mr. monkeysuit

orange quilt...well...

...almost. The top is pieced and in fact has been finished for a while.

My mum was here in June and she helped me finish the back and then we basted it together.

 

I carefully rolled it and put it on a rack with one or two other wip quilts.

And there it has sat. And sat. For many months now. Because I can not decide how to quilt it.

It's generous twin size so I really want to meander/stipple quilt it because that is going to be the easiest and quickest way, by far.

But I don't know...maybe it should be concentric squares...or stitch in the ditch.

And so it goes on. 

Please help. Cast your vote and help me finish this sucker.

How should I quilt this quilt?

meander
concentric squares
stitch in the ditch
other; ideas please?

table quilt

We spend a lot of time at our kitchen table. Eating...yes, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, tea but also drawing, painting, reading, crafting and or course just chatting.

But the tablecloths were a nightmare. The table is just a cheapy one from Ikea so rather than freak out when the kids inevitably get paint, glue and marker all over it I made the decision to let them do their messy work straight on the table and have tablecloths over it when we eat. 

Anyone who has young kids, (please tell me mine are not the only ones) knows that every time they get up or down from the table it is like watching a bad magicians trick. The table cloth gets caught and everything goes flying. I'm scrabbling around trying to rescue 2 cups of scalding hot tea, oatmeal, maple syrup while my kids are obliviously dragging the entire meal away with them. 

Enter the table quilt.

 

You know how little things sometimes make huge changes in your daily life. This is one of them.

 

Table ties.

I made the quilt just as I would any other, though I used cheater patchwork fabric for the top, so it was quick, quick, quick! I measured my table and made the quilt about 1" smaller at each end, then added the ties. I got the idea from here.

It works so well, I can't not tell you how much more relaxed I am at mealtimes now. And how much neater my table looks, even when it is filled with clutter it still looks better.

Table quilt joy!

Other random goodness:

:: You! You are goodness. Thank you to everyone who wrote in kind words about closing the shop. It feels so right to do it and it is always nice when you get the extra support from friends. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and to make all those connections with me. You are all great.

:: I am a bit behind with my emails. If I owe you one, I'm sorry it should be there soon.

:: I still have some stock left in auburnsmalls. I am planning on shutting it at the end of the month. If you are interested in something I am open to offers, discounts, swaps and trades. Email me or convo me and we can work something out.

:: Julie Morstad has a shop. Just throwing that out there because I love her work. 

:: I had a couple of comments asking if closing the shop meant I'd be closing my blog. No, no, no. In fact I am hoping that I'll have just a smidgen more time for more posts! 

Happy Monday. xxx

ice cream quilt

my favorite part...the patchwork binding.

Doesn't it look just like a Neapolitan? 

Now I can't say whether it was the kicking bag or the pitocin (pah!) but Claire is the proud mama of a baby girl. I am beside myself excited and spent half an hour crying down the phone.
I can't wait to meet the little one, come up with ridiculous nicknames for her (just like her mum has) and get a good dose of gorgeous baby.
Congratulations Claire, you are a wonderful friend and I am so very happy for you.

hand quilted

A very special commission.
A long, long time ago Keet (henceforth known as sweet, wonderfully patient Keet) ask me to make a quilt for her. The story begins here in this post.
So I began the hand quilting, and I loved it. I loved the slow, calming rhythm of the rocking stitch. I loved the way the stitches looked; small, uneven...hand stitched. I loved the quiet concentration it took. When I picked up this quilt I worked with calm contemplation.
And so it began and so it went.
Slowly.
All the time I was reassured by Keet that time was not an issue. She even sent an email to remind me not to hurry! (sweet, wonderfully patient Keet).
I heeded her words and took my time...and here's the end result.
One of my favorite quilts. For the way it looks and what it represents to me.
I would have a hard time letting this go, if I didn't know that it was going to its rightful home with sweet, wonderfully patient Keet.

wedding dress quilt

My most recently completed commission.

During a craft fair I met a woman who wanted to have her wedding dress made into a quilt. And she wasn't taking no for an answer. I explained to her the fabric would be difficult to work with, that once I cut into the dress I wouldn't be able to reverse it and that she wouldn't be able to machine wash the quilt. I gave her all kinds of reasons not to do it but she was absolutely certain she wanted it done.

In the end I'm glad she convinced me to do it because it really does look lovely.

And she's right she'll never wear the wedding dress again and now she'll have a quilt that she can use.

I used silk taffeta for the center of the squares (I found it my stash....that thing is a gold mine!) and I used Liberty fabrics for the border and the binding. I had lots of help from my Mum with this quilt, it was a real team effort. It's been so nice having her stay and boy oh boy have we busted through some quilts!
I should have some more to show soon..but you know me soon could be a long, long time.

just like that

Things can change so quickly. It can be a friend's advice. A strangers empathy. A release of emotions and all at once you feel better again.
For me it was all of those things and funnily enough it was starting a new commission.

 

Unlike my previous three commissions this is not something made to order from a kit or a pattern. This brief was quite different. Take your time, there's no rush, enjoy the process, I want something that is 'you', surprise me...not words that I often hear with commissions, but what a delight they are.

This project is very 'me', I am taking my time with it, really enjoying the process and all of a sudden I feel a surge of creativity. Not a rush, not a feeling of panic at trying to accomplish everything that is in my head, but a quiet deliberation to enjoy the act of creating one special thing.
I went to my sewing room this morning, while my husband took the kids to the playground, the house was quiet and calm and so was I; cup of tea in hand, a comfy chair, I sat quietly hand stitching this square and you know what,

I loved every stitch.

Thank you to every, single person who commented on the last post. The work, family, creativity balance is obviously something we all struggle with. It's nice to know we are friends on the same path.
And thank you to Keet who reminded me that work can often be a source of immense joy.

Happy Friday.

A quilt. Finished. And I'm keeping it.

One thing I have really noticed since I opened up my little shop is that I just don't enjoy making things quite as much as I used to. Sad but true that starting a business, trying to make money from something I love doing, may not be for me.
I have always felt very conflicted about working vs. being a stay-at-home-mum. The problem as I see it (and endlessly talk about with my sweet,patient husband) is that I love being at home with my kids, I really love it, but there is an internal voice and an external pressure to feel that somehow it isn't enough.
So periodically battles ensue.
I start a business. A home-based business so that I can still be here when my kids need me. But frequently I am not. I mean am here if they need me but not necessarily available when they want me...or when I want to be with them. 

The business has been pretty successful, all things considered. But it is so very hard to make any real money doing it. Making things by hand takes time. A lot of time. And I don't charge enough for my time but in order to be competitive I feel I can't raise my prices. On average a custom baby quilt takes anywhere between 15-30 hours. I charge about $150 per quilt....materials cost roughly $50....so I earn about $5/hour.
Is it worth it? 

 

Well, in some ways, yes. There is a feeling of success and achievement with each sale and that's good. But I wonder why I need that. Why can't I just be happy with what I do at home, being with my kids, my husband, taking care of the house and our lives? Why isn't that job important enough? Maybe it's me or maybe it's that the work I do at home is so invisible outside the house that I feel I need to validate my life in other ways.
So here I am again. On the precipice of closing another shop, quitting another job, because really what I want, is to just be with my kids while they still want to be with me.
So this quilt is finished. I loved making it and I have absolutely no intention of selling it.

another quick fix

I am finding it hard at the moment to concentrate on any complicated sewing projects. I think I have got commission burn out. I am almost finished three, I have one more on the table and then I am off duty for a while .
In the mean time I have been enjoying little bursts of quick, satisfying sewing projects; pajamas, ribbons on dresses and that sort.
Here's another one. This time for Project Improv.

I choose aqua and red for my block because it is not a color scheme I have worked with very much.

This is what I came up with.

I like the freshness of the blue and red together. It puts me in mind to make a whole quilt...like I need to start another project.
I have really enjoyed following along with the Project Improv flickr group and seeing all the results. Like lots and lots of people I went with a fairly traditional log cabin style. On reflection I probably could have pushed myself out of my comfort zone a bit more but I just wanted to enjoy this project.
I have a project on my table that is proving quite challenge enough.

What's your latest challenge? I'd love to hear about it.

I think March might hate me

If ever I am going to have a nervous breakdown I feel fairly certain that it is going to happen in March. This is always the month that has me crying...no sobbing and desperately praying that it will leave more gently than it arrives. Last year March was about comas, ear infections, cellulitis and four trips to ER. This year we are all about heaving coughs, stomach flu, minor operations and exhaustion. Oh and laundry. Last count was 19 loads in 4 days. Did I mention that I am exhausted?

So there we have it...that's me but hey, how are you?
Thanks for all your nice comments on my last post we had a swell time in London. It was really super fun. It was so great to visit the city as a tourist and do all the fun things that I never did when I lived there, like visit the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, watch the changing of the guard, go to the Egyptian Hall in the British Museum and take the kids to Hamleys. The kids were stellar travelers and despite a little confusion on Cissie's part about us permanently living in the hotel, they did great. I have lots of of fun things to show and tell but haven't even managed to download my pictures yet. See Claire's post for a run down of the shopping that ensued.

But I can't leave without posting something nice to look at, so here's a commission that made it out the door just before we did.

Simple, sunny and cheerful. Just like March!

Back to regular programming soon...laundry permitting.

in my sewing room

Lots of random musings today but first thanks for all your nice comments on my last post. February....blergh...glad I'm not the only one.

So.....I bought a new sewing machine. Yes I did. It's mine. I love it and I can't believe I haven't always owned a Bernina.
Bernina owners you will know instantly what I mean and the rest of you go ahead, ditch those old machines and do yourself the biggest favor ever and get a Bernina.
I used to own a Singer that I bought way back when we first moved to America. Back in the days when I didn't quilt or sew clothes, back when I had an idea that I wanted to sew but really didn't know anything about it.
I never loved that machine. Never. I couldn't get a decent straight stitch out of it and the applique/satin stitch would almost make me cry. Now the Bernina...well that just makes me smile. So smooth, so even, so easy to use, I have to wonder why there is even any other kind of sewing machine made. (Except my Pfaff...love my Pfaff Gand Quilter....for quilting that things rocks.)
I justified the mammoth expense by reminding myself that :
a. I will own this machine for the rest of my life.
b. I make money out of my sewing.
c. It might just keep me sane through this winter. (Can it snow any more? Apparantly, yes)

So apart from not looking forward to my credit card bill I am feeling good.

Here's my first project with my new machine...

The other thing I wanted share with you today is this video. A friend emailed me about this blog (utterly brilliant) and on it I found the following video. I nearly cried I laughed so hard.
Happy Monday!

linen love and grumping about the weather

It snowed again yesterday. We got another foot or maybe even more. Boo. I am not one to complain about the winter normally, but this year, boy, I just can't shut up. For some reason this year more than any other the weather is really getting me down. It is too damn cold and too damn snowy and my kids are too young to really get outside for any length of time.
Luckily, I have my sewing and my knitting. My love of all things crafty saves my sanity and makes these winters bearable. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I couldn't spend a morning sewing binding onto a quilt (see above) or finishing a sock.
In other non-weather related news. I have had a shop update, which in fact is still going on. Lots of new hair accessories and hopefully soon some more quilts....as long as it keeps snowing. (Told you I can't shut up about it.) I'd be grateful to anyone who can spread the word, January has been very slow. On reflection trying to start a business in the worst financial crisis in 80 years is probably not the soundest decision but honestly what the heck else am I going to do in this winter wonderland.

Hope that wherever you are, whatever the weather, you are not as grumpy as me today.

egads and a quilt

Is it really so long since I posted? Whoops. Must be that whole holiday thing, which was fine (thank you for asking) but I am glad it is over. This year I did find it all a bit tense, the best times were when it was just our little family, I rather over-did the entertaining thing and ended up kind of resenting it.

I'm not sure that resentment is supposed to be part of the Christmas spirit.
Love, charity and resentment. Sounds amiss.

Still the kids were angels throughout, my husband was loving and generous and it is over for another year.

So onto 2009 and the first quilt of the year.

the front

 

the back

 

close up

Looking at it now I think it looks kind of Valentine's Day-ish. So I called it 'sweetheart quilt' and it is for sale in my neglected shop. 

I plan on using this month to restock. I sold all but one of my quilts over the holidays (the lines and circles went but I am leaving it up in my shop because I plan on making another one).

And in no particular order here are my new year's resolutions:

1. enjoy this precious time at home with my kids, it is all too fleeting.

2. make more quilts.

3. don't entertain if it ends in resentment. 

Happy New Year.

quilt month 11:: ooops

Sorry about that. I didn't mean to take so long.

Today I wanted to talk to you about color, but I don't have time. So I'll show you the quilt I just finished instead.

 

 

Back (early?) next week with some posts about color.

Hope you're having a good week!

quilt month 8:: sentimental quilts

My most sentimental quilts are not ones I have made. And I don't have any heirlooms passed down through generations but I think these maybe the beginning of that tradition. Both of these quilts were made by Claire. Can you tell what a huge influence she is to my quilting?  

The first quilt is one she made for Andy and I when we got married. This was the first quilt she ever made.

 

I had little fabric favor bags filled with jellybeans. She went around after the wedding and collected as many as she could and made them into a quilt. I'm so glad she did.

   

And it has one of my absolute all time favorite fabrics EVER.

 

And yes, for the eagle-eyed amongst you, they are all Liberty fabrics.

The other most sentimental quilt, also made by Claire, was for Floyd when he was born. Seems she likes to mark all our major life landmarks with a quilt.

 

This is the second quilt she ever made. She's got skills, right?

 

We painted the same little turtles all around his wall in his nursery. I can't look at this quilt without thinking of Floyd as a little baby.

I had the pleasure of meeting these beautiful babies last week and oh me oh my are they cute. I mean seriously adorable. I got to have a little cuddle with both of them. Miss Rory just stared and stared with her big blue eyes and Mr. Joe fell fast asleep in my arms for a good long while. They are wonderful and Vicki is the most amazing mum.

There is nothing in the whole world like holding a baby. But this train of thought could land me in trouble so lets move on.

Quilt News :: I have some links and pictures from you, for tomorrow's post on sentimental quilts but if you have one you'd like to include let me know.

Amanda sent me an email asking for some advice on how to repair a vintage quilt she found. Please hop on over and give her some help, as I really have no idea. While you are there check out this beauty.

And I want to say thank you to everyone who left a comment for my last quilt. I am always so pleased when I make something you like. 

That's all for today. Have a good one.

quilt month 7:: simple and dense

Not me...though sometimes, maybe.

I am using this quilt I recently made as an example of what I want to discuss.

I love simple quilts but I like them to have something that continues to draw the eye. Whether it is the design of the quilt, the fabric used or the way it has been quilted; something that encourages you to take another look.

 

For this quilt I chose to focus on the fabrics rather than the design. Simplicity in the design, I just used strips, but complexity in the fabrics and in the quilting.

 

It is my personal preference (and again I realize many will disagree) to have both a combination of simplicity and complexity. For example, this fabric (mostly out of print Liberty) has strong, bold prints that would be lost if cut into small pieces.

 

And I opted to quilt very densely in uneven lines; my new favorite quilting stitch (makes a change from concentric squares eh?). The quilting complimented the fabric and design rather than distracting from it.

Dense quilting gives a very different feel to the quilt. Cissie's new quilt, is very sparsely quilted because I wanted a higher loft, cozier, more blankety feeling quilt. But the simplicity of this design made me want to create more of a structured feeling, hence the more intense quilting pattern.

 

I love all kinds of quilts, though clearly if you look back through my quilting posts you can see my preference for rectangles and squares (graph paper is my favorite kind of paper too), but I like quilts to feel simple and balanced. I am not one for too much fuss and sometimes I like to let the fabrics to the talking.

There is such an array of beautiful fabric around these days and the quality is generally very good that it seems a shame not to let it have its moment in the sun.

Quilt News ::

Frogdancer needs some urgent help with her quilt. Scoot on over and give her any advice you can. 

Claire has a link to nettiepete's blog and esty shop which sells super cute stripes quilt kits.

Next week I'll be doing sentimental quilts and scraps.  

quilt month 4:: vintage beauties

Today was Floyd's first day back at school so I am really feeling the change of season. I love his school but I miss him when he's not here. As I was putting him to bed last night I asked him if he was exited about school and he said,'yes, but mummy I don't really like leaving the house'. I laughed because he is exactly the same as my husband, who went away on a two-day business trip last week and came home a day early.

We are all very co-dependent and home, with each other, is where we like it best.

 

Moving on. I found this vintage quilt quite recently at an estate sale. They were asking $95 but I got them down to $40. It was all the cash I had on me. I still thought $40 was a lot but it is the nicest one I have seen and I knew what I wanted it for.

 

It is in daily use on our bed. When I found it, it was in pretty bad shape. I washed it five times in a row. Then dried it. And washed it again.

There are some strips of fabric that have worn away but mysteriously there is more fabric beneath it.

I doubt I will bother to repair it.

 

I love all the handmade details, especially the hand quilting.

 

I have promised myself that I'm only going to buy things that we'll use, so I only have two vintage quilts. This one, plus another that I keep in the back of our car and use for picnics.

But this is my favorite.

Have you got any vintage beauties to share? Let me know and I'll post them.

I nearly forgot, on the left side bar is a new book list with all the books you recommended. Thank you for all the great tips, my amazon wish list just about doubled.

quilt month 2 :: first quilt

It is always good to start at the beginning.

 

Here is the first quilt I ever made. It is still in daily use on Floyd's bed and I still like it, though of course there are several things I might change. (What is it with me and sizing?)

Claire taught me how to quilt on one of her many trips here about 4 years ago. Floyd was just a baby. I remember very well her showing me how to piece together the top, how to use all the scraps and how to layer the quilt. This is before the days when either of us knew how to bind a quilt so we ended up using what my mum refers to as the pillowcase method. You sew around all three layers while they are inside out, except for a small gap which you turn quilt the right side through then you do the actual quilting.

Like most things, I always do it the most difficult way possible until I learn the correct (and easiest) way. But it worked and it got me hooked.

I've never taken any formal quilting lessons. I've learned everything from books, blogland, occasionally my mum or a friend takes pity on me and shows me where I am going wrong, but most often I learn by trial and error. (I am definitely a kinesthetic learner.) I like it that way. I don't seek perfection in my quilts. As so many quilters these days, I embrace the imperfections as part of the beauty. I love crooked lines, irregular shapes, a bit gone askew here and there.

Years ago, on a trip to Morocco with my Mum, we went out to this remote village where they sold the most beautiful rugs. The salesman said that in each rug there was always a deliberate flaw. The women who worked on the rugs always included that flaw to remind themselves that only God is perfect. I always loved that. None of us are perfect, we can't be.

How wonderfully liberating.

Quilt Month News ::

Pink Yarrow is sharing her first quilt with us today. My favorite fabric is the orange and blue vintage sheet. Great job Melanie, I think you're a natural!

If you're joining in quilt month let me know about your first quilt or quilting experience and I'll post some more links.

Also my next two posts will be about my all time favorite quilting books so please feel free to contribute to that too.

quilt month : 1. I love this quilt

I had every intention of making this quilt then putting it in my etsy shop. Honestly. But as I started making it I realized several things;

i: It has some of my favorite vintage fabric in it that I could probably never replace (the apples)

ii: It has some of my favorite Liberty fabric in it that I could probably never replace (the cricket balls)

iii: I love pink, green and white together and coincidentally Cissie's room has a green theme.

iv: I really messed up the sizing on Cissie's last quilt. This one is a proper twin size, 64" x 87".

(the back)

v: I just love it too much to sell.

vi: And lastly, some things come together so perfectly it is a shame to let them go.

So here is Cissie's new quilt. I love it. Did I mention that yet?

The way the colors and fabrics work so well together, how light, soft and cozy it feels, how much Cissie loves it. All perfect.

Cissie : You sewing mummy?

Me: Yup, I'm nearly finished my blanket.

Cissie (incredulously): That not you're blanket, that my blanket mummy.

Foolish me.

Thanks to everyone who joined Quilt Month. I'll get the blogroll going tomorrow. Just leave a comment if you feel like joining in at any point and I'll add you to the list.

I am super excited to see what we all come up with. I love a pooling of creative ideas. Hurray for Quilt Month!

September is quilt month

Sorry for the long absence but there has been some summer lolling to be taken care of. Floyd starts school on Friday and I am looking forward to getting into a routine....kind of. (I do love these lazy summer days.)

To get myself back into the swing of blogging I am dedicating September as Quilt Month.

I am going to be posting all about quilts and quilting :: vintage quilts, new quilts, my first ever quilt, quilting processes, how I come up with a design for a quilt, favorite quilting tools and techniques.

Sounds like I know a lot doesn't it? Well I am hoping you'll all join in and maybe by the end of this month I actually will know a lot. If you feel like taking part let me know in the comments section of this post and I'll set up a blog roll of joiners on my side bar.

All are welcome, just be sure to dedicate a post this month to quilting. Your most beloved quilt, your grandma's quilt, the burning question you've always wanted to ask about quilting, your quilting disaster, whatever you fancy. Oh, and I won't be posting every day....just when I have something to share.  

I will be back later today with a quilt that I finished during my blog hiatus, I just have to get some good photos.

See you soon! 

popping in

I'm just popping in to say hello. Hello. I landed a fun but quick turn around commission through Etsy so I am super busy with that. These photos have absolutely nothing to do with the commission just a little something I am working on...or at least I was, everything has been shelved for the next few days.

I am loving this color combination right now. Something about the cool sea shore aqua combined with that slice of fresh orange just hits all the right notes with me. Is it shouting summer to you too?

Hope you are all having a good one.

one more quilt and then I'm out of here.

Just look at that loose thread. Boy, is that going to drive me nuts.

Crib size bird quilt. Lots of different bird fabrics, including some of my favorite vintage fabric that probably deserves a post of its own. Concentric square quilting, duh? I really am so unoriginal. Backed in the same fabric as the borders in the squares. And even the binding has little birds on it.

So that's me for the week. We are heading off to Cape Ann for a few days at the beach. Floyd is wicked excited about it. He keeps saying it's 'awesome'...are we really there again already? Will the 80's never release their steely grip?

So wish us luck on our long, long drive and I'll be back later next week.

Awesome.

vintage sheets quilt

A while back I was lucky enough to meet Vicki from Hollyhocks and sweet as she is she gave me a gift which included some vintage sheets, handily cut into 7" squares. But ahh what to do with them?

I alternated the sheet squares with some pink polka dot fabric. I didn't want to use anything to busy that would distract from the gorgeousness of the sheets.

I backed the quilt with some larger polka dot fabric. Some similar fabric found its way into this lovely pink creation. Must be something in the air.

I used a cute Liberty fan print fabric for the border. I know I have to say it every time but, I LOVE LIBERTY FABRICS. There is nothing like them.

The quilt measures 38" x 74". I used the Denyse Schmidt Quilts book to look up the measurements but clearly I was not giving the task my full attention. They give two measurements, one for the size of the mattress and one for the size the quilt should be. No prizes for guessing which one I used. So instead of being a proper twin size i.e. 64" x 87", this is a small twin quilt....or a lap quilt.....or whatever.

The thing is I used all but three of the squares that Vicki gave me so if I had made it any bigger I would have run out of squares. Synergy, right folks?

This was my first time using a free motion stitch on a bigger piece. I used what I think is referred to as a meandering stitch. Andy calls it a wibbly wobbly stitch. Same thing. I had a little trouble at first keeping all the stitches an even size but it got easier as I went along and dang, it is quick. I never understood what all the fuss was about free motion quilting, but I tell ya', I'm a believer. I think I quilted this whole thing in about two hours.

So, a big thank you to Vicki for the lovely gift. I am excited for her to open her own etsy shop, where I am sure she will have enough vintage goodies to bring a tear to your eye, but I think she may have some more pressing issues right now. Namely the arrival of twins later this year. So exciting!

We've been having the most wonderful weather so we are out into the garden this weekend to scoop up the millions of helicopters in our newly landscaped lawn. Wishing you a sunny weekend!

dolly and mr. bear OR what to do on a rainy day

For optimum enjoyment while reading this post put on your best Julie Andrew's British accent.

I say Mr. Bear what frightful weather we've been having.

I should cocoa Dolly. We've had to have all our picnics inside. Nevermind, it is supposed to warm up this weekend.

Well Mr. Bear it will be nice to get out into the woods and luckily this picnic set folds up.

And it even has its own bag.

Daaaang! I should write scripts.....or go into sales. It is hard to know which one I would be better at isn't it?

Hope you like the new teddy bear's picnic set and that as Mr.Bear and Dolly would say, you've all had a very jolly weekend with lashings of lovely sunshine!

not just any old quilt

This quilt was commissioned through Etsy.

It wasn't the easiest quilt to make and it isn't necessarily my favorite quilt I've made but perhaps it is the most special quilt I've made.
 
I finally figured a way to photograph my quilts front on in full. It involves bulldog clips, an old door and some (hopefully) disconnected cable wires. Bulldog clips and electricity. That's safe, right?

I did a bit of Denyse Schmidt style random piecing for the back. I think the back might actually be my favorite side.

I did stitch in the ditch quilting on this one. Squares, naturally!

Why is this particular quilt so special?  A soon-to-be mama contacted me via Etsy and said she was expecting in August but both her parents had passed away. She had some kept some of her dad's flannel shirts and wondered if I could use them to make her new baby a quilt.
I felt really honored that she picked me to make this quilt. It wasn't the most straight forward project (I hit a few bumps with combining the various textures and styles of fabrics) but it is definitely one of the most rewarding. This kind of work sums up for me this whole craft movement. It is something that is re-purposed, has sentimental value and could never be mass produced.

I hope this quilt lasts more than a lifetime, that it passes from this baby to the next baby and hopefully on down to the next generation with words like, "Do you know that these were your grandfather's, your great-grandfather's shirts and we made them into a special quilt for you when you were just a baby?"
I guess this story really resonates with me because my father died when I was eighteen. I wish I had something tangible that I could show to my kids that was his. Something that could somehow communicate who he was and what he was like. But of course what I really wish for, with all my heart, is that I could show my kids, him.

tree quilt

I have been working on this quilt for a very long time. I found it hard to finish because I just didn't know how I wanted to quilt it. I finally settled on clouds which you can't really see in the longer shots.

This is actually a picture of the quilt on its side, it should be this way round....

The binding is a Liberty print from a couple of years ago that I love. A gift from someone small (you know who). And the inspiration for this quilt came from the book, Treelets by Jill Bliss and Shinpei.
I don't know if it is available anymore but here are a few scans. It is a really beautiful book and I am really glad I've got a copy.

Speaking of books I plan on doing a big book review this week of all the great things I have been reading. So according to my usual accurate time keeping you can expect to see that sometime in June then.
Happy Monday.

Update: I meant Happy Tuesday. Of course, I knew that.

Not red, strawberry quilt.

scarlet?

rose?

ruby? magenta? fuchsia?

cardinal? vermilion? crimson?

Alright. It's red.
But tomorrow a different color. I promise.

new quilt, old quilt, small quilt, big(ger) quilt

I made this little doll quilt last year. 

I kept thinking about it and how cool it would be as a crib size quilt. So I made it and here it is.

If you asked me whether I liked the colors orange or yellow I would honestly say I am not such a fan, though Andy's favorite color is in fact orange, I have never been too partial. But something about this combination of fabrics works for me. And I do really, really love that vintage owl fabric which alas is running in short supply now.

This is only the second quilt I have made to be sold and it is currently up in my etsy shop. Yes, I finally did it and like the razor sharp business woman that I am, I started listing just in time for everyone to be broke after the holidays. *Pure genius*, I know.

Any road up. There it is, my etsy shop on the sidebar and I have to say I am kind of loving it. There is no pressure to fulfill orders or make huge batches of things. If I make something and I want to try and sell it then there it is but equally if I want time to focus on other things, say for instance an 18-month-old who thinks that 4.30am is a good time to wake up and who has four fangs (that is the medical word for them, right?) coming in at once and a 3-year-old on school holidays who is having a bout of cabin fever, (this is just a for instance of course) then no problem, I just don't make anything.

That is kind of cool isn't it ? I think etsy speaks to a generation of crafters who either have a full time job or full time family but that just want to make something. It feels old-fashioned to me. Like there are a bunch of women at home making things to sell in the market for some extra income. I like being a part of that.

Plus my horoscope in People magazine said this year would be a good time to start business ventures.

So there you have it. I rely on a trashy gossip rag to make career decisions.

At least I have moved on from the magic eight ball.

matching doll quilt

Cissie has a little friend who comes over a couple of times a week who is particularly fond of this little set-up. Not the dolls, nor the bed, nor the blanket but the pillow. She loves the little pillow. She will happily chuck out the dollies out of the stroller and gently place in the little pillow which she then pushes round the house with more than a little glee. So when it came to making her Christmas gift, the choice was obvious.

It just so happens, this is the same little girl who received this quilt, so of course I made it to match, despite the fact that I still don't love bright colors. But who amongst us could resist matching quilts, right?

simple quilt

Thank you, everybody, for all the quilt love. I had no idea whip up included me and was pleasantly surprised to find the quilt was a hit in blog-land. And thank you also to angry chicken for the mention, I'll have to admit now to buying both the Jen Corace prints (but I did really need them for my study, love).
Moving on.
Here's another very simple quilt that is no longer in our house.

I didn't do any piecing on this one at all. It is just two yards of fabric, a layer of batting, hand-tied and backed with a wool/cashmere blend.  Very warm and cozy and not at all itchy, like I thought it might be.

I added a few pieces of colorful fabric in the binding.

And just as I was about to pack the whole thing off with Floyd to school. I noticed a hole in the back, suspiciously like a moth hole. There's a matching felt appliqué on the back now. Flippin' moths they may have done me a favor, it looks so darn cute like that. Still, that is no invitation for you moths to come back for more.

The boy of course loves it. Trains and cars, he couldn't be happier.

fairytale fabrics quilt

I love, and have so many of, those very cutesy Japanese fairytale fabrics, plus so many other cute conversational prints but sometimes they are hard to place in a project without them taking over. So I decided to dedicate a project to them.

It is larger than a crib quilt but not quite a twin size so lets just call it a throw, shall we ?  It was originally intended for Cissie's room but it has worked its way into the living room as a kind of snuggly. Perfect, because it is getting colder here.

I quilted it in straight rows and concentric squares. You know how much I love them. I wanted to keep it very plain to showcase the fabrics so the alternate squares and rows are in a solid off-white Kona cotton. The colors are definitely more spring than fall, most likely because I started it in the spring.
And here it is in all its glory (dang it is hard to photograph quilts, any tips ?).
I really love it.

quilt prize

Sorry about the prolonged absence....blame her. She came for a week and we had the best hanging out crafting time I've had in ages. Thank you Auntie Little.
A long long time ago I promised this quilt to the winner of a prize draw on mr.monkeysuit. So here it is,



Sorry it took so damn long. Seems like I'm on a roll with apologising so if anyone thinks they are due an apology now is probably a good time to let me know.

wip quilt

Well, at least I have moved on from yellow even if there are still owls in it. This is my current wip quilt for Soph, who won the draw last week. I love the colourway she chose, it was definitely my favourite of the six and I love the way this wonky quilt is coming together. No promises, but it may even be finished sometime this year. (only joking Soph, hopefully it'll be done in a couple of weeks)

In other news....I want this tea towel.

Gorgeous isn't it? Its available at Rose and Radish which has some very beautiful things. I can totally justify paying $16 for a tea towel, especially as it isn't in the least bit likely to go near any dishes but I am kind of squeamish about paying $9.89 to have it shipped.
No doubt I will overcome that obstacle soon.

Oh, and of you haven't already done it get on over to the Softie Awards and vote, there are only a couple of days left.
One of my favourites is bella dia's tea cozy, love the colour combinations and this guy is divine. So wise and slightly intimidating.

part two of three

I think someone might be watching you.



This is actually a small doll's quilt, roughly 20" x 24". I loved making it, it was really a one day project and I just felt good the whole time I was working on it as though the stars were aligned for this particular project. I also loved the fresh spring time feel of the colours. It is the second part of a present and there is one more part to be completed before it is ready to be sent off. There are some antique doll quilts here, I especially love this one and the colours are kind of similar to mine though this one is way out of my price range. There is a lot more stuff on that site which is worth checking out. There are a couple of books on amazon.com that I have never looked at but look quite interesting on the subject of doll's quilts.
I used a lot of vintage fabrics in this quilt so I think I will have replace some of my stash. Conveniently Superbuzzy has a fresh new crop of fabrics. Did I mention how much I love my husband?

baby shower quilt

this is one i have been working on for a friend's baby shower. i let her choose the colours and then set to work. i have to admit these are not really my palette of colours...(for me, think of anything in the sludge, mud, greyish-green spectrum) but i am pretty happy with how it turned out. i learned a lot doing this quilt and my mum taught me some things, long distance via the phone. anyone who has the patience to talk me through how to turn corners with seam binding when i keep saying 'wait go back to the beginning, i don't understand' deserves lots of credit and probably some money for the phone bill.

i also made the bib and the turtle to complete the package.

first attempt

so mr. monkeysuit is up and running but i am lost in a quagmire of computer jargon. (hey bud, i hope you understand how to use this better than me.) to get me started i am posting my son's first quilt, not actually made by me (but by a good friend) which he has had on his bed since he got it.

It has faded a little bit becuase it has been washed A LOT.

She also made the little turtle as well from this book .

Okay so this isn't as hard as I thought all of ten minutes ago.