Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head!

Quite literally it has felt that everything you step out the door of the house over the last few months you will get rained on. First there was the jet stream that was affecting the weather and causing all the rain and then just when you think that 'crisis' is over and we did have a week of blissful sun for the first week of the school summer holidays, the rain returns! The constant sight of raindrops on the window that I look out of as I sew and the ever-increasing amount of bags filled with small fabric pieces, that I'm continuously stepping over or moving from one end of the room to the other got me thinking, there must be something I can do with them.

I am lucky that my other OH does not seem to mind too much my fabric obsession! In conversation with him the other day about the amount of bags in the room filled to bursting point with what are best described as 'fabric scraps' I mentioned that maybe I should recycle them. I was quite surprised when he answered 'really you must have some use for them'! I wonder sometimes what size fabric scrap other sewers keep and which they feel are too small to be used, I find it hard not to keep every last morsel! 

 

 

I ordered some dried lavender with the intention of making lavender sachets as gifts for my son's teachers but never managed to find the time so sitting staring at the dull winter like weather that was hitting the window the other day and with a head full of the smell of lavender I started playing around with my fabric pieces and doodling.

So please welcome my 'Patchwork Lavender Raindrops'.

I have really enjoyed sewing these, fussy cutting small pieces of fabric to get animals in the right place like this Orange Fox

and this 'Hiding Fox' {below} cut from my very precious last scraps of Cica 52 Birch fabric, the print is one of my favourite fabrics and I've been caught out by not having bought enough. I have finally tracked down a shop in the US that a metre left so are waiting its arrival eagerly, but still its a lesson to be learnt!

The raindrops are filled with dried lavender. I have made them with baby's in mind, thinking that they would look lovely placed in a nursery. Lavender helps to calm and aid sleep, lavender also acts as a insect and a moth repellent so these raindrops will be great for placing in clothes drawers or for hanging in wardrobes. Of course they aren't just for babies and can be hung or placed anywhere in the house.

 

 

I have listed them in my Etsy shop here and are hoping to add some to my folksy shop. I really hope they sell as these first six have not made dent in my 'fabric scrap stash'. I could probably make enough raindrops to fill the sky above me and still have small fabric pieces left!

Seamstar Summersville Giveaway

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the lovely Courtney who runs the gorgeous online fabric shop Seamstar about whether I would like to hold a giveaway on their behalf, well I jumped at the chance, the only downside is that I've since realised I can't enter the giveaway myself!

So here it is - Seamstar are offering one fabric bundle from the Summersville Collection containing 6 quarter meter pieces of fabric. Wonderful! The prize also includes free p&p and is worth over £20.

You see I want it all! 

Summersville is Lucie Summers first fabric collection for Moda Fabrics it is modern and bright, perfect for quilting, bags and children's clothes and accessories. Seamstar have the whole collection in stock now.

To have a chance of winning all you need to do is leave a message on this blog post. You have until the 6th of July to enter, after that a winner will be chosen at random. On top of that Seamstar are also offering 10% off to Sew Obsessed readers until the giveaway finishes (excludes sale items). Just enter the code SOJune into the discount box when checking out to claim your 10% discount. So how great is that!

So I'm off to do some fabric shopping! 

Seamstar is a lovely established online Craft Shop which specialises in contemporary craft products. The shop is packed full of Modern Fabrics, Trimmings, Ribbons, which I highly recommend and felt. Seamstar is an easy website to navigate and use and their service is fabulous with wonderful rapid delivery. 

 

So there you go - leave a comment, just the one for a chance to win the fabric bundle. Make sure there's also a way to contact you in the comment too, Good luck :)

Right now for the necessary terms and conditions.

The prize (but not the amount of fabric) may vary from the photos shown, 

The winner will be sent the prize free of charge after the draw has taken place.

Non-UK people can enter but free postage is only up to UK post value and you will have to make up the difference.

All prizes must be claimed within 30 calendar days.

Thank you to all those that entered.

The giveaway has now closed.

Time

So there I stood Monday night in my only sewing time of the day starring at my bulging fabric cupboard and instead of sewing the pile of bibs that lay by my machine ready for finishing off for the local shop in town, I found myself wondering 'What If'.

 You see it all started on Sunday morning with a phone call. The call that stops you in your tracks, a call that makes you wish you were still a child and unaware of life's wicked twist and turns. A phone call that seems all to common these days, the call that tells of another tortured soul that has decided to pass away. That call that makes you shiver and wonder why.

 So here my OH was listening to a kind and loving mother telling him of her loss of her son and asking him if he will still please tend her garden just as he always does on a Monday as the plants will still grow. So we carry on our day taking the kids out for a 'scoot' on Dartmoor and we watch and we laugh as our 2yr old, who has very quickly mastered her Christmas scooter, overtakes her 4yr brother who has a somewhat more relaxed action on his scooter and we take in the stunning views and we walk and we talk and then we go silent and you just know without words being exchanged that your minds have wandered to the same place, the place of unknown and you find yourself looking at your children and you can't help but hope that they are happy. And that's it, a parents hope for their child, not fame or fortune but happiness and fulfilment. You look into their eyes as they laugh and gaze back at you and you hope that they will be the ones seeing you into your grave.

So there I found myself Monday evening staring at my fabric stash and wondering what would happen to it all if I was to die suddenly. And I imagine the scene and the conversation as my family empty my cupboard and the four Orla Kiely Tesco bags overspilling with fabric 'What an earth did she intend to do with all this!?'

And then I start hunting. Searching for those 6inch squares that I cut this time last year that were suppose to become a large cosy quilt that we would all spend winter snuggled under. And there they were neglected and forgotten about at the back of my cupboard and I start to pull out new fabric and to cut more squares. And the pile of 'important' bibs were no longer as important as they had been before Sunday. And that sometimes it really would be good to get things finished before too much more life passes by.

Sewing on the Countdown

Surprisingly this Christmas I found myself with only one present to make [so mum if your about to read this before xmas day please look away now!] So I felt under no pressure as I was sure having the week before Christmas to make a set of cushions for my mum would be plenty of time. Of course if I had stuck to my original plan and had no last minute shopping to do, lots of wrapping to get done and the entertaining of 3 very excited kids to contend with, then yes a week would have been fine!

 Ever since this mail bag arrived in the post I've been wishing I could get a fabric just like it so as soon as I saw Joel Dewberry's Heirloom collection over at  M is for Make I feel in love with the colours and patterns and set about quickly cutting and sewing up the cushion fronts. I love Dewberry's Rose Bouquet in gold and it is more of a gold than a yellow as it has come up in my photos and the leaves are a deeper purple. I do have a concern that the colours are a bit bright for my parents house who like their neutral colours but it's been lovely working with such bright and luxurious colours I'm just hoping they will fall in love with them just as much as I have.



 For the second cushion rather than sticking with my original idea of doing a log cabin block I decided to try something I've never attempted before but has been on my to do list for sometime! Of course this is the moment the 'no pressure sewing' turned into a complete nightmare as I got totally confused with how the blocks of two strips of different fabrics that I'd made were ever going to form a zigzag but eventually after quite a lot of head scratching and wasted time I managed to make cushion 2!

I'll be honest and admit that the lines of zigzags were supposed to be all different, but as I said I did get confused and found having every other line as the plain fabric made it easier to put it all together. I also didn't realise until after I'd sewn the cushion front together that it was too small, and not being able to add more blocks to it I decided to put a thin border in which I think has worked out well.

I thoroughly enjoyed making it and could have quite easily carried on sewing the zigzags together to form a quilt top if I'd had more time. So whilst I can remember how to do it I'm definitely going to be making more! Both cushion fronts have been lightly quilted, with a layer of flannel and then some plain fabric. I also sewed the cushions together using French seams, as I wanted them to be neat for my mum, though in doing so the corners are rather bulky and cushion #1 has become a bit smaller than I had hoped for. The envelope backs are made using a linen/cotton blend fabric and I've finished them off with a decorative stitch.



 So now I just need to get them wrapped up and finish the kids wrapping so it looks like we're in for a busy evening but then I think we maybe ready for the big day. 
Of course the kids have been ready for Christmas Day ever since the first decorations arrived in the shops in September!!

The Post I've Been Meaning To Write!

Honestly this is one of those blog posts I've mean being to write for the past few weeks!
I've been very lucky to have been passed 2 blog awards a Stylish Award from Emily Parkes and Lou at littlegreenshed and a Liebster award from Justine at sewjustinesew. A big thank you to all three of you, it's always lovely to know that people do read what you waffle on about!!
One of the parts of the award is to list 7 facts about yourself, interesting facts!! And this is where my mind goes blank! I have been lucky enough to receive a couple of awards before and did manage then to come up with 7 facts, but another 7 things, do I have that many more interesting facts about myself!! I must have! I am very happy to realise that I am not the only one who has struggled to think of things. Beth at Thelinencat  made me laugh when she wrote "let’s face it, obviously I’m just very dull" when she suffered a mental block when trying to think of those 7 things! I can understand entirely how Beth was feeling.

 But not to be defeated I have put my thinking cap on and have had a brainstorming session . This got me thinking, "What intrigues me about people I'm interested in?" I'm always fascinated to see inside someone's home, even better inside someone's work space/studio this got me thinking about people's collections. What someone collects can often tell you a lot about someone and then I got thinking about fabric! At the end of the day I collect fabric and the nosey person I am always enjoys seeing other peoples fabric stash!
So I thought I would show you my 7 favourite prints that I have stashed away!!

I once read an article about fabric shopping that said people who buy fabric come under one of two categorises; one who buys fabric to use for a project, and the other, a person who buys fabric on impulse. Well I do both! But it is the fabrics that get my heart pumping that little bit quicker that really excite me. I often have an idea in my mind of what I will eventually use them for others I quite frankly just have to have!!! The following fabrics are in no particular order but this one has got to be the one that I am most precious about. I am yet to use it and am annoyed that I only have a fat quarter to play with! I bought it from  Isabelleandkate's shop on folksy which I didn't realise until much later was misformake's shop.

I have no idea who the designer of the fabric is other than it is Japanese. I love the simplicity of the design and the colours and know that one day when I use this fabric it will definitely be for a project for myself!!
 The next fabric is a vintage piece. It's called 'Heidi' and is by Genia Sapper. I fell in love with the print when I spotted it in a design magazine and spent awhile tracking it down, I eventually found the odd piece on ebay. After being outbid many times I finally 'won' this piece which was used as a curtain. I intend to use it for cushions but haven't yet been able to bring myself to cut into it!

 My third fabric is an Amy Butler print called Chrysanthemum. I love the olive colour of the background and the sky blue leaves of the chrysanthemum's. Let's be honest no fabric stash would be complete without an Amy Butler fabric!

 Anna Maria Horner is another designer I can't imagine my fabric stash being without! I've been slowly collecting her Little Folks Voile to make a quilt for my daughter and it is this print that especially stands out for me. It's the use of the deep colour's that I particularly like and can imagine using it one day for a top for myself.

Now this fabric I bought the second I saw it! It's a great Japanese woodland print.



You'll probably see a theme running through my favourite 7 fabrics that I didn't quite realise until I started to photograph them, that they all tend to be blues and browns! Like this one again from Japan.

I bought this fabric from one of my favourite shops on etsy ikoplus. Again it's such a lovely simple design, and being a blend of cotton and linen makes the fabric such a lovely weight.  Staying with a simple design is this print from Joel Dewberry.

This is one of those fabrics where you buy a fat quarter, only to know as soon as you see it that, that won't be enough so immediately buy more, and then have a panic on when you realise that it's becoming more and more difficult to find!! I just love this print from his deer valley collection. It has a great vintage feel to the design. And then finally my 7th fabric choice is a vintage fabric that I picked up from the scrap store. I managed to find two pieces and have already cut one up ready to make into a quilt for our lounge.

So there you have it my favourite 7 fabrics. I've had great fun pulling out and choosing them and have come to the conclusion that instead of having them stacked away hidden in my cupboard, it would seem somewhat more sane if I was to use them all!
Why is it that some fabrics are just so difficult to cut into!!

Birthday table runner

July is birthday central for us. Starting at the beginning of the month with #1's birthday then a week later mine, followed by my dad's, my Gran's, then mum's and their wedding anniversary, and finally at the end of the month my niece's. So it's a busy time and one that I try to get as organised as possible for.

As soon as I saw French Generals "rouenneries" range for Moda I knew it would be perfect for my parents. The fabric has a linen look about it and there is a lovely selection of small and large prints as well as solids. To me it just speaks of kitchens and reminds me of my mum and dads, so I decided on a table runner.

I wanted to use as many of the great prints as possible so I decided to use a charm pack. And what a delight, anything that takes the cutting process out is a bonus in my eyes! The hardest part of this project was deciding the layout though also very enjoyable, I had great fun selecting the arrangement of the prints. 

I've added a linen border and used a heavier interior weight fabric on the back. Both these fabrics were bought from ikea (here) who are beginning to produce some very useful fabrics at excellent low prices. I used a bamboo/cotton wadding and kept the quilting to a minimum.

It's one of the quickest sewing projects I've done and I'm very pleased with the result.

The loveliest thing is with my mum over for a short stay I've been able to give her their present,  in person, a little early but great to see her reaction. And judging from her "ooh's and aah's" she too has fallen for this gorgeous range of prints and the table runner will soon be taking pride of place in their French farmhouse kitchen.

A Homage to "Red letter Day"!

My second quilt is finally complete!

Just when I was beginning to feel like I would never find the time to get it finished, half term came and somehow with the boys occupying each other and #3 napping, a little sewing got done, and I'm extremely happy with the results.

I must say I've made mistakes, some of which irritate me, especially because as soon as I had made them I realised what I'd done wrong. I guess this is what happens when you teach yourself something so that's ok as its a learning curve, I just need to remember to learn from my mistakes!

I've also learnt about wadding. I followed the advice I got from your very useful comments and bought Hobbs batting. It feels like a lovely wadding but after sandwiching the layers together and reminding myself that I was making a play mat rather than a quilt and it was puffiness that I was after I changed my mind and decided to use 4oz polyester instead.

Why the word polyester makes me shiver I don't know, after all the polyester is sandwiched by cotton. I didn't find it that easy to quilt but that is probably due to my lack of experience rather than the wadding itself. I am pleased with the end result. It's not as puffy as I had thought it would be, but it is a nice weight and I think it offers enough protection to soften #3's falls even on our wooden floors.
 

After a lot of umming and ahhing over a fabric for the back I decided to stick with "red letter day" and the duck theme and choose "Sitting ducks" in tangerine. I also used her "pink and lilac" stripe for the binding. So I really feel this play mat has turned into a homage to Lizzy House's Red letter Day.

With #3 sat on her "ducks" as I type I feel very happy that I can finally cross this project off my to make list.
I already have plans for another quilt it would be naughty of me not to! I mean I can't just buy the hobbs wadding and not use it, now that would be a waste!

What wadding !?!

My playtime quilt top is finished, finally! 

In fact if I could only just make a decision on what fabric to use for the backing, oh and decide on a wadding I would have made better progress! I was going to use a plain fabric on the back, maybe pierce it with some of the fabrics used on the front but now I'm wondering whether to go for a patterned print to make the quilt reversible, so when the inevitable happens " is that some baby sick I spy" I can simply turn it over! 

As for wadding the pattern suggests "Fairfield Poly-fil Hi-Loft batting" but I don't think you can get this in the UK so I'm not sure what to use. I've only ever used a bamboo wadding which wouldn't be thick enough, my local quilt shop suggests a 4oz polyester, though they don't have any!! What a great help that was! At least the owner of the quilt looks pleased with it so far, if only she could  help her mummy with all these little dilemmas oh and have a nap occasionally, she may get a quilt to play with before she's walking! 

 

Lizzy House

Remember the ducks?
Well I thought it was about time I started cutting into them and finally make a play quilt for #3.
She could do with it right now, the way she rolls around on the floor, so before it's too late and is no longer needed I've been busy with the rotary cutter!

It's taken me a while to choose the forth fabric. I've finally settled on "Wild seed pods" by Carolyn Gavin and I'm pleased I did. The combination of pink and orange has grown on me the more I have worked with it and now I'm feeling really excited about how it's looking.

 This is only the second quilt I have attempted and will also be the largest. I am following a pattern for the play mat from Amy Butler's "little stitches for little ones." Its the first project I have tried out of the book and so far so good! I do however have to keep reminding myself that she uses a 1/2 inch seam allowance. I've got so use to using a 1/4 inch and I must say that a half inch does feel like an awful waste of fabric, though I guess that's just me being "fabric" stingy!!

I'm hoping to get a chance to finish the top of the quilt this weekend. Though all this sunshine is highlighting the many jobs that still need to be done in the garden and more importantly the allotment, so I do feel a little torn between working in the sun or sat at my sewing machine.

But I have a sneaky feeling that the ducks might just win!!

Middle Child

Do you believe in the "middle child syndrome"?

The jury is still out in my mind, having no experience of it in my childhood as I only have an older sister. I can remember the benefits of being the younger sibling, watching my older sister carve the way so to speak, I can already see the downfalls of being the older one when I study our three. Being the first must at times be difficult, but what of number 2, not the oldest or the youngest, the biggest or the smallest just the middle one!

Our #2 seems quite happy with his position. The arrival of #3 seemed natural to him, I would go as far as to say he seemed not to notice, but maybe I am wrong!

It all began when #1 was having his feet measured for his school shoes in December, one of those mundane chores that you think will go unnoticed until #2 decided he thought it was thoroughly unfair that he wasn't having his feet measured for a pair. Now these school shoes aren't exciting, no they're a pair of black shoes but still #2 howled and yowled the whole shop down. I'm sure #1 would have quite willingly given his position up knowing that these new shoes meant school but still we left the shop with #2 firmly held under our arm like a rugby ball still shrieking "I don't get anything"!!!

This didn't end up being an isolated incident, oh no! The same happened when we were shopping for #1's school uniform, another shop left rugby ball under arm. I must say if this ever happens to you it's best not to glance back over you shoulder and note the amazed and dazzled looks on the faces of the passers-by, just keep walking head in the air, what noise, what child screaming!! What mine!

Then silence, a calmness with #2 back to his chilled somewhat horizontal self, that was until this........

When I was pregnant with #3 I made two blankets for her here and here #2 paid no attention where as #1 asked for one, so being the good mother I am (!!!) I obliged. We choose the fabrics together settling on fabrics from David Walkers Robots range and I set about making him a cosy blanket, all the time #2 was blissfully unaware. Even the result #2 seemed to not notice so I decided to use the fabrics to make him a log cabin quilt for when he made the change from cot to bed. Though when he saw the blocks he was so unimpressed that I must say it's become a WIP and he moved into his bed with such ease that his "settling in quilt" never transpired. And then a few weeks ago whilst being put to bed #2 suddenly spied #1's blanket as if for the first time and suddenly declared "I WANT ONE". Now this could have been a one off, but no, for the days that followed we heard questions like "why does he and she have one and I don't" so being the resourceful mother that I try to be I remembered that I had more of the minky fabric that I had used to back #1's blanket with and gave him this and for awhile this has been fine in fact he has taken it everywhere with him.

So problem solved you may think until the other day when out of the blue #1 thanked me for his blanket, just there in the lounge whilst cuddling it. A lovely moment when the hours you spend sewing are appreciated, though the moment was quickly dashed when #2 followed suit and said "yes thank you mummy for mine" whilst he cuddled up to his piece of minky well my heart became to weep, what cruel mother could let their son cuddle up to what is just a remnant piece of fabric. So that was that, other projects have been discarded and blanket for #2 has been made priority.

It's been good to make something again as there were things I didn't like about #1's blanket mainly the minky I used on the back it's ever so soft but not the easiest to work with so I've been more prepared for it this time round! The choice of fabrics have had to be the same well almost, so it's been fun playing around with them to make the blankets subtly different but in the eyes of #2 "the same"! And the most important thing is, he seems happy with the results. And happy children mean peaceful households! For the moment at least!!

 

Scooter

"Good things come in small packages", 

or should it be "good things come to those who wait"!

I've been struggling with following what really is (I guess) a simple pattern for a flexi frame purse. I do struggle when it comes to following instructions, at this point my hubby laughs!

No I do seem to have a mental block when following a pattern.

 

So much so, that after attempt one at a flexi frame coin purse I nearly gave up. This is attempt two, above and below made out of some vintage curtains

 

 I'm pleased with the fabric especially the lining.

but there's something about the overall purse that I'm not happy with and as it's a birthday present for my sister, I decide to have a third attempt! So with the pattern tossed to one side, I decided to simplify the shape and design. 

 

I've used one of my favorite echino prints and quilted it for extra puffiness!

 

And I'm happy with the end result! It's felt like a long process to get to something so simple.

But I think its simple shape is the making of it.

I've enjoyed using flexi frames. And as a small purse for coins or a little make up I think it works well.

 

Who would have thought something so small could give me such a headache!

Now with present given including some goodies to put inside I'm off to have a well earned glass of vino.

Have a happy weekend!