The First* of May and a Giveaway!

Edited: This Giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all for Entering!

Modern Scallop - Pillow

Get ready to get excited everyone because this month I have finished something! And not just one thing but two.  Oh yes, two things. First up is my scallop pillow. I adore this pillow and now I finally get to use it.  I thought it would be a simple matter to just add a backing with a hidden zipper.






Scallop Pillow - Back

Well it might have been except that I chose a fabric that my machine hated more than anything in the world, but just for the top-stitching, you know, the part that everyone can see! Oh and I carefully sewed down the flap covering the zipper before sewing the back and front together and then forgot to leave the zip open a bit for turning. That was a fun 15 minutes...



Modern Scallop Pillow - Finished

Despite all that it now happily resides on the couch in my craft room/guest room/. Along with that blue scarf which is waiting to have the ends sewn in.  It's a bit long, I measured when I was sitting down and then added a bit extra for luck and now it touches the ground when I put it around my neck :(  I might have to make it into a pillow too.

I've also finished my binary code. All 104 numbers aligned as well as I could. The numbers finish at 1.5" x 2.5"  and the centre panel is 15.75" x 40.75".

I'm not that happy with it.  Maybe the making stage took too long? It was started over a year ago. I kind of wish I'd chosen softer colours. Grey maybe? I always planned to put it on a canvas to hang in my home(yes, I am that nerdy) but now that its on there I'm really not sure about it.  The border seems too wide and it definitely needs a edge/binding to break up all the black. I did make the borders wide on purpose so I had enough to staple and so if I wanted to turn it into a quilted wall-hanging later I could.  I might. I'm just not sure. Any suggestions are welcome. For now its just hanging out on my dresser until I decide what to do. Obviously I removed all my junk treasured memorabilia before I took this photo ☺ Not sure why both the dresser and the panel look bent? I blame the photographer.

Binary Code Pieced Quilt Panel

I made a binary code panel for a friend a few years ago(just one word) and loved it.  I'd been searching for a word or a phrase for a while and this quilt seemed to have just the right one. For anyone who'd like to know what it says you can go to a translator here and type in all the numbers or just have a look at the link above.

Lastly(thanks for hanging in there) a GIVEAWAY!


Down Under Quilts Magazine, Issue 157, 2013.

To celebrate that I've reached over 50 Followers(!), to thank you all for being patient and sticking around during the post-drought and to happy-dance that this quilt got a little mention in the latest Down Under Quilts magazine I'm having a giveaway!

I'm giving away a copy of this magazine, a charm pack of the fabric I used and a little Dresden related surprise! To enter please be a follower and leave a comment telling me your two favourite colours. This giveaway is open worldwide! Please make sure you are not a no-reply blogger or leave your email in the comments so I can contact you to find where to send your prize! Giveaway will close at the end of May.


I'm linking up to Lily's quilts for Fresh Sewing Day.



*(For any calendar police, I know this is posted on the 2nd of May.  It's just that my computer hates me and did not want to cooperate in editing and uploading photos, no matter how much I tried to encourage it by swearing and promising untimely demises.)

Fast Forward.... Fresh Sewing Day & Small Blog Meet

Modern Scallop clamshell applique pillow - detail

 

Do you ever feel like your life is in fast forward? That you blink and 6 months of your life have gone past without anyone consulting you about it? It's seemed like that here the past year or so. Though, once I find out who is responsible,  I shall be giving them a stern talking to!

Now apparently it's bad bloggy manners to apologise for absence(of any length) so lets just pretend that we haven't been apart and get back to the irregularly scheduled programme...  :)

In the summer school holidays, which have just finished here in Australia :(  I was lucky enough to have my annual summer sew in at Faye's house. The "sew in" part being very literal as the boys and I chose the hottest week of the summer to go. Most days were in the high forties. Of course the day we went home a cool change came through and by the time we were an hour from home it was 14°C and raining. Go figure.

 

Luckily she has a great sewing space and is happy to share. I finished making this feather bag which has gone as a present to a lovely friend of mine.




Tote Bag with pieced Feather - detail

I started making it as a Christmas teacher gift, but ran out of time, so sneakily made it for a friend of mine instead, all the while asking her opinion on how I should do it. The background is Robert Kaufman Quilter's Linen in Charcoal, the feather is made from my stash.



Tote Bag with pieced Feather - Front

This scalloped panel managed to get finished also and is destined to be a large pillow. I used a faced appliqué technique, a variety of cotton and linen fabrics and my current favourite colour scheme: navy and pink. (Though Navy and green is vying hard for second place). These scallops are 3.5" across and that pink fabric at the top of the photo is for the back. I hoped to finish it in the linen I used on the front but of course they don't make it anymore and I don't have enough left. I'd love to make a bigger version for my bed, though TH might not like all the pink!

Scallop clamshell appliqué panel

The rocketship quilt for BB finally got some attention too. I took advantage of Faye's space to cut out the large lengths of fabric required and have been making stars and working on the rocket. More stars than are in the picture, just in case you were wondering.

Rocketship quilt background

No idea why I've left it this long and the fact that BB has been so understanding about it only makes me feel worse. I'm hoping that the usual burst of energy I get at the beginning of the new year is not too far away. This year I really need to finish some projects that have been hanging around a long time, 'cause then I can start some new ones!

I really find it hard to blog on anything like a semi- regular basis. I can easily read 50 posts in the time it takes me to write one, well, one that makes sense. I'm more of a born-to-read person rather than a born-to-write.  So this year I am aiming for a post once a month. That's only 12 times a year, achievable surely??

I guess we'll have to wait and find out!

Linking up for the first time in aaaaaages to Lily's Quilts - for:

 

Fresh Sewing Day

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& Small Blog Meet

 

 

If you're here visiting from the linky party, Welcome, It's nice to meet you, I've got virtual chocolate cake and a cup of tea to share with you!