Gifted Distractions: Quilting with Elephants

Phew!

After the conclusion of the Me Made May Madness I feel as though I have a pile of projects I just want to dive into but I have once again been distracted! 

 

This time it's by a quilting project - not for me but as a little gift for a lovely collegue about to go on maternity leave. I should also mention I decided to make this quilt only 2 weeks before I wanted to give it... Hmmm time for speedy sewing, so I picked a design that doesn't have to be perfect (at least compared to normal extra-precise quilting designs) I've always wanted to try my hand at rag quilts in flannel fabric ever since I saw one at a craft fair years ago. The flannel is so cuddley soft and the fluffy quilt edges give this type of quilt a more casual, almost shabby-chic appeal.

How cute is this fabric??!! Bright Coloured Elephants!

I used this tutorial and bought my fabric at Tricia's Discount Fabric here in Adelaide. Tricia has a wonderful selection of quilters flannel and I was instantly drawn to these cute elephants! I picked out 2 supporting prints and bought some wool/poly batting as I like how puffy it looks when quilted plus I know it's warm having used it in our bed quilt a few years ago. The staff at Tricia's are fantastic and really know their stuff, if you're in Adelaide it is a great place to shop.

After cutting the seams, before the final wash and dry

I actually was a good girl and pre-washed these fabrics on a cold machine wash so the finished quilt will be machine washable for all those baby messes! The final thing to do after trimming the seams is wash and dry the quilt in a dryer so the seams fluff-up into the rag finish.

The finished quilt after washing and drying

The actual construction went pretty quick - thanks mainly to Mum's invaluable help folding and cutting the squares at the start. I finally learned to chain piece which helped speed things up. In the end this baby was done in about 10 hours! While the finish is not perfect - proper quilters would weep most likely - I really enjoyed this technique and would definitely consider making more of these quilts in the future.

It's quite big for a cot quilt, particularly compared to the normal cot panel size so it will be nice as a top layer in really cold weather or even as a play rug on the floor.

You may also have noticed I have revamped the blog look a little - I'm still playing around with how I want it to look/feel so any feedback on what you like or don't like will be welcomed!

I really wanted to post this last weekend but I didn't want to blow the surprise of this gift so I held off until now. I will be internet free for the next 2 weeks so sadly there will be no blog action until July now.

See you next month!

OXOX

Stacey

Me Made May '14 - Day 24 to 30

Final week of Me Made May!! This month has shown me a lot and I'm amazed to say I made it through 30 days with only 4 items of Me-Made clothing re-worn.

Sunday, Day 24

Top: Tokito, thrifted from Balmain Markets

Leggins: Cotton On

Socks: Bonds

I did actually wear boots this day since it was our sewing day and yes that is the Fabric Folding Assistants foot photo bombing on the left!

Monday, Day 25

Shirt: Jackie E

Cardigan: Target

Skirt: Made by Me - Kwik Sew 3337

Belt: Target

Tuesday, Day 26

Knit: Target

Vest: Made by Me - Simplicity 2150

Skirt: Jay Jays

Necklace: Ummmm no idea, maybe the central markets somewhere?

This vest was one of those makes where the fit and quality was great but I had no idea how to style or wear it, until I really had to think of garments to wear this month. And I actually love this look and will definitely wear it again - WINNING!

Wednesday, Day 27

Knit: Target

Cardigan: Big W

Pants: Made by Me - Sewaholic Thurlows (blogged here)

Shoes: Target

Thursday, Day 28

Cardigan: Jackie E

Dress: Made by Me - Vogue 8615

Belt: Target

Shoes: Target

Friday, Day 29

Shirt: Made by Me - McCalls 5471 (out of print now - no online resources available)

Jeans: Forever New

Ugh Boots: Kmart

Saturday, Day 30

Top: Made by Me - Lekala Free Pattern 8004

Cardigan: Target

Pants: Made by Me - Sewaholic Thurlows (blogged here)

Boots: Williams

One of the fun parts of taking pictures every day was when FFA (photo bombing here too like a creeper) decided to make a game out of screwing up the pics. Taking photos every day is a pain but is also a great learning curve. I have discovered I have only 2 poses in which I can take a decent looking selfie which means 'proper' blog photos are definitely going to fall under someone else's jurisdiction. However I also discovered I don't look as terrible in photos as I usually think so overall daily photos were a positive experience (thank god they are over now though!)

Me Made May was all about having fun and trying out blogging about sewing to see if this was something I wanted to do. Aside from the annoyance of having to take daily photographs for Me Made May I really do like recording my sewing adventures and sharing them. On a more serious note this whole process has started getting me thinking about what I want to do with my time the most. Sewing and creating really does seem to bring me the most joy at the moment so I'm thinking of ways I can bring more of this into my life now. So Me Made May really was worth the challenge. 

Will keep updates coming if my new plans come to pass!

Thanks Me Made May for the challenge :-D

I'll be back with some more new makes in the coming weeks,

Seeya then!!

Stacey