After the success of the 3D bow ties it has been great to start off another 3D piecing project - flying geese. This is my favourite traditional patchwork pattern. I love it that the stacked triangles also turn up in Persian carpets as "travelling birds" and symbolise good news.
However I have not loved it enough to sew all those bias seams. The 3D pattern is so easy & I love the texture that the folds provide.
I had a stash of funny pinks, and also loads of "sky"fabrics... so the flamingos are about to migrate... watch this space
the longest-term project makes a milestone
I've been making 3D bow-tie blocks since early 2006. Shayne taught me the block. I thought, I never do hand-piecing, but these are cute, maybe by machine. Then a lot of travel opportunities came along.... The hand-piecing kit has travelled with me to Sydney, Canberra, Thredbo, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, Washington DC, New York, Gore, Ngatea, Whakatane and Mangonui. And just to and from work! Hours of travel have been rescued from boredom, and I've talked with, demonstrated and shared the project with many friends and strangers.
About 540 blocks later, it was time to stop making blocks and start making a quilt. Arranging blocks is one of my most favourite things. A week's solitary retreat to Henny Penny's house was the perfect opportunity.
Bush walks , swimming and composing a quilt, could there be a better holiday? By the end of the week the trusty Featherweight had stitched all the vertical seams, linking the blocks into 6 strips 4x22 blocks wide. Back at home I'm slowly finishing the horizontal piecing to bring it all together. I've got an idea for a pieced backing, and for the quilting design. NOT by hand
Now I need a new hand-piecing project!
About 540 blocks later, it was time to stop making blocks and start making a quilt. Arranging blocks is one of my most favourite things. A week's solitary retreat to Henny Penny's house was the perfect opportunity.
Bush walks , swimming and composing a quilt, could there be a better holiday? By the end of the week the trusty Featherweight had stitched all the vertical seams, linking the blocks into 6 strips 4x22 blocks wide. Back at home I'm slowly finishing the horizontal piecing to bring it all together. I've got an idea for a pieced backing, and for the quilting design. NOT by hand
Now I need a new hand-piecing project!
The empress's old clothes
Between losing some weight and deciding that "baggier isn't better" lots of my earlier garments just weren't wearable. What to do?
Answer: re-fashioning... taking the favourites and cutting them down to size. What have I learned through this exercise?
Answer: re-fashioning... taking the favourites and cutting them down to size. What have I learned through this exercise?
- It can be worth spending $45/meter on printed tulle. At the time I couldn't believe I paid so much for jungle print mesh. At least 10 years later the fabric retains its original colour and texture - the refashioned top literally looks like new.
- My colour taste has changed a lot - now I'm brighter and more confident in combination
- I've learned a lot! my construction techniques and fabric handling skills are streets ahead of where they were 10 years ago
- It's still easier to do old things than new ones...sigh...
the emperor's new ....
I just went clothes shopping. For once it was so successful I thought about putting my sewing machine up on TradeMe. Thanks Anneli! It is nice to have a good ready-to-wear experience.
Unfortunately my greed for variety is larger than my wallet so that will have to power the scissors to the stash and the foot-pedal to the floor. No matter how good the shopping is, to this long-time seamstress it seems like too easy a win.
Making it myself is always that bit more effort, that bit more stress of will it all work, the risk of cutting.
When I'm in the zone it all comes together easily. A few month's break is enough to lose that sewing fitness - last week's garden-party suit nearly failed through the dozy decision to cut knit on the bias. What was I thinking? Just enough fabric to cut a second skirt on the straight and recycle the first failed skirt into a jacket. Patchwork came to my rescue there.
Somehow I think the garden-party suit will be in my wardrobe longer than the 3 new off-the peg shirts. Nothing like a challenge!
Unfortunately my greed for variety is larger than my wallet so that will have to power the scissors to the stash and the foot-pedal to the floor. No matter how good the shopping is, to this long-time seamstress it seems like too easy a win.
Making it myself is always that bit more effort, that bit more stress of will it all work, the risk of cutting.
When I'm in the zone it all comes together easily. A few month's break is enough to lose that sewing fitness - last week's garden-party suit nearly failed through the dozy decision to cut knit on the bias. What was I thinking? Just enough fabric to cut a second skirt on the straight and recycle the first failed skirt into a jacket. Patchwork came to my rescue there.
Somehow I think the garden-party suit will be in my wardrobe longer than the 3 new off-the peg shirts. Nothing like a challenge!
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