Mine & Yours pillowcases - a finished project

My mum and dad have just had their birthdays & I just had to sew them something. 

Yours - Mine Pillowcases

Now, I've been down the quilt path before. I sent mum an EPP hexagon quilt as a gift from Australia to England. Due to the value I put on the customs form (for insurance purposes I didn't simply put the value of the fabrics as it had hours and hours of hand work in it) this meant that they had to pay additional taxes at the other end.  So, a lesson learned, don't send them quilts!

Mine Pillowcase

I did want to make them something, so I opted for pillowcases. My dad, like most, enjoys his 'dad's jokes' so this mine and yours pair seemed perfect, I can see the conversation now!

Dad's Joke!!

I tried using the porthole method for the lettering but ended up in a big mess so I opted for this simple reverse applique instead.

Yours Pillowcase close up

Each pillowcase has been densely quilted using over 800m of thread and taking many hours to complete.  

Quilting close up on Yours Pillowcase

I have used a number of free motion quilting motifs in them and each has a heart quilted into it ♡, can you see them?

Quilting close up on Mine Pillowcase

As usual I backed the quilted front with muslin and constructed the pillowcases with French seams - nothing left exposed.

Close up of seams INSIDE the pillowcase

And each is finished with one of my new labels.

Label on Pillowcase

I love these. They look so simple, and yet the texture up close is amazing and I'm sure that they will soften with each wash.

Mine & Yours pillowcases

These are now at home with my mum and dad - Happy Birthday to you both ♡

Thank you for popping by,
Vicki

A'line Wrap Skirt - A finished project

Last weekend I made a skirt, the pattern had been a gift from a friend, wow, it was 3 weeks ago when I shared this picture on facebook when I purchased the fabric!

The Surface Art Pattern & fabric

This is a beautiful quilting cotton.

I confidently cut all of the pieces after all a 12 is a 12 isn't it ... nooooo! Once I had sewn the waistband I realised that this was going to be a little on the small side, so I unpicked it and re-sewed it with smaller seam allowances, completing the whole skirt with smaller seams.

The finished skirt

After reducing the seam allowances it is a much better fit, though still a little on the small side - luckily it's a wrap skirt so the sizing can be forgiving.  

Detail shot of skirt

I will definitely wear this skirt BUT next time I make it I'll be making a larger size!

Whilst sewing this skirt together I noticed my quilt labels sat next to me and decided to add one in - a professional looking finish!

Contrast waist band and label

I looove this contrasting fabric, it is one from my stash and I think it looks great with this skirt fabric.

Can't wait to wear this - big thank you Julieann for the gift.

Thank you for popping by
Vicki

Pixel Heart Quilt - A Finished Project

Pixel Heart Quilt

We had a public holiday here in Australia recently and I spent 4.5 hours hand sewing the binding on this little quilt. Yes, it has taken me that long to blog about it! 

Completed Pixel Heart Quilt

I have went with a mixture of free motion and straight line quilting, I like the combination.

I have free motion quilted hearts in each of the red pixels and kept the background simple with a grid quilted through each of the low volume pixels.  I am really happy with the effect.

I kept the backing simpler still with red and white, including the circus word print strip.

I bound it with the cute red bee print that has been included in the heart, and as usual it was finished by hand.

Did you notice the label?  I have purchased some personalised labels for my projects and I fully intend to label all of my projects from now on

I am pretty pleased with this little quilt. Each square finishes at 2inches. I can picture a more detailed heart with smaller finished squares - maybe that is a quilt in my future!

Thank you for popping by,

Vicki

January Flower Swap

Welcome!

It seems that I don't have enough sewing projects on the go already!  I have joined the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap, a place for English Paper Piecers (EPP) to make and share Hexagon flowers.

EPP Hexagon Flower

A flower is made up of 7 hexagons, 1 in the centre with 6 petals surrounding it. Often they can have an additional round with a further 12 hexagons or be made into diamonds.

Hexagon flowers can be used to make a range of beautiful quilts, the most traditional being the Grandmothers Flower Garden.

Grandmothers Flower Garden - FlossyBlossy

I received the above flowers from Alana in Victoria, Australia, I had asked for flowers with petals that 'read' pink or purple with a neutral centre. Aren't they just great!

January 2015 Flowers received from Alana

I have decided that each month I will also make a few flowers otherwise it will take YEARS for me to have enough to make a quilt! The flowers above are the ones I made for myself.

These are the first 4 flowers for my quilt, I plan on making a quilt for our queen bed, apparently that requires 3815 hexagons plus 66 half hexagons - 28 down and 3787 hexagons to go!!

Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt Progress January 2015

Don't they look great together?

January hexagons for Janet in bright colours

My swap partner, Janet from Caribou Crossing Chronicles,  asked for set's of 12 hexagons to circle around her flowers in bright colours, I hope that these are bright enough!

I am going to just make the few flowers per month at the moment and am still concentrating on the Farmer's Wife Hand piecing project.

Linked up to Life Under Quilts Monday Star Quilt

Thank you for popping by
Vicki