It's been a while...

So I took a little break from blogging, and couldn't find my way back for all this time! I finished Uni and started the juggle of shift work and mothering my three little loves, and life went on... I finished Ruby's quilt in time for her birthday, free hand, machine quilted masterpeice that she treasures, and I've gone on to make many more quilts as special gifts.

I am nursing in a busy intensive care unit and I just love my job. I am so lucky and pinch myself a fair bit, as it truly is a priveledge to work in such an environment, caring for patients and their families during some of their sickest times. It's ironic how I was initially attracted to nursing to work in childbirth and midwifery, and ended up at the other end of the spectrum in ICU where it is often end of life care. People are amazing, we all have a story and in a round about way, this is what has bought me back to my blog. 

I have a real love for the handful of blogs that I read regularly. My faves being full of food, parenting, health, sewing and general chatter that is unique to the blogging world. So I am back (for now... life you know, can get in the way haha!) to contribute to the conversations...

if anyone is reading ;)

Ruby's Quilt top is pieced

It is very exciting to get to this stage, the quilt top is pieced and looking as I'd hoped it would. The colours are perfect... pinks, greens and blues. The quilt came out a great size, this is it spread over my double bed, and it just reaches to cover the top, on a single bed it gives a nice generous overhang which is what I'd hoped for, thanks to the extra pack of white charm squares and the homespun white border! 

Now to choose some backing fabric and a coordinating binding fabric so I can move onto the business end of the project, the sandwiching, free motion quilting and binding. A few days remain until Ruby's birthday! 

xx

A Quilt for Ruby.

My baby girl Ruby will be eight years old next week. Shocking. My little girl... eight does sound very big! Ruby loves the quilts I have been working on, and has asked for a big one for her own bed. I was actually planning on making her one from the day I decided to get serious about learning to quilt properly... and finish a project! I actually began a quilt for her when she was a baby, it is ready to sew the blocks together and all, but I was a unsure how to proceed from that step, so I packed it away and forgot it!

Isn't it amazing how times have changed in the last eight years? With so many helpful and talented crafters, offering to share their skills via craft blogs, tutorials and YouTube clips, you really can self direct your own learning from the comfort of your own laptop! Maybe I will actually finish that original one too, as a spare snuggle quilt, or even just for the caravan! 

Ruby and I spent a lot of time drooling over colours and fabric ranges for her 'big girl quilt' as it has affectionately being referred to. I decided I wanted to go for Moda charm packs, as I love the range of colours and designs available and the fact that they are pre-cut is a big bonus! 

I just fell in love with Lily Ashbury's 'Summer House' range, the colours and designs are just gorgeous! 

Image from google

We ordered three charm packs, and one more Moda charm pack in white to bulk it out a little if needed. I hope to make this quilt large enough to have a generous overhang over the edge of the mattress as I think that looks much nicer. This is so much fun! Her birthday is looming so I had better get sewing! 

Terrain Quilt finished!

I wasn't entirely sure if I loved this fabric range or not. But as it came together, it became a happy and vibrant quilt, and friends and family who have seen it do a bit of "oooh-ing" and "aaaah-ing", there is something like a positive energy that bounces of it. 

This one is a keeper, and has taken pride of place on our three-seater brown leather lounge, most often it is draped over or around somebody/bodies... yes, I definitely need to make a few more of these lap quilts to see us through this winter. Autumn has arrived here in Australia, and I have felt the 1st 'chill' in the air (that means the temperature has dipped below 20 Celsius... okay, so I'm a sub-tropical girl!). 

Next on my list though, is a proper big single bed quilt, one that hangs over the bed generously, for my daughter's birthday coming up very, very soon! She will be eight years old, and has chosen some gorgeous fabrics in bright greens, pinks and blues. Can't wait to share it with you. x

Hideaway Quilt Completed!

I just sort of can't believe that I made this. I am definitely pleased with my first attempt at quilting, certainly I have much to improve on, and that's how we develop our skills I suppose. Either way, I will be very happy to gift this to my little brother's new baby if she is a girl, and I am ordering some great new fabric I found online yesterday to make a boyish one too, either way, the spare quilt will have a loving home here with my three little people!

Safe to say I am well on my way to quilting addiction, there are so many lovely fabrics available, and it is very special to create something that will provide warmth, comfort and cuddles... Happy days!

My first Quilts, part 2!

My two little lap quilt tops came together in no time! I chose a pale green backing, (which is in fact upcycled from one of my favourite 1000 thread count sheet sets, not very old at all, that had a little tear?!!) and got busy sandwiching the quilt top and the backing fabric around some cotton quilt batting. I used regular safety pins to hold the three layers nice and secure, and I actually found this step to be quite easy, and a little exciting, as I can see the quilts taking shape before my eyes! 

Sandwiched and pinned ready for quilting!

Next came the actual quilting. My new machine, as mentioned in earlier posts, came with many feet, one of which is the quilters foot. I made up a sandwich using scraps and practised quilting in the design of the stiple-stitch, and it was incredibly easy! Full of confidence I just went for it, and it actually worked!!! I had a few little hiccups here and there where I made a jagged movement or touched a line of stitching, but hey... it's all part of the process. I started at the top centre, and worked a one foot wide section from top to bottom, so there are no stops and starts anywhere on the quilt. I continued the foot wide strips until it was all done, so much FUN!!! I knew I would love quilting, and after a year of fiddling around playing with different sewing styles and techniques, I have done it!

Two quilts ready for binding. Quilted be me (!) using free motion quilting stipple stitch style.

I just adore hand made items, and it is such a delight to create something myself. One of these is going to be set aside for my brother's new baby if she is a girl, due in a few weeks (if he's a boy I will need to source some boyish fabric!) or else it will join the other will be the first of many to become my family's snuggly lap quilts, for winters nights on the lounge, or evenings camping in the caravan. Stay tuned for the finished products... 

My first real quilt.

Here we go. Clever new machine... check, some lovely charm square packs... check, white homespun... check, cotton batting... check, YouTube tutorials and Pinterest board inspiration... check! No reason not to get into my first real quilt really, so I bit the proverbial bullet and threw myself into it! Actually I made two at the same time, (because once I had pieced the first quilt top, I freaked a tiny bit about tackling sandwiching just yet and moved onto the second quilt top instead). I have a few charm packs in my stash by now, and the two I picked out first were Moda Terrain, by Kate Spain, and the gorgeous Moda Hideaway, by  Lauren and Jesse Jung.
                                      
                                                                    Images from Google

A sneak peak of the Hideaway quilt top, with homespun border in white.... so far all is good! Stay tuned!

Loving my new sewing machine!