TGIFF - More Cushion Covers

I'm preeetty sure I said I'd put my sewing machine away for the season not too long ago, didn't I? Ah well, humbug. On Wednesday my colleagues called on a secret mission. You see, another colleague is expecting a little boy with his girlfriend, just a few days after I'm due, and just like they got us a little something they were looking for something for them.

They'd been thinking along the lines of a onesie and a t-shirt with some cute applique like "little brother/big sister", only they couldn't find something they liked which got them wondering whether I might not applique something onto bought clothes if they got me the fabric and utensils. I gave it a thought and said I could.

When I got off the phone I got thinking some more. I don't have any experience with applique. Would it turn out well enough? Is "well enough" enough for me? They'd have to buy the things. And get them to me before I could start. Do I even like working with things that I didn't choose?

So I called them and proposed to make two samey yet not same pillows from my ample stash if they sent me batting. Whilst they deliberated I already pulled my fabrics and got playing - like we do. Shortly afterwards a courier brought me batting and a gift card to make up for my stash expenses.

for the baby boy

for the big sister

So yeah, I whipped up two sibling pillows in two sessions on Wednesday and Thursday and sent them to the office on Thursday afternoon. Hope they'll be well received.

Happy sewing!

Cushion Quick Fix

With all those wonderful but time consuming stars and snowflakes I needed a quick fix and decided to wing this into a front block for a cushion. I'll definitely buy the pattern if I decide to make more so I won't have to fret about math, cutting and adjusting in the future.Yesterday I just made it up as I went, same as I do with the stars and snowflakes.

The pillow will become my nephew's Christmas present. He keeps on stealing his mum's Kirby cushion and I think he deserves one of his own. Yay, that's one me-made Christmas present this year (excluding the guest in my womb). It'll be completed with a quick envelope back and some simple quilting. Nothing fancy, just a satisfying quick fix which, I dare say, is terribly cute.

Happy sewing!

Cushion Update

They're finished! (You've got to take my word that there's a second cushion cover in the vicinity.) Only a few words and more pics as I'm really tired but still eager to show them off.

Quilting took the front from a bit boring to really pretty. I'm so glad I went with straight lines and chevrons.

And I do do love the cushion covers all made up and ready to be used!

Both front and back.

Such a long way from this dull brown!

I can't wait to get a pic of both pillows on my sister's sofa, probably tomorrow, and I know she can't wait to finally have her cushion back. After six months. Catching up with projects is fun!

Happy sewing!

New, Old Project - Cushion Covers for the Sis

Still catching up on old projects.* I actually had to look up since when I've had the fabric for this project. End of September? Ouch, that means I've been planning it since mid-September! On top I've had my sister's sofa cushion for all of those six months... Well, better late than never.

Fabric, batting, and interior fabric have been cut. Pieces for the envelope backing have been assembled and are ready to be quilted.

Yes, quilted - I'd planned to keep the cushion covers really simple, maybe even completely unquilted, to finish them today but then fancy struck. Wouldn't the mirror balls be set off just great by a bunch of straight, angular lines? This is the first backing piece showing my efforts and proving my thinking right.

I love where this is going and I'm sure my sister will be delighted, too, but I also know that I won't be finishing these pretties today. Not least of all because my water soluble marker is giving up the ghost...why do these things always happen on Sundays?! Anyway, I'm looking forward to spend more time with this new, old project.

Happy sewing!

*Dreaming up new ones as well, though. It's *tough* not to and focus on finishing up only.

W.i.P and Instant Gratification

With a big project like Yoshi on your plate you just have to have some instant gratification in between. Here's my assorted collection.

At first I made a little pouch for my sister's Nintendo DS. Great! I got to play with my cute fabric hoardings and had something for her to not feel left out at the big Yoshi reveal.

As the weather turned colder after a mild period and I'd lost my hat before Christmas I had to knit this. Thankfully, I hoarded enough of the colour last year to have two skeins left! I love this pattern and have used it twice before. This time I added a few rows in stockinette to the Windy City Hat pattern so that it'd cover my ears. Two or three too many but it's still fab. (Also, I used 5 mm needles, not 4.5 mm.)

 

Finally I made two more cushion covers for our sofa. I wasn't in a too good place, emotionally, after our return to Bavaria and wanted something a little less cheerful and a bit more sober to go with that, so thought of these fabrics acquired nearly two years ago. Yep, Kristy, we do use our fabrics, eventually!

My mood has improved a ton since last week and I don't actually consider the cushions uncheerful. I enjoy them a lot!

To give you a clue about new projects on my mind - the lot of orders from the beginning of the year has started to arrive (more in a Stash on Sunday post). I'm glad I picked Kona Sage as extra fabric for my planned Grecian Waters HST quilt. Only I'm not entirely convinced of making it an all solids quilt anymore. The pretty leaves print that came in the same parcel is definitely something to consider throwing into the mix!

Now, without further ado, my revised W.i.P. list.

Finishes - 4
Yoshi quilt - don't miss tomorrow's post!
Pillow covers
DS pouch
Knitted hat

Ongoing Stalled Projects - 2
EPP hexies - 32 finished flowers + tons basted
EPP parallelograms/stars

Planning Stage - 4
Wedding Anniversary quilt
Grecian Waters HST quilt
Quilt for the husband
Tons of baby things

Happy sewing!

Yoshi 5.0

On Thursday last week I did sod all for Yoshi and it felt great. Yep, acceptance really freed me. Also, it was a day to socialise. I finally met up with a fellow sewist and blogger and her family who are living close by. We had a lovley chatter, her toddler boy is gorgeous and it was so nice to be out and about and not stuck in the flat all day apart from grocery shopping.

After my return home it was time to take a shower and doll myself up because of more socialising and fun times. My husband and I had a dinner date before attending his school's Christmas concert in the evening. So I donned one of my me-made skirts and off we went. We hadn't had a date in ages and went to a very nice Spanish tapas bar and steak restaurant. We can rarely afford to go out like this, so it was an early Christmas present. It was absolutely lovely and I enjoyed every minute of it.

No pics, I'm afraid, but I'll show you something I finished on Friday morning to spruce up this post.

My sister-in-law bought this lovely Ink & Spindle print in a sale and I turned it into pillow covers in time for Christmas.

Want to see more of Yoshi? He'll return tomorrow!

... to be continued ...

Happy sewing!

W.i.P. - Kirby's Adventure in My Living/Sewing Room (4)

I had a fantastic hen night with a small-ish group of wonderful friends and family. Can't thank them enough for taking the time to send me off - especially my sister who took on all the planning on top of being with me at multiple other crucial stages pre-wedding. Thinking the same, Kirby begged me to spend time with him again and get him ready in time to be a thank you gift after the wedding rather than a birthday gift in November. I happily obliged.

After squaring the little fellow I added narrow borders which I then quilted. I also quilted in the ditch around Kirby with black thread.

I finished the pillow with an envelope back.

Kirby's glamour shot.

Something else I worked on is my wedding purse. I made a mock-up of the outside from my self-drawn pattern. It's a bit floppy like this, without batting and lining. I think I will reinforce the fabric with a very light iron-on interfacing. Something to try out on scraps.

A friend of mine has kindly agreed to embroider our names and date onto a lining piece with her machine. Once I get that back I can finish my purse... and get married! Fifteen days now!

Happy sewing!

Stats for the Week
Finished Projects - 1
Kirby pillow

Ongoing Projects - 5
EPP hexies - 29 finished flowers
Polaroid blocks Tote
EPP parallelograms/stars
Viking Baby quilt - started cutting
Wedding clutch - made a mock-up

Planning Stage - 4
Wedding Anniversary quilt
ET Phone Home EPP project
Moe Moe's Star quilt
Chair cushions for my sister

Kirby's Adventure in My Living/Sewing Room (3)

Last night we left Kirby looking like this.

Ten seams and some severe pressing later he's finally himself again.

Can I get a hooray? It's quite a way (and size) from this.

 And yep, he is slightly wonky which is best witnessed in this shot of the wrong side.

Single strips evidently weren't a great idea after all. I don't really mind though. I keep on carrying it over to the fiancé shouting "KIRBYYY!! KIRBYYY!!". Yes, I'm in love. Not sure I can keep this secret from my sis until her birthday in November. That's an awful lot time to keep secret what you're excited about and I think this will be finished in two weeks the latest if my sewing time allows.

As for the wonkiness, I've got a cunning plan (cool points if you know what I'm referencing!). Haha, nah, not really cunning. I guess I'll just square it up again and don't care about the cut pixels. Or I'll add angled borders and increase the size to 50cm² rather than the aimed at 40cm²

Look here if you've missed Part 1 and/or Part 2.

I'm off to finally sew up the second toile of my hen night dress. Happy sewing!

Kirby's Adventure in My Living/Sewing Room (2)

This is where we left off in Part 1 of Kirby's Adventure in my Living/Sewing Room.

And now he's shrinking!!

Looking all skinny and hungry.

Intriguing even from the wrong side.

All scrunched up and funky looking after half the horizontal seams are sewn and before cutting the seam allowances open to iron them down.

After a press, looking less skinny but still not finished.

 

Watchful eyes will already have noticed that Kirby is slightly unbalanced and the square don't match up in perfect straight seams. I guess I should have bitten the bullet and ironed my squares onto a larger piece of fusible web after all - but as shown here by quilting princess with a pencil grid (!) on it and in sections (minus the daughter, obviously). Ah well, we never stop learning!

Kirby is a lot stiffer now and the horizontal seams are a bit of a pain to take care of with my big iron. Right now I'm not sure I'd make another pixellated thing. Probably not a pillow but rather a quilt with much bigger pixels and without fusible web. It's absolutely possible that I turn the literal 180° once this baby is all done and fab, though. I've even got a tentative idea for quilting but will keep mum about it for the moment.

Hoping you're having a splendid weekend!

Kirby's Adventure in My Living/Sewing Room

Remember these? I finally started putting them together.

When I first mentioned my plans, Emily from Phone Home Designs by E.T. recommended that I use fusible web to speed up the assembling process and prevent pulling. I liked that idea a lot but since the project (still) isn't urgent, I have waited for the tutorial that Angela promised for her Super Mario Bros. QAL to see whether she might have found another ingenuous method. She has, but unfortunately I cannot find Angela's recommended wash-out stabiliser over here, so I resorted to Vilene H 200 - one of the thinnest fusible webs that I've used before to interface waistbands of summery light skirts. That way I hope to prevent too much stiffness because I still want the pillow to cuddly.

However, I didn't lay out the whole image onto a large piece of interfacing. I was too scared of accidentally moving bits and ruining everything. So I cut strips of interfacing that I ironed onto single rows of pixels.

My little book for crafty plans and the necessary math with the sketched layout - can you see that I ticked off each vertical row as I went? OCD or carefulness? (Yes, I used it to count the necessary amount of pixels per colour, too! And nearly forgot the black 'mouth' pixel. I wondered for the longest time why I only counted 399 pixels all in all. Duh.)

This is how far I got on Wednesday until I ran out of fusible web of an appropriate length. Meh. I thought I'd quickly rush to my regular supply shop should the rain deem to subside for a moment (yep, our weather is just as bad as yours, British friends, I literally feel your pain) but then I had to get some pressing grocery shopping done and the fickle weather held me back. So the fun had to be delayed until after yesterday's trip to the citizen centre where I wanted to request my new ID (I want to have it as soon as I'm married and not weeks after).

The wait was long. Looong. Long enough to finish all these. And only the grey ones were pre-assembled!

Today I spent my lunch break to finish the remaining eight pixel strips and this is what Kirby looks like at the moment.
 

Oooh, I can't wait sew the rows together. He'll shrink so much but it'll be fun to see that happening. Like the mushroom over at Sarah's blog? Fingers crossed I find time for it and the second toile of my hen night dress this weekend. We're rather busy at the moment.

Have a great weekend and happy sewing!

We have a Winner!

Welcome back to the draw! Since Tabatha mentioned the metaphorical hat and we had one in our closet, I thought it'd be nice touch to use a literal hat instead of a random number generator. Lots of pics for transparency's and nostalgia's sake and the fiancé watched to ensure that the draw went above board.

The hat.

26 names...

...turned into 26 tickets...

...and put in the hat.

And the winner is...drum roll...

...who said...

Congratulations Cecilia! I've already emailed you. Let me know which cover you'd like to call your own and I'll make sure to send it to you asap. I think we're all curious to know which one you will choose!

The brown one?

Or the multicoloured one?

Also, let us know once you've made your own Dresden and how they look together!

Thank you all for your enthusiasm. I'm stunned so many of you professed interest in my little project and took time to encourage me along the way. I hope you're enjoying a splendid weekend!