Any idea can become a quilt !

Some time ago   I decided with a friend to take the City and Guilds course.

We made our first tests of dye. The photograph shows the buckets with the fabrics in the dye bath, placed on black plastic bags, which were used to protect the floor.

I took the photo with my phone to keep a souvenir of the day. 

However, when printing the photo, I discovered that the buckets rounded shapes  onto the geometric folds of plastic and the shading colors of fabrics formed a harmonious and aesthetic group.

Watching the photo, I thought that the composition could be transformed into a modern panel.







The folds of the plastic on which the buckets are placed have naturally geometrical shapes: horizontal stripes, with diagonals due to the glare of the light. By representing these strips by light colors, the light is increased and is used to structure the background.
The round shapes are raised above and unify the first and second level.

The overall shape of an elongated rectangle put the quilt away from traditional shapes.

The initial idea being buckets of dye, it made sense to work with fabrics dyed at home. Given the difficulty in getting a "real" black, background fabric was purchased, as the fabric back. All other fabrics were dyed by hand.

New year, new projects

Hi !

I wish that after a so tragic and so sad beginning here, 2015 will be for everyone a peaceful year, that freedom, intelligence and heart will win the war against blindness and hate. 

January is the time to start new projects.

We'll have all the year to finish them !  

Hum, actually I have lots of unfinished projects I started last year, two years ago, etc... 

I think that I'd feel lost if I had not several knitting, sewing, quilting projects to finish. 

I'm not worried, this time won't come as I'm always tempt by a pattern, a quilting fabric, a beautiful yarn...

I started   knitting a cable and  lace wrap. 

The pattern is "Topiary" from Michèle Wang and I found it on the "Ravelry" website.

It is  an easy pattern and as the yarn is pretty thick, the wrap get bigger very quickly. 

... 

I think that I can wear it this winter !

Christmas Gifts Showcase and...Happy New year!!!!

Hello and...HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!!!!
Well...Holydays are almost ended...a New Year is starting and we are here again to think to new projects and new and fun things to to and to learn this year...

But...before to start all...I would love to show you what I did this year as Christmas gifts...
I made 2 angels for 2 special Lady...one is Nat and one is my sister...
I've had so much fun making the angels and I think I will make soon one for me too...
Who doesn't need an angel??? 

Then I made a fun pillow for another friend...she loves owls so...I made this:

I made a little gift for some neighbours too...

My gift is similar (well...the idea is similar) to Nat's gift...the SOS cookies jar...

I put in my Jar all what you need to prepare hot chocolate...yummy!!!

You just need to add  milk...

Then I decorate the jar with a piece of Xmas fabric, added a label explaining how to make the chocolate and made cute hot pads too...

And...last but not least...I made the quilt for a very special person in my life... 

These are all the gifts I made during Holyday Season...

And...I'm very Happy to have sewed so much...

What about you all?

Which gifts you made?

Again...Happy New Year!!!

Dany

Christmas To Do lists

Are you like me ? I'm addicted to to do lists ! 
In these last days before Christmas, I have lists for gifts, shopping for the meals, for what I have to cook etc... and a schedule for all these things I have to do. 
What is great in to do lists is the happiness to cross a task out !

This weekend I made "SOS Cookies" jars as guests gifts. 

I found this idea several years ago on the internet. All you need to make cookies is in the jar, but the butter and the egg.

You add a label, instructions, and some embellishments and it is finished !

It has been the time also to do the Christmas tree and first of all to place the so nice skirt tree Dany made for me. 

It is not very usual, but it is a tree with feathers and flowers...

Two things removed from my to do  lists !

Working on Christmas gifts...

Hi!
Christmas is around the corner once again and...once again...I'm in a hurry for make all my Xmas gifts...
Now...I'm working on a special quilt...
I draw it with EQ7, chose and bought all the fabrics and now...I'm making it...
This is a challenge for me  because...lately...I didn't sew so much...
I love make blocks and make tops but...I'm not like Nat...I'm not loving so much the quilting part because...as she said...it scared me a bit...
Sometimes you make great tops and then...you ruin all your work during the  the quilting  because it's not easy quilt the whole top  with a regular sewing machine...
Or at least...it is not easy for me...

So...I decided to try the QAYG method, the quilt as you go method...
This is my very first try so I'm a bit scared but for now...it seems that all is going well...

I've started making the blocks and then quilting them one by one putting just the block and the batting together ...

Then...I'm joing the quilted blocks all together...

Sure in this way it is easier then quilting the whole top...
At the end...when the whole top will be quilted and sewed together...I'll add the backing of the quilt, then I'll bind it and...tadaaa...the quilt will be done!
But now...I'm still working on joining blocks and borders...

I'll keep you posted about my progresses and my other Christmas gifts...
Have you ever tried the QAYG method?
Any suggestions?
Are you working on Christmas gifts too?
Nat and I would love to hear from you all too!!!
See you soon!
Dany.

I love quilting !

For a long time quilting scared me.

I knew how much quilting was important and how quickly a project could be  ruined  with  wrong motifs , bad stitches.

When taking  the City and Guilds certificate courses I had to practice and discovered how much I love to quilt. 

Here are some details of a wallhanging I made for these courses.

I  definitively  left the stitch regulator that has some inertia and is not as settled as I'd like it could be. 

Such quilting can be done with most sewing machines.
The fabrics are dyed with Procion and print with Pébéo colors.