Tuesday 19 July 2011

Sew Sew Sew

A couple of months ago I got my faithful Singer sewing machine out of the cupboard where it had been gathering dust for a while, chose some colourful fabrics, found my quilting tools and started designing a baby quilt. The last quilt I made was for Isaac's arrival two years ago.

It's the sort of project that I love. My own design, my own choice of colours, and I can take as long as I want to make it. Here's the final design, photographed on my bedroom floor, while I stood on the bed.

And then I decided to make another one, this time in autumn colors. Again, photographed on my bedroom floor, you can see the toe of my not-so-elegant slipper!

The quilts were finally finished last week. They consist of the pieced top, a layer of soft cotton quilt batting, and the back of the quilt is a layer of one of the fabrics used in the quilt top. And to hold it all together, I machine quilted the three layers together.

The edge binding is sewn by machine on the front and then finished by hand on the back. The whole binding could be sewn by machine but I think the hand stitching is so much neater.

And there was a finishing touch that was made to the edge of each quilt.... well... not quite finished, a little bit more to add, but that will have to wait for a few more days....

Any guesses why I've been so busy? And why did I make TWO quilts? Hmmm....

21 comments:

  1. Oh my Shammie, these are truly works of art.
    If I was one of Nana's little sweethearts I would cherish the quilts forever.
    Beautiful work...I'm full of envy.

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  2. These are truly beautiful, Shammie. Plus I am in awe of anyone who can use those self-healing cutting mats and those rolling disc (scary, really) cutters.

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  3. Those are awesome quilts.

    To answer your question, I'm back in the US. I was in Greece during the riots last month. :)

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  4. oh my!! 1st off...I'm jealous of your quilting skills! A creative outlet I can't seem to master...I'm very intimidated!

    Second off...two quilts with "Nana loves you"...one of them is more feminine than what I imagine Caleb or Isaac would use...so...I'm wondering...are you expecting twin grandbabies??

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  5. I suspect that the number of grandchildren you have is going to double soon! I hope the arrive safely!

    Lovely quilts!

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  6. Oh my, some of my commenters are very perceptive.....

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  7. Love the quilts, they are so beautiful! You are very talented!

    PS: Thank you so much for your kind words of comfort about the Flora's passing. It have been a very painful and sad time... Flora was my constant and sweet friend... Flora was family in such an important way...

    (((Many hugs)))

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  8. those are beautiful. I too also hand sew the back side of the binding.

    Gill

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  9. Are twins on the way? And is Nara going to teach them to jump on the bed? Babies are wonderful. Mrs. Craver and I sometimes wish we had more.

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  10. Ohhh.. twins.. how exciting. You did a great job. The quilts are lovely, Nana! ;)

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  11. These are just gorgeous, my dear...Really Really BEAUTIFUL, and you csn feel the "love" that went into making these quilts....!
    So, does this mean twins are on the way?? If that is the case, I say CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

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  12. Really nice! I bet these will be loved by the kids!

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  13. My Mom had a Singer, and I used to love watching her work with it.

    Quilts are so excellent! I had one, handmade, when I was a child, and I still fondly remember it (and wish I had it.) Good for you, for providing such superb memory material for someone!

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  14. You are right, it is like feeling more deeply with grandchildren and one of them is almost but not quit an adult, she will be 16 in October. with this young woman talking and making things together is changing so quickly. But she was wonderful with younger cousins in the summer cottage, she let herself be still a child, which she really is too.

    My cousin`s daughter will get her first child in august , she is living in Philadelphia. I know, that it is hot enough also there.

    Even we have had 30 degrees Celsius this week. I have been mostly in the lake :)

    I wish, the twins will come soon and see those quilts made with so great love. All the best to parents of twins as well you too, who lives so near caring and loving.

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  15. Oh, I love those...especially the one with the autumn colors.
    Thanks so much for continuting to visit my blog. I'm trying to get back in the habit and posting a little more.

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  16. Oh my gosh, are there going to be twins??? Lovely quilts! Works of art I would say. You make me feel like dusting off my sewing machine. I think last I saw it, it was in a closet. Hmmmm. (not that I could make anything nearly as nice, best I can do is crochet a doll's blanket. LOL!)

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  17. Oh my goodness you must have the patience of a saint to make those quilts. they are amazing!!
    I suspect like everyone else that twins must be in the offing!! Lucky you, I do not expect to ever be a 'Nana' as niether of my girls want children, sad but that is fine with me as long as they are happy, I shall make do with my 'Great Nieces' instead lol!!

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  18. Are you kidding me? Twins are on the way. Double the trouble...I mean, double the love! Quilts to be cherished by all your grandkids forever.

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  19. Wow, they're so beautiful!!

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  20. Beautiful quilt Shammie! You should start selling some quilts! I'll definitely buy one!

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  21. Amazing job, loving quilts myself but never made one yet.. Excellent job for sure...

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