Handstitched Camp

You might have noticed the Handstitched Camp button over on the sidebar. I wasn't planning on doing this course but when registrations opened I didn't want to miss out. The Handstitched Camp is part of a series of online courses on hand stitching. It is an area that I felt lacking in confidence and technique. The course is run by the talented Rachel of Stitched in Color whom I did Curves Camp with earlier in the year. I was really impressed with the way Rachel ran Curves (really thorough tutorials and online support) so I knew this was going to be money well spent (about $70). There's something about paying money that gets me really committed, I don't think I would be so disciplined with a quilt a long.

Things have been a little busy 'round these parts so I have only managed to make a start on the Modern Medallion Quilt. I had to change the centre applique from the original which was a dogwood shape to this square on point. The dogwood didn't work with my centre fabric "It's a Hoot" but I am being very restrained and using mostly fabric already in the stash. This project will be added to at each stage of the course and for me it is the main priority. There will be smaller projects along the way, and if I have the time I will do some of those too.

Here's the colorful combination of floss that I've selected for the next step which is to add embroidered half square triangles and cornerstones. The solids are going to be used in the next round of borders. I must make a move on because that tutorial is coming on Monday!

Have you ever done any online courses?

 

Pretty Lined Drawstring Pouches

A couple of weeks ago I had a niece celebrating her Holy Communion, a niece turning 13, and twin niece and nephew turning 11. Perfect opportunity to use Jeni's drawstring pouch tutorial. I made these pouches over the space of 4-5 days but it should only take a couple of hours to make one. I got lots of interruptions and I made one then decided to make the other three... Wait for fabric to arrive... You know how it goes.

As soon as these were made my kids were asking if they were for them, especially my two year old!

 





This one is for my 8 yr old niece who is very much into pink. Her family have just gone on a European holiday so I hope the pouch was useful for packing some little travel items.






 

In other news the kids have just gotten over a really bad flu virus. I was lucky to dodge that one. I have been trying to find a balance between sewing time and home duties. I find the home duties a real drag and get by on doing the basics. I feel like that's not good enough and I want to make our home more of a priority. I also have the incentive of a house guest next month so I'm aiming to spring clean and declutter one room at a time, I know having a clean house makes me happy (it's just that three littlies can trash it in the blink of an eye).

 

Jane Market Bag do.Good Stitches Secret Swap

Instead of making a quilt, the do.Good Stitches team is participating in a secret swap this month. I spent three days last week (yes, it shouldn't have taken that long) making my swap item.

My partner, Kris, didn't request anything in particular but her color choice was blue and green.

I chose some Liberty and co-ordinating fabrics from the stash and turned them into a Jane Market Bag.

I used some cotton drill between the layers as stabiliser and I used a lightweight interfacing on the Liberty and the pockets. The bag was still a bit floppy so next time I'll try a stiffer stabiliser.

The other deviation from the pattern is the straps were cut 5" x 24". The little selvedges were added for some fun. I also top stitched around the base for added support.

Fabrics used: Dear Stella, Liberty, Japanese remnant for the pockets and DS Picnics and Fairgrounds for the lining.

Kris received her bag a couple of days ago and blogged about it here. Now just waiting in anticipation to see who and what mine will be!

do.Good Stitches May

Where has this week gone?  I took these photos on Monday morning and it has taken me four days to find the time to blog about them! These are my May blocks for do.Good Stitches.  Kris, the quilter, asked for Herringbone Blocks in feminine colours as she intends to donate the quilt to a Woman's Shelter.

I was in my element with this one!  I love using the girly fabrics in my stash.  The only problem was that I was not having a good sewing day.  I read the tutorial which stated you need a 6.5" x 24" ruler or template.  I have two 24" rulers but didn't actually realise they were only 6" wide NOT 6.5".  You can see where this is going....  I cut my first half-block with my ruler and that's when I measured and was swearing at myself for stuffing up the block.  Here's my orphan half block, I'll have to find another use for it!

The wrong size!

Things seemed to go downhill from there.  Instead of cutting exactly the same fabrics to remake that block I cut the fabrics I had allocated for the second half of the block (I now had two sets of the same fabric strips).  That worked out OK, just not as I had originally designed it.

When I made block 2 I cut the second half block upside down!  This meant that a couple of the fabrics I had planned to mismatch now matched up.  Not a biggy but still not what I had originally planned.

So they are still useable blocks and I do really like them.  They are just not as awesome as I had hoped they would be!  Do you find that you have good days and bad days when sewing?