Late Night Flower Arranging

This weekend just gone was a long weekend for us in New Zealand.  No early morning school start - so I decided to take advantage of this and partake in some flower arranging.  Meg's Garden got pulled out last night and was spread across the lounge floor.

It wasn't till the clock struck 1am that I realised I had become totally involved in arranging these flowers, peeling and sticking, re-sticking, moving, standing back and admiring, then hitting repeat.  This is my little floral jigsaw and I am having so much fun with it.  Right down to the "oh no that won't do"

I really am pleased with how this is turning out - however I will admit to being slightly nervous when I think about the raw edge applique.  This is because my sewing machine isn't my best friend at the moment.  It's on the way out, dying a slow and painful death.  The doctors aren't too sure what the problem is, perhaps just old age. 


I think it's because I am cursed!  I have never had a new sewing machine, mine have all been second hand (except the little blue toy sewing machine I had when I was little, it did chain stitch and was reliable!) and they just don't love me like they should. 

My newest old machine was given to me by my mum, which was given to her by her mum which was given to her by you guessed it ... my mum.  It's done full cirlce but after sewing a stack of nappies on it and some other little bits and pieces it is now missing stiches!  Occasionally it makes a clunk sound and then the other day needles started breaking!  It has been well looked after and serviced etc - it just hates me!

So I think I may have to do the raw edge applique on this beauty ...

Oh don't laugh.  No, have a laugh, I am!  She has an air of reliablity about her don't you think!  So to get in her good graces I am going to name her ... any ideas?  I was thinking Mabel.  Able Mabel.


As a result of this development  I have decidied that next weekend I will win lotto and with the winnings I am going to buy new sewing machine!

So till next time
Amelia

PS
I had a couple of comments asking what size hexagon I use.  I use a 1½ inch - that is a side is 1½ inch.

What's Your Favourite Shape?

Mine is a hexagon.  Of course my favourite shape has evolved over the years.  When I was younger it was a heart.  I would write letters to my friends and sign off  " ♥ Amelia"  and yes the i in my name had a little heart to dot it.  That was my pink-heart-love-anything with glitter phase.  Then I moved to the star phase the whole celestial thing, the sun the moon and all of that.  I still like stars (not so much the whole celestial thing), I even made a star quilt for Miss E (DD3), made from the scraps out of my Mum's scrap bin, she has the best scrap bin filled with the most delicious tid-bits!!

But back to hexagons.  I like how they are even.  They fit together in just the right way, you can make flowers with them, they break down in to triangles and diamonds, throw in a petagon and you can make a ball endless inspiration. 

This shape started my affair with quilting.  My first quilt, still unfinished, was started when I was pregnant with Miss S (DD2) you guessed it - hexagons, a variation on a grandmothers flower garden.

It is made Mostly from my Mum's scrap bin and many generous donation's from her stash (she has a wicked cool stash!).  This is not the whole quilt.  It has 99 flower hexagons and has been quilted using a vergiated perle cotton, big stitch styles.  It has the tinest bit of quilting left to do on the border, which I really should finish, i'll get there, it just won't be this week. Or next for that matter.

Have a look what I have left over...

Yep I got a bit carried away with the cutting and the basting.  But was just so much fun!

And then there are these...

These are a super long term swap I have going with my Mum, made from fun bright fabrics lots and lots of colour, taking a leaf from Freddy Moran's books (is there such thing as too much colour?)  The fun thing about these blocks is the fussy cutting - one piece of fabric could have the potential to look oh so different depending on how you cut it.

We decided to english paper piece, to aviod the descrepencies which can occur between quilters.  The orginal inspiration came from a quilt called Candied Hexagons,  Quiltsalott has a post here if you want more information including information about the pattern.  

So I ♥ Hexagons.  What shape do you ♥ ?


Amelia

Sew here we go

Here we go, or start, as the case may be. Sew Stitched Up is about me, my stitching sometimes my family and what ever else tickles my fancy at the time.


Hopefully starting this will help me find the time start the projects I dream about, finish the ones I have started and receive inspiration for those yet to come (no small order).


So I guess this is the point where I 'insert photo here'




The above (Meg's Garden, designed by Kellie from Don't Look Now) is my most recent project I have on the go. Lots and lots of pretty flowers in delicious Kaffe fabrics, donated to my worthy cause from my mum's impressive stash. I love Kellie's designs and with three girls I need to make this. Yes need, want has nothing to do with it.
Untill next time
Amelia