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?

Finished - The Shirt Quilt

Finally the Shirt Quilt for Mr J is finished.  I started collecting shirts back in 2013 for this and bought a couple of checked fat quarters to add a little extra colour.  Cutting strips started in  February2014, about 350 2.5" x 6.5" strips were cut, and the top was finally completed in August. Based on a rail fence block, I used charcoal and denim  strips from The Scout's shirts,as the middle strip in each block to tone it down a little and add make it less busy on the eyes.

Mr J wanted some shirt pockets included, so he has places to hide things  (note to self: remember to check these before washing it), so there are six pockets pieced on the front in random directions.

The backing is made from a charcoal coloured solid from Spotlight and has a strip down the middle made up of shirt backs and scraps.  Straightish line quilting was done a 1/4" each side of the block seams.  I had a lot of problems with this, I think maybe because of all the different fabrics and differing weights, so I am not really going to show close ups of the quilting.  Needless to say, there was  a little cursing and unpicking during this part of the process.

The binding is a cotton linen chambray from Robert Kaufman in Indigo. It measures 60" x 66", and I figure that this is one quilt he will be able to use for a long time, rather than growing out of the colours or fabrics used.  I had to give up on stitching the quote for the back, however my sister has finished it for me, and I am just waiting for it to arrive from Australia, so I can hand stitch it to the back. A co-ordinating pillowcase has been made too.  Apart from my disappointment with the quilting, I love how this has turned out.  The quilt and pillowcase have been rolled up and tied with ribbon , and are now put away, ready to be given to Mr J on his birthday.

My first finish of 2015 and first for the 2015 Finish-a-long Q1

Wednesday WIP

There has been a little sewing done in the past few days.

• the backing and quilting have finally been done on Mr J's shirt quilt, (I have only had the top completed and waiting since August 2014) the binding has been attached and just needs to be hand stitched down now. Normally, I don't mind hand stitching, only the quilt is quite heavy and it so hot here, that is it not a pleasant experience.  With a completion date required by the end January, I must get it done  (This is my main  2015 Finish-a-long - Q1 project)
• prepping a hand sewing project to take away - my first time doing English paper piecing, Apparently you can glue instead of basting the fabric to the templates - has anyone tried this, and would you recommend it?
• another paper piecing project - so much for a break from it - these ballet slippers will be turned into a pillow. Pattern from Tartankiwi. Working towards making handmade gifts for my nieces, this is also a Q1 finish-a-long project

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and 2015 Finish Along - Q1 at On the Windy Side.

Morning at the Museum - WOW Exhibition

The Exchange by Tatyanna and Natasha Meharry.
  Auto trim, ceramic and velcro

Close up of the Ceramic coins

Second Skin by Hayley May and Fiona Christie.
Lycra, tulle, nylon and sheepskin

Stitching detail

Born to Die by Xiao Tong Guo
 Cable Ties

Cable tie detail

Inkling by Gillian Saunders
.  Eva foam and paint

close up of the painted details

Noor Reverie by Rebecca Maxwell.
 Polyester, vinyl and fusing

Close up of the cutout detailing

Prickly Heat by Wendy Moyer -  Bizarre Bra section

Epicentre Divas by Claire Third - Bizarre Bra Section

Yesterday I went to the Auckland Museum to see the World of WearableArt (WOW) exhibition. These were a few of the prizewinning entries from the  WOW competition that is held every year. Entries come from all over the world and garments are made from all sorts of things, as you can see from some of the photos above.  There is an amazing amount of work and detail in some of the garments, that must take years to make, and must require an amazingly active imagination.  For someone who is a tactile person, it is very hard to not reach out and touch these garments, especially the cloaks in the first photo. The one on the left was made of thousands of almost paper thin ceramic feathers.  Some of the Bizarre Bras create quite a talking point too.

Well worth a visit if you are in Auckland.

2015 - Happy New Year

2015 sees some changes for my family and me.  For the first time in 12 years, I will be working part of the summer holidays. (Bet that will be when we have the best weather too).  Miss B starts high school and Mr J starts intermediate, so no doubt we will have some anxious moments in the lead up to Term One beginning and during the school year.

Again I have set myself a few crafty goals:

•  to finish off Mr J's shirt quilt - backing, quilting and binding to be done in time for his birthday - guess what I will be spending most of January doing.  
• to finish my Jacobs Ladder quilt - the blocks have been made, they now need to be pieced together, and have a border added, before backing, quilting and binding.
• to have at least pieced the top of my SWAK envelope quilt
• to finish Block 12 in the Christmas sampler and have turned all blocks into placemats for Christmas lunch 2015 (six done six to go)
• to make as many birthday and Christmas gifts as possible

Do you set yourself goals for the new year?  Do you achieve any of them?

Wishing you all a fabulous New Year, all the best for 2015.