Back in the saddle

Ok, so now that's out of the way I can dive into some clothes sewing for my girls.

I have a length of knit I've been meaning to cut into and make some shirts for them.

I've done the Hopscotch tops before but have had little luck with getting a good fit with them so I think for this turn I'm trying the Field Trip tops.
The raglan sleeves are usually quick to construct and I think they'll be comfy and a great staple for them both.

I also have Isabel's Fairy Tale dress that I want to start up again. I'm going to have her try on the muslin I made in September and see if the notes I took are still valid.

While I make that I also have to come up with a fabric choice for Sofia's Fairy Tale. I have a hard time deciding.

Ideas from the crowd?

Irish Chain - Done

I finished up my Irish Chain quilt this weekend, and I love it. I chose to machine bind the binding because of reasons. Mostly to do with wanting it finished as soon as possible.

I found the pattern/description for it in one of Missouri Star's Youtube videos.



It's made up of nine-patches and solid squares in a repeating pattern to create the chaining effect.

I used a jelly roll of Moda fabric, called California Girl and some Kona Cotton in Bone.

The backing is one of my grandmother's old top sheets that I folded over to the front to preserve the lace trim and embroidery she did on it in the 1940s.



For batting I used two fleece blankets from IKEA (Polarvide). Not the best option but inexpensive and quick and easy to handle.

I brought the quilt with me to work so I had a chance to photograph it in daylight. Hence the boring greyish linoleum floor.

I still haven't washed it but don't expect it to wrinkle up much. The sheet has been washed before and the fleece batting isn't likely to shrink much so any shrinkage will be on the Moda fabric.
I don't mind.

The girls asked me why I made another quilt. "Don't we have enough blankets now, Mummy?"

Silly question!

Besides, they don't mind a multitude of blankets when they want to build their blanket forts. So there!

Weekend away

We all came home smelling of wood smoke today after a weekend away at my in-laws' cabin.

It's a 90 minute drive up there and I do wonder why we don't go more often. I don't think I've been there for almost 2 years.



The cabin has electricity and can be heated with radiators but we ran the wood stove instead. It smoked a lot before the chimney got heated up and once it did the stove burned so hot and quickly we could hardly keep up.

It also got so hot at times we had to open the door.



We left early on Sunday so Rickard could take Sofia to swim class at home and after a quick snack and a shower I ran a million loads of laundry. I also managed to talk Isabel into taking a shower at long last.

Once home and unpacked I ironed a quilt top I finished piecing the night before we left and while Rickard and the girls had a late dinner I basted it to an old sheet my grandmother gave me - I blogged about that a while back. I'll see if I can track down a link tomorrow. Here it is.

It's going to look nice - I hope. I'll start quilting it tomorrow. I'm thinking diagonal lines at 45 degree angles.