Leftover Fun in DC

Disclaimer: some of these photos are from my phone, but to be fair the light is better in DC than in Ireland - so maybe it equalises?!?

I'm back in Ireland. For six weeks of organisation, then the states for the forseeable future will be my home-base. While I was over in DC for the last two weeks I planned on making an Anna Maria Horner figure of 8 scarf. I started but didn't finish. It's very pretty though so I will.

I'm thinking, once I get the technique down, this will be my go-to gift for the ladies in my life!

Other than the scarf, there were no plans. I moved a lot of fabric over. Anything I knew I wouldn't get around to using before the summer. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all things crafty (including blogging) so I decided that I'd just play with leftovers from various quilts. Making nothing larger than crib size (which are eminently store-able and easy to give as gifts right now, I'm at the age when all around me are breeding like rabbits).

I started with the leftover blocks from the Rainbow Skittle Quilt. I laid them out on the couch and just rearranged, and rearranged, and rearranged. I took over two-thirds of the couch for two straight days. And I felt really motivated to go for it. So I did. And this happened:

Rainbow Log Cabin Quilt (so inspired...)

I have no pictures of the backing, which is solid lime green with a ladder of coloured rungs in the centre. I didn't get to basting this one. It has no definite recipient, though Paul has said it is staying put with us for as long as possible. I have two possible ideas for who I can give it to, but they'll need to produce something small enough to use it!

Feeling that that quilt top was too linear. I decided to dive into the scraps from Freya's Quilt. All Apple of My Eye from Riley Blake, all different sizes, lengths, shapes. I loved it. But halfway through I knew who this one had to go to; so only this one small peek!!

Sorry 'bout the fuzzy.

This one I pieced, basted and quilted in two days. I love improv. I need to do more. Though right now, I have more structured tops to make. I'm thinking of dubbing this year, the year of learning quilty things, and next year will be a lot more self-indulgent. So it gives me carte blanche to try out tutorials, patterns, and the like to learn and practise techniques. But next year, 2014, is (in my head) going to be all out crazy things from my brain-pan.

Then, having gifted the last quilt in my head, I thought of another person in need of a quilt. And as my friends (who are all quite tech-savvy) possibly might maybe visit here occasionally this is another one I can't shout about. But I can tell you that this line has some really amazing geometric blender-type prints. I kinda want to use only them in something:

Oink-A-Doodle-Moo!!

So, for a couple of weeks where I promised myself a break from anything sewing related so I could stop feeling pressured to sew, it turns out that I also sew for fun and relaxation. I'm in deep, and I love it.

Hopefully once I'm through the jetlag and unpacking, I will be back to sharing slightly more regularly! There's lots to get done and finished in the next 6 weeks, so they can stay in Ireland forever.

:)

ooh, forgot in my excitement of posting! Linking up to Work In Progress Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced!!