Christmas 2015

I like to make things especially at Christmas time...This year I made a few Tea Cosys for family.

So easy to make a and they help make ones kitchen look decorated as well as keeping the tea pot warm!! 

Of course they needed a mat to go with them.. These are made from scraps  so size depends on how big the scraps are ..the bigger one is a four cup tea pot and the smaller one is a two cup tea pot.. 

Of course now I have to make everyday ones ..... 

End of year 2015

Last year I concentrated on trying to use up my scraps.... Making several scrap quilts ..well more then several.. I enjoy using my scraps, one finds all sorts of favourite fabrics  some very small others a reasonable size...they bring back memories of quilts made thru the years. Here are a few I made towards the end of last year. 

    I think the yellow is the zing in this quilt 

Smaller sized blocks here so I added a border...

A border of green added to this one, theses blocks are bigger in size using only 9.

This is the one in my previous post 

And a couple of backs 

Using remaining larger pieces for a backing 

 And the last one not a backing another lap quilt . 

Waiting to be quilted...some I will handquilt using pearl cotton some I will machine quilt. 

Follow on from my scrap quilts

The follow on from the post about my scrap quilts. I selected the brownish colour scheme to work on 

But felt it needed some zing 

Using the floral in the center I added colours to tone or add the zing in felt it needed 

Strips and squares odd blocks all different sizes from my scraps 

I will use these as the focals for each block to ensure continuity in all the blocks 

Half way there 

I add the strips around the outside which ever way I feel looks best keeping them balanced  

They are trimmed when reaching a good size. I like to use 25 blocks up to 12 inches in size.

That gives you 5 rows of 4 blocks. A good lap size, in the photo below I used 5 by 5 and the blocks would have been around 10 inches 

Out of that bag of scraps I made two lap quits and one backing. 

They are currently waiting to be quilted... 

Quilts for the Little ones

The quilting club I belong to Pinestream  Quilters in Upper Hutt NZ  makes quilts for the Neo Natal Unit at our local Hospital. The size is small 26 x28 or round about. They must have polyester batting for ease of washing, One can use scraps for these, 

This year I made several some of the scraps came from my quilting friends also members at Pinestream.... They are all made from scraps or left over blocks or when I was over zealous cutting squares.

The start of my Scrap quilts. Controlled or ...

When I finish making a quilt I save all the scraps together in plastic bags... Sometimes there are lots of scraps left sometimes not so many so I have big kitchen bags and small kitchen bags stacked amongst my collection of fabrics. I don't have a stash ..I have a collection of fabrics I could not leave in the shop...

I do try and keep the scraps colour controlled as well.... Reds pinks,pale, or dark all go together ..greens bright and dark are together... Black and white..whites and black they all have a plastic bag to keep,them under control. 

Also in these bags I add unused blocks,(what I made too many blocks),strips and squares anything that is over 1 inch. When these bags are stacked together one can see what colours will go together...like pink and purple... Or Autumn colours... This is where I start looking for my next scrap quilt. 

 

 Now I  can see here I have enough in this dull Autumn coloured bag for a quilt but to me it needs some zing...maybe the green will do... Or ....who knows ..I have a scrap quilt very uncorordinated colours nearly finished on Fudge then I will work on this one ... Watch this space. 

Follow on from post ..In my corner

In my post  on the 9-8-14 My Corner ..I had a quilt in the frame for Pinestream Quilters Exhibition later that year...The theme was Warmth.

My idea was to convey a feeling of warmth thru colour. I love bright vibrant colours, no cool blues in this quilt, but maybe a little green... I enjoy working in small pieces and this quilt is made from my scraps. The only fabric I actually went out to buy was the bright green..

I called my quilt Warmth. The colours reminded me of all things warm.. And it kept me warm during the cold winter nights as I quilted it. By hand of course.

I then made a second one using different colours in the 9 patches again using scraps... My favourite is Warmth

The  second photo is Warmth 2.

                                       'Warmth'

                Best handquilting Pinestream Exhibition 2014.

Christmas stockings

My quilting club Pinestream Quilters has asked members to make Christmas stockings...not telling here who they are for..it may be a surprise...don't want to spoil it do we.

My friend June has supplied the Christmas fabric and I hunted around my box's for the trims..

A few spare minutes here and there this last couple of weeks has resulted in one or three ..(hehe)

Stocking.....

I am sure they will be filled with special goodies at Christmas time ..

Maybe I should make some little stockings for my Christmas gifts.....

 Kiwi Jan 

Quilting again

I have finished my first handquilted Wholecloth. I wrote about it a few weeks back...I am very pleased with how it looks especially being my first one. I have called it 

Roses and Feathers, the designs are "Traditional North Country/ Durham designs and were arranged for me by Judy Leckie Australia. 

The edge is a knife edge finish again a first for me...I do like tis finish ..one does need to take time to achieve a good finish..

I have lots to learn ......

                         Roses and Feathers 

Some close up photos. 

Side

center

Middle of side

I do think I shall do another Wholecloth love the North Country/ Durham style designs so will start researching these in my spare time.

Thanks for looking 

My corner

At night time while my DH watches TV I stitch..by hand, all sorts of stitching... Some red work , mending for my grand kids..handquilt...a very relaxing hobby...pastime...

Fudge my Janome 6500  is a daytime pursuit I don't use her at night, my sewing space is not user friendly in the cold days of winter or at night .

The chair is mine! I spent many hours finding this chair many years ago it's the right size for me exactly my feet touch the ground easy when I sit in it.the arms are the right height when I stitch.. 

Recently I had it recovered... 

Nobody else sits in my chair...it usually has some form of stitching around it..either on the floor or on the seat maybe that's why nobody else sits on it.

There is a quilt hanging over the back I had given to me a few years ago...the cushion has little red worked blocks from a while back, on the table is a pattern of the next top I wish to make using Fudge..in my hoop well that's another story.

My corner 

Back to Fudge and I

As you may have guessed I like making things.I was a dressmaker many moons ago..and made manymany  dresses, skirts , blouses, trousers, you name it I made it...now I make things I like to make not have to make.

My sister had a significant birthday this year and the family gave her a notebook with all attachments as a combined birthday present...naturally I had to make a bag type cover to keep it in. Margaret is a animal lover so what could be better then a pink laughing cat bag...

Here it is shut and below it's showing the notebook tucked away safe inside

 No it's not the notebook it's my iPad inside just trying it for size.

Of course the notebook would not sit on the table just how it was needed ..again to the rescue came Fudge and Kiwi Jan...

iPad notebook stands 

Of course my sister chose the one with the cats on...the other one went to live with my niece. 

Not the easiest to make but very useful.

Thanks for checking out my blog.

Quilting

Today's blog is not about Fudge my Janome 6500, which I sew enjoy, it is about my first attempt at a wholecloth quilt. 

Handquilted. 

I  have always enjoyed handquilting and have many quilts finished this way...Why I have never attempted a Wholecloth before I have no idea.

I belong to a group ..Celebrate Handquilting...such inspiration ....

As quilters do I was able to help another quilter out with something she wanted to try and in return was offered a small Wholecloth marked by this quilter...her pattern..

 Oh yes please says Kiwi Jan...

The quilt is not big 40 x 40 inches  that is..

After much debate I purchased some Auriful Mako 28 thread  in several shades to hopefully match the colour of the Wholecloth ...one was just what I needed, I am sure I will use the other threads I purchased sometime!

Just need to batt it up and ready to go. 

I started in the middle as one does and here is the middle quilted...

The photo is a little off colour the top is looking good.

The next area to quilt is the crosshatching and then the floral middle border 

The colour here is more true...the first crosshatching is half the width of the crosshatching on the other side of the floral border... 

The next border is a wide feathered border... 

I have one side and a half to finish this feather border and then another small border of crosshatching to finish it off...maybe another few weeks... 

I am enjoying the process and pleased with how it's looking...

The batting is Quilters Dream Wool sent to me by a friend from Florida this batting is super to quilt..the needle glides thru very easy.

I do not rock the needle but stitch one stitch at a time ..down and back up once makes my stitch...no pressure on my fingers or thumbs trying to rock a needle but must admit to many finger pricks...... I use a hoop as you can see in the first photo.

Must do something about the photos ...how to make them look the same colour...

More as I progress....

Thanks for looking 

Kiwi Jan 

Cold day ...catching up

Hello again...  We are now looking at my stitching efforts for .2014, well some of them.. I like to have small  projects to take with me when I go out stitching ..or just for a little light relief ..I love these and have made a few... 

 They are quite addictive and I have a little box of then tucked away for..........

My special friend in the States has moved house and her new colour scheme includes grey..I had a little book made to send her and then made a journal cover as well...

 

The little book sits inside the cover ..the bird is collage made a while back from a serviette she sent me.

 Front of the cover lots of hand work on this ..the lace and fabric was painted to get the shade of grey I wanted  a real fun project 

Back of the cover... I believe it sits on a bookcase  looking pretty ..to nice to use I am told..

But holds special photos and memoriablia .... So I am told.

 Next post will be my quilting both machine and hand.

Thanks for reading  this far...

Hello hello hello again

Carrying on from my last post a few minutes ago this time it was helping  my granddaughter Danielle with her gifts... Danielle has sat beside me watching me sewing or many years she has her own machine now but prefers to use Fudge..my Janome 6500  which she can handle well with the speed turned down .. 

This is the Wine carrier Dannielle made for her mum ..goes with the green oven cloth and place mat in the previous post 

Didn't she do well..another of Danielle's stitching efforts a rug mat again for her mum..I did help a little with this one ....

Front view or is it back...

Danielle also sews at school and she made this for me...

Not sure what they call him..maybe potato head... He sits on my bed 

More to come 

Hello hello hello..

It has been a long time since I last blogged no real excuse ...I have been busy stitching by hand and with Fudge... Christmas tags, gifts, bags, surprise surprise... Quilts, even some handquilting...more on the handquilting later. 

I made these little tags for Christmas and they were well received by family and friends with plan backs to write names on ...I know several will hand on Christmas trees.

As usual before Christmas is a busy time making gifts for family and friends .. Oven cloths, pot holders, placemats for benches ...loved the green ones I made for Julie 

Some of my friends have 4 feet... Can't forget them at Christmas they love ripping Xmas paper from their gifts.. 

I also made these for the 4 footers 

The larger of the balls was not for a 4 footed friend, my new grandniece has the pink red one..Aniela  loves it .. Fudge did not help me with these..all made by hand..

How's this for a start more to come and thanks for looking