Mum has been up visiting, which is why I've been a little quieter than usual. We had the BEST time, really, I cant tell you how much fun it was having someone to sew with, someone who gets as excited as I do about fabrics and all the things you can do with them... Not to mention how absolutely bloody wonderful it was to be looked after!! (I know, it was her holiday, I am awful...)
I'm going to save the big photos for when I've managed to finish things, so in the mean time, here are some hints of what we were playing with....
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| 3 different fabric selections, and a pile of removed selvedges... there's been a whole lotta cutting done here! |
That rather wonderful pile of selvedges is part of my sewing resolutions. You see, I do have some nice fabric. The thing is though, I get so convinced that I'll have to have every scrap of it intact in order to make anything, that it ends up sitting untouched and I have nothing nice to use for fun little projects. Well, I've been sitting looking at it all and daydreaming about it all for long enough. It was driving me mad that I had nice "quilt bundles" and no energy to make quilts fast enough, and boring scraps when sometimes all I feel like doing is something quick, easy and wee. Enter mum and a rotary cutter...
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| my scrap boxes, now with some decent scraps in 'em! |
Mum trimmed a nice 5" strip off most of my stash. She cut me two charms from every print, and the remainder went into my scrap boxes. Et voila! A much more respectable, interesting, and usable scrap stash! Wouldnt you say?
Also, I got my January bee blocks done - so lovely to have sent them on time for a change... It was the wonderful Judith's month as queen bee, and she requested 2 denim framed log cabins of some kind. We were to pick a fabric of our own for the centre that would represent us.
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| Oz block on left, second block on right. |
For my first block the centre fabric is from my Dorothy (rainbow) quilt and I started thinking OZ... the stripes reminded me of the dead wicked witches feet sticking out under the house (black and white stripey socks!) the dog would be Toto of course, and there wasnt blue gingham but blue polka dot would be next best thing for a dorothy dress...
I had embroidered a rainbow in the centre, and I was about to embroider "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too" around the centre... Then I remembered I was doing a bee block for someone who quite possibly wasnt an Oz fan so I unpicked and restrained myself....
For the second block the centre piece is fabric I bought and hand dyed for my own bee quilt, and I did a hexagonal log cabin around it. I was quite pleased with this one, very neat for my standards!
Mum wasnt sitting idle either, she made 2 blocks for Judith's charity bee, Bee Blessed. The requirements were for sampler style blocks from any book of your choice. Mum spotted my 99 Modern Blocks book and was raring to go!
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| Mums blocks, taken from 99 modern blocks |
We had a very amusing Foundation piecing day.... After sitting there tutting at me and giving me lots of "sarah..."s with the disappointed tone mum very soon did me proud and almost out swore me by the end of it... talk about turning the air blue, it was everything from aqua to indigo.... Ah happy happy happy days!
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| three foundation pieced blocks with a kind of spiralling triangles theme |
The bottom left Ash one is mine. Mum did the other two in the time it took me to make mine (and nap).... You might notice that on the block we've each done, our triangles are spinning in opposite directions. That'd be because I started sewing on the wrong side of my foundation paper... I have been wondering though if it might be an idea for my For the love of Solids swap, so I might be doing it again soon...
I have been challenged to make that complicated lookin one on the left too.... Now I've got some decent scraps, it should be fun!
Your mum is fab! So is the sewing the two of you did.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you have been having a wonderful time - I paper-piece from the wrong side too!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fab time! So envious of you having a mum that also loves sewing :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you've had a fab time with mum! You're v.blessed to have a mum who can share your sewing & fabric passion. The foundation pieced blocks are beautiful, love the circle geese. There'll be no stopping you now that you're all scrap sorted! Jxo
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post. Wish I could've shared some sewing with my mum! What a good idea for the fabric scraps - I leave my FQ's sitting there intact too, not wanting to break into them.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you've had a lovely time :) Very productive too
ReplyDeleteWow S - you've (or your mum!) have been so busy! I love that fabric in your first photo top right - what is it?
ReplyDeleteYay for your mum. That's a great idea. I do the same, sit and pet my fabric and don't cut into it. I think I'll borrow her idea and "create" some lovely scraps to use.
ReplyDeletethank god for mums where would we be without them :))looks like you both worked hard i think she will have enjoyed her hol :))
ReplyDeleteYou just can't beat sewing time with Mum! I love your backward paper piecing :-)
ReplyDeleteHow cool to have Mum and sewing time! Glad you enjoyed the rest :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you both had fun, and love the look of some of those sneak peeks. Glad she came through in the end like a trooper though (or at least swearign like one ;o) )
ReplyDeleteSounds like so very much fun. When does the "next" step for the QAL go up? not pushing just can't remember.
ReplyDeleteHow fabulous to be able to sew with your Mum! I'm so envious! I can't even persuade my daughter to sew with me so mostly I'm Billy-no-mates sat at my machine! Perhaps you could hire your mum out!
ReplyDeleteVery nice scraps! I should do the same thing with my fabrics! It would also help to know which colors I'm missing...
ReplyDeleteGlad you and your mum had such fun sewing! Your foundation piecing looks great! Can't wait to see what else you've started!
How lovely that you have been having such fun - mums are the best, and yours sounds especially good! Love all your blocks too, can't believe how much you have sewn. Juliex
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you two had a great time together! Yippee!
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely idea from your mum to do that
ReplyDeletesounds like lots of fun! I have to admit, if I make it back to the UK I'd like to get to do some quilting with my mum! :)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely for you to be looked after for a while, so comforting :-) and how lovely for you to have a special someone to sew with & natter to :-) and how lovely to have one's bits & bobs organised! Wonderful stuff!
ReplyDeleteCutting a strip of each fabric, that is a totally genius idea! and since I have an inkling of an idea about your stash, I now know your scrap boxes must be overflowing :) (and your poor mum overworked!) love that spiral block at the bottom too x
ReplyDeleteSounds like great fun and love those blocks!
ReplyDeleteLove the blocks! My Brit quilt swap pillow was all going in the wrong direction as I never seem to sew on the right side ;)
ReplyDeleteFun fun fun!! It all looks great. Your bee blocks are so cute (I love the Oz theme!!) and the foundation pieced ones are amazing - both very talented ladies :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you and Mum are having a great time together, and stirring up quite a sewing frenzy! Love yours and your Mum's Bee Blessed blocks and the foundation pieced blocks, too. Have fun together!
ReplyDeleteLoving your scraps and selvedges! So glad you had a good time with Mama. Aren't moms just the bestest? :-)
ReplyDeleteSheesh, that is a lot of stuff. I wonder if your mum would come and cut up my fabrics like that - I wouldn't even make her clean the house or pack up my old clothes (but that does need to be done too). I am going to make that a priority to do every time I haul out the bundles of fabrics from now on as I too really don't have many handy scraps. I love all your blocks, especially the paper pieced ones.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely visit! Love all your blocks and you made me chuckle when I read about the Oz embroidery!!
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