Category: crochet

Stash building

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 10/01/2012

I got some delicious fabric in the mail today that I thought I’d share. Like most quilters, new and beautiful fabrics are very hard to resist for me. Pink Chalk was (and still is?) having a big sale and I picked up a couple pieces.

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Hmm, so the one at the bottom, it is navy blue with green twiddles on it, that is by Amy Butler from her latest line, Lark. Ditto the red wavy fabric, top right. The two pink pieces are Heather Bailey, Nicey Jane. The green and the aqua swirly fabrics are by Khristian Howard. The light purple with chairs and chandeliers is a Lecien print.

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I’m pretty happy with how nicely these two go together. Funny, I only ordered the purple because it was so cheap-$2.74/yd-and it turns out I like it best.

Now I have to find a purpose for them. I’m not yet 100% on board with the Farmer’s Wife quilt along, and I have already made quilts for everyone I love most (barring those who can make their own quilts, Libs). Suggestions?

Traveller

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 07/12/2011

Long time no blog, sorry. My writing juices runneth low of late. I blame George R.R. Martin and his incredible books. Never in my life have I ever-I mean it, ever-read any fantasy books or period books. These are both and I’m somehow completely absorbed. I’m only 121 pages into the second book, A Clash of Kings, and loving it. And yes, I saw the HBO series, hello, Sean Bean!

And we have done some traveling. I don’t have a camera so I can’t post anything. I have tan lines, that’s about it. Well, that and I love Mexico, I plan on living there some day.

In crafting news, I finally figured out what to do with all those vintage sheet squares I cut with no plan: a traveller! Yes, I realize I didn’t put it together using traditional techniques, but I do think I’m close enough. It looks very perky and girly me. I won’t talk about how strip piecing nearly drove me bananas, my stitch ripper got a workout.

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Shannon’s camera did something weird with the focus and colour and I have no real way to correct that, sorry. The centre square is pink, as are the murkier looking solid squares interspersed with white squares. The back will be pieced, naturally, which is what I’m in the middle of figuring out.

In personal news, way too personal news, I got a pad stuck in my hair last night. A sign, perhaps, that it is time for a hair cut.

Scrapping

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 18/11/2011

I’ve started yet another quilting project: the Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt. It’s a pretty amazing book full of stories and 111 different 6 inch quilt blocks. Yes, 111. I’m not as ambitious as you may think and at the moment my goal is to make 80 of them which I plan to put together in a similar fashion to this beautiful quilt. Karyn, of The Workroom fame, proposed that we all do a quilt along starting in January but seeing as I am such a keener I’ve already finished 10 blocks, 8 you can see below.

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One I might re do. My issue with this book is that there are separate PDF files for each little square and I have very little interest in printing them one by one. None of them have measurements on them either so for now I am winging everything. Winging like mad and avoiding HST math. Then I have to figure out what colour sashing and who will be recipient. Oh, decisions, decisions. This and I have to finish 3 quilts for Ashley. And my vintage sheet quilt. And the tshirt quilt for Shannon. That can’t be it, surely?

In other news: still no heat here. Seeing as it was snowing in Toronto last night, it is pretty freaking cold inside. My feet were like ice and I had to give up sewing for the day. Boo.

I’m craving roti. Or a giant burrito. Hot, spicy, goopy comfort food.

Crosses

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 18/10/2011

Back from our romantic getaway for two, I’ve got the itch to get to work on projects that have been set aside. I find flickr to be a great source for inspiration and that is where I found this tutorial on a simple quilt pattern. My squares are bigger than the instructions but it seems to have come out evenly.

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I don’t know if it really is the right arrangement for this project. Eh, I will leave it on the floor for a couple days and think over…it seems a bit busy.

Ok, ok, so I lied

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 28/09/2011

I spent last weekend in Kinkardink visiting with my dear friends Ashley and Scott (and their hilarious and sweet children) and remembered that the John Lennon piece wasn’t the only cross stitch I’d ever made. Nope, there is this one too.

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Silly.

I’m planning on blogging more, I’ve got a great post about my latest obsessions brewing. Honest.

I made this

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 05/09/2011

When I went to Montreal with my sister a couple summers ago, we went to see an art installation by Yoko Ono about her life with John Lennon. It was incredible and had me near tears several times; what an amazing person she is. John, of course, was so great on all levels.

I’d picked up cross stitching (and put it down again, probably permanently) and after a couple small pieces, made this. The word are from his song “God” and the image of John is an iotacon.

How different the world would be had he lived. I believe that with every fibre of my being.

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Back lit

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 30/08/2011

I finally put together the top for my yellow log cabin quilt. Yes, I’m loving it. I’ll need to order fabric for the back and then I’ll need to decide if I will quilt it myself or not. It is pretty big, 2m square, so I’ll most likely go with long arm.

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I like how it looks like stained glass.

I’m also back into knitting after taking a long break. Summer never feels that yarn-y to me but when an acquaintance moved to Costa Rica to have a baby and gave me all her yarn and needles, I was inspired.

Life is certainly changing for us around here. Much quieter without Ari who is living out her dream of being full time with her mom. Lucky little lady has goats, ducks and a swimming pool full of frogs, what more could a kid ask for? ATVs? Got them too. It’s weird not having her and I have done some fun cleaning to fill my time. And we get to eat salad for supper so that is different too. The tv is on more but cable has been cancelled so that won’t last.

Next up…

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 30/07/2011

I know, starting a new project when so many others are on hold is generally a bad idea, but I scored some amazing vintage pillow cases the other day and I’m just too excited. There are 8 different prints cut into 5.5″ squares to be sewn into a diagonal pattern in a 16 x 16 grid. Luckily I didn’t use all the pillow cases so there will be a few left over to put on the pillows. I’ll back it with one of my full size vintage sheets and I’m thinking I might tie quilt it rather than machine. We will see.

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I’m so glad to finally have a purpose for all this amazing fabric!

Quilteration

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 26/07/2011

I have actually had it back in my hot little hands for a while now but haven’t had the inclination to drag it outside in the blazing heat to take pictures. Today was a beautiful day, ideal weather if you ask me, and here we are.

As you can imagine, I am thrilled beyond belief with this quilt. It’s so awesome, every square of fabric, every strip, the back, the binding and the actual quilting? It’s SO good. Really, I was worried, I’ve seen long-armed quilts that I wasn’t ga ga over before but this is absolutely perfect.

The quilting pattern I picked was called clouds, I think, and works really well with the overall design. It’s open and flows nicely. It’s more obvious on the back:

Cool, huh? I might be forced to send my yellow quilt to Jennifer too.

I’m cranking up the AC tonight so I have an excuse to sleep under it. Thanks a million times over to Jen who did the quilting, she’s wonderful!

Yellow, yellow, hello

Posted by Caitlin Jane – 24/06/2011

All 25 blocks are done. Thankfully, I got all my ordered fabric before the ever delightful Canada Post went on strike. Here they are laid out on a queen size bed:

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Picture quality not so great, I’m aware. I do what I can with the tools I have.

Super happy with the way this is shaping up, especially about the size. This won’t look weird on a king bed, I think. And because my green quilt has come out of the long arm quilters so beautifully, I will do the same for this baby. Hopefully I can find one in this city, much easier that way.