Speedy Nine-Patch

Little Flower has quite an affinity for Peter Rabbit and all the other charming Beatrix Potter tales. I love reading the stories to her – I remember reading them myself when I was young. The collection was kept tucked in a bottom shelf of the library, second aisle of books. I would go to that shadowy lower bookcase, plop down on the floor, and take out Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggywinkle, the Flopsy Bunnies...I loved holding the little books in my small hands, I felt like Ms. Potter made them just for me!

So recently I purchased a Beatrix Potter fabric bundle and made a quick nine-patch cushion for Little Flower

Bunny decided she wanted to get in on the action, so she got out the owl fabric bundle I gave her for her birthday, with its bright turquoises and pinks. But my 10-year-old wanted to make the cushion with me. This nine-patch technique was taught to me by a quilting friend, it is so brilliantly simple quick – it cuts some time-consuming corners with sewing and pinning and whatnot – but I’ve never seen the technique in a book or a blog, so I thought I’d snap some pics and show you here!

First you cut your squares. I’m not going to give measurements, because this works on cushions, quilts, anything with a nine-patch square...

Bunny wanted to fussy cut the owls

Then lay out the nine squares in the pattern you wish

Now here’s the first sewing step, so pay attention. Fold the right-side squares face down over the centre squares, so the right sides are together.

Take the top two squares, just stacked as they are, and sew a ¼-inch seam down the right side, nearly to the end. Unless the squares are very big, don’t worry about pinning them, just line them up neatly and be careful not to slide them around.

Just before you get to the end of this first edge, take the centre two squares and line them up with the previous two. But don’t overlap! You don’t want to sew them together as such, you just want to continue sewing the edge – you basically are saving the step of cutting the thread of the first two squares, setting them to the side, then sewing the edge of the next two squares, cutting the thread, setting them to the side...

Can you see how they’re just touching at the edges but not being sewn together overlapping? Continue down the edge, then grab the bottom two squares and line them up the same way. This time sew clear to the end, and cut the thread. Open up the squares and you will have this

Your centre column of squares is now patched to the right column. Repeat the process on the left side

You will need to either sew from the bottom two squares up or turn the squares over to sew the seam from the top down, so that the fabric columns are kept to the left of the presser foot. This will be clearer to understand when you are actually doing it! Just be careful and make sure everything is lined up the right way. Here’s the next column finished

Pretty speedy, eh? Now let’s finish this nine-patch – fold the bottom three squares towards the centre

(I will state here that I don’t bother pinning or pressing edges or seams during any of this, because my quilting guru said it wasn’t worth the extra effort, but if it helps you sleep better at night, be my guest.)

Sew a seam along the edge of all three squares. Take care to line up the previous seams as best you can to keep the patches aligned on the finished piece.

Repeat this process with the top row.

Here is Bunny’s completed nine-patch! Isn’t it jolly? She noticed the uneven squares on the bottom two rows and wasn’t happy, so we sewed on some owl ribbon.

This is why I emphasized the precaution of lining up seams carefully in the last step – but I’m pointing out her little error here so you see how to fix it without ripping it out. I barely noticed it myself, I was just tickled that she was enjoying using the sewing machine!

Simple envelope style for the back – two pieces with topstitched seams...

...overlapped onto the front panel, right sides together...

The front panel is under there...

...and sewn all round. Ta-dah!!!

Well done, Bunny! Incidentally, this is the technique I used for the patches of my Happy Spring Quilt – that was a Disappearing Nine-Patch, because after the nine squares were sewn together, I took the rotary cutter through the centre of each block, dividing it into four patchwork squares. And no, I still haven’t finished my first quilt, but hey, I’ve managed to steal enough time to put the border on the front this weekend...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

A touch of handmade in a neutral space

It is always good fun to have a sneaky peek at someone else’s home, so come snoop around my sitting room today. It is much more subdued than some of the *other rooms* in the house, but I have still managed to get some homemade goodness here and there, with more to come as I finish my WIPs...

This room is a very neutral space, to keep everyone in the family happy. We all agree on hardwood floors, a woodburning stove and subtle shades of taupe (I know, deep down, that taupe is to the new millennium what avocado was to the 1970s. I know one day, sadly, it will look completely dated). We renovated this room when I was pregnant with Little Flower four years ago – the original room had one of those fake gas fireplaces with the mantle stuck to the flat wall. We had a chimney breast built and installed the woodburner, which is probably the best improvement we’ve ever made. I love my woodburner!

After the cost of installing the fireplace and floor, I couldn’t get custom-fitted bespoke bookshelves, but Ikea’s Stockholm range had the next best thing, which miraculously fit perfectly in the space. The TV unit is from the same range.

This console table is from the same Ikea range, too, but at this point the room was getting a bit too ‘woody’ with the hardwood floor and all, so I matched a paint colour to the sofa and painted it. Little Flower came along before I was able to put a protective varnish on top, so it’s become a bit unintentionally distressed.

The coffee table, however, is very intentionally distressed...

If the woodburner was the best improvement, distressing a central table such as this one is the smartest. This children can bump it, play games on it, spill a drink on it...it all adds to the Shabby Chic charm (and my goodness I’m glad this design trend is still around, I hope it doesn’t go completely out of style until Little Flower is 15 or more...).

I have revamped lots of furniture over the years, painting, stippling, mottling, liming, antiquing, distressing, etc. This table was bought when I was first married, a flat-packed inexpensive one, and I wasn’t going to invest in something else with small children in the house. It was originally wood tone, so I needed to update it to suit the new decor.

See the inside of the drawer? That’s the original colour. I sanded it, painted a coat of primer, then two coats of a greyish-white. Painted the drawer knobs black. I sanded here and there, whacked it with a screwdriver or somesuch, and then I experimented a bit with crackle glaze.

I don’t care for the look of an entirely crackle-glazed piece of furniture, but a bit of crackling here and there looks like the piece was left in the sun, or that something spilled and left a bit of damage – good grief, isn’t this design trend going to seem *so completely bonkers* a few decades from now? I mean, really, intentionally damaging furniture? At least I’m doing it myself and not spending a fortune on it in some posh shop...

Good sewing, on the other hand, will always be appreciated. My grandmother made all the cushions for me because I couldn’t sew at the time. I especially love the giant floor cushion by the children’s shelf, so they can sit and read or play a little game.

All of the fabric is from Vanessa Arbuthnot, in soft greens and blues. I love the fern pattern of the sofa cushions.

 

I plan on adding to these with some of my own homemade creations and make my grandma proud!

But where are all the toys and kids’ junk? Tucked in the opposite corner

My great-grandfather made the little kitchen cupboard for my grandma in the 1930. It has now been played with by four generations of little girls! I love watching my girls play with it; I remember opening the cupboards and putting in my own tea set, I remember the smell and feel of the wood. Childhood memories. I don’t think he intended it to become an heirloom when he made it from scraps of wood, but it is now priceless.

The best thing about putting the play area in this corner is that, after a long day, I can turn my back on the mess, because the sofa faces the other way. Out of sight, out of mind! That actually might have been a better decision than the woodburner...

Chrissie x

Sweet violets

During my recent shopping trip to London with my mother and Bunny, I managed to detour the ladies to a shop just for me:

Of course I couldn’t leave Liberty without a little bag of goodies! Oh, the shop is delectable! All those beautiful floral fabrics, the endless rows of ribbons and notions...I could *easily* spend a fortune there, but I showed fantastic restraint (This time. My mom was keeping an eye on me.).

What’s in this sweet little parcel? Wanna see?

Silky soft cotton in a gorgeous ditsy floral, and my favourite violet fabric!

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Here she goes again, that newbie seamstress adding to her stash of fabric, and she’s still learning how to sew and quilt!”

Well, I’ll have you know I’ve already used some of the violet fabric! That’s right, I was at the machine this weekend. I made something!

Today is a special day, a dear friend’s birthday, someone who is partial to violets. I think you might know her

Happy birthday Jooles! I met this lovely lady perhaps five or six years ago, introduced by a mutual friend who thought our creative minds would get along well. How right she was! I taught Jooles to crochet, she taught me to sew. I remember when she first mentioned thinking about blogging, and then she convinced me to do the same! And what do you give a talented, crafty blogger and businesswoman?

A handmade cushion to rest behind her back at the end of a busy day! I had a brainwave a few weeks back, when I was looking at the purple dotty fabric. I copied Jooles' header, enlarged it a bit, printed and traced it onto the fabric. I wasn’t sure how it was going to look, but I started with the little bird

I decided a satin stitch would be best, as it’s so small. I did long and short stitch for the scarf, to make it a bit more textured like the ones she knits. And I managed teensy French knots for the eyes, with one strand of floss!

I had *so much fun* stitching this! I want to snoop around other blogs to see what else is possible...whose birthday is next?

I did the lettering in simple back stitch, rather than stem stitch, because I liked the stitchy look of the letters.

 

I actually didn't know what I was going to do with this when I finished the embroidery, but when I got the violet fabric I wanted to incorporate it somehow, so a cushion seemed the obvious answer.

I played around with the fabric, layering it this way and that, over a small, 12” x 16” cushion. I liked stripes the best.

I did an envelope back, learned when I did my first cushion at Christmastime for Bunny.

I dropped off the gift this morning and am happy to report that Jooles was very happy indeed! (*phew!*) Pop over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday!

Goodness me, I LOVE to give presents! I already have some other handmade things in mind for other friends, now that I’m gaining confidence in my crafting...

Chrissie x

Inspiration fusion

I am fascinated by the continual inspiration and encouragement that we find here in Blogland...ideas picked from various blogs, fused together, can result in the largest of craft-a-long projects to the quickest weekend makes:

 

Here I have a sweet little scrap of wallpaper from VintageSheet Addict’s etsy shop. I folded it in half, then cut a small batch of paper (it could be lined, unlined, coloured, etc.) just a tad bit smaller than the wallpaper.

Turn on the sewing machine, line up the centre of this stack with the needle, press the pedal, and about 10 seconds later you have a handy little notebook!

 

 

Customise with stickers, card decorations, or just leave unadorned. This is a great way to use up little scraps of paper or card, because the notebooks can be any size, even a tiny one is useful in a handbag. I will keep this in mind at birthday party time, as they could be customised and added to goodie bags...

I spotted this speedy at Pami Style, thanks for the inspiration, Pami!

A special hello and welcome to my newest followers, I’m delighted you’ve stopped by!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

Getting back to normal...

Ah, the end of half term, struggling to return to a normal routine. It takes the family nearly a week to get back into the rhythm, after a week of staying up later, sleeping in, fun day trips, fun stay-at-home pyjama days...and especially having Grandma here to spoil the girls silly!

My mother is on an airplane back to the States right now, and after I got Bunny to school on time, and Little Flower happily doodling at the kitchen table, I started clearing up the chaos. Toys, books, craft kits, clothes, fancy dress costumes to tidy up...and don’t get me started on how much vacuuming and scrubbing is waiting for me all week! Am I the only one who turns a blind eye to daily household chores during half term?

Ugh, all this talk is terribly dull – want to see what I did instead of laundry this weekend?

A *bit* of a ta-dah with my Happy Spring Quilt! The top is all sewn together! There is still a way to go, I know, but this is my very first quilt and I’m so excited to have pieced the top all together!

I am love love loving the colours, so very feminine and happy. I knew my first quilt would be a challenge, because I’m still rather new to sewing, so I wanted to make sure I worked with fabrics and colours that made *me* happy. Very self-indulgent, isn't it? But it keeps me interested and keeps me focused on the goal.

I’m learning a lot as I sew these lovely bits of fabric together. See the wonky edges? Two times I ripped out the seam of a long strip, because the strip came up a whole inch short at the end. I measured the fabrics, reassured myself that I hadn’t skimped on the length by accident, then re-sewed the strips on, but with a bit of tension/holding the fabric tight so it would stay flat and even. And they made it to the end, pretty much. What is that about?

Anyway, I didn’t let it get me down, I learned from the experience and everything seems ok. The edges will sort themselves out – I’m just glad the blocks all stayed even as I went along, because I learned with the first two rows how easy it is for them to be off, too! (Gosh, this quiltmaking stuff can be so tricky!)

These were moments that I was plenty glad to be working with girly pinks and florals, so I didn’t grit my teeth and rip seams with my bare hands...

Will it get easier with practice? I find that right now I only have the time and energy to sew at the weekend, because there is a lot of measuring, ironing and lining up and pinning seams to contend with – not the most relaxing of hobbies to do on a weeknight. At least not yet!

Next step, the quilt sandwich. Luckily, I have a friend down the road who is an accomplished quiltmaker, and she has promised to hold my hand during this process. And what pattern/technique will I use to quilt the whole thing when it’s together? Decisions, decisions! (Advice gladly accepted...)

One more photo to show you before I go fold some clothes and clean up dinner dishes (*yawn*). I managed to make a bit of progress with the Dr Seuss embroidery

The yellow fill stitches are taking a while, but it’s pleasant work, and like the quilting, this bit is rather new to me. I’m enjoying the process. I’ve not done this amount of fill stitching before; I’ve mainly done doodle stitching outlines and whatnot. So I’m learning as I go, how to manage long and short stitches, how to handle stitch direction...I’m just anxious to get him outlined in black and add the cartoony black shading lines! Then it’s on to those green eggs and ham...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

 

Lampshade Workshop

Nothing boosts the creative mojo like a workshop with inspirational friends! Yesterday I attended a lampshade workshop at Eternal Maker in Chichester for a morning of crafty fun and inspiration. And oh, the fabrics! This shop is Heaven on Earth to me, Aladdin’s Cave, a candy shop...

First we snooped around the shop to find fabrics for our lampshades. I planned on making one for Bunny’s room to replace her ceiling shade, which needed updating. Here is what I made

How thrilled was I to find this panda fabric? Can you see them peeking out? Perfect for a nearly 10-year-old, cute but not little girlie. Finished off with a wee bit o’ kitsch, pom pom ribbon in her favourite colour.

The most awesome bit? Not one stitch needed, took next to no time (goes more quickly when you’re not chattering away with the gals, sipping tea and eating cookies!), and the kit costs £10.50 online. We all left with an extra kit to make another lampshade at home.

 

This morning I made a lampshade for Little Flower’s room. Here is the kit provided

And here’s what I added

 

This is one of Little Flower’s fitted cot sheets from when she was a baby. I found the ribbon in a drawer. Her room still has the curtains and various accessories that were bought with this sheet, so I decided to upcycle it to make a coordinating bedside lamp. My grandma had already used some of the fabric pattern to make some decorative cushions.

You won’t believe how easy this is! Unroll the self-adhesive lampshade panel and measure it against the fabric.

 

Cut the fabric to fit with a margin around the panel, then peel off the sticky side and adhere it to the fabric.

Trim the fabric, bend the sides where indicated, then peel off the panel edges.

The fun bit is winding very thin, very strong double-sided tape around the lampshade rings, lining them up with the fabric edges, and rolling away!

More tape inside the ring, then fold over those ragged edges and tuck under.

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to add ribbon trim to the top and bottom

And ta-dah!!! The finished lamp

Is this fantastic or what? Took about half an hour. Now I’m roaming the house to see what else needs a new lampshade...I see visions of small patchwork, one with appliqué and freestyle machine embroidery...oh me oh my!

You can buy these online here. Of course, I did supplement my purchase with a few fat quarters, a fabric bundle, some ribbon and a metre of fabric for an embroidery project...but I’ll show you those next time...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x