Seeing the wood for the trees...

Johanna from my Bee Europa 2011 group asked for a block depicting a tree.
I thought about this for many hours (as I always do) and my searches seem to point to traditionally pieced tree blocks which are great but not quite what I wanted to do for her.
Following two prototypes done in very different ways (but both aiming to make a new fabric by joining strips together and cutting them randomly), I finally came up with the idea of an African type tree (I think it is called an African Savanna tree)...
I love how resilient these trees are and how they survive in extreme weather conditions.

Anyway, enough chatting and here are the fruits of my labour:

It is all made with pieces as small as 7/8 of an inch and it is a log cabin. Of course small pieces mean the block is fabric-hungry and although there is plenty of the green fabric left, we soon run out of the white and had to add some from my stash. Although not the same white, it adds to the whole effect of the block.

I used some pieces from my stash and there is a little owl and some flowers hiding in there too!!!

I loved making this block.

I hope you like it Johanna and i also hope your brother likes it too as it will end up on his quilt!!!

AHHH forgot to say that it is a large piece - i could not work out the maths of a piece like that to make it small scale...plus if I went any smaller with the pieces I would have lost the little mind I have left nowadays early on in the process!!!!

:-)

And last but not least, my patchwork group of lovely people in Patchwork Corner, run by Ferret, surprised me by giving me a quilt for Isabella last Thursday. I was extremely touched by that and very grateful that Isabella has a beautiful quilt made by a group of people that thought of her and quilted by Ferret. Very very grateful....

Here it is with the princess enjoying it!:

PS, my friend Jane who is an absolute genious, came up with Isabella's second name in Greek as it should be written!!! check out the bear to the right!!!! Jane you are BRILLIANT!!!!

Amelie x

You cannot keep a good woman down!

Sooooooooooooooo much has happened since my last blog entry I don't know where to start!!!
So here we go in order of events:

1. We moved to our new home and then two days later we went off to Greece for 3.5 weeks for Isabella to meet her Greek grandad!!!
Grandad got his first quilt to warm up his night in the coming winter:

Yep, another Kaffe Fassett quilt to feed my obsession! My dad loved it! yippeeeee!

2. We came back to find that our NOT-so-lovely builder had gone together with the cash for materials and the house unfinished :-(

Too trusting and too stupid. I don't know whether losing the money hurt me more than hearing that during this time he was sleeping in our bed!!!! Would it be an extreme reaction to hunt him down and boil his bunny rabbits (if he has any?)?

Since then I have spend my days between holding/feeding/playing with Isabella and painting/cleaning/carrying/organising etc etc....

3. I finally have a sewing room as opposed to a sewing cupboard! another huge Yipppppeeeeeeeeeee

Got quickly over my guilt about the amount of fabric I have and have been arranging the room bit by bit. When it is finished I will post some photos.

4. This week I managed to recover my sewing from the garage (covered in dust and plaster thanks to the rogue trader) and I completed the August blocks for my Bee Europa. I felt so blooming guilty for not managing to do this sooner but in the scheme of things it was impossible to sew....

Here they are, 6 batic nine-patch blocks for Patricia:

4. Isabella will be 6 months next week!!! Time flies and she is growing fast...and here she is!

Best get some sleep whilst I can as princess sleeps through the night (YES I know I am lucky, fingers crossed this carries on and on!) BUT wakes up nice and early :-)

Amelie x

Lessons learnt!

Finally I get to do my bloggy! I have missed chatting here  :-(

My sister and nephew were over from Italy for two weeks and I was forbidden from sewing!!! Well, that was until my sister discovered that I can sew pillowcases and then BOOOOOOM!!!
I asked myself how many pillowcases can this girl want...but she took  2 pairs with her and I am left with another 6 pillowcases to sew!!!!!

Well, before she gets her pillowcases I had to finish this block for Ceri for my Bee Europa.

I know I am repeating myself everytime but I do struggle with the Bee blocks, not because they are massively complicated but because they are not mine...and that means there is very little to no scope for error...I can be less of a perfectionist when it comes to my own quilts but when I know that what I am making will be going to another person I become the quilt police personified!!!!

Ceri wanted a flower for a quilt for her one year old daughter and clearly this is close to my heart having had Isabella 3 months ago!
I agonised over what type of flower and which of the fabrics to use and then when I finally came up with the flower the pillowcases got in the way and another fellow Bee got there first!!!! Lesson 1: get on with the block of your choice asap after you receive the fabrics and instructions!
Finally whilst awake in wee hours of the morning over a feeding session, I had a flower epifany! I have used a pattern from the Material Obsession book ( I love these 2 books and have read them millions of times!) by the brilliant Sarah Fielke. Lesson 2: no need to go far away from what I love for inspiration.
Once I decided the order of the fabrics I then went through some magazines looking for inspiration about the rest of the block. I finally found a shape I liked and proceeded to cut the fabrics (admittedly late at night) without doing the math and hoping it would all fall in place in the end. I was horrified when they did not!!!Arghh. Lesson 3: don't be an idiot, never cut fabric late in the evening and always do the math or get Mr Whirlygiggles to do it for you -even better as he is very bright with numbers although the 1/4 inch seam throws him a bit!!!).
Finally, I had to make up a border of my own without having to rely on other's ideas. As scary as that is, I think the block looks very cute and original. Lesson 4: no need to be so very scared.

I have worked on this block for days and I have learnt a lot as stated in this blog! Ceri & Felix, I hope you like the block and Felix, I hope you will be very happy covered in all these flowers!

By the way, where does time go? Isabella will be 14 weeks in 2 days!!! I cannot resist a little photo and to say that she seems to be learning loads at the moment too like sucking her thumb (she finally realised that the whole fist in mouth bit is not too comfy!) and how to get the immediate attention of her devoted parents whom (as my best friend Juniper pointed out today)  "Isabella has complete control over"...what can I say...it is all true!!!

Why do your Greek grandmother and auntie pop a hat on your head everytime my back is turned for one minute?!!!

Amelie x

Bee Europa 2011

and this is Cara's (Pink Stitches) block for June....
running a bit late :-(
BUT I loved the fabrics (Just Wing It by Moda) and I loved following this pattern...It is clever and beautiful and it should make a gorgeous quilt when all the pieces are put together.

Thank you Cara and I hope you enjoy your block!

The tutorial for making a plaid like this one can be found at:  http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/01/sultry-jelly-roll-project-sheet.html

Amelie x

Blocks coming out of my ears!!!!

I know I am walking a tightrope here in terms of boring you all to death with these blocks so I have decided that I will only put up my most favourite ones (as opposed to each one I make!).

My alterior motive is that I have been doing the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along and I have LOADS of those blocks to show you as well...so I must not abuse the patience and kindness of those of you who are following my blog! :-)

This is still my Japanese X quilt. I have now completed 30 of the 56 blocks! well, I guess the best way to look at it is that I have less than halfway to go!!!

The worry of what the border will look like on a quilt like this is keeping me awake at night :-(

I still struggle with the quality of the photos so I think I should aim for a new camera for my birthday as opposed to a new sewing machine? let me think about this for a nanosecond...I think the sewing machine wins!!!

Isabella is now 10 weeks (where does time go?????) and here is a gorgeous little photo of her and the clothes/hats my mother will get her to wear when my back is turned for 5 minutes!!!

Isn't she gorgeous in her little bonnet?!!! I can't believe she is all mine!!! (and Mr Whirlygiggle's of course!)

                                                                   Amelie x

The Liebster Award!

Yippeeeeeee!!!!!!

I have never won any awards (not sure that 2 bronze medals in table tennis when I was 14 count?!!! :-)) and I am very grateful to ScissorsandThread  http://scissorsandthread.blogspot.com/ for nominating me!!! That is very lovely of you A.

For those of you who do not know, the Liebster Award is designed to bring additional recognition to blogs that have less tht 300 followers! It is awarded to 3 blogs at a time and each awarded blog has to then nominate a further 3 lovely bloggies!

so, here we go my nominations of blogs I really like that I have discovered recently:

1. http://lifeinlists.typepad.com/ gorgeous photos and gorgeous handmade beauties!

2. http://craftsfromkaren.blogspot.com/ Karen's lovely blog called "Ramblings of a Novice Quilter". Gorgeous and inspiring work...

3. http://an-eclectic-mix.blogspot.com/ Rachael's blog called Tiny Pink , again full of lovelies, grorgeous colours and loads of inspiration.

Check these blogs out and if you are not seen them yet them, please do so as they worth every read!

                                                                   Amelie x

Night labour!

More Japanese X Blocks!

I love these blocks and what I love more about them is the thinking that I have to do for the colour choices and the lack of concentration that I seem to show nowadays when it comes to the construction of the blocks!!!
Please try not to look at the pictures too closely...not all points are matching as they should...but I am trying to be more tolerant of myself and more forgiving of my lack of patience when sewing after 10pm :-)

So, for the quilt police out there...thank god you don't know where I live!!!!

This next one has to be amongst my favourites...I loooove it!

I love the way these blocks are evolving...I started with one range of fabrics (scraps left over from another quilt) as I wanted some uniformity...but a number of other fabrics have been since introduced and I feel a lot less worried about the overall effect...(these might be my famous last words !!!)

Well, 25 done, another 26 to go!!!! Easy peasy (NOT) !!!!

                                                               Amelie x