The challenge is on

Today, the Essential Quilters group are participating in a 24h quilt challenge for ANZAC day. Seeing as it has been over a year since I have made anything bigger than a doll quilt, a whole quilt is a bit ambitious for me. So my challenge is a quilt top.

I am doing a Moda Bake Shop recipe, using stash only (excluding the backing and white background fabric that I bought specifically for the project). I started sewing at 6:30pm last night, and fitting in kids bedtime, some washing and an hour walking Lewis, this is where I am up to.





And here is Madelyn's scrappy collage.



Off to get back to the machine!

Last Minute School Holiday Sewing

Austy had a school holiday assignment to restock his pencil case.  He complained that his pencil case was smaller than everyone else's and he wouldn't be able to fit much new stuff in there, and expressed a desparate need to have a pocket to keep his sharpener and eraser separate.

So yesterday, after a trip out to Officeworks to get some more stationery, I decided that we would make him a new pencil case with a pocket.  This was such a last minute decision that I didn't even have the right thread colour (and hate the messy look of the contrast navy stitching) but he doesn't mind at all. And better still, I recycled the bottoms of Andrew's jeans to make it (having recently cut off an hemmed said holey-knee jeans by request).  Austy is facsinated by the idea that something old can be recycled into something new, so it adds to the charm factor for him.

What I did, was applique his name and attach the pocket and zip and then pinned it together inside out for him to sew.  He had no idea what he was sewing but he followed my directions, and sewed the outside edges.  Then, when he turned it right side out, the beam of excitement when he realised he'd juist "made himself" a new pencil case, was priceless!

 

And an update on my preemie doll - I have decided he's a boy doll now that he has hair and limbs attached, but no idea what I will call him.  I don't want to use the "angel"names like Gabrielle, or Angelo because I think of this as a doll of a live baby.  Sometimes making tiny garments and knowing they are for little angels can be quite sadening, so I have given this little guy some colour in his cheeks and lips to make it a nicer process.  Name suggestions welcome!

Finally, a very rushed photo (since she can't stand still!!) of my last project of the Summer (finished late February), an Olearia shrug for Madelyn, made from white cotton I had in my stash for several years.  I have a bit of a backlog of projects that I will be adding in here whenever I feel like it needs an extra photo or two! 

Mug Rug Swap

While I am at it, it's about time I shared what I sent and received in a recent Mug Rug Swap.  For those who are a little unsure, a mug rug is a mini quilt, like  a placemat, for putting a hot drink and a biscuit on.  I like to use mine on the arm of the leather lounge so as to protect the leather and have the mug nice and close. 

Here's the gorgeousness I recieved from Rachel - so my style, and Austy was delighted it matched the bag he gave me for Mothers Day last year (which is a lighter shade of teal with a similar leafy print).

 And this little whimsical pinwheel mug rug is what I made and sent to Bec.

Little things

 I haven't had much time for crafting, let alone blogging lateley, but when I have had a few spare minutes to myself, I have been working on tiny things to donate to Little Angels Memory Boxes for grieving parents of babies born too soon. I like that I CAN achieve something with the small amounts of time I have, and that at the same time, I can make a difference in someone's life, to help make an unspeakably sad time just a tiny bit easier.

To help me with my pattern design, I have been creating this little preemie doll, sized at 22w gestation. It is filled with plastic beads so it has soime weight, and has a loose floppy neck just like a real preemie. I have used Sandy Eding's Preemie Doll Pattern which has fabulous instructions and photos to make things easier, but for any budding doll makers out there, it is quite a bit more fiddly than I first imagined. I guess I should have started on something a bit bigger for my first cloth baby doll!

I was going to make a smaller baby, as it's the smaller angels that seem to be uncatered for in the preemie market but then I thought better of it looking at the pattern pieces, and realised 22w was going to be fiddly enough. The limbs are just sitting there at the moment, waiting for me to get to the sewing shop and buy some upholstry thread to attache them, and the toes need sculpting.

I am not sure if this is a boy or a girl baby yet, so haven't decided on a name. I would be happy to take on suggestions, and this baby will be my model for designing and showing new micropreemie items for LAMB and Angel Baby Nappies. The set photographed on the baby is destined for Angel Baby Nappies.

I may be entering this baby in the doll net challenge too, if I can get it finished and fully clothed in time. I know I have no chance of winning, but it's worth a try, even if all it does is promote these worthy charities.

The other photos in this post show a sampling of some of the donations I have made and sent to LAMB over the last few months.