Let's Talk About Christmas Presents

Has it been nearly three months since Christmas already? Yes, it sure has. This beautiful 11 week old girl in her cot next to me - she is beating up her mobile whilst stretching her legs as far up into the air above her tiny tummy as possible whilst I'm typing this - makes sure I remember Christmas and the time since very well.

Baby E let us enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve and a delicious lunch with my family the following day but she certainly kept mum and dad very busy between the late hours of Christmas Day and her afternoon arrival on Boxing Day - her estimated due date. Best Christmas gift ever!

Obviously we've been kept busy since, not that we mind too much. We're grateful and overjoyed to see her grow and learn, we're basking in her smiles and laughter. As I said, best Christmas gift ever!

I haven't sewn a stitch but I did get some wonderful stitchy presents. Up first, Oakshott fabrics - a Freesia fat eights pack and half a metre in Thistle. Not exactly a gift but I'd been intrigued to give them a try for ages and the last days of my pregnancy did wear my nerves a bit thin so I treated myself. The colours are gorgeous and I fear the picture doesn't do them justice. I hope to turn them into a cushion or two.

Up next a proper Christmas present, a Cotton & Steele bundle of yard and half yard cuts. Preeetty. No set plan yet but it'll be something special, I'm sure.

Last but not least, several wonderful helpers to make my sewing life easier. Some snips, Wonder Clips and a new, bigger cutting mat. The old one is only 60 cm x 45 cm whilst this one nearly covers the whole table at 90 cm x 60 cm. So nice.

I've got a few projects lined up (old ones, too!) but don't have a fixed schedule or anything. I'll take it as it comes as my most important "project" is lying in her cot next to me. Gnawing her hands. I should better be off. *wink*

Happy sewing!

Happy Holidays!

Oh my, I've been away for such a seriously long time it's like late 2012 all over again - only better because I've not had to move to Bavaria again and have been busy working rather than studying and did have access to the internet even though I was often too tired to actually go online.

But the best thing about it is that all the hard work which has caused my absence has paid off. Not only did the events we've been setting up for our clients and the huge office Christmas party I was in charge of turn out great, nope, there's more. From January on, after just half the time that was set for my intern, I'm fully employed with a permanent contract. And I still love the team and the job to bits. Honestly, I couldn't be happier right now. It's such a load off our shoulders and such great news to take into the holidays and New Year's.

Speaking of which, I'm pretty happy how our tree has turned out, too.

There's just a few modern decorations but the majority are still from the GDR (German Democratic Republic) and salvaged from my mum and grandma. Like this 80s bauble which has always been a favourite of mine during childhood.

And this tree topper and delicately painted silver baubles which my granddad gave my grandma back in the 60s.

Even the tinsel is vintage - salvaged by my mother-in-law and also about 30 years old. We still have the GDR packaging. Such a nostalgic/eastalgic tree.

On the other hand, I'm not happy at all with the progress made on my sister's scarf - overtime does take its dues - but am set to spend this evening and the following ones knitting to finally deliver.

Mine, however, is all finished and such a joy to wear. So warm and snuggly.

I also knit up a quick hat to go with it.

To return to the Christmas theme, I sewed up this little something as a present for my nephew. Considering that his granddad, my dad, is a learned deep sea fisher we have to start him young, right? He's in love with red at the moment and simply gorgeous. Such an active and happy baby.

I put this squeaky thing inside to drive his parents nuts. *wink*

Right, I'm off for today but am looking forward to some serious sewing and reading your blogs once I'm back from three days with the family. Got to make the most of the holidays!

Happy holidays and happy sewing!

Impressions

Thank you for all the kind words and congratulations on the birth of my nephew. I've seen him two more times now and I'm absolutely lovestruck. This is just a short hello with two shots of what I've been working on today so far.

Finished the centre block for my nephew's baby quilt. Read all about it here.

Also, some more paper piecing. Finally started on that pillow cover for my husband that should've been made for his birthday a month ago...  Don't fear, he got something else he enjoys a lot.

Well, I'm off again for more sewing. So nice to have a whole day all to myself and be sewing again.

Happy sewing!

Christmas Holidays

I'm back. Back in Berlin, back online and back to better health. Thanks so much for your comments and concern. I did take things slow and have recovered nicely.

After my last post I spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend with my husband, my sister, and her partner. Amongst other things we took a leisurely stroll around a handmade Christmas market where we bought delicious marmalade and my sister espied cutesy Christmas tree ornaments. She especially liked the owls, however, didn't really dig the fabrics. Obviously I hatched a plan immediately and rummaged through my stash as soon as they left on Sunday. I came across my Sew Stitchy layer cake which I won in Fiona's giveaway in June. June! Seriously?! Time has hurried along like mad.

I hadn't touched these pretties since making my hexie pouch and a few proved perfect for wintry, not too Christmassy ornaments! I brainstormed with this on my table...

... to finally turn out these.

They're blue and white respectively in back and front. However, I made a third one combining both fabrics.

And it's smaller than the other two... Yep, I'm going to be an aunt come summer. I'm so excited and happy! Can't wait to gift them these little darlings. Here they are all together.

As you might recall most of my time this Monday to Friday was dedicated to the Yoshi quilt project. I'll be posting about my progress in chronological order over the next couple of days - my Christmas present to you.

Have a wonderful Christmas, friends!

Pouches and Purses

The last of the pouches for my girls is finished and another Polaroid has found its place. I really need to make that tote sometime soon now to sew up the rest.

This pouch is slightly thicker and softer than the others as I used a thin fusible batting, leftovers from the Nanette tote which I made last spring (find it here, here or here), because I'd run out of Vilene H 200. All these pouches quickly gobbled up my stash of it and I really needed the last bits for my wedding purse. (Yeah, lazy me didn't feel like a run to the shop.)

At this moment I've fused all my fabric pieces and have sewn down the folds on one outer piece.

Once I've repeated this on the second outer piece, I can cut them according to my pattern and assemble my purse. I'm going really slowly with this project but I don't feel like potentially having to take my seam ripper to task on the fabric at all.

Here's a peep at the embroidery done by my friend on some Cotton Couture Nite which will serve as lining. Our names are above the date but I'm keeping the future husband (six days!) offline.

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I received the partly metallic machine embroidery thread as a birthday gift from another of my hen night girls who knows how much I love green and sewing back in march. I'd not been able to use it before and I love how now both friends have been involved in my wedding purse.

Goals: Finish the second outer piece this evening. Cut parts out with my pattern tomorrow and sew up the purse. Glue everything to the clutch frame either tomorrow evening or on Sunday. As I said, taking my time here.

Wishing you a lovely weekend and some happy sewing!

Linking up with TGIFF, this time over at Mama Love Quilts.

Pile of Pouches

This weekend was really relaxed with only small projects to keep me busy but first and foremost great company. A good friend of mine came over for a stitchy Saturday and some grub. She embroidered lining pieces for my wedding purse with her impressive machine and I made her a zippered pouch out of fabric which she picked out.

I'd already started on pouches for my sister and sister-in-law but I got it in my mind to say thank you to the others who sent me off last weekend and made my hen night special, as well, so I made a few more. I hope they'll love them lots, I know Perlendiva does (unfortunately I forgot to take a snap of hers before she left).

My sister and I saw the cute piglet and the fox fabric more than half a year ago, I think, but couldn't think of anything to use it for. So we didn't buy any  then. But it's perfect for these cute pouches and I wanted to use something that I wa sure she'd like. Her pouch has got a sentimental "forget-me-not" label as I'm 99 per cent likely to be moving soon. We're very close and it'll be tough on us both to be so far apart. *sigh*

Fortunately, I'm 90 per cent likely to move where my sister-in-law lives (fingers crossed!!), and since we'll be proper family soon, her pouch has a different arrangement but the same fabrics as my sister's in it.

 

For the friend who is a Ph.D. candidate I've used my precious typewriter fabric and some lovely Abacus in teal.

I couldn't resist and had to make a similar one for myself.

And here's the final one for another lovely friend, ready to be assembled.

Here's the bunch as of yesterday evening.

I can't wait to give them away! Stay tuned for a post about my wedding purse that I really need to finish soon.

Happy Monday and happy sewing!

Credits: I used this tutorial to learn how to make tabs.

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!