Basket Case

Finding a good name for this quilt was really easy!! I certainly feel like a basket case!

I've just stayed up sewing and sewing... I can't put the baskets down!!

I filled six bobbins on a friend's machine. My machine really, really needs to be serviced... Tension bad, bobbins not winding, thread cutter on the fritz... poor workhorse!

A snapshot of a few blocks- each block has 2 borders... and I've joined them into rows.

I think they'll have a little ric-rac and/or ribbon for decoration, and some 3D flowers made with the clover flower maker... I'll keep you updated. *grin*

Oh, and hand-sewing? Mum has quilted my Flower Of The Month stitchery quilt. It's beautiful. I've machine-stitched the binding on... I'm off to a Christmas Sew-In at Susan's today, and I'll be needing some hand work.

Burnout...

I'm love-love-loving sewing at the moment... Definitely have my mojo back... and I'm trying hard to increase the number of finished projects for this year (they are significantly lower than previous years)... but... we won't worry about that...

So, I started the basket quilt. It's made from panels, with borders added around the printed blocks. (It's cheating really, the baskets look like they've been pieced or appliqued on.. Shhhhh...)

Each block has been cut out, following the printed design on the panel. Then I chose two fabrics to border each block before starting to sew.Ok.... it got a bit mad... I kept sewing, and even though my machine is on the fritz (the tension just goes in and out.. I'll be sewing along, and mid-seam the top thread will go all loose)... so I've had to sew a few of the seams twice!!

Then it became later and later at night... and I was still sewing!!

Wow! All the blocks have the first frame on... and I'm trying to fill a bobbin, and they won't fill. Uh-oh.... There's something wrong with the bobbin-winding motor. What can I do? Keep emptying bobbins.

Thank goodness I fill 3 bobbins at a time, and I have about 25 bobbins - most with thread on them at one point or another... There's a message here - stop sewing tonight!! I'm going to go with it... Zzzzz...

Emptying bobbins

Well... okay... it took two days to clear all those little pieces off the table!! What can I say? I've been terribly busy!

Here they are all joined together... I emptied a lot of bobbins... I kept thinking, "I just need to sew this bit, I won't fill a bobbin - what colour can I use?" So, I emptied a few bobbins in a range of neutral colours: grey, cream, sage green... they all worked...

I think you can see that there are quite a lot of seams... I'm loving the fabrics...

I can't wait to slice and dice the Sunburnt Grass to insert a zebra print. I'm hoping it will look like there is movement in the quilt...

Now, I just need a little bit of time please Time Fairy... *grin*

The next mad sewing day...

So, where are my sewing buddies? I woke to an early alarm clock - not wanting to be late for my quilting mates for our mad sewing session... and not one of them turned up!!

That's it, next time, I'm sleeping in!!! (I know you're reading this Rosie and Andrea *wink wink*)....

A good friend from out of town did visit me, but I didn't start sewing until after lunch... well and truly after lunch!!

I cut up the rest of the Bali Pop to make Sunburnt Grass:

I've colourwashed it into sections of green and reds....

Then I went to dance class, and thought I'd better come back tonight to stitch up what I can - it can't stay on the table tomorrow!!!

Uh-oh, this is all I managed to sew. I'll be up early again in the morning...

African Dreaming

I've had these African fabrics sitting in a shoebox for 3 years I reckon...

Tonight after work, I was so tired that I went home and slept for about 1 1/2 hours... and I dreamed...
Along with theabove fabrics I had a Bali Pop - it's like a jelly roll (pack of 40 pieces 2.5 inches wide) of batik fabrics.... I woke, scribbled down the ideas that had come to me... then I had to sew... so I stayed up fairly late considering how tired I was... but this is what I've made so far...

This is the African sun in the sky...
These are the pieces I have left from the Bali Pop - these are the grass fabrics...

To be continued...

Just In Time

Just in time for Christmas... I've finished the Calendar!

This little wallhanging looks so so much better than it did in a panel. The quilting adds a lot of depth.

I decided to use little black safety pins and make them a decorative feature, rather than try to conceal the way the date medallions were attached.

Just in time for me to clock up another finish... Hmm... now that's finished...what will I start next? Maybe I should finish something else first? Noooooo..... that would be sensible! Hahahaha.

Sewing and sleeping

So... Christmas is drawing near... and today I've had a "mad sewing day" with the girls... Okay, it wasn't as mad as last Tuesday. It was very peaceful... we were all doing handwork at one point (I've sewn the binding on! YAY!!)
Oh yes, it is quite narrow...

We were all feeling rather tired - Rosie decided it was our machines that usually keep us awake.... perhaps it's the noise? I suggested it was because we were up and down to the iron when machining... Whatever the reason, we were all stitching ourselves to sleep (except Carolyn who was fusing on a tree trunk and tracing leaves)... What can I say? We were soothed and relaxed.I know that after starting to sew the little date medallions for this hanging (on the machine) I was more awake... but I'm not sure if that was the Coke spider I drank or the machine... *wink wink*

I'm not sure how I am going to attach the medallions temporarily each year - it's a perpetual calendar, so the medallions will move. I tried to stitch a safety pin on the back, but even a tiny one moves so that it is visible at times.

Carolyn suggested I make a feature of the little black safety pins by pinning through the top. Well, at the moment, they just have sewing pins on them so they don't go for a walk... Hopefully I'll finish the other medallions tomorrow... I have a quilt top I'd like to add borders to tomorrow (if I'm not on the ride-on mower)...