Thursday, February 7, 2013


BINDING LESSON

A couple of girls asked me to organize a binding lesson a long time ago.  So much has happened in between that time 
and now and a small group of us finally got our star gal, Maggie, to come to my house and learn her wonderful
 technique.

I, myself, learned a few pointers and can't wait to try it out on my next quilt that will be quilted this weekend!

Enjoy the pictures...


Maggie taking out her lovely Dutch fabric placemats to bind.


Explaining stuff...


Starting point.


Maggie recommends we use a walking foot.


Preparing for the mitered corner!










I posted this entry over at the local guild blog.  However, it was at my house, and I wanted to post on my blog too!  I am working on my quilt now and hope to be done this weekend and have it bound.  I really want to try the new things I learned and hope they work for me because truly; Maggie's binding is the most beautiful I have seen!  I've seen A LOT too over the years!

Thanks for stopping by!






Monday, February 4, 2013

❤❤❤EUPHORIA!!!❤❤❤

My friend Thilly posted new fabric in town on Facebook. I recognized that it matched and was from one line. You don't always get that here ya know!!

So I got to the shop just at 9:30 and Jo and Wendy had already done some damage! I waited and had a bit of a chat with Jo while Wendy shopped. Our eyes were glossy and we had stupid grins on our faces!!

I did not allow myself to look at other fabric. Nope! Nuh uh! The two gals are leaving Oman :( and cottons are MUCH cheaper here than in Europe so they were having a blast!

It's 11 pieces of Lola Violet's 'Blooming Lovely' line for Anthology Fabrics. I've yet to research the entire line. I think getting 11 pieces is fantastic for here!

Now on to the visuals!


It's sweet and I think it might be an old line.  We do get America's rejects here.  Before you guys laugh at us; we pay a fraction of the cost too!


This one is a little blurry; but still worth it's 15 minutes!  


I really like the circles.  They have a little scallop around them.  I really like the multi-colored one and that one we almost missed!  I need to decide what I will do so that I can go get enough fabric for the backing.  I think I know which pattern I will use it for!  So many of us here in Muscat have this line now! Oh well!  Nevermind!  

Thanks for stopping by.  I wish more people would comment so I know who is actually reading my blog!  

See you soon!

Alia

edited to add:  Oh, that's a glorious 2 meters of each one!  hehehe...

re-edited to add:  I searched and we got all 11 pieces in the entire collection!  OMG!  This is a first for me over here!  I'm so stoked.  Off to the shop to get the backing now!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Jelly Roll Race Quilt

Hi there! I finished this Jelly Roll quilt top back in May. I think I was thinking that I would find coordinating fabric of the same line in the States. I did not! I did find a lovely Kei dot fabric locally! Thanks to Jo for that one!

I haven't figured out how to write after every picture when I blog on my iPhone. So I'm left with a long winded whatever and then a bunch pictures!

edited to add:  and then I go online and edit on my laptop!!


I picked this up Gosh knows where!  I can't remember!


Uki helping me with all those strips.  She was in heaven sitting on my sewing machine cover that was sitting on the kid's recent finishes.



I separated the strips out to color ways?

Do your discerning eyes spot the DORAEMON fabric in the background??


I must have messed up my miter on this picture!


Ok.  I remember (remember, finished this back in May!) I learned to give a little space for miters as well as staying away from the selvage!


This is chain pieced.


It's hard to remember what I was thinking back then and why I would take such a blurry photo.  Of course, it was not intended but I think I just opened it up to see what was going on here!


Uki helping me figure out if the green fabric was indeed a good choice for the border.  She decided we needed one more smaller border...


I couldn't orchestrate this kid if I wanted to!  She is just so involved in whatever I am doing!  Here she is deciding that she likes all the colors and images.


This was taken last night on my belly.  Gosh, it sucks to baste a quilt on the carpet with pins holding the backing and safety pins.  My little tool came in handy to close the pins but this is not good for me!


The two pictures above is my view to my right and this one above is to my left.  I persevered through my discomfort and the ladies that were over today told me about monster clips on the table and how a larger quilt can be basted in segments.  Holler! (Holla?)  I'm going to try that next time!  Now, can anyone tell me where I can buy cheaper-than-quilt-brand-clips at a fraction of the cost?  I have to ship them over here too ya know!!  Thanks for any info on that one anyone!!


This is the backing that I found and it fits perfectly!  I love it.  I bought 4 meters and have just a little left over!  

Thanks for stopping by.  Even though I'm initially uploading unedited photos from my iPhone and the Blogger app; then running over here to my laptop to edit I am enjoying the process.  I'm glad to talk about my stuff again!!

See you soon!

Alia

Oh, Oh!  I am thinking of quilting wavy lines in each strip.  I saw this online on a different quilt with strips.  I like the look.  I want something simple and quick.  I want to get this binding on and show it at the next guild meeting!  Any suggestions or ideas are most welcome!!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Doraemon is complete!

Ali finished his project last night! This morning on the way to school he told me he was so proud and that he kinda wanted to keep it!! I told him those are the best gifts to give!










Final approval from Uki!


He is giving it to his friend today.  I hope she loves it!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Doraemon update!!

I'm too excited. Had to share Ali's progress!


There is a pouch that is part of it.  I'm so impressed by my kid!!


I love the little tail.  Too cute!!

Ali is quite the crochet guy!

I'm posting from my iPhone. I hope I can figure this out. You would see a lot more of me for sure!

Ali is profusely working on this little DORAEMON crocheted doll or toy for a friend.  This kid is amazing.  I'm so happy to see his tenacity at finishing things.  He has inspired me to reach out for help to finish off his blanket I started with him and my Mom three summers ago.  At this very moment; he has the head fully stuffed and complete; the body is crocheted and affixed to the body and one arm is crocheted and on.  Can't wait to show you all!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tissue Box Cover

Tissue Box Cover

Hello!  I'm so happy to be back!  I hope to commit more of my time to crafting this year.  I have a couple of huge projects to do and I will be blogging about them!

I got this pattern from Aneela Hoey's blog, Comfort Stitching.  It was very well written and it all went together smoothly.  It's a little short for the tissue box covers that are sold here so I might make another one and add some length.  A first for me!!  

As soon as I laid everything out to start cutting for this project; Uki plops down.  This is shortly after I washed her face.  I think it is safe to assume that she was no longer mad at me!!


As I cut the edges off, Uki played with them.


I put this one on her head but she was watching something else.


Too cute....now on to sewing....


Here I am marking a grid that needed to be quilted on the fabric.  I use Watercolor pencils.


Uki was playing with the fabric for my other project.  A jelly roll race top.  I just got the backing two weeks ago.  Trying to find the courage and a clean floor to iron 4 meters of this!  Ugh!


I basted with pins and was wondering if that basting spray would rock this job.  This is one of my favorite gadgets to pin baste.


Quilting the grid.  


Sewing the binding on.


Finished top.  The color is off.


Here are the pieces before the binding has been slip stitched.


Uki was with me the whole day.  I don't know if she was happy to see me sewing again or if she just wanted to be near me.


Ta da!!!!  The little box!


It's a little short.  I think I'll make some changes to the measurements to fit my favorite tissues that I can find here in Oman.


Not terribly exciting but thanks for stopping by.  I'm sure I have lost many of my followers as I haven't been regular for a while!

Drop me a line and cheer for me so that I post more over here!