Things I wish I'd known before my first hens

[Valkyrie 370]

I have been making . . . my quilt room back together again. Because I would like my fabric on the open shelves and to put the bigger boxes and wadding in the cupboards below instead, hubby has put a curtain rail on the top of the shelves so the idea is to make a blind made of blackout lining to protect the fabric from the sunlight, I'm wondering if it will double as a design wall too. If not I'll just add to the blind. Oooh I'm soooo excited.

And just to make sure that the wax or staining on the shelves don't seep into my fabric, I'm going to make a pad that will sit on the shelves and if there is to be any seepage then it will have to go through 3 layers first and I don't think it will do that, but just in case. The old curtains downstairs (yep Hurricane Val has been whooshing through the house and now have new curtains throughout and new curtain poles too) were made by me and so I'll be utilising the interlining and the lining from those. The main pretty fabric is actually normal cotton that I liked so now the bit that hasn't been bleached by the sun will be going back into my stash! I have lots of ideas that my brain is hurting!

[Plum 97]

Right come and organise my room now

 

Great idea to use the curtains as a design wall. Your room sounds lovely now it's a studio!

 

Have you left room for the longarm

[Valkyrie 370]

Don't tell hubby but I have plans for an outbuilding on the smallholding which we haven't got yet - well, I have the idea of it anyway! I did have a sideways glance at the longarms at the show! I need to practice on my super duper one first. And then I think I'd have the confidence. I do think there's room for both types though. Longarms for that quick finish for a present when time is racing by too fast and smaller machines for a bit more care - although you can't beat the hand quilting on a cold day curled up with the quilt over your lap in a comfy chair.

[Cat tails 561]

I decided that my vest will have an inside, which no one will see...

 

Stupid yarn ends...

[Plum 97]

You made me laugh. I work my ends in as I crochet, I expect you get a better finish doing it properly.

 

Love you plans Val

[Cat tails 561]

You made me laugh. I work my ends in as I crochet, I expect you get a better finish doing it properly.

 

Me normally too, but with Granny Squares you end up with a gazillion yarn ends. With more hole than actual crochet work, it's hard to work them in somewhere...

 

 

It almost looks more like spagetti!

[Valkyrie 370]

Ooh that's pretty. Spaghetti squares!

 

My super duper sewing machine has seen the light of day today. Also the cutting table has seen a bit of action too. I deconstructed my old curtains and now the fabric has been washed, ironed and ready to use. Interlining also done and the normal lining.

 

But did I make shelf covers? Nope, I am making a new peg bag. I'm not brilliant at it as I'm winging it somewhat. But the old hanger is now well padded so it doesn't rub holes in it. Old peg bag was too deep so this is more shallow. I'm just attempting the pockets now. It has galloping horses all over it and another one of my oldest fabrics is almost used up.

[Plum 97]

Oh no you'll have to go and buy some more fabric!

 

Cats tails if you were quilting we'd turn it over and say it's a design element adding texture

[Valkyrie 370]

Yes! Also known as embellishments!

 

Plum it's a thicker, brushed cotton so I don't really want it for quilting - but it's made a shoe bag as a gift many moons ago, peg pag version 1 and now peg bag version 2 and I still have just over half a yard left. Ooodles to go!!!!

[Cat tails 561]

Oh no you'll have to go and buy some more fabric!

 

Cats tails if you were quilting we'd turn it over and say it's a design element adding texture

 

 

 

My friends and colleagues allready think I'm bonkers... A spagetti crochet vest won't really help I think!

But I'm getting there. Only 9 more squares to do.

 

I think we need pictures of that quilting room Valkyrie!

[Cat tails 561]

It's getting some shape. It's more than some stack of squares.

 

[Valkyrie 370]

Still a billion and one bags to sort and tidy yet, but I've made one shelf pad today and put some fabrics on it for the time being. These are mainly co-ordinating groups and some background whites, creams and blacks. Can't have enough of those, of course!

 

Your crochet is coming on really nicely now. I like the colours and the variation in the squares.

[Valkyrie 370]

How's the crochet coming on now?

 

Here I've finished throwing the shelf pads together. They aren't neat because it was just supposed to be functional. I have fabric on the shelves. I have an old big mixing bowl that belonged to my grandmother - and somehow got a crack in it in my kitchen, so rather than throw it away it has pride of place on a shelf containing all the s"Ooops, word censored!"s I've come across.

 

When I broke my ankle I started going through some s"Ooops, word censored!"s to make strips, squares or triangles and they are in a basket in the cupboard below - will go through them and put them in some sort of order when the show off bits are finished. I am going to iron and refold the lot because I've now got a wider ruler to wind them round and the final fold won't put so much pressure on the fabric - probably stretched it a bit. Still a bit of a mess on the shelves where I've just dumped things any hold how though.

 

At the moment I'm making the curtains for our bathroom. One side nearly done. I'm taking my time with it and playing on my cutting table. I'm really enjoying myself now. So when I've finished those I'll be finishing the boy's quilt and redoing the fabrics for a bit of stand up and move around time away from the chair!!

[Plum 97]

'Cutting table' you're so posh now you've got a studio.

Amazed you can get all your s"Ooops, word censored!"s in a mixing bowl.

[Cat tails 561]

How's the crochet coming on now?

 

Slow, but steady. First week back to work after 6 weeks off, so not much time or energy. My mom did unearth her ancient wool winder which will be great as this acryllic wool tends to knot.

[Valkyrie 370]

'Cutting table' you're so posh now you've got a studio.

Amazed you can get all your s"Ooops, word censored!"s in a mixing bowl.

 

I haven't unearthed them all yet - it's squeezed in and overflowing a bit!

 

Sometimes you need a break from things Cat tails. The wool winder sounds an interesting tool!

[Valkyrie 370]

Curtains are up and they match at the bottom! I'm never doing any more. What a pain! Still hubby said they looked great so good job he can't see the mess underneath! I happily sewed the second one much faster and then looked at the heading tape as I was ironing the finished curtain. Back to front! So I unpicked 4 or 5 inches only to find it was right in the first place!!! So a quick zip along with the machine and breeeeeeeeathe!!!!

 

Now back to what I reeeeeeeeeally want to do!

[Valkyrie 370]

This is funny too:

 

http://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/a-speech-on-quilting.html

[Plum 97]

Bit of a read, I'll save that for later looks good.

[Cat tails 561]

It's the birthday of a colleague of mine, and I decided to crochet a little gift.

Tadaa! Hope she likes it!

 

[Blackrocksrock 25]

OH thats very very cute I would love that one

[Cat tails 561]

OH thats very very cute I would love that one

 

Thanks!

[Plum 97]

Love it, she'll be thrilled it's such fun

[Plum 97]

I've knitted a baby jacket in DK variegated yarn it turned out lovely. So have taken the plunge and making one in 4 ply eek!

[Cat tails 561]

Oh that sounds complicated! Knitting still eludes me!

Picture?