SOCIAL MEDIA

Monday, July 29, 2013

The unnamed one!

This quilt is the one that I have been working on the longest!

I always had a plan for this one - only that I changed it a lot many times!!!

My FIL underwent surgery in April 2012 and that was when I started making the hexies



Plan # 1 : Make a quilt with 1" EPP hexies! Lovely, isn't it???

 They just stayed that - a WIP -  for more than 1 and a half years!


Sometime after my Leherey - I tackled this quilt, again!

Plan # 2 :I decided that if I was thinking of waiting for the hexie garden to grow - it was never going to happen! So I decided to take it up and finish it!

I just added a border of black to the hexagons and made them into a rectangle... I then chopped up some of my linen to add to the top!


Then I drew larger hexagons around the frame with a temporary marker and my favorite Hex N More ruler...


I selected some thread to go with it (I did add a lot of  other colors to it eventually - but this is how it began) and started quilting!!!


I loved where it was going!!! But at the same time, having just finished a super quilted quilt (Leherey) I wasn't ready to tackle another super quilting project!!!


So off the quilt went into my WIP bin (only it no longer was a bin but a large section of the wardrobes that I used to store my fabric in my old sewing room)

After I shifted into my new studio, I once again decided to finish this one...

I got it out of the bin only to find all the hexagons I had marked GONE!

Due to the humidity the markings had vanished!

I just did not have the patience to do it all again! And no, it wasn't due to the fact that I would have to move  my dining room furniture to accommodate the quilt on the floor and then get down on my knees to do the marking and it really hurts when you step your knee on a pin! It was because I had just converted the lovely cottage into the studio of my dreams and wanted my first finish there to be equally stunning.

So here comes Plan # 3: I just started drawing totally random paisleys on the quilt. Large paisleys! And then filled t he remaining space with some free hand swirls!

I then quilted them one at a time! I used four spools of Aurifil 2150 of (I don't know what weight - it was the grey spool) to quilt all the paisleys! And then again Aurifil #2250 of the same weight to fill the remaining pockets... It turned out just like I wanted it to - breath taking!!!


I have not been proud of any of my works so much.This work is a different level altogether! and I really enjoyed making it!


A lot of thought went into each of the quilting design!!!


And I love the fact that it does not clash with my original plan!


I also decided to cut it up into an organic shape! By the time I got to thinking about how I was going to bind it, it was already done and there was no turning back!!!


So I just went on and did something that was doable for me - but which turned out to be the best option for the quilt...


I zig-zagged the raw edges of the quilt and turned them over and did a manual blanket stitch. I used a dark brown crochet thread - a mistake I NEVER plan to repeat. The thread was rough and difficult to pull through. Embroidery floss would have been a better choice. Bit it looked ravishing and was well worth all the sore fingers!


And for now, the wonderful yet unnamed quilt hangs in my studio along with a few of my finishes!!!


Quilt Stats

Name : Unnamed
Size : 54" x 69"
Techniques : EPP Hexagons, Free Motion Quilting (a lot of it), Hand Quilting and blanket stitch edging.
Material used : Scraps from my Paalvi Quilt - Fresh Flowers by Deb Strain, Black Kona Solid, Beige Linen from stash, Aurifil # 2150, 2250, 5018, 1200, 4655, 2135, of course black - 2692 and a lot more that I do not remember!
Experience : Nail biting! Nerve cracking! Heart warming! Scary! Terrifying! to sum it all up - Awesome!!!

What do you think I should name this baby?

Cheers!!!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

My new studio!!!

I have wanted to do this since a long time!!! But the idea of getting out of the house everyday stopped me from doing it...

But now I had to!

We are renovating my in law's bathroom. They stay on the lower floor of the same building that we live in. So I invited them to stay with us while the renovation is going on since their bathroom, kitchen and bedroom will not be usable.

They will be moving in to my now studio. So I have to move my stuff out!

I took up the opportunity and am moving the stuff into this awesome cottage in my backyard!!!


Welcome to the new studio of 13 Woodhouse Road!!!


It is such a lovely cottage... And I love the fact that it is on the ground floor! It does need a little bit of work, especially painting and some electrical work, but I'm waiting for the sun to shine before I begin that!

It has 3 rooms, out of which I plan to use 2 currently. The third I'm keeping for when I'll buy my long arm machine!


Here are the before pictures of my studio!!!

Right now I'm moving in as it is!

The first room, will be the display and workshop area. Here will be where I will conduct most of my workshops and also display my work.



The second room is where I will be actually working...



The room is about 11' x 20' and has a kitchen platform at one end...

And A LOT OF storage!!!

The third room is unused right now, but I will install my long arm in it, when I get it!



Right now it is used to store stuff that we do not need in the house!!!

Here are the after pictures :

Here's what Room # 1 looks like when I have a workshop!

I just covered some old tables (rusty & broken - okay as long as they had legs and did not wobble!) with some metal boards from DH's shop! Thanks to Lenovo for sponsoring my makeshift Workshop Tables!!!

And I love that they're orange!!! Goes with my future theme!


Here's the sewing ironing combo!!! I still need to get the place rewired! Every time I turn on the iron EVERYTHING else shuts off!


and here's the cutting table. 
 

and when I do not have a workshop : all of this can just go into the 3rd room!!! Yay!!!

Here's my working area!!!


oops that was the during shot!!! I had the sewing room all cleaned up, remember??? But asking my maid to help me bring down the stuff from 2 floors AND going out while she's doing it, even though for a short time, is a bad idea!!!

I re-sorted, re-folded and re-arranged EVERYTHING!

Here's the after shots :

Fabric storage :


Okay, where's the fabric you'll say...

Ta-da!!!


So much storage!!! And the PERFECT size for storing fabric!!! Yay!!

There's a built in shelf in a wall! It has my basic requirements - Speakers, Harry Potter Books, Sewing Notions, Notebooks & Scrap Bins!



And here's my sewing table! I love the larger table on the left as it holds the weight of my quilt when I FMQ!


This is what I see from my sewing table!!! The main gate of the house! And the main door too! Will take better snaps later!!! When we have some light! Its been pouring here for days now... and I'm kinda getting tired of being we all the time! Even my quilt feels damp! :( And the blue temporary marker fades out overnight!


This window ledge has already been claimed.


Here's my little one making an announcement that his mom has started a "shop" (he does not yet understand the concept of a studio - a work place is a shop for him) that sells quilts! Apparently, he's worried that no one will know that I have a shop here and no one will buy the stuff I make!

Such a wonderful boy he is!

 Here's what I am working on in my new studio!

My Framed Hexies. After keeping away for a while, as I said earlier, the hexagon markings disappeared due to the humidity! So, I just drew some free hand paisleys and swirls around whatever was quilted and continued to quilt it in an organic manner!


It was a lot like henna work... first you mark the outline and then you fill in the shapes...
I did use rulers etc to mark the straight line!


Doesn't the quilting look a lot long-arm-ish???

I am planning on painting my studio entirely white. It will bring a lot more light into the now drab rooms... ut I will have to wait for the sun to come out for that...

Right now it has been mostly like this...


What does your sewing space look like? Do you have any suggestions for mine?

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Aeroplane Bag


I finally made it!!!
The Aeroplane Bag by Sara from Sew Sweetness!!!

It is a fantastic pattern with absolutely well written instructions with photos to help you sew!

And she has made a great job of telling us how to attach the zipper!

Here's my bag!!!



I used the Geekly Chic FQ Bundle to make a scrappy bag!!!


Since I do not get a lot of interfacing that I need to make this bag in India, I did not use any!!! Just quilted it and used the regular press canvas!!!


I made the straps my usual way!!! I love how they look! And did I tell you I love the Polka Dot fabric???


It is perfect to carry Emily around with me!!! The PERFECT fit!

Will I make another?

Of course!

Will you join me???

I'm working on doing a Bag-along in August! Are you game???

Cheers!!!



P.S. We will have prizes too!






Tuesday, July 9, 2013

I must be crazy...

How else can I explain my current quilting spree???



I have been workign like crazy and have been on top of all my housework!!! I even had an "empty-laundry-basket" moment last week!!! Though it lasted a mere 18 minutes before somebody threw a towel into one of these...


So, the blogland is abundant with Lone star Quilts recently... First it was Elizabeth whose quilt inspired Allison to complete hers... I got lost wandering around the blogland and my fantasy flight through the Lonely galaxy landed me here! And I found what I needed...

An EASY way to do things!!!

And I started on my job...

I used the Silver Spoon Spot On FQ Bundle by Robert Kaufman that I had ordered from Fat Quarter Shop some time back (I guess about 6 months back!)



It looked PERFECT together!!!


And for the neutral - I had the perfect denim-y grey!!!

From my recent trip to Pune.

Here's what I bought on that trip...


Its about 30 yards of fabric... And what was the cost??? 35$!!!
It has 4 dishtowels and 11 twin (and slightly larger) sheets!!!

So, back to the point, see that denim-y grey solid there??? I used that as the neutral... By evening the quilt was basted, ready to be quilted. The binding was ready...

 
And my sewing room looked like a bomb had gone off!!!


Come morning and I managed to get everything in control... And finished the quilt by afternoon!!!

So here's my Lone Star Quilt!!!


I absolutely enjoyed making this one!!!


And the backing is so beautiful!!!! So is the binding, of course!!!
 

And here's how much thread I used to make it!!! I quilted it with Aurifil #4660 (12 wt) with #2425 (50 wt) in the bobbin!!! PERFECT for the color combination! I just loosened the top thread tension so that it sewed beautifully!!! I must mention here that the thread broke ONLY ONCE between (almost) 2 spools worth of quilting! See how little of the thread is on those spools!!!


Now the big question??? What next???

Well, for once I have a plan!!!

It involves this...


some this...


a lot of


and an


with a lot of sweetness and sewing!!!

Any guesses what I'm up to???

And what are you up to???