Quick Quilt?

I'm making a quilt for Geordie's mom for Christmas, but the one I wanted to make is too complex to finish in time.  So, I'm making her a Coin Quilt, using 12 fat quarters, a pretty olivey green for the sashing and borders and... erm, a sheet from IKEA as the backing.  I'm hoping to piece the backing at least a little.

I'll be doing straight quilting - probably in the ditch - because I'm hurrying, but also because my (beloved) machine is old and can't do free-motion quilting at all.

I'm going to take pictures of the whole process and post them!

For now, I'll leave you with this picture: Buttercat, clearly saying, "What do you mean, 'in the way'?"

*grin*

SongBird

Prototype

I made a small messenger bag from two fat quarters on Friday.  Literally, nothing but two fat quarters - one for exterior, one for lining.  It has four pockets, cute, mid-length tied straps (which could be sewn so as to be one slightly longer strap) and needs interfacing.

I'm going to work on a couple more versions to see what I end up with, but I really can't wait to get it into my shop.  I think I'm finally getting organized enough to have things for the shop.

Bags, flowers, embroidery patterns, knitting patterns; am I being to spread out?  Should I focus the shop on one thing only?

SongBird

Embroidery

I've gone back to doing embroidery - I did it some as a little girl, but then not much after that.  However, I've seen such neat things that I wanted to start up again.

I'm almost finished with this one - I'll be taking out the bit curving to the left at the bottom and then adding a heavy black chain stitch
border around the whole thing.  I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Here's another view of it.

Also, I draw mermaids and other things, so the other one I've started is a mermaid!

I'm hoping to get these and a few others made into pdfs in the next week and get them up in my etsy shop. I think this might be one of the things I can really put out there.

SongBird

Busy, but no photos

I've been busy, but the pictures I have don't really represent what I'm doing.

Here's one thing, though.



*glee*

SongBird

Inchies and other small things

I've been playing around with small bits of art - I started with Artists Trading Cards (although I think I have in mind trying to sell them on etsy, so they'd more properly be called ACEO (Art Card, Editions and Originals)).  I love to sketch and draw, so I have a pack of the cards with me at all times.  Here's a good site to start with, if you'd like to make your own.  Art in Your Pocket  I like to browse through the ACEO Showcase, when I'm feeling out of ideas.

I found an online craft swap site and joined up, happily swapping ATC and little folded zines.  I saw someone there mention "inchies", and I was intrigued.  I looked around and found inchies on flickr, and started making my own. 

I end up with piles and piles of tiny little art.  Mostly I draw on them, but people seem to like making them with collage and other techniques.

 

I loved this little fish, but I sent it off to my swap partner.  I think I'll make myself a little wall of fishies and aquarium things, then mount them together.  Or... what about magnets for our new fridge?

This one worked well, I thought.  It's one of the first ones I made.

There are lots of tiny little bits of art out there - I find that working small is a good way for me to work.  I like that I can keep ATC cards in my purse.  Recently I've been working on 3x5 cards as well - I like the slightly longer aspect.

I have a sudden, unexpected cleaning up deadline, so I'm off to clean, now.  I think I need more coffee first, though.

SongBird

Busy few weeks

I've been busy the past few weeks with non-crafty stuff.  I did make some things:

I love Coin Quilts, but I'm interested in quick results, so I made this quilt top from 6 fat quarters and some white dot yardage I had already. I'm planning on making a quick tutorial - I can't be the only person who's looking for something fast, fun and colorful.  Plus, I'll be making more of these!

I love math and science - so the thought of making a crocheted hyperbolic plane, something that's the opposite of Euclidean geometry, made me very happy.  Again, I'll be making more.  Lots more.

We got a new fridge (it's seriously ginormous - I think you could fit enough food in it to feed a family of a zillion).  However, we needed to put new light switches in, so I made a quick, pretty new cover.

I have lots of other things to post about, but I have chemistry homework to do.  Anyone want to do it for me?

SongBird

Kitchen Mat

So, our fridge was having deepseated emotional problems, so our landlords said they'd give us a new one.  I stared around at my kitchen, realised I needed to clean it up and ... decided that the logical first step was to sew a new kitchen mat.  I saw this tutorial on Sew Mama Sew a while ago, but didn't bother to look at it again today.

I started with a pretty fabric for backing

and started piecing fabric together to make a fun, bright front.

I always enjoy sewing the different fabrics together.

I used to iron my seams to one side or another, but recently have found that ironing them open is much better for me.

I like quilting in gentle curving lines for something like this - noting too complicated, but definitely interesting to look at.

 This is what the quilting looked like near the end.

Trimming the edges square was a bit tricky; my rotary cutter didn't like cutting through the towel I used as the batting.

I put on a pretty mottled blue pre-made binding.

Sewing on the binding is not my favorite part, but ...

It does look pretty when it's on, doesn't it?

And, here's the mat in its new home.

To top it all off?  The fridge the landlords gave us is too small, so we'll be buying a new one, all for our own!  I wonder if I'll need another mat.  *grin*

SongBird

Lemon Pound Cake

Well, the lemon pound cake was a rousing success.  I made one to bring with us and my family wore sad, puppy-dog faces all the way home to ensure I made another one for us to have at home.

So, I did.  (I got the recipe here Lemon Pound Cake, but I made a couple of changes (largely through a lucky error in the first cake).  I used the entire 3/4C lemon juice in the cake, and I also used all 2 1/2C sugar in the cake (can you tell I was in a hurry the first time I made it and didn't pay enough attention to the recipe?), but that balances out the extra lemon juice well.

Also, I stabbed a million holes in the bottom of the warm cake to pour the syrup in - but I left it in the pan while I did it, so I could leave the cake to cool there and it would absorb more of the syrup.  This means that the cake is mostly lemony and cool, but there are sharp bursts of lemony goodness throughout.) 

First, I zested a million lemons.

Then, I squeezed that entire pile of lemons! 

The batter was beaten until light and fluffy,

 

then I added zest to it ... to make it zesty!

I oiled and floured the bundt pan,

 

filled it with delicious lemon batter

 

and it came out looking tasty and warm.

 

After it cooled a bit, I got it ready to ice

 

and made sure to use every bit of powdered sugar left in the box!

 

The final cake...

won't last much longer.  It's amazing what a slice of cake will do to a person's mood.  *grin*

I've finished knitting the cat bed and run it through the washer.  As soon as it's done drying on a plate (to keep it round and flat), I'll show you.  I do hope the kitties like it.

SongBird

New Home

I've planned and thought and sketched and played with ideas, but really, there's no way to start except to start.  So, here's my new home.  It looks unfinished, doesn't it?  I'll decorate soon.  Curtains, I think this blog needs.  And a nice rug.

I have so many projects working right now that I can't even think of all of them.  Luckily enough for me, I've finished a few recently, so I can at least start with something to show for my time. 

I made this for a friend who's just had her first child.  I hope the baby enjoys it.  I'm sure she'll enjoy the blanket that it came with:

I like making rag quilts; the way they get softer and better each time they get washed is wonderful.  

Right now, however, I have to bike to the store for more lemons.  I made a lemon pound cake yesterday to give to friends and now my family wants one for us.  I think I used 12 lemons!

See you soon.

SongBird