Acid green patchwork (+ a photo tutorial)

In my home there's a little bathroom near the kitchen. Its colors are acid green, white and dark brown (the door). Love this colors together!
Recently we bought a new piece of forniture in white.

I liked it, but its upper shelf seemed to me so empty!

So I decided to decorate it a bit with a piece made by me. It was a great occasion to use some green and brown fabric scraps I religiously saved :)

Time for patchwork!!!

 

This is what I made:

(I don't know how to call it, both in italian and in english... suggestions?)

 

The inspiration came from the book "The practical guide to patchwork" by Elizabeth Hartman. Of course her instructions in the book are for a big quilt, but I decided to work in smaller dimensions and to sew a block made of only 9 squares (adjusting the measurements).

 

I had a lot of fun taking photos of the whole process to share with you, but I didn't want to make this post too heavy, so I put them together in a collage with picmonkey.

The result is a sort of photographic (and intuitive) tutorial, similar to the one I made for my fabric peonies.

I also wrote a scheme of the measurements in my sewing notebook.

Hope these two little things will help you to make something for you or your home.

Fabric used for this project:

- dove-color leftovers (I used this fabric before for this bag for me and this bag for Gaf)

- 2 squares of fabric with paisley pattern (part of a batch of sample I received as a gift)... paisley is my new obsession!

- 1 square of recycled upholstery fabric (center)

- 6 squares of fabrics scraps I bought years ago from U-handbag shop, when Lisa, the owner, was selling bags of mixed leftovers of the fabrics she used to make her bag for the shop.

- dark brown fabric for the back

- a sheet of "spongy" interfacing

 

Now my bathroom is a happier place to be :)

Bye, August / Hallo, September

A barbecue with special and funny friends on Mount Etna... you know, I can't resist to unconventional sources of light, I have to take photos!

 

My dahlias are giant and full of colors.

The thing that surprizes me most is that they seem to be everlasting: the first dahlia, blossomed one month ago, is still in its place in good conditions *___*

 

 

We celebrated My fiancè's birthday. And his mother's birthday, too! They were born the same day :)

 

The third day of rain of the whole summer came!

Now we'll have tepid temperatures for a couple of super happy days (here in the southern mediterranean regions summer's end hasn't arrived yet, sun and warm days will stay with us till the end of september or the beginning of october).

 

Acid green patchwork for my acid green bathroom... a lot of fun:

 

 

I'm going to publish a post about it, with a sort of photographic tutorial, so stay tuned if you are interested!

 

Hope you have some random happy things to think about in these days like me :)

A bag and two bracelets

Shop update! :)

Recently I made another bag with a sheet of floral brocade (recycled). I'm in love with these fabrics, but sadly only one cloth (but big!) remains.

This bag is in dark blue with peach and green flowers. Here you can find more informations about it.

Then I made two fabric wrap bracelets with charms. I'm still working with the tiny fabric scraps I received last november. They have lovely patterns and colors, but are so small that patchwork is requested.

The first is floral and feminine, in pink and blue (a lot of blue in my recent works for the shop!); it has my favourite charm (the hand with the word 'handmade') and a cute owl!

The second has a modern look. It's made of four stripes of fabrics with the same pattern of larg dots, butt different colors (purple, pink, white and light grey). THe charms are a crown with the word 'princess' and a little and essential key.

I made other patchwork bracelets. And something about me.

A busy week!

I had no time for big craft projects, but I intensively felt the need to create something. So I dedicated myself to some patchwork wrap bracelets: easy and fast to make, funny, colorful. Great satisfaction in a bite of time!

Bracelets making can become a bit addictive. Yes.

I have so many fabric scraps to use, so lovely, that I can't resist! And if you are a crafter I'm sure you understand me!

The patchwork bracelets I made are:

- two with flowers for a friend who ordered them from me (she picked some fabrics thanks to some photos - here, here and here - and the charms, too! 100% personalized!)

- one for the shop, beacause it became empty of bracelets last sunday after selling this and this. It's a romantic pink&white bracelet with roses;  charms are a crown, a little hand with the word "handmade" and a dragonfly. Not in the shop yet, but I think I'll have the time to list it today.

Opinions?

Let me add something not-bracelets-related.

It's a sunny morning, after two terrible days of rain (with flooding and blocked roads). I'm so happy! Washing machine is working hard this morning and I'm going to clean the house and let the sun come in! :)

In these days I felt a special desire to drawing. I don't know why, it's the first time for me that I feel it in a so strong way. Probably I have something to say and express with drawings. But I had the time only to make two of my faux postage stamps :(

Last sunday I started the day in a very special way: I read the blog post Pam wrote about me! Me! I'm so honoured! Pam's appreciation fills my heart with joy! Thank you, Pam!!! You are a lovely person and I hope you'll permit me to call you "my friend Pam", though we haven't known in person yet.

New bracelets... it's time for patchwork!

I have a lot of small fabric samples with lovely prints and patterns, in all colors available in the world. In these days I'm experimenting a lot with them, working on little accessories for women and for home decor.

I sold two of my first three wrap bracelets last autumn (orange, blue), so I decided to make other bracelets fo spring, in pastel and light colors with flowers and other springy things.

The fabric samples was so little than I had to do some patchwork and I've experimented the proverb 'to make a virtue of necessity': they came out so pretty in their mix of colors! :)

In the photo above you can see the first of them.

It's a two-spins wrap bracelets in pastel colors with printed roses. I added a hand-shaped charm with the word 'handmade' and two faux mother-of-pearl buttons. Romantic!

It's available here, as usual (follow the link not only to buy, but to read more informations, too).

This is the second one:

Lighter colors (grey, pale pink and white) with three charms: the same hand, a dragonfly, a key. This one is a bit different because it makes three spins around your wrist.

Here my shop's page about it.

Do you like them?

I hope to inspire you to make something similar for you, if you have some fabric scraps (if you sew, I know you have!!!).

In the shop you'll find the first wrap bracelet I made: it's blue, with a modern look and three charms (there's also a funny owl!).

Moleskine cover for owl lovers (and photos of the process, too)

This is my last work for the shop: a moleskine cover I'm selling together with its moleskine cahier notebook.

It was born in a dark late saturday afternoon when, tidying up my sewing room, I noticed how some leftovers of previous projects matched in a lovely way.

I really like the soft and quiet mix of brown, taupe, light blue, white and grey!

So I started to cut some stripes of fabric and I put this cover together. A super simple patchwork project.

And, because I'm a bit obsessed by using charms in sewing in this period, I added a funny owl charm :)

While making it I took some photos of the process. I like to save this kind of photos, expecially when they represent my hands at work (photos from the past... my hands at the sewing machine and my hands knitting).

I like the result. Probably it will make happy a person who loves owls :)

'A pillow in a box' is finished! (patchwork pillowcase n.2)

Do you remeber my "pillow in a box"?

I started to work on it last may and I've finished it... yesterday!

I really don't know why I've let the whole summer go on without finishing it, but it happened. Well, it's not a problem: it's finished, I like it, S. likes it... this matters to me! :)

I made the front by sewing four stripes of recycled linen (from dad's old clothes) to a central panel of hand-sewn exagons (realized with paper piecing tecnique).

The back is a square of new dark brown cotton fabric.

The pillowcase is closed by a brown zip.

The exagons are made both of new and recycled/vintage fabrics, as usual (totally my style).

In details:

- light beige ---> recycled linen (same fabric of the frame)

- aqua ---> recycled (from an auntFran's dress)

- light beige with flowers ---> vintage fabric I turned into a Barbie's skirt when I was a child and now I turned into three exagons (funny!)

- dark brown ---> recycled (mum's skirt)

- geometric pattern in brown/white/green ---> vintage

- other fabrics: new, bought on line in small scraps (they were so beautiful and so cheap!)

I've added in a corner a lovely charm with the word "handmade" I bought here (together with a lot of other charms I'll use in some projects in the future). I love this detail! I'll add this little charm on all the things I made for my home.

I'm going to embroider on the back also a little "2011"; I want to leave a clear and exact reminder to the period when I've made something for my home. I think it's a good idea.

If you like 'patchwork pillowcase n.2'... here you can find 'patchwork pillowcase n.1". My favourite is n.2 :)

Next patchwork projects? Maybe a table runner for my kitchen.

I'm designing it in these days, I'll probably try 'log cabin' blocks.

Patchwork pillowcase n.1

When my adventures in sewing began I was sure about a thing: patchwork didn't appeal to me.

And now...

...I'm obsessed with patchwork projetcs, I'm crazy for hexagons, I read books about patchwork and I sew pillowcases with little scraps of fabrics.

Everything changes.

And I'm happy it is so! :)

Patchwork satisfied my need to use all the tiny leftovers of fabric I save from my projects. I hate wastes of materials!

Paper piecing technique is great when you want to work to a sewing project, but you can't use your sewing machine. And I love patchwork also because it is lovely in little projects for your home (and I like everything has little dimensions, do you remember?).

This pillowcase is my first finished patchwork project.

And it's not perfect. I don't know exactly why, but the squares don't fit perfectly, though I'm usually careful when I cut fabric. Well, it doesn't matter! I like my pillow anyway!

I mixed some different fabrics for it:

- organic light blue linen I received from Manuela

- black cotton, recycled from old trousers

- some black/white and grey/white ikea fabrics (other projects' leftovers)

- old pink corduroy and vintage pink cotton with white dots (I've already use them here and here)

- white cotton with grey flowers I received from my friend Alice (a vintage fabric she found in her grandmother's home)

I didn't use a pattern for this project; as usual I mixed all the squares following my personal taste.

I've also nearly finished my first project: a pillowcase with hexagons.

The front panel is done and I really like it, but I haven't a suitable fabric for the back. I hope to find it soon.

A pillow in a box

...a plastic box coming from the supermarket. It was for little tomatoes.

Ok, let me explain you how a pillow can enter in a box :)

  

It is my may project: I'm sewing a patchwork pillow like this. 

Well, similar to it, I am not so skilled to make a smart work like that.

But I can try (my motto is "Do it the same"). A pillow with cute little hexagons, handstitched patiently by me in my free moments... love it!

To avoid my (usual) mess I decided to put everything I need in a box: a spool of thread, needles, scissors, paper hexagons, pre-cutted fabrics and finished hexagons waiting to be attached together.

I found it a simple but useful idea, also because it allows me to go sewing in the garden with everything I need collected in a small and light box.

In the secondo photo you can see some hexagons I made. Aquamaryne, brown and sand hexagons are recycled: I used fabric leftovers from old clothes (auntFran's linen dress, mum's skirt and dad's trousers). I'll match these plain fabrics with other clothes with assorted colors and patterns. The main tones of this pillow will be brown, pale green and sand.

I love these colors.

I started to sew the hexagons together.

I decided not to follow a pattern but to mix them following what my taste suggests me hexagon after hexagon.

I'm not sure this is a good choice, but it's my first big patchwork project and I want to make some experiments.

I'm making this pilllow for my future home: I have no ideas about our armchair's colors, but I'm sure it will look great with this made-with-love-pillow! :)

Don't forget my GIVEAWAY!

Entry here to win a 20$ voucher to buy what you want in my shop!

Book rewiev: Patchwotk for beginners

In March I wrote a post about some books I was tempted to buy.

A month later the right occasion came: my 34th birthday (I like make gifts to myself).

After some reflections I've added to my cart also a book about patchwork: "Patchwork for beginners".

There are a lot of books about this subject I want to learn, but this one seemed to me simple enough for a newbie like me.

When it arrived, at the firts (fast) glance I became a bit disappointed: the book it's so thin and it has only a few very simple projects, not so interesting.

But in the evening I looked into its pages more carefully and... I completely changed my mind :)

I noticed that it is a book published by Victoria and Albert Museum, so it has a historical approach to the subject.

It shows not only the art of patchwork in itself, but also related objects that are saved in the museum.

I'm in love, for example, with this photos of an album of dress materials realized in England by lady Barbara Johnson (1746-1823).

So beautiful fabric scraps of an old era, that really fascinate me.

Working as an historian of art, I often had to study tissues even older and I have a real passion for them.

As a crafter I love this photo of the wrong side of a patchwork coverlet from 1829: you can see how paper piecing works, but also old paper scraps written by people in the past.

There are also lovely quotes: one from a message written by Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra in 1811 ("Have you remembered to collect pieces for the patchwork?..."), some from texts writtend by girls and ladies learning to sew, and my favourite, from a book published in 1943, that says "Remember that even the smallest scraps left over from your renovations will come in useful for something - patching, tea cosies, covering for buttons...".

Oh, yes, I remember! I have a whole big grocery bag full of tiny scraps of fabric expecting to be used! :)

The book shows some projects, too, of course: hexagon pincushions, square cushion cover, windmill cot coverlet, applique, inusual patterns. Super simple! I think they are too simple even for me.

The books gives also some basic informations about fabrics and paper piecing tecnique; there are also the templates you need for the projects (simple geometric figures).

Explanations are clear and simple, well-written.

After reading this book, I can't avoid to surf into the "books and media" section of V&A Museum's shop.

What a stupid girl I am! Now I need some of the great books I saw there!

Well, there will be for sure another occasion to buy for me some gift, eh eh!

Do you want to know what I purchased with "Patchwork for beginners"?
I bought other three books:

- The writing diet, by Julia Cameron (I've read "The artist way" in winter)

- The bag making bible, by Lisa Lam

- Watcha mean what's a zine

I'll write a review of them soon, I promise!