3 Years, 4 whole cushions

When I was younger and didn't know how to sew, I was envious of people who could make their own cushion covers.  To me, it was so complicated and I couldn't understand when they said it was "sooooooo easy" and "easiest thing in the world to make".  Nope, cushion covers were definitely complicated!

Fast forward to almost exactly 3 years ago and I took my first sewing class called "Getting to know your machine" with Pippablue in Galway.  I had taken a notion to buy an Argos Value Machine for a whopping €50 but didn't even know how to thread it, much less make it go!  I was reminded of this a couple of months ago when chatting with my good buddy Heather (who blogs here).  She said she remembered my excitement at that first class.  I went on a hunt to find the picture we took when we finished up.  Oh I was so nervous and delighted with myself that day.  Check out my first ever, teeny tiny cushion......... I'll admit, it's still on a chair in my bedroom, even more dwarfed by the size of the chair!




After that class, I didn't sew for months.  I was a little daunted by the thought of ruining beautiful fabric by actually cutting it up!  When I joined my quilting class a few months later though, I got over that and when I finished my first quilt, I made this cushion from the gorgeous nautical range by Sarah Jane called Out to Sea.  I made it for my son but eventually I "borrowed" it and it's sitting on the top shelf in my sewing room because........ well, it makes me happy!

                                                  

After this a whole 2 years went by before I made another cushion.  To be honest, I was procrastinating.  A soft green velvet cushion on my couch had worn out/shredded/wasted away and it needed a new cover.  I just couldn't get the motivation to use a dull fabric.  When you're used to the beautiful quilting fabrics we use, upholstery fabric is just BORING!  But finally, last week, I got it done.  It's the one in the center......... blends in pretty ok, doesn't it?

Excuse my poor tatty couch!

So that was it, I got my mojo back with that boring cushion out of the way so today, I grabbed a bunch of scraps from a gorgeous range of fabric from The Quilt Shop and sewed them up and finally, FINALLY I have a proper girlie cushion in my house!  It took less than an hour to make this 18" cushion. 

Feel free to squeal at the girlishness........I did!

When you live with a hubby and 3 male children, you don't get many girlish things in the house.  My small boys are happy for me - well, they were after they exclaimed in disgust "what is that girlie thing doing in our house?" while pointing and screwing up their faces.  I explained mummies need for pretty and they're ok with it.  I might even manage a few more!

Progress!

So I have been working.  Yes, I've been quiet in blog-land but that's when the most work is done!!!  Less time to pontificate, more time to sew, sew, sew..........and sew I did!

I went back to my favourite method of sewing for this quilt.... Foundation Paper Piecing.  Some say that ripping the paper out afterwards is almost therapeutic.......RUBBISH.  It's tedious and creates a large, stinking mess........but the actual process of paper piecing is just addictive.  If you haven't ventured yet, do!  And if you don't like it first time, leave it a few days/weeks and then try again....... so worth it!

Did I show you my little paper pieced blocks?  I know I posted them on instagram each time I finished one.........felt the need for a little insta-love!  Well, these are all part of a quilt I'm making for a special little girl.  She's the perfect age to identify with each fairy story and let her imagination go wild. 

 The Little Mermaid was my first block....... it's so dreamy, I love it!

This was followed pretty quickly by Jack & The Beanstalk, Cinderella (& her mop) and The Ugly Duckling.......

and then these characters joined them.........

Rapunzel & Thumbelina,

 Sleeping Beauty
 & Snow White

And finally, I got to put them all together.  I chose a deep red from the Stof Quilting Shadow range at The Quilt Shop, Tuam for the sashing.  I also got all my different blue skies/background fabrics there..... the selection is mega! 

And the almost finished product..........

I have to finish some embroidery detailing and I think it really needs another border in the red all around the outside and then I can quilt and bind!
What do you think?  Would love to get some feedback...










I have made great progress on another of my WIP's that I'll hopefully be able to share soon but I think I need to gift it first!

Time to focus and finish!

I realised a couple of weeks ago that I have 6 quilts currently on the go......... and still I'm browsing the net, making notes of things that inspire me and adding to my wish list of quilts to make.  I reckon by listing a few of them here, maybe it will spur me on to finish them...well, I'm hoping so anyway!





My To-Do List:
1.  Swoon Quilt from this time last year!!  It is basted and ready to be quilted but I need to decide whether to hand or machine quilt and in what style!

2.  Economy Block-Along (in conjunction with Red Pepper Quilts Quilt-along).  This one is done, quilted and now bound but just needs a special addition to the back before it can be gifted.

3.  I started a Storm-At-Sea quilt similar to this pattern and I totally <3 this quilt but got distracted far too early on so really need to get back to it!

4.  A little fairy-tale quilt for a very special little someone.  I have 7 of 9 blocks done.  It wouldn't take too much to get some progress done!

5.  A memory quilt.  This is what I'm currently working on and I'm making good head-way........just really have to keep the momentum up so I can share it! 

6. My postage stamp quilt.  This was coming on nicely until I got monumentally distracted so definitely time to refocus and get a move on!

Now, if someone could just give me a nice virtual kick, that would be just great!

International Postage Stamp

My Quilting Class were inspired recently by a gorgeous WIP Postage Stamp Quilt that is being made by Nora, an accomplished Tuam Quilter.  We were all taken by the concept of a large, simple design that promised hours of intrigue and interest.  It's not an easy task to start one of these quilts however, especially if you are a relatively new quilter like me.  You need a super stash of scraps and then some!  To put together a kingsize quilt, you have to accummulate almost 2000 x 2.5" squares - easy enough, just alot of cutting and trimming, right?  Wrong!!   The idea is that the quilt would have no repeats and that means you need 2000 DIFFERENT fabrics to get an authentic Postage Stamp Quilt!  Hmmm, slightly harder!

Operation Scrap-Stash-Building!

We started our collection in class, we each swapped 20 squares with about 14 people, that was a lovely start - 280 squares!  Then, I cut up squares from my own collection and that bumped me up to about 500.  That meant I had still only 25% of my intended collection!  I know many spend years stashing away these little squares to make the quilt when they have enough.........I suppose I could have done that, but I'm terribly impatient.  I may not finish everything I start straight away but I am GREAT at starting projects and I NEEDED to get this one off the ground. 

By chance, I came across a couple of groups on Facebook where I thought I might be able to swap some squares and suddenly the ball was rolling.  I received packages from Ireland, England, across Europe, America, Tahiti and Canada.  Some were swaps but many were donations towards my project.  You remember that excitement when you first started using the internet and you got an e-mail........ I was like that when the postman arrived!!!  Sifting through the scraps, cutting them down, counting them into bundles was a job in itself but an enjoyable one.  The range was something I would never have collected by myself - I had received a little taste of so many other quilters taste and I think it really adds to the flavour of my project.  If I was using only my own fabrics, I would have an overall pastel, pale pretty girlish colours I think......and while I obviously love those colours, it's wonderful to have such a selection in a quilt like this!

One of my favourite blocks........ I know my boys will love it when they find this hidden away on the quilt top!

I was really touched that this lovely quilters from around the world were willing to take their time to sort through their stashes, package them up and send them to me!  I've been able to return the favour a few times already in small ways - it's our very own sisterhood of the travelling scraps!  hee hee

So, this is the where I am currently.  I've been joining the squares in 4x4 blocks.  Then I laid them out to see how it's looking.  This pictures shows 54 blocks of 16..........that's approximately 800 squares so far....... about 40% of the total!  I haven't joined them together yet, I want to wait until all the blocks are made but I'm loving the look so far.  This will be a super large quilt, I'm impatient to move on with it..........

  Can't wait to show you my progress on this one!