Dec 2021 – My Stash Reduction Quest

Greetings all! This blog post is intended to be a riot of colour, a bit of chat and a new to me technique.

I’ve made a quilt for all of our Niblings so I wanted to make one for our newest edition, as well as her wardrobe. This quilt was really fun to make and, likely due to experience, came together relatively pain-free! It’s a lot bigger than I set out to make in order to make the most of the Jelly Roll. In my mind, it morphed into something that can be used as a play mat, then as a quilt when she’s in a proper bed in a few years. The rainbow pattern is non-age specific so hopefully our niece will enjoy it for many years. If she grows out of Miffy, we can discuss a new backing fabric!

Both the Jelly Roll and stars fabric are from The Sewing Studio. The Jelly Roll is a Tula Pink True Colours one and was so fun to unravel. I didn’t use all of the colours – there were some darker colours but I was nervous about washing it for the first time. I can confirm that a colour catcher is a brilliant invention and the finished quilt survived its first wash!

The Miffy backing fabric came from Love Crafts and is so cute. When I bought the backing, I had already realised it was a bigger quilt than first intended so I thought Miffy would suit a baby, toddler and child. Plus, I’ve recently put a Snoopy backing on a quilt for our living room so who’s to say she’ll ever grown out of it?!

Putting the quilt together

I got the pattern idea from trusty Pinterest. I thought it showed off the rainbow colours really nicely, but the flipped middle stripe adds some interest. I absolutely love the green stripe that goes across the whole quilt – total fluke but so satisfying!

The wadding was a different shape to the quilt top so I ended up creating a bit of a Frankenstein sandwich filling. I chopped the excess from the sides, then stitched the off-cuts to the bottom. I flattened the seam and ran a line of zig-zag stitching over the top so there are no raw edges inside. After I quilted, this little workaround isn’t noticeable.

Unfortunately my chalk stitching lines did NOT come off in the wash which is a shame. I’m hoping they will wash off over time but at the moment it looks like I’ve used yellow thread in some points.

New technique

In my opening paragraph, I promised you a new technique, and I haven’t forgotten. When binding quilts, I take the lazy option and always machine-stitch both sides. Apologies to the purists but I don’t have the patience, or the eyesight, to hand-stitch the circumference of a quilt. With this quilt, I even used pre-made binding!

Learning about mitred corners a while ago was a game-changer, but I found a tip online that takes it to the next level. This tip involves stitching off the binding/quilt at a 45 degree angle which makes the corner much cleaner, therefore pleasing to the eye of this eternal perfectionist. I’ve added some sequential photos below but the second one is the magic bit.

Also, can we please take a moment (again) to appreciate the wonder clip?

Finishing touches

Labels used to be something that I cut out of clothes for various reasons. More recently, I feel like a project (be it garment or otherwise) isn’t complete without a cheeky little label. I went slightly overboard with this quilt, under the guise of “sensory play”!

I added two Kylie and the Machine labels into the binding at opposite corners. I then added a Strong Girls Club patch to the front. I had this patch to add to a dress but I decided it would last longer on the quilt so attached with embroidery thread and blanket stitch, being careful not to go through the backing layer.

Thank you for reading about this colourful present :o) I’m really hoping it is well made do can be used for many years!

Hello all! In the spirit of looking back and reflecting on the past year, I thought that a little Make Nine round up was due.

Scouring through my 2021 blog posts, I realised that I didn’t get as far as an “intentions” post for this year’s nine. I did post on my Instagram stories though, and drew the line drawings in my journal.

I love a bit of (healthy) reflection. Year after year, I find that Make Nine gives me a small plan for the year but also an opportunity to look back through my makes and remember everything. I remember what I’ve made, what went well, what didn’t go so well, quick makes, slow makes, gifts…it’s a visual walk down memory lane.

For an explanation of Make Nine, my posts from 2020 here and here will hopefully help.

What were this year’s nine?

Back in January 2021, I looked at my existing stash – both fabric and pattern – to create my Nine. The UK was back in lockdown and my husband and I were excited about the prospect of moving house so converting some flat fabric into 3d clothes felt like a sensible choice.

Knitting projects

Knitting has been an emotional well-being saviour many times, and even more so over the past few years. If I have “knitting sticks”, as my husband calls them, in my hands then I’m not on the internet. I completed all three of my knitting projects this year.

The Baa-ble Hat had been in my stash for so many years and I’m so pleased I finally made two! The hats are already out of storage and being used this year, although the pom-pom on mine needs re-attaching as it’s a bit too wobbly.

The two patterns from West Beach Knits were fun to knit up and I learnt the important new skill of “thumbs” thanks to the Kew Fingerless Mitts. I later discovered that thumbs are essentially tiny sleeves and felt confident to tackle jumpers. I’ll save this revelation for a later post though…

My passion for sewing socks will only end when my feet are warm, so I’ve definitely got a few more sock-years in me. The Larvikite pattern and paired yarn gave me a longing for holidays with lakes and mountains, and itch that is yet to be scratched!

Sewing projects

I chose six sewing projects in my MakeNine2021 and made four which I’m proud of because other makes took on a more important role as the year progressed.

In January, I was feeling very regal and made two purple makes to go with the Kew Mitts I talked about above. Both of these have been in constant rotation throughout the year which is always a good sign. The Nina Lee Southbank sweater dress in particular is so comfortable to wear whilst sitting at a desk all day and helps reduce the number of times I press “boost” on the central heating panel.

The Jessica skirt made my MakeNine list two years running. I actually made two Jessicas this year – this Tiger version and a maxi-length one in Ankara print. The Tiger skirt has seen four seasons as it goes well with boots and tights as well as flip-flops so it’s a real workhorse in my wardrobe. The maxi-skirt is definitely more of a summer make due to the palette and style but I had a lot of fun pretending to be one of Cinderella’s sisters in our garden!

My final sewing make was the Reeta dress which had some tricky elements but was worth the effort. The fabric hasn’t washed particularly well, which is a real shame. I only wash at 30deg so it hasn’t been harshly treated in any way but it’s made me think twice about that particular designer in the future.

The style is definitely something I will continue wearing though and may look at another (in different fabric) for next summer to help preserve the life of this one.

What’s left

So what is still on the list and will they ever be made? Originally I had the Deer and Doe Magnolia in my nine for a wedding we were due to go to. However, the wedding has been postponed to next year so the ‘deadline’ to make that shifted. It’s a pattern that I love on everybody though so I definitely still want to make it.

That leaves the poor Portobello trousers which have been on my list for at least three years now. I really like the look of this pattern and got as far as a first toile in the Spring when it looked like we might be heading back to the office. Again, “events” took over, we moved house, summer came (what there was of it) and then we were told to continue working at home so my need for a smart trouser wasn’t as urgent. Again, I do want to make this pattern – eventually – but I think I want to make an adjustment to incorporate an elasticated back waistband.

Thanks for reading :o)

Month: Dec 2021

Nibling’s quilt