All posts tagged fabric

Scrappy madness!

I like to keep my scraps organised by colour in polythene freezer bags, the ones that have a grip seal. I’ve got a couple of large plastic storage boxes to keep them all tidy but, now and again, I reach the point where I can’t fit any more of a particular colour in. Then it’s time to do some scrap busting!These are all the purples I had. There’s a few pieces left over from the F2F quilt which was made as part of a block swap organised by Kate a couple of years ago.

I remembered this particular fabric but I wasn’t sure it fitted in with what I’d planned. It’s from a very bright and cheerful jelly roll that I made a French braid quilt top with years ago. Here it is, still sitting in a box and waiting to be quilted after almost 6 years. Time flies!

Do you always remember where every bit of fabric came from and the projects you made from it? I digress.

I pressed all the purple scraps and divided them into groups according to shape and size. There were loads of 5 inch squares, part jelly roll strips and 5 inch rectangles with selvedges still attached. I’ve now cut the selvedges off and have ended up with over 200 rectangles that are 5” x 1.5”. There’s also about 70 five inch squares and the equivalent of 60 full jelly roll strips. They’ve all been bagged up for future purple projects.

I then cut all the other bits into strips as wide as I could get from them.

Then I stitched them all together. That’s what patchworkers do. We chop up fabric and stitch it all back together again! A bit of mindless sewing is good for you now and again, isn’t it?Then it was fun time! Why have lots of pieces of purple fabric when you can have one big piece instead?Keeping everything square as I went, I just kept adding different widths around and around and couldn’t stop because it was so much fun. I pressed the seams open because there are no quilt police here I thought it would lie flatter that way.

Sometimes I added a strip to each side rather than all the way around, depending on how much of that width I had left. I ended up with purple scrappy madness. It’s a good job I like purple ;-).

It’s now about 36” x 24” and I have no purple scraps left. Any ideas what to do with it? I’m happy to leave as it is or chop it up. Don’t say “bin it” LOL.

28 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on May 2, 2018 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork

Tagged charm, fabric, french braid, jelly roll, patchwork, purple, scrappy, scraps, square

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on May 2, 2018

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2018/05/02/scrappy-madness/

More Chinese fabric makes

I was playing with the Singer and I rather enjoy making bags so I made another one! This time with the red lucky cats fabric that my daughter purchased for me when she was in Taipei.

It’s the usual make-it-up-as-you-go-along kind of bag, lined with Moda red solid and a zip closure.

I did some inch wide straight line quilting to make it a bit more luxurious…

…and gave it a bit of a boxy bottom.

The singer has no problems quilting without a walking foot. I just made the stitch length a little longer as if it was for top stitching.

The bag has now been gifted, along with an easy peasy scrappy bookmark (because the recipient likes to read proper books) and some veggie gummy caterpillars from Marks and Spencer. Nom nom!

I should have bought myself some of those ;-). Too late now.

16 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on April 27, 2018 • Permalink

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged bag, bookmark, Chinese, fabric, handmade, lined, pouch, quilting, sewing, Singer, Taipei, Taiwan, zipper

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on April 27, 2018

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/more-chinese-fabric-makes/

Happy New Year 2017

Happy New Year Everyone!

It’s been a busy year for me again and the patchwork has taken a bit of a back seat. I did finish four projects namely the sausage dog, the green stars quilt, the tardis and the F2F quilt. I can’t take credit for all the blocks in the F2F quilt but I did assemble and quilt it myself. I spent lots of time this year making the tiny blocks for the Loyal Union Sampler and also lots of 12 inch blocks for the F2F Block Swap organised by Kate. So, there’s been loads of partial finishes but not many completed projects as far as patchwork goes. You can see lots more pictures of everything by clicking the “Finished 2016” tab at the top of the page. If you click on the photos on that page, you’ll be taken to the relevant posts.

I’ve been more active on cross stitch projects this year. You can see those on my other blog Sewing Beside the Sea.

Thank you to everyone who supported my blog last year, whether you’ve been reading anonymously in the background or actively liking, commenting and emailing. It’s nice to have you stop by.

11 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on January 1, 2017 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork

Tagged craft, fabric, Happy New Year, interior design, Loyal Union Sampler, machine quilting, moda, project, quilt, quilting, sewing

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on January 1, 2017

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2017/01/01/happy-new-year-2017/

Sausage Dog Fun

Hello everyone,

I can now share something that I made for my daughter for Christmas. She’s been wanting a sausage dog for along the bottom of the door for a while. I came across this pattern and just had to make one.

He’s got lovely ears…

…and a proper stand up tail.

He was very easy to put together. I made my own slight alterations to the pattern instructions regarding the construction methods for the gusset under his chin and attaching the ears.

You might recognise the shiny fabric. I’ve finally chopped up a sari that my daughter brought for me from India.

I think he looks very smart in his shiny coat. He’s stuffed quite firmly in the head and tail. I also bought him a collar with red flashing LEDs but haven’t got a photo of him wearing it. He’s very well behaved and has taken up residence along the back of the sofa. It’s too draughty down by the door 🙂

18 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on December 31, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork

Tagged craft, Dachshund, Draught excluder, fabric, handmade, interior design, pattern, Sausage Dog, sewing

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on December 31, 2016

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2016/12/31/sausage-dog-fun/

Loyal Union Sampler Block 16/121

Good afternoon everyone,

Not a lot of progress to share on the sampler this week. I made the nine square in a square blocks the other day and then just looked at the pieces on my mat and walked away several times. Sometimes I just know it isn’t going to be successful so I go off and do something else. Today, the bits went together like a dream. It was worth waiting until I could give it my best shot.

Anyway, this one is called Chambersburg from the Loyal Union Sampler book by Jennifer Chiaverini. It’s got forty five dinky pieces and finishes at six inches square. I’ll definitely make this block again in a larger format. There’s so much that could be done with colour placement to make secondary patterns.

Here’s where I’m at now.

It’s back to Y-seams for the next two blocks. I promise not to whinge!

12 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on November 13, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork, The Loyal Union Sampler Quilt, Uncategorized

Tagged blue, craft, fabric, geometric, handmade, interior design, Loyal Union Sampler, moda, patchwork, project, quilt, traditional

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on November 13, 2016

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2016/11/13/loyal-union-sampler-block-16121/

Loyal Union Sampler Blocks 12, 13 and 14/121

I eventually managed the Y-seams on this block using the sewing machine. The photo was taken in poor light but waiting for the time when there is good daylight again could take months. So here it is. This one is called California. I’m pleased with how it turned out. It’s the first block in the second row of the quilt.

Block 13 is called Camp Curtin. Nice and easy peasy this one :-).

Finally, my favourite of the latest blocks, Campfire. I think I’ll make more of these in a larger size for another project.

It’s back to Y-seams for the next block and they definitely won’t go through the machine this time. Believe me, I’ve tried! Oh well, I had to learn how to hand stitch patchwork at some point.

This is what the quilt looks like so far. I can’t promise rapid progress with the next block.

If you’d like to make this quilt, you’ll find it in the Loyal Union Sampler book by Jennifer Chiaverini.

23 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on November 7, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork, The Loyal Union Sampler Quilt

Tagged blue, craft, fabric, geometric, handmade, interior design, Loyal Union Sampler, moda, quilt, quilting, traditional

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on November 7, 2016

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/loyal-union-sampler-blocks-12-13-and-14121/

Happy Unbirthday to Meeeeeee!

Good Evening,

What a lovely surprise dropped through my letterbox today. My good friend Claire has been sending out her unbirthday gifts again and I was one of the lucky recipients. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Claire has been making lots of lovely lavender sachets like this one but mine doesn’t have lavender in it. All perfumes make me sneeze and I have a particular problem with lavender so she made an exception just for me 🙂

Here’s the reverse.

I already have a tiny cross stitched biscornu which Claire made and sent to me a few years ago. It sits on my sewing machine and I use it as a pin cushion every time I sew.

I’m going to use this new happy, bright, cheerful, jazzy number as my cross stitch needle cushion. I can’t stop smiling! Thank you very much Claire 🙂

12 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on September 8, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork

Tagged birthday, bright, craft, cushion, fabric, handmade, interior design, modern

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on September 8, 2016

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/happy-unbirthday-to-meeeeeee/

An Unbirthday Finish

You may remember, way back in August last year, that I began making some green saw tooth star blocks with an unbirthday present from my lovely friend Claire. She sent me some fabric pieces, all slightly larger than 10 inches square as a surprise gift. I chopped each of them into four 5 inch squares and set to work.

I had enough to make 25 stars.

They looked lovely all laid out together and I rearranged them over and over again to get the best distribution of colours. The next photos were taken in very poor light.

Then I had a brainwave… What if I added some Irish chain blocks? I had some coordinating solids that would look nice and then I’d have a much bigger quilt.

When sewing them together, it’s a good idea to pay attention or you might make a mistake like I did. OOPS!

Thankfully it wasn’t too difficult to put right. Now, after quilting and binding, I have a lovely happy dance to share 🙂I was quite shocked to look back through my posts and find that I’d originally received these fabrics last August. It’s taken almost a year to get them all sewn up. Better late than never.

Thank you so much again Claire. I couldn’t have made this without your very kind unbirthday gift. I hope you like what I made 🙂

30 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on June 29, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork

Tagged craft, fabric, geometric, handmade, interior design, irish chain, machine quilting, patchwork, project, quilt, quilting, Saw Tooth Star Block

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on June 29, 2016

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2016/06/29/an-unbirthday-finish/

A lovely surprise!

Isn’t it wonderful when a surprise package drops through the letterbox? It’s even better when that package contains something as gorgeous as this.

It’s a mini quilt, sent to me by my great friend Jule from Germany. Jule writes a fantastic blog called Beyond the Boudoir. I can’t thank her enough for taking the time to make something so beautiful for me.

I love moving it around and looking at it from different angles.

The fabric is folded and sewn along the raw edges, giving a 3D effect. Piecing perfection! I must try it myself. Thank you so much Jule 🙂

22 Comments

by Oh Sew Tempting on June 25, 2016 • Permalink

Posted in Quilting and Patchwork

Tagged 3D quilt, craft, fabric, geometric, handmade, interior design, mini quilt, patchwork, quilt, sewing

Posted by Oh Sew Tempting on June 25, 2016

https://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/a-lovely-surprise/

Doctor Who’s Tardis

Hello everyone,

I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long. I’m not able to spend much time at the sewing machine or the laptop at the moment so I’ve been concentrating on hand sewing which you can see on my other blog. It’s so much easier to pick up and put down a hand stitched project when you only have a few odd minutes to spare here and there.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I was browsing the internet for inspiration for future projects, as you do, and I found this free pattern. I’m not a particular fan of Doctor Who but one of my friends enjoys the programme and I was looking for a small project to keep me out of trouble. So, I made my own version of the pattern and this is how it turned out.

I had wanted to make a mug rug initially but it sort of grew into a mini quilt, suitable for a wall-hanging or table topper or whatever my friend decides to do with it. I added some personal touches by embroidering the white text onto black evenweave and also printed the door notice and the St. John Ambulance logo onto fabric before the final piecing took place. Here’s a close up.

I finished off with some blue metallic thread window panes and door details. You may notice the mistake in the text on the door. Well, technically it isn’t a mistake. I found out all sorts of information about the various versions of the tardis from here. You will see that the words I’ve used did actually appear on one version of the tardis prop.