Marimekko Bag

I'm very excited to have finished my christmas presents! First up a tote bag for my Marikekko mad sister. I used Jedi craft girl's tutorial, and I'm really happy with the results! 

Quilting in progress...

Finished product!! I even put in a pocket!

I also made a cushion for my mum

And also for my mum in law!

Can you spot the mistake in the log cabin? I decided to just go with it!

Hooray for Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone! 

Scandi Stars

I have been sewing away at this Christmas quilt- here it is in stages

Layout stage

Sashing stage

Flapping in the winter sun, top all finished (minus trimming) stage.

I reckon I can get it quilted with some quick and large meandering, and then bound over the festive season. Got some flannel waiting for the back!

Merry Christmas everyone:

I'm going to link to Quiltville:

http://quiltville.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/a-very-merry-happy-holiday-linky-party.html?m=1

Linking up with lovely Kelly.

http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/better-late-than-never.html?m=1

http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/better-late-than-never.html?m=1

Orange is the New Block

I came up with this blog post title late last night and am just so pleased with myself! Not only is the latest block in my sampler quilt orange, but I cut and stitched it while watching 'Orange is the New Black' . But then I got so into OITNB that I had to just watch it and not sew or cut at the same time.

 It's an Amish star block, not sure that I love it, but I think it will work in the quilt. And now I'm going to link to lovely Kelly at needle and thread Thursday http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk

I am on a bit of an orange trip. I went on an amazing quilt course taught by Jane Brocket on being brave with colour. We had to choose a fabric in a colour we really didn't like, from a pile of her own stash fabrics, then work from there to put colours and patterns together. I chose a brown and tan fabric... And look what I ended up with:

It ended up with blue and orange - and I really like it! It's going to be a cushion for my mum. 

Finally I made a doll quilt for my friend's daughter's birthday. I feel like a real quilting mama now, sending my son to parties with home made gifts. 

You can't quilt a power ranger or a ninja turtle, so I have to make the most of little girl parties! 

Linking up to WIP Wednesday- thank you for the linky party!

Making it up as I go along

I started this quilt as 2 mini quilts for friends - and I loved the blocks so much I made identical blocks for myself, and then I kept going. I was having fun trying new techniques , and practicing skills, and playing with my growing stash.

Original blocks:

Mini quilts for friends:

Then I added more blocks :

And the completed blocks so far:

I'm learning lots about HSTs, flying geese, and also quilt maths! I have had to write out and resize the block designs from various books. I'm aiming for 12 blocks and then will see what to do about sashing, borders etc. 

My little boy started school 3 weeks ago, and I am finding a bit more sewing time in the week...so exciting! Also it's lovely to see him learn and grow and make new friends of course!! 

Going to link to Needle and Thread Thursday. Thanks Kelly for the inspiration.

Friendship Cushion

I am really proud of this little cushion because it is a joint project between me and some of the girls in my class. 10 year old girls don't always see eye to eye, so to encourage friendships I ran a girls craft club this term. We did some hand sewing, made friendship bracelets, loom bands - they showed me how to do that- and finally I brought in my hand crank sewing machine and they all had a little turn. They just got to pick 2 fabrics, cut patches and piece them together. Then I took them home, and put them all together. 

I quilted it with orange thread, mettler silk finish cotton, and it looks like the stitching on jeans- really cool. 

I backed it with scraps, stuffed it really well and stitched it shut. 

I gave it to the girls today- they loved it! It will live in the class reading corner for everyone to chill out with.  What I love are the colour combos they chose- I wouldn't have picked them, but they really pop!

Now I want one of my own for my home!

Going to link up to another quilty teacher -  Kelly! 

An English country garden

I am sending a little snippet of my English (city) garden to China, tucked away inside this little Hexie flower. 

A friend from Shanghai has been staying with me, and I made her a little lavender bag with lavender from my garden. I used the free paper pieces from Love Patchwork and Quilting  magazine- 1 inch- I love them. So cute, so quick. 

Other projects just inching along at a snail's pace are my mini quilts, tops completed, (to give away) and two matching blocks that I'm going to put into a sampler quilt for me.

Summer holidays are close enough to see now... Lovely sewing time awaits!

Quilts on toast

I've been sewing bits and bobs and dreaming of quilts. I've had quilting on the brain so much, look what happened to my food :

I do actually also have a quilt finish to share. A wee rainbow baby quilt that I put together in evenings after work. It was going to be a regular coins quilt with each stack the same width , but I didn't measure carefully and cut the first stack too narrow. So I looked at the rest of my slab of strips and adjusted my widths to get the graduated effect. I like this much better - a happy accident ! 

I've also been working on two mini quilts/ wall quilts for my lovely colleagues for end of year gifts. Maple leaves for a Canadian lady and a Violet Star for a teacher who I shared a Violet class with. 

 I'm going to link to the lovely Amanda Jean's linky party - always so much inspiration !  Finish it Friday

Technical question: anyone know how I can insert a link in my post using the iPhone blogger app? Haven't figured it out yet ! 

Big Star

This is a really lovely pattern I found via the Quilty web TV shows. I love these little shows, lots of great tips and ideas. Anyway, it's my first star quilt, a wall hanging, and so far just the top finished, but super satisfying none the less. 

The yellows are from my AMH true colors fabric win from the Village Habedashery. And the blues are from my hoarded Tula Pink Acacia stash. The colour scheme is in honour of my Swedish heritage! 

I'm trying the Blogger App on my iPhone here- so I'm going to try to link to Crazy Mom quilts - lets see if it works ....

Blueberry Forest

I have finished a proper quilt top! Here it is:

It is a simple patchwork, because I've never made one before, and I think I should do it at least once! Also it was fairly quick, which, in the time I squeeze my sewing into, is important. It's a 12th birthday present for my niece. The fabrics are cute, the colours girly, but the blueberry and cranberry colours give it sufficient 'darkness' to last her through her teens I hope.

 The feature fabrics are Enchanted Forest, and I've added some Amy Butler, Denyse Schmitt, random polka dots, all sorts. So I've called it Blueberry Forest and made a proper label - sorry no pic.

 I've got half way through the quilting - and ran out with hubby to snap it while the sun shone. In other news I was so chuffed to win this great giveaway from the lovely folks at The Village Habedashery.
It's a fat quarter bundle of True Colours in Green. And they sent a lovely card! (my name is Esther, I blog under my nickname!)

I can't wait to make something. The only thing is they are crying out for a few blues, pinks and purples...I think I'd better shop (it was payday yesterday after all).

I also want to say how much I enjoy seeing all the things my fellow (much more prolific) bloggers make and write about. When life is crazy and work is stressful, which it is, it's so uplifting to see so much creativity. So thank you!

Bits and bobs...and a Bernina

January went by without any much of a focus, sewing or otherwise- glad to be on to February! I have been sewing bits and pieces, nothing finished, and mostly sewing to get to know my new machine better. My lovely new machine, here she is!

I found her the Saturday before Christmas, in a local charity shop. I'd gone in to buy more Christmas cards and saw a sewing machine standing in the window, a Bernina, for £50. I had to have it. I didn't know if it worked, but at that price who cared, so I snapped her up as my Christmas present. I got her home, threaded her up, plugged in, switched on, and...nothing! Not a flicker of life. So disappointing, I would have to wait til after Christmas to get to the repair shop, but that night I pondered that the first thing the repair guy would do would be to check the plug. So first thing the next day, there I was in my pyjamas, with a screwdriver checking the plug, and sure enough a wire had come loose- so I rewired and tightened it all. I plugged in the machine, held my breath and switched on- bingo! Lights, needle, action, we were in business.

I found a manual online, and did a quick search on the model, 1230, and discovered that I have an iconic machine, and that she sews all kinds of cool stuff. The accessories box is brilliant- all those presser feet, look:

I doubt I'll ever use them all! Who knows. So then I just wanted to get sewing. The main thing I've completed is this patchwork. Probably destined to be a cushion, but maybe a wall quilt, not sure yet.

It's made from the scraps from my purse strings quilt, my first real attempt at HSTs, and I love it.

I've also made a few little birdies like this as gifts.

And a great appliqué t-shirt for my son's dress up day at nursery. Those jersey stitches are really brilliant.

So there you have it. I can't wait to get on to quilting on my Bernina now...February is going to be fun!

I've linked up to wip-wednesday for the first time!