TropicalSoup

A rainbow quilt...sorta kinda

 

This is one of those projects that I felt was utterly inspired when the idea first came to me, was more and more enthused about as I made it, and now that it's done, I'm really not convinced. I was messing around with a Kona charm pack, and it occured to me that making a  little rainbow quilt would be quite fun. Playing around with the blocks on my design wall, I came up with this, and added the little section of fabric with cute umbrella wielders for a bit of interest. (In hindsight, I'm thinking arranging the fabrics as a shaded/graded rainbow might have been more effective than the snakeline gradation I went for.)

 

It's machine quilted in what's intended to be a loosely rainbowesque shape, with half a dozen bands of  hand quilting in a variegated rainbow embroidery thread.

 

Since I intended it as a wall hanging for the kids' room, I backed it with some insanely loud fabric that for some reason I decided I needed over a metre of. Of course, one look at that and Immy was begging me to hang the quilt backwards since she was all over the crazy volume! And cats! Hearts! Did I mention the loud?!?

 

 

When I asked Cole and Immy if they'd like it for their room, they were sweet and gracious but Cole was utterly confused - mama, he started gently, do you realise that this quilt is way too little for us? And then I told him I intended to put the quilt up on the wall like a photo or some artwork, and the poor boy's head exploded.

Do you ever have those it turned out better in my mind moments?

The thing is...

 

...those of you who know me in person know that I am shocking at keeping secrets. Really really useless. And at the moment there's an awful lot of change going on in my world that I can't talk about here just yet (waiting to get things a little more finalised, in deference to family members who prefer to play things a little closer to their chests!) which is ridiculously ironic, and also accounts somewhat for my absence around here - it's hard not to talk about something that has been consuming an awful lot of my mental space and energy for the past few months (and it's not over yet!)

 

Now, I should be clear that for the most part this is (very) good change, and we're all happy about its potential and promises (and we're all together and have most of our health, so it's not anything terrible like that!), but until there's a little less uncertainty it's all so up in the air it's a bit hard to know where to start. The good news in all this is that the uncertainty has led to a fair bit of manic crafting, and if I get myself suitably organised, I shall have lots of things to share ofr the next wee while!

...and that ridiculous paragraph above is not intended as an attempt to generate scandal or page hits...I just feel bad about not being here and not really having an explanation of why. See? Really really crappy at the secret keeping stuff. This, my friends, is why presents are always last minute for me, I'm sure....(nothing to do with being crippled with indecision and terminally last minute! lol)

 

**completely unrelated photos - just a bit of fun at a portable merry go round that popped up in a local park last week for school holidays.

Hope the Bunny brings you Eggs!

Just wanted to sneak a moment whilst Cole and Imogen are engrossed in chocolate to wish you all a lovely Easter weekend! May it be relaxing and chocolate laden....unless you're my mum, in which case I hope it is unbelievably busy and profitable!

(the above pic is a pretty accurate depiction of how my 2 believe Easter is conducted, well, this and the Bunny's personal harem of chocolate-egg-laying chickens, of course! Long live inter-animal delusions with a cacao bent, I say!)

The apples haven't fallen far from the trees....

Poor kids, they hardly had a chance now, did they?

(tops as pants, underwear on head - cole had just flicked his at his father when this shot was taken - shorts, skirts and assorted paraphenalia as shirts, fabric pulled out through neckholes at crotch. Ahem)

A quick little distraction...

 

Here's a quick wee table runner I made, with the intention of selling. Only problem is, it fits so well on my dining table, and the colours seem so eminently suitable for our Autumn (though it was made with Spring in Northern Transvaal - particularly along the outskirts of Potgietersrus in mind, where I spent many a happy holiday as a child). And well, it seems to have settled here!

 

 

I've never made a table runner before - {confession time!} because many seem a little fuddy and old fashioned for my likings, and this one is probably borderline, and not quite as funky or improv as I would imagine one that I would have made for us, but it works somehow. I think the solid colours and slightly off centre quilting saves it. My inner nana has always been strong {and that's not a complaint by any means - my nana was my idol!} but it is a little hard to admit sometimes that I am even more fuddy - and decidedly less funky - than I like to think!

 

 

The runner is about 40" long and 13" wide, and uses the Moda Bella Warm Pastels palette. The binding is a mystery (though I know it was acquired in the last 6 months), as I only have *Le Jardin d* remaining on the selvedge. I'm good like that!I've quilted it in straight lines, at about a 30 degree angle, in sets of rows, with varying gaps between sets. (clear as mud?)

Ha, I've just realised I haven't take a pic of the back, which is just one fabric - a bargain I picked up at Spotlight, and am growing more and more fond of. Will organise that tomorrow, when the light is better than it is at midnight!

Jumping on the bandwagon...

(my inspiration mosaic for my secret partner in the the Pretty {Little} Purse swap)

I've gone and joined a swap. what can I say - the online peer pressure made me do it. Lol! Seriously though, even though I am maniacally busy at the moment, I am ridiculously excited about participating, and have started working on some samples for my partner, who was kind enough to give a very detailed description of what she likes.I think this will be a nice gentle introduction to online collaborative efforts, without the commitment of an ongoing block bee or the like.

what about you - do you participate in every swap going, none at all, or a select few?

 

oops

 

(the littles on a walk through some lovely native bush to a waterfall a few minutes' drive from us. This photo was taken 3 weeks ago, and boy have things changed - Immy wore that same dress yesterday, but over a long sleeved top and tights, and with a hoodie over it. The cold weather has definitely arrived!)

...sometimes life just gets in the way of my online existence! I hope by the end of the week to get back here, and possibly even with stuff to show!

My Creative Space - on the design wall

I have a jelly roll of Bella solids in the warm palette that has been calling out to be used, and so I started playing around a little tonight. I had in mind an improv wonky-ish plan but somehow ended up with the foundations of the humble (but oh so lovely) log cabin. And not even wonky log cabins at that! Do you find on your creative adventures you end up somewhere completely unexpected?

I'm linking up with Kirsty at Kootoyou - be sure to pop in to see some truly adventurous creative journeys.