Another bag

Okay, so it is not a quilt, I know THAT. But I used my Spare Change Swap squares for this delicious little (?) tote bag, which I found here.

It is so cute that I just keep it hanging around in our sitting room, to see it all the time. Yes, of course, I will use it. One day. I am planning to make a smaller version also.

This method was a bit more complicated than just sewing together the 2 sides and cutting the corner to make the depth of the bag, which I used for my Mum's bag, and I cannot really see a lot of differences in the look of the bag depending on the way of sewing, so I might use the other way next time.

I should have kept this bag for my February finished project, but maybe I'll find something else to sew. And it was not really a WISP in the true sense of the word: I did plan to make a bag like this for ages, but I have not started it yet...

Cross stitch

And these are my favourite little cross stitch pictures and quilts. It was quite difficult to photograph them, because 2 of them have glass in front of the canvas and there was not enough light to take a picture without a flash. So forgive the quality of the pics.

My favourites

These are my favourites. Both of them were made from APQ, and I loved sewing them, and love looking at them every day. They are both hanging in the landing, so I pass them lots of times every day :-)

Pictures of old and new

I made this bargello quilt because Pat said it was real easy to make one. It looks complicated, but it is really easy. Actually, she was right. So I call it "Following Pat" and thanks again Pat (not that I know of you anything for the last 12 years, but I am sure you are still sewing your little stamp size scraps and teaching others of useful tricks. My great sorrow is that I have lost all my contacts with my Aussie quilting friends, my letters had not been answered after a while. Still, I think of them a lot.)

The houses and other traditional blocks quilt is my daughter's. It is hanging next to her bed to keep her warm, and to provide something to muse about before falling asleep.

And this is the bag I was planning to do for my Mum's birthday. I mean it is still for her birthday, but I could not resist sewing it yesterday. I am quite happy with it. It still needs a few stitches, like finish up the opening where I turned it outside and a big button for the front to close it. I have a picture in my mind about that button which means that it will be no plain sailing to find a good one...still, April is far far away yet.

Introductory Show off

Just a few pictures to show my earlier finished projects. They were all made last Fall.
1. Wallhanging for my eldest. It took me about 4 years to finish, but hey, I had a baby in the meantime!
2. The little basket and candles were my presents for my quilting friend. We had a Xmas draw in our quilting bee and had to give handmade presents. I made these. Tutorial by Pink Penguin.
3. Advent calendar for my children. They loved it. I was a bit afraid that they would argue every morning whose turn it was to pick a present, but they understood that everyone had his/her turn every 3rd day and were quite happy with it. Does it mean that they are growing up?!?!
4. The little reversible bags were made again by Pink Penguin's tutorial and were presents for my children's teachers filled with ginger biscuits. I made 9 of them, and though I love them dearly, they are so cute, I had quite enough of them by the end...
5. Shopping basket for my daughter who loves playing shopping.

Hello Kitty

I made this yesterday. All the roads were frozen, it was safer to stay at home for the day, so I finished this little hello kitty for my little kitty :-)

Plans for 2009

• wallhanging for Döme (my younger son)
  
• cover for my sewing machine
• Spare Change swap squares quilt
  
• Debbie Mumm fabrics quilt
• table cloth, Xmas theme
• quilt for cool evenings in front of the telly, my very first quilt which is used for this purpose at the moment is fraying everywhere
• pillow case to replace the old seminole one
• bag made of my faboulous Chinese fabric :-)
• bag for Mum (April challenge for her birthday)
• seasonal small wallhangings, e.g. pumpkin and others
• finish the miniature quilt in the box above. I cut these little rhombuses when I was expecting my first child, 10 years ago. I even took it to the hospital with me to sew. And yes, no smiles, I did sew a bit. But then I just forgot about it, and I think now it is high time to start sewing them again, and it is just the perfect project to include in the 'One Project a month challenge', don't you think? :-)
• the thousand pyramides. This is a quilt top started by a patchwork buddy of mine. For a short time, we belonged to the same quilting bee back in Sydney. We all started quilting in Edith's evening class in 1994 and as we enjoyed quilting and each others' company so much, Edith suggested that we should continue our weekly meetings even after the course had finished. She found a place for us, a senior citizens day club at Coogee Beach, and we met there every week. Lynne joined us at a later date, and unfortunately, not long after that she died of cancer. She left us her fabrics, and this half finished quilt top. As I always wanted to do a thousand pyramides quilt, I asked my friends if I could have it and finish it when I was leaving Sydney to return to Budapest. I have not finished it yet, but it is not forgotten and it reminds me of my quilting friends and of a wonderful time in Sydney.
  

January: camera case

This is my January finished project. Might not be the prettiest of my work, but for the moment certainly the most useful :-)
I got a new digital camera from my husband for Xmas, and was thinking of buying a camera case for it. But suddenly I realised that I could MAKE one instead of buying one. I made a backpack for my best friend for Xmas and had little bits and pieces left, which I wanted to use for something. Well, this is what I used them for.

Start

This is going to be my craft blog. I have started it as a way and of practising my English and mainly of being able to join interesting challenges like One Project a Month Challenge of May Britt and Kris.

I have started quilting while living in Sydney, Australia between 1993-1996. I fell in love with it at the introductory evening class held by Edith, my dear teacher, and have been quilting ever since. Since moving back to Budapest, Hungary I have started a quilting bee with my crafty friends. As now we all have children and thus very little time on our hands, our original weekly meetings changed to monthly (or quarterly) meetings, but we still enjoy getting together and sewing while exchanging the newest stories of our lives and gossip of others, whenever we can.

I will upload pictures of my work later on.

Kristina