New Year, New Quilt........

Welcome 2014, the year of happy I've named it......I think with 2013 having the number 13 in it, made that year a bit ho hum.  I think this year more than any other that I've seen, many people are saying good riddance to 2013 and looking forward to 2014.   It seems last year has not been a great year for many of us.....well in my circle anyway!

Quilt has been made....it's very bright, and with time, like my one I made last year here , it will mellow down, squish and soften up......I was looking at last years quilt this morning when I took it off the bed, it really is like an old vintage find now.  It is so unbelievably soft and mellow, and very well used and loved.

I have a few more quilts to make and or finish off....ran out of fabric for one, a bit of tidying up on another and one that doesn't have to be ready to mid year or so.....but one of my NY resolutions is to not leave things to the last minute.

I'm not normally a resolution maker, but this year I did decide to make a couple....well a few more than a couple, I just wanted to look back at the end of the year and see how far I got.  Not major things, but achievable I guess would be a good way to look at them.

1. No more Not so many yarn purchases.
2. Pilates twice a week.
3. Buy that damn bicycle I've been wanting to buy before Summer finishes.
4. Lose that last 10 or so kilos.....I managed to get 6.5 off before Christmas, so I'd like to have the remaining 10 off by December....slow and steady.
5. Finally learn to run and enjoy it.....Couch to 5K, here I come.
6. Finish all the woolly works in progress before I start any more.
7. Have at least 4 more knitted patterns completed before end of year.
8. Save more money.
9. Don't waste so much food.
10. Comment more on other peoples blogs, facebook pages and the like....I know it makes me so happy when someone leaves me a comment, so I'm going to make sure I do it more to others this year.
11. Smile randomly at someone in the street everyday.
12. Be HAPPY!

What do you think.....Achievable?


Anyway it's time to go, dinner to make, warmest wishes to all of you for 2014.  See you soon.


Vicki x


ps.  Softie comes from here. 

Quilting Time is Near......

It's coming to that time of year where I spend days upon days making quilts.....I have at least 2 quilts to complete over the Christmas break....I need to finish Niece No 2's quilt....being bogged down at work, hasn't been helping me to keep up with time lines.

I've managed to get most of my knitting orders done....and thank you to so many understanding customers who have told me they don't want their hats till the New Year, it then only leaves me 5 more to do before Christmas.  The pressure has been lifted

I've also been making some little pixie hats....Trouble & Striped I call these little hats, just because of the cheeky, bright and colourful nature of them.....nothing sweeter than little bubs all wrapped up in organic merino.  It's far from hat season here in Australia, but I figure, the more I do now, the more 'ready to ship' stock I have available once hat season comes along in 2014

I've also worked out my next "knit your own" pattern for end of January, start of Feb...I'll keep you updated on the pattern progress.  I won't be revealing which pattern I'm going with just yet.  Like to keep some things a surprise!

Also thanks so much, for all the new fans that have joined my blog here....It's so very lovely to see.  When I started this blog, I really didn't think anyone would read it, but I'm humbled by its members and its readership.....it warms my heart.

Well that's it for today....short but sweet.  I'm actually home from work today.  I slipped down the back stairs in my apartment block last night....the stairs where wet, it was dark.....suffice to say I've had to make a trip to the Osteopath this morning....no major damage done, just feeling a little sore and sorry for myself.....sitting for long periods of time is not making things easier either. Anyway.......



Hope all is well in your part of the world.

Time.....

I never had the intention of being away for so long, but time has just gotten away.  So to condense down what could be a long post, here's a little of what I've been up to since I've been away.....Knitting orders (nothing new there!!), lost 4.7 kilos in weight, celebrated my 46th birthday, got a small promotion at work, successfully grown chives, mint and parsley whilst still avoiding those pesky possums.  Purchased all the goodies to start a balcony vegetable garden.  Saw a few movies, About time...worst movie I've ever seen, Diana, second worst movie I've ever seen, Captain Phillips and Prisoner, two of the better movies I've seen. Also went to Gold Class cinema for the first time. Internet shopping from The Fat Quarter Shop, buying pre-cut squares for Christmas break quilting time.   Planning another blanket even though I haven't finished the one I'm crocheting now and just spending some time reacquainting myself with the outdoors and embracing the beautiful Melbourne sunshine.

Hope you're all well,

Quilts and Woolly Blankets.....

There really is something quite comforting about a pile of quilts and blankets.  The organic merino hexie is on its way to its new owner in Adelaide.

One day I'll have a big stash of woolly blankets to call my own.

I Wish Someone Had Told Me........

I think I was always a bit addicted to buying yarn....running a knitting business it does come with the territory.  Although with yarn I wasn't very experimental.  I never really liked fancy yarns.  Plain simple colours have always worked for me.....apart from the little booties I made in variegated yarn....I never even ventured that far into fancy yarn.

But.....I wish someone hat told me that buying fabric was addictive......It's referred to now as "Crafting Crack" around these parts....not particularly a nice term....but I just can't stop looking and buying fabric......Someone around here mentioned that making quilts was addictive, but the process of buying the fabric has become equally as addictive if not more fun than the making of the quilts themselves.

My thing at the moment is to sit in front of the computer scrolling through the online fabric swatches at Fabric.com .  I then make up mood boards on the design wall.....if I like the colours I've come up with then I just take a screen shot and file it away.....last night I stumbled across fabrics from Riley Blake...a red, orange and blue story......thus I've made a purchase and have another quilt lined up.

I don't think I'm ready to move on from squares just yet when it comes to my quilt making....maybe when the knitting dies down a little I'll experiment with other patterns, but my priority is still to get Niece No 2's pink quilt completed....Quilt No. 1 is sitting here all completed and waiting for the other one to be made.

I've also got another stash of fabric here to make what I referred to as the Easter Quilt , although that stash got raided and a few of the fabrics made their way into Niece No 2's stash.....so I'll be doing a top up when I get around to making that quilt.

So there you have it......My name is Vicki and I am an addict.....and addict of textiles and woolly things.

Am I the only one that stashes and stores craft materials, or is it quite normal for most crafty people to secretly stash?.......Or are you one of those sane people that just buys what you need?  I wish I was the latter!!



Vic x

All the Leaves are Brown and the Sky is Grey........

It's been a quiet week this past week......I've sort of felt a little under the weather, not sick just tired and lacking energy.  Our clocks went back one hour the weekend before last and the weather is finally,....yes finally changing to the Autumnal season that it should be......so maybe the shifting seasons have just zapped my energy a little.

I've put the last of the Summer clothes away.....I'm one of those pesky people that likes to pull out all my seasonal clothes and look for whats missing.....I did pull out some Winter clothes around a month ago, but the weather continued on with sunny days, so back they went.....I've shopped up a storm this past week....new shirt, long sleeve T's, merino knits and dresses, another pair of ankle boots, grey cords, belts, tights....I like to look at what I've got and just fill the gaps.....Navy, plum, aubergine and grey I'm loving a little too much at the moment......and my knitting orders seem to have fallen that way as well!!

I've started to slowly cut the squares for quilt no 2 for niece no 2.....the pinks are making me very happy, and just wait to you see what I decided for the backing fabric.....the clue is in one of the squares above.....Can you guess?

Hope your past week has been a good one....I've a busy one this week.....lots of work, lots of knitting, lots of sewing, and I've finally found a new doctor.....and a new hairdresser, double score!!.....but for now I'm off to make some warming soup I think.

See you soon.

Vic x

Hope....& the travelling suitcase!!

The anchor remains firm and steady amidst the stormy waters, symbolizing the stable part of a human being.  That quality, which enables us to keep a clear mind amid the confusion of sensation, emotion and the general “storms” of life.

My nieces.....I haven't seen them since this post.  I finished the blue and green quilt late last night.  Picked it up from the laundrette today, all clean, squishy and soft....Can you guess which niece will get this quilt?

Vicki x

Quilt it Quilt it Real Good Continued.......

Still quilting I am......I managed to get all the top of the single bed quilt put together over Easter....520 squares to be exact.  I had forgotten how long it took.  I had to do 26 squares for the length and 20 across for the width, so it was easy to break it down to 5 rows of 26 squares each day over Easter!!  Made the task more manageable.

This weekend I'm going to start the quilting.  The process of sewing all the layers together.  Again I'm going with cotton wadding in the middle and also this time I'm going with a coloured back to this quilt.  The quilt I made for myself had a calico back, that you can see here.   As this quilt is for a child., I just thought it should be a bit more fun and bright, so I've gone with a lime green and white polka dot print.....and the polka dots are huge and don't appear in the quilt at all, so it's a real contrast.  Looking forward to seeing it finished, although I plan to do the quilting over the course of a week, not all in one day like I did last time!!

Once that's done I guess I'll have to commence the second one.....the pink one....might just start on the cutting process for this one over the weekend.....my least favourite job of all!

Hope you're all well.


Vic x

Quilt it, Quilt it real good!

It's Easter, but my Easter quilts won't be ready.....I've made a start on one though.  I'm loving the happiness of this quilt.  The bright cheery colours, some patterned, some plain.

I only plan to do a little of this quilt each day. It's certainly not going to be a mammoth project like the last one.

Anyway....it's back to the knitting, and hope the Easter bunny spoils you all rotten.

vic x

And it Starts Again.....

I'm going to be cutting fabric for the next month....maybe just two pieces a day!!  All incredibly pretty, all incredibly colourful.

I can see why people easily end up with a fabric addiction.


Vic x

Day 22.......Corner

Corner.....corner of the fabric, corner of the ruler, corner of the cutting board.....it's all about the corners.....and the straight lines.

#FMSphotoaday #cornered

I Must Be Quilting Mad.....

Decided that my nieces will be getting quilts for Easter this year as well as me....although their single bed quilts will be the priority over my next one.

One pinkish, one more bluish....some of the fabrics I'll cross over, we'll just see when the fabrics gets here.....picking out fabrics for yourself is one thing, picking them out for kids is way out of my comfort zone.....and I'm one of those people that also doesn't like gimmicky kids fabrics if that makes sense....I didn't want those pesky cartoon characters....you know what I'm talking about.....and I know my sister would hate that as well, so I tried my hardest....and again I may just have to find some optional fabric here if needs be.

and

I take comfort in the fact that they're only single bed.....but that's x 2.


Fun, fun, fun

vic x

Easter Quilt.....

I had a delivery today of some new fabric for my second quilt.....no I haven't given up the knitting.  After making my first quilt, I just knew there had to be a second.

This one will be reserved for the days over Easter, so rightly named the Easter Quilt.....I think I love these colours more than the Christmas Quilt (justly named as it was made over Christmas).....I love the boldness of these colours......hot pink, chocolate brown, coral, bright orange, plums, and a touch of blue.

I will have to go and source out some more filler fabrics.....plain polka dots, some stripes and maybe another simple pattern or two just to tie together some more of the bolder patterns.  Oh how I am loving textiles, I love opening up the box of fabric when it arrives just to see if I managed to order correctly online.....it's always a bit of a dicey business.


Added 9th January


I've purchased my filler fabrics so I thought I would update the post.

New fillers are 4th fabric down left column....pink and yellow tulips and daisies.
Middle row, top fabric, hot pink with red stripes, and second from front, multi colour floral to tie some of the other colours together.

Right row bottom fabric, pink with white polka dots.  This will also be the fabric that is the border of the quilt.

I'm very happy with my choices, but alas they go back into the box till Easter!


Bye for now.

Vic x

Day 2....Something New

Something new.....my quilt.  Something also new, but old at the same time...vintage christmas decorations purchased online from Etsy.


#FMS photoaday
Taken at 11.33am 31st Dec 2012

Ta - Dah.....

I'm going to be quite honest about this quilt....I had my doubts during the making.  Just after I had sewn all the squares together I laid it out on the bed and my head just went...."Little House on the Prairie" and I sort of fell out of love with it a little bit and had those looming thoughts of "WT*"!! yes, that's exactly what went through my mind!

I persevered and I had this little gem finished in 3 days.  I worked damn hard, and when sewing all the 3 layers together I did throw a bit of a tantrum at one stage and threw the thing on the lounge room floor where it stayed for an hour or so.  I did contemplate a bin bag for it....that sewing process just seemed to take forever.  Anyway it's done and I couldn't be more happy with it.

The pattern came from here, and it was the easiest pattern to follow, although I did make a small change.  In the end I went for an all patterned quilt and replaced the single block colours with more patterned squares.....I just liked it a wee bit more than the solid squares.

Now that the quilt is on the bed after a good hot wash over at the laundrette, and tumbled in the hot dryer. The quilt being 100% cotton (all the fabric, cotton batting in between the two layers and the sewing thread) not an ounce of polyester in sight.....it has shrunk slightly and the squares have smooshed up, the colours have mellowed and the quilt has softened up amazingly.  I'm so pleased with it and I'm already planning the next one......and my brand new sewing machine didn't miss a beat, she is a beauty I must say!

At this stage I really did start freaking out.....this was my WT* moment!

Laying the 3 layers out on the floor and pinning every second square was also a task that took an amazing amount of time....taking them out after all the sewing was complete, took just as long!

It was somewhere around here that I started swearing a hell of a lot!  In the end I had to remove everything off the side table and just spread myself out.....made things a lot easier instead of trying to sew on a little bit of end table.

And it had to have a label on it.  The edging was all machine sewn, but with slip stitching into place on the back of the quilt....I'm glad I went with the less patterned border in the lighter colour, I think it was a good choice in the end.

I did throw the quilt on the bed this morning before taking it for a washing.  I was still having second thoughts about it at this completed stage.  It wasn't very soft nor pliable, I really didn't have any feeling for it ...anyway I bundled it up and over the road I trotted to the laundrette where the lovely ladies just marvelled at it....I gave them the washing instructions and they did look at me in horror when I told them it had to go in a hot dryer to shrink it!!  "Are you serious" was the comeback..."All that beautiful work and you want to shrink it?".....I then told them with 100% confidence and fingers crossed behind my back, that they would love it even more afterwards.....secretly trying to convince myself as well. 

And this is what happens.....every little square shrinks.  The whole quilt goes all prune like and the colours amazingly mellowed right down, and the lovely laundromat ladies told me it was the most beautiful item they've ever washed!!

Anyway, this is what you end up with.

I do love it now......I pass the bedroom on the way through to the bathroom and I just look at it and smile.....I made that,  it feels like a great sense of achievement.....having made so many things for other people, it's nice to have something just for me.

Night, I've got knitting to get back to. Vic x.