Dragonflies and Daisies Sewing Box

The big reveal, here is my latest project and what I was waffling on about in previous post get the tutorial here.

Ideas are Flowing

I do a lot of thinking on my drive to work in the morning.  Mostly I design on my way to work, the idea for this months Creative Team came to me on the way to work, when I got home I made a paper pattern to see if I could get it to work and amazingly it did.  Then a made a miniature version because I didn't want to waste too much fabric if it was all pie in the sky stuff, and then I jumped in and used the real fabric which was probably a bit of a gamble but I am a bull at a gate when I want to try something out.   This morning I have thought of more ideas for this little design which I am really proud of.  Done in different fabric and using different techniques it will offer lots of blank canvases for me to create on so I don't think that is the end for this particular design just the first basic pattern and watch this space for more versions of this little gem.    Sorry no more peeks as it won't be long and you can get your hot little hands on it.

And the Winner Is...........

Squid the Seabreeze Quilts random number generator has made the decision by drawing a comment out of a bowl.  And the threads go tooooooo.......

 Sharon (Stitches on Mars) said...

Hi Amanda,

Your threads look great :)
Hugs, Sharon

20 May 2010 3:15 PM

Thanks Sharon you are the lucky winner, email me your snail mail address and i'll pop your lovelies in the post.

Black and White

I took this photo a few weeks ago.  My son was at the footy with his nan and we decided to go down to the beach.  I decided back then that this pic would be nice in B&W and had a bit of a play with it and then forgot about it.  As snappy friends is having a B&W challenge this week or was it last week I thought it might be worthwhile dragging it out again.  The two of them are having a lovely conversation that only seems to happen when maestro is away as squid finds it hard to get a word in when he is around.

I have achieved a lot today though DH won't think so ... the house looks pretty much the same as when he left this morning.  I have finished the instructions for my May Project and sent them off to Sarah.   I hope you will all like it, I must say I am very pleased with it and can't wait to share it with you.  
I have pin basted my quilt at sewing today, and made a quick detour to Spotlight to get the machine quilting needles I like to use so I might disappear tonight if I get a chance. I quickly mopped the floors (so it looked like I have been home today) after picking up the kids I will do the ironing (more evidence of me being home lol) and I did a bit of online shopping at Nicole's and another shop which I won't leave any evidence about.

Sneak Peek

I have to give you a sneak peek and my May creation for the creative team I can't wait for it to be released I really have enjoyed doing this project and it has come together so well.  One thing that has inspired me is the lovely fabric by Patty Young and it features my two favourite colours, hot pink and lime so of course I am totally in love with the finished product.  I hope you will love it as much as I do.  Now I have to get on with the instructions and organise my photo's.

Give Away

Here are the actual threads.  There are 7 skeins in total.  Each are pearl thread, the finer one is No 30 (blue, orange, green), and the heavier weight is a 10 or a 20 not sure (blue, green, orange and pink).  Each skein is approximately 20m long so there is plenty of thread on offer here.  So you know the deal leave a comment here or in the previous post and it will be counted.  You have until next Wednesday to be in the draw.

Birthday Giveaway

Hi everyone as I said a couple of posts ago it was the blog's 3rd birthday and in honour I am doing a giveaway.  The giveaway will be some of the lovely threads that I have been doing over the weekend.  I have added a blue combo as well, and the pink is now variegated with yummy purple.  The giveaway will be at least one of each of my colours.  I will post a picture of the actual giveaway strands tomorrow as they are all having one more dip in the dye bath so that they are perfect.  There are 2 different weights of perle thread and each skein is approximately 20m long.

So leave a comment by 26 May and we will randomly select the lucky winner .

Any South Aussie girls interested in doing a workshop on dyeing your own threads drop me an email and I will investigate the possibility of running a class.

Dyeing to Try

Here are our efforts from yesterday.  We all came away with 50cm of wax resist fabric and lot of our own variegated thread.  I will be spending the next few days when I have a minute getting the was out again.  Hopefully this will be as successful and putting it on the fabric.  

Shadows

I actually had a photo that I took last week that fitted into this category for Snappy Friends.  

and here is something old for last week my Grand Grandfather's Chair.

What is that?

Doesn't look very good does it? But serve it with these and a big dollop of cream.

Divine.

My almost famous Lemon Butter is being served tomorrow as I host a 

Biggest Morning Tea.  Remember its not too late for all Aussie girls to host one too you have until the end of May

Dye Prep

I am doing a little dye workshop with a couple of friends on the weekend.  Here are my bundles of predyed fabric and prepared skeins of various types of thread to try to varigate.  I was hoping to have a cone of white DMC stranded cotton but it hasn't arrived yet so we will have to try that another day.  But I think we have enough to play with.  I have worked out the correct temperature for the wax to melt and be hot enough to form a seal on the fabric so hopefully some time in the next week or so I will have the results to show you.

Just read about another technique that would have been fantastic to try but will need to get some plexi templates to do that, but it looks pretty cool and there is no messing with hot wax which will be a bonus.  Maybe next time.

Lovely Day

I had a lovely day today.  I had to go to town to the dentist and decided that I would try again the park n ride on the tram and it was just such a lovely start to the day.  I was in the centre of town in no time, had half an hour to kill before my appointment so I headed to Spotlight because I needed some more thread boxes for my new cosmo threads.  I also found that they had sulky variegate thread for machine embroidery (you can use it for hand embroidery as well) but I thought it would be good for quilting the quilt I have been working on the last few months.

I am doing a little mini dyeing workshop on Sunday and we/I wanted to try and do some varigeted thread.  I have some stranded cotton on order but it doesn't look like it is going to get here but I found these spools of fine perle thread at spotty and there is a ball of bamboo thread that looks like it will separate into separate threads so worth a go.

The ribbons in the front of the picture are my purchase from ribbons galore every time they email me with a sale I have to have some more.  They are to precious to use yet though have to mature a bit longer lol.  If squid is very nice to me I might let her borrow some.... might.

I Can't Believe It

The blog turns 3 today.

Wow so much has changed in those 3 years and then so much is the same.  When I started I wasn't working.  Our tiny sewing group (4 of us) were planning our first road trip, which we will just say was eventful.  Sadly our sewing group shrunk for a bit after that lol.  We have now expanded with a couple of new members and while this year we haven't managed any actual sewing we have had some good dinners and coffee outings to make up for it.   Our first Official Sparkles get together is tomorrow... can't wait.

Who would have thought that 3 years ago I would start designing my own stuff.  Well baby steps at the moment but I will get there.  It is amazing that once I started I keep coming up with ideas.  Just need the time to do them all.

Well I would like to announce a give away and I was going to be all organised but guess what I'm not so the give away will be soon. I promise by the end of the month a proper give away will be announced, just as soon as I work out what it will be and get it done.

Something I've been meaning to do

I have been asked to do a pattern for the water bottle holder which I made for Leanne and a couple of the girls at Christmas for some time.  First step is to make myself one.  So here is mine.  I'll hopefully get the pattern written up in the next few days.  It is super easy and super quick to make will fit those lovely metal water bottles to stop the condensation going through your stuff and keep's your water cooler for that little bit longer. Will double up as a wine holder if you want, but as I don't drink wine that use is lost on me.  

I think I will put in a another option for a smaller bottle.

Pink or Purple

Tuesday I was sure it was the purple then I took a photo and looked at it on the camera screen and I wasn't sure.  Looking at the computer I am back to the purple (pink is right hand border in bottom photo).  I am never indecisive when I quilt this is driving me nuts should never have bought both colour ways.

Life is Beautiful

I didn't want to do this quilt until I saw Sarah's Pink and Lime version.  Then at Inspired Stitches I saw the Blush version which I fell in love with.  I also fell in love with the piece of fabric in the bottom right corner of the picture and had to have some.  Natalie Ross used it in her Offering for the Bagalicious Club.  So I did some surfing and found a couple of pieces on etsy and they were on sale (bargain).  With that in mind I found the cherries and a couple of other bits and pieces from my stash and my version is going to be light blue pink and white.  I am sure I have a few more bits a pieces in the stash to go with these lovely morsels.  Now I just have to find a minute or two too start.


I have some stranded cotton on order ready to dye so I might just have to dye my own threads for this project just to make it extra special.

Threads

Here are my results from yesterday.  The sheen on the base thread has given them an almost metallic look and they are quite spectacular in the flesh.  I have even managed to get almost a bronze colour in one of them.   That is what I love about dyeing it is the unexpected results that you get.  Even if you hate something you can always over dye it.  It won't stay yuck for long. 

I am sitting in my sewing room which once again looks like a train wreck.  I need to de clutter and get rid of stuff that I am never going to use.  To that end if anyone wants some wool for dolls hair can you drop me an email.  All I ask is that you pay postage.  Mostly it would be suitable for prim dolls.  I have some wool rovings in dk browns and some commercial wool (really thick stuff in blacks and various browns).  If you are interested I can send you photo's.

Experiments

I have mixed success with dyeing over the last couple of days.  Thursday I bit the bullet and got the rest of my supplies and decided to have a go to see if I could melt the wax and then get out again of the fabric.  Yesterday I had a bit more of a play this time using the Tjanting tool and paint brush both which worked fine and I know what I have to do to keep them warm (basically stand them in the wax until I am ready to work with them).  However the resist didn't turn out too well and neither did my dyeing.  The dye doesn't  look too fabulous as I have had the dye mixed for probably 6 months and you are suppose to use it up within 24 hours for good results oops.  After doing major searches of the internet I have found the other thing I did wrong.  The wax must be transparent when you put it on the fabric, and for this to happen it must be super hot and as usual I couldn't wait and the bees was was still half solid when I started.  Also need to up the bees wax content of the wax mix to stop cracking though I think cracking might be a good effect.  Will try again next week.

My other experiment was trying to make variegate threads and I am pretty happy with the result however, when you are happy don't go playing with the tray ... sure way to get colour transfer.  This is silk thread that I have in a big birds nest that I spent two hours making these skeins last night. The thread is an absolute nightmare to work with it knots so easily, but might be ok for big stitch quilting.

Next thing if anyone know's where I can get purl and stranded thread on a cone that doesn't have to come from the US please let me know.