Having browsed longingly again at the sewing machines on ebay & the web, I decided it was too much to pay out at the moment. Husb was keen to get me a new machine, but having researched into actual quilting specialist machines, all the other perfectly good domestic machines looked very dull in comparison. Anyway, my (lovely) friend, Jane, is going to lend me hers. Well, the other day as I was packing away JONES, I was explaining to Husb what was up with JONES and how I'd cleverly stuffed a bit of kitchen foil into its works temporarily mended him/the machine. Then I'd remembered what my Mum had said about the SINGER not being that complex due to age & not being electrical etc. ...not to mention they built things to last in the olden days. Well, Husb took a look at the SINGER & we peered into its underbelly. I expertly waggled a lever thingy, he turned a turny thingy AND IT STARTED TO WORK! So, I have been very happily carrying on with the patchwork, leading to an actual quilt! YAY!
For reasons unknown, Chef & Smurf have both taken a lot of interest in this project & are always keen to turn the handle (to a bossy Mother's cries of "stop!" "go!" and "hang on!" etc.)
This was the stack of panels a few days ago.
There is a pile of pink check pieces ready to attatch. This particular fabric came from a pair of jimjams that were never really worn because they twisted up and strangled me. I love the fabric tho' so thought I'd use it on the quilt.
Chef helped me by carefully cutting the last fabric pieces. I bought this purple fabric specially, as a contrast to the paler colours already used. It's got gold bits in it.
Both boys were keen to help me lay out all the panels. It's funny how I've been trying to teach the youngest chid that maths is handy in everyday life. Here was a teaching opportunity (rarely missed by me!) I'd made 35 panels and asked Smurf to tell me the factors of 35... I wanted him to realise & work out a 7 by 5 pattern, which he did. He also laid out a 6 by 6 pattern, telling me a big square quilt would be nice, but I'd have to make another panel. Loving the depth of involvement with the children's learning that you get as a home-school Mama.
This is what it looks like when we laid it out in the hall.
Our house gets pretty cold in the winter, and this lap quilt will keen us snug. I'm still not decided what to do next. Maybe a border, maybe leave it as it is. I got a double quilt cover from a charity shop to use the fabric as the backing piece. It's the same pink as on the cakes pattern.
Last night I was looking on-line at tutorials to make bags and was amazed at the re-cycling ideas out there. Did you know you can iron plastic carrier bags together to get a strong, vinyl type of material, which can be sewn? It made me think & also realise that I got LOADS more fabric pieces from ONE LEG of the jimjam trousers than in a costly half metre of fabric from Hobbycraft (although it was super cute cupcake fabric). I am going to re-cycle fabrics from second-hand shops. I can feel a bag-making-rush coming on...
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