Idyllic, if somewhat misty
May 25, 2006 at 9:32 AM
by Ashleigh
Tote bags for pyjamas, stencilled.Yesterday was one of those strangely idyllic days. The children played with play-doh and then played computer games and strangely enough didn't fight at all! (At least until later in the day.)
Sebastian taught Joe how to make ropes, balls and cylinders from playdoh and they assembled them into all kinds of shapes. The best were the rainbows, made even more special by the fact that we saw one yesterday! A full bow, no less!
I tidied out my quilting fabric, finished off a 'Lined Pocket How-to' for Flickr - Nancy K, you are not allowed to look! - and then surveyed the log cabin squares hoping for inspiration to appear. Alas, it did not. What am I going to do with them? They're multiplying!
I found all kinds of blue, red and white fabrics and I think I have enough for two quilts for the kid's rooms. I just need to try and find some inspiration about the layout.
I have a book which explains all the different block patterns very succinctly and they all use rotary cut squares so I might make up a variety of blocks in different patterns and then see how they sit with each other. Come to think of it, this is what I did with the log cabin squares and they are no closer to being assembled into anything. Perhaps our home will be a monument to unfinished squares?
The block names seem so exotic to me: Rocky Mountain Puzzle; Roman Pinwheel; Dutchman's Puzzle; Ohio, Northumberland and Lemoyne Stars.
I've been looking at some of the modern quilt designer's patterns, like these. The more I read the more drawn I am to simple shapes and bold, balanced colour, but I have to use what I have. Sad I know, but I hate clutter and I live in 75 m2 of space so I absolutely must use everything that's hanging around.
After the surveying of the quilt squares, which involved ironing them - obsessive I know - I decided to make bags for the boys' pyjamas (with inspiration from Soulemama and Kiddley) and used the freezer paper stencil technique that all the craft blogs have been buzzing with.
I really liked the results. The little bags are made to a tote bag pattern, but without the gusset. I lined them so that they're reversible and then stencilled the boys names onto the outer striped fabric. The outer fabric is pretty thick, sort of a denim, but the inner fabric is a retro quilting fabric which I bought from Aunt Lenie's Attic on Ebay. I have lots of that fabric so it'll be popping up in their quilts too.
The stencilling worked really well, except that I didn't iron down the one bit firmly enough and the paint spilled under it.
I made the stencils by printing out Seb and Joe's names in Word. I used my favourite font - Seabird Light - and then made it into an outline, printed and traced onto the freezer paper. If I had freezer paper that goes through the printer I could have omitted one step, but like Seb says, 'It doesn't mind'. I tried out first on a piece of fabric that was going to be a pocket for the front of the bag, then I decided the pocket wasn't going to look good, so Seb had the idea that those can be little flags for him and Joe with their names on. I need to buy some dowel.
I think they're kind of plain, but nice and functional. The kids can choose which side they want to show and seeing as Seb has the red and Joe has the blue there won't be any confusion about who own which pyjamas. (More common than you would imagine as they are a similar size).
Today is Ascension Day and its a holiday here. The kids and I will be baking this morning and Brad's going to watch X-Men at the cinema with friends from work. It's still misty outside but we may take a trip to the garden centre to get more flowers for my hanging baskets. Later, Brad and I have an appointment with a heat gun and a scraper (yes, we're still paint-scraping).
Comments
Thank you so much for the pocket directions! I admit to never knowing what a hebedo (?) stitch was! LOL Lucky recipient!
I love the PJ bags! But what on earth do use as freezer paper here? The only thing I'm able to think of is the baking paper - is that the same thing? It's a cool idea and effect.
I hope your holiday is as peaceful as yesterday was. ;-)
May 25, 2006 11:52 AM