About Swaps

This year i haven't had a lot of chance to get together with my sewing machine. Various personal reasons apart...the only thing that is keeping the needle in my hand these days are swaps. The mini quilt swaps mean i could easily juggle my other priorities with sewing. I began with the Home Sweet home Mini swap for which i made an embroidered mini quilt for my partner.

My mini quilt with all the goodies that i sent my partner!

The ease of the project along with the creativity encouraged me so much that i signed up for a few more swaps. So all i will be posting henceforth are my swap items. I really love these swaps on Instagram. What an absolutely lovely way to keep creating and make friends in turn!!

On being an intermittent quilter...

I am, at this moment feeling very smart. I have coined a new phrase for my infrequent quilting related activities. I will now call myself an 'Intermittent Quilter'. Other things like work, the kid and general stuff keeps popping up in my life regularly to dissuade me from hooking up with the machine. 2015 began with a resolution to sew something every week....you might notice i didn't give myself a very unattainable goal. The God of fate and resolutions didn't really like my decision. So i had loads of work coming in....which is good....the kid suddenly demanding a 'something interesting to eat' for every meal and social engagements popping up with alarming frequency. Well, all this justification for just one project in the past 2 months. 

This isn't a quilt...it's a bedspread. I made it for my cousin who got married in February. 

Something not quilted

Coincidence.....is what i call it when i read about the Oktoberfest announcement on the India Quilt Guild on Facebook. It needs us to sew any kind of bag to participate in the challenge. I have just the thing that i finished last Sunday. A yoga mat cover that will go to a cousin so that she may go take her yoga classes.

Mosaic baby quilt

My baby hidden behind the quilt. She so obligingly helped me photograph the quilt. This one goes to a new baby in the family. The pattern is Mosaic from Modern Minimal. 

Sushi and a glass of wine

When you love to eat, anything related to food becomes fun.Me and my sister Shweta had a lovely time last weekend at a sushi making party at a hotel in Pune. Sushi is essentially seafood and rice rolled in a sheet of seaweed. We had a good time watching types of sushi being made. The chef made it look so simple. And it was simple....till it was time to cut the maki with a huge chef's knife. Some of us did get it right though...without accidents. All the foodies gathered there had a go at rolling their own Sushi....and we got to eat our own creations. I had the distinction of being the only vegetarian in the assemblage.

 This is the one that i loved the most however couldn't eat it.....California Maki.

Me....trying a hand at rolling the Sushi.

Yay!!! i did it!!

My sister...

Vacations and excuses for lazing around

It’s been a while since I posted anything on my blog. It has been a fun filled summer vacation for us with little trips around the town to places my kid loves, mangoes and more mangoes. We ate mangoes from breakfast till post dinner. If I put on a little weight now all these mangoes would have contributed to a noble cause.

 The woods near my place are much loved and frequented.  We went on frequent walks to see the peacocks and peahens wandering around the woods.

Summer was also a flurry of birthdays and parties including that of my princess. She turned 5 this year. 

Now you know why I haven’t touched fabric and quilting for the past 2 months. I have a couple of WIPs that I intend to finish now that the school has begun. Hopefully I will do so soon.

Baby Pansy quilt

With the vacations well under i hardly find time to sew. Apart from enjoying the summer, mangoes and the kiddo's antics i managed to complete one baby quilt. 

I do have a baby in sight who can use this one! :)

The back! 

MBS Baby life quilt

I had always wanted to make this quilt. It is so simple yet so appealing. One of my all time favorite tutorials from the Moda Bake Shop. I feel this is going to be a baby quilt year for me if i don't get out of the habit of loving quick finishes.

My new year activities

The best thing that's happened this year is that things are picking up at the India Modern Quilt Guild.  Now we have new office bearers and a Quilt giveaway already happening. 2013 sure looks like an exciting year for the IMQG. I only hope I will be able to participate in every activity.  

December last year went into a flurry of weekend trips.  My family loves these little outings since it is difficult to coordinate everyone’s schedules for a long trip. We went to a beach in December and the kiddo has a lot of fun. I am thankful for a daughter who finds enjoyment in any given situation or place or weather as long as she is well fed.  A couple of days back we went climbing a fort nearby and she loved it too. My limbs are still protesting any movement but she is back to her hopping self.   

All this is indeed taking a toll on my sewing time though. I do have some WIP’s but not enough to share anytime soon. There’s this one that has been in the making for a while as a baby quilt. This one’s a wonky squares block that I found the tutorial for at Cluck Cluck Sew. All i need now is to finish this quilt AND find a baby for it :). 

Linking to Chumkie's blog for the Baby Quilts Blog Fodder.

Doodle stitch along baby quilt

With the hustle and bustle of Diwali where i made a lot of stuff that i couldn't eat and went through the agony of watching people eat my stuff and pitying me.....i was caught up with a few family gatherings and engagements which lasted till last week. All through this i could only look at my fabric and my machine and sigh. I was then inspired by my neighbor and friend, whose duties include prodding and pushing me to quilt,  to make a baby quilt. Here it is - the kiddo kindly obliged to hold it up...

IMQG Swap and WIP

Things are picking up at the India Modern Quilt Guild.  After the buddy challenge we are onto the IMQG Swap. The partners are informed and everyone seems to be busy sewing. Everyone is being super secretive and I just cannot wait to find out who is doing what for whom! I know my partner so I have an idea what she would prefer and knowing her skills I know I am going to get something very beautiful.  I just cannot reveal what I have made for her but trust me I am dying to! So here’s a sneak peak. 

I am also in the middle of a project that i am absolutely in love with. I generally prefer to work with solids more than prints. A few days back i saw this quilt called the 1930's Summer perspective at the Moda Bake shop. I loved it so much that i couldn't get it out of my head. Coincidentally, i had all the fabric i needed in my stash. So here's the quilt top ready to be sandwiched and quilted. The kiddo has claimed this one for her own and has helped me a lot while working on this quilt. She named it as 'The Rainbow Quilt'.

A WIP baby Quilt

I am not so imaginative when it comes to quilting. I prefer making stuff that i like though i seldom copy any design as it is. Since i use everything that i make myself i do not have to deal with breaking any copyrights.  Why am i telling you all this? A few days back i found a this tutorial from Cara for a lovely baby quilt which i absolutely fell in love with. I also happened to have a charm pack of Robert Kaufman that matched with that quilt. Lucky me!  Here's a sneak peak. I will post more photos when the quilt is done! Meanwhile, i have to think of a name for this quilt. 

A mug rug for a friend!

I recently went out for lunch with a friend of mine. With my maid still doing the disappearing act i didn't get a lot of time to make something for her. So i decided on a simple mug rug. She said she liked it......!!! :)

Grey steps doll quilt

My daughter has for a while demanded a quilt for her Barbie's bed. This one is quilted and ready to bind. I had some beautiful green scraps left over from another doll quilt which i used with the grey. I love how it has turned out and obviously the kiddo loves it too. 

I used this tutorial for the pattern. 

My FNSI result

I know i am dreadfully behind this post however i can easily blame the kiddo's homework and the husband's work from home schedule for not getting any computer time :).

This is what i finished on last Friday. I am calling it the cutting corners quilt. I still have to take pictures of the back and the whole quilt together but here's something to give you an idea.

Time for FNSI again!

It is that time of the year when the kid is well fed and in a good mood and the husband is too busy with work to bother about fabric scraps strewn across the house. I have 2 projects that are almost complete and i am participating in the FNSI again for that reason (sneaky, i know!). Will reveal my finish on Saturday!. Do take a look at what others are doing as well! 

The Beginner's Quilt Along

Pat Sloan is one lady whom i admire. I have been following her work for ages now. So when i heard she is hosting the Beginner's Quilt Along i was excited. The blocks would be all fairly easy to make and i am sure they will give ample practice to people who are new to piecing. I have my hands full at the moment so i am a couple of blocks behind however i hope to catch up over this weekend. Do take a look!

A quick post!

This entire month has gone in a mad rush with relatives and engagements and dinners and parties. I just have the time to show you my first quilt that i actually charged for. It is a baby quilt with cushions ans i hope baby Malhar loves it as much as his parents have. More on this later.......for now....just the snaps.

I am off to shop for my daughter's birthday party. Do let me know if you like this one.....being the first custom quilt i am feeling rather proud of myself :).

Yay! My very first blog award!

I have been awarded the Libster Blog Award by Chumkie Mukerjee. Thank you dear lady! 

This award is given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers. As you can see, i am well below that mark :). 

The Rules for this award are -

1. Thank the person who gave you this award and link back to them.
2. Pick 5 blogs who have 200 followers or less and pass on the award to them.
3. Leave a comment on their blog informing them of the same.
4. Post the award on your blog.

All i have to do now is to pass it on to 5 deserving bloggers.

Here's my pick -

1. Riddhi Kapoor at I Made It!!.
2. Elvira at Chez Vies.
3. Shweta at Scribbling Pad.
4. Sayali at My World Today.
5. Ishani at Moments of Life.

Congratulations to all the new recipients of the Liebster Blog Award!

Small steps

When i renovated my home i had packed this little one away with my other quilting stuff. I thought i would hang it where i can see it now so that i remember to quilt a bit each day! So it will stay in my kitchen....that's the place where i am most of the day. I love the scraps that went into it and i have saved bits of all those fabrics to use again. The binding fabric is part of what i have used for the backing. It is what i picked up from my mom's stash when i went visiting her last.