More Baby sewing

It feels so good to be behind the wheel of the sewing machine again.... I am dreaming of a sewing studio for next year... ooh! How wonderful! I won't have to pack everything up all the time!

Quite excitedly I anticipate a design wall and plenty of storage and display space as well as natural light, and air conditioning (a necessary here in Far North Queensland).

I have a wish list of sewing to-dos before baby arrives and the sewing machine and all that goes with it go away... I wonder just how much will be finished in time....

I made 12 very absorbent baby bibs from one towel, with ribbing and binding on the edges... such a joy to prepare bright and colourful wearables for my little one on the way!

It gives me great joy to make something useful and decorative.

Next year I will be decorating my studio and our new home.... I hope to have lots of finishes to show and tell.

For now, I shall have a rummage to see what I feel like making next.

Nesting: sewing or cleaning?

Some people use cloth nappies or old towels for burp cloths. Others use store bought items. I am in the mood to sew for Bub. I cut four hand towels in half (vertically) to give 8 pieces of towel. Then I stitched a colourful piece of fabric onto the back with right sides together, turned through, and top stitched. Ta-da!

These feel like traditional Bar Mats one would find in a pub. 

8 Burp Cloths

I think they will be just right for my Bub's personal Milk Bar when it opens for business. Heh heh.

I've also been sewing some bibs inspired by Jo. She showed me how to make them a few years ago.

At this stage I will put them away to work on two impending gifts - my sister's baby quilt and the cushion cover.

I feel like I'm nesting frantically by sewing sewing sewing! I wonder if that happens with other quilters and sewers. Who would clean if you could sew?

Why? Because...

No, really. I don't feel sidetracked. It's not quite veering away from the Log Apartments quilt. Why? Because that's machine work and this is handwork.

These little stitchery blocks are the first (I plan to stitch five blocks) in a series for this year's quilt group raffle blocks. Do you remember raffle blocks from previous years? Each participant makes as many blocks as they want to. For each entry they receive a raffle ticket. All the raffle tickets go into the draw, and winners receive a bundle of blocks. (Okay, so I am stitching five blocks, I could have used them all myself.... but where is the challenge in that?). Besides, it's nice to have friendship blocks.And, I finished hand-stitching the binding on the final bibs.

The universe is smiling...

I've been experimenting with saree fabrics we brought back from India. This is what I started with....



then I made this block - with the om symbol. It's my first successful attempt at zig-zag machine applique. The universe was smiling at me when I decided to make it!!

I don't want to join this delicate applique with the first section of quilt. So, I started another block.

This will be the tree of life. I plan to join the 2 blocks then applique peacock feathers down the sides to complete a wallhanging.

These girly bibs are for my DH's grand-neice. She is only a few months old, she will be able to grow into them too.

Twins

I quilted this tablerunner and completed the binding on the same night. Do you know what I mean when I say I have been crazy to finish lots of things?

Do you remember seeing its twin? You may notice they are not identical!

More bibs have gone to good homes. These ones are for a baby boy - James. I think he will have to grow into them! Still, from what I hear, lots of gifts for newborn babies only fit for a short while.

A useful bundle

I've been sewing my fingers to the nub preparing for a baby shower! I think I mentioned I am trying to finish all my "Christmas" and holiday sewing before the start of December - that will leave me December to increase the number of "Finished Items" for the year! Hurrah! This is one bib made from a towel.

This is all three for Catherine. We don't know the gender of the baby - so I have tried to be neutral with the colours (but still bright!).

I also decorated these little singlets. (It will be a Summer baby, and might get to wear them on a hot day!).

This one is my favourite colourway. Hmmm.. now the bird looks like it needs an eye. Oh well, it's "arty"!

I bought this little suit and decorated it with... you guessed it another bird!!

This is sure to be a useful bundle for the Mum-to-be.

What else is new?

I am slowly adding beads to the stamens onto the Kyomi wallhanging.

Orange and pink- they are a little hard to see here, but they are adding an essential dimension.

Can you guess what these are?

These are bibs I started (for my cousin's baby shower). A towel was cut into segments, and some of them have been bound. I will show you what to do next... (when I am up to it!!).