A scrappy quilt for Clem, with quality control by Skylar

 Here's a quilt I made for Clem over the last couple of weeks: the fastest actual pieced quilt I've ever made. (Also only the fourth, so no world records here.)

A scrappy quilt, that's almost all garment scraps, and looking particularly 'scrappy' here because I forgot it was in the washing machine for a few hours before hanging it out to dry, very rumpled. Let's call it 'texture'.

 I started out by organising my fabric stash (whatever came over me?), and putting aside a bunch of cotton flannel pieces, mostly left over from making pyjama pants. But there wasn't enough variety there for a full flannel quilt. Sure, I could have sourced more flannel, but I was on a mission to use up scraps. And I thought my tactile, fabric-loving Clemmy would probably love a quilt with lots of soft bits as well as other interesting prints... and so I widened my scrap search.

As the mother of a 13-year-old now (and that's a whole other topic), I am acutely aware that what might appeal one year can be downright embarrassing the next. If 7y.o. Clem had his pick of fabrics now, it would be all cute, cute, cute. And I'm very ready to indulge that for things with a shorter lifespan, like clothes. But for a quilt, I wanted to choose prints that, I hope, will stay in favour as he grows.

By telling Clem the quilt was for him, I knew I'd have a little project manager on my back, pushing me to get this finished. He also wanted to help.

My other expert helper was Skylar, who has happily settled into being the absolute furry centre of our family. Oh, how we adore her! Do you know, greyhounds barely have any 'doggy' smell at all, so you can totally bury your face in that soft, soft spot just behind her ear and tell her what a gorgeous thing she is. Another thing about greyhounds is they are very good at testing out anything soft-looking that you lay out on the ground.

At strip-piecing stage.

At pin-basting stage.

And at post-quilting, pre-binding stage.

I was tempted as a kind of challenge to use nothing but scraps for the quilt backing, too, but didn't have enough of anything suitable. So I nabbed a bit of this Erin McMorris print from the sale trunk at the shop (it's little houses - I love it), chopped it in half and stuck big chunks of flannel down the centre. And then bound it with some snuggly-feely chocolate brown corduroy scrap from the stash.

My machine quilting is inexpert but better than I've managed previously. I'm thinking it was due to massively easing off the presser foot pressure.

And of course, Skylar has tested out the finished object. Clem's pretty happy with it, too!

As I was making this quilt, I was pondering that there's actually not very much I enjoy about making a quilt. Except that I'm, well, making a quilt. I love what it becomes and seeing it take shape. But the cutting? Blah. The pressing? Blah. The sewing? Dull! The basting? Yawn. The wrangling of masses of fabric under a machine? Sweary. Thank heavens at the end you actually get a quilt.

How do you feel about quilts and quilting, if that's not too massive a question in sewing-land?

- Jane x

Pom tiddly om pom, pom pom

Ah, so much has gone unblogged or almost blogged. 

And in case that sounds dramatic, let me assure you, it's not at all. In fact it's been entirely humdrum, everyday unblogged. I have indeed been sewing, but I've shared things for me over at The Drapery blog so don't want to double up. Ah, might throw in a photo or two at the end here.

But down to business - oh and sorry, it's more dog business. Ew, not that kind.

I made a pompom for Skylar today. It was such a success I wanted to share, and it seemed like a quick and likely way to get back into the blogging habit.

Skylar loves fuzzy things, and had taken a particular liking to a woollen pompom that I made with the boys some years ago, that's been hanging about the house ever since. We throw it for her out the back, she races at it, snaps it up, flips it in the air and basically goes crazy for the thing. It's looking the worse for wear.

 

 I do rather like the traditional method of pompom making, with two cardboard rings, poking the wool through and around, through and around. However, it's time-consuming. And I came across an adapted method that doesn't really feel like cheating, but is a whole load quicker. Yep, found it on Pinterest.

 I think it made a very satisfactory pompom! I tied it as tightly as I could, knowing now the kind of treatment it was in for. (Those are shreds of the earlier pompom around on the lawn.)

 I didn't manage to capture Skylar doing her full flip-out, which she generally reserves for 7am or earlier. Later in the day she prefers a quick trot and lie down. It's easy to see why racing never suited her. Most of the races are at night. Silly races.

 Your move, pompom.

Below are the cardboard pieces I used for pompom construction, after removal. I think these may be bigger than the templates provided in the Pinterest link. When I printed out the largest one, it looked pretty small so I made up my own. I may have buggered up the printing, or I may just prefer a giant pompom.

And the pompom pieces are sitting on the laptop on which I type my blog posts - grubby old thing! Complete with 'bread tag elves' courtesy of Jasper.

Now, on with random recent photo grabs!

Here's a t-shirt I made for Clem with some awesome cotton/spandex knit with NINJAS!! from Crafty Mamas. I have come to the conclusion that as the sizes get bigger in this, my favourite Ottobre 'Best t-shirts' pattern, the neck bands get a bit tighter, especially if you use spandex knit, and I've ended up with a bit of scrunching up around the neckline. So I should make them a bit longer in future.

 

 

 I blogged about my Grainline Alder dress at The Drapery, but suffice to say I love, love love it and am wearing it again right now, which is at least the 3rd day in the last week (less than?) since I finished it. Yes, it has been washed :)

Lastly, lest this end up in unfinished-draft-land, here are some photos from a weekend that Andy and I had in Melbourne, without children. Yes. I tagged along on a work thing he was there for. We ate a lot, walked a lot, saw some children's theatre (work) and saw this utterly gorgeous 'Golden Mirror Carousel' at the National Gallery of Victoria. It turns super-slowly and silently and the seats gently sway and the whole thing was quite magical.

So there. That's a bit of stuff from lately! If you have read this far, may your week be filled with golden mirror-ness :)

- Jane x

The big dog photo post, to get it out of my system, before we resume normal programming

Looking back through my photos of the past month or so, one thing dominates. This furry beast who has brought so much joy to our family. 

Well, everyone except for the cat. Elodie is not happy about Skylar. Still not happy. But I think she's just going to have to suck it up.

I made Skylar another coat out of knit fabrics... it turned out a bit big and floppy. It keeps her warm but Andy calls it 'her nightie' and insists it will never leave the house.

 She also likes to 'wear' this crocheted rug and will happily cruise the house in it.

 She helps me with sewing.

 

I fully realise not everyone will be as besotted with our dog as we are. I think my parents find her vaguely annoying. I don't always like other people's dogs. It's okay. But I have to do this doggy bloggy post because Skylar is making me - all of us -  very happy right now.

Andy loves her so much he was inspired to make her a toy: this felt bone (with bonus meaty bits). I did the sewing but he did all the rest. He said 'Now I can throw her a frick'n bone every morning'... so this has henceforth been known as 'the frick'n bone'.

 Skylar likes the frick'n bone.

 

Below is the photo I sent to the Dog and Cat Management Board to go on her official Green Collar card, which shows that she has passed her Green Collar test and is allowed to walk in public without a muzzle on. Hooray! No more face cage or coat with 'L-plates'. Look at those little whiskers! Good lord, I could eat her up.

Such a sweetie.

Clem quote: "I want to marry my dog!"
Charlie quote: "How did I survive for 13 years without a dog?"

Okay, enough now. Time to press 'publish' and go to bed.

- Jane x

I have a girl to sew for!

Okay, so she may be on the furry, four-legged side of girliness. But that won't be stopping me.

 This is Skylar (in handmade reversible coat and linen cowl, ahem). We picked her up on Friday afternoon from GAP - the Greyhound Adoption Program of SA - through their Foster to Adopt program. We've never had a dog before and it could have been dicey introducing one to our cat and chickens, so this was a kind of try-before-you-buy option.

 But heck, she's going nowhere.

Except back on her lovely cushion with Andy's slippers that she stole from the bedroom.
Skylar is 16 months old and was bred to race, but was apparently never interested. She's not very interested in chasing our cat or chickens either, yay! In fact Elodie the cat had her bailed up in Charlie and Jasper's bedroom last night, and Skylar was trying to hide her head in a drawer and pretend she wasn't there while waiting for her people to come and rescue her.

 Greyhounds evidently make fabulous pets. I've been campaigning the family for one for some years. Finally it seemed like the right time. On top of all the other fabulous things about these dogs, they have very little body fat and therefore actually need doggy coats and such loveliness. What fun! I traced a basic pattern off the L-Plate 'greyhound pet in training' walking jacket that came along with her as part of the fostering process and I'm sure I'll tweak the pattern in future.

Welcome to our family, Skylar!

- Jane x

weekendish stuff

Nothing earth-shattering here, just a few pictures from lately.

Elodie declares that it was so nice of Clem and me to create a little framework for her bottom to sit down in.

Jasper seems to have the Etch-A-Sketch thing figured out.

Inspired by the astonishingly good beers we tasted (in goodly quantities) in New Zealand, we have dug out the homebrew kit and made a batch, bottled last weekend. Ready to taste next weekend!

Charlie and Jasper weren't sure if we were taking advantage of them by asking for their help with a brew they can't drink, but the lure of the bottle capper gadget won them over.

And another New Zealand-inspired taste sensation: Eton Mess, which Jasper discovered over there at a restaurant and has been wanting to try making ever since. He did today, using the recipe in the River Cottage cookbook and oh, it was so good. He wants to make it for his friends who are coming over to celebrate his birthday next weekend.

And we have just wound up the weekend by watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with these big boys - the second time they've seen it - and it really is such a great movie. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it yet, and really nothing unsuitable or even mildly embarrassing for the 11 and 13y.o. viewers!

- Jane x

in our neck of the woods (have you ever seen woods with a neck?)

Bits and pieces going on around here.

Clem finally, at four-and-a-half, moved into a big bed. I actually made him this quilt cover for Christmas. The bed, which was Charlie's, was waiting on the verandah for ages. It was just so hard to get excited about spending money on a mattress, but worth it for an excited 'big' little boy.

Goldie, one of our chicks that we hatched last December, laid her first egg! In fact she's the only one of the chicks we have left. That's her at the front, below.

We tried to keep our 'Blue Roo', at the back there, but he crowed all day, every day. Even if it wasn't annoying the neighbours it was driving me insane. So he's gone to a lovely home in the hills with a new flock of girls to crow for. I'm so glad we didn't have to eat him.

We've been celebrating 'Miffy's Birthday' intermittently for over a week, but no-one's really complaining about extra cake.

We also humoured Clem's desire to make 'soup' which involved him peeling and cutting up carrot and apple, which I cooked in a bit of water and he said we should blend with the "whisker".

We all had to taste it then it quietly went to the chickens. Sorry, carrot and apple.

On a grey day I spent $7 on pretties at an op-shop, which I kinda didn't need but the next day one of the boys broke a favourite plate and I contentedly thought of these new additions.

There's been a bit of snot in the house (hooray for hankies!) but today, Charlie had a productive sick-day working on the quilt that I started for him about a year ago. How massive is his hair?

And don't cats just love a work in progress?

At the rate Charlie's going we should have a quilt to show off very soon!

- Jane x