Wednesday 6 April 2011

Production line

It's been a productive couple of days here at Schloss Zed.
First, I finished this little baby quilt (above) that I had started before Mack was born — I suppose that'd be eight years ago now! I never finished it, partly because this was the period when we were toing and froing between Perth and California, and partly because, like a complete der-freddy, I'd started hand-quilting it, which was not the right thing for me to do at all.
So on Monday morning, I yanked it down from the top of the cupboard, ripped out all the hand-quilting and within two hours had ripple-stipple-quilted it on the machine. I then bound it with some navy fabric that I hadn't bloody washed, so when I threw the whole completed object into the wash yesterday, the binding shrank. Double der.
Anyway, with that under my belt, I went on to make a little pile of bedlinen to take down south to the beach house this weekend. The linen there is all looking a bit grungy and faded, so I figured some shockingly bright new cotton pillowslips would be in order.
Thanks to my best friend Shelley for the magenta stripe fabric (it was in a whole crate of fabric goodies she gave me!), and to Sarah at work who gave me a good length of the retro-looking floral-print cotton.
I'll photograph these on the bed on the weekend and show you how good they look!
Also in that pile, at the bottom, is a fitted cot sheet. Last time we were down south, I poked around in the garage and found the old drop-side cot that had been second-hand when Lily and then Will slept in it, and then later their cousins, Emma and Rufus. I managed to screw it together and gave it a thorough cleaning with hot water and eucalyptus oil. It still has all the teeth marks in it where successive babies have chewed.
I was tempted to sand it all smooth and perfect and re-paint it, but after conferring with my best friend Jane, I think I'll leave the old toothy patina as it is. Photographs to come when we get down there again.
After the cot sheet, I decided Harper would need some sort of coverlet in the cot, so I fished out this length of blue candlewick I'd got on special at Spotto months and months ago, and the piece of Echino gauze that was left over when I made this quilt, which now lives in Wales with Emily. Voila! A soft and lovely candlewick-backed cot coverlet to keep my lovely girl all warm and cosy.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW ... have you been busy! Can't wait to see the linen on the bed in all it's glory. Shelley

Mousy Brown said...

My quilt is on display and often gets compliments! Love the pillow slips (especially the retro flowers - very popular here too!) Take care Em x

Jennifer said...

Great stuff -- it is wonderful to get things done and have such beauty to show for it.

victoria said...

I would keep the bite marks for sure.