More Pillow Covers

It seems my DD has a couple of pillows that are in need of covers, and the ones I made for myself seem to appeal to her.  Hmmm, 18" pillow forms you say.



But this time around I thought I would make the angle of the wedges a bit bigger so I could get the centre smaller and have a smaller pillow too.  This time I did 15 degree wedges instead of the 11 degree ones I did on my version.



Lots of tape on my ruler and more figuring but it was a good challenge.  I sewed together two strips 3 1/2" wide and then cut them at 15 degree angles.



I was a bit worried about my ad hoc template but it worked great.



Some diagonal quilting and then I found some suede fabric for the backing as she has a leather couch and I hate cushions that slide... oh, yes and invisible zippers...

Re - Quilting

I had made my eldest son an orange star quilt when he was in grade mmmm, 11 I think, in 2000.  It was my one and only time using an invisible thread for the quilting.  It turned out to be awful mainly because over time it grew a terrible beard of see through threads...

I took it back into my care after Christmas and began doctoring it.  There was enough intact thread to act as basting so I ran a line of quilting with cotton thread on either side of the original diagonal lines in one direction.

It was a bit troublesome but I wrestled it into submission.

Considering the fabric is 15 years old the quilt is hanging in there pretty well.  I did not find any other problems other than normal wear.

Applique Fantasia

I know I've blogged about this quilt before.  It is kind of slow but I just moved my sewing machine (again) to the dining room.  That is important in the next step of quilting this sandwich.

Wrist Strap Bag

I have been recycling.  This is the result.  I took a pair of jeans that were permanently damaged.  Here is the bag.

I am pretty pleased with it.  I used this tutorial at My Spare Time for the recessed zipper.  It went quickly and was pretty easy.

Then I added some quilting around the top edge instead of machine sewing.  I thought the seams were too thick for that.

If you remember I blogged about the wrist strap that Alex made for me.

Engineered Quilt by request

My sister says that I didn't blog about this engineered quilt.  So here goes.  I started out by making a nine-patch block tutorial for my mom's quilting group.  When my DH saw it the engineer brain kicked in and he suggested I do more blocks with more cuts....so I started with 5 in squares of fabric.

With his suggestions that sixteen square block was recut into a nine patch.  Then I manipulated the squares by just spinning them in their places.  Interesting...

I finished it by machine quilting each 17 1/2" block separately and then joining them with a 1/2" wide sashing hand finished on the back.  This was finished in January of 2011 so sort of old news but apparently I hadn't blogged about it before on this site.

More Two for One quilts

From here,

to here...

I don't quite know where this is going  but I LOVE having this basket full of blocks.  In my world where quilts are not in great demand (Even though I live in Canada we are not freezing) it is a wonderful thing to celebrate every step of the quiltmaking process.

Clever tricks...

It starts out easy with 2 1/2 inch strips...

Then on to nine patches....

Then cross  cut...you get the picture....

Just us Chickens

The hand quilting is done I think, although I may add more.  I just drew a star burst from the centre rooster radiating out.  Now for the binding....

Pinwheel Wall Hanging

This main colour fabric was picked out by my DH at Shirley's in Moosomin, Saskatchewan.  

This was lots of fun to make and I'm really pleased with the result.

Mucho Hexagons

Citrus Quilt

So my DD finished the quilt we were working on.  It is so beautiful and I found it on ...hee, hee,...the spare bed... the one I get to sleep on when I visit.  How lucky am I??

Bright Colours Bali

What's on my quilting frame?

Now for the hand quilting....

Pyramids

I have also squeezed in some time to work with a new ruler.  It's the Fons & Porter pyramid ruler.  I just happened to be watching a taped episode of Fons & Porter working on Kalamkari strippy quilt from the Sept/Oct 2008 magazine.  It turns out I had just purchased the exact ruler they were using on the show a month ago in Red Deer called Kwilted Keepsakes.  How amazing is that?

Anyhow, I just had to try some.

I used the same bali prints for these as for the bow-tie mat ( I bought them in Moose Jaw at The Quilt Patch).  They were a bunch of 2.5" strips.  Now sadly used up.  No tears here though.

Sewing a shell for me.

While perusing a rabbit trail on the internet, I saw this shell top.  It showed up as a freebie on Collette Patterns I liked it a lot and I was just lamenting that I had no summer things that were new.  Well I downloaded the pattern that afternoon and did the sewing yesterday although my son called me a troll for staying in my basement studio all morning.  It was worth it.  I am very pleased with the result.

This fabric is 100% cotton and I used the scraps to make the bias binding.   Mr had brought it back from Ankora, Turkey and it just hadn't fit in yet to a quilt...

Now as for the troll thing - aren't they about bridges....

Book Covers

Soooo, I have been busy, my son asked for a book cover for his girlfriend who likes to read her book on transit but hates having people ask her about it...So that means I need to make more of them.  They are so easy and quick.

But take a look at this SNOW.  Yes it is April...

Fresh Quilting

I just borrowed this book from the library - what a pleasure - yummy pictures to look at and a very freeing attitude about applique and quilting.  Malka Dubrawsky gives simple clear instructions to get you going.

I saw this on Blog Tour at Pink Chalk Studio and had to SEE it in person.

;)

Baby Shower Quilt

So have I been busy.  First I drew up the pictures for my Owlet quilt.  I started this in January - a new year's project.  My son offered much help with the critique and he encouraged me to make every block different.  

So this is the final block in the simple story of the Owlet Quilt.  Finally done.

Yeah, me...

Hope you are having a grand weekend and that the snow is melting where you are :)

It's Been Cold, I've Been...

Ok, it is warmer now but it has been pretty cold here for a couple of weeks and that always inspires me to knit.  I even found this pattern from Canadian Living for this super simple scarf and I just happened to have a couple of balls of Baby Bamboo and some 4.5 mm needles.  Wow, it was definitely a 'God thing' . Take a look...