Queen of Hearts

It feels so good to finish another quilt. This one has been sitting around waiting to be finished for ages (Sarah who the quilt is for likes things perfect so I needed to stick to that standard :)).
Sarah picked out the pattern (fairy hearts kate conklin) and Tula Pink's Birds and the bees fabric range)
It was a quilt of waiting, I finished the inside blocks but there was just something about the border that I just didn't like from the pattern. So it just sat there on my bed (I use it as a craft board) and I would look at it about once a week deciding what I was going to do. Then I thought ok, just break up the border.

Then I didn't like the backing fabric that I had purchased off the net (that will teach me just to guess, I'm buying a colour swatch chart when I go to the states so I don't have this problem again). Then  =I ummed and arrred about the backing. I had purchased excess fabric then what the pattern requested so that I could have more for scraps so I decided to carry the theme over to the back.

Once I basted it all together I ummed and arred about the quilting, so I just stuck with what I knew and loved and straight line quilting it was. I can't wait to wash it so it goes all puffy and cuddly.

Hope you love it sarah-jayne, tried to make it perfect just for you.

Wiksten tank take II

So I loved the top so much that I had to make another one, I had seen this fabric from Ikea kicking around the web and loved it but Ikea didn't have any in stock yet so as usual forgot about it. Then I was checking out the Wiksten flickr group and came across it again and LOVVEEEDDDDD it all over again:).

LOve love love love love and for $4 a meter extra love. This fabric is extra wide so I didn't have to worry about playing around with the pattern to fit it on the fabric. As mentioned in the last post I have wonky shoulders so when I was reading the Made-by-rae blog I found the perfect solution, just to move the pattern over an inch at the fold to stop the shirt from gapping at the back. Check out the link and she shows a picture to make perfect sense.

But making the top was definitely a case of I should have quit while I was ahead. rather then making the top with french seams I just got the figured out the final measurement, sewed that, then serged the excess fabric off. I could have just cut the pattern out smaller but I wanted to make sure it was right so at each step I tried the top on to make sure (it really ended up being a wearable muslin). I then overlocked the hem rather than making it a french seam as I didn't want it to bunch out. Thats where I should have ended or just serged the arm and neck holes. I couldn't get the binding to work no mater what I tried I think because I was so tired that I tried to take the easy way out and just do it in one go. So half the neck binding was not correctly sewn on the inside. BUT I WILL BEAT THIS STUPID TOP. So now I'm wearing a top that looks perfect on the outside not so good on the inside :).

On to the next one I say!

Edit: Warning do not eat drippy nutella pizza when wearing you nice new pretty shirt. It will drip :(

Wiksten Tank

So I haven't been around a lot because I have had so much on my plate (more on that later)
So I have bit the bullet and bought the Wiksten tank/dress pattern and for us$8.50 why wouldn't you? This pattern is so versatile, being able to add features such as a collar sleeves and embellishments. There is the option to either purchase the pattern or purchase the PDF, I purchased the pdf as I just couldn't wait to cut into the fabric and start in on it. It took about an hour to stick it all together, I then traced the xs out with baking paper, I did this as I wanted something that wouldn't rip easy and I could keep the original pattern with all the sizes stuck together so that if i wanted to make bigger sizes I wouldn't have to cut out the pattern again.

It was a super windy day so I had to get hubby to take the ones on me (I had to keep reminding him to take the picture of the shirt not me, I so need to get a tripod).

I had the same problem as a few people in blog land that the back of the tank gapped a lot at the back because of my curved shoulders

 

So I am going to make a few adjustments to the pattern to fit my wonky shoulders and it should be perfect. This top is still perfect to wear under a cardi (which I have already done to work) I cant wait to cut into more fabric and make a few more.

Sunkissed in the spring

I can not believe how fast it is to make up a lap/toddler sized quilt. I started this on friday and finished it on tuesday. And most of that was taken up by ripping out seams as I sewed everything wrong at least twice. That will teach me to not get so excited and just sew. Everything that could go wrong with this quilt did, I sewed the wrong sides (long rather then short) for every single strip, so out comes the seam ripper. Then I sewed all the long rows together without pinning so the quilt ended up being more of an obtruse rectangle in size with corners that didn't match up, so out comes the seam ripper. Then after pinning and sewing beautiful perfect straight lines I realised that I had sewn some strips the wrong way, out comes the seam ripper again :). The one good thing about this was that I found a few new TV shows to watch. The bad thing was that I had to get out the vacuum twice as I couldn't stand all the threads that were covering the lounge, the floor and the everywhere else.

I used a jelly roll of Sunkissed by Sweetwater for Moda and a few scraps. It was so easy to make a scrappy quilt using a jelly roll. The only problem I found is that I was limited to what I could do. Maybe if I do decide to purchase the whole range, next time I'll go for the jelly roll (2.5 x 44 inch strips) and a charm pack (5 inch squares) or maybe just a layer cake (ten inch squares).

I used fabric from the same range for both the binding and the backing.

 And I finished the quilt just in time as I received some of Tula Pinks birds and the bees in the mail so now i'm on to my next quilt :).

On another note I made one more addition to the mermaids. I made this one a tiny bit bigger as I was having trouble with the hair of the last one.

Hannahs quilt

Yehhhh!!!! Another quilt done and dusted and on to the next one.

This quilt is for my sister Hannah for all the times that I made her look at my fabric and bored her out of her brain :). She picked out blues and greys and said that she wanted a square kinda pattern and I knew the perfect pattern The Alice quilt by red pepper quilts. I added light blue after Hannah said she wanted something beachy and after seeing her new crib I knew the perfect fabric. The pattern is very easy to follow and when it reads that you only need basic experience they mean it. Everything is spelled out and so easy to follow (just make sure that you read through any pattern first or you will find that you are cutting things that should be cut :). I made a few changes to the pattern to make it the size that Nerd requested. Added two extra rows on both top and bottom as well as a extra band of the white on top and bottom. I also didn't cut each strip to the required size I just sewed the whole thing on then trimmed so that my squares would end up the perfect size.

The quilt measures 56.5 by 68.5 inches. The perfect size for Hannah and her hubby to snuggle under on the couch.

Mr Piggys, Oink Oink!!

I'm glad that I got some pictures of the quilt before I ironed it as I can really noticed the quilting and I love it!! :)

That picture would have to be my fav out of all of them, Maybe because its not so boring or maybe its because I had just washed it and hadn't ironed it yet.

Hope you love it Nerd!!!

Mermaids

So I have taken a small break from finishing the quilt I am currently working on (My floors are dirty and I am procrastinating cleaning them so I can't make my quilt sandwich). So after talking to my sister I decided to try out some more of the wee wonderfuls patterns. If you don't have this book then get it!!!. The toys in it are amazing and the instructions are very simple and easy to follow.

(edit: I cleaned the floor and have just spent the last 3 hours on the floor :( ouch!)

They are about the size of my palm which make then such cute little handmade toys!

Making my own quilt

So Mr L&G said that he would buy me fabric only on the condition that I make my own quilt. Why is it so hard to decide on fabric? When making for someone else I just need a colour scheme and bam!!! Fabric found. But for me I am constantly changing my mind about what I am going to do. (So no I haven't purchased the fabric yet :()

Some of the possibilities are 

Ghastlies by Alexander Henry. 

Seriously, how awesome is this line?

I love this line I can just imagine this with bright boarders fussy cut around each print to really showcase the patterns 

using this pattern by the lovely Kate Conklin

But then I just fell in love with Bella by Lotta Jansdotter when I was stalking checking out

 Red Pepper Quilts

Maybe doing something similar to this

again when i was stalking checking out fresh lemons quilts

Oh what to do what to do!!! (I bet that I do something completely different)

Yehhhh!!!!! Its finished.

So people I have finally finished my man quilt and boy has it been filled with ups and downs. I have completed it in the time frame. (well I started it in april and I told Mr lamb and george that he would have it by the end of winter and I just squeezed it in).

I don't know if it was because it was so much bigger then all the other quilts/blankets that I have done that drove me up the wall, or it was the size of the half square triangles (4cms) or maybe it was all the fussy cutting that went into making then perfect.

I made 300 squares and used 252 squares so I have about 50 left over to make a baby sized quilt.

But now that its finished who cares about all the stress that went into it its over!!!!!!! :)
I used a mix of scraps and reunion fabric from moda.

 I just love the back I think I like it more then the front. I just used left over scraps from the front of the quilt.

 The binding is from reunion from Moda

Half square triangle man quilt

Half square triangle man quilt

So yeh!!!!! I have finally finished the quilt top for Mr lamb&george. I am never going to do another half square triangle quilt again :). (Well I do have some completed left over squares so i'll be making a baby size quilt as well). It was painful to say the least but so worth it in the end.

Quilt top for half square triangle

I had trawled the web to find the easiest way to complete the patterns and the easiest tutorial to follow was over at psiquilt. Very easy to follow but never knew how much hard work it would be. I cut out 5' squares and after trimming back the completed half square triangle I ended up with 4 1'2' squares. Make sure that you keep the final measurements in mind or you will end up with not enough completed squares and have to make more.

I set up the fabric on my bed before i even started sewing the top so that i would know the exact pattern and the colours would flow.

I started out on the floor but once I saw my dog looking at it like it was a new bed I moved to the bed :)

I start on the back tonight. I don't want anything too busy who I can show off the quilting but I also don't want a blank slate so its boring. Off to trawl the web for ideas.

Pete the pirate and Kai the ninja

So peeps to follow on with my last post. After making my nieces the dolls, my nephew wanted to know why he couldn't have one. Now I had to think long and hard about something cool that he wouldn't think was lame and girly seeing as he is 8. And I had the perfect idea, what about a pirate?

Pete the wee wonderful pirate

With his sneaky eye patch

He loved this little pirate but he really wanted a ninja (I loved it as well and wanted to keep it for myself). I had to think long and hard about this one as I knew this one was going to be a bit hard.

Lego Ninjago Kai.

Just thinking about the face covering gave me a headache so I bought him a Kai shirt for his birthday and said sorry no go. After that every time I saw him he tried to make a deal with me to do the ninja. I didn't get anything out of this deal, the crafty little bugger, but I gave in and said I'll give it a shot.

Lego ninjago Kai plush toy

Lego Ninjago Kai with his face covering

After cracking it at the quilt I was making for my husband (more on that later) I thought I would give it a serious go. I used one of the wee wonderfuls patterns (yes I am in love with that book :)) changed it up a bit and ta-darrrr it was done. After the list of things that I had to make sure to include such as the lion and the belt, I'm so glad that I had a lot of the fabric spare from other projects so I was able to make the accessories. I must have been kicked in the face 20 times by ninja kai in my nephews hands so I knew he must have loved it. Woot Woot!!!!! (again got too excited about giving kai to my nephew that I only took a picture on my mobile.

Wee Wonderfuls

Hello my lovelys.

I'm Esther and I LOVE anything that keeps me busy (away from the boring reality TV shows that my husband loves to watch). I am just starting out in the world of blogs and want to show you all the fun things that I have made and share a little of my life with you.
Recently I decided to give myself a break from quilting and make some dolls for my nieces. I bought the wee wonderfuls book and patterns by Hillary Lang and I have not stopped. I used her Kit Chloe and Louise pattern to make some beautiful dolls,
I just can't seem to stop. These patterns are so easy to follow and so fun to make. More to come :)

 

I wish that I had gotten better pictures but I just get so excited to give the girls their dolls that I forget all about taking a picture with anything but my phone.

Edit: I have found the pictures of the other dolly so here they are.

This doll was made to match her human friend with brown eyes and beautiful long brown hair, with her fav colours of pink and purple.

Dolly Danny

Dolly Danny

Dolly Danny wee wonderfuls.

I have used the same pattern for all of these dolls. If you love making special somethings for kiddies then you really must get this book.