Jennie's Threads

I finished of my City Sampler cushion earlier this week, but I don't have a cushion pad big enough. Today I gave up thinking I would get that sorted this side of my holiday, stuffed it with other cushions and took the last few [bad] photos. I loved making this project - every last step of it! I picked 10 of my favourite blocks from Tula's City Sampler block (nine for the front and one for the back), then picked out my current favourite fabrics in mint green and peach which just a hint of silvery grey. Piecing the blocks was so quick - I love the instant gratification of these blocks! I added the grey sashing as my first act with my new machine. I then let the top sit for a couple of weeks until I built up the courage to free motion quilt on my new machine. I'd had a go in the shop when I'd first got the machine, and had issues with the tension. I felt I needed some time at home to play, and I quickly found the right speed and, most importantly, tension for me. S

When I first saw the nested churn dash blocks pop up in Blogland I wasn't sure about them. It took me a while to realise that the reason I didn't like it is because the outside rings were too skinny - I'm more of a chunky girl myself! What I mean is that a traditional churn dash block is based on an even nine-patch where the length of the bars is the same as the shorter sides of the triangles in the corners. These churn dashes have long skinny bars and chunky corners. So I ignored these blocks for a while. And then I saw this . And I was totally inspired to make my own. No single block for me - oh no! Two 24" blocks, two 16" blocks, seven 8" blocks and fourteen 4" blocks. This was a great way of using the ten minute slots I get during the day - the ten minutes between feeds, nappies and naps when my daughter is happy - cutting all the pieces, then gradually piecing all the blocks. I pulled a huge range of fabrics from my stash for this pro

Buoyed by my success earlier this week with a zip I decided to jump in at the deep end and make myself a Sew Together Bag . Four zips! My first zip attempt Except I ended up needing 6 zips, because I didn't secure the ends of zips and the pulls came off. Apparently that is terminal, so there was swearing and unpicking involved. And a trip to Hobbycraft to buy more! I have learned my lesson! Apart from this epic self-inflicted stupid fail, and despite being somewhat inexperienced with zips, I was amazed at how easy this was to put together. There were a few steps where I referred to the fantastic tutorials and photos from the Quilt Barn sew-along  and there was one step where I totally didn't understand the fold instructions for the zipper ends, so fudged it. This is definitely the hardest thing I've ever sewn! I can't wait to fill this with some hand sewing for my holiday next week! The fabrics on the outside are Pam Kitty Picnic, Dreamin' Vintage

At the weekend I mastered button holes . Today I had a go at zips! And whilst my first ever attempt isn't perfect, I am dead pleased with it! I made the key pouch from a tutorial by Fabric Mutt . he tutorial was so straightforward and the photos were perfect for a zipper virgin! I made one little addition - a strap and button - with another button hole - to keep my cards a bit more secure. The fabrics are Dreamin' Vintage from Art Gallery and Kona Solids. The lining is Moda Essential Dots in light grey. I did a touch of hand stitching on the back in perle cotton.

Yep - another finish! I have finished my item for the Big Stitch Swap . The brief was hand sewing and I think I've kept to that brief - hand embroidery, hand pieced EPP and a touch of hand quilting. All put together in a fabric basket. I used t he tutorial from Pink Penguin , but made it a bit bigger. The lining is a sewing-themed fabric from Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater. I hope my partner likes it! This finish is my goal for July for ALYoF and was on my Finish Along list for Q3!

My first finish of the quarter is one that I wasn't sure would even happen! I don't do dress-making. I had no desire to make clothes for my daughter. Until I saw a girl at my LQS make one! This has to be the easiest that dressmaking ever gets! Seriously - I can recommend this pattern to absolutely anyone! The trickiest part was the button holes. But it turns out that these are incredibly straightforward on my new machine. I did a practice one to work out what the hell I was doing, then two more practice ones to get the size right and then ta-dah. Buttons were nearly an issue - I couldn't find two that matched! Luckily these were hidden at the bottom of the tin. Embarrassingly I have to confess that I have never sewn on a button that needs to be used as a button. I got out my big how to sew book that I've never opened before! Because this dress is a little wrap-around number it really needed knickers to go with it! Unfortunately there was no tutorial on t

...on my new machine... It took a while to get sorted... ...turns out I just needed to change the tension!

I've been working on a few projects this week - one with a plan and one very much without a plan. I accidentally made one of the foundation pieced Mix Tape Blocks from the latest issue of Love Patchwork and Quilting at the weekend (I got some rather interesting likes and new followers on Instagram with #mixtape!). And then I accidentally made another one, and another. Originally I didn't think I would find enough fabrics to fussy cut for the spools and the labels, but so far so good. I have no idea how many I'll end up with or what I'll do with them! I leave my sewing out in the dining room at home, and when my husband got home from work on Monday, he asked if I was feeling ok - given the patchwork I had made. I looked at him quizzically and he pointed out the fussy cut label on one of the mix tape blocks. I totally did not intend to "f the world"! The project with a plan is my nested churn dash quilt. The pattern is by Quilt Jane and I am close to

Well it's that time again - time to put together a stupidy long and absolutely unachievable list of what I would like to do for the next three months. Except it's already less than three months... let's see shall we... Mini Medallion: I started this in the last quarter but lost steam when it came to quilting. This is the second medallion quilt I've made, and I really enjoy the process of making them (there may be another one in my near future) but I really struggle to know how to quilt them. Especially when the borders of this one are so tiny. Binding is made, it's basted and ready but I'm not. Cross quilt cushion: another start last month. I want a big chunky cushion to support my back, especially when I'm breast feeding. At the moment I have three or four individual cushions which slip and slide about. This needs to be finished. Soon. i.e. before I stop breastfeeding. My daughter weighed in at 16 lb 3oz today (20 weeks) - no wonder my back hurts.