Urban Folk quilt - gift idea for a man

 A few things to polish and verify for the Urban Folk quilt:

Here is another test. A pillow cover. I showed you just a little of it some time ago.

I gave it already as gift to a very special man. Actually I selected the fabrics having him in my mind.
In a nut shell: upcycled denim, scraps, strings, hand dyed fabric, quilting fabrics.

About the quilting style: I like these waving and straight lines flowing over the simple patchwork. For the time being I don't see an elaborate quilting design for it. Who knows what I will think about this in the future? We will see.
Creating is a never ending story, isn't it?


Have a beautiful day!

I'm linking to Finish it up Friday!

Urban Folk Mood 3 - Denim upcycling

I'm still working on the Urban Folk pattern, taking advantage of every opportunity to make another test.
This time I have introduced as main character a few denim pieces from my small but growing pile of used jeans which I want to upcycle in my future projects.

The stretchy denim I used here required some attention when handled but with a few small exceptions the piecing went quite well.

That's all for now.
Back to work.

Have a beautiful day!
   

Urban Folk Mood Quilt - 2 - playing with the winter colors

I'm polishing the Urban Folk Mood quilt pattern.

In this version, I wanted to give equal chances to be seen to the two patchwork units of the top and bottom bands. The way to do this was using for both units vivid and pastel colors/shades, but in their succession, I wanted to get out of the symmetry of the pieced blocks geometry.
I kept the quilting design (simulating the weaving threads) as in the first version because I want the quilt layout to stay in a manner near to my inspiration source: a traditional handcrafted rug.

This is a little quilt, for a decorative pillow or a wall quilt.
The next version will be a baby quilt and will have a few prints.

Have a beautiful week, my friends!

I'm linking to Finish it up Friday!

Urban Folk Mood quilt - work in progress

Just a short post.
A new little quilt I'm working on. The hourglass block is inspired by a hand-made Romanian traditional rug.

That moment after washing the quilt for the first time!
Bliss!

Have a beautiful day!

I'm linking to Finish it up Friday!

The first sign of autumn

The first days of autumn reminded me of a project started earlier. Of course, it's still in testing.
My work-in-progress-projects-pile keeps growing. But sometimes that's the way the things are going.

It's all I'm showing you for now!

Have a beautiful autumn, my dears!

Time is Running block - WIP3

The third test of my new block "Time is Running" is ready.

You may see the other ones here and here.
With every test I love it more and more.
It offers so many ways for the layout without losing its crisp and bold visual expression.

In this third test I used my favorite fabric colors/print combination.

At least for now I'm very attached to the white-red-black-gingham. But I think I will try to make one more block using other colors.

Have a beautiful week, my dears!

Time is Running block - WIP2

This is the second test of my block. The first one is in my previous post.

This time I wanted to see how it looks changing the colors and using a few fabric scraps.

One thing is obvious: the colored/patterned rectangles broke the narrow sashing and lead the shapes to melting in the background. So, the block boundaries are less visible and the quilt graphic composition looks totally different compared with the black & white version.   
I keep working on this block. I try to see with my mind eyes the right quilting design too.

Back to work!

Have a beautiful weekend!

I'm linking to Finish it up Friday!

Back to sewing. Time is running

Finally, hot weather left us alone!
Almost two months with hot air, day and night. Not a single little cloud or a little drop of rain. In a city full of cars and concrete. Hard to breathe. Hard to think. Hard to live.

Having a better sleep in the fresh air of the last night, I woke up with fresh strengths and optimistic mood.
So, how about testing one of my patchwork designs, I said!

 

I named it Time Is Running and as (almost) always, my inspiration source was Romanian needlework.
It's about the diamond motif.
In Traditional Art the diamond symbolizes fertility, Mother Goddess, Goddess of the Earth.

But in this first test I placed the design so that at the first glance you see only a simple composition of squares and triangles. Because I wanted to keep everything simple: straight cuts, simple geometric shapes, simple stitching. And because my first impulse was to not show my point of view explicitly .

So, being a work in progress, that's all about it for now.

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

I am linking to Linky Tuesday

A touch of rustic - work in progress

Sometimes life takes me away from my working table even together with all my thoughts and ideas.
Now I'm back.
In order to worm up my hands and clear my head I have started a small project somehow related with the last one.
I used a few denim shirt leftovers from the apron I made and because I wanted a rustic look I added gingham and stripes printed fabrics.

I managed to finish these simple, common tops and I have to work a bit transforming them into two useful things for my home.
I'm not telling you what kind of things for now.
You will see them in a few days.
Till then

Have a beautiful day!

I'm flying! ( work in progress)

I finished the top of a baby quilt. A lot of applique. Raw edge applique.
Here is its centerpiece.

Now I'm quilting it. Do you see those little fingers? Imagine you have to follow their edges with quite narrow zig-zag stitches. Funny isn't it?  
I only hope I will not ruin it.

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

Tic - Tac Little Bag

Recently I told you that I'm working on a pattern of a little bag.
Today I show you another result of my tests.

I gave it already to a young lady known by her friends for her problem of being late to meetings. As she has a good sens of humor, I knew that this bag is the perfect present for her birthday.

Back to testing and maybe some writing, now.

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

I am linking to Linky Tuesday
                      Keep It Simple, Make It Fun
 

New Kid in town - work in progress

I am busy. Very busy. Making all kind of textile things for a lot of anniversaries. And the most of them - for men. Tough job, isn't it?

But I managed to sneak someone among them. Someone who will not be a present. At least for now.

Slowly but surely he comes to life.

Have a beautiful day!

Brief encounter

Hey! What are you doing there?

Look what I'm doing!

I'm quilting this.

OK! Be good! I'll be back!

Have a beautiful day, my dears!

Preparing for the White Season - Work in Progress

It's still fall but I started thinking about the winter.
I don't like it at all. That's why I make big efforts to be creative in the winter.
Using some bits of the warm-season-enthusiasm, I'm working on a quilt with only two fabrics. One-solid, one-printed. One-white, one-grey.

The tiny white dots on grey are among my favorite prints ever.
I have included my block pattern in the layout, changing its scale.

As always, it was very hard to chose only one from the many layout versions I made.   

It will be a large quilt, so please, wish me luck!

Have a beautiful and warm weekend, my dears!

Spiral Quilt - at one step away

This morning.
Washed.
Waiting for it to dry.
Hopping that today I will sew it a nice, discreet binding.

And hopping that I will reveal the finished quilt soon.

Have a beautiful day!

Bucket Bag WIP

I'm working on a bucket bag.

 This one is the third attempt, one of my tests. It seams that I need more tests.
It's roomy (16 1/2" W x 14 1/2 H x 10" D), light and stiff.
I remembered Geta wrote an Interfacing Guide for Bags. I had to adapt to what I had in the closet: I used woven fusible interface and a regular polyester batting. I added a non woven fusible interfacing to the lining and I'm quite satisfied with the bag structure.

The oval bottom is quite sturdy.

 I tried to find a discrete place for a zippered exterior pocket. On the next test-bag I will add a second one.

Playing a little with the bag open I placed magnetic snaps on its sides. I found this simple way to get a changeable shape.

I mixed up some working stages, that's why my bag is lucking in accuracy. But it's OK, it's only a test-bag.

Let's back to tests!
Have a beautiful week, my dears!

Moving on

A new gift on my work table. No, not for me. I'm making it for someone born in...February. Well, that's it! I'm late. And above that not sure how this will turn out.
For now sneak a peek:

  +

 

 =

........

Till next post,

Have a beautiful day!  

 

Baby Quilt - WIP

Today I was supposed to finish this quilt, but my sewing machine contradicted me. It felt like visiting Brother sewing machines service. Luckily it was a short visit and it did not have to stay there.

In addition to this, my walking foot is becoming increasingly lazy. That's why my quilt got a specific model. Now the only thing I want is to manage to give this quilt at least a civilized look.
Then I'll see if it can be fixed or I have to buy another walking foot.
I hope you will have
A beautiful day!

Country Home Block - changing the colors

A short update from my quilting table.
Working on the Country Home block pattern I wanted to see how it looks changing one color. A vivid one. I'm keeping the solids, for the moment. I didn't see suitable prints. I don't know, maybe in the future I'll find something...
I choose the simple straight lines quilting. I like it.

 

Today is the Autumn Equinox. The Summer is farther, the Winter is closer.

But in the meantime it's a beautiful Autumn.

And my new cushion has one of its brightest color.

Have a beautiful week, my dears!

 

WIP 3 Country Home

I found a name for my no name block : Country Home.
One of the four blocks made to test the quilting design, turned into a cushion, as I promised.
I washed it and now it looks like this:

 

Have a beautiful weekend!

I am linking to Finish it up Friday