Been Busy Lately…but

Got to missing my sewing machine over the summer, but managed to piece this to keep me sane…

it was fun to do and I was really pleased at how the circle turned out

Dianna.

Oilcloth Wallets

Friday is my sewing day, and a friend recently asked me to make a wallet for her, inspired by this I made another today.

Think my old one is going and this will take its place:)

Enjoy your weekend.

Dianna

Chinese Whisper Challenge Continues…

Today I completed my second A4 Quilt top for our local quilt group challenge.  The top quilt in the photo above was the inspiration and the bottom my interpretation of it.  It couldn’t be more different, I tried to follow the lines of the quilt for the basis to it, not sure.  Not sure I succeeded, it certainly changes the direction for the next quilter in line.

Linking with Nina’s ‘Off the wall Friday’

and Richard and Tanya Quilts

Enjoy your weekend.

Dianna

Fused Art Quilt

It’s the new year, so why not challenge myself to something I’ve never done before?

We were set a challenge at the local quilt group I attend, taking inspiration from a photograph or picture chosen by another member we had to create a quilt top, A4 size, to pass onto the next person, who then takes inspiration from only the quilt top previous in line, creating a ‘Chinese whisper’ effect when they create their own piece.  Each member submitted their own picture, none of which we see apart from the one given to us at the start of this challenge.  It’s going to be fun seeing how the theme developed at the end of six months.  Looking for tips from Melody Johnson and her fibremania blog, this quilt top was totally constructed by fusing fabric, I added the stitching today.  The process was exciting and something I will definitely try again.

Happy new year.

If you are looking for more inspiration head over to Nina’s Off The Wall Friday where I will be linking this post:)

Dianna

And a little sun dress emerges…

My little girl was adamant on a few of the changes I should make to her up-cycled white t-shirt to dress, one of which was keeping the neck of the ‘T’ on, this is what the outcome was…

so we kept the v-neck and finished it off, too cute, and she likes it:)

Dianna

Upcycle a white ‘T’ into something Pretty

Using some of the fabric I dyed last week I turned this t-shirt…

into something prettier…

Now I think I need to refashion the neck and size so my little one might want to wear it:)

The method I used is reverse applique, quick and effective don’t you think, more on the refashioning to come.

Happy sewing,

Dianna

Related articles

• Refashioning a Skirt from a Dress, Part II (upcycledfashionista.com)

Mostly dyeing…

I tried a different approach to dyeing this week, using three primary colours plus black, jars as well as plastic bags  – these fabrics have all been dyed with the low-water immersion technique.  I found Ann Johnston’s book ‘color by accident‘ fantastic inspiration and got some surprising and mixed results.

This is such a messy, wet and fun process.

I’ve got one more batch still to come, then it’s time to talk what to do with all these fab colours.  And perhaps begin to explore some surface design techniques too.

Happy mid-week:)

Dianna

Related articles

• Shibori Dyeing (upanddyed.wordpress.com)
• Dyeing (recovergirl.wordpress.com)
• Dye Application and the Mystery of Batching (upanddyed.wordpress.com)
• Dyeing: Testing old dyes (fibercrush.wordpress.com)

Fabric Dyeing Fun

I haven’t had my sewing machine out for more than a month and I do miss it, instead to keep me in touch with something crafty I’ve been doing a bit of dyeing, experimenting with different hues of the same colour….

It’s been fun, more to follow soon and then perhaps a little sewing time too:)

Dianna

Related articles

• {BORROWED POST} How to dye 100% Cotton (volpelife.wordpress.com)

It’s been some time but…

Life got so busy of late, there has been so much on my ‘to do list that’ the thing I love to do in spare moments had to be pushed to the side for a while.

I have however made some bags,

and found a whole lot of this white cotton just dying to be dyed…

More on the outcomes of that soon, I think, unless that life thing distracts me again,

‘Till then,

Dianna

A New Day, a New Bag

I made a new bag today, with some upholstery fabric, of which I have loads. The only other bags I’ve made using this fabric have been backpacks so it was really good to make something that was smaller and easily finished in half a day.  I love the colours of this fabric, there is such a range to choose from.  The chunkyness of it, although it frays easily and it takes a bit of steam and stitching to sit the seams flat, it does make up really beautifully.

I want to get making some more bags of different shapes and sizes over the next week or so for a possible business proposition….wish me luck:)  More to be shared on that soon.

Thanks for coming over.

Dianna