Some more pinwheels

I have been pretty poor at making time for sewing this year. Expecting baby number two, while chasing my 20-month-old R and trying to get as much work done as possible before baby arrives is wearing me out more than I thought it would!

I did manage to make this little baby blanket for my husband's cousin's new baby girl:




I've made a few more pinwheels for my queen size scrappy pinwheel quilt, too. These I did last month:


And I finished these this week:


I also made Riley a couple of little sunsuits. I don't know why I can't seem to find these for sale anywhere in Australia, especially on the Sunshine Coast. They are great in the heat, as they are so breezy and don't stick to the skin like tshirts or shorts. This one's a little big on him, but I am sure he will grow into it soon.

New quilt: Red square

I have been on a sewing rampage, and managed to get another quilt top finished. This one (I'm calling it Red Square) is a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law. I'm halfway through quilting it and still hoping to get the binding sewn on before Friday... Nothing like a little last minute pressure!

In between blocks for the Red Square quilt, I've been sewing the scraps together to make scrappy rectangles. As I love quilts with white sashing, I hope to make enough of these for an entire quilt... one day.





I have nearly finished the triple blue irish chain quilt for my mother-in-law... a bit more binding left to sew down. Here is the latest photo, with border and binding sewn on (but not finished).

Close-up:


Front: (R just loves to walk on my quilts... much to my dismay!)



Backing:





Finally, last month I made some more pinwheels for my scrappy pinwheel quilt. Slowly but surely, I am getting closer to my goal of 500 of these!

better late than never

It's been awhile, but while it appears I'm not really cut out for blogging, I've managed to make a few things since my last post in May.

I finished the black and white rail fence top (but still haven't managed to put it together...) and the Neptune quilt. Photos to come.

This little blanket was for my husband's cousin's baby boy.

I've just finished most of this quilt top. Rushing to get it finished in the next few weeks, as I'm planning ito give it to my mother-in-law for Christmas. Still need to put the border on...

Fabric, fabric and more fabric...

What a week for fabric! I finally received the fabric I'd ordered to my mom's house! A great big box full - she had managed to cram it all (including the entire Recess fat quarter set) in to a flat rate box and even managed to squeeze in some of my old baby books and a little t-shirt for little R! Thanks mom!!!

The same day I also received a package from another recent order, which had the third charm pack and fabric to finish the Neptune quilt. I felt a bit guilty seeing all of that fabric on my sewing table, but at the same time, I was in fabric heaven!

The Neptune fabrics - one more charm pack to finish off the quilt! The dark blue will be the binding, and the other fabric will be a border for the back.


Some new fabrics! Most of it on sale...


Very quirky Japanese fabric - on sale, how could I resist?


Recess fat quarter set - great bargain, another sale!


Aww... a cute vintage-looking tshirt for my little boy, from his train loving grandfather.


And finally, my baby books from my mom. She's even written little notes on the inside of when I got them and what I loved... Very special.

Neptune quilt

Although I haven't finished the Japanese box baby quilt I've been working on, I've started another quilt. It is the first quilt I'm making for 'us'!

I decided we need a quilt for the couch, as winter is approaching. My husband argues we have enough blankets already, but in an unveiled attempt to find excuses to make quilts, I argue the blankets aren't good enough, and that we need quilts...

I ordered a couple of charm packs awhile ago when I was on my fabric buying spree (but had them shipped to my mom in America, along with the rest of my huge order... I am still waiting for her to send the rest of the mountain of fabric, as she worries about the high shipping prices to Australia!). I asked my husband for his choice, and he chose the Neptune as his favourite (while at the same time stressing how little he cares about fabric... what is it about men and their phobia of all things perceived to be 'girly'?).

As impulsive as ever, I was keen to start making a quilt right away so I headed to the local fabric store to get some creme to go with the Neptune squares. Ever since I saw "Crazy Mom Quilts" 'vintage kitchen quilt', (http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2009/03/vintage-kitchen-quilt.html) made entirely of half-square triangles, I was keen to do the same. I was so keen to make it NOW that when I discovered two of my local stores were both sold out of creme, I decided to use another colour. I found this very different blue / green, which actually matched the colour in Neptune perfectly.

I don't really love it, as it makes for a pretty dark quilt and I do sort of miss the contrast that creme or white provides, but I am sure it will grow on me. I think it's quite masculine, which is a nice change for me. I've managed to get 12 rows sewn together so far, but this has taken up ALL of my charm squares, so I've ordered another pack online, which should be just enough to finish this lap quilt. I also ordered some of the dark blue for the binding, and a bit of another fabric to provide a border around the back. I look forward to receiving my package in the mail and getting this finished before it gets much cooler!

Neptune quilt so far


My new charm packs (minus the Neptune ones, which I used before I thought to take a photo!)

My new sewing area!

Well, I am hoping that having a new, orderly sewing area will make me a more fastidious sewer (and blogger). I was thankful when I first got my original sewing area, which consisted of an old metal cabinet for my fabrics and a fold-up trestle table in a corner of our laundry room (before that it was the kitchen counter!). Unfortunately, I didn't think to take pictures before the 'transformation', but then again, it was always in such a state of mess, both from my sewing and the usual spill-over from the laundry area, that I would have been embarrassed to share such a photo anyway.

But last week my husband and I closed down our local company office (we both work for the same company). Due to budget cut-backs on a corporate level, we've been forced to move everything in the office into our home. Giving up a room in our house for work was not exactly our ideal, especially with a very vocal nine-month old crawling around the joint, but once we realised there was nothing we could do to change the accountants minds, we decided to look for the positives. Like... no commute to work. The ability to eat lunch together at home every day (well, when A is not on the road that is). Convenience of having everything close at hand...

One personal positive is that I was able to use some of the left over furniture we weren't able to get rid of from the office in my sewing area, which has made a huge difference to my sewing area! Goodbye old metal cupboard and trestle table... hello lovely big cutting / sewing table and cupboard!!! It looks so much nicer than it used to, and we have moved my sewing table out to the side (the old one used to be in the middle of the room, between the cupboard and the laundry area) which opens the whole area up. I love the 'new look', and really love the current order and neatness of the room! I just hope I can keep it this way, as it is certainly easier to go in and sew when I do get a break. (It used to be too overwhelming, as I'd have to dig out the sewing machine from beneath a mountain of clean clothes, towels, sheets, etc...). I look forward to using it more often! (And new resolution: keep it tidy

My new sewing room


I love all the light from the windows



A glimpse of the fabric stashed in the cupboard


Goodbye metal cupboard and plastic table - ready to be banished to under the house for tool storage

"Japanese Blocks" baby quilt

I honestly don't know how so many people are able not only to put numerous quilts together every month, but also manage to blog about them as well! I struggle to find time to work on quilts these days, much less make the time to take photos, write and post about them!

That said, I do love to see all the beautiful and creative projects out there in my favourite blogs, and I have loved the few lovely comments that I've received. I guess I'll never be a popular blog like so many that I follow, as I don't think I have the will power to keep posting regularly, but who knows, I may get better in the future...

Anyway, I am delighted that I've been able to make time lately to work on a few projects. This was partly inspired by my new and improved sewing area, which makes me want to sew more! I also have a list of quilts that need to be made - for friends having babies and for our own house as winter approaches (yes, even in Queensland we need quilts! or so i keep telling my husband....).

The first quilt in progress is my Japanese Blocks quilt that I'm making for friends of ours that are expecting a baby in July. I have had this fabric for over a year now, just waiting for a reason to put it all together (and like most fabrics I own, too scared to cut it!!) but decided it would make a perfect baby boy's quilt - especially since our friend spent a year living in Japan.

The blocks alternate with navy and cream linen borders around fussy cut squares. After several trips to the shops looking for a binding, I've finally decided to just go with a plain dark red, which I like more and more. I hope it will really set off the quilt once it's finished. I have finished all of the blocks, and now just need to finish squaring them off and put them together.

The finished blocks, on top of the red to be used for the binding.


Close-up of fish block



Close-up of swan block


First two rows laid out on my new sewing table. The finished quilt will be four blocks wide by five blocks long.