My Friend's Avent Calendar-Finished

Well we made the dead line with two days to spare.  Rach did such a good job for her first sewing project.  I am so proud of her for doing this and now this great Calendar hangs in her loungeroom and will be filled with treats tomorrow ready for the 1st of December.  Well done Rachie. xoxox

Christmas Table Runner

I took a few hours out of my day today to finish the Christmas Table Runner which is part of my dinner set that I am making for my home.  I love it.  It's turned out so nice and tells a little christmas story.  Just need some jingle bells and ribbon now to add to the ends of it.  Hopefully get them this afternoon.

70 inches x 10 inches

My Friend's Avent Calendar

Well we started yesterday and what can I say.  With two little kids to look after under the age of three we didn't get that much done but we will continue on Saturday again.  I am very proud of Rachel who has never sewn before.  I ironed for her while I showed her how to use the sewing machine and she did really well.  I think once it is finished it will look beautiful.

This is the amazing piece that Rach is using to add her pockets to.

Purchased from Spotlight for $12.95.  The best Aussie store for crafts.

Rachel started on her pockets and stage 1 is complete.  The numbers have been sewn onto the pockets and now she is up to creating the pocket itself and get it ready to sew onto the quilt top.  Usually I quilt the quilt first and then sew the pockets on but we are sewing first and then quilting the inbetween areas after.

Here is Rach taking a break on the phone

And here is her first pocket

We managed to do all the numbers yesterday and on Saturday we will continue with the rest of the work and see how we go.  It will look great once it is all finished.  Well done Rachel. xoxox

Boarders Boarders Boarders

Well I have done the four boarders and I am back to little squares and triangles but it's a good feeling to get further and further with this one.  Not too long before I can start the quilting process.  At least I hope hahaha.

I'll be slowly plotting allong through the week with it but on thusrday I'll take a break and work with a girlfriend of mine to do an advent calendar for her home.  I have finally convinced her to try quilting so there will be two sewing machines in my home.

Will blog about that experience later on this week.  Really looking forward to having her here with me playing around with material.

The Quilt Continues

I have been so busy lately between my family stuff and general stuff so I haven't been able to sew for most of the week but I am proud to say that I have finally managed to finish another section of the quilt for my mum and dad in law for Christmas.

Why is it that whenever you sew the same quilt for the second time it seems so much longer and harder to do.  I guess you try to perfect your first one.

And why is that no matter how hard you try you can never manage to make it perfect with every square lining up.  Oh well I guess that is the beauty of a home made quilt in the end.  It does look good though I feel comfortable to say hehehe.

Mumma Bear (my mum in law) really likes Beiges and Reds so I hope that I do hit the nail on the head with this one :)

Wish I could work on it more but I have my daughter's birthday party this weekend as well as a photoshoot for my neice tonight.  It's her formal for the end of year 12.  Oh how they grow up quickly.  One day I will spin around and find my own children all grown up just like my niece and nephews who I used to bounce on my knee at one time.

Current Progress photo below:-

Sneaky Peak!!!

Didn't realise how much more I bit off than I could chew but I am determined to finish this project over the next week or so.  Here's a sneaky peak for what I am working on.  A Christmas Dinner setting for six including a table runner, 6 place mats and 6 coasters.

I want to do more but I really have to work on the quilt for my inlaws for christmas so for now here is where I am stopping.

Christmas Wall Hangings

I am so into the Christmas Spirit currently with my quilting.  There are so many beautiful things you can quilt for christmas that I just keep on creating lately.

I have recently finished some wall hanging gifts for friends and even my daughter's teacher and now I am working on a 6 person dinner setting with a table runner and 6 plate mats and coasters.  I will blog them once I have gottern further with them but I do want to show you these pretty wall hangings I have done.  Each one is 15 x 15 inches in size.

I have even entered the wall hanging into a 2010 Christmas Quilt Show.  Here is the link to check out all the awesome entries.  Good Luck to everyone entering.  They're all so beautiful.  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-quilt-show-2010.html

Santa Clause is definately coming to town hehehe.

Unexpected Outcome

Well, it was never the most perfect quilt, and in the beginning I didn't like what I did, but then after a surprise call from Prague, I find out my mummy is visiting for a few months and everything fell into place.

I haven't seen my mum for over three years and her personality is so topsy turvy it gave me a whole new thought of inspiration.  My mum is my mum.  Just my mum but also the best mum I could ever have.  She isn't perfect but you also can't find better than her so when I put two and two together, I realised the quilt I started suited her to perfection.

So in the end, it was made for her. LITERALLY hehehe.  I finished it tonight and it is ready for her when she arrives.  It's her christmas present and I think she might just like it quite a great deal.

The quilt isn't perfect, but it's good.  It makes you feel good and that's just what I wanted.  Especially for my mummy.  At my age I should call her something more appropriate, but you know what, even when I'm 60 she will always be my mummy.....

I love you mummy. xoxox

What a Surprise!!!

Do you ever start a project and don't like what you have done?  Well I started this quilt about a month ago and haven't picked it up again.  Last night I decided to take a break from one quilt and go back to the quilt I wasn't happy with and I must say my results have really surprised me so far.  I used a black to contrast the pastel colours in it and it's really nice now.

Can't wait to finish it now.  Here's a sneak peak.

The Christmas Present

Well I am finally getting somewhere with the Quilt for the inlaws.  I'm trying to take my time with it because I want it to be really good.  Mumma Bear wanted Beiges and Reds so I went for it at spotlight and managed to find some great fabrics to work with.  They have the best quilting fabric range.  I love shopping there.  I always seem to come home with fabric even if I am only there for thread hehehe.

http://www.spotlight.com.au/

Time to do the little squares again.  This takes so long.  It's not that difficult but the time that goes into putting these together can get overwhelming.  I think that is why this time I am not rushing and just doing bit by bit.

I always iron the backs of my pieces as I go because it helps so much.  Do not even think to quilt without ironing every little piece that you sew together.

I must say it is so rewarding getting more of a quilt done.  It starts coming together now and all your hard work begins to pay off.  So much more to do but at least it is truly beginning to resemble a quilt.

My Cats

Unrelated to sewing I wanted to share a photo of my precious boys.  My Cats.  One is a Maine Coon and the other is a Chinchilla Cross.  Besides my kids and hubby they are my pride and joy.

Christmas Hanging Completed Finally.

Well I thought I would never finish this one actually.  It took so long in the end that I was falling asleep while doing it last night and I had to finish it off this morning.

I got some cheap infill in the end for $9.95 per metre.  Usually I use the $30 per metre wool inlay for my quilts but wall hangings you can use cheapies since they won't be keeping you warm.

I also had some old white material from a few years back which worked well for my backing.  Put it all together, cut it down for size and pinned it all together to avoid it sliding while I sew it all together.  That is the hardest part with quilting I think.  Getting it all sewn up together without bubbles of material everywhere.  I'm not always successful and this was no exception but it worked out in the end.

I have even entered the wall hanging into a 2010 Christmas Quilt Show.  Here is the link to check out all the awesome entries.  Good Luck to everyone entering.  They're all so beautiful.  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-quilt-show-2010.html

Then it was time to sew sew sew.  This is what makes the pretty quilting effect once it is done.  I decided to do squares and then also do the triangles one way and the other way too.  No wonder it took so long to do.

The photo below shows my squares and the triangle sewing one way.  I almost left it here but knew it would look better if I sewed the other way too.

So after finishing one way last night, I packed it up and left it till this morning.  I got up and it was there nagging me to do it so I sat down and just went for it and the effect is awesome I must say hehehe.  Well worth the work.

And Walla hehehe.  It is now hanging on our loungeroom wall with my quick fix hanging job.  I must say our home is starting to really look very Christmassy.  Don't we just love christmas.  Now it's time to pull that quilt out for the inlaws and get cracking since it's a christmas present.  At least I hope if I can finish it in time hahaha.

Treat for my Daughter

Ok so she adores her new Zhu Zhu pet and has been begging for the accessories to go with it.  Since she isn't getting anything else until her birthday I decided to make her something for her pet PAX.  She picked the material which were leftovers from a dress I made a few years back for her for a wedding and now pax has his own bedding.  I should seriously make one for our guinea pig but he would just mess it within minutes.  Pity our Gizmo doesn't stay clean like Pax.  They look like twins actually.

Check out the likeness between our real guinea pig and our Zhu Zhu one.

                                                                        THE TOY

 

THE LIVE ONE

Zhu Zhu Pets

It's official.  Zhu Zhu pets have hit our home.  My kids are just loving these little critters.  They were early birthday presents for the two of them and now its up to Santa to see what he might bring.  Not since the days of Strawberry Shortcake and the Cabbage Patch Kids have I seen such a huge craze amongs the kids of today's society.  It was just a matter of time before we joined the rest of the world in this crazy new kids toy craze.

A step back in Time

I started making Soft Sculpture dolls several years ago and even though my doll count is up to around 70 dolls, I haven't made a single doll in about two years.  I used to love it but in the end the work that goes into one of the dolls made the novelty wear out.

Most of my dolls are now around the world among my friends and family but I kept photos of almost all of the dolls I have made and I wanted to share some of my favourite ones with you here so enjoy the little album below of my soft sculpture dolls from my past that I made.