Saturday, June 26, 2010

Disappearing Nine-Patch

OK. Now I know what I should have done... Nevertheless, it turned out quite nicely and I happen to have enough fabric from my stash for backing and binding.
While I was on a roll, I made another lap quilt from the 8" lengths I had cut from leftovers. I simply sewed strips together width-wise and then when they were more or less 8" square, trimmed them to 7.5" squares and then laid them out, altering the direction of stripes in each block (horizontal & vertical). I shocked myself with the colours I put together but in the end it is very colourful and interesting. the strips were not 100" even (i.e. 2.5" at one end, a little more or less at the other) but in the big picture, it fits. I even surprised myself by pinning before sewing so my corners match almost perfectly (a first for me). I was ready to head to Fabricland for backing fabric but I checked my stash and in some of my larger leftovers, I have enough to make fabric widths to make vertical stripes and make my own backing. My stash, she is losing space...
Photos later, maybe.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Disappearing Nine-Patch

I guess the trip to Fabricland put me back in the mood. I had, months and months ago, cut up 5" squares from leftovers for a disappearing nine-patch lap quilt. I finally finished sewing the nine-patches and cutting each one into four this morning. I now have them on my design wall. I'm sure there's a way to position them, I just haven't figured it out yet. I think I have to worry about the larger patch in each square and worry less about the same patterns meeting each other. I'll take another look at it later and start repositioning.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Fabricland Doncaster Closing Sale

Just got back from Fabricland Doncaster. I thought I would get 50% off but turned out it was 66%!! More better!! So I bought 4.5 metres of Warm and White 120" wide batting for about $10 a metre. Excellent price! So now I have the batting for Ruthie's quilt but am still debating on the design. I also bought 5 metres of Steam-A-Seam Lite, sheyihiyeh (so that I have it). And blades for my rotary cutter. I purposely did not buy any other fabrics. I wanted bobbins but they were all sold out. And I had treated myself to a 6" wide 12" long (I think) ruler at 50% off a few weeks ago. So I'm set.
I haven't actually been doing any creating but I resorted my fabrics in the cupboard. Anything which was leftover or smallish (roughly less than a fat eighth) I cut into 8" long strips of varying widths from about 1 3/4" to 3". Anything between the fat eighth and fat quarter, I have in one "bin" (i.e. plastic lettuce container), all the 8" strips are in another, and anything shorter than 8" is in a third "bits and pieces" bin. I already made a table runner from the 8" strips, red patterned leftovers from various projects. I will now take the rest of the strips, mix and match and make more table runners or placemats or other utilitarian items.
The bits and pieces I hope to use to make mosaic pictures with my nieces. They also want to try the shaving cream dyeing so I'm looking forward to the next six weeks before I go to Israel.
I have booked my flights from August 1st to September 1st and am really looking forward to getting reacquainted with Amit. To facilitate my spending time and travelling on the bus with him, we went today to Walmart and bought an umbrella stroller. It was really cheap so if Inbal decides she wants something sturdier, she won't have to feel badly about the investment already made. I will surf the net and see if there are any patterns for sun shades and or baskets I can make for it, although I think between a backpack and the stroller (and Amit, of course), I will be able to manoeuvre fairly easily.
That said, off to surf.

About Me

Daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, me.