Author Archives: mlwilkie

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About mlwilkie

Software Developer, Mother, Wife with keen interest in art, design and crafts of all kinds.

My week of sewing…Progress being made

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I am loving my new machine. Thank you all, who commented and wished me fun on my new machine – sorry I have not had a chance to reply. I have a good reason though…I have been sewing most nights…

Over the weekend, I finished all my blocks for Carolyn Friedlander’s Mini Aerial quilt. I used various prints of Lotta Jansdotter’s lines (echo, bella, glimma, mormor and sylvia). I plan to finish the top for Friday.

AerialQuilt_FinishedBlocksI am pleased with how it is turning out. I think I am going to add some Essex-dyed Linen around the edge and possibly bind it in an eggplant print or teal print from the Lotta Jansdotter lines.

Monday night, I spent the time redesigning my sampler quilt to include the right colors based on the bundle I selected and adding the sashing. I also simplified a couple of blocks.
SqueekCrafts_Sampler_Quilt
I then moved on to cutting and writing up the fabric requirements and cutting instructions for making the top row of this quilt. This is the fabric selection (check out this post for details), but I have decided to drop the pink and possibly use it for binding.
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Tuesday, I was sewing up the second block of the top row, it turned out fantastic. I am so looking forward teaching the blocks at Spoonflower next month.

The rest of my week, I am planning on keeping up with my great progress:

  • Wednesday – last block of first row of my sampler quilt
  • Thursday – Photograph blocks + sewing together my aerial quilt blocks and finish top
  • Friday – Start 15/30 min. daily practice sessions for FMQ ( I plan on blogging my progress over the next two weeks – 1 month…maybe in a photo a day type style via instagram with a week blog summary??).

That’s it for my week of progress and activities. Keep an eye out for Book Review Tuesday next week – it will be a FMQ special.

Linking up with Lee over @ Freshly Pieced for WiP Wednesday (see button on the right).

Sunday Stash #14: A BIG purchase

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I have been sewing/quilting for the past ~18 months on a brother machine, I purchased of amazon for $150.
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It is a great lightweight machine (very portable) and a great machine to learn on, as I was 18 months ago.  However, I have been struggling on it recently because:

  • It is having trouble going over seams and I have to lift the foot slightly to keep it moving (probably need the foot pressure adjusted)
  • The stitches are a little irregular.
  • Lastly but the most important point….it has a little harp space. I have been pulling my quilts through that tiny space.

So, I had made the decision that I will look at another machine. My biggest criteria was enough harp space that I can easily quilt without slipped stitches or moved stitches from yanking it through that space. Luckily, I was going to Sew Down and I was excited about using one of the supplied machines to see what sewing/quilting was like on another machine. In the FMQ and Paper Piecing classes they provided Janome 8900 QCP.

I liked it so much, and the fact there was a 60% discount/ no sales tax/free shipping…just made it so appealing….that this came home with me this week…..
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I have been sewing yesterday on it, trying to finish up my Carolyn Friedlander Aerial Quilt. My favorite features so far:

  • The hidden thread and the storage compartments for all the components.
  • The wonderful large pedal
  • The cool automatic thread cutter feature.
  • The evenness and smoothness of the stitches

We are definitely going to be “Besties” for life 🙂

Linking up with Molli Sparkles for Sunday Stash (see button on the right).

My mum’s mad skills

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My mum has been visiting the last few weeks, and has done a wonderful job looking after my son and us, during track out (school vacation). This past week we had a blast in New York….that’s my Mum!!!MumNY

My Mum is a fabulous seamstress, who has made our kids clothes, my ball gowns and 1930’s outfits for the Hawkes Bay Art Deco weekends in New Zealand. This is the first time, my mum and I have talked about fabric and sewing. She had mentioned that a woman in her book club had this great teapot skirt. We raided my fabrics and next thing you know she has a finish….FullSkirt

I love the waistband on the skirt and how she has finished it off with the edging and the bias. It breaks up the print wonderfully.Hem_biasHer fabric choices are:

That’s my Mum first Friday finish, is it not a pretty finish. I am linking up with Amanda Jean over @ Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday.