Summer is here!

It has finally arrived.  It was 40C with the humidex yesterday.  We are not complaining, especially after the long and very cold winter.  What makes this even more precious? Little one's arriving.

Celebrating their arrivals are part of those special moments in life.

 Creating a piece of art for a nursery.  A friend has made this special stitchery for a new baby.

Love the little mouse.

It is a hot air balloon, with bows,  fluffy clouds and birds chirping away.

Just love the saying on the bunting: Hello World!

PS : The Wedding Quilt is keeping me very busy, quilting it.

Linking to Esther's Blog

Fishing? Good weather is here.

When hubby decided to take a fishing rod on the plane.  Now one can buy fishing rods, which separate into two or more pieces.  It created a beast.  How to take it with, without it breaking? A round tube with a lid. Then a cover, with a zipper and a handle on the side.  One can buy them.  He has a few for his fishing rods.  So when we stopped at the shop and they did not have stock, he was leaving the next day.  Can you make me a cover?  So the next question was for what? He shows me a piece of pvc plumbing pipe with caps on both ends. So the answer is yes, I could try.  This was the result, maybe a good Father's Day gift for a fly fisherman?

How to make one:

1. Measure the length of the tube and the circumference of the pipe/circle.
2. One need a zipper, thread and wash away tape. Two layers of fabric, one for the outside and one
    for the lining on the inside of the tube. Two squares of scrap batting for the top and the bottom of
    the tube. Make two quilted circles, this will be the top and the bottom caps of the tube.    

3. Fabric for a label, would recommend making it and stitching it on, before creating the round tube,
    much easier to sew on.

The rectangles are much longer than what was needed. Cut two four inch strips off the top of each rectangle.

Next use these pieces and sew the zipper to these pieces of fabric.  Then do the same to the longer rectangles. Instead of pins use the wash away tape to keep the zipper and fabric in place while inserting the zipper. This replace the use of pins and keep the zipper in place. 

This creates a rectangle with a zipper about three inches from the top.

Attach the label first, then sew the handle over the label. Do all of this for both the label and handle, before sewing the long side of the rectangle together

 Next make a handle and sew on about three quarters of the way towards the top where the zipper is.

 

Leave a gap for where the handle part is and sew down the remainder of the handle.

Next join the long sides of the rectangles, right sides facing. Stitch this seam only.
Then pull it over the plastic tube, do not turn it inside out yet.  Mark two inches above the zipper and trim excess fabric. now attach the cap by hand with a tacking stitch. Remove the tube and sew the cover on the sewing machine.

Now open the zipper, pull the fabric sleeve/tube over the pvc pipe.  Make sure it fit from top to bottom'  make a mark on this line on the fabric.  Add a half an inch, trim the rest of the fabric off the bottom. Tack and sew the bottom circle to the base of the tube.  The same as the top, then turn inside out and pop the pvc tube inside.  Now close the zipper.

A Father's Day gift made with all the love and patience in the world.

The label was sewn on the outside, with his name and a contact number which is under the handle of tube.  So if it got lost at the airport, the staff could contact him.

The Wedding Quilt.

The tree we planted last year, is covered in blooms.  It is a sugar plum.  The birds are loving it and so is our cat, she sits at the base and talks to the birds.

2018 Stitch a long:

Diane has been very busy, stitching.

Finding the way:

Placing all the pieces on the bed.

The large triangle borders.

The corners. Placed the center square in the inside of the large triangle borders, then I noticed the gap.  There should not be such a large gap.  Followed the pattern to a T. Something was amiss.

Measured the center, double checked that the frame was stitched on the right way. The measurements from the center measured exactly what the book said.  The width of the frame fabric was not right. (Printing error?...).

As this can be fixed, it became a design opportunity!

It required a bit of playing and testing against the large border triangles.

Eureka! it worked.

The finished quilt top.  It can now be quilted. So very glad it all worked out well.

                                                                   Happy Mother's Day 
     

PS: The wonder of Google, my son cooked me breakfast, afterwards he turned on the computer, came and gave me a big hug and said Happy Mother's Day.  He told me he saw it on the home page, thanks to Google!

Linking to Esther's Blog.

Baby projects.

Friday afternoon we had a storm, it had rain and hail, with wind and more rain.  The next minute we saw our barbecue doing ballet on the patio.  Normally it takes two adults to move it.  So out we went and moved it to next to the house, where it should be safer.  More stuff got blown about, went to tidy that too.  Came back inside and decided a cup of tea would be a good idea.  Looking out the kitchen window, that was when the wind changed from a howl to a roar, which just got more intense. This ripped our fence out of the wall next to the house, making it fly in the wind like a sheet, blowing in the breeze. Then the wind did a twirl and ripped out the other side of our fence.  It was like watching a movie on tv.  The tiles started to fly off the roofs, all the way up the road. The power went out during the storm.  This little daffodil survived it all.  Some things was untouched, while others were gone!

Finished knitting this baby hat, you can find the pattern here.

It has a super cute rolled cuff.

 Baby quilt, the binding needs to be finished.

 The back of the quilt.

The new Mom wanted soft blues and a touch of green.  The Grannies both love cats, so this panel came in real handy, as it helped to create a one of a kind baby quilt.

The way a lot of panels are printed, one have to square up the blocks so to speak.  Then one have to get creative with sashing's fabrics in between the blocks. 

Following the grain lines for this, is very important. 

Next was this Retreat bag, used a novelty button for the zipper tab.

The whole bag closed.

The inside of the bag with a zipper pocket and puppy fabric. This was for a special lady who look after us every time we go to Quilt Retreat. It is important to appreciate the special people in our lives.
Life is short, as nature reminds us, more often than not.  Spent the morning speaking to the insurance companies, with the widespread damage, we all have to take a number and await our turn.  Decided to do so with some chocolate!