Patchwork Table Runner

After making the goody, goody binding bag last week, I started on making a patchwork table runner for the dinning table.  I've have bought fabric to do this at the start of the year, but I hadn't made any attempts to make the runner.  I had a number of conversations with Kirsty about the table runner and I wasn't sure about the fabric I had initially bought and so, with any excuse to purchase more fabric, I did.

I purchased a bundle from Elephant in my handbag  of Lewis & Irene fox and friends fabric as it had the greens, browns and oranges which we have in the curtains in the dinning room.  

This is the completed table runner on the dinning table.  I cut 6 of the 7 fat quarters from the bundle into 2.5 inch strips.  For the first time I used the pinking blade on my olfa rotary cutter.  I stitched the strips into groups of 3 strips together.  I then cut these into 6.5 inch squares.  I alternated and turned the squares around to create this design.  The runner was then 3 squares wide and 12 squares long, a total of 36 squares.

This is a close up of the detail of the strips made into squares.  Once the runner top was pieced together I then added cotton wadding and green fabric to the back.  These came from Emporia Fabric and Craft in Ashford, Kent.  I then quilted lines 1 inch apart across the width of the runner to secure the sandwich together.  I used the stitching guide in the foot of my sewing maching to help with the accuracy of the lines.  I then edged the runner in orance fabric also from Emporia Fabric and Craft.  I've never been very good at binding and before I completed the binding on the runner I looked up some tutorials on YouTube about binding.  I found this video from Heirloom Crafts the easiest to understand and follow whilst making my runner.  The mitred corners are the best I've managed, but I still have to master the art of making them perfect.

My patchwork and quilting skills are improving and I would say that so far this is the best patchwork and quilting piece I've made.  Although my top stitching and lines are not completely straight I fell they are better than the first few quilts I made.  I only made my first quilt 10 months ago and attended my first patchwork class 9 months ago.  Whilst I still have some way to go to make my projects perfect they are improving with each one I make.

How long have you been sewing and crafting?  I started sewing when I was young and my Mum bought me my first proper sewing machine when I was 10 (I turn 39 on Sunday) and I still have it. I got a toy sewing machine (although it did actually work) when I was about 7) so I've been sewing a long time.  I mainly though made dolls, dolls clothes or clothes for myself.  I did some patchwork at primary school.  I started cross stitching when I was 12 and for a long time this was my main craft.  I do a whole variety of needlecraft and papercraft and this will be reflected in my blog posts.  What I make depends on my mood and most recently my mood has been sewing, hence a number of posts about sewing.  

What are you making?  Is it something big?  Is it for you or is it a commission?  I'd love to hear all about your crafty makes so leave a comment and tell us about yourself.

Goody Goody Binding Kit

Its been many, many months since I have made anything, which is why I've not blogged for a long while.  I'm sure all crafters know what it is like to lose your crafting mojo, I do go through phases of not making anything, this comes down to a whole host of issues, most recently being very busy at work with a new role and a huge restructure taking place leaving very little energy for crafting, or even thinking about making anything.

I've just had 2 weeks annual leave from work and I was hoping to make some lovely stuff.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to make, I've bought more fat quarters to expand the quilt I made for my bedroom back in February so it is a better size for covering my bed. I had fabric to make a runner for the dinning room table, fabric to make a bag and a crochet blanket to finish.

Yesterday I finally got round to making something.  I follow the Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber Blog and on Tuesday they posted a blog about a Goody Goody Binding Bag.  The bag is designed by Vanessa Goertzen from Lella Boutique.  This inspired me to make one to give to my Mum.  I liked the idea that it was a quick project (I could finish it that day) it would be useful to my Mum who makes all sorts of things including quilts. 

This is my completed binding bag, made for my mum.

I used Just Sew Fat Quarters designed by Victoria Louise and made by the Craft Cotton Co.  I purchased this fat quarter bundle from Hobbycraft for £8.  I thought this was a fantastic price for 6 fat quarters.  I knew I would use these to make something for my Mum who has always loved to sew.  As she has always told us "my only O-level is in Needlework".  Therefore she and my Nan are responsible for my love of making things.

So you can see the folded up version of the binding kit.  This is it opened out.

I'm not very good at zips and this is the first zip I've attempted for about 15 years. I managed to get the zip in quite easily but when I finished the design it ended up with a wonk to it.  This is quite usual for me, I claim to have a natural wonk and most things I make are nearly always slightly off centre.  I got the zip for this binding bag from Emporia Fabric and Craft, it was the great price of £1 and matches the green on the rose fabric perfectly.  I used a scrap of cotton wadding leftover from a quilt I made.  The wadding also came from Emporia Fabric and Craft. The button was one I had in my sewing box, I always collect the spare buttons you get with new clothes and put them in sewing box.  I've got many buttons this way, but I no longer own the clothes. I made one change to the pattern, I made a small 9 patch pocket instead of making a strawberry pocket to hold the scissors.

I'm just waiting for more binding clips to arrive to fill up the zipped pocket, to get my Mum some thread for the thread holder and then it will be ready to give her.  

Have you tried making this?  Did you enjoy it? I know if I make this again it would be better, so no fabric cut the wrong way round for the pattern, no wonky zip, but then it's always a learning curve making things.

Creative sewing weekend

On Saturday I completed my first stint at the Emporia Crafts and Vintage Markets Pop Up shop.  I spent the remainder of my spare time stitching away and I made 2 simply crazy patchwork cushions and with some of the scraps I made 3 pin cushions.  I mentioned all of this in my blog post yesterday but I hadn't got any good photos.

Today I finally managed to get my new replacement Motorola Moto G working and managed to take a reasonable photograph consider its dark and I had artificial lights.  I think the phones camera did well, much better than the camera on my Tesco Hudl and my digital camera.

These are the 2 cushions and 3 pin cushions I made.  I really need some pin cushions as the only pin cushions I have are the one in my sewing box and the foam on top of my pack of pins which is now very disintegrated.  I explained on yesterday blogs where I got the pattern from.

At the start of the month I went into Hobbycraft in Maidstone and purchased way more stuff than I had intended.  As part of this stash I had purchased 3 packs of fat quarters which were reduced to less than half price.  These fat quarters were

This is the Visage Textiles Fat Quarters Pastel Patchwork pack of 6.  I have made one cushion and 2 pin cushions from this pack and still have plenty left.  This has created my favourite of the crazy patchwork cushions I have made.  The next pack of fat quarters I purchased was the Visage Textiles Fat Quarters Honesty 6 pack.

I have made one cushion and one pin cushion from this pack.  When I was at the patchwork class last week the instructor talked about having fabrics that blend and you can't see the patchwork effect too well.  I didn't understand what she was saying as I was looking at fabric choice in the same way you choose papers for card making and scrap booking. Whilst I like the colours of the fabrics in the pack I now understand what she means about blending.  The different sections don't stand out in the way the Pastel Patchwork.  When I first bought this pack I thought the fabric would make really good dolls dresses, but instead of making dolls clothes I made a cushion.  I do like the colours in this pack and I am sure the rest of you will do too.

The final pack of fat quarters I purchased were Hobbycraft Medow Craft six pack.  These are a nice mix if  blues and greens which work with the blues and greens in my bedroom.  

I used these fabrics in my first attempt at the simply crazy patchwork and cushion cover.  I enjoyed making this and finally worked out a way of piecing the different strips of fabric together to make a pattern I liked.  Again this pack could "blend" as Mandy said, but with a papercrafting head on I felt the fabrics benefited each other and worked really well in a cushion.  With enough time I am sure I will make some pin cushions with the scraps from this pack.

I hope you all had a good crafty weekend too.  What did you make?  I'd like to hear what you've been making.  Leave me a comment below.

Pin Cushion & Cushions

This weekend saw me complete a couple of sewing projects.  I completed two more simply crazy patchwork cushions in different colours using  two different packs of fat quarters.  I took some photos this evening but the photos didn't come out very well and I've deleted everyone of them.

I have also made a pin cushion this evening.  I was on pinterest and looking for inspiration for patchwork cushions when I stumbled upon an image for a pin cushion that came with instructions for making.  It looked pretty simple and would use up the scraps of fabric I have left from making the cushions.  I found the instructions on the Messy Jesse Crafts blog site.  You can find the instructions here.

This was my first photo attempt using my Hudl, but being evening and artificial light the picture isn't very good at all.  Plus it has my quilting pins in it so you can't see the design.

This picture is better, but still doesn't show the pin cushion in the best way.  I had lots of 2 inch strips of fabric left from when I made my cushions (I had cut lots of strips to make my cushion).  I sewed  4 strips together and using my rotary cutter cut across the stips to make new 2 inch strips which when all sewed together would make 1.5 inch sqaures of all the different fabrics.  I made the front out of 16 squares each (4 x 4 sqaures) and then followed the instructions from Messy Jesse Crafts blog.  I stitched a pink button in the middle to finish it off. 

 I've got more fabric ready to make more of these tomorrow.  I thought they may sell in the pop up shop.  What do you think?  Let me know your thoughts.  Hopefully I will take some better photos tomorrow.