:21:00.000+08:00

Enjoying the hand quilting of these doll quilts, they go so fast!

Sewing ham is done using the tutorial found on Burda. Need to buy some more rice to fill the weight and then I'll stitch it up.

Yesterday's lunch of stir fried cabbage, pork and dried shrimps with brown rice.

Doll Quilt Finishes

2010-10-20T10:15:00.001+08:00


Nine-Patch Doll Quilt (Freebie). Designer: Kathleen Tracy. Batting: Hobbs Tuscany cotton. Backing: Calico. Size: 14" x 18". Quilting: Hand quilted with Pearl No. 8

Red and Blue Shoo Fly. Designer: Kathleen Tracy (American Doll Quilts book). Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose cotton. Backing: Calico. Size: 13 1/2" x 17". Quilting: Hand quilted with Pearl No. 8

Both the doll quilts are completed. It now needs a wash in the washing machine to bring out all the puckering goodness when cotton batting is used.

Four baby kimonos are in progress using flannel. I did not use Heather Ross' pattern after all, too much grief. I went with Amy's of Habitual. Need to get them serged and I intend to use 3/4" satin ribbon as it's binding and ties.

1.5kg of rice and cotton wool for 2 projects i.e. weights for hand quilting and a sewing ham respectively.

Quilting and Binding

2010-10-19T14:52:00.000+08:00

Both hand quilted with Pearl No 8. The cotton batting used are from different brands. Thanks to Robyn's tip the Mountain Mist's Cream Rose was lovely to hand quilt with. And a very close second is Hobbs' Tuscany. Binding fabric being auditioned. Ready for hand binding, will try to get it done by this evening.

Red and Blue Shoo Fly Doll Quilt Top

2010-10-14T11:53:00.000+08:00

The top strip of red gingham has been tea dyed for a more authentic aged look. This is a pattern by Kathleen Tracy from her book American Doll Quilts. Measures 13 1/2" x 17". It was rather quick to cut and piece together. It'll now go into my 'to be hand quilted' pile. Next doll quilt will be Underground Railroad.

Danielle Blouse - Completed

2010-10-13T11:36:00.000+08:00

Fabric: Pure charm pack by Sweetwater for Moda & Moda Snow solid charm pack.

Binding: Pure yardage

Batting: Polyester

Quilting: Cross hatched by machine

Backing: Flannel

Size: 37" x 45"

Very happy with how the Danielle blouse turned out. My confidence in garment sewing is increasing in leaps and bound.

Matthew's Pure baby quilt is also completed. Now destined for a wash. And giving ... great joy indeed!

Danielle Blouse - WIP

2010-10-09T18:33:00.000+08:00

The Danielle blouse is a free pattern from Burda Style. I am using the cotton fabric by Quilt Gate to try this pattern.

I only needed 2M of 45" width fabric. However it's better to use slightly more for ease in cutting.

I reduced one of the pleats for the sleeve as it was taking up slightly more than 1/2 the width of the fabric. Am glad I did because it was an almost perfect fit when I sewed the sleeve to the armhole.

Here I am using a bodkin to pull through the elastic.

Not hemmed. And the facing not stitched to the bodice yet.

Sewing on the invisible zip is getting easier and easier. I need to get a pack of eye and hook for a more complete closure at the top of the zip. Only the armholes remains to be serged and then I'll call it complete. I spent a wonderful 2 days sewing the Danielle blouse. So pleasurable and I feel so accomplished! :)

I have 1/2M of fabric left so I think I'll sew this up for a friend's newborn baby girl. This is a pattern from Heather Ross' book Weekend Sewing called Lucy's Kimono.

Pure baby quilt all basted with a pieced backing. I think it's a nice touch. Just know that it's going to be a handsome quilt for an equally handsome little boy! I plan to machine quilt i.e. cross hatching.

Amish Star Quilt - WIP

2010-10-08T10:36:00.000+08:00

Some piecing with my afternoon tea. :) Ah ... joy ...

Creative mess?

Oh ... so worth it! :) That's 16 blocks out of 42 (I think). Please don't mind the colour placement, they'll be more distributed come the final audition.