Binding Tote Bag (For Me!!)

There's some selfish sewing happening around these parts ...

I've just bought this scrumptious Japanese Linen ... it was 30% off ... I couldn't help myself ... and it goes so well with these hexies I've put together.

... that Aurifil fell in my bag too ... because well, it's a match made in heaven.

I'm just after the perfect leather handles now ... I quite like the ones Rachel used here.

I'm hoping to make a bag similar to this Zakka one ...

Something to carry my quilts around in when I'm binding them.  I like to hand sew the binding down, so they get dragged everywhere with me at this stage (a few stitches here, a few stitches there) and so I need a large tote bag to carry it around in, right?

Happy Wednesday!

Sx

Texan Denim Baby Quilt

Remember when I made that Quick (not brown) Fox Quilt and I used a denim-look cotton tablecloth from Ikea?  Ring any bells?  Well, I needed a quilting weight denim source better than an Ikea table cloth (lol) and Craft Project came to the rescue with a little something (wonderful) called Texan Denim - y'all (sorry) heard of it?

I've had a good play with it now and officially love it ... here's my latest make using Texan Denim.

This little baby quilt is the one that has interrupted hubby's half hexie quilt, but as it's a gift for one of his mates, he's let it slide.

I tried a few new things with this quilt ... such as ...

I made up a pattern for scrappy sashing.

I used a variegated thread to quilt it and I didn't stay in the ditch!!!  OCD freak out!!!  I thought the pattern was beginning to look a little rigid for a baby so I loosened up the quilting lines.

To de-rigid-ise (that's a word) the quilt a little further I gave it rounded corners instead of sharp 90 degree corners using the dinner plate trick.

I used fabric with moustaches on it (weird but totally cool)

And finally, the last thing I did differently was hand stitch down the binding with a running stitch using Perle cotton.  First seen by me here.

So what do you think?

I know the new owners are happy with it ... they sent me a pic of the quilt all ready for when bub arrives ... 

Oh yeah, that's another new thing I did ... I actually got this one finished before bubs is born!  

How to wrap a quilt: 1. Have a three year old do a painting for you.  2. Wrap quilt in painting (once dry - tehe) 3. Use leftover binding to decorate ... et voilà! 

Wonders will never cease!

Texan Denim Baby Quilt
Size: 38" x 44"
Main fabric: Texan Denim
Scrappy sashing: It's a Hoot leftovers
Backing fabric: Moustache from Spotlight Australia (beware the selvage!)
Binding: Texas Denim (with Perle cotton hand stitching)
Quilting: Straight line quilting with Guttermann Sulky variegated col. 4015

So this is my first Quilt Finish for 2015 and it's totally not on my Q1 Finish Along List and neither was my daughter's Library Bag ... I see a disturbing trend emerging ... ugh.

Serena xx
Linking up with TGIFF and Finish It Up Friday ... you can too!

WIP - the school run version

I'm sitting in the car with Miss 3 (snoring her box off) waiting for Miss 4 to finish her day at school . So let's see if blogger works on my phone ... this could be tricky ... but what's life without a few flips of the coin?

Speaking of which, I flipped my own coin this week and stepped out of my 90 degree - perfectly mitred corners - comfort zone.

Yup I tried the ol' dinner plate trick ...

... and turned those sharp corners into lovely sweeping curves - ah that's better!

I made some bias binding (have curves must use bias binding), used a zillion pins and held my breath!

It turned out great!

I've tried something new with hand stitching the binding down too ...

More on that later ... but in the meantime ... what is the meaning of this message on the selvage of the fabric I'm using for the backing?

Whaaaaat?  Surely if I've purchased the fabric I can do what I like with it?

I contacted Spotlight Australia for a "please explain" ... Pauline Hanson style ... but no joy so far.

Can anyone set me straight?

Serena xx

Linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday (if I can get this to work on my phone !)

Unicorn Library Bag

So this little project could have gone one of two ways.

Time flies ... she's starting Pre-Primary!

It all started with reading the school stationary list and realising at the 11th hour that Miss 4 required a Library Bag for school this year.

Me: Oh you need a library bag!
Miss 4: Can I have a Unicorn one?
Me: Absolutely, no problem at all.  I know just the pattern!  (Then going for Mother Of The Year Award)  How about I print out the pattern, then you can colour in the pattern all the colours you love and we can match Mummy's fabric to the picture? ... and then I sew it up for you!
Miss 4:  Awesome Mum!  You're the best!!
Me: I know
Husband: Rolls his eyes ...

So here's her picture ... everyone say "Awww" .. thank you.

I happily tuck Miss 4 into bed shortly after proclaiming that the Unicorn (not the whole bag) shall be finished by the morning.

Now, did you notice all the blue sky in the Unicorn picture above?  Lovely isn't it?  Shame I didn't have any blue fabric on hand ...

Me: Uh Oh
Husband: You're stuffed!

With panic settling in and my MOTY Award fading into the distance, I desperately searched every nook and cranny for blue fabric ... then realised I used it all up in Husband's Half Hexie quilt.

Me: Death Stare
Husband: Snickers

Then, with the fabric fairies shining down on me, I find some rainbow dot fabric on a white background.  Bingo!  Unicorns, rainbows ... match made in heaven, right?

Rainbows and sparkly thread saves the day!!

I finished it off with some (very badly please don't look too closely) FMQ'd flowers using a gorgeous glitter thread (see above) ...

 .. and even managed to FMQ her name! (...and yes, the thread broke at the 'G' and dragged the yellow bobbin thread up and made a real mess of things!)

My FMQ writing is at about the same level as her hand writing ... she's 4 ... but ...

First day of Pre-Primary

... SHE LOVES IT!

Me: Ha!  I am the Master of the Universe!
Husband: You got lucky

Miss 3:  I want one too!!!! (cries hysterically)

Me: (... remembers she has another child that wants so desperately to go to school as well and that really she should have made her one at the same time so that she wouldn't feel too left out) .. ohh
Husband: No words ...

So ... stay tuned for the 'up and coming' Mermaid Library Bag!

Me: Must go buy some blue fabric ... mermaids ... there's bound to be water.

Serena xx

Linking up to Sew Cute Tuesday, Let's Be Social, TGIFF and Finish It Up Friday