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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Knitting a Baby Blanket

Wool and fruits

Wool and pear

Knitting bag

Knitting bag

Knitting

Knitting

Together with quilting, I enjoy a lot knitting. This was in fact my first craft ability : I learnt knitting at the age of four.
I had the example of my mother knitting all day long for my sister and me, and even for our dolls. She was doing wonderful creations. 
In the past I knitted for all the family, until my children became teenagers and decided that hand knitted pull-overs were not in fashion!
So now I take my grey yarn, my beautiful wooden needles and start a crib blanket for my grand-son to be born in December.
This blanket will have a Liberty fabric lining (you can see it in the first two pictures).
To put my work, I always search in my stash of hand made bags an assorted one. I had forgotten about this shopping bag I did some time ago, and I find it very cute (Echino fabric). 
The yarn is from Rowan, wool and cotton quality.
On the background of the knitting you can see the antique quilt shown here.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Blue Log Cabin Top

Blue log cabin

Blue log cabin

Blue log cabin

My Log Cabin top started last week is finished! The piecing was quickly done, what took more time was,
as usual, the display of the blocks, and at the end it did not turn out the way I expected to!
I had planned to emphasize the central squares of the blocks

Fabric detail

I was so enthusiastic about the color and the design of this fabric by Marcia Derse that I thought of
emphasizing it by placing it in the large square center of each block, so that it is brought out.

Fabric detail

Although it is an evidence, I realize (late) that with Log Cabin pattern, and in general, if you want to emphasize the center block, you have to choose either a complete different color than the stripes, or a very strong value, dark or light. Here the value of this fabric was not contrasting enough with the blue strips. It would have made a striking contrast with the light turquoise fabric I used in the strips, which color is the one that is finally brought out. I must say that, though different than expected, I am rather satisfied with the final result. 
As regards the quilting, I am hesitating between a straight line design and a circular one. The advice of all my quilters friends would be very much appreciated.
Have a wonderful week-end.
Christine

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Scrappy Spools Quilt Finished

Spools quilt

Spools quilt

Spools quilt
Blue backing

Spools quilt
On yellow table

Spools quilt
With basket

Spools quilt
On rattan armchair

This quilt is the second one I did using Kaffe Fassett fabrics. The first one was the Fan pattern which I offered to my niece in Paris. For this second one, I chose the Spools pattern and thought of using more neutral tunes from Kaffe Fassett range in order to give it a warm kind of autumn harmony. I also hoped I would have enough fabrics and leftovers in my stash, and I would not need to buy more, but unfortunately when I displayed the blocks on the design wall, I realized that I did not obtain the wished result and that I would need to get some more fabrics to "break" the too warm harmony. Therefore I ordered some more neutral fabrics and enough yardage of the blue one to use it for the backing. I am quite pleased with the final result, I think this blue fabric cools the whole thing.