Renae Makes Stuff

2010-11-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I fell off the wagon. I know, I know, I did say I was going to be good and post more.... but I kind of got scared about the amount of photos that was building up on my camera and putting them onto the computer. I mean, it would mean I had to sort them out.... Scary stuff really lol!

Well I did go and print a whole heap of photos off the other day and then uploaded them onto the computer. Then I sorted them into quilt related or not. Luckily that didn't take as long as I first thought. So I guess that means that I should take more photos of my stuff!!

So anyway this is some of the stuff I have been working on:

This is 'the girl kindy quilt' great name hey! Ok so I am lacking in that department.. But I decided to make two quilts for the kindy that Mr B goes to for them to raffle off. So this is the first one.

And that is 'the boy kindy quilt'. I will admit I wish I did the girl one in blocks like this because the boy top only took me one day to piece whilst the girl one took a lot longer!! And the same with the quilting. I stitched 1/4 inch inside each seam of the girl one (silly me, it took AGES!!) and stippled the boy one which took only another day. :) Anyway I have given them to the kindy and they are being raffled off this month!! I felt so happy to give them away because I love making them but am not sure what to do with them all when they are finished!!

I also entered three things into the local show. And I got one 1st and two 2nds! So proud!!

These two are the ones that both got 2nds. The one on the left if the basketweave quilt I made for my mother in law and the one on the right is the quilt I made and designed for Brodie. Very Proud!

And this is the canvas I made Mum. This got 1st in the machine applique section. Super PROUD!!

And then I did a class on a tessalations quilt. I love this one. It is for my Mum for her spare bed. It is super bright! First it started like this:

Then it progressed into this:

Now I have to finish putting the borders on and then I will take another photo before I quilt it. It is so bright and fresh. And just screams happy. :)

I have a bit of exciting news.. I am getting a new sewing machine tomorrow!!!! Excitement plus! I am getting the new Janome Horizon. My other machine is a smaller Janome and I am looking forward to quilting on the Horizon with all that extra neck space!!! Can't wait!!!!

:) I will post a pic of it up soon. Until then!

2010-07-24T01:33:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

Well it once again has been a while, but I have been busy, I promise! lol

I don't have any pics at the moment but I will do some next post to show what I have been up to. So far I have started to quilt the basketweave quilt. I have to have it finished by September for my mother in law's birthday, so there is a deadline for that, but I have actually put off quilting it so far. I have only done two straight lines, only something like 50 more to do.....
I also have finished piecing the kalidescope quilt. It looks great. I really like it now. I didn't at first but it grew on me the more I did of it.
I volunteered my services at the kindy my son goes to, I am doing two single bed quilts for them to raffle off. One is a girls quilt and the other a boys. So far I have finished the girls version and I actually finished pinning it today so it is ready to quilt. Thanks to my friend Anne who came into the quilt shop to help me pin, isn't she a doll? lol and I have all the boy version ready to cut out and start. They are in a 'whirlygig' pattern. I am thinking that perhaps tonight I might start quilting the pink one.

Hrmmmm what else have I done? Well I attended another class and started a 'one block wonder' quilt. Fantastic idea and they look great! I can't wait to get more of it together. I am just at the piecing of the blocks part but luckily that is a very quick bit to do, but in saying that I think I still have roughly 100 blocks left to piece!!!

OOoo!!! I have finished stippling my son's quilt. Extremely please with the outcome of that. I stippled all over it in a bright multicoloured thread and it looks great. (Well I think so lol) And Brodie can't wait to have it on his bed. I just have to sew down the rod pocket (I put one on because I want to enter it in a local show) and the get the thread tails to disapear.

And on top of all them our patchwork group started another quilt. This one is a tessalation quilt and I chose all bright colours that remind me of summer. It is really bright and happy!! This one I am making for my Mum to put in her spare room. She liked the look of it when I laid it out to show her. During the first class we only got up to cutting out the fabric pieces so can't wait until next week to start sewing them together!!

Sorry about not having any pictures, but I promise that next time I will show you some of the quilts I mentioned and what they look like now.

Take care and keep on sewing!

I'm Back!!

2010-06-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hello! Long time no see I know, I know...

But I have been sooo busy sewing! I really have! And I have pics to prove it lol!!

I have nearly finished the Basketweave one for my mother in law, I just need to attach one more border on it and then quilt it!

I did a class on a kalidescope quilt which I wasn't too fussed about at first but as it is coming together I am starting to like it.

One of the single blocks

Each block is different made up of 8 identical triangle to make the kaledescope pattern. My original fabric is a lovely butterfly pattern but in the blocks you can see some butterflies, but otherwise they also look like shells.

Here is a pic of the quilt that I designed myself a few years ago and I stumbled along myself trying to figure out making it without instructions. I am happy with it, I just have to quilt it. I made it for my little boy who is now 4, but I started it when he was around 1 so this quilt has taken me the longest to actually make.. But I am getting there!!!

Ok, so now I will admit I am not the best photographer. I look at so many other blogs and their photos are just gorgeous. Another thing to learn I suppose.

Take care everyone and happy sewing!!

2010-04-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

As I type this I have two kids hiding under the kitchen table playing with a toy fishing rod and at times running circles around me. In other words, the usual for our house. I was good, I did think about doing some housework, and I finally got to and cleaned our front window that had sticky hands all over it. (I hadn't done that in about 7 months... I know terrible aren't I?) And I vaccuumed again. That is all I seem to do!

Today I need to get my stuff ready to go visit my Mum. I am going there tomorrow morning so I will try to have everything organised tonight in the car ready to go. I go down each week and see my Mum and get to go to my sewing group on Thursday nights and perhaps a bit more sewing on Friday if all goes well. :o)

I have nearly finished all the blocks for my 'basketweave' quilt and I have sewn two rows together, I just need to get to and finishe the last 3 or so blocks and join them into rows.

When I take photos of this actual pattern it shows up really well, but the actual colours look awful. I assure you that in person this quilt is nice and bright in its 3 different tones of both pink and green with a deep purple in the backgroung. PErhaps when it is finished it will photograph better outside? Who knows?!

I am also going to make a present for my Mum for her birthday in June. It is an appliqued picture of two swans on a lake. Very pretty and I know Mum would like it, and it is actually stuck onto a canvas. I have never actually done this before but I like the idea. It also means I don't have to actually quilt it so at least that will save some time making it!

It was cold the other morning on our way to Kindy so here are my two all rugged up ready for the cooler air.

Today it is nice and sunny so I am off to hang up my washing.

Note to self..

2010-03-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

Ok I am back. I am now going to make myself post. I tend to think that the things I do are rather mundane and not worthwhile talking about, but I am going to do it, so sorry if you find it boring!

Well, I entered two quilts into the local show. It was such a struggle to get them there on time and juggling all sorts of things in order to do it, but I made it! Unfortunately I wasn't happy with the way they were displayed...
I didn't win a prize but I did notice a few people looking at the one on the chair and talking about it. Yay to me lol!! So anyway, this is what my pink log cabin looks like when you can see it...

And this is how it was at the show.....

I did feel bad for the lady whose quilt is on the floor to the left of mine - it was a block of the month with flowers and teddies and houses and stuff like that, but you couldn't see half of it!

And my 'Winding Ways' quilt:

Actually, I don't have a picture of it flat and completed.. I must take one, it is on my bed currently! But I do have one of me and the kids stitching th binding down. They insisted in sitting under it with me and it was hot!

Now I have done two classes, one to make a 'kalidescope' quilt and one to make a basketweave pattern. I will post some pics next time on them. :) They are coming along quite well.

Also a friend of mine who I used to sew with is going over to Thailand to do a camp for Karen children over there and she needed some bags made up. So Diane dropped 40 bags off to me to be made, thankfully she had precut them for me (Thank you so much Diane for that step!!!!) and I made them up for her. They had a panel on the front with an Aussie animal, there was a kangaroo, lizard, koala and a possum. They looked very cute when I had finished them. Brodie kept say that they looked "Gorgush Mum!" Very cute when he was holding them out infront of himself telling me that!

Here is a pic of the finished bags piled up on the floor.. Looking at this picture, there doesn't look like there is 40 there, but let me assure you there is!

I have so many projects that I need to get started it is doing my head in!! But I must finish the ones I have first, I don't want to have a massive pile of UFO's laying around!

:) Take care and I will try to post again sooner than last time!!!!!!

I know...

2010-02-05T06:06:00.000-08:00

I know I should have posted earlier.... Sorry!! I have been busy though! I have almost finished quilting my winding ways quilt (the pink and cream one with the circles forming in it) I am up to quilting the border. I had the suggestion of quilting an echo of some of the arcs in the quilt so now I am going to have a play on paper first.

Master B's quilt, I haven't got a photo of it yet..I am very PROUD of this one! I designed it myself and fumbled through piecing it and I love the way it looks!! I just have to finish putting borders on it and then I can baste it and get cracking on the quilting of it. I have a deadline of the beginning of March with these two quilts as I want to enter them into an agricultural show in a nearby town. I am not aiming to win any prizes, my quilting isn't that good.. but I want to show them to people to prove that you don't have to do 'boring' looking things and to add some colour to their lives, plus I am just so proud of what I have accomplished that I just want to say I did that!!! :)

Today is actually my 5 year wedding anniversary!! I can't believe that 5 years has passed already!! Love you Pookie!! lol
Also last week was Master B's first day of Kindy! He was so excited!! I was sad, my little boy is growing up! He went for 6 hours! That meant 6 hours of quiet in the house, only Miss K there and no one else to fight with her!! It was really nice, yet strangly bizarre. And I had to keep looking at the clock to make sure I get there a bit before 3pm to pick him up! He made a little hat and proudly wore it to show his Granny. :) Very cute!!

I promise next entry will have some pics for you and be posted quicker this time!!

:)

Happy New Year

2010-01-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hi there! I have been missing in action for a little while. I have been busy sewing, sorting out the kids and other normal stuff, but I have been a busy bee sewing.

Before Christmas I started a hen for my Mum as part of her Christmas present. I finished him and loved the result!!

Ok, that photo makes it look a bit wonky, but I assure you he stands up straight!!

Here is Miss K giving it a cuddle. She has been wanting to do this ever since I started making it!

I also found the quilt that I made for Miss K. It is rather hot here at the moment so I had put it away but I found it and thought I would take a photo of it to put on here. I really like it. It makes me smile at the pinkness of it lol!! This quilt is actually my second quilt that I made and I finished it approximately in September 2009. I love it!!

Ignore the mess in the background lol!! It is square, but the photo doesn't really show that.

Here is a photo of the centre.

It is a log cabin block, but I used flannel in the light pink, and ordinary cotton for the rest of it and it turned out nice and cuddly.

I have been working hard on that 'winding ways' quilt and I have almost finished the quilt top!! Yay!! I am so proud of it!! I just have to add a border to two sides of the quilt and then hopefully on Saturday I can pin the quilt together and start quilting it!!! Very happy and proud!!

:) Take care and I will be back soon!!

2009-12-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

It has been so hot here lately! Yesterday it was around 42 degrees Celcius on our patio. I am glad we have air con!!!
Late yesterday the kids and I got sick of staying inside so we went out and got the paddling pool out. The kids really enjoyed filling it up with the hose and then jumping in it. I sat near them with my feet in the water reading (something I wish I had more time to do!!) and I felt cooled right down even though it was still up in the very high 30's!.

Luckily it was getting slightly overcast outside with the kids running around, but it is nice and shady undercover.

Good news! I actually finished the Santa Bag that I was making for my Mum to hand out lollipops in! On time too for once!

I am hoping that today I can get some more sewing done. I had been helping a friend of mine cover some cushions. She thought she couldn't do it, but she did and they look great!!!!

Until next time!

It is December already??

2009-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Christmas is literally right around the corner! It seems to have snuck up on me this year!

I have been busy helping my Mum decorate her house with lights. Her street is all lit up and it all looks beautiful. I managed to get sunburnt whilst helping with the lights. But luckily it seems to be going now.

Last night we went to my husbands' work Christmas Dinner. We had a good time and got back home at 2am which is something we never do and now we are both really really tired.

I am sad to say that I haven't had much time to make anything but I have had ideas of what I want to do going through my head each day and it is frustrating to me that I can't put it into practice. Things just seem to crop up all the time, oh and I have discovered Facebook and been playing a couple of games on there. I had no idea just how addictive it is!

But I do have a couple of pictures of a quilt I am making to share, I am excited to be able to document the progress of it.

This is the block in the two different colourways:

And it is quite amazing that when lots of them are put together it can look like this:

This is actually going to be a quilt for our bed once it is finished. Hopefully next year!

I have been trying to make things to sell and so far I have managed to sell some bags, cushions, table runners and some crayon rolls to a group of ladies that I know. I am excited!! I mean I like what I make, but to have people buy it makes me feel proud that I made something that other people like too! Yay! Plus I am going to an opening of a new craft store and I get to take that money to spend there if I see anything that I really really want then and there! How exciting!!

Unfortunately I am unable to joing Mayya in her Sew It group this fortnight, I have been travelling backwards and forwards and busy busy lately, otherwise I would have done it too.

Craft shop tomorrow - YAY!

Sew It

2009-11-23T23:17:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

Well today I managed to not get too distracted and actually pulled the sewing machine out and made my Sew It item. This time around it was a car rubbish bag/tidy.

It was quick to make which was handy since the kids kept trying to unravel the boning. I started out with 1 metre of it and only had around 30cms left that was usable!

I just used what apholstery fabric I had, which wasn't a great deal of choice, otherwise I would have picked a different pattern - this fabric at some point was going to be big floor cushions.... one day I suppose!!

Here is a picture of my little fairy Miss K. Her hair was tied up in two ponytails before she went for her nap, but she pulled them out and now she has koala ears..

Who would guess that this little lady had me vaccuuming - yes vaccuuming the front loader washing machine??? She got in through the child gate on the laundry and filled the washing machine up with cat litter. Just lovely!!!

It is so hot here today. I put a digital themometre outside and it reached 42 degrees celcius. Luckily we have air con and so it is a much more bearable temp of 23 inside!! At least it doesn't take long for my washing to dry!

Catch you later.

2009-11-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

Mayya from Sew Chic and Unique does a fortnightly sewing bee online and I am joining in. This week it is a fabric rubbish bag for in your car, which lets face it, everyone needs one. (I for one am sick of picking rubbish off the floor. Shame the kids can't reach to use one. I have vegemite sandwiches constantly on the floor of the car.)
Anyway.. I have the stuff ready to go, but I just have to make it. I will fit it in tonight as I had to work this morning, and my mother in law was here and I am getting my hair done this afternoon. Looking forward to that bit of pampering!!

I have also got to finish off an apron that I started two days ago, it is a bib style apron and all I have to do is attach the binding all the the way around the outside. I have never made and used bias binding before, but I had bought a bias binding maker a long time ago (you know, just in case) and I found it very easy to use. I will post a pic when I have finished it. Not sure if I will keep it for myself or try to sell it. We will see. :)

I bought a couple of books a couple of weeks ago, one is Cottage Charms by Art to Heart, and it has some gorgeous Christmas projects in it. There are these little applique bags in there with Santas on them or Angels, or a couple of other characters. Very cute!! I am thinking of enlarging the Santa one, and making them for my Mum and her neighbours on her street for Christmas, as they light up their whole street with Christmas lights and then hand out lollies to the kids in the cars as their parents drive past with them. Fingers crossed that I get to do it in time!!

It is rather hot outside today so we are inside. Master B and hubby who has the day off today are here in the dining room playing the Nintendo Wii. Wii Sports Resort is really good and we have found that Master B is suprisingly good at the table tennis. He thinks he is a big boy now that he can play it himself. The funny thing with it is, he smacked the ball and it hit the 'opponent' in the head and it blinks with little lines to show impact.

How Exciting!!

2009-11-17T00:51:00.000-08:00

Yay!!! I did it at last. I have created a blog. I have spent months lurking around reading other peoples blogs but now I have decided to join in on the fun too.

I like to make things. I sew and quilt and try to do something remotely crafty each day. But I will admit, sometimes that one crafty thing might just be daydreaming of what I would like to make!!

I have two kids, Master B (3.5 years old) and Miss K (20 months old) and they keep me busy. At the moment while tea is cooking, Master B is in the lounge room playing with his train set, and Miss K is perched at the kitchen table next to me pulling tissues out of the box (for the second time today).

I better tidy up the place so my husband can think I have been hard at work cleaning all day. lol (he knows better than that, but I can try!!)

Enjoy your day!

Renae