Zakka Style

After reading all the fantastic blog posts about the Zakka Style book and the Sew-along I couldn't resist and bought the book.
I've already done two projects from it and plan several more. The instructions are short and you should have some experience in sewing, but clear enough.

For the first project (Sewing Kit) I combined some Essex Linnen with a Joe Dewberry Bird scrap and some Hope Valley with some orange/sand coloured dots. I added a little bit of leather in the smaller compartment where I want to keep my scissors. They are pretty sharp and I was afraid they would wear out the thin linen pretty fast. I love the result and use it in the evening for my english paper piecing while watching TV, it fits perfectly over the armrest of our sofa.I made the pincushion smaller than in the book because I want to fit some fabric for paper piecing in the leftover space. I added two selvages for interest.

The second project I tried was the Orchad Path Tweed Pouch. I had to downsize it because I only had a small scrap of a very beautiful dark fabric that looks almost like tweed. I got it in a scrap pack I bought at the Victoria & Albert museum in London last year. The zipper was from there as well and because it sets the accent colour I chose some red leather to go at the corners. Sewing with (to thick) leather is kind of stupid, but I love the result. 

I had a scrap of a little red flower left from bag I did last month and cut it in a hexagon shape and just sewed it on. I think more hexagons would be too much on the small pouch.

I really messed up the zipper at on end, but I love the pouch. My templates and papers for the EPP live there now and I always have to smile when I use them.

I'm to late to link to the Zakka Style Sew-a-long, maybe next time.

Scrappy? Sew bee it!

Last month I found a new Quilting Bee on one of the (too) many blogs I'm reading and decided to join in. This was a first for me and for some of the members of our group. May is organizing it (her first) and we all have fun chatting on flickr.
We get each month a block design from the "queen bee" and use scraps from our fabric stash. The first two blocks are finished and send to their new home and I'm happy that I managed to complete them.

The first block was more challenging because of the million little seams but after some fun with the seam ripper it went together really nice. I love this pattern and I think this wasn't the last time for me.

The June block was a traditional log cabin, something I always anted to try in this size. I had a little difficulty finding different white fabrics, so that it wouldn't look to boring. The block is going to Sweden, so the yellow/blue/white combination is really fitting.

I can't wait until July, I'm sure we will do something fantastic again.

Neptun Zick Zack Quilt

Heute will ich meinen Neptun Zick Zack Quillt vorstellen den ich im Dezember 11/Januar 12 genäht habe. Die Stoffe hatte ich allerdings schon einige Zeit lang gesammelt.

Today I want to show you my Neptun Zick Zack Quilt. I started it before Christmas 11 and finished it surprisingly fast in January. I had been hoarding the fabric for some time.


The fabric is Neptune by Tula Pink and Kona Cotton in Seafoam. Because I didn't have enough seafom I used some of the lighter Neptune fabric in its place and I like it even more, it makes the design more interesting.
I quilted it (not always perfect) with a variegated Gütermann Sulky thread only on the lighter parts, approximately 1/4 inch from the seams.

Der Stoff ist Neptune von Tula Pink und Kona Cotton in Seafoam. Da ich nicht genug Seafoam hatte habe ich etwas von dem hellen Neptune Stoff genommen, was das ganze aber auch interessanter macht. Gequilted habe ich das ganze etwas dilettantisch ca 1/4 inch von der Naht entfernt nur in den hellen Teilen, mit einem blauen Farbverlaufsgarn von Gütermann.

Und aus einem Charm Pack habe ich mir dann noch ein Kissen genäht, diesmal mit etwas mehr grün.
Und mit dieser gemütlichen Kombination habe ich auf einem blauen IKEA Poäng Sessel sitzend auf einem blauen Teppich den halben Winterverbracht und für meine Prüfung gelernt. Jetzt habe ich genug vom blau in der Wohnung, aber zum Picknicken eignet sich der Quillt auch super... Wird sicherlich noch öfter auf dem Kollwitzplatz zum Einsatz kommen.

And from a charm pack I used the green and blue squares to make a matching cushion. And with this combination I spent most of the winter sitting on a blue IKEA chair on a blue rug studying for my exam. Now I can't see blue in my flat anymore, but use the quilt for pick nicks. I have just a little bit of green around the corner where I can spent sunny days.


:-) C.


P.S.: I am linking this post to the Bloggers Quilt Festival.

Day 46

Cushion

Day 40

Scarf - made of wonderfuly soft Anna Maria Horner voile and upcycled PJ trousers.