Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE

I've been busy!!

I cleaned up my sewing room on Saturday, which meant that I felt inspired to sew. Because I had room on my cutting table for pressing a lot of seams, and laying out strips of blocks, and pinning strips of blocks to quilt halves, a lot more sewing was done.  Which then leads to my big show off moment - I have finished my AMH quilt - well make that the quilt top. It measures approximately 60" square.

This has to be the fastest quilt top I have ever completed.  It was such an easy block, yet it looks so effective, and I guess you could make them any size you like.  Measurements for my block were:

1 x  5" square, and then two strips of solid 1 x 5"x 1.5" and  1 x 6" x 1.5".

This will be carefully put away for now, and the more subdued Seaglass Sampler Quilt pulled out and worked on,  I'm aiming to get this turned into a completed quilt top by the end of the year.

It's your turn to share now.  It doesn't matter if it's embroidery, a quilt, applique or epp, or some other stitched or sewn project.  It can be a start, a finish or just a wip.  All we ask is that you follow these guidelines when linking up:

• Link up any post from the past week that features  a sewing or stitching project you have been working on.

• Somewhere in your post, please link to this one.

• Also please take the time to read and comment on some of the other linked posts, it is always nice to know that people are reading what you have written, and we are trying to encourage people to keep blogging and reading blogs.

Thanks  for joining us.

Julie and Linda

Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE

I'm still working on my AMH quilt, I worked out that I need about 130 blocks. After my weekend sewing effort, I have accumulated a nice little pile of pretty, but still have about 75 still to make.  I was hoping that I wouldn't duplicate any fabrics, but I think a few favourites will be repeated.  Luckily they are quick and easy to make.  I think cutting the fabric ready for sewing takes longer.

To stop me starting too many new projects, I made a little list of my outstanding WIPs:

• Seaglass Sampler Quilt - turn blocks into a quilt top
• Midnight in the Tulip Garden Medallion - finish the last two or three borders
• No.7 from the Twelve Days of Christmas decoration swap with my sister
• Bird Dance is currently at my quilters, so that needs to be bound upon it's return.
• Ice Cream soda Blossoms - ongoing EPP project

Once the AMH quilt top is completed, I'm going to be good and start working on these again.

And to finish off, a photo of an honest sewing room, mid project(s), that pile down the far end of my cutting table is all my WIPs, not shown are the ones on my ironing board!

Now, it's YOUR turn to share, by linking up your sewing and stitching projects, whether they are starts, wips, or finishes, following these guidelines.

1. Link up from any post from the past week that features something you have been sewing or stitching,
2. Somewhere in your post, please link to this post.
3. Please comment on a couple of the other Sew,Stitch, Snap, Share links - it's fun to receive comments from new people, and we are trying to encourage people to read blogs and keep blogging too.

Weekending

Relaxing and taking it easy is the only way to enjoy these beautiful hot summer days and nights we are having.  Friday night saw us enjoying dinner and wine outside with friends, Saturday, I took it easy and finished the Shirt Quilt, then read a book.   Sunday was pretty cruisy too. I keep thinking I should be making chutney and pickles with the surplus vegetables from my garden, but it is far to hot to stand in the kitchen.

• loving all the colourful flowers in my garden
• a little girly sewing and quilting
• late afternoon/early evening at Maraetai - where The Scout and I enjoyed fish and chips on the beach for dinner

What did you enjoy this weekend?

Weekending - The Sewing Room Edition

Way back in January - I got my own sewing room, at the time we were looking for an old wooden door, to turn into a cutting table for me.  One at a good height so I didn't have to bend over to much.  In  March we bought an old kauri and rimu door for $1 off Trade Me (similar to EBay).  Over the past few months, The Scout has been sanding it back to the natural wood underneath, and patiently waiting for me to finalise my ideas for it.  This weekend it was finished.

We have left it as natural wood, no oil or varnish on it.  Where there were hinges, bolts or door handles, a little of the old paint or sanded back bolts have been left for character.
Underneath he built in some shelves to store my fabrics,  I will probably paint these the same very pale aqua, that other shelves in the room are painted in. I will also get new storage containers, so that I can store fabrics by colour/designer, rather than lumped in two containers.
Its dimensions are roughly 85cm high x 140cm long and 80cm wide.  I am so thrilled to have it completed, and very lucky to have such a handy husband.

My mini quilts have been hung up too.  The only thing left to do now, is to  cover the little old brown armchair that sits in the corner of my sewing room, and of course crack on with some sewing.  Of course, it will probably never look this clean and tidy again.

Hope you have all had a fabulous weekend.

My Sewing Room

 

What's a girl to do when her husband tells her " clear out your sewing cupboard and the bookshelves, I'm moving things so you have your own sewing room".  Well after a few disbelieving "really - a room just for my mess" and excited smiles, she gets on to it - quick smart. Previously I have had half a room, which I have shared with the family computer desk, and the cupboard my husband stores all his Scouting books and files in.

Now I have a room of my own - we have temporarily put in the trestle table for my ironing/ cutting /project table, until we find another old wooden door to make a matching table to my sewing table.  I have had an old bookshelf moved in to the other end of the room, which does house some old family favourites and children's books, but there is room for my things too.  Please note the large expanses of wall space - I am thinking space for some mini quilts (might need to join some swaps) and perhaps a design wall. 

Oh the possibilities are endless - I need to make an ironing pad for the table, and get a couple more pretty storage boxes for odds and end, so this room will be a work in progress.

What is your favourite feature of your sewing space?

**Updated  07/07/2014 - we have found a door, table number 2 is now work in progress and there are mini quilts on the wall too.**

Where I Create

This is my sewing, cardmaking, mess making space.  We have a room off our garage which is used for the computer and my sewing room.  My sewing desk is made from an old wooden door that  The Scout stripped  it back to natural timber - it originally had about 7 layers of old paint on it. My table is in front of the window so that when I am in there creating,  I can keep an eye on  Miss B and Mr J if they are outside.  To the right of my desk is my shelving/ storage area - it houses cardmaking supplies,  sewing books, jewellery making supplies, ribbons, buttons and other haberdashery..  The narrow blue/cream bookshelf was made for me by Mr J.  To the left is my inspiration board and containers of pens, scissors and other pretty things.  the rabbit and peg doll were made for by my very clever sister.

**Please note that my desk was tidied up especially for these photos - it never looks like this  normally**

Linking up to Where I Sew Month 2013 at Pink Chalk Studio.