Saturday, August 29, 2020
Pineapple and Pear Chutney
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Free Motion Mavericks - Week 295 - Using Up The Stash
Excellent choice of fabric for a big burly bloke, don't you think?
I have been raiding one of the boxes in my sewing room to make a weighted blanket for my niece's husband. Rather than buy new fabric at this stage, I am using leftover pieces of brushed cotton to make a prototype. The hope is that the weight will help ease his insomnia. If it works, then I shall make another in more manly fabric, and this first version will come in useful when the second one is being washed.
The plan for the blanket is scribbled on a piece of paper. How it eventually turns out will be a gamble. Because brushed cotton has plenty of give in the weave, it should be comfortable, but it is a devil to cut straight because it keeps shifting. Pretty florals aren't generally what the daddy of the family should expect, but there will be both joke value and sentimental value to the blanket when it is finished because I am using up fabric left by both my niece's grandmothers. My sister in law's mother left a great stash of fabric that she used for children's nighties and pyjamas, and I also have a length of fabric left by my mum, which was bought in the late 1960s or early 70s. I am glad to be able to put it all to good use.
Here goes for Week 295:-
Many thanks to Carole for linking up last time with some beautifully quilted little birds. If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more.
Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.
Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-
1. Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.
2. Link back to this post in your own post.
3. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
A Picture for Sunday - The View From The Top
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Spotty Buttons
One project finished today, and not before time! I changed my mind at the last minute as to which buttons to use. Definitely the better choice.
I thought they wouldn't show up well enough against the button band, but now they are sewn on they look perfect.
Friday, August 14, 2020
Free Motion Mavericks - Week 293 - Another Knitted Blanket
This is the latest baby blanket, in the woven effect stitch I showed last time. It has been a great way to use up all the odds and ends I have left over from previous projects. Joining one strip to the next is done as you knit, knitting the last stitch of each wrong side row into the edge of the adjacent strip. The random baby yarns add to the stripy effect and make the texture a little more snuggly, and the big bold blocks of maroon and yellow are left overs from cardigans I made for myself. When I was about a quarter of the way through I thought the effect was all too loud and busy. Now that I am three quarters of the way through, it has grown on me. I hope the baby who eventually has it will find the colours interesting. I always love imagining the the little fingers of the future owner pointing at the colours in quiet moments.
This week I had a request from my niece for a weighted blanket for her husband. This meant a bit of research on my part, as I had only vaguely heard of them before, and half a day of thinking how I would make one and with what. A quick check of the stash confirmed that I should be able to make one without buying any new fabric, so I should soon be back to sewing in a big way! Now that we have the new carpet in the dining room we are gradually putting the room back together, and then I will be able to get the sewing machines out again. After weeks of chaos (don't ask me where my cheque book is) it might come as a bit of a shock.
Many thanks to Rebecca Grace for linking up last time with her Spirit Song quilt, now finished and looking beautiful. If you haven't seen her blog post yet, nip over now and see more.
Remember, FMQ is FMQ, whether your machine was made last week, or it is older than your granny.
Here are the very easy and slightly elastic rules:-
1. Link up with any recent post, ideally from the last week but within the last month, which features a free motion quilting project, whether it is a work in progress or a finish.
2. Link back to this post in your own post.
3. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and say hello in the comments box.
Saturday, August 1, 2020
A Picture for Sunday - Evening Light
How I wish photographs could convey smells. Not only was the evening sunlight magical, but there was also the scent of camomile and pineapple weed in the air.