Monthly Archives: December 2011

New Stash in the Old Year

Not only have I bought new fresh and modern fabrics in Prague but also a few colourful machine quilting threads from Gutermann and Mettler.

Look at these dots – aren’t they beautiful? And the tasty cakes, and the colourful cats!!

The Mettler thread is made in Spain, but I cannot find a place to buy it local. So made in Spain it travels to the Czech Republic and then back with me to Alicante in Spain. What a crazy world – or is this called GLOBAL ?!

Just before Christmas a thick envelope arrived from the States. Thanks for the good and quick service at Hawthorne Threads I have received a full fat quarter bundle from the Echo Collection by Lotta Jansdotter. I just love the golden-yellow shades as well as the grey ones. Cannot wait to start a new quilt.

And the matching quilting threads (once more brought from Prague) :

Keep on dreaming of new ideas, new work and new projects – it is all worth it!

Barbora

Tutorial : Oven Mitts Chilli Pepper

First of all I am happy to be back in Spain. We have sunshine and mild temperatures for this time of the year. And imagine, in 2 weeks time we are already in 2012.

Anyway, back to the tutorial. Photo of the finished oven mitts :

Pair of Oven Mitts Chilli Pepper

Materials  – quantity for a pair of oven mitts:

  • 4x pieces of  decoration fabric, size 9,5″ x 10″ (I have opted for solid orange and a chilli pepper pattern fabric)
  • 4x Insul-Bright from the Warm Company or any other heat-resistant batting, size 9,5″ x 10″
  • 4x 100% cotton batting, size 9,5″ x 10
  • 4x cotton muslin or other cotton fabric for backing, size 9,5″ x 10″
  • approx. 1 yard ½ inch (1.27 cm) double fold bias tape for binding and hanging loops
  • coordinating cotton thread for sewing and quilting

Oven mitt pattern – see the proximate size on the cutting board:

1

Press and cut all fabrics and batting.

Making a sandwich: place first the backing fabric, wrong side up. Next cotton batting, than heat-resistant batting (check instructions from producer, which side up), finally the decoration fabric.

2

Baste the layers together and choose color of the quilting thread :

3

Check once more the size and think about the quilting pattern.

4

I have opted for vertical (on the chilli fabric) and horizontal (orange) lines :

5

Square both sandwiches, orange and chilli fabric facing each other on the inside and mark the oven mitt pattern. Bast all layers together :

6

Sew around the marked line, on the thumb side leave approx. 4″ open (no seam yet), trim both mitts.

8

Now take the bias tape and start at the thumb side, where the seam is still open. Fold it and make with it a binding around the mitt. Forgot to make pics – silly me!!

Cut approx 6″ of the bias tape, fold and sew together to make a hanging loop. Pin the loop on the inside of the mitt and finish sewing the still open seam on the thumb side.

Turn around – you have made it !!

9

Bebop, Bebop, Baby Bib

My very first baby bib. I am already looking forward to write a tutorial.

I have still more projects in my head, they want to come out and get a cosy place with a view on the pc screen. First I go to Prague for a week to visit my parents, this year there is no snow there, but a lot of rain and wind the weather forecast.

In the meantime happy sewing, Barbora

Between Windy Beach, Dog Show, Potholders and Oven Mitts

This Saturday we are going to an other exhibition with our dog. This time it is in Alicante, so not far to drive. In the meantime I have been often to the beach with Strubbel. We had to take advantage of the few nice days in November since we have had a lot of rain. Unlikely as the rest of Europe – Germany had the driest November since weather recording and that started way back in 1881.

Strubbel is learning the traffic signs :

Some time ago I bought Insul-Bright and was waiting for the right opportunity to use it. Last week I received a custom order for an oven mit and 2 pot holders. As I am leaving for Prague next week, I decided to make some more pot holders and give them to my mum and aunt.  So I finished all these small projects, learnt a lot about multi layers and have new ideas for an Oven Mitt Tutorial. Following the results of the custom order :

 

As my client got as a present only ONE oven mitt, she thought that this does not make any sense. We do have 2 hands to use and usually a sunday roast is heavy. My first one :

These are for my Mum :

and these are for my Auntie :

The potholders were inspired by Malka Dubrawsky and here book “fresh*quilting”.

I have also finished the “Rock Around the Clock” top and put this aside for the time being. I shall start working on it when I come back from my parents. Still need to think about the backing design. Batik or solid, what shade or color and how to quilt it. There are several good sorted patchwork shops in Prague and I am really looking forward to go there!!

Next post scheduled just before Christmas, when I am back from Prague, provided there are no airline strikes, Barbora