A Gift For The Quilter/Sewer- (When you don't know what to get)

My Mum is a quilter. I'm not talking about someone who has made a couple of quilts, I mean someone who lives and breathes quilts! She belongs to so many quilting groups and is out of the house sewing almost every day not including the house she spends at home.

Recently she purchased a new machine, a really fancy pants thing that looks like it could probably cook dinner as well, which would be great because Mum hates to cook with about the same amount of passion as she loves to quilt. Sadly a trait I too inherited.

Embroidered Mat

 Hey Guys,

This was a post a did a while back over at the Inspiration Cafe.

Knocking off Heather was such a joy, I got to try something that I've always wanted to but never seemed to get around to trying. Doing this gave me the perfect excuse and I have found a new love, embroidery.

So here is my embroidered mat. I wanted a mat for my sewing machine and in the craft room I am currently decorating so I googled images of sewing machines until I found one I liked and kept mine to a very simple back stitch.

As you can see here, Heather has some mad skills and you can read all about her mat over here at The Beating Hearth

There is mine doing it's duty. Heather has so many beautiful quilting projects jump on over and take a look. Thanks Heather for getting me off my butt and trying something new. Although she is a bit of an enabler when it comes to unfinished projects, between chit chatting online and getting me all excited about different projects to try, I'm never going to finish anything!

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

Be Delighted Every Day, Follow Mellywood's Mansion!

Quilt Organizer

Morning All,

The good folk at Wholeport sent me another package of craft goodness in the mail, every bloggers dream, Embroidery Hoops

Over my holidays the weather finally turned cool, the clocks went back and the nights have become long and I wanted something to hold my quilting. I needed something can just grab and go as soon as the little ones go off to bed, so here is my grab and go quilting organizer.

Supplies:

• Embroidery Hoop set of four for under $10...yes please
• Fabric
• Bias Binding
• Sewing machine/sewing supplies

First up I cut 3 circles, then cut down the fabrics to make the pockets

Sewed on the bias binding

Filled it with my quilting goodies.

Then hung it up ready to grab once them babies have hit the hay.

DIY Delight or Disaster? Oh I am delighted, don't forget to check out Wholeport for all your embroidery needs. Super cheap and come back later this week for another hooptactular project.

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

I would be delighted if you would follow me at any or all of these awesome places, just click on the picture below.

Because my Mummy Did

You know the old saying, at some point or another we all turn into our mother's.

Well I don't know about that but more and more I realize the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and I find myself from at times doing things and later think, I have no idea why I did that, it's just simply because my Mum did/does it. That's what this project is about.

A Quilted (Pointless) Laundry Mat

I remember Mum having mats in our laundry, but after I made this, I looked at it and thought, this is a wet area, why do I want to add something to the floor that is is going to require washing and cleaning? Well it's made now, so it's going in there.

Speaking of my Mum, she is a glorious quilter, I mean, she makes the MOST stunning quilts, while I on the other hand prefer to fake it and go for whatever is the easiest option. I am, under Mum's careful eye, currently making my first real quilt, complete with binding. I'll share it with you when I finish. I should add that I bought the squares pre cut, in January. I will finish it, Mum will make sure of it!

Anyway back to the pointless mat, that I will have to wash and the kids will walk all over with dirty shoes and I will regret making it for the rest of it's functioning life.

Supplies:
Assorted fabric, I had on hand
Quilt Batting
Sewing machine/Overlocker, (aka for my American friends, a Serger)
Sewing supplies
Basting spray

I cut out the 4&1'2 inch squares (when it comes to sewing I don't use metric)

Decided how I wanted them laid out

Walked away, Madeleine messed them up and so I did it again

The culprit, now behind bars (blurry because she was moving)

Sewed into strips, then sewed them together to get that diagonal pattern
Basted the batting and cut the fabric for the back. I baste with basting spray, because again, it's the cheaters easiest way to do it, then I'll add a couple of pins, just in case.

Quilted it in the ditch. If you've never done this because "in the ditch" scared you, I'm going to say do it, it's actually pretty easy

Then instead of binding it, I overlocked (serged) all the edges.

Here she is, The Pointless Laundry Mat.

DIY Delight or Disaster?

Well even though it is pointless, I like the pattern so I'm going with delight. What do you think? Do you have any pointless items or habits, that you do only because your folks did it?

Oh and here's a close up of some awesome fabric

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo