A Change in Plans

DQS 12, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

Ok this is what I have made for my partner for the Doll Quilt Swap. I felt that she may not have liked my other creation too much, maybe it was colours, possibly pattern, what ever it was I felt it wasn't happening. So I decided to have a re think and this is what developed.
I tried a new technique with thhis by sewing fabric on paper.
I have found this difficult to put together but all in all I am happy with the final result.
I am looking so forward to quilting this, I will post pics when I have done that.

Happy sewing

Sonia

DQS 12

DQS 12, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

Here is what I have so far for my doll quilt swap. This quilt has evolved to this and I do have a lot more work to do.
This started with a quote, can't say what it was just yet. That quote got me thinking. After looking at an insane number of quilts on Flickr for inspiration one jumped out as being able to fit the bill, interestingly it was on chickenfoots mosaic but I knew it was the one. Now inspiration is one thing but I didn't want to copy that style exactly so I opted to only have every other a churn and dash block. Now this quote required that the other blocks be more free and crazy.
I was sewing like a mad woman, then when I put it up on my board I felt very taken back.
This is a bold quilt and the colour is strong, I am a little intimidated by it and I can't believe that I have actually sewn it.
Ahhh but then I pause....I doubt my judgement, I worry that my partner will look at it and wonder what I was thinking, or what I had been drinking when I came up with this. I felt so frightened, I even started to sew another block then drew up another quilt while this one sat on my design board. Then the quote came into my head. (I know this is frustrating but I can not ruin the surprise), if I am to stay true to the quote then I must see this through.
So deep breath I put it on flickr , it is now out there and I feel a little nauseous, is that normal?
The question I may have to face is if my partner doesn't like my idea do I scrap it?

Happy sewing

Sonia

Doll Quilt Swap 12

This post is specifically for my partner.
I won't be including pictures here as I realised that I have many pics in my favourites on Flickr, so I have decided to give more info here about me.
I love colour, my favourite at the moment is green. I do tend to like my colours to group, warms or cools, hey but if you like to mix them that is very ok with me.
I like sewing stuff, coffee tea, teacups, Forest animals, birds, really anything cute.
I am really getting into Japanese patchwork at the moment, also intrigued by liberated quilting
so if you feel like doing something wonky that is very fine with me.
I am easy with solids or prints or any combo, if you want to sew a quilt using all solids that too is fine...I have lots of quilts that I love that only used solids.
Ok now with the blocks there is 5 to choose from, I love simplicity so log cabins, shoo fly, flying geese are all perfectly fine. I am always impressed with NY beauty and drunkards path so again if you want to do those blocks then that too is fine.
Most important thing of all to me is that you enjoy making this little quilt I hope that I have helped you or taken any anxiety away. I want to leave your choices as open as possible as this is your creation.


Happy sewing

Sonia

hopevalley 2

hopevalley 2, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

I am a little behind with my free motion quilting with Leah Day. The other week was looking at scale.
I unpicked my hopevalley postage stamp quilt as I hadn't calculated my backing fabric very well. Once I had done that I figured what better way to learn than to do it for real.
This is a reasonable sized quilt but it didn't take very long to quilt it....I was very surprised. I am now so glad as I now have my lovely hope valley quilt good to use.

Tangerine Tango Challenge

Tangerine Tango 1, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

Today I want to let you all see my entry for the tangerine tango challenge. What I liked best about this challenge was that it made you think about a colour....it was all about the colour, and that got me straight away. There were limits of course and that really tested my confidence in my design. I drew a sketch of the block, played with colour combinations then pulled out fabrics.
I then decided it would be made mostly from scrap. Once it was finished I felt pretty disappointed that I didn't make it into a larger quilt as I really love it now.....it may still yet happen...I hope.
Check out the challenge pool on Flickr, some great entries are already there.
Happy sewing
Sonia

Weekend Quilting

I just had to share this as I am just bubbling with excitement, this weekend I was looking at Leah Day's Blog  and there was a tutorial for stippling on it. Now I have only just started to really give this a go prior to my last post my darning foot made me shudder. I was real scared of free motion quilting...stippling all of it. Once I did the four squares that I posted about earlier I was thrilled, I felt I could take on anything, so I did.... I spent Saturday unpicking my hand quilting on this quilt: (sorry about sideways pic)

My youngest daughter helped me re pin and get it back to ready. I really couldn't have done it without her help. Then the fun began. All went really well now I am not going to win any prizes for my ace quilting but I (that's me) have actually quilted this quilt with STIPPLING! I never thought that this was possible so I feel on top of the world right now.( I can't stop just looking at it, it really is that hard to believe) There were some hiccups like one bit where I did a loop and others where my stitching has crossed anothers path and the stitches aren't even but all of that does not matter to me as I have actually done this and it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be. In fact I wouldn't have this quilt any other way and I can say that this is my first of many, I am converted and officially out of the ditch...Yay! So here is a close up and another pic of my quilt that spent way too long on the UFO pile.

Free Motion Quilt Along Quokka Quilts

Free Motion Quilt Along Quokka Quilts, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

Oh Boy I have actually done this. For so long I have run away from free motion quilting doing only little bits here and there. When this quilt along came up I thought this is just what I need. My quilting is not perfect but you know it is not as bad as I thought it would be. I feel a lot more confident to do this now (and I have only done four blocks) My patterns are a little tighter as I want to be comfortable doing this on a doll quilt. Whoa think its time for a coffee now.
Happy sewing
Sonia

My creation

This is my selection for a competition that is currently on here I found it hard to pick fabrics like this and challenging to make the selection very varied. I love scrappy the best so these prints I considered would be right for that. Now I just have to wait and see. I am loving these colours right now and they are sure on my list for purchase.

I am also taking part in Bunny Hill Scrappy plate.....these colours are what I am currently thinking I may use. Go here to check it out and hey why not join in the fun.
I am also taking part in the little quilt vote swap group that can be found here now this is a fun group to be in, of course the more the merrier. There is lots of sewing happening and posts will follow soon showing what I have been up to.

Happy sewing
Sonia
My creation, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

Oh I know HOW long has it Been??

Oh Boy I am sorry I just like dropped away there. Well truth be known I have been having some minor little problems and I had to put sewing to the side and blogging and all of the things that I usually do actually. I am currently at a bit of a cross road and will again be faced with having to make big decisions....not one of my strong points. Anyway for now I am actively sewing again and I will have to see how it all goes.
So..... What have I been doing then? Well not a lot really but I have just started a bit of applique and I am so pleased with how it is coming on, I am really hoping to get this into a quilt but we will just take it one step at a time....that is a good way to start.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Happy Sewing

Sonia



A New Swap

Just this evening I came across a new swap group on flickr. The group is for a mini quilt swap, you have until 15th August to make a quilt. Now the fun part you email a picture of your quilt to the leader then it is in a pool. You get a quilt for every one you submit. It is a different idea but I think that is great fun. If you are interested in joining in the fun go to
http://www.flickr.com/groups/sew_vote_swap/

I have signed up now for two so I had better get sewing

Happy Sewing

Sonia

Pick of my favourites for blogpost

Pick of my favourites for blogpost, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

A little about me

Ok this post is here to mainly help my partner for the current doll quilt swap. So here we go:
First this swap really appealed to me because it was for a mini bed quilt. I love the idea of having a small version of a larger quilt.
I don't have a particular favourite colour, though I do seem to draw to yellow red orange or green blue yellow green, you get my drift. But that would depend on design.
I prefer more modern fabrics and those that are colourful. I also really like solid fabrics and amish style quilts are lovely.
I am a true love of hexies, single block quilts. I also love seeing tradional blocks in modern fabrics. I love what Kaffe Fasset has done for quilting.
I love a little hand quilting for decoration, but that is not essential.
I think for me what is most important is that my partner enjoys making the quilt, so I would like them to make what they are comfortable with.
Couldn't put mosaic in here but it will be found soon on this blog.

I have a mosaic of some that I have selected from my favourites and here is why:
Mitred crosses, I loved this the moment I saw it, it is from Susan Beales Log Cabin quilts. It is colour and layout I really like about this.
Little amish I love the variety of colours and that they are all solids
Equilateral triangles, gosh I love that pattern, never tried it myself but I think it looks great.
Another equilateral triangle, but this could easily be half square triangles, for me this is about colours, I love the fabrics against the white nice variety of similar coloured prints.
Oh plus plus quilt, ok I love hope valley but that isn't why I selected this one, I love, love this pattern and it has been on my to do for too long!
Tumblers that look like elongated hexies, yep it is a pattern thing here though the colours are lovely as well.
Awww little strawberry hexies, yeah I am a bit of a girly girl and to see this in my favourite hexies how could I resist.
Ahh Red peppers strawberry quilt, this has some serious sentimental value to me. When I first saw this quilt I couldn't get it out of my head. I made a copy quilt of this for my anniversary and I made one out of Amy Butler Daisy chain in blues and greens for my eldest daughter. I love the pattern so much.
Rachaels doll quilt wow it is so stunning. I love the pattern, variety of fabrics and colours are amazing. I wish I could make something like this one. Half square triangles are not my favourite to sew lol.
I hope this has helped a bit, as I don't want to ask for something specific as that would take the fun out.
I hope that my partner has found this helpful

The Blog Absence

I am sorry for what seems a very long absence but I have had some other issues that have needed my attention lately and now all I want is to get back on track. I really had to take a big time out!
I signed up for the doll quilt swap and I am hoping that I get selected to participate in that. I have not been sewing at all latley, hence no pics.
I will make a post that will help my partner this week end I don't know what will be the most helpful but it will be a sort of getting to know me post.
A new post will follow soon, until then

Sonia

New Hexagon Quilt

New Hexagon Quilt, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Ok I am starting another quilt, this is going to be hand pieced. I just love to paper piece hexagon quilts and I have got some lovely fabrics that I felt had to be showed off. This will be a slow progress quilt but I will keep you all up to date with how it is coming on. I an hoping to put habd quilting on it too....hmm could we be talking years????

Some more progress

Some more progress, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I have been using this little quilt to learn some new stitches. I like some more than others but it has opened up another direction for sewing and quilting that I particularly like!

Something Small

Something Small, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.

I have been wanting to make a quilt like this for sometime, but was never sure how to start. After I saw the doll quilt Nova made for the down under doll quilt I thought I MUST do it. She explained how she just went with it and encouraged me to give it a go.
I recently read a post on sillyboodilly's blog that had a small quilt made using patterned fabric, and I started thinking.....
What if you use a feature fabric then add other components like a design board. This idea grew. I have only used scraps for this project, except the main patterned fabric, it has a lot of feelings in this little quilt, almost like a little trip down memory lane. I plan to do more hand quilting on this, since I was so happy with the way my doll quilt turned out.
Happy sewing

Sonia

Puff, Puff, Pant, Pant! I Made It!

Doll Quilt Drying in the Sun

Phew I have just completed my doll quilt for the Down Under Doll Quilt Swap. I decided to add some hand stitching to the border. I found Kate's hand quilting blog here a huge help and I decided to take a leap, it was a really good feeling when I tuned it over and Yippee it worked! I have tried hand quilting before and have not liked how it has turned out but this time it was good. Now don't get me wrong I still need practice but Oh Boy I am happy with it. Big Thank You to Kate.
All I have to do now is wait for it to dry and bundle it off to my partner who I hope loves it and is happy with it...I love it and I am happy. I send this to them very happily and confidently. So that is my first swap. It is a lot of fun and now I will be waiting for the next one.
I have also been knitting lately, I have discoverd the fun of knitting socks but I am a very slow knitter and I enjoy sewing more, I will post a pic if I ever get them completed.

I am SO lucky

Yesterday I was so thrilled when the postie came and brought me my quilt form Sally for the Down Under Quilt Swap. It is so wonderful to get something that someone has made especially for you. It is such a lovely feeling and it was a happiness that I needed. I love the colours and the quilting pattern is great. I love this little quilt to bits and now I need to find a special somewhere for it.
I have been putting my doll quilt together and I am very close to a finish but I want to take some time to think about how exactly I am going to quilt it, to hand quilt or not?, that is the question.
Since it is the middle of our school holidays here in sunny Perth I have had little time for sewing, I have been reorganizing my house and there has been a little painting going on. Our walls have been bare plaster for way too long and painting is well over due.
Sally has a group for finishing UFO's Here I think that I may also do that as when I was cleaning I was pretty disappointed to see my unfinished quilts, could be time to do something about it.
Well enough chitter chatter, I better get tea started, I can feel the look....soon it will be the whine..."When's dinner?"
Happy sewing

Sonia

It has been a while

Well what can I say. Making a doll quilt for someone else was harder than it first seemed. It started well, I made a design then I started. All went well for a while but then I realized that I was a little lot out of my depth and so I scrapped it. I was so critical of my work, design, well everything I guess, so much that I made it not enjoyable. So after a brief break I came back with a fresh attitude and it has been wonderful. I haven't stopped sewing since the idea hit. I have always liked the drunkards path pattern and when I came across this alternative version I thought "this is it". I have really enjoyed putting this together and I feel that slowing down really helped a lot. I thought about colour, value and placement. The experience has left me feeling so wonderful and happy with myself. I will be making another for myself because I want one just like this and I want to keep this memory. I hope my partner loves it too, I have wanted to impress her.
Happy sewing

Sonia

Down Under Doll Quilt Swap

Down Under Doll Quilt Swap, a photo by sewhappy45 on Flickr.