Layer Upon Layer

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Tablecloth finally finished!

As I write this, my tablecloth is in the washing machine so technically, it isn't finished yet. This is an anxious time. Now I'm going to find out how colourfast my crayons are!
This is before the wash.

And after the wash. I swear that's a different photo. I'm really pleased with the results. So the trick is leave your crayons to cure for a year!

Well, I wrote that above about 6 months ago. Since then I've put on the binding but never finished it because my table hasn't been clear of Becky's stuff! But look at this lovely neat and tidy corner now, complete with finished tablecloth! Just as well my photos aren't 360 degrees because some of the "stuff" is behind me. (Becky, I'm down to one box and the the tray - yay!)

I used the same binding technique I did on the clown. You can see how to do it here. I like the little bit of blue batik showing on this binding.

And here is how it looks on the back. The stitch-in-the-ditch on the binding just shows as a straight line about quarter of an inch from the binding, depending on the width of the binding and how good your quarter inch seam is when you sew the binding on. This is my best corner that I'm showing you. In other parts my quarter inch seam was not so good! Still, it's quick and I think gives a good finish.

My original post about this quilt is here. I'm embarrassed to see that that post was 18 months ago! Maybe this is the year that I actually finish things!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Lion

I've been over to Sydney to see my daughter and left the lion with her. Yes, she's 27 and no, she doesn't have kids but she wanted this lion so I made it for her! He is very cute!

His mane is six different yarns, predominately a variegated wool so there is lots of colour. I love the look but it took ages, sewing and tying each piece. I'm very pleased with the outcome though. Becky said that lions have tufts on the end of their tails so I added a tuft to his tail.

So he needs a name. Any ideas?

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you got what you wanted from Santa. I got what I wanted. A sewing day! There is only Mum and me here this year so I suggested that we spent the day making up the toys we started months ago.

I took my sewing machine to Mum's house and started on the lion I cut out in July. This is from Abby Glassenberg's book "Stuffed Animals".

Mum finally cut out her doll and was very pleased with her pretty face. Also an Abby Glassenberg design.

I made a Palangi version. Here's what we achieved in a day.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Melanie and Becky's wedding bouquet quilt

I've got a bit of catching up to do. This is a quilt I made two months ago.

Auckland Guild had a challenge, 12" by 12" quilt with two circles and a triangle. I've used the crochet flowers we made for Melanie's wedding bouquet that were reused for Becky's wedding bouquet. Now they are preserved in a quilt.

Here's a detail shot of the quilting. I painted the background in a silk painting class.

I had a busy day yesterday.
Sang in the morning...

... and played with the steelband in the evening at a house with this view!

Friday, October 4, 2013

Inspiration Station has started

Would you believe that I haven't touched my sewing machine for over a month! I never thought that would happen... But it has. :(

I've been living vicariously through my daughter, Mel, and her new business venture, Inspiration Station. She has started a craft school in Doha, Qatar, so I can only participate by looking at photos. Here is a selection.

This is a quilled monogram made by one of her students.

You can see more about the school on her blog, http://ourinspirationstation.wordpress.com or find them on Facebook.

Other things keeping me busy or keeping me from sewing, I have a new hobby. I've joined a Sweet Adelines chorus. It's great fun but hard work too. We had a coaching session one Saturday, singing from 9 til 5!

When I've not been singing or working, I've been sitting with my leg up. It is now four months since I fell getting out the shower and bruised my shin on the edge of the bath, and three months that I've been on antibiotics for the resulting cellulitis. I read a statistic (in one of the maths textbooks of all places!) that the risk of getting cellulitis is almost four times more likely in the Maori and Pacifica population in South Auckland than in other populations in New Zealand. Now I may live in South Auckland but I'm a pasty white Scottish woman! Must be something in the water -or the air! There certainly is a lot of it about.

First week of the holidays almost over and I've been busy helping my other daughter, Becky, get ready to move to Sydney. She leaves on Sunday. Very sad face :(( but happy that they are going to have an adventure. I'll really have an empty nest by next week. Nothing to do but sew... And mark assessments... And write reports!