I was in the UK most of September – visiting, touring, scattering my dad’s ashes and eating more cream teas than one girl should ever admit to – so no sewing was done, but I have been trying to make a dent in my WIP pile since my return.
Last week, I quickly made two humidicrib quilts, bringing the total for the year to ten. Both were made with patterns from the Fat Quarter Shop’s Snapshots quilt-along.
The first I finished was the cat. I have always envied people with red hair and loved ginger cats, so I started by choosing an orange fabric for the cat. When I found the multicoloured spots in my stash, that fabric determined the colour scheme, and I am really pleased with the way the soft pastels work together. I stitched in the ditch around the picture and then filled in the background with loops.
I think I will name this cat Marmalade until its new owners claim it.
The second was the bicycle. This was more fiddly to construct. Those tiny pinwheels are really tiny! I think this quilt has a bit too much white in it, but I am still happy with it overall. I started with the bicycle print in the wheels and worked my way from there. It had to have a red checked seat and some green as my bicycle is green with a red checked seat. I decided there were too many ditches to stitch in on this little quilt, so I quilted it all over with easy loops. I would not normally choose a bold spot like this for the binding as the spots do no favours in concealing the joins, but I let my husband decide. He is the mad-keen cyclist in the house.
Of course, a bicycle pattern needs bicycle-print fabric.
I did not sew anything during my travels, but I had my knitting with me. Yes, I even took knitting needles on the plane! Even so, half a sock is not much to show for more than three weeks’ work.
My knitting is a poor show when compared with the amazing display the WI put on in the village where my aunt lives and my dad’s family graves are. An area of the village has been heavily yarn-bombed with these and much more. The WI ladies are so clever and creative.
That bicycle is awesome but too scary for me, but the cat, that’s just fabulous! Welcome back, I have missed your posts.
The bicycle is by far the most complicated of the patterns in the series. However, the instructions are clear and accurate, so it is just a case of following each step, one by one.
I can’t think what I’d use it for, but it’s perfect for your humidicrib covers!
Sounds like you had a wonderful time… Love both the quilts, especially the bike!
I like the bicycle too, but I wish I could have thought how to add more colour to it. It is so very … white!
gorgeous quilts – I especially like the cat ^^
Me too, Claire. I am pleased with the colours.
Very cute little quilts. That bicycle is just darling! So much piecing……
Happy sock knitting. I’m doing that too ; )
And I have every faith that your lovely socks will be finished well before mine!
Carla, I love your bike mini quilt! Hope we can catch up soon. PS I love the yarn bombing photos.
I hope we can catch up too, Gina.
We were not alone in our yarn bombing love. As I was taking photos, another couple of ladies were wandering about and admiring too. Not bad for a small village, eh?
It’s good to clear the decks, I’m in a WIP spring clean mood myself 🙂 I’m glad to have you back on Aussie soil and hope you’ve found peace in spreading your Dad’s ashes in ol’ blighty xx
It must be WIP spring cleaning season! I dug a few more things out of the Cupboard of Shame this morning in the hope that I will finish them.
The crib quilts are lovely. I love the details on the bike; and the bikes in the center of the tires are really well placed. The pinwheels do look tiny, but very precise and well done. The yarn bombing is really impressive. Does it stand up well to getting wet?
I confess to some bicycle fussy cutting.
The yarn bombing does seem to stand up well to weather, at least in the short term. We were at my aunt’s house for almost a week and it survived several rainy days. I am sure, however, that it would inevitably start to look tatty if left out for months.
Your fabric choices are so sweet and fresh, and the little quilts will be treasured all the more for their adorable patterns. Well made.. I would love to have a day to play with your fabric collection!!! I am sharing your blog post with my knitter daughter, whose husband is from Scotland. She will enjoy this over the top yarn bombing.
Once again, Carla, you have inspired me to make something different. Did you know you are a muse?
A muse? Me?!
If you happen to be passing through Western Australia, feel free to stop by for a cuppa and a play in my fabric stash.
I love the yarn bombing! I have yet to see that in person but every time I see pictures online it makes me smile 🙂
In reality, the yarn bombing would have you absolutely grinning. It was lovely in the sunshine.
Love the yarn bombing – so bright and happy – wonder what they do when it rains? I really like this series of mini quilts you are doing and love the bike!
I hope the series of minis are appreciated by the hospital and new parents when I hand over the set at the end of the year. I only have two more to make to reach my goal of a dozen but more than two possible patterns. Decisions!
They just leave the yarn bombing out when it rains. I think they used a lot of acrylic and very colourfast yarns.
love those quilts, and half a sock is better than I can do. I never could get my head wrapped around knitting.
We do not have to master every craft, Shauna. I will never get my head around scrapbooking or cardmaking.
I will get the other sock and a half knitted eventually, but I am always going to be a slow and cautious knitter.
Oh my goodness – I love that marmalade cat! I don’t know how I didn’t see that as one of the patterns in that set. I just might have to make that one. Loved seeing the yarn bombing, that call box was impressive. Like you mentioned, I certainly hope it’s out of order!
Everybody has mobile phones these days, so I guess the phone box is not as critical as it used to be.
If you make the cat, I found I only needed to cut a dozen squares for the box (some I cut in half to make triangles), not the sixteen the pattern says. In their laudable efforts to keep the pattern simple, occasionally there is a bit of waste.
Lovely little quilts… that bicycle is awesome!
The only thing I wish I had done differently is figured out how to make the background more interesting. There is white space and there is white space …
I love seeing all your little humidicrib quilts – they are so intricate and special.
Eventually, I am going to have to part with them all. Another two months and I will finish my year-long task and give the lot to the hospital. It will be tough. 🙂
Your whole collection is lovely! And you are up to date with 10pcs! Yay!
Yes, 10 so far! I suspect I will end up making more than two more to finish the year. I have more than two designs I want to make and I cannot choose.