wip wednesday {1}

i've always wanted to link up with lee on wip wednesday but i was never organised, so yay i get to link up this week.
after being out of my sewing room all last week, i was itching to get sewing, so in i went rotary cutter in hand and ready to cut, sew and piece.

i cut over 100 'low volume' 5inch squares (i actually think cutting is the most fun part) then i laid them all out, making sure no fabric was repeated in a line, wow was that headache inducing, but i think i accomplished it

on the ironing board getting pressed, ahh don't you just love seams?

i think i'm a little bit in love with 'simple' square quilts at the minute and have fabric picked out for many more. here is my low volume quilt and i love it!!!! now normally i have to have colour but recently i like the muted look, ahh i just smile whenever i look at it (aren't i so modest?)

a close up shot, now just to get it basted, quilted and bound i'm really excited to see this finished and i think i've found my new spot to photograph quilts.

linking up with lee at freshly pieced:

rachael x

a week

my mums friend was over staying last week and our 'guest bedroom' is my 'sewing room' so i wasn't able to sew allll week, which is a really long time. so today i got to sit at my sunny (and messy) sewing table, and happily sew for a good couple of hours, ahh it was bliss! i love seeing where other people sew, i love it even more when they show a messy sewing area its more 'real' so her is my messy place, but it's an organised messy. 

i will have quilty pictures to share soon!!

rachael x

blue skies

its sunny today, yaaayyyy!!!

for christmas i got an ipad, so we all know what that means, i had to make a cover. i used this tutorial from one shabby chick, it was so easy, i just changed the measurements a bit to make it fit more snugly.

as soon as i saw the adorable penguin fabric i knew that it would make the perfect cover, its just soo cute!! and an added bonus its also texty. i lined it in flannel, so mr. ipad would be nice and cosy.

pretty pink flannel from ruby, it really is so soft. it fits so well and mr ipad is very well protected

i just liked this picture because of the sun spots, and sun spots must mean its sunny, yes its sunny in belfast!! i know shocking

look at the lovely blue sky, it really makes me smile (the airplane trail is for you, you know who you are :)
hopefully the blue skies continue

rachael x

pillow

over the last few weeks i went to a class taught by judith from just jude. i have to say it was soo fun, it was an applique class and i learnt so many new techniques, like needle-turn applique, satin stitching and naive sewing.

with all our new learned techniques, we made a cushion, with mitred corners (boy! that was difficult)

i choose to the naive sewing cause i just love the sketchy look it creates. judith had three patterns to choose from but i went with my own of teacups and saucers so it matched my border fabric.

i think every teacup needs an elephant on it, there was a space at the top so i embroidered a teapot on. i thought the writing would be really hard but it was surprisingly easy, i will definitely be using this technique again, thank you judith!!

another photo for good luck, i've already stared on my second and third cushion, yay!!

rachael x

linking up with crazy mom quilts

fabric

i've got a little bit of fabric eye candy for you today.

pink castle fabrics had a sale recently and i took advantage. i just love the stripes from bonnie and camilles marmalade collection they'll make great bindings. the rest were just for fun, i don't have any uses in mind for them but i'm sure i'll come up with something.

this is from hawthorne threads. i am seriously crushing hard on the green/navy combo at the minute. the solids are pure elements by art gallery fabrics in nocturnal and lemonade, the drape of these is just amazing, i'm planning on turning these into a churn dash quilt. the other navy and green is from joel dewberrys modern meadow collection, the navy print is my favourite (for the moment)

don't worry this is the last pile of fabric- low volume. usually i'm all about bright colours, but lately i've been really drawn too all the low volume fabrics around, these are going to be turned into a simple patchwork quilt. i got these from quilted thimble cottage on etsy.

i know quite the splurge, but it will all be put to good use. right i'm off to do some basting

yes, i jumped on the bandwagon.

rachael x

starting again

hello!

i'm going to give this blogging business another go. new year, new blog, new name, a new me, i've decided that 2013 will be my year!! and i'm looking forward to it.

my mums friend recently had a big birthday (50) and she decided that she needed a quilt, so i got to work, i decided on a lattice design and used this great tutorial by diary of a quilter, it came together soo quickly. want to see?

i used chicopee by denyse schmidt (love) and kona ash as the sashing. i quilted it in free motion wavy lines. a new to me technique, but really fun.

ooh crinkly

i love when a quilt comes out of the tumble dryer and it's all nice and crinkly, for the backing i used a polka dot that i had in my stash

with a solid purple binding, i've never really liked green and purple together, but i think i like it now. i really love this quilt and my mums friend loved it as well, yay! its so fun making quilts for others.

Rachael x

*i hope you don't mind me not using capitals, i've always preferred lower case.