Five weeks of crafting

Lupin sent me an invitation to join a new flikr group recently, with the challenge to do a little bit of crafting, and document it, every day for a year - Crafting 365. This is the result of the first five weeks. Not quite one photo per day, but then how many pictures of the same crochet blanket can you take?


Five weeks down, only 47 to go!

Another day, another quilt

This quilt has been gestating for a while now, first in my head, and latterly on the floor of my sewing room, which has been covered in piles of fabric for days. Every so often I squint at them and rearrange them slightly, trying to find the perfect combination of colours and prints.


I started hoarding these bright floral fabrics months ago, inspired by this quilt by Jane Brocket, and inevitably ended up with enough to make three quilts. This is the first, and the rest of the material is still scattered around the room in ever changing stacks, awaiting that final flash of inspiration.

When you make a quilt, of course, you also make a large pile of offcuts. For a change I thought I would put some of them to good use, and sewed a couple of little pincushions. They also help to get through that enormous box of old buttons that seems to have crept up on me. How do things like that happen?


All for sale in my Etsy store

fold and press and fold and press

There is something very calming about mindless repetitive tasks - stuffing envelopes, folding laundry, making risotto. Japanese folded patchwork is in the same mould. Cutting, folding, pressing, folding, and pressing again. The beauty of this quilt is that most of the work is done even before you pick up a needle, and the pieces are small enough to stitch in front of the television with brain in neutral. I was going to make this for my mum's birthday, but there is absolutely no way that it will be finished in time (this sunday), so now she will be getting two presents. Goodness only knows what the other one will be - I may have to resort to chocolate in order to save valuable sewing time. I don't think there will be too many complaints.

Avoiding the issue

I have formed a bit of a craft book habit lately. Books have always been an addiction of mine, in one form or another, and when they have the added attraction of offering the possibility of beautiful things to be made I am undone. I discovered the wonderful world of Japanese craft books recently, in particular this one, which has the most delicious photographs of incredibly lovely baby stuff - quilts, bibs, shoes and so on. I couldn't resist making this quilt, mostly with fabrics left over from other projects, but also using some wonderful silk-like Liberty cotton lawn.

It was so enjoyable and quick to make, I think that it will become my standard new baby gift. Now I just need to persuade my friends to have more babies.

Of course I had to photograph it on the lawn - I love a good pun.

And, by the way, this was not even on my to-do list. A little procrastination anyone?

Oh Peggy, how I love you!

This cake is the most decorating fun I have had in a while, from this book which is my current favourite. It's like cake porn - I can't stop staring at it! I am so pleased that my friend's mum is having a 70th birthday party - she really is most considerate.



Also this morning a package from America with another Moda jelly roll - Blossom by Urban Chiks this time. They are like sweeties - I want them all. I really must learn self control before I gorge myself sick.

Rain rain rain

I wonder whether this rain is ever going to stop, and when we are going to have something that even vaguely resembles summer. It seems as though all the months have been shuffled around and dealt out randomly - April was just like June.
Staying in the house makes the small people cranky, and I let them into the mudbath of a garden just to get some peace. They don't seem to think that shoes are an important part of rainy day attire so get cold quickly. When they come inside though, the decibel levels have decreased considerably, so it is all worth the extra stain removers in the laundry.





I am working on a tiny little doll quilt for the middle one. She covets these Moda fabrics as much as I do, and what mother could say no to that face. The fabrics are here - Spring Fling by Sandy Gervais and are delicious. The quilt is about 10 inches square and is made from one bargello block, a name which makes me giggle because it sounds so much like bordello. Not so appropriate for a four year old girl.

I hope that dolly appreciates it.