New Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2010- Santas Challenges

loopychriss

rufusd!!!2 wrote: »

Here's a pic. I did three of these. one for each Grandson. My Grandaughter had a slightly smaller one in pinks and lilacs but I dont have a pic of hers. My daughters one is on here somewhere.

Oooh, that's gorgeous! Bit more complicated than my one I've actually finished. Lovely and bright colours...

elysia2003 wrote: »

I did quilting once at school, hexagonal peices which with bits of cardboard inside. Do you still do it like that now or am I just ancient?

I've got a WIP (work in progress) which is using the hexagons. I'm sewing 7 together to make a flower shape, then going to applique these onto a 12 1/2" square, then sew all the squares together. That's the theory anyway...! (Started it in April last year and still haven't sewn all the flowers together yet. In fact, I seem to have lost all the ones I've done so far - put them in a 'safe' place....)

I've got some pics of the ones I've done, will have to see if I can upload them here in a while. I wasn't allowed to post links before, so don't know if I'll be able to upload the pics.

loopychriss

Right, here goes.

I started patchwork/quilt classes in January 2009. I had dabbled a bit in 2001 but as soon as something didn't go right, it got shoved in the back of a cupboard. I had a lot of these! My interest was renewed in the autumn of 2008 when I went to New England and bought a quilt because I didn't think I'd ever get around to making one!




My first ever finished quilt! This started out in July as a sample piece to see if I could get the squares sewn together accurately. (I couldn't, which is why there is a white sashing between them!). Once I'd done that I thought I might as well make it into a lap quilt. I backed it with a fleece blanket and hand quilted a pattern on the white borders and sashing. I then didn't have enough of any one piece of fabric to make the binding, so I joined lots of oddments together and made a patchwork binding. I finished it the Sunday before Christmas 2009, just in time to give to mum for Christmas. I'm very proud of my first actually finished quilt!





My very first pieced quilt top. (Although this looks quite big it's only a lap-size quilt). I made this at an all-day workshop March 8th 2009 - well I started it there, and finished it at home that night. It is a stained glass effect, and I love it. I have basted the wadding and backing on, and just really need to start up my private patchwork lessons again to learn how to machine quilt it (as of today, Feb 8th 2010). I reckon that with a bit of luck I could get it finished by the 1st anniversary of when I did the workshop! As you can see, I'm not a quick quilt maker!

I loved doing this pattern which was quite complicated, but if I made it again I would definitely not use a directional fabric!




This was the very first quilt I planned to make, which I started to cut strips for in January (2009). Being a novice at quilting and not having used a sewing machine for at least 7 years, I very ambitiously started off making this as a king-size quilt!

When I discovered that I couldn't cut straight and some of my strips were way off the right size, I put it to one side for months. I dug it out in November when I'd had a bit more practice at cutting and matching seams, but I downsized it to a single size. This still needs borders, but as we haven't got any single beds in the house, I might add some more strips to make it a double size when I get a bit more practice at sewing straight and getting the seams to match up! (This is the stage it is at Feb 2010)

I've also got various blocks (squares) made to put together into a 'block of the month' quilt challenge at my patchwork group. Can post pics if anyone's interested but I don't want to overload you all!

rufusdog52

Well done Chris, they look lovely and the last one looks really complicated. My cutting isnt too bad with a rotary cutter but after stitching together they are never proper squares lol. Still as I have only made them for family members so far it doesnt really matter. I would like to make some though to sell, may be do a stall end of year or something but I have to get my sewing machine in order first as its not working properly xx

loopychriss

rufusd!!!2 wrote: »

Well done Chris, they look lovely and the last one looks really complicated.

Thank you rufus. The last one is called a 'rail fence' or 'basket weave'. It's strips of 4 fabrics sewn together, then cut into blocks, and then the blocks are sewn together, one vertical, one horizontal. (hope you understand that, I'm no good at explaining). I think I put the colours in the wrong order in the strips as I think the floral material would have looked nicer as the main feature. Oh well.... I learn by my mistakes as I go!

I can't cut straight full stop! Whether it's with a rotary cutter, or on drawn lines round a template... I'm the same with paper too. I've gone through about 8 paper trimmers because none of them cut straight. (Maybe it's my eyes after all LOL!). My problem was sewing straight too, my seams were never 1/4". I've now got a 1/4" foot on my machine which does help. Some of my blocks have been a nightmare to match up, but there are ways and means (mainly stretching fabric and getting puckers, or lots of unpicking with Jack: the (seam) ripper).

Don't think I'll ever be able to sell any, I'm too slow at making them, and have too many other things I want to do as well. As for entering one into a quilt show/competition... the mere thought petrifies me!

Hope you get your machine working soon...

mum2one

kelda_shelton wrote: »

Hi guys, forst time poster here but have been following this thread since the end of December when it started! Decided I wanted to get involved this year and have been working my way through the Jan 24 Challenges... quite pleased with myself so far!

Anyway, we've just had an invite - for this Sunday! - to a friends baby boys christening. Now I just wondered what ideas you guys had either for a home made gift - something thats not too difficult given I'm just starting with the crafting and have only 3 evenings and Saturday - to do or something MSE to buy the wee one?

Thanks in advance!

K
x

The other ladies are better at crafting ideas, but the idea I thought of was a small family tree, couple of calls, but you could do him and any siblings, parents and grandparents.

I'm sure if you google family tree design or something similar that should bring a design.

or

Offer to be photographer for the day, get the photos printed for free by using one of the introducy offers and get cashback from quidco, and get a nice photo album (shop around) or if your good at crafting make a scrapbook,

I know its not an actual gift on the day, but when I had dds christening, we had a mobile vicar so we had a church service but in a hotel, then we had a buffet there and as a christening present one of my friends did a video, another gave them the camera and the photos were briliant, as we got chance to make sure dd was photographed with her godparents (6 in total - to save family arguements!!), and with the guests, they downloaded it on to a cd so I could choose what I wanted. xx

kelda_shelton

good ideas mum2one! - I'll ahve a wee think around the second one!

mum2one

kelda_shelton wrote: »

good ideas mum2one! - I'll ahve a wee think around the second one!

It sounds daft but although a lot of people take photos, they take for their own use, and mum and dad won't have time to run around with the camera, and one person doing it, your be able to catch everything.

Greta deals on photography on Quidco - plus free offers from companies,

Photobox - 40 free prints - just pay p+p (can't remember how much, but I paid so wasn't that bad

Snapfish - 20 free prints - p+p 99p

Trueprint 20 or 40 free prints - 99p p+p

I know photobox are on Quidco, by paying the p+p, then turns it into a transaction - cash back (technically in profit)

---

I took dd to Tunisia last yr, 1st holiday abroad - get snap happy - we had 400 photos - narrowed it down to 250 - memories for us, so I shopped around and didn't pay for any developing xx

mary-op

Hello all :j
Trying to get a little bit more organised but only as much as sorting out shoe box of easter stuff for son and girlfriend...........her ornamental eggs fit in the green egg box a treat, with a chicken popped inside as well -tied the box with raffia and got that in the shoe box. Then to finish off sons 'big ears' egg cup (with the hat I made it looks more like a traffic cone...........lol) popped that inside its box with creme egg inside -box now all tied up ready for brown paper.
Found pale blue flannel I didn't realise I had..........that'll do for a flannel bunny for little grandson..........OH went to the sewing shop to get some blue felt so I can do the Noddy hat for other sons egg cup..........so thought I was doing well.
Then thought I'd check on when OH's next CT scan is (his appt with boffin is March 3rd)........hospital say his scan is booked for March 8th :eek: How daft is that !! Boffin wanted the scan before he saw OH again...........so now hospital is trying to re-arrange appoints so OH sees boffin after March 8th !
Then land line phone started buzzing -again:mad: Engineer only came out on Friday ! So thinking I'll have to have words with BT -again !
Not today though. I've had a good day up till then - not going to risk spoiling it by getting myself wound up over bloomin' phones............BT or the wretched mobile.
So, thats my day..................;) Tomorrow I'll start again.......................lol

Ddraig

Looks like I am off to order from Dunelm.Some amazing works of art here ladies.I am in awe.Wait for my pathetic excuse haha.But it will fit its use,lol.

elysia2003

Mum2One you're a genius!!!!


I'm to be a Godmother in May, and the baby's Dad is really keen on tracing his family tree (that's how I met them, his mum is my mum's cousin and we never knew until last February)

I can make a cross stitch of a family tree for Khloe - It's perfect. I'm off to search on ebay. Thanks for such a brilliant idea!!!