Feeling accomplished

I'm feeling very accomplished... these bracelets love to be worn, and so the elastic string was quite loose and stretched on them all.

I individually restrung each bracelet, which is no easy thing with a very bendy piece of elastic string! ha!

I feel like this is a crafting achievement, so it's going here. Who is with me?

 

Found a loner

I was having a rummage and came across this block from The Civil War Bride quilt.

 I've made about half of the quilt. I have the pattern and background fabrics, but my reproduction Stash and already completed blocks are still in storage at my parents.

It's been 10 years since I packed my life into a shipping container, then started driving a caravan. 

Part of me wants to still be back in Gisborne.

The other part, and bigger part is so grateful I drove 3000km, and got to have my own family.

These birds need embroidered feet! Not going to applique those!

 

Border auditions

How pretty does this look?

It takes a lot longer to trace these out than it does to stitch them!

Kind of frilly, like a seaweed.

Now, which of these looks better at the edge of the cushion?

Cornerstones or no Cornerstones?

I need to sit on this. 

Which do you prefer?

 

Template tracing and prep

The sandpaper board is a success!

I've traced around the outside. Marked the dots for a quarter inch seam.

Then joined the dots with the quarter inch ruler.

This is the size and arrangement that I like.

The last handpiecing I showed was all grunge fabrics in blue hues. 

This is a mix of grunge and batik with a kaffe fassett collective border.

This design has me in tropical heaven vibes.

So much preparation work with tracing, handcutting and sharpening of pencils!

I'm ready to stitch! 

 

Template preparation

I have a few Jen Kingwell postcard project templates. Smashing idea with a postcard, showing a photo of a quilt.  It comes with a template (or 2 if needed) and costs only $6  because it has no instructions!

I'm so keen, but I know from my beginning quilting days American Hand Pieced style, that I need a sandpaper board to lean on when tracing around templates onto fabric.

So I go into Daiso to see if they have anything i can use to make one.  (Mine is in storage 3000km away and has been since 2013).

Yes! I get sandpaper and a clipboard then use  my decoupage medium to join them.

These will need to dry overnight.

Oh Ming-Ming the cat approves. 

 

Grunge days

I've jumped on this project from 2015 with renewed vigour and verve.

I feel like finishing things!!

What a great feeling it is to finish something, (rather than just start more new things). 

I knew a lady once that would spend $400 on quilt materials, get right into it, then buy and start another project. I didn't see her finish anything! 

I was in one of the local quilt shops when I saw this cushion made from EPPiflex clam shells. 

Well, I've always wanted to do clam shells, ever since i made a mini clam quolt a very long time ago.

So I bought the eppiflex special guide to ensure the clams line up evenly in a pleasant way.   The idea with the EPPiflex is that they are flexible reuseable plastic,  which really suits me! I love the way of creating hexies using plastic from ice cream bucket lids.  So I bought the clam shapes as well. 

I have plenty of fabric already right? 

Back to my grunge project... these little clips are such a delight to use!

And this is my progress on my very own stitchery design. 

All moving forward!

💛Rainey 

 

New idea for a UFO

I was sorting out my UFOs when I came across this blast from the past.

Elongated hexagons. English Paper Piecing, and some gorgeous grunge fabrics.

I bought these prints and EPP pieces when I was pregnant in 2015! 7 years ago. 

I cant even remember how I was going to arrange these.  I've made some more and now come up with a new idea. 

That's my stitchery design in the centre.

Time to make a few more, create the stitchery and finish her up.

I love love the variety of shades and tones.

So fulfilling!

What colour shall I make the stitchery?

 

The Mother's Day Stall

Let me walk you through the Mother's Day stall which occupied my creative time for weeks!

Shower loofah, bath bomb and candle packs.

Mugs with chocolates and coffer sachets

Some with coasters.

Oven mitt, cookie cutter and cake mix packs.

Diamond painting sets

Cards, purses, photo frames,  candles, beeswax polish, chocolate packs, purses, mirrors, the eye masks I embellished.

I also made eye pillows, makeup purses.

There are also.cards, wrapped roses, handmade headbands.

Little plants, journals, sparkly pens.

Gifts tags, donated gift sets. 

 And that is done for the year! Phew!