Even Distance Didn't make the Heart Grow Fonder

I was full of love for my fabric when I embarked on this project. 

I still love the fabric but I am not so fond of the outcome.

It all began in August

It grew

And grew

 But I wasn't happy.

The definition was lost.

It was chaos.

So I decided to add a few borders

And even at a distance, I can't say that I have grown any fonder of it.

In between all that, I made a cute little baby wrap which has a lovely flannel backing.

I love this!

I have some blue flannel that I will use to make another one.

You never know when someone is going to have a baby.

And this is the beginnings of a pillow.

It's going to be an end of year gift for one of my colleagues

What are you all making for end of year presents?

It is so hard to keep thinking of new things when you have been working in the same place for a long time.

Taggies, Kaffe Quilt and Pot Mitts

In a burst of energy, I created a stack of taggies. I have so much Minki to use up. There have been a few babies born to staff at work, grandchildren and acquaintances etc and these are the best little gift to share.

Another job that had been hanging around was the finishing of the binding for one of Rivka's quilts.

I had been staring at the quilt for a couple of months. Half the binding was on, but the last few stitches just never seemed to come.

Here it is, not fully stretched as my husband's arms just couldn't reach all the way to the ends.

Last of all, a pair of pot mitts. My son is moving out with some friends and they just had to have some pot mitts to use in their new kitchen. Every thing in their kitchen is cream and plain so I made these mitts with the plainest linen I could find in my stash. I couldn't resist using the mustard backing though. The glasses are so perfect for my son. He must have lost or broken a dozen pairs of them and although he is far less forgetful these days, they just remind me of him before he grew up and left home.

Knitting and Stitching

I have been very lucky to be part of a knitting group that meets every month. They have inspired me to take up my knitting after years of neglect. I have loved the company of these diverse and creative women and also the feeling of having wool, once again, wound around my fingers.

This week I finished making a jumper out of Amy Butler cotton, blended with wool.

 I love the lacy waistband. 

After lying around for months, I finally pinned and quilted this triangle quilt.
It is the first, but I think not the last, attempt I will make with triangles.
It was surprisingly easy to make.

I added a few more strips to the backing for my husband's recycled shirt quilt.

And I gave away this little Apples quilt to my colleague's baby, Ruby Rose.

It used to be so hard to part with any of my quilts but now I find I can let go so much more easily.

I guess, after making at least 50 plus quilts, you learn to let go.

The smile on the recipient is worth it.

Messing with Blocks and a Couple of Baby Wraps

I finally cut into my Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy. I chose a block I liked and cut the fabric, but just a little bit. A few strips off each colour. I matched them and played. I came up with all sorts of possibilities but nothing really sang to me.

It just didn't seem to work

Too much colour

I reconfigured

A bit like the x + quilt

I tried backgrounds
I gave up!
Will think about it another day.
Meanwhile I bought some delicious flannel by Anna Maria Horner. It was on sale so I bought a metre of 2 different designs because I had a plan in my head. I had seen a cute baby wrap at a market and thought I could easily make that. How could I not know how beautiful and warm flannel can be.
I went through my stash of fabrics and picked out similar color themes to the flannel.
All I did was cut 49  6" x6" squares, back them with the flannel and voila!
They are cuddly because of the flannel and fun with all the colours.
Perfect to give to the 2 girls at work, about to have babies.

Oh yeh, I bought this ladder for only $20 to hold some of my quilts.
My husband hasn't noticed it yet which is good.

It is full so I might have to look for another one.