Lazy Baby Blanket

My second finish of the year is basically another large granny square - crocheted in Kaffe Fassett's chunky variegated cotton. I especially love the bordering on this one. Now let's see if I am right about this babe being a boy.

First Finish of the year: iPad case

Just in time for my mum's 75th birthday - my first iPad case following this tutorial though the measurements are a bit too generous for my liking. As part of that project, I also finally - after eleven years of ownership - learned how to make a button hole, Youtube be praised: and enjoyed some sewing time with my girls:

Dr Seuss Kiddie door pockets

Another finish from the retreat ... and they look darling dangling from my kids' door handles!

Finished: Twoo-Hoot

I took a number of projects on the quilt retreat, this was one of them and I'm pleased to say that it's finished! I'm not too sure about the colours and fabric design but I liked how fast it came together and I really like the quilting on it. Also, this was quite the deviation from my usual fretting. All I did was divide up squares into light and dark and assemble as they appeared in their piles.

Another finish: Nostalgia

It was a race against time but I made it and am pleased to report that Nostalgia was finished just in time for my BFF's big 4-0. And she LOVED it. In fact, she and her guests loved it. Two of my close friends - of Vague Heart fame - actually approached me to ask whether they could order one from me. I was beyond chuffed.

Helena the Great

Helena is a great kid and dearest friend of my elder daughter. She's proud and headstrong and sweet and loyal and all-around wonderful. So when it transpired that her family were moving to a new house, I asked my girl if she wanted me to make a quilt for her very bestest of best friends ... silly question, mummy, of course! So here it is:
Sadly not such a great effort at photography ...
Vital Statistics:
Kona Solid and Kaufman fabrics
Freudenberg wadding
Gütermann and Aurifil threads
100 * 170 cm in size
Cut with Go-Baby
machine pieced and quilted
lots of fun making it
perfect match to the accent wall in recipient's room - wall was painted the day the quilt was gifted.

Happy Second Advent

In other news, there is another finish:

This has been in progress since early 2010 ... more.

Another finish: Almondesque

Almondesque is done. And I am really pleased. It was inspired by this photo:

The quilt was very well received and a total surprise for my friends. They had thought that their boat had sailed in terms of receiving a quilt from me because they were done having babies before I had ramped up production enough for me to give quilts away to special small humans ...

Vital Stats:
105 * 185 cm, roughly
Kona Solids
Gütermann and Aurifil threads
Freudenberg 100% cotton wadding
lotsa fun to make! .... more

Done: Bassetti for Reingard

Done and ready to get shipped!

Done: Dad's Biggest Zig

Finished and right on time: it was my Dad's birthday on Saturday and I managed to finish the quilt on that day ... it was so sweet to see that he really loved receiving this gift.



And I am ever so pleased with it too. The pattern works well, the quilting looks great and is quite even. I love the back with the scrappy element. It has to be said, however, that I still suck at planning a project, see my fretting over a potential border ...

Rafe's Flag

My friend's third son arrived this August and I wanted to make something for him as well. His initials were initially reported to be R - G - L which I found maritime alphabet flag for. Only when the wall hanging was 95% finished did I find out that an extra A had been smuggled in. No way was I going to take it apart again and therefore changed the plan for embellishments, thereby adding the missing letter:



Previous gifts include: Harrison's Friendly Dragon Quilt, Caroline's Objects and Theo's Planes, a cushion cover.

The Pink Zig - finished top

Done - good fun to make and soon off to its new owner, born this Tuesday in Southern Germany.

Finished table runner

I'm making good progress on a number of smaller projects and this is one of them. The table runner is for my best friend and it matches the tray as well as her oil cloth and patio chair cushions.

I hope she'll like it.

As for a "critique": After much fretting and indecisiveness, I tried to go for a buzzing bee sort of look, which IMO looks fine on the front. The back's another story because of the contrasting thread and no logical explanation for where the stitches are. Next time I'll use a complementary colour.

The binding caused some worry too because I thought I have skimped too much by only allowing 1cm (3/8 inch) of width. But I think it looks nice and I am getting much better at simply machining it on.

In the Pink - finished!

Just before the lawn-mowing service arrived this morning, I took the opportunity and shot a few pictures in the morning sun (and in my jammies).

In the Pink was done in time for the Spring-to-Finish at the end of May. It was inspired by Elisa's Emergency Quilt. And I think I will make another quilt with frayed edges.

Finished and photographed: Caroline's Objects

The weather was lovely today so I interrupted work for a moment to snap photos.


I am a bit ambivalent about this quilt, probably because I worry how it will be received. This is one of my main "faults": I invest a lot of time and thought and love into a piece and find it hard to (1) let it go and (2) present it believing that the recipient will like it.

At the end, mercifully, they at least all act like they do!

Hubby says this is his favourite, is the recipient worthy? Well, if she does not like it, I can always ask for it back and give it to him, can't I? After all, they both share a shoe fetish!

For more photos, go here: Caroline's Objects on Flickr.

Done! Christmas gift for my mum

I grew up with a mum who said that handmade gifts were always the nicest gifts and that she didn't want any gifts at all.

So here she goes: four semi-hand made guest towels to add an accent to my parents' silver-grey powder room. I hope they will get there on time!

Ready to be shipped!

This may well be the last post boring you with this little quilt. Evidently, I am very much in love with it and hoping that the recipient will be too. If she is too little to appreciate crafts (fair assumption that at four weeks, she might be), I'm hoping her mum will love it for her.

If you want me to tell you how I made this quilt, let me know. It was super-easy, fast and fun!

Finished: IWC Charity Quilt

It's all done, ready to be washed and then stored for next year's Annual Charity Auction and Wine Reception.

Theo's Planes - done

This came together nicely and all made from stash too.

Finished

When my work day finally ended last night at 10 pm (household, kiddies, work-work, laundry, parents' meeting at church), I picked up the much neglected Quilt in a Day No. 4 and tied up the last few loose ends.

I'm guessing it took me about 9 hours start to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed making this scrappy non-planned quilt.