Sew Paint It

Friday, 24 May 2013

Progress on Hexagon Log Cabins

We have all been a bit under the weather in our house this last week or so as winter approaches. But I have been getting into the sewing room in the evenings and I have been doing hexagon log cabins. I have now done 18.

I am thinking about how to lay them out and how to finish the quilt. I don't want to make any more hexagon log cabins really, so I thought I would do a large border of scrappy trips. Scrappy trips are blocks of squares, where there are several fabrics used the squares are in diagonal lines. I used this technique for my dolls blanket here.

So I thought I would arrange them like this and add triangles in to make them into diamonds and then sew them together. Then I think I will do more triangles to fill up the odd spaces and then a border of squares. It's a plan.

Those are some of my favourite hexagons. I think it is going to be a very pink quilt...

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

I finished the Coffee Table

About 2 weeks ago I got a coffee table on freecycle. I was so happy because it was just a few doors away and I didn't have to use the car, which meant not only was it recycling but zero carbon emissions!
I have now finished it.

I sanded the legs, primed and painted with white semi gloss water based paint. Then I sanded the top.

Once I started sanding it I loved all the nicks and marks and 'usedness' of it so I didn't sand much to leave it with a distressed and shabby appearance. I was planning on varnishing it with water based semi gloss varnish but instead I used a furniture wax because it just feels kinder to the wood. It also leaves it silky smooth to the touch which varnish just cannot seem to replicate. The problem with it is that if you get it wet it leaves marks, but you can't have everything.

Here is what it was like before. Just not very attractive.

I am not sure if we will end up using the basket with it or not.
Grand total dollars spent on this is less than $5 I would estimate as it was just wax and paint I already had. It was very quick to do too.

Friday, 17 May 2013

Hexagon Log Cabins

I have started a new project and it is hexagon log cabins! I saw it on The Sewing Chick and I knew I wanted to do it and had just the fabric I wanted to use. I was given Children at play by Sarah Jane about 18 months ago and decided it is just the right combination of large and small designs perfect for this.

This is my first hexagon. The centre hexagon is 5" diameter and I added on a 0.25" seam allowance all the way around. The strips were cut 1.25" wide.

The sewing chick did scrappy rings around most of her hexagons and showed some with just three colours and each ring the same fabric so I decided to do mine like this.

I have made two so far. They are fun to make.

I have fussy cut the next few hexagons so I will be starting on them soon. I will have more to show next week. Have an amazing weekend!

Monday, 13 May 2013

Wall Hooks on a Board

I needed some hooks in the bedrooms. I often see them in shops and they are just one of the growing number of things I look at in shops and make a mental note that this looks easy and I should make this instead of buying it. It is a very long list now and made longer but the advent of pinterest. I have a board on there called things I want to make and it is just for this purpose.
Well I got around to making one thing, and it is a board with hooks on to hang on the wall and hang things on.

It is made completely with things I had to hand and so effectively cost me nothing.
It is made from an old drawer front with is solid wood and two hooks which I had lying around. They were both in houses we bought, and we took them down and kept them.

This is what they looked like before. I filled in the centre hole with filler and sanded it thoroughly. I lightly sanded the blue paint and primed it and then painted it with white semigloss.

I was going to use it like this but I decided it needed to be a little bit more interesting so I did decoupage with some maps from an old atlas. I also gave it a few coats with cabothane clear water based varnish on top.

Then I screwed it into the wall. The screws for this are hidden under the hooks. I could have made some way of hanging it on the back but decided to do it this was as we aren't going to be moving it.

I left the sides showing the dovetails from the old drawer sides. I like this detail.
I think I need to make some more and I may have to buy the hooks next time.
I hope you all had a nice mothers day, those of you who are mums and celebrated it yesterday. I had a wonderful roast dinner cooked for me and had a lovely day.

Friday, 10 May 2013

Bee Blocks, Continued

I have been quiet this week. Just working on some things that aren't finished yet and not working too hard on anything. And being a mum of course. I have completed four bee blocks for the Diary of a quilter Virtual quilt bee.

This is my favourite one and it is called origami star and it is designed by Sukie from sukiedontyaknow
Yes, I am going to make all my blocks in pink and blue.

This one is by April Rosenthal of Prairie Grass Patterns
It has no name.

Here are the four I have done so far. I fixed the bottom right one with a bit of unpicking and resewing so now I am happy that it is straight and not puckered.
I do intend to start on some kids clothes making as I have cut out the pattern ready and have the supplies to do it. Just gearing up. Plus we have mothers day on Sunday! Enjoy it everyone!
Have a great weekend.

Monday, 6 May 2013

Starting Virtual Quilting Bee

I have decided to join in a virtual quilting bee hosted by Amy at Diary of a Quilter.
I have done two so far. The first one I did is number 5.

It is a bit puckered and not straight so I will probably unpick some of it and redo it to get it straight.
The second one was harder and it is block number 1.

The corners don't line up that well but it is at least more square than the other one. I am happy with the colours. The fabrics for both are Pam Kitty Love which you can still buy, and a bit of Tanya Whelan.
There will be 16 blocks in total and once I have caught up and done the first 5 there will be one every 2 weeks. I think it is going to improve my skills and accuracy a lot.

Friday, 3 May 2013

Personalised Cushion

I have finished the cushion I was making for a friend.

I am pretty happy with it and it looks nicer with a cushion in it. I think she and her little girl will like it.
I made an envelope closure for the back, using taronga zoo fabric which is nice a heavy but also fun. I do have a lot of waste from it though because it doesn't have too many parts with the harbour bridge and zoo sign on it so I have to always use those and leave the rest.

It is nice to have something finished for the weekend. I have ideas in my head for a new quilt, plus the supplies to make a dress for my little girl.

This cushion might look hard to some people but honestly, it is not very difficult and I think anyone could do it if they had a sewing machine and the inclination.

The H is raw edge applique and I have quilted it with straight lines as you can see in the close ups. Then I just sewed a backing on with two pieces overlapped to make the envelope and did one line of stitching around the edge once I had turned it the right way. This means no binding.
Have a great weekend!

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