A quick little project

I am the kind of person that gets a little bored when I am working on large projects. I need to be able to complete a quick project so I feel like I am achieving something. So in between working on two crochet quilts I took some time out to finish this project with some yarn that I purchased on special at Spotlight. 

It was my first attempt at crocheting a bowl and I think next time I need to use a 'tighter' stitch as the treble makes it a little floppy.

But at least my sewing threads have a nice new home.

Happy crocheting!
Lisa
xxx

My Creative Space

Thank goodness I can post this early this week. This morning I am off to work early to hang out with an auditor (joy oh joy)  and tomorrow afternoon I am hanging out with our programmers.  I can feel a very early night coming on tomorrow night.


Now, onto a lighter and much much nicer note. I have been teaching myself to crochet this week. I have been popping over to Pip's blog and watching her videos on granny squares. Pip is a really good teacher. My mum used to sit with me and try to show me but it never really sunk in, until now. I have made some progress but it is a bit wonky. Experts, please look away!


I started doing this blue one and then my daughter decided she wanted one. So yesterday it was off to Spotty we trotted to pick out, yes you guessed it, bright pink for her blanket. I talked her into a bit of white as well.

With my track record, or should I say, project short attention span, I may get this one finished for next winter!


Have you ever seen this, bamboo wool. Well, seeing as I don't usually purchase wool it has probably been around for ages. It felt so beautiful and soft that I just had to buy it. God only knows when I will get around to making something with it.

Oh, and I have been preparing to make a stack of binding for the shop out of these lovelies.

For more creative spaces or to play along, please pop over here to the home of creativeness.


Yours in happy creating.


Lisa
xxx

My Creative Space + a Giveaway

Well it has all been happening over here on Sunny Street. 


I haven't made much progress on my 'red poppies on white'. I was stuck until I could purchase  some wadding and a free motion open toe quilting foot. So now I have done that I still  have no excuse for not finishing it over Easter. Maybe this weekend........

Well, I have been very busy with another creative venture as I posted about a couple of weeks ago. See over here for a read.


So I am very excited that I have now opened my own online fabric store - Sunny Street Fabric Shop.




Now for the give away


For 1 entries - follow this blog and leave me a comment.
For 2 entries - follow this blog, blog about my new shop and this give away and leave me a comment letting me know.
For 3 entries - follow this blog, blog about my new shop and this give away, become a 'liker' on my Facebook page and leave me a comment letting me know.


Now for the prizes. I will giving away 2 fat quarter bundles to 2 lucky bloggers plus each bundle will have a surprise piece of Laurie Wisbrun fabric from Scarlet Fig. Laurie's fabric is just so beautiful and I have just received a huge stash of it and it is just so beautiful and fresh. 


Each bundle will include one fat quarter of the following Kona Cotton Solids:

Pear 

Candy Pink

Buttercup

Peacock

White

These are the colours I used when I made my 'Happy Baby Strip Quilt'. 


This competition will close at midnight on Wednesday 4th May. So you've got to be in it to win it!


Good luck and please do pop over and have a look around my new little fabric shop, Sunny Street Fabric Shop where I will be stocking the basics such as solids, stripes and spots.


Edit - I am having another giveaway on Facebook when I get to 200 likers. Come and join in!


Happy creating
Lisa
xxx

My Creative Space

There's not much creativitity here lately....boo hoo :(

I have had a bout of tonsilitis, and my real job has taken over as I have some deadlines to meet, a presentation to give and I have been trying to keep the house ticking over so we don't give in to complete chaos.

My happy crafting has taken a back seat......hopefully I will get to have a play over the weekend.

Fingers crossed.

To actually see some creativity pop on over here to the home of creativity.

Happy crafting
Lisa
xxx

My Creative Space + a Giveaway

My creative space this week has been all about the design process. I have been thinking about what I am doing and trying to streamline my design process.


What do you do when you get a design in your head. Do you:
1.just leave it in your head and trust your memory when you want to actually create your design
2.draw a sketch
3.make a note.


I have in the past done all three but now I don't. I have gotten my self a bit organised. 

You see, I am a systems person (in my real job), you know Australian Standards, legislation, compliance blah blah blah. Anyway, I like process, forms, checklists etc to keep things streamlined. Here is what I do. My process is, sketch the design as it pops into my head and when I am ready to use that idea, I get out my Quilt Planning Worksheet and spend an evening sketching it and working out measurements (using graph paper), for details, selecting fabric / colours and then away I go, working on my new project.

You might think this takes a lot of time but it doesn't really and it makes for a more stress free quilt making experience. It is also handy if you get  part way through a project and need to put it away for a while, when you are ready to get back into your project, you have all your plans written out so you can just jump straight back in and start creating. Also, it is good for keeping records of what you have created in the past in case you want to create it again, especially if it is quite a complicated design.

I have included a link to the form if you would like to have a look or start using it.

Quilt Planning Worksheet 

Here is a pic of how I used it for the design of my Happy Baby Quilt. I stick it all onto an A3 piece of paper and keep it in my patterns folder.

Also, just to let you know I am having a giveaway. Just pop on over to here and have a look! There are not very many entries so the odds are EXTREMELY good to win. LOL.

For more creative spaces or to join it, pop on over to Kootoyo.


Happy creating
Lisa
xxx


PS If you would like to use the form and want a word version so you an modify it to suit your needs, just send me an email and I will forward you one.

My Creative Space

Woot woot, I have finally finished my Happy Baby Strip Quilt.


Drum roll please.........


Here she is.

Sorry about the poor quality pic. I was a very cloudy afternoon and I only had the chance to take one photograph before my battery ran out!!!


I am so happy with how this quilt has turned out. I really enjoy these coulours too.


I am just so in love with Kona Cotton solids at the moment. Love, BIG LOVE. I just can't get enough of them and am only thinking in solids. 


I am now working on my next design for another quilt made only from solids. Yep, and they are Kona Cotton Solids. I just love the range of colours......yay and my colour chart is my favourite item in my sewing room at the moment.


For more creative spaces pop over to Kirsty's here.


Happy creating.
Lisa
xxx


Linking up to these great linky parties!

My Creative Space

I had my mother-in-law visiting over the weekend so there was no time for sewing. It was time to pull out the stitching instead. 

This is a new design I am working on. I have big plans for this one!

Happy crafting to you. For more creative spaces pop on over to Kootoyoo!

Lisa

xxx

My Creative Space

I am a bit late with this post, oh what a week. I have a messy house, my mother in law arriving for a weekend visit this evening, a have a big project deadline a work (today!!) and I have to get Ella to swimming lessons by 5pm. It has been a mad house this week. Anyway enough of that, here is where I am at with my creative space.

All I have to show this week is my unpicker. Yes, that is right! I have had a BIG FAIL!

Lesson learnt: do not drink alcohol and drive your sewing machine!!!!!

In my own defence, I only had 2 drinks, but as I am not much of a drinker this was enough to make me tipsy. I should have stopped sewing  but noooooooo, not me. I was determined to finish sewing my binding and finishing off my quilt.

In the light of day and with a clear head, there was some ordinary sewing observed. Strangely, at the time it appeared perfect to me!!!!

Anyway, this has got me looking at unpickers......gee I didn't realise there were so many cute ones out there. Were do you find these pretty unpickers??

(So Me Naomi)

(Kraftylady)

Hope you have had more success in your creative endeavours than me!

For more creative spaces pop on over to Kootoyoo's place.

Lisa

xxx

My Creative Space

Well I had high hopes of having a finished quilt to show off but that didn't happen. A bout of tonsillitis put dent in my plans over the weekend! 


Well, it is almost done, only the binding to go.


Here it is. I am just so happy with the colour combination and the backing. Oh, and don't you love my little model/helper?!

So hopefully it will be all done over the weekend.

For more creative spaces or to play along, just pop over here.

Hope you have a lovely day.

Lisa

xxx

My Creative Space

It has been a long time since I played along. As I have made a resolution to be more creative, it is about time I got back into this.


I have so many projects, ideas, designs floating around in my head that I have come up with a design sheet to draw / record these. Here is one of them. It is for my happy baby simple strip quilt. The fabrics I have chosen are Kona Cotton Solids. God I am so in love with these. So many colours to chose from and so many designs. I really do have a serious  love love love of  Kona cotton solids. 

And here is the quilt so far. I just need to finish the boarder, pick what fabric backing to use, quilt it and add the binding.

I have also been arranging my sewing room and getting it organised. I am loving my space and have so much creating to do there this year. 


Hopefully next week I will have a finished quilt to show off.


Happy creating to you!


Lisa
xxx

My Creative Space

It has been a while, but I am back. I am just trying to get my life into some order to make the busy times not so stressful. Actually, things are starting to return to normal and I will be going back to 4 days per week in about a month.....aaahhhhhhh.....blisssssss. Anyway, while I haven't been blogging, I have been creating lots of things and designing lots of things and planning lots of things. 


On the creative front this is what I have done.


I have made a quilt top for one of my friends. She is such a beautiful soul and I know she will love it. I have just purchased a walking foot so I will be quilting this over the weekend. I might do a practice run first!






I have been making cushions.....lots of them to go into Handmade Heaven. If you read this Liesa, I will get them into the shop soon.....just haven't been around Ipswich much of late. (I have actually made more than this, but some have become presents)




I have quilted my first quilt using a quilt top I made back here. It isn't perfect as there is a little puckering because I didn't have a walking foot. Anyway, not sure what to do with this quilt now.






This quilt below is made using upcycled upholstery fabric samples. I just need to back it and it is all done. I am really happy with how it turned out. It is most suited to becoming a picnic blanket as the fabric is quite hard wearing.

I have designed some stitcheries, quilts and homewares. I am working on finalising designs and patterns. Here is a sneak peak at two of them. These will go in my Esty store when they are done.

Here is a picture of my messy creative space. I have now tidied it up but this is what it looked like when I finished sewing last night!

I have also been spending time reading my sewing machine instruction book. This is a first for me as I am usually the type of person to just just in and have a go. I really didn't want to stuff up any of my designs so for the first time I have taken my time and I have to report that I can now do buttonholes, and zippers. I feel so clever. 


I think that's enough from me for now. 


Happy creating everyone, and for more creative spaces or to play along, just pop to Kirsty's over here.


Yay!!


Lis
xxx