Things I have found out about applique (updated)

1. It is time consuming. But in a good way.

2. The backing makes a difference. I started out with no backing and it was crap, wavy as anything. Went on the Interweb and found a couple of videos, one of which recommended PAPER behind the design. Result - success! Ordinary printer paper works for me, btw.

3. Spray glue is wonderful stuff.

4.  It takes a bit of practice for first timers to master. There is an array of leaves and leaf-type shapes hovering around the sewing table, plus different stitch experiments, all of which are varying degrees of crapness. But, eh, that is how we learn.

5. I quite like it :D

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6. I don't like it quite so much after pulling out threads (which took me about 40 mins. Hmph) when the bit I was doing wrinkled like buggery. Hmph. 

7. Have discovered that appliqueing on top of applique doesnt work, unless you swap the feet over for a walking foot, and lose the paper. Until you are back down to 2 layers, then you need the paper again.

8. Get one of these:

 
Applique Foot - It's ace!


9. Remember to spray the wrong side of the applique, otherwise there will be penmarks all over the front. 

Feel free to learn from my mistakes!

Winter Is Coming....

...and the need for warmth on the bed is growing ever stronger, so I've been inspired (and am finally well enough) to get on with the Game of Thrones quilt I've been commissioned to do. Seems a long time since I was asked, stupid colds Grrrrr.

But anyway, work progresses. Have cut out all the templates, cut out the fabrics from the templates (am using spray to hold them down to the block backing as they are too intricate to needle-turn)  and started putting them all together! I think the one I've done looks pretty darn good - do you agree?

No prizes for guessing THIS House!

Have attempted a few practice runs of sewing round applique, and they began with Awful and so far have progressed to Mediocre. So I went on to the lovely Interweb last night and found lots of instructions about how to make applique sewing easier and look better. Thank goodness.

Tonight (after badminton) I shall be mostly in my sewing room - Experimenting MWAHAHAHAHAHA

My quilts

Hallo blog,
Am spending some time organising the quilts I have made into a separate page, so if you look to the right you can see the start of this - my own My Quilts page! Not very full at the mo, am finally crawling out from under the duvet and reacquainting myself with everyday life like housework (yawn) food shopping (yawn) and sewing (yay!).
I am almost finished the backing of the Arrows quilt, and am going to sew the last backing seam imminently :)
ie when I get my sorry ass off the floor and thrust the interweb to one side....
(I sit on the floor).

And I have finally cut out the templates for my Game of Thrones quilt, which is going to be awesome, assuming I can get what's in my head onto paper and then fabric.

So it's all picking up again! Hurray!

Have some picture joy :

Courtesy of the The Chive

Awesome, eh?

Finish it up Friday - the Sock Version

Hallo you lovely crafters!

Have been doing flip all* quilting myself here this last few days (and I cannot believe it is Friday already) but I have been doing some sock knitting. Because sock knitting is Very Portable. And when the place has been heaving with nieces and nephews and all manner of children needing to be entertained in the holidays, portability (is this a word?) has been essential.

In fact, these socks have been to: Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Troon Beach Park, Fullarton Woods, Craft Daft, Adventure Planet, and any number of stops inbetween. And socks are for niece who has been entertaining us, and esp her cousin, with her presence for a few days.

So as my finish it Friday, I present one Finished (WOOHOO) sock and one ALMOST and as good as finished sock. Used 3.25mm needles and James C Brett's Moonlight Sonata. I am usually a bit snobby about non-natural fibres, but I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by this one, It doesnt feel plastic, and knits up really nicely. I'm not sure how it will wear as a sock, but it has 10% mohair, 10% wool, 75% acrylic and 5% metallic for that extra glamour. This is my favourite colourway out of the lot.

I will be quilting as soon as normal service resumes, which will be from Tuesday because the schools go back. To say I am looking forward to this is quite an understatement.

Any return to normality will be welcome because my hubby, who is already ill suffering from post-viral fatigue (90 weeks and counting), has been struck down with a heavy cold, and has been unable to leave the house even more than usual, leaving us all slightly cabin-fevered. Yay for school and immune system recovery! Yay for me getting some free daytime hours!

* means none, nothing happening, to all you non-Scots out there :)

Sort of finish it up friday

Linky party thing to Crazy Mom Quilts (awesome bento on there, btw, just gorgeous)

I have been making some stuff, although not finishing yet. Can I blame the cold viral thing and visiting family? I better not, it's wearing thin :)

Have some pics anyway, I have finished some wee brooches.

And this is one I finished aaaaaaaaages ago. My first proper quilt, but it's not been off the bed long enough to be seen anywhere. Made entirely of flannel fabrics, this is almost 10 years old now. It has a bit of fraying round the binding but am not minded to take it off the bed long enough to fix it cos its so cosy. A vital piece of kit in the west of Scotland, I can tell you :)

Autumn sunshine

isn't it lovely?

Everything looks and feels better in this weather, despite having to scrape a bit of ice from the car windscreen this morning. There is a peace in this weather, the clear blue sky, the colours of the leaves and berries, listening to the birds frnatically singing away, the wiping of the nose because your stupid cold still hasn't gone away...

Seems everyone I know has been affected by this virus, so nice to know it's not just me. Tired again today, but it is leaving me at last.

Craft show was pretty good, actually. It was the first one ever in that location, and had its teething troubles, but people came in, things were bought, I found something for my hubby's Christmas, it's all good :)

I forgot the cushions, but ach, it went fine anyway.

Here's the thought for the day. Makes me chuckle every time, and so true (dont look if easily offended though)

 Later there will be Arrows quilt basting. Woo. Hoo.

Does anyone like basting? Really?

Small but perfectly formed

Updated to join with Crazy Mom Quilts linky Finish it Friday party!  (I think that it counts that I've finished my quilt top, even though its not the whole thing yet )

Even though I have been a bit under the weather, some things are ideal makes when sitting cosily by the fire, in front of some excellent telly (or in this case, Supernatural on dvd).

Check these out - what do you think?

Cushions were bought, and decorated, little brooch motifs are detachable for washing. Each one I finished was my new favourite :)

PS Borders on Arrows quilt, just needs basting and quilting and binding. Well that will keep me busy for about 10 minutes. ha.

Deja Vu again

Have not got rid of this cold. It had been lurking in wicked glee in a dim corner of my being waiting for the moment to strike out again, and boy has it ever. Today I have been mostly lying asleep on the sofa leaving the parenting to my ill husband. Luckily the shopping got delivered so we have food in the house yay.
Crafting has been minimal. I have managed a cushion decoration but the sewing machine defeated me today - I was pinning my borders onto the Arrows top when I was hit with a wave of nausea. Clearly this bug has issues with handmade items.  Luckily it seems to have no problems with me watching Mrs Brown on iplayer.
I am now on my way to bed to see if I snore this virus into submission.

Time Warp

I have a deadline looming; the Ayr Town Hall Craft Show is on 7th October, 1-4 pm and I have a table. All of a sudden it's next week! I don't know where this month has gone.

People say it's a side effect of ageing, this accelerated time passing, but I reckon it may be a craft thing. Something about working with your hands and making stuff is a huge time suck. You can lose yourself in the sheer colour and creativity of it all and suddenly its teatime, and the cat's battering the door trying to get in, and you were supposed to pick up the wee one from school (no, its ok, haven't done that. Yet)

Like anything to do with computers is a time suck, but at least you have something to show for it when you finish crafting. Words with Friends, Not so much...

Anyway. Aside from straightening the edges of the Arrows Quilt, I have been designing cushions and making decorations. Really good fun, and partly out of necessity. My tennis elbow is playing up, so no knitting for me just now, so have been crocheting and sewing, and draping ribbons artfully hither and thither, excellent stuff. All I have to do now is unpick side seams on cushions, sew the ribbons and brooches on, and sew the seams all up again. That won't take hours at all, will it? Eh?

Will have some photos tomorrow. Every one I do is my new favourite. Hope other folk like them too!