playing with scraps

Lately I see so many posts filled with pictures of lovely scrap quilts,
that it inspired me to start making one too! A little quilt.
I use the mile a minute technique. You find a great tutorial here. Only I made a small difference. After I sew all the blocks I cut them in half diagonal. Then I rearranged the triangles in to a nice pattern and sew them togheter. It's a fast and simple way of using scraps.


This is what was left on my cutting table! I'm off now, have to cook some dinner. Otherwise my DH thinks I'm on the computer all day!

found it!

Here is a Picture of the doll cradle I was telling you about in this post. I found it at last in a closet on the attic behind all the campinggear.
Sorry for the fact that it's a bit of a blunt shot. I admit.. I'm certainly not the worlds greatest photographer! And I had to shoot the photo with a mobil phone because there wasn't another camera around! That's one thing to put on my wishlist a "digital camera"!
On the cradle lays the finished little checker and stripes quilt.

I also finished the quilt for the August doll quilt challenge this week.


I sew this little quilt on the machine and hand quilted it.


For the back of the quilt I used a french fabric that is printed with birds and flowers.



The pattern is called "crazy nine patch" and it was so much fun to make.
Now that those two projects were done I was searching for something else to do. I could pick up one of my ...... ufo's, but I was in the mood for something new!
I got some inspiration by looking at my small collection of Kaffe Fassett fabrics.



And made this applique tree.



Have a nice weekend everyone!

trip around the world

We had a lovely hot, sunny weekend and therefore I don't have much to show here. I spend all of my lazy time outside doing as little as possible! It's just so nice to be outside again after a very wet July!


Trip around the world in my backyard. (Trip around the world is the name of the pattern.)

This tablecloth started of originaly as a quilt. I made the top years ago but after that was done I didn't feel much to quilt it anymore. So I choose the easy way out and sew a backing fabric against the top and .... there was my tablecloth!
Now I use it on my table outside. So when the sun is shining, like it shines today it gives me that extra summer feeling!

Have a nice day, until next time, now I'm off again for another lazy day!

found treasures

Thank you for all the nice comments on my last post. Our son is back home from the hospital and I'm happy to say that he is doing very well.


We temporary placed a bed in the livingroom for him and I practice a bit of nursing. Not that he's waiting for his mother to do so but hè, I'm his mother!


I almost finished the little quilt that my mother arranged see this post

And I've been busy sewing some crazy nine patch blocks using my lovely french fabrics for the
Dollquilt challenge August



Last saterday I went to a triftstore and found some great stuff. I was very lucky this time see pictures below.


Ribbons.... love those colors!




These hand embroidery patterns are on one long piece of fabric and originaly made as a wallhanger. I don't know yet how I will use them, maybe in a quilt?


And finally this blue plate for my blue china collection. This one has a label on the back from Petrus regout Maastricht. It cost me five euro's, don't think that was too much, do you?

finished

I finished the little quilt I have been making for the doll quilt challenge group. This really was a nice project and my first ever “doll quilt” too!
It's machine pieced and hand quilted. I used flannel fabrics because they are feeling nicely soft and fluffy. I also made knots from embroidery-floss on each point where four squares come together. The colors in the picture are a bit bland. Sorry, this was the best one! I thought it would be lovely to make a picture from the little quilt together with the doll crib that my grandfather made for me when I was a little girl. But after a search through the whole house I still haven’t found the crib! I'm certain it’s stored away somewhere. However I did found the first doll I had when I was a kid which I named “Hansje”. Remarkable coincidence my DH’s name is Hans!
The doll is wearing clothes made by my mother and is in perfect condition. That's because I didn’t play a lot with her. I never was a girly- girl playing with dolls.



But I like to make little quilts! So guess what my next project will be!
These rectangles were cut and arranged on a dish towel by my mother.
She completely forgotten all about them and doesn't want to finish it off anymore. So I will. It's the perfect size for a little doll quilt don't you think?

on the hoop

Just a quick post this time. Life is moving so fast this week! Busy with work, Family visits and obligations. In between I luckily find some time to quilt!
Have a great weekend everyone, and hopefully I have a finished dollquilt to show next time!

doll quilt challenge

The other day I was just blogging around when I discovered a doll quilt challenge group on Flickr. After reading the theme of challenge for the month June I got real enthusiastic ( I just love making nine patch). So I joined the group and start working on the doll quilt right away.



June challenge: "the disappearing nine patch"
It's a real simple pattern. Start with making a big square out of nine equal sized little squares. Then cut through the big square both vertically and horizontally so you end up with four equal sized squares. Rearrange these four squares to make a different pattern. Make as many blocks as needed.
There are many various patterns possible, that's what makes it so fun.
The colors I used are very, very (candy) sweet. But I quess because it's a dollquilt it doesn't matter.



where did the nine patch go?



made this card from little bits and pieces out the wastebasket.
Hope to share more photos and progress next time!

vogeltjes (birds) quilt

Here are some pictures of the quilt I talked about in my previous post.
The books of Jean Ray Laury inspired me to make this quilt. I started with one little bird, I just had followed an appliqué course and really liked the technique. I had no intention to make a quilt out of it. But after bird one was done I made another bird and another one. I just could'nt stop. Slowly it became a quilt. I planted a appletree in the middle. The border with the flowers was real fun to make. I love all the round shapes.
The fabrics I used for the triangles and the border are a replica from an old dutch chintz. I bought these by “the Haan en Wagemakers’. Applique, sewing and quilting is all done by hand.
This quilt was also shown at the yearly quiltshow of the Dutch quilters society. I was so proud!!



My daughter gave the quilt a beautiful place in her home.



detail of the border



The light green leafs are cut out an old blouse of mine



I made a personal label on the back of the quilt in cross-stitch.

"Bold and almost beautiful"

I already wrote in a previous post about all of mine unfinished projects/ quilts. They are stock away behind closed doors, out of side out of mind? No, not really.
When I think of some of these quilts and on the number of years I’ve been working on them, I get a bit desperate. Will I ever be able to finish even one of them??
It’s about time to do something about it, so I made a schedule. Started with this Quilt.


I've got three of these blocks to go!

It’s an appliqué, all done by hand ( that alone takes time).


back of the quilt

Each week I have to do a certain amount of work on it. And if I do so according to my schedule I will finish this quilt next year September. That’s something to look forward to.
So, I better start working than!!


Old book were I got the pattern from

Be charmed

I started this charm quilt about 10 years ago. I still working on it so now and then. But mostly it lay’s in the closet for months, or even a whole year. It’s not that I don’t like it anymore, but I have so much other projects going on. And I try to use every kind of fabric once. That means I need lots and lots of different scraps of fabric and sometimes I just don’t have enough. If I see a nice fabric I take the scissors and cut a little corner out. So everybody is warned!!
I use fabrics of the same colourrange to make the stars. And use the light fabrics to connect the stars together.



I sew the quilt by hand using backing papers, see photo above. It's real time consuming.


This is the back of the quilt. If everything is sew together I take the papers out.

Another little problem is that I haven't decided yet how exactly the borders should end. Do I use half stars to make it square? Our use a solid colour?



If somebody has any idea how to make an end to this quilt please let my know!

Unfinished

I have a closet full of unfinished quilts and other projects. I keep them behind doors so I don't have to think of them all the time, and feel quilty!
But once in a (long) while I open the doors, get on my knees and see what's in. I take everything out, one by one, and spread it on the floor. I even come across projects I entirely forgot I once started them.
Usualy this session ends in a big pile on the floor with me sitting in de middle. Than I put everything back in the closet and close the doors.
And all of my unfinished work waits there patient for the next time I bring them a visit.

starquilt in progress

A star is Born

patchwork ster
Originally uploaded by corneliar.

I really like projects that (without putting in much effort) immediately give a nice result. This eight point diamond star seems difficult to make, but it really isn't. For this star I used a pattern that I came across an old Quiltingbook. The technique is simple.

1. sew fabric strips together to make a block.
2. cut eight star points out plastic coated freezer paper.
3. iron the points on the blocks.
4. cut out with seam allowance.
5. sew star points together and "ta da" you got a star!

This is also an excellent way to shrink your scrap pile. There is only one problem, what to make of this block!