FNSI

I managed to get some sewing done. The little applique pinny has been hanging around for a while so I got busy and finished it off. I am thinking the applique pieces are just a fraction too big. The dress bodice is my vest pattern cut a bit shorter.

I played around with the basic skivvy a bit. There are still a few tweeks to make it perfect. Here is Jessica modelling it with the jacket I made before. Unfortunately there is no coordinating skirt or pants so she just has her shorts on.

I used a narrow zig zag stitch to sew all the seams and hem. The pieces are just a bit small for the overlocker. Today I will make the few changes to the skivvy pattern and work on a new doll tote bag pattern.

It is overcast and not very pleasant weatherwise today so it will be good for sewing.

Make sure you have a look at what all the others have been up to at Sugarlane Quilts.

Happy Quilting and Crafting,
Val

Friday Night Sew-in

I signed up for FNSI this month. I haven't been visiting very many blogs this month. I thought it would be nice just to browse around all the ones in the FNSI list.
There is still time to sign up over at Sugarlane Quilts.

I want to do lots of doll clothes sewing to try to get a bunch of pattern trials done.

We have been popping round to watch the new house go up. This is my sewing room.

On the way back from the house one afternoon we saw a whale! He was jumping up and rolling over and flapping his flipper. In between jumps he would come up and puff. It was very exciting. I zoomed in with my coolpix camera and just had to click quick when I saw him pop out. At least you can tell it's a whale :) Well I can anyway.

Looking forward to the Saturday after Friday night so I can visit everyone.

Happy Quilting and Crafting,
Val

FNSI - Monthly Mini Quilt

Last year I decided I wanted to make a mini quilt a month for 2013. The plan was to get it done early in the month, share the pattern and maybe inspire others but I have gotten off to a slow start. I have a lot of things on the go. February is on the drawing board and March is just in my head so I should be able to catch up soon.

Last night for FNSI I put the finishing stitches on the waves and put a date on the windsurfer sail. There is a huge list of sewers joining in. Make sure you have a look.

This one is attached to a 12 inch canvas frame for now.

Just in case you can't work it out the picture represents the Gold Coast with Surfer's Paradise skyline and Coolangatta beach with that amazing expanse of sea that stretches to the horizon. DH and I love having lunch at the Coolangatta Surf Club and the view from there inspired this design.

Even though my first thought was to make separate mini quilts I have decided to leave them as unfinished blocks and sew 12 together into a quilt at the end of the year. That way I think I will enjoy it more. The finished blocks will be 12 inches. 

I wanted a way to share my projects but keep the stories separate so I have decided I will just do a new blog for each long term project and put a link to it on my sewing blog. I suppose there is a limit to the number of blogs one can have but I will just keep adding them til Blogger says no more. It just seems a very convenient way to keep a diary for my projects.

See my Year of Mini Quilts Blog for more details.

Unfortunately size matters so I suggest you 'save image as' . It is a jpg. You then insert it into your word processor and if need be reduce the margins of the page a bit then size the image so that the line of the edge is 25cm according to the page ruler.

I am linking up with Jan FridayNightSewIn

Happy Quilting,
Val

Friday Night Sew In

I didn't sign up for FNSI this month because I forgot basically. I made crazy blocks for a while ( I have 4 now) and then I discovered 'selvedge projects'. I had lots of lovely selvedges from my latest fabrics. I cut off a 1 inch strip which is only a bit more than I would normally cut off and throw away. I got such satisfaction out of sewing together my own fabric. I stitched the selvedge strips onto the non-glue side of some interfacing cut to the tote bag pattern. When covered I ironed it onto a piece of cotton wadding cut to the same size. I interfaced the lining and inserted a base piece of stiffer bag wadding. I made the pussy cats from the catnip quilt pattern. I just reduced the cat face on the copier.


Don't you just love this fabric!

Here is the finished article. It is slightly different colours on each side.

My posts don't seem complete without a pussy cat photo :) Stumpy loves his tummy tickled.

Click on the FNSI button down the right hand side bar to see who signed up and visit some to see what they made. Edit - It seems I am not as late as I thought so I signed up.

Happy Scrap Sewing,
Val

FNSI

I am making two little zipper pouches. I only had one suitable zipper so one is finished and the other is up to the zipper. I want to use clips to add a black twisted cord strap. I was pretty pleased with how the zipper behaved. I think I have finally got the hang of my zipper foot. The back of it always seemed to get in the way but I have worked out that it is supposed to sit over the zipper teeth as you sew very close to them. Bit like a Doh! moment but I never read the manual.

I used a pattern that I downloaded from Skip to my Lou. I couldn't find it again when I just visited their site. I had to do a google search and found it here.

I can't remember exactly where I found this tutorial but it may have been at the zipper purse queen's site, Sandra Sews

Just while I am referring to other sites I quite liked whip up. They seem to interview a lot of guest designer bloggers and there are a few nice tutorials - page link at the top. They are presently in the middle of an Aussie quilting blog tour that I am going to go back and look at.
Next week they are starting off a LucyKate book tour. If you haven't seen LucyKate's little stuffed toys you should have a look. They are really cute and she has a new book out that will be the giveaway along the book tour.

Just had to share this Noddy fabric from Old Country Stores Fabric
Here is a taste:

Happy Sewing,
Val

FNSI and catchup

This is just the top. I will finish it today.

Hi everyone.
I can't believe how hard it was not to make contact with you all in blogger land.  I checked my mail a couple of times but I had promised myself a break from typing (a laptop on a desk is not good for the forearms) and I wanted to rest my eyes a bit. Sewing is pretty intense on the eyes as well. I am typing with the laptop on my lap this morning. I guess that is the way it was meant to be used.

It is always nice to get new followers so welcome to Maryellen, Tarnyia and Donna. I hope you visit often and don't forget that even better then followers are comments. I love making contact with people.

I showed you my teacup fabric the other day and I have been busy making my table cloth. It is not completely finished but I have done the top and have the back ready to sew. At first I was thinking of a check binding but it didn't seem right  and I thought that table cloths don't have binding they have borders. I decided to include a narrow border in the top and the back and sew it right sides together and turn it.

I added borders top and bottom then the sides like a patchwork block.

I found a great pattern for crochet arm warmers on Julia Crossland's blog and made myself a pair. I decided to adjust the pattern a bit by decreasing either side of the seam each four rows ( from 41 trebles to 33 at the finger end ) and I moved the thumb hole slightly further from the seam line. I am making some for my daughters and have finished one more arm. I am going to make myself a short pair as well. I used Big W Shawn Sheep Stirling pure wool 8 ply.  50g of each colour should be enough. (I used some left over balls). I bought some Panda for the daugters' cause it is very soft.

I said I was going to look at the hills in my time off. It is a very pleasant view. I spent some time outside reading my crochet magazine and crocheting.

I was looking out my kitchen window and could see a big red blob in the swamp gum. At first I thought it was a bird but then I realized it was the first flowers. It is a lovely tree with big gum nuts and big flowers in a lovely shade of pink.

Such a pretty tree. It is Western Australian.

I can't believe how pretty my pincushion looks with the flowers Fiona added. You can have a look on Fiona's blog. I still haven't got Deedee's in the post yet. Should be here this week though. Now it is a bit of breakfast then back to checking around the blogs and replying to comments.

 Happy Quilting ( and blogging) :)
 Val