The Tula Team - Tissues, Toiletries & Tote

Back in November 2013 I shared this Tula Pink bag with you - you can read all about it here:

A Tula Pink Quilted Tote - A Cure For Torn Ligaments

I made the tote to give to my son's partner, Ana, for Christmas 2013 and I also made coordinating accessories - a toiletries bag and a tissue cover.  If you're a regular reader you might have guessed by now that I never shared the accessories as what follows are more of those photos that have just resurfaced when I recently cleared out one of my cameras.

Fabrics used:

Topiary, Eye Drops and Spencer Stripe from the Parisville collection - all by Tula Pink for Free Spirit.

I love how the lining fabric is visible through the outer tissue cover, those fabrics work so well together.

Have you ever made something, forgotten about it then found a photo a while after?

There're even more photos of other makes on the camera, fun looking back at everything, though!


Disclaimer: 
This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.

 

 

The Rockin' Robot Laminate Backed Picnic Playmat

   

Not long now until my grandson, Oliver, will be with us and son, Jack and Ana have been busy planning and equipping their nursery.  A few weeks ago they sent me this pic of Jack, and my daughter, Flicky, painting the room

and when they sent this finished paintwork pic they said they were going with a space theme.

In my stash was this panel - same colours and a space theme - all robots, space ships and rockets - Blue Sky Studio "Rockets and Robots" for Benartex. 

Sending back this pic we started discussing what I could make it into - a wall hanging, play mat, picnic blanket - the final consensus a waterproof playmat/picnic blanket - softening the wooden bedroom floor and perfect for outdoor picnics.

The panel wasn't wide enough on its own so I added red rocket fabric borders, also from my stash - Out of this World by jill mcdonald for P&B Textiles.

Once the top was complete I attached fusible batting and free motion quilted it without a backing using Aurifil 40/2 #2770 - Very Light Delft.

The background and borders are stippled while I've framed and outlined each image - you can see the fmq easily here on the batting side.

Once complete I spray basted the batting with Odif 505 temporary fabric adhesive spray and attached a red and white polka dot laminate backing (Riley Blake Designs Pattern C350-80 Dots by The RBD Designers) then bound the playmat with Kona Solid - Jade Green.  Finished playmat size 39" x 48".

Time for the photo shoot.

Oh and here's a couple of robot friends that I couldn't resist buying for Oliver too.

I did the photoshoot before carrying out the part of the process I was dreading - washing the playmat.  I had no idea what would happen given it's a quilted top and non-quilted laminate backing.

I'm delighted to report the playmat washed perfectly.  Obviously the backing is now only attached to the playmat by the bound edges and no longer firmly attached to the complete top as the temporary spray glue has washed away but that doesn't affect the finished playmat at all. In fact it was better the back was no longer attached as the top crinkled and shrank in the wash - the way quilts do - and the back remained the same size and flat.

I hung the playmat over the shower rail until it was half dry and then I ironed the quilted top (not the laminate side!) twice with a nice warm iron (taking care not to stay too long on one place - didn't want to melt through the back).  The quilted top went back to size and completely flat again.

Such a relief - no point in a baby play mat that can't be machine washed!!!

And here's a pic of the washed playmat - can't make it bigger because it's a phone pic and too blurry, it's the pic I sent to Jack and Ana the moment I knew all had gone well, but trust me it's perfect!

I simply can't wait to see Oliver playing on it :D

 

 

 

   

     

Introducing My Grandson

I've been waiting for what feels like sooooo long to share the news with you, I just want to shout it from the roof tops 

My eldest son Jack and his partner Ana are having a baby and some time around 11 September 2014 my grandson will be taking his first breath.  He's a first grandchild for the grandparents on both sides so there's that extra buzz and thrill for us all.

Here's a pic of Jack and Ana in their pre-baby days

I love that photo - I took it last June when I visited them at their home in Seville, Spain.

We're all very excited and I've already been buying maternity clothes for Ana, wool, knitting patterns, fabrics and baby clothes, books and presents.  I might be thousands of miles away but I still want to play my part!

I'm sure I'll have lots of projects to share with you over the coming months but right now I'm just walking round with a big smile on my face :D

For details of other fabric, yarn, trim and notion stores that I've visited around the world along with the NYC stores I love, exhibitions and events I've attended and wonderful people I've been lucky to meet click the links below or in my side bar :D

That Was February, This Is March

So it's March and I've been buying some gorgeous new fabrics at Pins & Needles on the Upper East Side.

A couple of Ed Emberley "Picture Pie" for Cloud9 fabrics - you just have to love those raccoons and Michael Miller's black & white Clown Stripe.

2 yards of multi pom poms, white fleece and white french terry.

Some fat quarters - I haven't got a printed selvedge on any of them so I have no idea what I've bought, if anyone has any idea I'd love to know!

So that's what I've been doing in March but what about February and, for that matter, January?

Well in January this little guy came to live with us, his name's Watson and he's a Havanese.

Yep he's pretty much running the household and, as you can see, he's totally taken ownership of Tatty's bed!

Then in February Simon and I headed off for a week to Seville to see all the kids - that's right, ALL the kids - it's 2 years since we were all together!!!

The trip involved a lot of this -

there's half a bottle of Tanqueray gin with a thimble of tonic in my glass!

Need more evidence of how we passed our time?  

Here's Ana, Jack, Joe and Katie and a table full of our cocktails.

We didn't take many pics (see my post about my previous trip here) and a lot of what I do have are poor quality phone photos, but there's not a single one of us all together :( and turns out this is the only pic I've got of Flicky!

and this one's me with Simon.

It rained every day and although it wasn't warm it was most definitely warmer than NYC.  The sun did break through for a couple of hours one day as I snapped this pic of Joe and Katie dancing in Seville's Cathedral garden

and this is the sunny view from the top of the Cathedral's Giralda Tower.

I loved all the hand stitched scarves

and there was quilty inspiration on every floor.

Here I am on the flight home - knitting and stretching out as there were only 80 of us on the 335 seater plane.

Airplane food was, as always a trial for me - just because I'm gluten free doesn't mean I like rice cakes, I hate rice cakes.

So that's my dinner and below's my breakfast - another rice cake that someone's gone to the trouble of cutting in half - makes no difference, I still hate rice cakes.

Since I got home I've been working on a sampler for a potential class, late into the night I've been busy sewing together jelly roll strips.

Tomorrow I'm off to San Francisco till Monday and I'm looking forward to some potential sunshine instead of more of this.

Here's to Spring in New York - though I've got a feeling we'll be skipping Spring and going straight into another scorcher of a Summer!!!

I know it's terribly British of me but I'm wondering how the weather's treating you?  Answers on a postcard please or even in a comment.