Baby Cot Quilt

A quick baby cot quilt I finished this morning - made for my sister-in-law to give as a gift to a work colleague who is expecting. It was done on a budget, so the fabric isn't of great quality and I wouldn't say I'm 100% enamored with the colours myself, but my sister-in-law was happy with it, so that's okay. She asked for soft pastel shades, but because it's budget quality, I think the fabrics are a bit 'wishy washy'.

I don't suppose the baby will mind though LOL!!!!

Baby Cot Quilt

I’ve had a short break from my bears the last few weeks or so because I was asked by a work colleague to make a baby cot quilt. Something traditional was the request; but, still unsure what to do, I asked her to find a design she liked – and hexagons were her choice! These are approximately 4½ inches in width and machine stitched, rather than the smaller ‘paper piecing’ ones, which would have taken 'forever', or at least until the youngster was about 5-years old!!  I hadn’t a clue how to go about machine sewing hexagons, other that knowing accurate points would be crucial!! However, I found an excellent tutorial on YouTube, which worked really well. Even though I say so myself, practically all of the points are spot on! I added a border in a neutral ivory tone and a smaller lemon one to help the hexagons pop. Anyway, this is it

Thankfully, baby cot quilts are small LOL. Mind you, I ended up making two, because when I was half way through making this one, my sister-in-law saw it and asked whether I would make one for her to give as a gift to one of her work friends who was also expecting. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photograph of that one, as there was a bit of a rush to finish it – the said lady having had a C section a week ago and my sister-in-law was due to visit her on Thursday, so I had to get it finished quickly! It’s a shame, because it’s a different design to this one, other than I used a few of the left-over hexagons in the centre; and then I did appliqué birds and flowers around the edges – very sweet!

Anyway, I’m back to my bears now

and hope I shall soon have another one to show!

I nearly forgot; Happy Spooky Halloween everyone!!!!!!

I'm still here!!

Doesn’t time fly when you’re enjoying yourself? It’s been a while to say the least, but hey!

A couple of weeks or so from work following a bit of minor surgery have caused enforced long spells at home, and consequently some sewing time – the silver lining!

I’ve completed a small Valentine theme cross-stitch pillow from a design by ‘The Primitive Hare’ - a bit late, I know! This was a nice easy finish done in just a day, but all being in the one colour helped a lot

And secondly, now don’t laugh at me too much, I’ve finaaallly resumed work on my ‘Heart and Home’ quilt, which I actually started …… wait for it, nearly 6 (yes 6) years ago – I’ve just shame facedly looked back on the blog …. July 2009 was when I started it (check the link for proof)!! I made the quilt top up quite quickly at the time and then it sat, and sat, and sat for about the next 5 years, until last year when I added a further 'Piano keys' border to make it bigger, and then had it ‘sandwiched’ ready for quilting: then finally on Friday last week I made a start on the quilting. Truth to tell; I’ve been putting it off really having decided to hand-quilt it (mad I know!!), but I just luuurrrvve the rustic, country look of hand-quilting – I just hope it’s not going to take another 6 years to finish! Nooooooo!!

It’s probably difficult to see, but this is a close-up of part of the bit I’ve done so far – can you see, around the red heart? You won’t believe how excited I was when I did this …… little things etc. etc LOL

And, from a distance …….

I'll be back soon (I hope!!) to show it finished 

Dear Jane

I’m really getting back into cross-stitch lately and enjoying it, although I am missing my quilting at the same time – if ONLY there were more hours in the day!!!!

What could be better though than a combination of the two! I’ve just bought myself this new chart

(saw it on someone else’s blog as usual!) and couldn’t resist (as usual!!). It’s a cross-stitch pattern based on the ‘Dear Jane’ quilt, but a scaled down version of it. I really love it and can’t wait to get started on it ..... along with many other cross-stitch patterns, some quilting – oh, yes, and I’ve also been having a little go at crocheting lately .... just to add to the pile!!! I just can’t help myself!!!

Quilt No.2 finished!!

......... well, very nearly anyway, I just have a little bit of hand sewing to complete the last part of the binding, but I wanted to take a photograph of it in the daylight to get as true a refection of the colours as possible. I'm very pleased with the result - I love the colours, but the best part was how quilckly I've made it from start to finish, which has been a matter of weeks as opposed to the 18 months my first quilt took me to make. Of course, this is a much easier pattern, but it still looks good. It's not full double bed size, well, not so that it would hang down the sides anyway. It's certainly big enough to cover the top of the bed, but I've decided I'm going to just keep it in the lounge to snuggle up under on chilly nights in front of the TV - sounds good to me!!

I don't know about you other ladies, but I find it difficult to allow myself to start on something else until the current project is done, probably in fear that I'll never go back to it, so now that my quilt is finished, I can start to think of my next project, which will be for Julie's 'Easter Swap'. I have the details of my swap partner, so now I have to get my thinking cap on ........ I wonder what I shall make!!

Well, Spring is around the corner .... hopefully anyway! It is still a bit chilly, but let's hope we're done with the snow for this winter. We've had a bit of sunshine and the buds are starting to come through - enough to make you feel brighter eh!