Cardigan Buttons

I have finished the cardigan! I blocked it last night which basically involved stretching it this way and that gently to even out the stitches, then wetting it through with a bit of wool wash detergent then pinning it to a board and shaping it. Now it's time to choose buttons. Which ones?

I quite like these wooden ones, although I am bit worried they will be too small.

I bought these from an antique button stall in Spital Fields market and have been longing to use them. I think they're a little big and chunky for this though.

I only have two of these and they are a little big, but I could go out into the big wide world and forage for another.

These feel a little big as well.

Are these too black? Time to sit back and think the options through.

Tripp Trapp cushion

So the high chair is still too slippery and big for Penelope. In an effort to help, I made a cushion for the seat.

It needs a popper on the front, but I have no idea where they are. I am loathe to buy more so I have used a safety pin for the time being. I am sure that contravene's some health and safety rules.

It kept slipping making the whole situation worse so I had to add some ribbon ties to help secure it. Of course I ran out of ribbon so I had to put some mismatching ribbon. I quite like it though.

But to be honest, it hasn't really helped. Penelope just needs to grow a bit! How frustrating.

Colours

So I was trawling through my Pinterst board thinking about what I would like to do next. Since I have basically done nothing since having a baby I feel a little deflated about quilting. Then I decided that even if I don't actually get round to making one, I can at least think about them! That made me feel a little more positive about it all. I also laid out an old quilt which had been packed away. It was lovely and sunny and springlike in parts of today so it was nice to see it in the sunlight and remember how much I love it. That inspires me too.

I really do want to make a scrap quilt like the brilliant Amelia made, but I need all the offcuts from the two big beast quilts I have on the go and I really need to make sure the fabrics are right. So I think I need a smaller, more simple project to fantasize about in the short term. I know I have the Kitty project but I feel bored by everything and I need to think about something fresh to spice up my mind, even if I don't end up doing it. Does that make sense?

One thing that has caught my eye is this triangle quilt by Elise.
It is not the triangles as much as it is the colour palette. Purples and watermelon colours, ace. Or maybe it is the triangles. I just love it.

I sat around for ages just pushing swatches of plain fabric together seeing if I could recreate the colours. It was good fun.

I have also been lamenting over some of the baby clothes which are getting too small for Penelope. This dress has lovely colours in it. Almost Amish colours in a weird, modern way. I would love to cut it up along with the tshirt and make a little purpley quilt. The dress is too nice to cut up though.

I could add some of my treasured Liberty fabric I bought when I splashed out at Liberty before the baby. I had been thinking I would learn to smock and make some frilly, baby dress. Maybe I still should. The fabric is just so nice.

Left alone with the internet

So after patting myself on the back for not buying very much at Chilford/Duxford, I started to feel a bit sad that I didn't have any new things to coo over. So I started looking on the web. I'm in a hard place because all my current projects have been going on too long and are too big. The sawtooth star quilt is a beast! The postage stamp quilt is a labour of love and quite frankly, I am itching to do something new. I find new things very invigorating. I can almost see a time ahead when I might be able to actually do some sewing... almost.

Anyway I often read Katie's roundup of what's new in the fabric world as I just don't see these modern fabrics at quilt shows. When I saw the Micheal Miller neon range at Pink Castle fabrics, I just had to have some as I have loved neon forever. It's annoying that you can't get this in the UK but such is life on our little island.

I have no idea what it will become. I think it might not look great all together. A bit over neon colour train crash, but as an accent colour perhaps. I already feel that it is too precious to use! I was thinking I could use the neon pink as piping for some plain grey cushions perhaps. I saw this as inspiration. I have a lovely duvet cover by La Cerise sur le Gateau which has florescent piping. It is SO cool.

In the meantime I might just stare at it and feel guilty about buying it.

Duxford

So I finally managed to make my first quilt show since the arrival of Pen. Here she is, 6 months old, on the Worn and Washed quilt I made with grandad's old pillowcase. The quilt is her rolling around quilt and could do with a clean. It gets softer and better with cleaning so it's perfect.

Well Duxford is no Chilford. We've gone from historic barn, giant scones and oil paintings to mighty aircraft hangers, fighter planes and clattering cutlery. Oh well, nothing lasts forever, but the food is not a patch on Chilford, not a patch. And, you know, if I had to criticise, then I would say they need more seating and wider gaps between tables in the cafe. There are so many people who come who are in mobility vehicles or who have sticks, I just thought it would have made perfect sense to spread out a bit and allow them to sit down in the quilt display and to fit comfortably in the cafe.

Anyway, on a more positive note, there were lots of lovely things to look at. I didn't buy much though as I am sans funds these days, plus I haven't been doing as much.

I bought some pretty flowery stuff from Maggie Wise at Sunflower Fabrics because it's tradition to buy something. I am so into my Liberty lawns at the moment that I thought these flowers would fit in nicely. I also bought some more linen as it's so nice. Maggie also reminded me that mum gave me a Liberty kit from her for Christmas which I need to get going on. It's great to go and touch the finished quilts again to remind myself how lovely they are. It really is one of my favourite things to do every quilt show. You'd think I'd tire of it but I don't!

Other than that I bought some cheap stripy fabric from fabrics Galore thinking I could use it to bind my star quilt perhaps. Originally I was going to use strips of fabric used in the stars but I have used most of it up making the stars themselves so I doubt I will have enough. I thought the bright pink might offset the paleness of the quilt nicely. Or I might just bind it in plain white. We'll see.

Mum had also bought me a present I discovered when we got home! These lovely Liberty shapes from Kim's Worn and Washed stall. What a great idea. I might try making a mini Jacob's coat out of them. I am not sure whether to do it the old pieced way or the applique way. I think applique would be best. I need to count them up and see how many it will make.

I had been admiring another Liberty kit on her stall. Isn't it pretty! I could do that with scraps from my postage stamp quilt. Maybe I will sift out the dodgy blocks I have done which don't line up and make them into a small mini quilt like that. Oh so many ideas! It is also very inspiring to go to a quilt show!

Tripp Trap Infant Cushion

Amazingly, my friend Sam leant me her Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair, but there has been a bit of sliding about in it and a few tears so I looked up buying the baby padded cushion bit only to realise that I have the old style Tripp Trapp chair. I couldn't bear scouring the web for ages in the hope of finding one so I just made one instead. I did it pretty shoddily I must admit but it works perfectly and it is all made from scraps I had lying around.

I had bought some Lecien decco weight Happy Chihuahuas with Sweet Treats fabric ages a go from Fabricworm. It was a real impulse buy and when it came I just thought 'when am I ever going to use that!' and put it away as an ill-considered buy. So I was really pleased to dig it out and find it perfect for this project.

It's pretty simple really. I just used some left over wadding and a bit of cheap stuffing to pad out the middle then made it fold round the back. I spent some time searching for some velcro but in the end I used this big orange button and ribbon, both of which are other things I never thought I would end up using ever!

It all worked out perfectly! I think if I had had elasticated stuff to make the button loop then it might have been better but the wadding gives it some extra give which makes it ties up pretty snuggly.



If you're interested in making one then it's pretty simple. It took about an hour to make. You need to cut front, back and wadding to size B. Then cut front in A dims. The dashed line is a fold. This makes the flap to go over the top.
You just lay all the layers together in the right order and then sew 1/4" all the way round leaving a gap at the bottom so you can turn it inside out. The dotted line at the top of B is where you sew to create the round top bit. Once inside out I just padded out the front bit with some extra stuffing. I did it down to about 16". I kept trying it on the chair to see where I wanted it to end. I made it quite loose as she doesn't need that much. Then I sewed the seam up and added the loop and button. Next I plan to make a cushion for the seat. Small steps though.

Rolling a Scarf Edge

When I was at school my mum taught me how to hand roll a silk scarf and I did a textiles projects which involved rolling loads of scarves. I have really forgotten how to do it but I decided to give it a go as I have bought some cheap neon chiffon from the local craft shop because Penelope is mad about scarves being drapped over her face. She finds it just SO EXCITING. So here I am, £2.50 later, trying to roll the edges of my chiffon. It's not going too badly.

I'm pretty sure I am doing it right. Basically I travel the stitch through my rolled bit so you only see small stitches on the scarf.

This is what the other side looks like. It's a good thing I just happen to have matching neon thread. Madeira Polyneaon to be exact.