She’s done and I’m really pleased with her. Little Miss Bossy-Boots has claimed her so I will now have to add some borders until she’s big enough to put on her bed.
I’ll let you know as soon as the pattern is up for sale.
Author: eli
Snowdrop
Snowdrops are a sure sign that spring is coming and I really love seeing them. So when a lovely friend of mine asked for contributors to make a quilt for the Snowdrop Festival I quickly agreed to help. I sat down after Christmas and appliquéd a snowdrop onto the fabric Trash (yep, that’s her name) had sent me. It wasn’t my first time doing appliqué but the first time I did nothing but appliqué and it definitely whetted my appetite. As soon as I’m finished with the two commissions I’m working on I’m going to embark on a needle turn appliqué project which I’ve already designed. Before I get ahead of myself would you like to see the snowdrop?
While I was stitching on the first leaf and the stem I suddenly thought it would be fun to actually make it a 3D snowdrop so I did the second leaf and the two outer petals in that technique. The snowdrop festival will be on soon and I’m looking forward to showing you pictures of the finished art quilt soon. I’ve seen pictures of it on Instagram and it looks fabulous.
Martha Again
I’ve started to sew Martha the Giraffe and I’m really upset. Despite having coloured in the templates and knowing exactly how I wanted her to look I managed to use the wrong fabric for her mane. I really wanted Martha to have a purple mane but instead her mane is orange. What a dimwit.
She still looks cute but I just feel really disappointed with myself. I’m going to continue as I don’t think I have the patience to unpick her ear and the mane. I’ve added a different orange print for her inside legs and am hoping that that will help me love her again.
Or I might just unpick…..
Martha the Giraffe
The lovely Juliet (of Tartankiwi fame) asked who would like to test some of her latest patterns and although I have way too much to do at the moment I said ‘yes’ to testing the giraffe. So far I’ve only pulled the fabric for it and am pleased to report that it all came from stash except for the blue and white polka dot which I’m going to use for the background. I simply haven’t got any big cuts of fabric as I usually go for fat quarters so that I can have a bit more variety in my stash. I think I will have to start buying yards or at least half yards in future.
Even though I haven’t started sewing yet I can already picture the giraffe in my mind and have decided to call her Martha. Where Martha is going to end up I have no idea (I’m sure Little Miss Bossy-Boots will try to stake a claim) but I’m sure she’ll look pretty wherever that is.
Joni
With all the hand sewing I did last year I started having problems with my thumb. Sewing was hurting quite badly so I decided to take a break and use a splint for a few weeks to give my thumb a good rest. I’m now almost three weeks into my rest period and I miss sewing so badly. For the first time in years I’ve actually felt bored a couple of times. The nice side effect is that I’ve already read three books and am about to finish the fourth one.
Having said all that I felt a very strong urge to sew, so I decided to have a go at garment sewing again. Last year I bought the Joni pattern from Leanne’s Etsy shop TheLittleHouseMartin. I’d been meaning to sew up a muslin ages ago but with all the quilting I was doing I didn’t. Last week I got out a big piece of Ikea fabric and started cutting. I compared all the measurements and realised I could do with a size 10 at the top but would need a 14 at the bottom (being pear shaped is no fun). I added 4 cm to the size 10 back and front piece and decided to sew a fold rather than a gather.
The front and back are exactly the same which is quite nice as you can wear both sides as the front. This one is very light with lots of white, the other side has more flowers and leaves on it and is very colourful. As I never wear a sleeveless top without a cardigan it means I have two different looks in one.
The neck line is very flattering, I think, and I’m looking forward to making another couple of tops for spring. I might just add 1 cm to the top to give me a little more room although I love this one so much I’ve worn it, washed it and put it on straightaway again.
The pattern gives you the option of making a top or dress and I think I may just make a dress for summer when Little Miss Bossy-Boots and I like to go to the swimming pool and I need something I can slip on and off easily. I have a lovely red and white polkadot fabric lying around which would be perfect.
Hello! Anybody out there?
A rather belated happy New Year! I’ve really missed this blog. It’s not that I haven’t finished projects I could share with you but simply that I lost my blogging mojo. Here’s to hoping that it’s here to stay now.
Much has happened since the last time I blogged so I’m going to try and go back in time and tell you about a couple of projects I’ve made. First of all, I was lucky enough to have a project accepted for the new English quilting magazine ‘Quilt Now’. My cushion cover, ‘Emerald Tile’ appeared in issue 3 which had a Moroccan feel to it.
I had already designed the pattern earlier but had to adapt it a little to make it work. It was my first commission and quite scary, I have to admit. In the end I absolutely loved the whole process and pitched more projects. I was very happy to have had another two projects accepted for issue 6.
Sadly I haven’t received my copy yet; Christmas seems to have disrupted the postal system so badly that my copy of ‘Quilt Now’ has disappeared *insert sad face* and I’m rather worried. One of my fabric baskets made it onto the cover and I’m desperate to see it. Here’s a pic of the baskets in my messy sewing room:
When Little Miss Bossy-Boots heard that her fox had made it onto the cover she started dancing and singing “I’m famous, I’m famous….”.
I also made a quilt and cushion for the same issue but have no pictures of either. Here’s a picture of a cushion I made for my nephew and his girlfriend from the pattern.
There’s another quilt waiting for its spot in the limelight.
I can’t show you any more yet but I’m incredibly proud of this quilt. I think it’s my favourite so far. Charlie likes it too!
Another quilt Charlie likes and which I can’t show you yet is ‘Three’. This one was made for the designer challenge in Fat Quarterly and will be in their February issue. It’s really exciting to be able to show the things I’ve made on a bigger scale and I hope that someone will use one of my patterns and make their own version. That would make me truly happy.
Finish-Along Q4: The List
Right, I completely missed out on Q3 as I was busy with my Emerald Tiles cushions (more about those in the next blog post). So now I’m taking the opportunity to get back on the wagon.
1. Spring Carnival. In reality I’m only putting that on the list because I can. I don’t believe for one second that I will finish it in the next three months. However, I don’t want to forget about it and it would be nice to add a little to it again.
2. Little Miss Bossy-Boots’ Dresden Quilt. I made the cushion and then stopped working on it. Since then she has decided that she doesn’t want purple but blue so Im going to make it multi-coloured to be on the safe side.
3. My Sew-Euro-Bee-An quilt. I’ve sewn one row together and then stopped. It would be nice to be able to snuggle under it this winter.
4. The Tartankiwi Dinosaur. Just needs to be made into something. Anything.
5. Athea Bloom. Has been on the list all year and still isn’t any closer to being done.
6. The Tartankiwi Robin. Really needs to be made into a Christmas cushion to be enjoyed this year.
7. Art Deco. Still in the WIP pile.
8. A bag to replace this handy little beauty which, sadly, is now very faded and frayed. I have all the fabrics ready and cut out; I just need to sew it together.
9. The Euro Siblings Together Quilt. I need to make one more block as one of the ladies didn’t deliver and then sew it together, quilt and bind so I can bring it to London next year.
10. Positive Doughnut. I need to make the decision whether it’s going to be a quilt or a cushion.
I have a few more WIPs and UFOs lying about but I think I’m going to be hard pressed with just these so it seems silly to add even more. Especially as I have a secret project that has to be finished by the end of November. I won’t put it on the list as I know that I will finish it. With a list that has five or six quilts on it already I think I have my work cut out.
Linking up to The Littlest Thistle Finish-Along 2014.
The Round the World Blog Hop
First of all: phew, what a long blogging break this has been. That cold lingered quite a while, then I had a very unhappy Little Miss Bossy-Boots and a very important deadline. All this meant that the blog was seemingly forgotten. Well, behind the scenes I have been sewing, buying and begging for my celebratory giveaway. More on this in the next post.
First, though, I have been tagged by the lovely Paula, who blogs at Mud, Pies and Pins, for the Round the World Blog Hop. I’ve known Paula for more than 13 years and she’s a great friend. Her eldest and Little Miss Bossy-Boots were born exactly two months apart and get on like a house on fire. We have great playdates where the kids run around and get really dirty while we talk fabric and threads. Bliss!
Right, I believe I’m supposed to introduce myself and answer a few questions. Here goes:
1. What quilting/sewing thing am I working on?
My main project at the moment is a bit of secret sewing which I can’t show you yet. It’s and EPP project and very colourful but that’s all I can say so far. However, I always have a million and one projects on the go so here are a few other things I’m working on: My Spring Carnival quilt which sits in a bag next to the sofa. It’s been a work in progress for the last two years and I love it more than anything else I’ve made so far. Every now and then I sew a few pieces together but the fact that I haven’t got enough of the stripy fabric is holding me back.
I’ve also cut out the pattern for the Joni top from TheLittleHouseMartin and made a muslin. The fabric I’ve chosen needs to be washed and then I can make the perfect top to go under cardigans for autumn.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
That’s a question I’m not sure how to answer. My EPP mini quilts are, I suppose, what might set me apart to a certain degree. I really love to design them and am hoping that other people love to receive them.
This one, Liberty Bloom, was made for a swap and now lives in Canada.
Four Paths was made for an Instagram giveaway and has also been sent all the way to Canada.
Jewel went to a wonderfully courageous lady, Karie, in America.
This one is the one that started it all off. This was the first pattern I designed and you can see that the pieces didn’t actually fit together properly. I had to wrangle some of the pieces into submission. This pattern, Athea, was drawn by hand and I had to re-draw the pieces a few times before they fit together perfectly. Click on the tutorial tab if you’d like to make your own Athea mini to find the free downloadable pattern.
3. Why do I write/create what I do?
I started this blog to show my family what I was working on while I lived in England and it became a real joy to write. My blogging isn’t regular, I have phases where I write less and others where I could write three blog posts in a day. I admire all the bloggers who blog every day but I realise that I can’t do it. As for the creating part of the question, designing and sewing makes me happy.
4. How does my writing/creating process work?
Sometimes an idea just pops into my head, other times I sit down with a pen and paper or my iPad and start doodling without a plan. Blog posts are written in the same way I would be writing a letter to a friend. I think that people who read my blog would like to know me as a person and I’m a scatty blonde with many ideas and no planning skills. I’m fairly sure that comes through in my posts.
I’ve enjoyed answering these questions and in true Elisabeth Style I have failed to ask any blogging friends if they would like to participate in the blog hop. I will, however, remedy that and tag two friends some time this week. Better late, than never, eh?! This should teach me not to schedule things like this log hop during the holidays.
10 Years
Ten years ago today I had my last radiotherapy session. After six months of operations, chemo and radiotherapy I didn’t want to see a doctor or hospital ever again. It doesn’t quite work like that, of course, but so far my check ups have been fine.
I was going to celebrate today with a big giveaway. However, a nasty cold has me chained to the sofa with a little EPP and a lot of tv. Isn’t that ironic? As soon as I feel better I’ll be back with some lovely prizes.
See you soon!
The ‘Not Going Anywhere’ Pin Cushion
I’ve shown you my newest pin cushion earlier and now I’m giving you a little tutorial on the improved version (or take three, as I call it). I have to apologise for the quality of the pictures; it was a dark and rainy day today. I wonder where the summer scampered off to as it most definitely has skipped Switzerland this year.
1. Decide on the size you would like your pin cushion to be. I wanted mine to be a little bit narrower than the width of my machine which is about 4.5″ so I settled for 4.25″. I also wanted my pin cushion to not take up too much space and decided that I wanted it to be 2.5″ high. I then added 0.5″ seam allowance and ended up with a rectangle 4.75″ x 5.5″ (4.25 + 0.5 = 4.75 / 2.5 x 2 + 0.5 = 5.5).
2. I pieced my pin cushion but that isn’t necessary. I’m sure it would look great made in one print too. If you are piecing your pin cushion remember that you won’t be able to see the back so don’t put a treasured scrap at the top or bottom of your rectangle (guess how I know?!).
3. Sew the short sides together leaving a gap in the middle so you can turn your pin cushion inside out later.
4. For the ties measure around the side bit of your machine. As you can see my total is 22.5″. Now subtract the width of your pin cushion, then add 3″ for seam allowance and overlap then divide all of it by two. In my case that is (22.5 – 4.25 + 3 ) : 2 = 10.625. I decided to round up to 11″. I cut the fabric for my ties 2″ x 11″, folded in 0.5″ on one side, then folded it lengthwise in half and pressed it well. Then I folded the outer edges into the centre crease and pressed again giving me a tie which is 0.5″ wide. Top stitch close to the edge.
5. Pin the ties onto the sides of your pin cushion about 0.5″ from the top.
To make sure that you don’t catch the ties in the seam poke them through the gap in the back of your pin cushion.
6. Sew down the sides of your pin cushion. Clip the corners and turn it inside out.
7. Fill your pin cushion with poly fill and sew the gap closed with a whip stitch or ladder stitch. 
8. Hold your pin cushion in place and mark where you need to put your popper or velcro to give a nice tight fit. I used a turquoise popper.
I added 4″ when I calculated the length of the ties but realised it was more than I really needed and this is why I changed it to 3″ in this tutorial.
9. If you’d like to add a little scissor holder, you need to mark where on the tie you’d like to put it.
10. Cut a piece of fabric 1.5″ x 2″. Fold it in half, press, then fold the edges into the centre and press again to give you a piece that is 0.5″ x 1.5″ big. Top stitch close to the edge. Fold about 0.25″ in on both sides, pin onto your tie and sew close to the edge.
Attach your pin cushion to your machine and get sewing.
If you have any questions regarding this tutorial, please don’t hesitate to ask (This tutorial was written while I was sitting on the sofa with a nasty cold feeling very sorry for myself and not thinking clearly so I might have to edit it a bit once I’m feeling better).