Autumn is coming to an end here in Canberra and winter is knocking with temperatures falling below zero at night and icy frosts welcoming us each morning.
I've named this cushion cover my 'Autumn and Lime Splice' because its colours sing of the lemons and limes that we've had in seasonal abundance here with a hint of autumn deciduous orange.
I'm currently participating in the Heather Bailey Aussie Charm Swap organised by the lovely Ms Midge and made this cushion cover using the scraps left over after my Mum and i had cut all our Heather Bailey yardage into wee, little charm squares.
We recently hosted a Cancer Council: Australia's Biggest Morning Tea at our place and i placed the Autumn and Lime Splice up for silent auction bidding. The cushion cover was generously purchased, as was the beautiful Love, Peace and Fun cot quilt that my Mum donated (more about that here), and both will be soon on their way to new homes.
It was a wonderful morning and we managed to raise over $1,700 for the Cancer Council which i know will go towards cancer research and the wonderful services that help people suffering the awfulness of cancer.
Thank you to all for your well wishes and lovely comments which have been so encouraging and to those who have donated so generously. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Measuring 41x41cm, i've made the cushion cover with some lovely green, checked piping and a Heather Bailey Nicey Jane backing with hidden zip. The top has been quilted with really close, straight lines.
I'm looking froward to receiving all the Heather Bailey charms and have a bit of a plan ready for an orange peel and half square triangle quilt. Stay tuned....
Thanks for stopping by,
Jen
Linking up with;
- Lorna for Lets Bee Social and
- Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday
While we were visiting family in Portugal last year, i picked up this great 'Chita de Alcobaca' fabric (read more about Chita here). I loved the unusual designs and the colours remind me of our visits to Portugal and the typical colours that make up the many decorative tiles, know as Azulejos.
While our Portuguese family are currently visiting us here in Canberra, i decided to whip up a couple of little cushion covers using the Chita. I made some piping using the Chita and some cord and added a covered zipper into the backing fabrics.
The making of the pillow was very simple, but i hate sewing in the piping around the corners of the cushion (they never end up super neat for me!).
For backing fabric on the first, i used a Chita (above), but for the other i used a fabric in the delicious blues of; 'Grand Bazaar by Patty Young for Michael Miller' (below).
One cushion is destined for our couch, but the other i've given to my Aunt Sue, whose birthday it was this week.
Happy Birthday Sue!
Our good friend Peta recently turned 70 years old. Peta is a wonderful, joyful character and enjoys creating her own wonderful art-quilts and handmade treasures.....including the most delicious sweets (so good, i've often requested recipes for!).
As a little gift, i made her this framed, mini-quilt using some of my very favourite fabrics (including some Kaffe Fassett and my favourite blues and greens of course!). You might recognise some of them from what i reckon is my all-time favourite quilt, Dreaming of Jacarandas.
I used a gold thread to quilt 1/4 inch from the seams and i love the way the it shines in the sunlight.
Happy 70th birthday Peta! Here's to a great year ahead and plenty more birthdays for us to celebrate together.
Linking up with:
- Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday and
- Lorna for Lets Bee Social
It's so nice to give handmade prezzies at Christmas. There's something special about spending time picking out fabric and spending time making someone's gift.
Last year I found this great, old pattern for a kids art smock (more about that here). It is a quick and simple pattern (Simplicity (4286) for ages 3-8) so I decided to make all the children in our family and our friends one as Christmas presents. Needless to say, I spent most of late November and December busily cutting out and sewing these together.
I know handmade gifts, of all sorts, are often undervalued. Sometimes the recipient has no idea about the price of materials and the time it takes to make something. I don't mind though. I reckon it's probably these recipients that have had very few handmade gifts and as the giver, it's pretty cool to be able to spend the time and money to give them something I reckon is pretty special. Plus.....of course....It's super fun making things too!
I have a little boy who is nearly 2 1/2, and as his Mum, I hope to teach him many things that I think are important. Creating unique, handmade gifts for others will always be something I'll encourage. At the moment he'd rather run as fast as he can, climb as high as he can and play with his trains and water toys, rather than to make paintings, cook yummy food, grow vegetables or draw with his pencils. But, I do look forward to the years ahead and the fun things we will make together and seeing what he manages to come up with all on his own.
Here's to homemade, handmade and homegrown creations!
Jen
Linking up with Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts for Lets Be Social #55
Any toddler who is as messy as our 2yo Hurricane, is in need of an art smock. Back in my childhood, we simply used one of Dad's old long-sleeve shirts, with the sleeves rolled up. Nothing fancy, but worked a treat.
I don't know what school kids are doing these days, but i came along this great old Simplicity pattern (4286) which includes and art smock for ages 3-8.
It was super easy and quick to make and i reckon should keep the paint and whatever else the Hurricane gets his little hands into, off his good clothes! I made it using some mid-weight FolkModern by Ellen Luckett Baker for Kokka (made in Japan) that i had left from another project (My Mum reckons he can lay on the bed with Harvey and totally blend in!). I used some bias binding that was a bit bigger than what the pattern suggested, but again, i had it in my kit and didn't want to make any new binding up before using this first. I reckon the thinner bias binding will look much better.
I like that it has two simple ties on the back and a pocket on the front. I'll be able to make new ones as he outgrows them. I can recommend this pattern.....it's great!
Linking up with:
- Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday and
- Lorna for Lets Bee Social
Back in 2009, i was fortunate to travel to the United States as part of a collaboration with researchers. I spent most of my time there in Seattle, Washington. I'd never travelled to the U.S. before, and i was overwhelmed with the kindness of people and the beauty of the state during summer. The highlight for me was visiting Mt Rainier National Park with my friends Roger and Barb. The mountain was like nothing i'd seen before and i just couldn't believe how big it was! The park with its spectacular wildflowers and alpine scenery was beautiful.
While visiting a quilt shop in Seattle, i came across a McKenna Ryan pattern from the Calling Me Home series called Going to the Sun. It reminded me of the flowering bear grass i'd seen at Mt Rainier and of the alpine scenery. I'd never made an art quilt using so much fusible web appliqué before and thought i'd give it a crack.
Upon returning home, i quickly got to making it, and while i was really happy with my fabric selection (i really liked the colours in the original, so tried to match them as much as i could), my enthusiasm waned over time. It felt very stiff and i wasn't sure where i would hang it once finished. Well, it sat in my cupboard while i completed my studies and worked on some other projects. To be honest, i wasn't sure i'd ever pull it out again, but i was recently looking through some photos from my travels to Washington and was reminded of the art quilt. So, i've been slowly working on it over the last month and it's finished.
It does remind me of my visit to Mt Rainier and Seattle. My favourite parts are the purple spotty binding, the maple leaf quilting in the border and the gold thread (Madeira) that i've used for the quilting in the sunset sky. I can highly recommend maple leaves like these for beginner free-motion quilters like me. I drew them onto the quilt with a home-made template before quilting, and i've found them really forgiving of my pretty messy free-motion work.
I'm still not sure where to hang it, but i do like it. I don't like the stiffness that comes with all the fusible web and i'm not sure i'll make anything using this technique again, but it has been fun trying something different.
Linking up with:
- Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday
- Gemma for I Quilt Thursday at Pretty Bobbins and
- Lorna for Lets Bee Social
This week, i finally got around to making a new bed cover for our favourite, furry, friend Harvey. Harvey is a mongrel, but is mostly a big, black labrador. We rescued him, when he was just a little boy and he's now a beloved family member.
As well as being play mate and brother for our 2yo Hurricane, Harvey is a big lounge lizard, who loves nothing better than to have a snooze in the company of his family (often at my feet, next to the foot pedal while i'm sewing!). We love Harvey and after 5 years of solid use, his old quilted bed cover was worn through and he was in need of a new one.
Harvey i'm sure, would be happy with an old blankie, but given his bed is located near a frequented entry to our home, i wanted to have something nice for him to use (and me to look at). But nothing too fancy of course and very masculine for such a cool dog!
Using some mid-weight 'FolkModern' by Ellen Luckett Baker for Kokka (made in Japan), i improv-pieced together something very simple, keeping all my cuts on the straight grain to keep the end product nice and strong. I made the top to fit an existing piece of foam that we used for his old bed cover too.
Other than a small tree i free-motioned in one corner, i quilted it with a wide, straight grid. I had some corduroy left over from a craft project several years ago, so used it to make the rest of the cover with an envelope-style opening.
I reckon the fabrics are the star here, and i'm sure Harvey loves his new bed and it should do him for at least another 5 years. It will be perfect for Harvey to take to our good friends who look after him when we go away and travel too.
Linking up with:
- Lily Pad Quilting for Pets on Quilts Show 2014 (dog on quilt category)
- Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday
- Gemma for I Quilt Thursday at Pretty Bobbins and
- Lorna for Lets Bee Social
