A Break and a Change

After a little time away from my blog I have returned with a break - an August break.  Whilst many busy hard working bloggers are taking things a little easier by just posting a photo a day (or a little less - there's no pressure) this not so hard working blogger (well hard working - but not blogging) has decided to be in contact with the world and myself, by taking part too.

That is the break - now for the change.

I have decided to change blog name.  After much thought I have decided to copy and move my posts from September 2008 onwards to redlanne.blogspot.com , if you are a follower of me on twitter you can see clearly from where the name has derived.  The blog name is a combination of my maiden name, married name and first name - who I was and who I am today.  Hopefully you will join me over at my new blog home, from where I have commenced my August Break.

Learning to quilt

1. Craftsy BOTM 1, 2. Craftsy BOTM 2, 3. Craftsy BOTM 3, 4. Craftsy BOTM 4

A month or so back I signed up to this course on Craftsy - I fancied having a go at some "proper" quilting.  I haven't really made a quilt before - just flirted round the edges.  I would not consider the sampler "quilt" I made from some college appliqué and patchwork samples a quilt. Even though it is proudly displayed on my studio wall.  The fact that the course is free was an added bonus. The course is running over 12 months with the first 10 months featuring 2 blocks of the month and using a specific quilting technique in a fun modern way, the last 2 months will cover putting the quilt together.  I am really enjoying the course, picking up all kinds of tips and learning different techniques to achieve similar effects. Also, I appreciate seeing some of the antique quilts and own quilts made by the course instructor, Amy Gibson, which feature the technique throughout.

I was so enthusiastic in February after I finished my blocks, I thought I would start small and try my hand at my first quilt.  A really small one in the form of a "mug rug" although I haven't had the heart to start using it at such, you are supposed to use the extra space for a cookie biscuit or two...

There are plenty of tutorials for various mug rugs, I followed this one from the split stitch for ease.

After that, I was still keen and using some of tips learned graduated to a slightly larger quilt.  A baby quilt for my friend P who has just had a baby, S:

It was quickly put together (btw 1/4 inch foot for my sewing machine has been one of the best investments) and then I sandwiched some wadding and backing and used ric-rac for the edging (no binding to grapple with at present).  I vaguely followed the instructions for this project from Learn to quilt by Sharon Chambers, although I think the project implied hand piecing it but I decided on using the machine.  It was, however, hand quilted in a nice naive fashion and I am now pondering a purchase of some sashiko needles and further investigation into thimbles. I am very pleased with the results, although I think I prefer the back:

On the table, in the lunch box this week

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Cannelloni
Butterbean puree with dukkah (Yotam Ottolenghi in the Guardian)
Not really pork normandy
Pasta with kale, mushrooms and chilli
Prawn and pepper curry
Purple sprouting broccoli and leek soup
Hot cross muffins

Kitty, Kitty, where have you been?

Nope I haven't been to London to see the Queen.
In the meantime I have got the living room cushions done:

and started some adventures in quilting, prompted by this free Craftsy course.

2 cushions

2 cushions, a photo by KittyStitch on Flickr.

Only a year late! Pondering my fabric, trimming and size choice for next pair.

Seeing out the old year with an old project

Just finishing a 2 year old UFO. Personal circumstances at the time meant that I didn't have the heart to finish it. I came across it whilst tidying my studio a few days ago - all it needed was ends sewn in, blocking, sewing up and some buttons added. Now there is a new addition in my street who would welcome this to snuggle in to - and it is time for me to move on to the New Year and the future.
Happy New Year - hope 2012 has good things in store for everyone.

Purse handbag mini-wallet organiser/organizer thingie

I think I am perpetually confused in spelling and terminology thanks to being British but working for an American Corporation (where we spell things with a "zee") and reading lots of lovely US sewing blogs.

First I wanted a little organiser for my very small handbag which, during the week resides in my laptop bag but resides in a larger leather "proper" handbag at the weekend.  (hmmm should that translate as "I wanted a little organizer from my very small purse which, during the week resides in my laptop bag but resides in a larger leather purse at the weekend"?)

Sometimes I need to travel even lighter and just travel with something that holds a few cards and takes a few notes.  Of course this means in UK English I would need a small purse, however, is this correct as it wouldn't contain any coins?  It would more resemble a wallet (which is more the kind of thing a man would carry - men NEVER have purses).  Oh I don't know - it is something that stops my various credit and loyalty cards getting all mixed up in a pouch and keeps my banknotes from getting mixed up with my receipts, with pretensions towards being a wallet.

Off. To. Get. A. Life.

Re-use Fabric Swatch Coasters

The coasters in my living room are starting to look a little worn, so I decided to whip up a set of quick fabric ones. I still had the original fabric swatches from when I was deciding on what curtain fabric to buy. Free fabric + half an hour = almost free coasters!

7months, 7 hours, 70 minutes

7 months to procrastinate.

7 hours to rediscover horizontal surfaces in my sewing studio.

70 minutes to make.

This is similar to the one I made rather more promptly as part of a gift last March.  This time the Kindle cover is for me (I bought a Kindle for myself last May - hence 7 months).  I chose the fabrics after perusing my fabric stash and found I had enough of this Japanese print left over from a bag kit.  Lining from a fabric I got from my Grandma's fabric stash (via my Mum's).

Again a simpler version (no patchwork, no quilting) from this tutorial on Elizabeth's Whimsies.

All but the parsnips

All our Christmas meal veggies are from the allotment.  Except for the parsnips, which we couldn't be bothered to phaff with.  Happy Christmas!

Recycling a few ideas for a sustainable Christmas desk

That's it! I'm finished.

What I folded last Christmas

 Last Christmas I finally decided that this was the year I was going to implement an idea I had had for a few years.  A year or two previously I had tried it in another cubicle but I was sitting with bah humbugs. This particular year I was with more amenable people.  This was the year of the origami decorations:

Magazine Christmas Trees

I went for coffee one day and when I came back two more had sprang up!

Honestly, of all the things I did this was the most infectious.

Five pointed star - but first you need to fold yourself a regular pentagon.

This is not strictly origami, possibly more kirigami. 3D Snowflake.

Further origami Christmas ornaments: A simple ornament, via the origami resource center.

(oh yeah - we won some very tasty "fruit juice" which was appreciated in the last scrum of the year)

Iconic Celebration

Heat treated organza on fabric fragments with machine and hand embroidery

This my entry for the "Art in the Park" competition at IBM Hursley as part of the IBM Centennial Celebrations. This was open to past and present employees and families. I won first prize! I present it here to show those who don't have access to the first floor of the house where it is currently displayed (or for those who, like me really don't have the time to trek that far).

I took the idea of fireworks as a form of celebration and brought it together with a selection of the icons of progress which IBM has been using to celebrate some of the many things the company has achieved over the last 100 years.

Just in case....

...the post comes after you leave for your exams......

and to all those other people mired in the exam season.

Paper dresses

I was reminded of these:

when I saw this post by Diana Trout on these awesome Italian paper dresses.

I don't think I have shared this before but in my sketchbook I produced this, following an exercise suggested by Sandra Meech:

An authentic blog post

Somebody decided to post to my blog and email my entire contact list this evening. Now in the process of clearing things up. In doing so just blogging the following to showing you this is the real me, last weekends mini-project for P & R's wedding:

This is another Kanzashi flower - this time with pointy petals - for which I got the instructions from  Diane Gilleland's Kanzashi in Bloom: 20 Simple Fold-And-Sew Projects to Wear and Give. This time I kept it simpler with a single flower and simple grey button to match the dress I was wearing, the fabric was extracted from my Mother's fabric stash (previously my Grandmother's). Apart from some feathers and a cheapie plastic Alice band from the supermarket this was an almost no cost project.

Cake SOS and a bit of ribbon

I am not one of life's natural cake decorators. Personally I think cake is at is best au naturel but thought I would have a go at creating something celebratory (its a work thingy) with a bit of fondant. The cake inside tasted fab (thanks to the pointers from my sister K). But that ribbon & those fondant stars hid some very dodgy cake coverage. Still it at least spoke to my inner child - I love an opportunity to play with my food!

Birthday girl

Remember back in January I did a little origami?  Well, I thought it was time one of my pieces was a little less headless and homeless and put together this little greeting card.  The hair was stamped with a little home carved stamp and the details added in freehand with a pigment drawing pen.  By now this little girl should be with a 9 year old Birthday Girl, after giving her the vouchers tucked away behind her.  Happy Birthday L!

Fascinating adventures with my glue gun

The big reveal! I was attending the wedding of 2 friends this weekend and fancied adding to my outfit in the traditional English way with a bit of head gear. I decided against the hat - my hair does not recover well from hat hair syndrome. I was considering buying one, but a combination of leaving it a little too late and a small voice in my head (G's) saying "make one, make one). So here it is.

I am pretty pleased with the result - especially as I did not spend a lot on materials.  I only splashed out on the feathers and the hair band I attached it to.  The rest was all in my stash.  The kanzashi flowers were made from silk scraps which I already had.  (To make the Kanzashi flowers check out Diane Gilleland's Kanzashi in Bloom: 20 Simple Fold-And-Sew Projects to Wear and Give there is also blog and flickr group of other readers Kanzashi creations).  The loops were simple tubes sewn from blue silk, turned with my ever faithful rouleau loop turner and then threaded with offcuts of  thin polyester boning.  After a frenzy of gluing with the aid of my glue gun and other supporting fabric and bead glues  - this was the finished result.

Sneak peak

Just showing my work in progress.  Now taking a rest from my glue gun and off to the Post Office.