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Caren's Creative Canvas & Craft

Caren's Creative Canvas & Craft

Tag Archives: Lap quilt

Skew Whiffy Snooze/Lap Quilt

23 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by carentaylor in Creative Patchwork and Applique, Patchwork quilts

≈ 10 Comments

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Art, Artist and crafter, Blues, Bold Vibrant lap Quilt, Brushed cotton quilt, Cosy Colourful Quilt, Craft from scrap Fabric, Crafty, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Electric blue cotton fabric, From scrap waste to desired object, Hand quilted snooze blanket, Hand quilting, Inspiration, Lap quilt, Patchwork, Patchwork throw, Quirky Fabric creations, Skewed square panel designer quilts, Snooze Blanket, Super Soft Cotton Quilt

skew-brush-cotton-quilt-3

I appear to have slipped back into ‘skew whiffy’ mode this past week or so  😉 Spurred on by the sale of my first ‘skew’ panel design quilt, over in my Etsy store, earlier last week. So, naturally, I hot footed it down to the local fabric store to see what goodies I could find for a new version…usually, any excuse to go fabric shopping, but!!!.. this was…a needs must!!

A new exciting colourway for my ‘skewed’ squares design lap quilts. After a manic rummage through the bottom level of fabric cottons in a display unit at the local fabric store, I’m sure the staff thought I was trying to make myself a little den/nest and move in…LOL…(in fact, thinking about that idea – what sheer heaven that would be?? and, just think about how much I would save in fuel travelling there and back??!)  Anyways, I meander…with age, that seems an increasing activity these days  😉

I had set off with a perfect menu of colours for the new quilt in my head…probably due to seeing most of them the last time I visited the store?! Though it’s very much a case of, buy it now !!!!…if you want it kind of store, as it may never make another appearance here again – which at the time I didn’t… as I was doing other projects..So, naturally of course, the colours I hoped for had gone 😦

I shall keep a look out for the colours I wanted every time I go in from now on, and hopefully will eventually accumulate them for a future version  🙂

The fabric, I had set out for, for this project, was brushed cotton/soft flannel to make a really soft cosy quilt again. The store selection on this visit, on the bottom shelf, was very sparse and threw up only a few lime green prints, a vibrant blue and a shadowed cream/lemon, a yucky mustard speckle and a dark bottle green too. Dismissing the mustard I plumped for two lime green prints, the dark bottle green, vibrant electric blue and the shadowed lemon/cream after remembering I had some small remnants of salmon pink flowered brushed cotton and some flowery blue too – how much?? I had no idea at the time…but, thought I could fudge them in somehow!

Having collected my chosen fabrics I then stood at the cutting desk.  ?????…????? Of course if you know me, I don’t work from patterns, just thoughts and ideas, plus, this kind of design is quite random, so, when asked..”How much do you want cutting?” Well, I quickly estimated and thought of a number for the lemon/cream, it being for the backing, borders and strips too….I estimated the finished quilt being approx 57 inches as of the one just sold, so asked for 60 inches PLUS 3/4 of a meter (that’s confusing in itself – though the cutter didn’t even flinch and measured out then snipped and ripped!) I decided on a metre of the blue as I wanted the big squares and strips, then 1/2 metres of the three greens

Boring as this may seem..it WAS a complete Guesstimate of perfection!! When I returned home to cut I wanted the warp for the long stretches of borders around the finished panels, so as not to twist out when sewing them in…AND OMG!! I had just ONE inch to spare between the two long borders = two borders halved = 1/4 inch play each end of the strips…YAY my planets lined up once again – Happy Dance!!

Lots of happy therapeutic stitching of skewed squares later, teamed with the electric blue panels and a complex work out of my limited salmon pink equated into some very vibrant patchwork panels…but a good three days of hard work and it’s ready, and now packaged, for a new loving home… 🙂skew-brush-cotton-quilt-5

I have just enough to make two matching little throw pillow covers, then who knows…???…maybe the cut scraps can be made into little mug rugs.. waste not want not….and create wondrous new things from bits and pieces…watch this space 😉

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Super cute quilt. Designed hand crafted Patchwork and Appliqué Bunny quilt

14 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by carentaylor in Patchwork quilts

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Adorable bunny quilt, Appliquéd super soft bunnies, Art, Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Cotton fabric quilt, Crafting from scraps, Crafty creations, Creating my own patterns and designs, Creative crafting, Cute colourful cotton creations, Designded and lovingly handmase items, Floral cotton prints, Fun with fabric, Hand quilted designer patchwork, Lap quilt, One of a kind creations, Original, Patchwork and applique quilt, Patchwork bed topper, Patchwork throw, Quilting creations, Unique

My newest design an adorable Bunny quilt 61 x 46 inches of colourful fun perfect to snuggle under with six SUPER soft little bunnies

My newest design 🙂  an adorable Bunny quilt 61 x 46 inches of colourful fun perfect to snuggle under with
six SUPER soft little bunnies! Why bunnies you ask ??? – well, it could have been any number of different animals which I had drawn out as the pattern, but ever wanting to use fabric down to the last scrap if possible, I had some offcuts of super soft cotton wadding left over from my previous quilt and determined they would make the perfect fabric for fuzzy bunnies! After making templates for all the individual applique pieces I set about making each and everyone double thickness, then turned them inside out before blanket stitching them to the colourful panel I had made for each one…This way they can NEVER fray and will ensure they look just as good many, many, many years down the line! The same method was done for the bunny dresses and bows, which not only protects the fabric but also gives a lovely raised profile to the finished quilt

Bunny lap quilt panel close up

Bunny lap quilt panel close ups

Bunny sleeping panel

Bunny sleeping panel

Bunny lap quilt label

Bunny lap quilt label

Unique !!!!! hand-crafted Bunny Rabbit Quilt 61 x 46 inches now available  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/carenscanvasandcraft My only dilemma now I have completed this one....is....I now have more offcuts... ;-/ Hmmm.... wonder what I can make with those ???  ;-)

Unique !!!!! hand-crafted Bunny Rabbit Quilt 61 x 46 inches now available
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/carenscanvasandcraft

My only dilemma now I have completed this one….is….I now have more offcuts… ;-/ Hmmm…. wonder what I can make with those ??? 😉

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My biggest challenge so far!!!

26 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by carentaylor in Creative Patchwork and Applique, Patchwork quilts

≈ 37 Comments

Tags

Applique, Applique hearts, Art, Art and craft creations, Art and design creations, Artist, Artistic moment, Arty, Beige and cream fabrics, Broderie anglaise fabric flowers, Capturing a couple's memories onto fabric, Cotton patchwork fabrics, Crafting with buttons, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Designer patchwork quilts, Embroidered Sharpei, Embroidered Shih tzu, Foundation piecing patchwork, Fun with fabric, Glastonbury, Great Hall Mains, Hand quilting, Handmade Patchwork and applique, Lap quilt, Matrimonial quilt gift, Memory quit, Original, Patchwork, Rome, Subtle coordinating colours, Trevi Fountain, Unique, Wedding gift

AND...HERE IT IS! What I have been promising!!!  The GRAND unveiling of the commissioned designer handmade and hand quilted totally unique... Matrimonial/Memory patchwork large lap quilt!!!

AND…HERE IT IS!!!! The GRAND unveiling of the commissioned designer handmade and hand quilted totally unique… Matrimonial/Memory patchwork large lap quilt made for two!!! 

Having been granted permission to do a post from A Lady who commissioned me, I can now, after the Happy Event of their marriage, of Nathan and Kim that is, show their designed and handmade gift as well as Wishing them a Long and Happy Life Together! 🙂

I was very recently approached by A Lady, who had heard of me, by word of mouth (always the best recommendation I feel !!!) to see if I could create something extra special as a Wedding Gift for her Son and future Daughter-in-law, Something,which they could treasure as well as being totally unique and relate only to them ?!? WOW – A challenge and a half…My sleeves were already rolled up! 🙂

During our  consultation session together, and having shown many examples of what My Lady thought she might like to have handmade for the excited couple, she finally did a ‘flip’ on her first thoughts, especially after seeing pictures of the two commissioned lap quilts I made for my friend Jackie, another WordPress Blogger with outstanding photography images, find Jackie at   http://iamlostinthot.wordpress.com/about/

”LOSTINTHOT” Personalised Designer Handmade and Hand Quilted Custom Order 36” x 48” ART Lap Quit.

Commissioned Elephant Lap Quilt. Handmade and hand-quilted with custom design applique elephants hearts and flowers.

So My Lady finally opted for a large lap quilt – big enough for two! YAY! What an opportunity for another creative moment  🙂 !

After My Lady’s decision was made, we talked through what the requirements for the quilt panels would be……..Here is my brief;

*A fabric panel of the Trevi Fountain, Rome (The spot of the proposal)….Gosh, thought processes are in motion! Then, some simple embroidery naming the  the venue and date of Engagement alongside…

*A fabric depiction of the Happy Couple enjoying Glastonbury 2014 in ‘Wellies’ and sun glasses!…A testy challenge!! Also, embroider  venue and date…

*An embroidered depiction of their two ‘babies’ a Shih tzu and a Sharpei with their names too….OMG I was getting a little worried…..;-/!!!

* A small vine of 3D fabric flowers running around the Wedding venue panel, Oh! And a couple of random 3D padded hearts…

*A fabric constructed panel of the ‘Great Hall at Mains’ a slightly wonky wooden beamed Tudor barn which was to be the Wedding venue….Plus ”Mr & Mrs…and the date… ””””’fainted!!!!!!!!!!””””’

After picking myself up….and a few good deep breaths. I felt I could attack this challenge!  I agreed it would be perfect as their totally unique Memory Quilt, all we had to do now was discuss a colour scheme ;-/…

to which, the conclusion was to be;

*Creams, whites (for the bride’s gown (no clues as to which the Bride would be wearing ,so let’s use both..)

*beige/ deeper creams (to match their living spaces and their décor)

*A pink flowery headband (as Kim wore at Glastonbury …Oh, and wellies and sunglasses too!)

*Grey (for the Groom and party’s suits)

now came the ultimate challenge……!

*was it, Pistachio, or mint, or jade green, or light sage, or… or…My Lady gave it so many descriptive terms ??? My lady wanted a colour match as close as possible to the ribbons on the invitations, which in turn matched the waistcoats of the Gentlemen party, to be the main accent colour in the quilt…

All nice choices! But, I was running on a very tight time scale, five weeks to a completion date and still awaiting a colour swatch before I could start, or, even buy any fabric… OMG… the perspiration was stating to bead as I awaited a colour sample, Could I get it done in the time frame? Would My Lady be happy ???  Now, I was really worried!  Had I taken on, for the first time, something I thought was more than I could chew….. ;-/ ?

At last, I got to see the colour of ‘green’ which was to symbolise the waistcoats and be the accent of the whole quilt, as fast as I could I was off to the fabric store, all I needed to do now was to find ”that green” beige/creams and greys that would go together….only a small extra challenge then. 😉

I picked my fabrics VERY carefully and used a perfect piece of fabric for the hearts which just by chance and good luck, was a deep grey with just a flecks of brown and cream on it but which also went extremely well with the ”green”, I hope you agree, the overall colour effect is quite subtle and coordinated ?!? I set about designing, and came up with a simple eight panel design surrounded by border strips of different sizes, in order to bring all the fabric colours together. My Lady had a specific order to which the panel pictures should be on the quilt, though with a gentle suggestion I sent out my first draft for the design and her approval, meaning her original choice of wanting four large panels had been developed and divided up into eight . A picture panel and smaller appliquéd heart panel alongside to include all the requirements and requests which My Lady wanted on the quilt 🙂

My suggestion was approved!!!YAY!!!  So, my  cogs of creativity were set in motion…

All the fabric applique shapes are turned back double fabric pieces, thought the Great Hall has been foundation pieced starting in the centre and working outward, incorporating some of the beams into the foundation and appliquéing the larger final ones. The hearts, dogs and Trevi Fountain have simple embroidery done in a ‘sketch style’ with little stitches here and there, apart from the Glastonbury panel, which has pieces so tiny, so I used a type of double sided adhesive before hand stitching the applique pieces in place! A simple cream cotton backing and unbleached soft 100% cotton wadding was used to give a traditional feel. Once sandwiched together, I hand quilted the whole panel.I added the stem stitched vine around the Great Hall panel and made some Broderie anglaise fabric flowers attaching them with a coordinating button to the quilt  Finally I added a binding of the same fabric as the inner panel borders and hand stitched it down.

What had I been worried about ?!? I still had two weeks until the deadline and it was finished 🙂 !!! But My Lady was still to see it…..

Having taken a couple of photos, just to show My Lady her commission was complete, I contacted her, with full intentions of taking more and clearer shots of the quilt hanging from the washing line. But, as it turned out the weather wasn’t allowing for this, after the glorious weather, it had decided to rain…a lot! Then, My Lady couldn’t contain herself, she didn’t want a preview over the internet she NEEDED to come and see it straight away !!!!!

My Lady arrived early the very next day!  I presented my designer quilt for her inspection…and stopped breathing simultaneously….

Her face was a picture, she was totally ”thrilled to bits”’  🙂 🙂 🙂 YAY! Then she told me, ‘…..it is so much nicer than anything I could have ever wished for! The colour combination Is perfect, (bear in mind, she hadn’t seen the fabrics I had chosen) I love the overall design….the quality is superb and in such a short time too…In fact I am speechless, it’s just wonderful…PERFECT!!!’ 
 As well as all My Lady’s lovely comments, I did get quite a few hugs too 🙂 So I think she liked it 😉
 
I breathed a huge sigh of relief, It was simply the best feeling in the World, to know I had accomplished all My Lady’s thoughts and dreams onto a fabric panel and made her so, very happy too!!! 🙂 Just hope the Happy Couple like it now!
 
A couple more pictures of the panels…
 
The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain

 
Lexi and Marley

Lexi and Marley

 

Glastonbury 2014

Glastonbury 2014

The Great hall at Mains, Lancashire UK

The Great hall at Mains, Lancashire UK

3D fabric flower vine

3D  fabric flower vine

Broderie anglaise fabric flowers attached with a coordinating button to the quilt panel and a stem stitched curly vine

 

Appliqué fabric heart

Appliqué fabric heart

Appliqué heart

Appliqué heart

Appliqué Heart

Appliqué Heart

 

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Handmade and hand quilted large patchwork bears and bees lap quilt

02 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by carentaylor in Creative Patchwork and Applique, Patchwork quilts

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Art, Artistic, Arty, Bears and bees lap quilt, Caren's canvas and craft, Colourful creations, Colourful patchwork quilt, Crafty creations, Cute and cuddly quilts, Fun creations, Fun with fabric, Hand quilting, Handmade patchwork quilts, Lap quilt, Lovingly handmade quilts, My Etsy Shop, Original, Unique

bee colourful quilt !

bee colourful quilt !

Somewhere in my moments of creative madness, I latch onto a little idea…and then go off and make several for good measure!

Since making the little owl quilt for my mum, this seems to now be the case where lap quilts are concerned! Not something that happens over night as in small creations, but just over a week from start to last hand quilted stitch. This larger than normal (45 x 68 inches) lap quilt is just about as colourful as you can get! With cute little bears and bees in the centre of each panel too!

It is certainly something which should last for decades – if not centuries 😉 , as I reckon I must have put over two million stitches into its creation!

Bear and bee centres

Bear and bee centres

Hand quilted detail

Hand quilted detail

Since making the ‘little owl’ and now this ‘bears and bees’ lap quilt, I have been lucky enough to be commissioned to do two more! Not only that,  but…given free reign to design, create and chose everything about them all based on one word briefs!

I couldn’t have been any happier!

What this space! The big unveil of the two finished quilts – coming soon 🙂

 

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