Craftiness – Page 8

Work in progress

June 25, 2009July 2, 2009 Mirthful 2 Comments

I’m working with these:

Inspired by this.

And the results so far are promising.

Not quite the way I pictured it, but it’s working, and that’s a good thing because I don’t have time to change my mind. I need to finish the top and back – of a king size bedspread, no less – by Sunday, get it off to someone with a long-arm quilting machine by express post on Monday and hope I get it back in time to bind it before a momentous event on the 11th.

Leaving things to the last minute? Me? Never!

Edit: Well, I didn’t quite make it. The main part of the top is finished, but needs a border and the back needs a couple of more seams before it’s done. Going to be busy tonight… Hopefully I’ll still get it back in time to bind it.

Refashion

June 4, 2009June 4, 2009 Mirthful Leave a comment

I love this long-sleeved tee, but it’s too short for me, so I thought I’d try the adult-arms-to-toddler-legs method, and I made a tee from the body to complete the set. I tried to utilise the existing hems whereever possible. I think this is going to be great for hot summer days – whenever they return. Temperatures plunged this week, so it feels like early March again right now.

Adult tee disarmed:

Toddler set:

Another top I loved was too short as well. In fact, most tops are too short on me, I’ve got a dispropornately long torso. This one has a lovely deep blue hue that is really flattering on me, so I was loath to discard it. I had another top in the same sort of material in a greyish hue with a flower print, which was also, you guessed it, too short. I cut a band from the bottom of that and inserted it into the other, and, hey presto, useable top:

Detail showing the pattern on the insert:

Attempt at capturing the blue hue. Excuse the dust:

New from old

May 6, 2009May 6, 2009 Mirthful Leave a comment

Spring has sprung and the lass needs some lightweight hats. I dug through the pile of “want to use this for something” and found one of my favourite t-shirts ever. I absolutely adore this material. However, the top has always been too short for me, and repeated spin cycles have not helped.

So. I cut off the bottom part to make a simple hat, here is the rest of the tee (I forgot the “before” picture):

I made a tube out of several rectangles, folded it double and closed the end where the cut sides were with a seam – making a “peak” or ear-shape at each end. Voilla, new floppy-silly hat:

Dressing up

March 25, 2009March 28, 2009 Mirthful Leave a comment

Despite being way too busy, I did find time for some quick sewing this weekend. The lass has decided one really needs a “dress” (skirt or dress will both do) for dancing, and so I thought I’d increase our store of everyday finery. I copied the dress-pattern from Børnetøy du selv kan sy some time last year, and now was finally the time to try it out. The outer fabric is a piece of an old duvet cover that I got in a swap, it was juuust big enough, and it’s lined with new – but fairtrade – pale blue cotton. The buttons are thrifted, the bias tape from a stash I purchased on sale.

The skirt is made from four matching fat quarters I purchased this autumn intending them for a skirt. The pattern I made up as I went.

New friends

December 22, 2008April 1, 2009 Mirthful Leave a comment

Two new friends moved in with us yesterday. First off: Nigel the Annihilator.

The lass promptly pronounced him a “løwe” (lion) and insisted on dressing him in the monster hat that I also bought. It didn’t really work as a hat for him as she couldn’t get it to cover his ears – very important – without also covering his nose, but she was quite happy when she found it could be used as “bosse” (trousers, though sleeping bag would be more descriptive of the effect).

I’ve been admiring the work of Happycloud Thunderhead (etsy and blog) for a while, and was thrilled to have actual specimens in my hands. I suppose it’s a little late for Christmas shopping now, but surely you can find an excuse to buy a monster in 2009? Go shop!

The second new member of the family is someone I’ve coveted quite shamefully for some time, namely Doyle the Bat from Soto Softies (I’ll snap his portrait later). He’s being kept well out of reach of the lass’ hands for the time being, but I’m smitten like a very smitten thing indeed. I did, in fact, consider bringing him to work with me.

They are both the results of a very limited shopping spree I indulged in as a sort of reward for landing myself a (fairly well paid) permanent job (and in the middle of the financial crisis to boot). In fact, this is pretty much the extent of the shopping spree, the only additional thing being a digiscrapping kit or two, amounting to less than 20 dollars, so I’m feeling very restrained.

Block one done

December 1, 2008April 1, 2009 Mirthful 1 Comment

I’ve finished block one of the Leanne’s House BOM, and received two more in the mail, so a bit behind, but not too much. I still haven’t purchased additional fabric, and that is the main reason why I haven’t started block two, as I really want to start introducing my additions as I go. In any case, there really isn’t much time for non Christmas-related creating in December, but I hope to be able to sew a bit over the holidays, so I need to go shopping at some point.

Here’s the completed block:

And some detail:

I had a short length of thread left in the needle when I’d finished the stars. It was too short to be worth keeping, but it seemed a pity to just throw it out, so I added a lazy daisy in one of the checkerboard squares. I rather like the effect, so I think I might add some more, and do the same in the other checkerboard sections.

I got a treasure in the mail

November 29, 2008April 1, 2009 Mirthful Leave a comment

I received my quilt from the Doll Quilt Swap on Thursday, but the first chance I got to photograph it in natural light was this morning (well, it is winter). Here it is:

Now, do you think any doll will ever get to come near this? Ha! It’s mine, all mine! Mine, I tell you. You dolls just keep your tiny little hands off!

I will have to find a scrap of wall to display it. This might prove difficult, but I have faith.

Here’s the back:

I could happily gaze on that for hours, too, how did my benefactor guess that I simply looooove these colours?

And look at the quilting:

I’m speechless with admiration. I need to get my sewing machine fixed and start practicing feathers. Oh, and the log cabins have nifty spirally quilting, which is even better than the feathers, if such a things is possible. Ok, let’s say they are equally brilliant, shall we.

And who is the master (mistress?) of this wonderful creation? Well, her name is Shelly Sutton, and she blogs here. She teaches classes. That figures.

‘Scuse me while I go gaze some more at this little work of art.

Done!

November 25, 2008April 2, 2009 Mirthful 1 Comment

The doll quilt is done and on its way to *******.

Pretty happy with the way it turned out, since it’s actually quite close to how I pictured it. I ended up cutting off the top ray of sunshine in order to square off the top and only realised afterwards that I could probably have fixed it with a scrap of blue instead, but it works like this, no? I would have free motion quilted it, too had I dared switch the presser foot on my machine, unfortunately I dare not, as the part where you fix it is worn and needs replacing and I really need the macine to work next weekend when we have a workshop. After the workshop I am handing the machine in for service, I swear. Here’s to hoping the recipient likes the quilt!

Go have a look in the Flickr pool for the swap, by the way. Such a lot of amazing quilts! I haven’t received mine yet, I can’t wait to see what it looks like.

Doll Quilt Swap

November 22, 2008April 2, 2009 Mirthful Leave a comment

I joined round 5 of the Doll Quilt Swap (though I don’t seem to be on the blogroll… Hm. Might need to email someone about that…) and I’m finally making progress. I had one design in mind for a while until I realised it was madly complicated and I had two months ‘ till deadline, not two years. I then had another idea, but needed more fabric. Once I got the chance to, I went shopping. I now had an idea and fabric. Then the lass fell ill (she’s fine now, but we had about a week of cuddling and not getting much done) and then I came down with a serious cold. Anyway. I have started, and I’ll probably manage to finish tomorrow so that I can get it in the mail on Monday. That should theoretically be enough, the deadline for reception is 1 December, but international mailing being what it is, well, uhm. I sure hope it gets there.

Anyway, pictures:

That was how far I got a couple of days ago. I now have all the rest of the bits in place, pinned or fused and tomorrow I will attach them, then back, quilt and bind. And voilla. That’s the theory, anyway.

While looking for the fabric I needed for this quilt I found some others that I just “had” to have (surprise!). These are from Jordbærstedet:

And these are from Sy Steen:

Lookie! Fishies!

And do you remember this WIP? I found my stars. Obviously what I now want to do is drop everything else and finish this, but I have TONS of things to do that actually need to be done by Christmas, so it will have to wait. But, you know, look! Stars! Proper stars!