1) the binding was the first quilt I'd done properly. It's not 100% perfect but I've since made a couple of mug rugs to practise and it's looking much better. I'm also going to try rounded corners too.
2) I desperately need a new sewing machine - one that can actually quit! My brother machine is so basic that I can't even drop the feed dogs, let alone get a decent free walking foot. The needles seem To need changing Everytime i use the machine, which is rubbish!!
I'm going to select the machine I like, and then save save save!! It's so tempting to buy gorgeous books and fabrics and patterns, but I'm not doing any thing I make justice at the moment so I need a new machine :) my machine is the reason there's so little quilting on the quilt! I would only be able to do straight lines in any volume, and even then the feed dogs seem to drag the fabric through which bunches the backing up! Ah well, I'll figure it out!
3) I need to be patient whilst cutting, piecing and sewing it all. I'm normally so desperate to see the final product that I rush things and am then not completely happy with it!
At least I know what I'm doing wrong and how I can improve...
4) use basting stitches instead of pins
5) buy some fusible web or bonding spray for sandwiching the quilt.
On the plus side, I really like the colours that make the quilt and the pattern was a new experience that I really enjoyed.
It's all a learning process, and honest reflection helps me improve - sorry for my ramblings :) xx
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Second Quilt Finished
I love this quilt. It's really not perfect, but I love it and I wish I could keep it. But it's for newborn baby girl and hopefully she'll love it too!!
I'm making another one in similar fabrics for myself. Double bed size is going to be ambitious but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
And I'm also looking forward to starting my Siblings Together quilt. It's going to be for a young(ish) boy, made with some kindly donated fabrics. Thank goodness for a day off work tomorrow!!
Terrible pictures, sorry!!
I'm making another one in similar fabrics for myself. Double bed size is going to be ambitious but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
And I'm also looking forward to starting my Siblings Together quilt. It's going to be for a young(ish) boy, made with some kindly donated fabrics. Thank goodness for a day off work tomorrow!!
Terrible pictures, sorry!!
Stash Building
I was having a rubbish day, so I took myself off to ikea and bought some fabrics. I know it's not the best quality, but I love the fact that their fabric comes in a good width. I'm currently in love with the having contrasting backs for quilts at the moment too so it was great to stock up on some fabric brig enough for continuous backs not pieced backs.
Here are the fruits of my labours...
Here are the fruits of my labours...
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Adobe Illustrator - Learning the (VERY) Basics
I spent yesterday attempting to learn and understand Adobe Illustrator - it wasn't easy, and I'm sure I'm not using it correctly. I had great fun using my new scanner to scan in some of Barbara's artwork, and then using the 'object mosaic' and 'swatches' to separate and pair colours.
I don't have much to show for this but I've put my first attempt below...I love the colours, but think the shapes need to be a little smaller and have more background between them. I'll have a go at tweaking it later, but right now I don't think it's terrible for a first attempt!
Original Artwork:
First Test Design:
I love the greys and the beige, but I need to try and pick out more of the yellow/green from the right hand side, and the browns from the left
Thoughts appreciated :)
Kim xx
EDIT: Looking at them together like that, it's very difficult to see the link. I think this design needs to be more linear to reflect the use of the hessian which gives the amazing texture. Still, it's only a first attempt!
Kim xx
I don't have much to show for this but I've put my first attempt below...I love the colours, but think the shapes need to be a little smaller and have more background between them. I'll have a go at tweaking it later, but right now I don't think it's terrible for a first attempt!
Original Artwork:
First Test Design:
I love the greys and the beige, but I need to try and pick out more of the yellow/green from the right hand side, and the browns from the left
Thoughts appreciated :)
Kim xx
EDIT: Looking at them together like that, it's very difficult to see the link. I think this design needs to be more linear to reflect the use of the hessian which gives the amazing texture. Still, it's only a first attempt!
Kim xx
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Design Ideas
I'm playing with Adobe Illustrator today - i would love to be able to design my own fabrics and I have a head start on the colours. My fabulous mother has so many gorgeous pieces of artwork and colour collections that I'm going to adapt and incorporate. It's going to be great - I hope!!
Colour swatches are coming together and I'm excited to start using them.
I also went to RHS Wisley yesterday and took some glorious photos of plants. I have some brilliant 'texture' photos of bark, wood, stone and light/shadow arrangements. How exciting!!
Colour swatches are coming together and I'm excited to start using them.
I also went to RHS Wisley yesterday and took some glorious photos of plants. I have some brilliant 'texture' photos of bark, wood, stone and light/shadow arrangements. How exciting!!
New Quilt Top
Yesterday I finished my next quilt top, made for a present for some soon to be first time parents. They don't know it's coming and I really hope they will like it. I'm absolutely in love with it and I'm debating making another one just for myself!
My original plan was to make an oatmeal coloured quilt, as the gender of the baby is still unknown. However, my 'neutrals' stash is pretty poor, so I bought some Dylon dyes to try making some very pale pastel colours to mix in. A couple of not so great attempts later and I had a very light shade of blue to use and a gorgeous yellow and green. I found a lovely grey check fabric in Ikea (and subsequently saw the same favric in their home already - hurrah!!) I love seeing quilt colours come together and soon I ended up with these...
GORGEOUS!!
Was worried about the hand dyed panels running in the wash but thankfully they didn't.
The backing is currently drying and then I'm ready to make the sandwich and start quilting. I'm going to hand quilt this one - a big challenge, but one I'm really looking forward to!!
My original plan was to make an oatmeal coloured quilt, as the gender of the baby is still unknown. However, my 'neutrals' stash is pretty poor, so I bought some Dylon dyes to try making some very pale pastel colours to mix in. A couple of not so great attempts later and I had a very light shade of blue to use and a gorgeous yellow and green. I found a lovely grey check fabric in Ikea (and subsequently saw the same favric in their home already - hurrah!!) I love seeing quilt colours come together and soon I ended up with these...
GORGEOUS!!
Was worried about the hand dyed panels running in the wash but thankfully they didn't.
The backing is currently drying and then I'm ready to make the sandwich and start quilting. I'm going to hand quilt this one - a big challenge, but one I'm really looking forward to!!
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Lovely day's Work!
Started the day with a horrible, horrible doctor's appointment that didn't go the way I had hoped :( so to cheer myself up, I did what I should have done weeks ago and made my younger sister a present for her birthday...
It turned out brilliantly! It was simple to do and took all of an hour and a half. But I am so pleased with it :) I'm always worried when I come to join squares that the join won't be perfectly aligned, so this time I absolutely covered the pieces with pins. My machine also has a tendency to 'drag' the work through, rather than help it glide perfectly. Needless to say, with a combination of the machine and me pulling and pushing the fabric through it often ends up off kilter. However, the numerous pins obviously worked, because today, for the first time, it's absolutely perfect!!! I also took the oppurtunity to add a zip in, rather than buttons. Only the second time I've sewn a zip in, and it's pretty good - still not perfect, but good. For the back I used remnants of an old fleece blanket which helps give it a really good comfortable feel. I already had a feather cushion insert from John Lewis so I used that inside. I'm pretty jealous of it, and I'm probably going to back a second one for myself :)
Excited by my success I went back to the craft store for another zipper. I resisted the urge to buy yet another book on sewing and instead came home and got creative with some gorgeous fabric that came this morning in the mail....
Keen to carry on with the zipper success I ended up making a case for my iPad! It's gorgeous. I made it just a tiny tiny bit too small - the buttons on the side get caught in zip if you put it in a certain way, but other than that I'm pleased. I used some scrap batting for the padding, and just a simple pale yellow for the lining. Only downside is I might not be able to wash it as it could shrink.
Oh, and I organised my 'stash'. It's not a great stash, but it gets bigger by the week. Bought more glorious fabric in ikea yesterday - its good quality and quite thick, you get loads for your money and it's pretty :) (the flower fabric in the cushion cover is from a previous trip to ikea, I think). Anyway, my stash is all organised an it's inspired me to get creative again. All in all, a lovely day's "work"!!
It turned out brilliantly! It was simple to do and took all of an hour and a half. But I am so pleased with it :) I'm always worried when I come to join squares that the join won't be perfectly aligned, so this time I absolutely covered the pieces with pins. My machine also has a tendency to 'drag' the work through, rather than help it glide perfectly. Needless to say, with a combination of the machine and me pulling and pushing the fabric through it often ends up off kilter. However, the numerous pins obviously worked, because today, for the first time, it's absolutely perfect!!! I also took the oppurtunity to add a zip in, rather than buttons. Only the second time I've sewn a zip in, and it's pretty good - still not perfect, but good. For the back I used remnants of an old fleece blanket which helps give it a really good comfortable feel. I already had a feather cushion insert from John Lewis so I used that inside. I'm pretty jealous of it, and I'm probably going to back a second one for myself :)
Excited by my success I went back to the craft store for another zipper. I resisted the urge to buy yet another book on sewing and instead came home and got creative with some gorgeous fabric that came this morning in the mail....
Keen to carry on with the zipper success I ended up making a case for my iPad! It's gorgeous. I made it just a tiny tiny bit too small - the buttons on the side get caught in zip if you put it in a certain way, but other than that I'm pleased. I used some scrap batting for the padding, and just a simple pale yellow for the lining. Only downside is I might not be able to wash it as it could shrink.
Oh, and I organised my 'stash'. It's not a great stash, but it gets bigger by the week. Bought more glorious fabric in ikea yesterday - its good quality and quite thick, you get loads for your money and it's pretty :) (the flower fabric in the cushion cover is from a previous trip to ikea, I think). Anyway, my stash is all organised an it's inspired me to get creative again. All in all, a lovely day's "work"!!
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Here we go!
So, after another afternoon spent sitting in the craft store reading quilting books, and absorbing so many glorious creative possibilities, I've come home and extended my indulgence on the internet! I'm hoping to find some very creative people at there, and create a mind-pleasing little world on here for when I come home from a stressful day at work. At least, it'll be cheaper than buying a new book every week :)
I am relatively new to quilting. My first quilt was a massive labour of love, and something that got me completely hooked. I'd tried knitting (far too confusing), embroidery (good for keeping the hands busy, but takes to long to get results), and simple sewing (very very pleasing), but wanted a challenge - and a challenge it was!
My first quilt was for a soon to be born baby of undetermined gender. I bought some fat quarters, and other fabrics in pink, blue, green, yellow and purple, and made a very rudimentary quilt top. It was so simple, just squares stitched into lines, but it was so pleasing! I added a border, about which I was very pleased. I bought the backing, a very thoughtfully chosen fleece blanket cut to the right size, layered the quilt on my table, and pinned it well from the centre to the outside. I was ecstatic - and ready to quilt.
I only have a very basic machine - an £80 job bought in haste to start making cushion covers, and I had absolutely no clue as to where to start. I foolishly chose a very heavy red thread to start some simple diagonal corner to corner quilting lines, and unsuprisngly it looked terrible. I stopped quilting, and did nothing more on it for two months.
In time, the baby was born, and the quilt was unfinished. Seeing photos of the baby grow on facebook prompted me to finish it - he would soon be too big a baby to enjoy it! So out came the machine, and some new pale cream thread. One all nighter later, the quilted section was finished.
The next day, tired and cranky from a day at work, I decided to tackle binding. Not something I'd ever done before, and not something I'm really looking forward to doing again. I'd bought some gorgeous ribbon to bind with - and there's mistake numbers 1 and 2! The machine needle was too blunt, and the ribbon the wrong material. I folded round the corners as the book said, and it looked terrible. So I cut the bind at the edges - even bigger mistake. I had to create 'reinforced' corners ('It's supposed to be like that, now he can chew it!'), and the whole edging looked horrific.
However - the quilt was finished. I'd done it. It wasn't neat, it wasn't perfect, but it was made with love, and kindness, and only I could pick out the mistakes, the joins that hadn't matched up, the dire bright red thread. But the baby didn't care. I was reliably informed that he was sick on it the first time he went on it, and now it's used as his play mat. Perfect.
I am relatively new to quilting. My first quilt was a massive labour of love, and something that got me completely hooked. I'd tried knitting (far too confusing), embroidery (good for keeping the hands busy, but takes to long to get results), and simple sewing (very very pleasing), but wanted a challenge - and a challenge it was!
My first quilt was for a soon to be born baby of undetermined gender. I bought some fat quarters, and other fabrics in pink, blue, green, yellow and purple, and made a very rudimentary quilt top. It was so simple, just squares stitched into lines, but it was so pleasing! I added a border, about which I was very pleased. I bought the backing, a very thoughtfully chosen fleece blanket cut to the right size, layered the quilt on my table, and pinned it well from the centre to the outside. I was ecstatic - and ready to quilt.
I only have a very basic machine - an £80 job bought in haste to start making cushion covers, and I had absolutely no clue as to where to start. I foolishly chose a very heavy red thread to start some simple diagonal corner to corner quilting lines, and unsuprisngly it looked terrible. I stopped quilting, and did nothing more on it for two months.
In time, the baby was born, and the quilt was unfinished. Seeing photos of the baby grow on facebook prompted me to finish it - he would soon be too big a baby to enjoy it! So out came the machine, and some new pale cream thread. One all nighter later, the quilted section was finished.
The next day, tired and cranky from a day at work, I decided to tackle binding. Not something I'd ever done before, and not something I'm really looking forward to doing again. I'd bought some gorgeous ribbon to bind with - and there's mistake numbers 1 and 2! The machine needle was too blunt, and the ribbon the wrong material. I folded round the corners as the book said, and it looked terrible. So I cut the bind at the edges - even bigger mistake. I had to create 'reinforced' corners ('It's supposed to be like that, now he can chew it!'), and the whole edging looked horrific.
However - the quilt was finished. I'd done it. It wasn't neat, it wasn't perfect, but it was made with love, and kindness, and only I could pick out the mistakes, the joins that hadn't matched up, the dire bright red thread. But the baby didn't care. I was reliably informed that he was sick on it the first time he went on it, and now it's used as his play mat. Perfect.
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