The Windsor Emporium

Let me start by saying... 

I am officially crap at blogging! The days just seem to pass by in a blur and I realise I haven't posted anything...AGAIN! 

But anyway, let me tell you about my first experience at a market. 

I finally bit the bullet and decided to get a stand at The Windsor Emporioum. What a grand setting for a market! In the Guildhall, right next to the castle, looked down on by huge portraits of Kings and Queens.

I spent a few weeks before sewing my little heart out, trying to get enough bits to have for sale. The fact that I make memory quilts poses a bit of a problem in that I can't make them ahead of time. So I borrowed Callum's Quilt back from him for the day. I made up some cushions, embroidery hoop pictures and had 4 other quilts for sale too.

I was super excited by the time the first Sunday in June came around and ready to go and sell everything I had! 

Unfortunately, it was the first proper hot, sunny day in Windsor so everybody wanted to be outside...NOT looking at lovely handcrafted items INSIDE! It was very quiet. I had quite a few people have a look and ask questions, several of whom took a card, but that was all. Nothing sold. Nothing. At all. 
Nobody else really sold anything either though, so that made me fell better!

I did learn a lot and met some lovely people! And ate a lot of very nice cake (what else can you do when you're bored and there's lovely cake about? It would have been rude not to!)

I am planning on going to another Windsor Emporium in a few months time...maybe stop by and say Hi!

Callum's Quilt

It's ready to go to it's new home! (Please excuse the photo's - it was a dull and particularly windy day!)

I totally love how this quilt turned out! Each little item of clothing has such meaning for it's owner. 

One of the things I love most about memory quilts is the fact that the items are used and have a part of the owner in them. I find myself wondering about where stains and marks on the clothing come from. For example, did the scuff on this trouser knee come from crawling, or a tumble taking first steps?

I kept the design of this quilt really simple. Just straight lines made up of blocks and strips of clothes. I separated them with grey strips and then added a scrappy border.

I bound it with a satin binding, which is nice and soft, but wowsers it was a pain to work with! Now that it's done, I love it, but I would have to be persuaded to use it again!

For the back I just pieced a simple red stripe across the bottom. I then hand stitched 2 motifs from 2 special items and Callum's name onto the stripe. The name is made from a nice fleecy jumper and adds a bit of texture.

Cheeky monkey!

Pooh Bear

I do hope that Callum is pleased with his new quilt! I know I am!

Lisa x

Easter Table Runner

I have had a Vintage Modern charm pack sitting around for the best part of  6 months! So I decided to make it into a table runner for my mom-in-law for Easter.

I made it pretty simple...charm squares and white blocks in a checkerboard design, white sashing and straight line quilting. 

Work in progress... 

Lovely mitred corner!

Lovely straight lines!

All done!

I love the fresh colours! Might have to make myself one too!

x Lisa

Spots, Runners and Easter eggs.

Ok, so I've left too much time between blog posts again! Sorry! I'm going to backtrack a bit to Easter...gosh doesn't that feel like ages ago! 

We had plans for the long weekend...staying at my in-laws and catching up with sister-in-law and her family who are over from Saudi (including meeting our nephew for the first time!)...braaing (South African term for BBQ) at my sister's on easter sunday and just doing general DIY around the house. That was the plan...didn't happen 'cos we woke on Friday morning to this!

Chickenpox!

So we decided to spare the cousins and the rest of the family and went into quarantine!

Lots of dvd's and snuggles...a few sleepless nights...a couple of Easter egg hunts and not much DIY, and it was all over! A long weekend done in a flash of spots and itchy grumpiness! Now we're waiting for Adam to get it.

I did manage to get my mom-in-law's table runner done. I wanted to give her something other than chocolate and decided that a vintage modern charm pack that I've had for a while was perfect. 

I pieced it together in a very simple checkerboard pattern and added some white sashing. I decided to give straight line quilting a go...I usually go for stippling because straight lines scare me. Until I saw this tutorial by Megan at canoe ridge creations. She made it sound do-able...so I gave it a go. And was pleasantly surprised by the results! So was my m-i-l!

 x Lisa

It's been a while...

OK...so I need to be better at blogging more regularly! But every time I sit down to write a new post I see something that I want to change on the layout. But everything takes so loooong...mainly cos I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm getting there slowly - very slowly. Any tips and hints gratefully received!

Anyhoo...

I've finally managed to sort out a small work space that is all mine in my loft. So I am being a lot more productive! I have been a little distracted by sorting and organising, but have been so much more focused when I actually sit down to sew! And big bonus is that my table is right under the velux window. So even on a really crappy day like today the natural light is awesome! YAY!

This is a table runner I am making my mom-in-law for Easter. It's better than chocolate right? 

Callum's quilt is just about done. I've basted and mostly finished the quilting. I've done simple straight lines which I really like. They are not too fussy. Just nice and simple.

Here are a few shots, I should be finished in the next few days.

Have a good day everyone...it's snowing here! Seriously! It's March, LATE March! Enough already! 

Lisa x

Phew!

Wow! What a week!

My hubby has been away, which is not unusual, but I have missed him loads! And my big boy decided that this week he was going to test his Mom...in every way he could possibly think of! To say it was a challenging week is a huge understatement. BUT we got through it! (Only just.) In amongst the general unruliness, we did manage to sneak in a bit of fun! I defy any of you to find a small boy who doesn't enjoy throwing big rocks into even bigger puddles!

Anyhoooo...I did manage to spend a whole lot of time preparing some lovely baby clothes for piecing. I'd be lying if I told you I enjoy this part of the process! It involves far too much time at the ironing board! But hey...it's done! Now the fun can begin!

I am so looking forward to making this quilt! It is for a friend of mine's very sweet boy. Every item represents a particular part in this little person's life...and one day his Mum will be able to wrap him in his quilt and tell him the meaning behind each and every block! How amazing that I am the one to make it for him!

Lisa x

Miles and Elliot's Quilts

Wow! What a roller coaster! From sick children, to trips to South Africa, to realising that somehow I had ordered too little backing fabric (4 days before Christmas!) resulting in a Friday night train trip to collect more from Annie at The Village Haberdashery (LIFESAVER!), to delivering on Christmas Eve Morning as promised - this first order kept me on my toes! 

Finished and ready for delivery.

It's difficult to know where to begin when starting up on your own, so I took the easy option and put an advert on my local Facebook group and waited. I didn't have to wait long! Within minutes I received a text from Leila. She had been hanging onto her boys baby clothes for 10 (yes TEN!) years in the hope that she would find somebody to make them into memory quilts! 

So off I went to my first Client Consultation. Luckily for me, Leila was super relaxed and also had a very strong idea of what she wanted! 2 non-patriotic Union Jacks! After chatting for a while we decided on colours, quilting style, backing colour and binding...and off I went with a huge box of baby clothes! Let it be said, I somehow overlooked this small detail when thinking about making memory quilts! OBVIOUSLY I am going to have piles of other peoples clothes in my house! hmmmmm...at this point I was still working on our dining room table...not ideal, but hey! 

 After a sketch or 2 and some last minute changes I was ready to start! Cutting squares and ironing on interfacing to each and every one of them! Let it be said, I hate ironing! Seriously. Hate. It! And I must have done it for hours! Just as well I love the rest of the process so very much!

A lovely pile of cut and interfaced

squares. Can you see the pile of scraps

in the background? 

Now came the fun part...sewing together and creating the quilt top! Sew, sew, sew! 

After many hours of sewing and ironing (every single seam has to be ironed flat!)I was ready to create the Union Jack!

Waiting for it's cross.

Each quilt had the initials of it's owner

on the back. The letters were cut from one of their lovely, 
fluffy baby blankets

Finished! - LOVE IT!

As I have said, this first order was stressful, but that was not the fault of the quilts! I loved every second making them. Creating a quilt especially for a particular person is so special and knowing that these clothes had been held onto for so long for just his purpose, made it even more special! 

Enjoy them Miles and Elliot!

x Lisa