Feeling content

Woohoo! It's a very exciting place to be in with two finished items posted today. *sigh*

All I needed was an hour or so on the sewing machine (which is now home again, with a newly inserted "bobbin stopper", whatever that is) to finish two projects!

 Front of the embroidered cushion

 Back of the embroidered cushion - a special yoga festival gift of gratitude

It's traditional to send flowers, but I think this kind will last longer.

The Swedish Baby Quilt which I named "Swedish Baby Garden". It is an absolute joy to complete a project that has made your heart sing!

 I know my sister is going to love it. It is her colours all over. I am sure she will send photos of the quilt in the nursery and with her Bub which is now 37 weeks cooked - this means Bub could be born at any time.

 The back is just as fun. Little mushroom fabrics surrounded by a red spot binding reminds me of Amanita mushrooms (toadstools). I love the contrast and the garden feel.

Congratulations Feupie, I am so excited for you.

And that's two parcels by registered post today. Oh! Feeling so content with these finishes.

When your sewing machine gets sick...

I was so excited to be finishing the Swedish Baby Quilt for my sister. She is due in only a few weeks, and so her baby could come at any time!! I finally finished all the applique, spray basted and prepared to quilt.

Alas! My sewing machine decided to have a melt-down mid-quilting.

Some of the quilting around the outer edge remains, and the binding must be stitched on.

My poor machine needs a service, and hopefully I can pick it up as soon as possible. Not only am I trying to finish her gift in time, but I want to finish the tapestry cushion, and I have been nesting like crazy by sewing away. I've added lots more leaves and flowers in the quilting - hence the quilt will be called Swedish Baby Garden.

Sigh.

Here is a little snippet of handwork I have been carrying around in my bag for Dr and Hospital waiting rooms. It's going to be a gift for our friend Laura. I wonder if she will use it as a wallhanging or on a table. She will Know what to do with it.

It must be the Right time to catch up on my blogging, do some reading, and exercises to prepare for a relaxed and calm birth.

Swedish baby quilt update

Just a bit of applique added so far. The outer stem is completely sewn down.

 In this photo you can see the music notes on the stem fabric.

I am particularly fond of the appliqued moose. It looks quite striking in real life. Unfortunately this quilt is not going to photograph well - it is going to look better in real life every time.

I've also stitched a few bits and pieces from the "Little Chicken Feather" book for the Baby Girl Quilt for our friends baby due in 5-6 weeks.

And I've bought some fabrics and found some free redwork patterns at patternbee.com  to make prizes for the Biggest Morning Tea raffle prizes. My new MIL runs a huge morning tea, and her usual raffle prize donor is no longer working due to injury and therefore cannot donate the prizes this year. I have decided to make some stitched heat pads/oven mitts, a tablerunner, and some Christmas banners.

I can see myself quite, quite busy this next month, as the morning tea is now only a couple of weeks away. Oh my! I've done it again!!!

Sewing with Su and the week ahead

It's time for a "Thursdays with Su" sewing day update!

Mum has definitely decided she is leaving on Monday, so I've put the brakes on the horsey quilt...

Here's the front of the quilt so far... I'm LOVING it! There's more to add on, and beautiful horse prints to make the back of the quilt. I need to be in the right mood to design a layout, and that will come.

Su and I enjoyed a lovely day of planning next projects and starting new ones... (What!!??? New projects??)

We are going on retreat to Magnetic Island in June for 3 nights, and at this stage I think I'll take the Double Wedding Ring for my sister (still to be cut out on the AccuQuilt), a small project we found to make an ironing mat that folds up into an iron carrybag, and I guess some handwork - perhaps it will be some handwork for my own baby quilt.

Today I pieced the background for the Swedish Baby Quilt for my sister, and made the 1/2inch vine around the outside. 

This is going to be a relatively small baby quilt.  I have other quilts she can use when the babe is bigger.

And I started some stitcheries from Bronwyn Hayes' book "Little Chicken Feather" that will be used in Nat and Cat's baby girl quilt (quilt required in only 6 weeks)!! Eek! So much to do!

The best thing is I feel so inspired reading others' blogs and sharing projects with Su. Feeling wonderful!!

This week is hand work week. The machine is going away, and it's time to applique the Swedish Baby Quilt, stitch the Baby Girl Quilt, and finish off crocheted blankies that are nearly done.

Inspiration come at me for my own baby quilt!!! Sometimes there is too much to choose from... I haven't even decided between bright or soft. *sigh*

Chances and Dreams

There's still a chance The Horsey Quilt will be made in time for Mum to quilt it before leaving on her holiday.

The remaining 6 pieced blocks have been stitched. They will not be joined next to each other like this, and so there should be a chain effect in the yellow.

The borders for the applique blocks have been cut out of the black strips in the batik jelly roll. And tomorrow I plan to sew, sew, sew to complete the front of the quilt.

Sewing with Su on Thursday, I plan to make the back of the double sided quilt. The final plan is not yet decided, as the size of the front is still unknown. I will use as much of the fabric I have, as long as it looks good. These are the last bits of the jelly roll, and I've cut some whimsical horse prints into strips as well.

Then, we had a visit today from very good friends that are having their baby girl in about 7 weeks... and I am thinking I might make the Lucky Ducky quilt for them. (I know! That was going to be for my baby!!)

And still yet, I am dreaming about the Swedish inspired quilt for my sisters baby. ("What Swedish baby quilt is that?" I can read your mind!)

I recently subscribed to a magazine Sandra showed me when I visited her last January. "Simply Vintage" by the makers of "Quiltmania". Ohhhhh... the projects are so gorgeous!

I found this naive folkish applique in my first copy, and thought it would be lovely for my sister!

Then I started to think about her tastes and experiences, and I know I really need to put some of her Swedish lifestyle into it, and some music... And so I will keep the pieced background idea, and the outer bias vines, then find some Swedish folkish motifs to applique, and mix in some music stuff.

I thought I might use these:

 These are leftover fabrics from the Colour Me Happy quilt and some batiks from the Horsey Quilt's jelly roll. Not a bit of pink in sight (sister hates pink), but fun and bright for a baby of any gender. All I need to buy at this stage is 40cm of cream background, and something to cut on the bias for the vines.

My mind must be going a million miles an hour with so many projects to plan, and still, there is my own baby quilt to make! I have another 20 or so weeks to work it out.... hopefully I will have decided by then!