Dead Simple Jovial Christmas

Back in June I won a whacking 38 FQs of Basic Grey’s Jovial for Moda from Monica @ The Happy Zombie.

I gave away 16  to celebrate my blogiversary and then I gave some more away to a friend …

… leaving me with 15 FQs …


… which I cut into 5” charm squares ages ago with Lynne’s Dead Simple QAL in mind:

I pulled the Moda Grunge solids to act as my palette:

…  and I tried a little mock up with the charm square stacks:

But it doesn’t really do it for me, or more importantly, I don’t think the person I’m making it for will be over-wowed, so I’m going to keep it dead simple, but just add a little more variation …




I’ve taken inspiration from this “Bookworm Quilt” by Charlie & Ryan of Patchwork Squared …
… but I don’t think I’m going to sash it (keeping it dead simple) I’ll just piece stacks of squares and coins in blocks.

I’ve cut the grunge solids into rectangles…

… and now I think I have a pattern that with some random dead simple-ness will work really well with these fabrics:



I think it looks much more interesting, even in a simple mock up …



keep posted for progress!


!! Don't forget to vote for your favourite Scrap Baggers here !!

The Gentleman's Relish Quilt

At last … some sewing ... I'm really taking advantage of my days off, I can tell you!

I'm calling this the Gentleman's Relish Quilt because it's for a Gentleman and because the monochrome and the scratchy Heath fabric reminds me of the packaging for Patum Peperium (anchovy relish) yum ... my absolute fave thing ever ...

... just typing that makes me want to go and make toast ...

The pattern is Briana's Modern Houndstooth Quilt - from Issue 4 of Fat Quarterly, but I'm going to sash it differently I think ...

 It's really easy to piece and the blocks should come together quite quickly ... you can see more of the process in my flickr set here
 


Here’s a mock up of what it would look like if I did a gazillion blocks …
 


Fabric: Grey medium weight Irish Linen, Alexander Henry Heath in Black & White .... Now, off to make some more blocks .... woohoo!


!! Don't forget to vote for your favourite Scrap Baggers here !!

Keep Taking the Tablet ...

Keep Taking the Tablet ..., a photo by Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr.

About six months ago I bought a very cheap 8" non brand Android tablet, which I kind of forget I have, because it isn't the fastest little worker - although it does connect really well to my wifi, so until now I used it for quick catch up emails and Reader browsing, but not much else.

I am delighted that I have finally found a very real and very useful niche for it.

It is my portable library.

 Heaven. On. Toast.

Don't get me wrong ... nothing replaces a paper book for touch and smell and memory. My dad was a publisher and I am surrounded by books and wouldn't have it any other way.

But ... there are times when digital will most certainly do.


Kindle's installed so I can read and download books. I can make the time to read more easily now that I have choice on me at all times and maybe only able to snatch a few minutes.

I'm a big fan of copyright free downloads, great crime and science fiction as well as classics...  I have bought the odd book too ...


All my text books and resources are scanned as pdfs so I can read and plan with them without having to schlepp tons of books everywhere ...

I have my fave quilt tutorials saved as pdfs too, as well as pics galore. And, of course, my issues of Fat Quarterly.


Technology is a wonderful thing, when you can make it work for you.

So, although the tablet isn't really whizzy enough for me to use for blogging or serious nerdy working, it is absolutely welcome and much appreciated chez Pingaling, as a constant source of eye candy and inspiration and timesaving wizardry.

It's really brilliant not to have to print anything and fabtastic to be able to zoom in on pictures. Recipes are my next challenge, sometime this century.

Any other tablet users out there?  What do you use yours for?


!! Don't forget to vote for your favourite Scrap Baggers here !!

Vote for your Fabbest Favourite - Eternal Maker Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge -

Hoorah!  It’s time to start voting for your fave Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge project!

Voting will run for a week, closing at midnight UK time Wednesday 2nd November and couldn’t be simpler - you can either vote below using the embedded form or go here … I’ll be posting the link during the week too …

Here’s a little visual reminder of all the wonderfulness …

and here’s where you get to vote: 

Happy Voting! 

And a big big thank you to The Eternal Maker  and to all the brilliant Scrap Bag Challengees for taking part … Good Luck!!

lipsmackinfussycuttingseampressingthreadmatchingbuttonstitchinggrometpoppingpleatmakingdiamondcuttingmuffwarming Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge! Part III of III

So here we are, the final day of showcasing the fab talents of My lovely Eternal Maker Japanese Scrap Bag Challengees.

Remember, voting will start tomorrow …squeeee!!!

Today we’re looking through the round window at Bianca G, Emily L & Hadley

(Clicking on the pictures will take you directly to the flickr pages!) 

 

Bianca G
 
”My sister has been wanting a muff to keep her hands warm when it's cold outside. I think it would be so cute to have the Japanese prints on the outer of the muff with some nice fluffy fabric for the inside. Oh yeah, she also wants it to be a purse, so I'm working on inserting at least a small zipper compartment of some sort. But she would simply die if she got a muff plus cute Japanese fabric. We've been Japan-o-philes for a while.”

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Emily L      tutorial here!   

I would make my little girl a patchwork sandwich bag and try lamintating my scraps once pieced to make it usefully wipeable, she is off to pre-school soon :( and it will be lovely to send her with something made with love and unlike any of the other childrens!

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Flying Blind On A Rocket Cycle - Hadley - tutorial here!

 
”Depending on the scraps, I would be making tags to distinguish all 3 school kiddies identical book bags, PE bags, swimming bags and cardies; children should be identifiable by pattern!“






Please come back tomorrow for a mosaic-y roundup and details of how to vote!  Yay!

Don’t forget, the prize is a year’s membership of Eternal Maker’s Japanese Swatch Club … so these guys need your votes :)

Secret prize for the best muff innuendo comment ;)

lipsmackinfussycuttingseampressingthreadmatchingbuttonstitchinggrometpoppingpleatmakingdiamondcuttingmuffwarming Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge! Part II of III

So here we are, Day Two showcasing the fab talents of My lovely Eternal Maker Japanese Scrap Bag Challengees. Remember, voting will start on Wednesday … So be sure and pop by tomorrow for the final three ….

So, today we’re looking at Ella, Beth@Madscouser, and Alli.


Clicking any of the images will take you to it looking lovely and shiny and big on flickr!

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Ella            blog here

”I could make a corset belt for bellydance ... and if there were sufficient scraps, a border for the edge of a bra.”

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Madscouser
 
I'd make the Sorbetto top from Collete patterns:http://www.coletterie.com/colette-patterns-news/free-pattern-to-download-the-sorbetto-top  And use the scraps for the central pleat and hopefully the arm & neck bindings if there was enough left! :-)

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Alli H           blogged here
 
”I'd make an eating out kit: a little pouch to hold a knife, fork, spoon, and a pair of chopsticks. Lately I've been feeling guilty about using plastic utensils when I go to restaurants that put your food in takeaway containers even though you'll be eating there. I felt bad that those plastic forks and things only get used for about ten minutes and then thrown away... they barely had a chance to live! :D”
 

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Much as I want to jump up and down and ramble on about how brilliant each one is, I want to maintain impartiality - it’s important that the winner is really down to you guys voting later this week … and I think these entries just speak for themselves!

Come back tomorrow for the final three: Bianca G, Emily L & FlyingBlindOnARocketCycle

lipsmackinfussycuttingseampressingthreadmatchingbuttonstitchinggrometpoppingpleatmakingdiamondcuttingmuffwarming Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge! Part I of III

Greetings Blogfans (I’m channelling Roland Rat?? sheesh)

I’m back in the blogosphere a bit … phew … long story and bit too much to recount here, but here I am anyway!

Now, let’s get down to business ….

My lovely Eternal Maker Japanese Scrap Bag Challengees have really really pulled it out the bag!  I am so impressed, so delighted and so proud to present the fruits of their labours …

Back in the summer the original challenge was to use a Japanese scrap bag from the Eternal Maker, with very little else added,  to create something fabtastic ... and boy oh boy have I got some lovely stuff to show you ... 

I’m going to split this post into three parts, showcasing 3 entries per day and then voting will start on Wednesday … So be sure and pop by for the rest of the loveliness … I'm not commenting on anything, to maintain impartiality!  This will be down to your votes, not mine!


So, today we’re looking at Ali @ Very Berry Handmade , Eilidh, and Sarah@NarcolepticInACupboard.

Clicking the images will take you to them looking lovely and shiny and big on flickr!



Ali @ Very Berry Handmade - blogged here
         


“If I had some gorgeous Japanese fabrics, I would want to do something really special with them... My friend is having a baby later on this year, and I think I would like to make some cute little patchwork baby booties... I can see them now - they would be so fab!”

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Eilidh:  read more here

”I would make a stocking for my wee 1 year old friend Joseph. He'll be spending Christmas in Japan this year (and maybe next) as his mum moved out there with him in March. We all really miss them and this would be a lovely way to show that I'm thinking of them and hopefully he'll use it once he's back in Scotland for a long long time and then the fabric will remind him of Japan!”


more here

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Sarah@NarcolepticInACupboard     blogged here

“If I won the scrap bag I'd like to make a little fabric game I've been thinking about ...”

and the backs of the Tic Tac Toe pieces also go together to make a puzzle! 

 


mosaic tutorial here

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Aren’t they great?!!  I really am beswooned by the genius and ingenuity … Thank you so much you clever clever people!

Please come back tomorrow for the next three!  Ella, Beth@Madscouser, and Alli.   Squee!

Busy as a Blogtoberfest Bee

So … at last something has been sewn (and FINISHED!)  in the Pings Household!! My 4x5 modern bee blocks! Yay!





For this bee we had to produce 5 blocks …

I decided to paper piece hexagons and then applique them onto white backgrounds.

These were my first ideas back in August …

They were really fun to make, as I love paper piecing, but I totally underestimated the amount of hexies that would actually look good, so they took me twice as long as I thought they would! LOL! 





Each block is 12.5” finished.

Heather Grey, Light Teal, Green for Lainey @ LaineyBugDesigns

Cobalt, Lime, Aqua for Manda @ StayAtHomeLibrarian

Lime, Chartreuse, Grey for Nikki @ Bumbles&Lu 

Spring Green, Aqua & Grey for Lee @ FreshlyPieced

 

Red, Blue & White for Colleen @ TheBusyBean

Here they all together:






I’ve had to duck out of the next quarter because I just can’t commit the time, but I’m really keen to start again in the new year … and really excited to start getting the blocks these lovely ladies made for me!


There are some fantastic blocks in the 4x5 flickr group here … go feast your eyes!






Don’t forget to go and have a look at how others are doing in this year’s Blogtoberfest  organised by TinnieGirl … there are some great giveaways going on too, linky hosted by CurlyPops  … check them out here …





I’ll be back tomorrow or soon after with the finished projects from  The Japanese Scrap Bag Challenge … sponsored by The Eternal Maker.  You’ll be voting for the ultimate winner … and I can tell you … there are some lovely lovely creations …

Here’s to a short sweet week if you’re working and a long leisurely one if you’re not!

The Monday Rant … {Blogtoberfest III}

Today I would like to have a little rant, if that’s ok with you.

I live in a basement.  I get no signal from my new phone with a new provider.  None.  Nada.  Zip.  To send a text I have to stand on the top of my sofa and wave the handset around in vain hope of catching one bar of signal.

Now I can’t even get a signal standing outside my house, or in my street.  I have to walk 400 metres down the road to pick up a bar of signal.

I spent 40 minutes on the phone (at work) to Three mobile today.  I want to cancel my contract.  They said I’d have to pay 20 months of line rental as an early settlement.  I pointed out that they are not providing the service I’m paying for.  They said they’d get technical to do some tests and call me at home one evening.

Yup, that would be on my mobile.  The one that gets no signal. 

sheeeeeeeeeeeesh! 

Here endeth my rant … anyone else want a go?

If you are feeling less ranty and more community, why not go here and check out the other Blogtoberfesters.

p.s. just loving the 'slip comments' from yesterday chaps! …

my slip’s showing …

I think this may be a single girl/lady/hag thing .. . (only because I can’t imagine that anyone married and/or with children could put up with the derision) … but, when it’s hot (like it is tonight) I come over all Maggie (Liz Taylor) in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof …

Off comes the ‘daywear’, but I find I’m not quite ready for the wynceyette and slippersox.  No, not me … I don a good old fashioned slip! 

*said slip did have the pungent pong faint aroma of chest of drawers, which I somehow know can’t have been the predominant aroma filling la Diva Taylor’s (or for that matter the purr-worthy Newman’s ) nostrils, but hey … I’m cool and in these menopausal days that’s all that matters!

What do you wear round the house if no-one’s looking?!