Monday, 25 September 2017

Goody Goody Binding Kit for Modern Quilters - Another Finish!

Over the summer I participated in yet another swap. I am saying "over the summer", but that's not quite how it went.

Organised by the Modern Quilters Ireland (who unfortunately no longer exist now - how did that happen?!), we were going to make and swap a Goody Goody Binding Kit from a pattern by Lella Boutique. In June the swap was opened and after a short deliberation I signed up. After all, the deadline was only early September. Plenty of time wouldn't you think?!


You can guess what followed. I posted a mosaic to help my partner decide what to do. Which probably was no help to her at all, because I liked any picture of any of the binding kits in question. No surprise there really, anyone who has a look around here will see how eclectic my makes are.

And I added it to my Finishalong list for the third quarter.

Then I went on holiday. Which, by the way was absolutely brilliant! I should have posted about it... maybe I still will? Oh yes, let's check on my partner and finalise those plans...

The boys were home for the summer months. The sewing kitchen table was continually occupied. And inspiration hadn't really struck though I did have some vague idea. I should look up that pattern again...

Exam results came and went, debs/balls were prepared for and attended, college places awarded, accepted. Oh yes, I need to really look at that pattern...
Student accommodation was finally arranged (housing crisis, anyone?), college supplies purchased... My idea needs to be firmed up...

Suddenly the deadline was about a week away!
I wanted to go for a dog theme since my partner loves her Bassets, but how?!

I considered sewing small squares with doggy fabrics for the outside of the kit, but someone else seemed to be doing squares already. I thought of a pieced star for the front, but it would have to be teeny, tiny to fit onto the front. And how would that incorporate a dog?
Maybe the dog should go on the inside?
And what fabric to use? Bright. Solids?

Then I started drawing. A dog. Mmmm.
And I took out my bag of solids, not too much there. Though plenty of small scraps.

Finally I made a decision. And posted this on Instagram as a teaser:


The  Goody Goody Binding Kit has quite a few pockets inside, and is ideal to use several coordinating fabrics in one item. I used a piece of fox print by Tula Pink for the outside together with some coordinating prints:

(fuzzy photo - sorry!)

Then I made an appliqué basset to serve as the scissor pocket. I had such fun making that!

The inside is made up of several sections, and I was able to add some more dogs there, too. A zipped pocket, an open pocket, thread holder, and needle patch are all included:


The kit was finished in time. It was even done a day before it needed to be sent off! Enough time to add a themed zipper pull (adding little details like that make me so happy)!

Picture taken from Ruth's Instagram, zipper pull visible top left

Sent off... and received... I hope Ruth will enjoy it for many happy sewing sessions!

And then, of course, I was due to receive one, too. With all the focus on making this one, I had forgotten about that! So I received a most stunningly quilted version myself from Erin, who had recently returned home to the US after spending some years here.

She chose to use all the colours of the rainbow, and each colour is quilted with a different pattern. Perfect!



Thank you so much, Erin, it is truly treasured and in use a lot!

Linking up my finished Binding Kit with the Finishalong.
By the way, there is a Finishalong Quarter 3 Linkup at my blog, too!
Back in July I posted my Finishalong Quarter 3 list.


Sandra

Finishalong Quarter 3 Finishes Linkup

It is the end of September, and that means that the third quarter of this year's Finishalong is coming to an end. In other words, any project from your Finishalong list for Quarter 3 that has been finished, can now be linked up.

Normally, I would only be mentioning this and pointing you to the correct link(s), but this time I am also hosting the linkup myself! So scroll down, have a supportive browse of our sponsors (and see what prizes there are to be won!), and link up your finishes below. Linking up needs only be done at one host to appear at all of them. And then visit some other participants, too, and leave some comments!

At the very end you can see how much time is left before the linkup closes (you still have a few days for that last minute finish). Also, do have a look back at your list from the beginning of the quarter. Many a time I have been reminded of projects from my list that were finished, but that I had already forgotten about!



The 2017 FAL has a community of bloggers across the world jointly hosting the FAL. Our hosts are:
  • Sarah - Sew me - Northern Ireland
  Before you link up, let's give a huge thank you to our fantastic sponsors:  

For the 2017 FAL, we continue tutorial week. Here is the schedule of five fantastic tutorials, so you can visit them all:

The 2017 Q3 link for your finishes is now open below on this blog and on each of the hosting blogs - you only need to link on one blog for your finish to appear on each blog. Link-up "rules":


  • Add one link for each finish. If you want to link a round up post of all your finishes, use that link to enter one of your finishes and then link the rest of your finishes separately. Please, only one link per finish, as your link is an entry into the randomly drawn prize draws.

  • Please ensure that the photo or blog post you link up contains a link or reference back to your original list so that we can verify your entry (make sure it is from the appropriate quarter). Feel free to and tag your photos #2017FALQ3yourname (substitute your name), this makes it easier for us to match your finishes with your lists.

  • Please become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others and comment. We all need encouragement so let's applaud each other. The 2017 FAL Facebook page is here and follow us on Instagram @finishalong. 

  • Our hosts will also link their finishes to share in the community, but they are not eligible for any of the prizes.

The Q3 Finishes link will stay open from now thru September 30 at 11 pm EST - link up your finishes early and if you have a last minute one, add that one later so you don't miss out. The prizes will be awarded as soon as we can verify all the entries and do the drawings. We will post the winners on each hosts' blog.

And don't forget to start making your Q4 lists as the Q4 list link opens on October 1.




Sandra

Wednesday, 20 September 2017

Lily's wardrobe - it's a wrap

And so, quite suddenly, it is the third week of September and summer has disappeared! How did that happen?!


Time to draw the curtains that bit earlier every evening, consider lighting the stove, or even turning on the heating! Time, too, to wrap up warm!

Which is what Lily Lapin is doing... Remember, I introduced the magical Irish cousin of Luna Lapin as well as her wardrobe in previous posts.


This wrap (shawl) will keep the autumn chill off her shoulders for this in-between season, I hope. It has been crocheted in a unique "making it up as I go along" fashion, and quite successfully so, if I say so myself. I used a dark grey lace weight wool and a 2.5 mm crochet hook, and treble stitches (in UK terms, which is confusingly called double crochet in US terms). The shaping is achieved by decreases and increases at certain intervals, and the wavy edge resulted from even more increases all the way along the bottom edge.


While it is only a small item at about 12" wide by 6" high, it took me forever to finish, because of the fineness of the yarn. Not to mention the numerous times I decided to go back a little (or a lot) because I wasn't quite pleased with the shape. Now it is finished I am really, really pleased with it, and so is Lily!

Blocking the Shawl on a sunnier day

I am tempted to see if I can make a grown up version, too, but I want to tweak it a bit for that, and I am not quite sure yet how to achieve the effects I am looking for. I may wait a while...

Linking this one up with Quarter 3 of the Finishalong as soon as the linky opens on 24th September.
Original list for Q3 can be found at my Q3 finishalong post.


Sandra