Wednesday 21 December 2011

The Kindness of Others

Today the kindness of another person freed me up to jump forward on a couple of projects and I really, really appreciated it. The girls swimming coach, who is also becoming a friend, invited them to go to the swimming pool in Leamington Spa with her, her daughter and two other friends of the girls. They were thrilled, and so was I!

This meant that while they were home this morning I could crack on and make a cushion for my mother. I completed it, don't like it much and shall present it with an option of a remake. The design just does not work in reality the way it did in my head.


I used practically every last scrap of my Etchings fabric. I pieced it together, then sliced it and created a monster. The more I look at it the less I like it. I may have to rethink giving it as a present.



At least it didn't take me absolutely ages to make it so I am not too bothered about this creative lapse. Better luck with the next cushion, I am telling myself.

As soon as I was rid of the girls I set to working on the other quilt. And I broke all sorts of quilting police rules. I had started the hand quilting process last night, staying up until midnight to make some headway. I am not generally a late night person! Today I did the hand stitching all around the periphery. 24 feet of it. I sewed like a mad woman. And when I was done, I trimmed the edges, made the binding and stitched it on the front. Tonight I will start the hand stitching it on the back job. And then in the remaining evenings I will try and get more of the quilting done.



I am using slightly brighter perle cotton than I might have usually picked for this quilt. I am doing so for two reasons, (a) I thought it could use the injection of colour without it being too obvious and (b) I am using thread I already own and didn't have time to get new stuff shipped to me. The green is the one that seems a bit bright when looked at close up, but when you step back it doesn't seem so bad. The pink works fine.


Applique done in the days when I had been trained to do it 'properly'.
I now know all about bond-a-web, etc and would do it differently.
Live and learn!
The first quilt has had all its binding hand sewn down on the back and is ready to be wrapped and placed under the tree Saturday evening.


Tomorrow morning I will pack away my sewing machine, all the fabric that still adorns the dining room, and all the other sundry items littered about to aid my sewing. It will be me and the perle cotton for the next little while. I feel so relieved about that. I have achieved the goals I set out to do. I always knew I wouldn't get one of the above quilts completely finished but hoped that if I could put it under the tree almost done the recipient would be more than happy with that.

My apologies to those who I have not managed to reply to their comments recently. I have kept up on my blog reading but not my emails. I do hope you understand.

Susan

20 comments:

  1. you have been busy, especially with the quilt. It looks fantastic (and btw the cushion looks fine too!) I will be doing the opposite to you and getting my machine out tomorrow and will manage to enjoy a few days of quilting!

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  2. Busy girl again! Mine are happy occupying themselves - glad that I am not telling them what to do!

    You have done really well and I think we are all short on time to reply to emails or read blogs!

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  3. Dont worry about replies, you're doing a great job - the girls will be so happy christmas morning, and so cosy too!

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  4. I love your rolled up quilt and 'properly' appliquéd heart :) MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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  5. Totally understand! Concentrate on getting as much of your quilting done! The girls will be thrilled with their quilt!

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  6. Doing a fab job with those two quilts - they'll be well received I'm sure and you're not too far from a finish on no 2. Well done you!

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  7. Your quilt is a beauty. Don't worry about replying. We are all on the last leg to the big day. Di xo

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  8. No problem at all chick! Loving the vintage feel of the finished quilt. And I really like your mum's cushion. Would it be too much to add a wee crochet flower on the top (I'm addicted to these wee things lately)? Jxo

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  9. The cushion looks better upside down - if that helps!
    Good going on the quilts - almost there x

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  10. Keep going, it's almost time, and I believe you are going to make it with room to spare :)

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  11. Go handstitching master go... *cracks imaginary whip just because it's fun...
    I must admit that I'm not awfully fond of that cushion myself - but I'm sure that's no reflection on how much your mum will love it. After all, I am rather significantly younger than her ;) lol

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  12. The cushion looks like a present to me and I would put loops on the top of the cushion to look like a bow.

    The quilt is lovely.

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  13. Yay for being rescued from the kids for a while. The cushion looks fine, but it's hard to tell what you'd originally envisaged, so can't really comment on any deviations! Sure she'll love it anyway.

    Yay for breaking The Rules too :oD

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  14. great minds think alike - i thought it looks like a wrapped gift - so needs a bow on top - otherwise, it's gorgeous.

    merry christmas to you susan - hope you have awonderful season

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  15. Love your quilt, lovely hand quilting.

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  16. Hooray Susan! Well done on getting it all done! Enjoy your hand work over the coming nights. Have a lovely Christmas with your family x

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  17. You have been super busy so you definitely need a good reward. I flagged ages ago!

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  18. The quilts are amazing! I like the cushion, I'm wondering if a couple of lines of hand quilting in a beigy colour perle down the red stripes (to match the other fabrics) might bring it together? After christmas of course!
    Don't worrying about the lack of comments/emails, I think we're all the same way at the minute. i'm using my last day at work to catch up in blogland!

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  19. Good luck with the quilting and I hope your mam likes the cushion - I like it rotated 90deg! And well done on achieving all your goals! Please don't reply to this comment - you've got enough to do!

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  20. Honestly I was going to say I'm not sure about the cushion but then I read the comments and I totally agree, when I look at the picture sideways I really like it!! How funny! The quilt is beautiful and the hand stitching is amazing, such neat stitches. I'm having the last day of my sewing machine today until after Christmas, we both need a rest!

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