Monday 27 January 2014

Stitching Sunday on a Monday...and a Ta-dah!


Hello and apologies for not posting my usual Stitching Sundays post yesterday – I spent the weekend looking after Little Flower, who came down with a sudden sick bug early Saturday morning. Ugh. The world stops when a sick bug comes along - we weren’t sure if we were all carrying the virus, so we cancelled all plans and spent most of the time in the sofa nest.

Happily, she’s feeling much better today and eating normally, so I was able to put the finishing touches on my latest project:


Ta-dah! This must be one of my quickest WIPs ever, I was so anxious to get it finished! I’ve wanted to recover this bench for a while, and I had the Tilda charm pack in my stash (purchased with no project in mind, just my crazy need to own these beautiful fabric squares!). A match made in heaven.

Once a month on a Wednesday morning I toodle over to Jooles’ lovely home for a quilting morning, and last week I brought my charm pack along. We drank tea, nibbled on warm, wonderful homemade scones (complete with clotted cream and jam, she does spoil me so!), and arranged and rearranged the squares on her kitchen table. What better way to spend a Wednesday morning?  


This was the final arrangement, although I could have kept repositioning one square after another all day long. Do you ever find that with patchwork?

While Little Flower and Bunny were playing a board game Saturday afternoon, I sewed the squares together – which took me under an hour! I’m getting better at this sewing lark... This morning I tooled up and used my new staple gun to secure the fabric to the bench. Then I attached the pretty ice-blue trim with fabric glue. 


Time will tell if that’s enough to keep it all together! The bench is happily in its place beneath my growing wall of embroidery hoops

*sigh* pretty.
Now on to the embroidery part of Stitching Sunday on Monday:


I’ve started the green on the eggs and ham. I decided to fill stitch in a sort of curved direction for the ham - you can see the texture it produces on the left, as the shape of the ham curves.


I use guide stitches whenever I’m filling a space – those are the little stitches spaced farther apart on the left side of the ham. These will keep my fill stitches flowing in the intended direction without going astray and leaning too much in one direction (a common problem if you just use fill from one far side to another). I’ll take more photos as I’m filling to further illustrate this...

And the sewing machine cover is coming along, albeit more slowly than I intended – the distractions of Tilda patchwork and a poorly child!


I finished the ‘Stitch’ and sewed on the measuring tape ribbon; now I’m working on the running stitch and little buttons. I actually find doing a running stitch in a straight line quite challenging, I have to measure and add guide dots along the way!

Little Flower’s resting and watching a show, but now we’re going to bake some cookies. She's requesting chocolate chip...she's obviously feeling better! Wishing you all a happy week, and a big welcome to my newest followers from the Grow Your Blog party!

Chrissie x

P.S. Do link up if you have something stitchy to share!


39 comments:

  1. So sorry your littlest is feeling poorly - those choc chip cookies will be just what the docter ordered!
    The patchwork bench is just gorgeous. I love the beautiful blue colours - very chic. Your embroidery and sewing machine cover is looking great too. You're a busy bee! X

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  2. Dear Chrissie
    The patchwork looks beautiful - congratulations! Your embroidery projects are progressing really well and it is lovely to see them coming along.
    Hope the bug is well and truly gone now!
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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  3. Beautiful Chrissie , and isn't that just the perfect spot for your new beautiful chest ?
    Kate x

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  4. Nice work on the bench, it's very satisfying to get a project like that all done. Amazingly neat squares! Heather x

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  5. Chrissie your bench is a dream...sorry to hear you had a poorly child...always upsetting...and the best place is on the sofa....bestest get well wishes...Daisy j x

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  6. Your bench looks amazing Chrissie...love it! :)
    Hope the little one is feeling much better today!
    V x

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  7. Oh no not the bug!! Hope she's feeling better very soon, I'm sure those choc biccies will do the trick. I'm LOVING!!!! The bench cover oh my it's lush!! And you've found the perfect place for it my friend. It really does look stunning so well done you!! I'm also super impressed with the embroidery, you're so good! Hope you two gave fun this arvo and sending much love xxxx

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  8. An absolutely beautiful Ta'Dah - a perfect fir to your fresh hallway

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  9. Sorry your little one's poorly, hope she's feel better soon. Chocolate Chip Cookies are the main cure for most ills.
    Loving your Green Eggs and Ham embroidery it's coming along beautifully.
    Sally xxx

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  10. Poor Little Flower feeling so poorly, glad she is doing better, I think the chocolate chip cookies will be a big help. Love your stitching and that wonderful bench cover.
    Hugs to you,
    Meredith

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  11. Glad to hear little Flower is already on the mend. My that Tilda fabric is gorgeous and wow the bench looks wonderful you must be thrilled with how it turned out
    Clare xx

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  12. Your patchwork is lovely and the bench looks great in your hallway and is idea for storing all of that hallway "stuff"! I hope that little flower feels better soon, it is horrid being icky isn't it. Old green eggs and ham is coming along well too!! xx

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  13. I'm so glad LF is doing better. I've had a sick one here for a week now! He's been back to school but he's still not 100%. Your projects are all beautiful. The bench cover is absolutely beautiful. I love the colors and the bench looks perfect where you put it.

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  14. That bench is so lovely: and so neatly sewn! I am quite envious. Cant wait to see the machine cover...

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  15. It's horrible when your little ones are ill (although mine are all grown up I still feel distressed when they are poorly) - glad she is starting to feel better! Love that bench - you have dressed it up so nicely!

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  16. hope the wee one has now recovered.....I love the way you have revamped the bench and I'm wondering what you store in it!

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  17. Oh dear we had that last weekend. The bench looks great, might need to pinch those sorts of ideas for my cabin!!!! thanks for dropping by as ever. I nearly got to 100. Did you get lots of visitors this weekend? Jo x

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  18. Very beatiful your blog and work. My daugther is sick too. I Know it´s hard. In Portuguese: "As melhoras".

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  19. Lovely bench cover. I laughed at your comment about moving squares around as I did exactly the same laying out my latest quilt which is staring at me as I type and wondering when it's turn will come! Loving your hoop collection too. Have you seen the book Hoop-la which has lots of stitching designs? I'm sooo tempted. x

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  20. Your bench looks beautiful, Chrissie! I love the patchwork and the pretty blue trim.......and what a speedy makeover! Hope your little girl is better now.
    Helen x

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  21. I hope your little flower is better soon. Something similar passed this way last week. The bench is lovely, and it's such a pretty spot under your beautiful embroideries. Wonderful. I hope you have fun making (and eating) the cookies.

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  22. Hope little flower is now completely better. Chrissie you have excelled yourself.... The bench looks really wonderful and looks perfect in it's new spot.
    Marianne x

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  23. Hi Chrissie's, what a great job you have made of your bench. Did you have any squares left? Wonder what else you will make.
    S xx

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  24. Lovely Chrissie how lovely is this. I adore Tilda and you have made a wonderful job of your lovely cover. Your bench looks perfect and sets off your hoops perfectly. Hope the little one is better today. A lovely post Chrissie as always. Big hugs
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxx

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  25. I'm loving that gorgeous bench Chrissie - what a great job you have done - inspirational! I'm also happy to see Sam's ham coming along so beautifully and it's wonderful that you explain so well the steps you take to come up with your treasures, thank you! Your sewing machine cover is going to be special - hey I have difficulty keeping those running stitches straight and even too - much better to lay down guide lines than unpick eh!!!
    Poor Little Flower, but I'm happy she's doing better now - choc chip cookies are the best picker-up-erer! Love, Joy xoxo

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  26. Anonymous7:38 am GMT

    Your bench looks so pretty especially so in situ with your hoops above it. Glad your daughter is feeling better, hope the bug doesn't spread.

    ukcitycrafter@live.co.uk

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  27. Your bench looks fabulous with the gorgeous Tilda fabric. I hope your little one is now feeling better and the rest of you didn't get it! Julie x

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  28. Perfect bench !
    Have a nice day !
    Anna

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  29. Lovely creations as always, brilliant storage seat! :) x

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  30. Your bench looks lovely, I love Tilda fabrics. Hope Little Flower is feeling much better and the rest of the family escaped the dreaded sick bug. Have a good week.
    Jane x

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  31. Aw poor little thing. Glad to hear shes on the mend now though. We've all got colds here. I love your up-cycling the patchwork is fab and looks beautiful below the pretty hoop pictures x

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  32. Fantastic make over and those squares are perfect for it!

    S x

    PS Sofa nest - perfection!

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  33. I love the bench with the Tilda patches. Very pretty, especially positioned under your embroidery hoop work.

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  34. I love your new bench! And what pretty fabric. Specially like the blue with the bigger roses. I have to say that the more I see of patchwork the more I think I should sit down and learn this skill. Anna x

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  35. I love the bench - the colours are so fresh and pretty looking!

    Jenn

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  36. Your bench looks fantastic!!! Loving all the pretty fabric squares. Glad to hear little flower is feeling much better.

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  37. the bench is just fabulous! I do wish I had a hall wide enough for a bench. I really must join in with stitching sundays one of these sundays!

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  38. The bench is fabulous, it really is. Good job there! I love the colours in that patchwork bundle. x

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  39. Your bench looks stunning, I love those fabrics so much! Sarah xo

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