July Holiday Prepper Sew together bag

My progress so far.......

I have been wanting to post about the Sew together bag for ages. We first did @sewdemented s Sew together bag soooo long ago as a sew along with the Brisbane Modern quilt guild in August 2014 (Instagram is great for time checking). I was pretty happy with my bag at the time. I did find that I didn't like the floppiness of the bag after a while I don't think I really used it. Here are some old pics.

This pattern is pretty well known and most quilters I know have made at least one.

What was really awesome back in 2014 was the walk through by The Quilt Barn. I can tell you this it was soo helpful. I’m such a visual learner. This totally got me through.

More recently Deidre showed me the ones she had made for her grand daughters for ballet. I thought they were just awesome. They were mini versions how do you get a mini version? Easy just visit Elizabeth at OP Quilt she has done a worksheet that in conjunction with the pattern you can make a cute mini version.

So I did make 2 last year again in August 2016. Now, these ones turned out beautifully. I used Bosal In R Form as batting and I love the firmness and happily can tell you I always have this one close by my sewing machine.

I have chosen this gift for 3 people

• My Mumma She has just started sewing and I wanted to make her something sewing related that can hold all her bits and pieces. I have chosen a tattoo-ish print with a splash of red cause that's how she rolls.
• Fynn's teacher I just think these could make a pretty awesome pencil case if she is not into sewing. lol I had some cotton and steel apple print <anyone else old enough to get my apple pun>
• My teenage niece <hoping it's not too dorky> I had a cotton and steel canvas print already quilted sort of made that decision easy and I hope I have chosen some fabric she likes. 
• One for me! <shaking head>

I do think I can make a few more with some little adjustments that I have seen on another friends creation <thank you, Deb, > she used a separating zipper and I think it was a little bit of genius. Zoink yes I will be using that idea with a few more that she has check it out here and remember to swipe through all the pics. It's AMAZING.

SO Goals July is the month of 4 Sew together bags (Mum (Large)Teacher and Niece (mini) and one for me my mini one is actually bulging at the seams) lucky mum doesn't read my blog. 

Shopping List

6 = 7" Zippers

2 = 7" separating zipper 

6 = 9" Zippers

2 = 10" separating zipper

I have to admit I had half cut a Sew together bag last year for Fynn's teacher but I just was not organised enough to get it done. 

Here is my progress.

Well, I'm sufficiently excited. I wish everyone would wake up so I can sew.

Christmas in July

Happy 1st of July!!

I really have tried to be more on top of Christmas for the past few years. To be quite honest I really haven’t been into it, at all. Yes I have been a misery guts spouting bar humbug for the last few years. This year I hope to turn it all around and be more in charge of my perceptions of Christmas and what it means for me and my immediate family.

For one thing I’m not a religious person but I really do want to concentrate on giving and celebrating family and getting to the end of the year safe and sound without stressing myself out.  These will be my overall goals.

During this next 6 months I will be using my stash were possible. No additional fabric or patterns will be purchased. I am aware that I will have to purchase some bag bits and pieces and some zippers but #stashbusting all the way.

My issue with Christmas is I have been feeling manipulated and pressured into the commercialisation of the end of year celebrations the craziness of life never helps with timeframes and just going to work all year is really exhausting not to mention the invisible pressure a mum feels about making sure kids are safe and happy. On top of trying to squeeze time for doing what makes me happy. arrhhh Light bulb maybe I should just do some organising for the Christmas run up. 

I’m going to be a happy holiday prepper this year and It all starts now.

I have created some PDFs that have organised a list for my family and another printable PDF that chunks the gifts into months. (links below)

These goals are easily spread out in the coming months, fingers crossed I can achieve them and if I stick to the months schedule it should all be good. I have no plan for December but I do have some empty spaces for my family and will have to look into it more when I get a bit closer. 

Just to explain a little further this is how I have worked it all out. 

• I wrote all my family and friends down in the gift planner. 
• then thought about what I would like to make them
• divided them into months on the to-do list ensuring I had an easy project matched with a more difficult one.
• I went through my patterns and pinterest popped on the requirements.
• ta da I felt more relaxed already

I have had all these items in the back of my mind to make for a time now, so it was actually quite easy to work out who gets what.

Patterns 

·         Sew together bag (Purchased ages ago)

·         Trail Tote (Freebie)

·         Madras Tote (Freebie)

·         Pencil case (Freebie)

·         Geo Unicorn (Purchase last year)

·         Gift Card/ Bookmark (Freebie)

·         Backpack (Purchased earlier in the year)

·         Christmas runner (Freebie or Freebie or this)

·         Amethyst Project Bag (Gifted to me thanks @quiltjane and @sewsweetness)

So July starts me with the Sew together bag and the Madras Tote. I will have to make a trip to spotlight for some zips. Just a little tip my lovely friend Deb has used a separating zip in the Sew together bag. I will be trying this. I have been wanting to post about the Sew together bag for a while now. I have made a few different ones so far and love how they come out quilted with the foam. Check back soon I'll be showing them off.

If you need some encouragement to get you organised feel free to sew along with me. Let me know because it will keep me on track.

Hope to see you soon!

Swooning part 2

As suggested in the last post, I made 16 mini swoons and 9 more big ones... By the time I got finished sharing all the tiny house swoons I had no puff to talk about the crazy idea I had to make another full size quilt.

By the looks, my phone tells me I started this new quilt on the 10 January 2017 just 3 days after I took the last finished photos of my little baby swoons. 

Can I tell you why I thought it was a good idea, to make another quilt especially knowing I won't keep it, these fabrics and colours are not my preference? I can try I guess

1. sewing keeps me sane
2. I had 19 Fat quarters spare from a fat quarter bundle
3. I really like big blocks that turn into a really attractive quilt
4. I think there may have been a swoon-along started in the new year. (quilters peer pressure) lol

Whatever the reason I did have fun making this beauty. I really love the simplicity of the clean lines and the contrasting fabrics.

Have a look at my progress pics. I cut all my blocks in one sitting and made one on the 10th of Jan and then put one block together a day for the following 8 days.

a friend asked how my seams look so I thought I'd share this pic as well

Then I thought hmm my Parramatta house is so small I don't even have space to spread them out to decided on placement so I did a mock up on EQ7

I was quite happy with this placement so I popped them together. I love having a side hangover on my bed so I popped 8" on both sides and maybe 4" on the ends so its a little larger than the pattern requires. As you can see my space is quite limited...

  

I did have a little miscalculation with my backing. Luckily I worked that out before I got too far through quilting it. One thing I love about quilting is that mostly everything is fixable. 

all done very happy with the baptist fan edge 2 edge quilting. 

During some down time, 

I have managed to bind it and have some pictures with my favorite quilt holders.

I have to say I am STILL a massive swoon fan and let's just say I may or may not have purchased the Patchwork Swoon

I have so many jelly rolls I'm sure I will make one of these quilts sometime very soon.

I don't know where this quilt will end up.  I know I made this beauty and It will go where it needs too eventually. 

signing off

Kelx

addicted to creating

Swooning

I did it again not just once though I made 16 little cuties, and then 9 more big ones.

Last October, I was asked to play with 15 other ladies to make a friendship quilt using the dwell block from the Book Simply Retro by Camille Roskelley. The rules were....

"The block must be made entirely from Bonnie and Camille fabrics (please no black) with the background fabric made from Moda Bella 97. Your blocks do not have to be made identical to each other (i.e.: using the same fabric each time,) but please feel free to do that if you’d prefer. All 16 blocks must be mailed to me (Sam) by the 1st of February 2017"

I'm like, well I can do that its only October no prob thats a massive time frame....

So decisions decisions what block should I choose well my email to Sam said 

Ohio star,  Sawtooth star, Strawberry 🍓 or Heart ❤️ good choices right?

But then I was scrolling all the previous dwell swaps and blocks and low and behold the little mini dwell fit in that little house..

How could I resist?

I spoke to myself quite sternly and said are you serious? can I stand doing this block 16 times?

I was pretty confident I could... . So hesitantly I asked Sam if anyone has volunteered to do the swoon she said no I let her know I'd do a test and see how it would go.

I wrote myself a little cutting sheet and cut one using the illegal black (I like to think I'm a little naughty)

I had to change the roof and side measurements but overall it was quite doable, with one done and the decision made. I let Sam know and the next day I cut all 15 little houses and popped them in their own little sandwich baggie and put them next to my sewing machine.

I'm sort of really loving that I can see when these were made my phone in that first weekend sitting I made 2 more.

It wasn't till a month later (November 11) I got some more done, I did 5 this time to make 8 done and that meant I was half way there. Yah yes I was cheering..

how cute are they?? So freaking adorable..

  

Then I started back on my tiny house project when I went on holidays for Christmas and new year 2016. I finally finished the rest and in the new year (January 7) just in time for me to go back to work.

Phew! so very happy I was done prior to deadline and off they went in the post to Sam.

So they all looked a little like these. Yes I made 16 but a few were the same my one up the top is also included.

 

The fabrics were from Vintage Picnic and Handmade.

Surprisingly it wasn't so bad. I have taken a step back from doing so much at once and overburdening myself I have realised the only person that can stress me out is myself.. This was actually quite a good way to get it done. 

Then one happy day the 8th of March I got a bundle of Joy in the mail.

 

Whats the plan you ask?

This is the plan. 

I will have to wait to unpack my container to get my B&C fabric to make the extra spools and hearts.

Hopefully by the end of the year this may be finished.

I'll blog my big swoon next.. 

Enjoy Life 

Kelx

Bliss Balls

These balls are my go to healthy take to work for a morning tea healthy snack.

 Prep time 2hrs (soaking time) | Makes about 17 balls

 Ingredients
1 cup nuts (I used walnuts and cashews)
12 Medjool dates
2 tbs dried cranberries
3 tablespoons cacao powder
2tbs cacao nibs
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/4 cup of tahini
2 tbs chia seeds
extra desiccated coconut for rolling.

1. Method Activate your nuts by soaking in filtered water for 2 hours soak your dried fruit for 20 mins.
2. Thoroughly drain nuts and dried fruits, remove pits from the dates. 
3. Add all ingredients to the TM Mixing bowl process for 15 Sec / Speed 10 
4. Roll mixture into balls coat with desiccated coconut 

Refrigerate until you are ready to serve preferably overnight. If you don’t have a Thermomix a food processor works just as well.

Printable version

The Smorgasblocks Quilt along

I had so much fun participating in this QAL.

The #Smorgasblocks brain child of Anneliese from Eye Candy Quilts which block got me?? It was the #Scandiwindmills. I saw this block and thought wow. I have to try that one.

I loved the whole experience of trying these blocks along with checking out some blogs I never even knew existed.

Anneliese did a fab job putting all these free blocks from different blogs together and making them work.

I used nothing but scrappy fabrics Yah!!

Here is my process.

I joined quite late to the QAL so I was pretty much catching up every week, I started with the Cat Block which I thought was just so clever. All the blocks have the links if you want to have a look at the patterns. Go check the clever designers out..

Garden Fence

Whiskers

No Y Seam Feathered Star

Spinning Pyramids

Raspberry Kisses

Scandi Windmills

The Arrow Block

Barn Bats

Twizzle

I was a little excited in the end and quilted it before the pattern was actually finished but I am quilt happy to have this sample quilt in the lounge as a small lap blanket when we snuggle up and watch telly.