Nine Patch - Patchwork Cushion

Hello

Had a few days with my Singer Featherweight cos of the flooding and rain, so glad that I don't live near a river!  Have been beavering away making Xmas pressies, its going to be a home made Xmas this year.

Can't show the pressies, don't want to spoil the surprise but I can show you this :-

Had a go at 9 patch machine patchwork before my holiday, found a really good demonstration by our American patchy friends at the Missouri Quilt Company.  Here is a link  http://quiltingtutorials.com/all/nine-patch-quilting-block-%E2%80%93-beginner-block-quilting-series/   Its a really quick and easy way to do patchwork squares on the sewing machine without having to cut each individual square.   I decided that I would make a cushion so that I could take it on holiday with me and hand quilt the squares, which I did. It has sat in my sewing basket waiting to be made up into a cushion cover so this week, finally got round to finishing it.  Its made from Vintage Country Diary Fabric which I had in my fabric cupboard.

Here is the finished cushion.  For a first attempt, I am quite pleased with it.

Its going to live on the spare bed but I took the photo in the conservatory as the light was better in there.

Cheers

Sharon

Walking Foot for Singer Featherweight 221

Hello

Have been waiting for the postman to deliver my parcel for the USA for a short while.

Tad daaa, here it is a Walking Foot for my 1957 Singer Featherweight - yipeeeeeeeee

I found it on the net at  www.april1930s.com  It was a very reasonable price even with the postage from the States.  April's website has a wealth of information and instructions on everything about Featherweights.  There are instructions for all the feet that come with the machines which is really handy as they are scary looking things but so useful once you know how to use them correctly.

I have some spare feet so am going to have a go at selling them on EBay, I am OK buying but new to selling so fingers crossed.

Cheers

Sharon

Car Boot Sewing Basket

Hello

Thought I would give you a tour of my sewing basket.  It was bought at a local car boot for £3, it was in a sorry state.  All the interior fabric was rotting and the plastic wickerwork was grubby to say the least!  I ripped the fabric out and got my steam cleaner out and steamed the box for ages, to make sure that I got all the dirt out and killed of any nasties that might have been lurking, it was really yucky.  I had some vintage peach Laura Ashley fabric for the interior, hand quilted a panel for the inside of the lid and another for the bottom of the basket and lined the sides, used ribbon to hold the lid.  The flowers on the outside are a later addition.  These are hand made from Card Candi which are coloured discs which are bought from the craft shop.  The discs are shaped before setting into silicone gel glue in the shape of a rose with a punched leaf behind.  They are fun to make and so pretty, I was trying to think of ways of using them, I put them on cards before, then I got the idea of putting them on my sewing basket.  They are very robust once made so they shouldn't fall off (famous last words).

Forgot to do a before photo but here is the finished result.

The matching fabric heart pincushion was made using traditional English paper piecing as was the other pincushion and needlecase, all with vintage buttons from the button box.  I love my vintage scissors, they look so much nicer than modern plastic handle ones.   The darning mushroom was an Ebay purchase and is well used, I love darning socks for some reason, not sure if I am right in the head!  Who darns socks nowadays?  The sewing box sits on my coffee table so it is close at hand, its well used!

Cozy Cover for Singer Featherweight

Hello

I decided that my Singer Featherweight needed a cozy cover to keep the dust off it and protect the paintwork when I am not using it.  It does have its own wooden box to store it but I prefer to keep the machine out so it is ready for action at a moments notice!

Found this Laura Ashley check fabric in my cupboard and thought it would be perfect.  It looked a bit plain so I added badge to tart it up.  The fabric perfectly matched the chair cushion cover I bought recently.  The small jug holding the rotary cutter etc was bought in a lovely vintage shop on a whim, I had to have it cos of the colour but I wasn't sure what would be done with it until I thought of a storage jar on my sewing table.

Speaking of cozy covers, as the weather was very parky last night, my hand sewn patchwork quilt has come out.  This English paper pieced quilt was intended to be a cushion cover made out of left over curtain material but I got carried away, added the pink fabric to it and it ended up as a double bed quilt.  Needless to say it took a while but this quilt is the reason I now have the quilting bug especially the hand quilting bit.  There is something about sitting on the sofa with a cozy quilt draped over me while I hand sew.  Heaven.

Cheers

Sharon

Basket Makeover

Well, a day off today (pesky weather!) so had a day with my Featherweight Singer Sewing machine.  I have been making Xmas (sorry to mention the word!) pressies but unfortunately can't show you what I have been up to as someone might be watching Blogger!  But I can show you my tarted up basket.  Here it is before its makeover

And here it is with its new (well nearly new, OK vintage) Laura Ashley lining.  Its going to be my projects (in waiting and to be completed) basket, see already in use storing my favourite fabric which I can't bring my self to cut into yet, its going to be another quilt eventually.

Cheers

Sharon

Pin Cushion Obsession?

Hello

Well, its been lovely weather in North Yorkshire so been busy doing my gardening job which means hardly any sewing (rainy days are for sewing not gardening!).  But I have managed to complete the pin cushion kit I bought from the lovely shop in Wallingford.  It was bit fiddly to make but worth it.  As usual, sewn on my lovely Singer Featherweight machine and finished by hand.

Its a sort of desk tidy for my sewing room (apols for the bad photo but you will get the idea).

Remember my crazy patchwork, I had a little piece left so made another heart pin cushion with pretty braid and buttons on it.  It isn't technically crazy patchwork but uses the same technique of sew and flip on the sewing machine.

I love making little patchwork projects, the last few have been pin cushions, I am running out of pins!

Bye for now, its sunny again so off gardening.

Cheers

Sharon

Holiday Fabric Treasure

Hello

Just got back from holiday and thought that I would share some holiday fabric treasure.

We called into Wallingford in Oxfordshire to visit a dear friend (hi Sheila) and just round the corner was a fabulous fabric shop called Village Fabrics (they have a website www.villagefabrics.co.uk ) last time I was there it was a curtain fabric shop with a small amount of patchwork fabric.  NOW it's a patchwork shop with  a small amount of curtain fabric.  What a super shop, it runs classes, has quilting groups, knitting and crochet group, sewing groups.  When I was there an afternoon class was just finishing and the ladies were streaming out with their sewing machines, it sounded that they had a wonderful afternoon.  I nearly spent my holiday money in the first day! but I got a hold of myself and just had a small spend.  Bought some fat quarters, some   garden design buttons, a pin cushion kit and would you believe it a bag of scraps for £3 which will be brilliant for crazy patchwork.

On the same trip, I found some lovely vintage buttons, some of which are mother of pearl for 5p each in a posh antique shop in Llangollen, and in another shop, four fat quarters of William Morris material.

Buzz enjoyed his holiday especially the walks along the canals, here he is having a rest on a long walk

Isn't that the prettiest place?

We went on a horse drawn canal boat at Llangollen and here is Buzz waiting while we had breakfast, love the sign

Well, off to get started on all that fabric - I will let you know how I get on.