WIP

Well this week I am lucky enough to have another follower this week!!! WAHOOO!! That brings my followers up to 3! lol. Check out Evelyn's blog shes a very talented knitter, makes very cute baby things with a very gorgous family with 3 adorable cuties!!!!! Very jealous, wish I could knit as well as she can!!

Well progress for me this week, I have 2 very similar projects going on at the moment, both I plan to be christmas gifts, but not giving full details away at the moment because Im sure the person these gifts are for is reading this at some point!!!!

These strips were a real bargain at my local quilting shop!! can you believe I got over twice the amount in all these photo's for only £2!!!!!!! I had to go back a few days later and clear out their basket full, got plenty of ideas for these.

This one has a very christmassy theme and I plan for it to only be used during this time of the year. The other a much more all round theme (with any luck I might actually get this one finished for someone's birthday but I have a few months for that yet!!!

I aim to be making a few little gifts for people at work as I am leaving in 15 days, its sad to be going but I have an absolutely amazing job to go to!!! So good and bad points soming up soon!!

Hope to show you my creations at some point again soon, as those of you as lucky as me to have a week break this week enjoy what ever you are doing!

xx

Waste no Want Not

I needed one of those bags for carrying odds and ends in the bottom of your hand bag. This was the creation I came up with, based very much on the similar pattern as my pencil case . Totally made out of recycled fabrics and selvedges.
It tickled me and I didn't realise until afterwards about the selvedge that I chose for this bag. I find it quite funny I wanted this big enough to take Paracetamols and vaseline etc. and its a Quilt for a cure! lol.


I love these colours and think they work well together. Lots of work at uni at the moment, but its half term next week. Got one or 2 more WIP's to show you over the next few days and hopefully by next weekend one of those WIP's will be finished!!!

What are you up to at the moment???

School Projects

I made this for a group of low ability year 9 pupils that I am currently teaching in my placement school. The project is cushions, based around "make do and mend" to a particular theme of their fancy. I really wanted them to think about cushions of different shapes etc.

This was the only way I seemed to achieve this was by giving them examples to hold. I also tried to include some of the information they needed to include on their cushion. Such as 2 forms of decorative technique (applique and tucks)

I found this in a magazine for a soft toy which was slightly too small so blew it up on the photocopier to make it large enough to make a cute cushion. The kids absolutely loved it! and it really inspired them to think outside the box as well!!!

Quilt block Swap

Not sure if I shared this information with you before, but Im part of the quilt block swap. I get really excited at the begining of every month to find out who my partner is and make exciting blocks for them. Unfortunatly due to my excitement with my job interviews etc I never got round to blogging about this one. Really sorry about this Angela, this block is absolutely amazing, and Im really sorry the photograph doesn't really do it justice!!

I promise you it didn't arrive this screwed up. I'm looking forward to collecting these over the next few months and making myself a gorgeous bed quilt for my first house I plan on buying in 12 months(ish) time!

It would be absolutely amazing to say this quilt was made all over the world especially by me, and know that as much love and care was put into them as there was into the squares I made for others.

Thanks again Angela,

Louise.xx

Long Time no see

Well its been ages since I last posted anything.

So quick up date. I have a brand new job, is absolutely perfect and I get a house with it as well. Can't wait to start but Have to wait until September, its at an amazing school in Essex. Working with a very friendly team. And I have even had the opportunity to meet one of my classes already!!! Im so pleased.

Unfortunatly this means I haven't had quite as much time as I would have liked on quilting projects but I do have several new projects to post about, but unfortunately I dont have time to right now, as soon as I do I will let you all know.

I have been teaching my year 9 (14 year Old) pupils how to do patchwork and quilting. Hoping to get them as "quilt-fingered" (just like green fingered but for quilts) as I am. I will try and get photographs of their efforts to post here once they have finished.

So just as long as you are all sure Im still alive.

MissOakden

Tardiness

Sorry for the lack of posting at the moment. This is only a really quick one.

I have not been able to post for a while as I am currently on a job hunt. The deadline for teaching jobs is in the next few weeks so I have been working extra hard recently in preparation for the job interviews that I have recieved.

Sorry crafters of the world I will be updating you soon..

xx

Shopping trip

Went shopping today with my mum, picked up some great bargains!!!

Dad decided this morning he didn't want a monster after all he actually wanted a monkey, So I have been on a sock hunt. Found these cute tights in BHS for £1 each thought they would make great gibbons and means I actually will get one for myself, Cant decide if I will keep the pink or Blue.


Brought the beige with white spots as well, this is actually Oilcloth, Decided Im going to make myself a lunch box with it, to be able to keep everything in. Amazing what you can find out of scrap bins in the local Dunelm Mill shops!!! Cost me £1 for a meter!

Also my final Bargain was this top, inside it states was part of a pair, but had the bottoms missing, its actually a pj top but I love it so much might wear it around the day, or make it into a cushion cover, not sure yet. Might do both over time once Iv had enough of wearing it!
Fell in love with this fabric on the market, love how the big strawberries match the little ones, and then felt I had to have something to go with it. Not sure what I will make yet so I might just add it to my stash till the summer holiday.

The Green Eyed Monster

Well it was great that mum feel in love with the sock monkey straight away ( named Lope, as he is to become an office monkey, she feels it is short for enve'lope')

Well my dad shortly became the green eyed monster and raided his sock drawer to see what I could create for him!! He's always said he hated these socks but has now fallen in love with them again.

What do you think?

I love his curly tail. He only got one green eye cause I felt he should be called 'the green eyed monster'!!

Mums New office Buddy

For as long as I can remember Mum has worked at the Local Grammar school She always enjoyed her job, but a few weeks ago she was TOLD she was moving to another office instead of the one she had worked in since she started there (almost 18 years ago) She doesn't seem very happy about this and doesn't want to move.

So I thought I would recycle something and make her a buddy to move in with (previously there were 5 in the office with her, now its her on her own).

What do you think? I love sock monkeys but have never made one before myself, Im thinking of trying to make one with knee length socks!!!

Want your suggestions for what to call this monkey now.

Happy Easter.

Louise

Help wanted!

My mum brought me a few years ago, a pair of knitted slipper type things. I love them to pieces but they are starting to look a little bit too loved! I was hoping to find somewhere to make them myself.

I know basic knitting (I can knit, purl etc and with a few books infront of me I can do fancy stitches 2)

Does anyone know a good pattern? or give me some idea of instructions on what to do???

Many thanks

Louise

New Pencil Case

Well this is a first for me, following an online pattern. I really wanna thank Pink Penguin for this, she makes really lovely tutorials, and this is the first time I have plucked up the courage to see what I can create.

I just love the fact that all of this fabric was created from scraps, Think the inside was a skirt my grandmother made when I was a baby. I love recycling things as often as I can, and those that regularly read will remember I like putting stories into my work. So as before this has stories, the Cord being from a pair of dungrees (afraid they only suit little kids not big kids like me) the pinks are scraps from quilts, and the black gingham is a cut up blouse that I made last year when I first brought my overlocker.

Don't you just love it when you have everything to hand? Just had to raid my mums sewing box to get a zip, and pluck up the courage to attempt to attach a zip myself. Afraid Im slightly hopeless before, but very pleased with this!!

update

I forgot to mention, looking at the photo's from my last blog, looks like my squares are wonky, its not that, but I decided with my new over locker to make a feature of them, its simply where I havn't ironed it since getting it out my WIP's box and they don't all lie flat.

xx

Hated WIP

Here is the final piece I am uploading today.

This is a piece I made my first year in uni, I got as far as adding the sashing and decided the black was too harsh, But couldn't decide what would look good and didn't have the heart to unpick something that took me hours to create!!

Again Suggestions would be really good on what you think I should replace it with.

Kind thanks

Louise

Old time Friend

Well as promised that I would up date you on my WIP's here is one I have been working on since I was 14 (thats 7 years!!!!!!) It keeps being put away, and I only seem to work on it during the summer holidays.

Its nearly finished now, sorry for the photo being folded up but I simply don't have space to spread it out for a photo here. Will take some open when I'm Back at uni.

Im thinking probably one more row of flowers then its ready for batting and backing! Sorry about the choice of colours as mentioned I was 14 when I started this, my tastes have changed since then!

As you can tell its all been hand pieced, I recycled envelopes to create each hex. Most of the fabric has a story behind it, I love just sitting and looking at it, reminds me of so many happy and not so happy moments!!

Trying to decide what colour to back it with, what do you think?? Suggestions will be welcome

Saturday Project

Returned from Uni this week, so there will be quite a few posts in the future about WIP's that I left at my parents house.
Thought you should see this post first! When I moved to Worcester, I found this amazing Quilting shop and had to buy this pattern and fabric for the bag, Its been sat on my to do list for 6 months now, thought it was finally time to complete it.
Not quite happy with some bits, the bottom seems to be a little higgldy piggaldy, but never mind.
I love the two pockets created on the inside from joining the two seperate parts together. (as you can see i couldn't resist using this bag, so sorry for not emptying my bits out of it for the photo)

I had to put the above photo in this blog, as I wanted to you see how I altered it slightly, I have an amazing computerised sewing machine that Allows me to quilt really interesting patterns, these along the bottom(seen on the plain green fabric) are little kisses!!
Hope you Enjoy this, and the others to come, please any questions don't hesitate to ask.
xx