Friday, 29 March 2013

Happy Easter!!!


Geek eggs freebie

Easter (our first, as the second one is in a month;) is just around the corner, so I thought to share with you these cute geek eggs:)
Here is the link x download!
Have a wonderful Easter!:)
xx, Katarina

Thursday, 28 March 2013

And so it begins...my first quilt!


Assembling the quilt pieces

I am so excited to share with you my new quilting adventure!!!
It's been a while since I wanted to try myself in proper patchwork and quilting.
I made some patchwork cushions before and had a lot of fun with sewing some clothes and other patched things, but after designing fabric, I really had the strong desire to learn more about real quilts, the designing and creating process. I have a few quilt books, but as well with designing clothes, I  like to find my own way in doing things. So challenging myself with something that might not be the easiest project to do, might be the great way to learn more. Even because, sometimes the best way to learn is from the mistakes.


playing with drunkard's paths -tiles "quilt prepping"  

playing with drunkard's paths -tiles "quilt prepping"playing with drunkard's paths -tiles "quilt prepping"

So till now, I almost finished the first side of my very first quilt! So here are some pics from the very start, from selecting the fabrics, choosing the patterns, cutting and assembling the fabrics.
my first attempt at quilting-cutting and preparing the (Drunkard's path) squares

While I was browsing the net and leafing through quilt books in search of inspiration, I was attracted by the Drunkard's path tiles. I searched the net to find out something more regarding the history of these paths and here is what I found out:(from Pepper Cory's Easy Drunkard's Path Templates) : "Drunkard's Path, the easiest quilt block pattern for learning to sew curved seams, is one of few quilt block patterns with a recorded history. The block was first seen in ancient Roman mosaics. By the 18th century the design emerged in England with the name Rob Peter to Pay Paul. When the pattern traveled to America in colonial times, new names appeared - Wanderer in the Wilderness, Rocky Road, and finally Drunkard's Path.

my first attempt at quilting-cutting and preparing the squares

As I didn't have any particular ruler (that is sure quite handy for cutting these), I used a simple 8" plate to cut the curves, as my squares were 4". It's just very important to leave some space for the seams when cutting these;)

Assembling the tiles into the quilt

As I choose 6 different fabrics for this project, I made 40- 4" squares from each of the 6 fabrics(about 1/2 yard of each fabric). Finally I had 40 x 6 = 240 squares. There were 30 different fabric paths to create (each fabric combined with other 5 make 30 possibilities), so I had 8 Drunkard's paths of the each of the 30 possible pattern/designs.


Assembling the tiles into the quilt

Assembling the tiles into the quilt

Assembling the tiles into the quilt

Assembling the tiles into the quilt

Assembling the tiles into the quilt

Assembling the tiles into the quilt

I had so much fun deciding about the pattern of this quilt and I really wanted to have some curved sort of the chevron. As the squares I created weren't enough to make a real size quilt, I inserted some strips of the antique calligraphy print and blend them together with other fabrics by adding some circle patches, randomly assorted.

Assembling the quilt pieces

Assembling the quilt pieces

Assembling the quilt pieces

Assembling the quilt pieces

So now the size of it is approx. 120 x 160 cm and I am not sure if I should add some more fabric, at least in length. For the other side of the quilt, I decided to go all stripy.
It will be something like I had previously in mind , but I don't want the chevrons for this side, just some random striping and sort of improvisational patching. I hope to obtain some exciting and non expected images or paths and hope to have even more fun with this unconventional patching, without any particular design in mind. Some more artsy look, I hope:) But will see, hopefully soon!:)

Assembling the quilt pieces

I am a bit worried about how I will do the sandwich quilting after all, as the first side (with all those pieces) is not quite flat. I just hope that it's just an charming "handmade" aspect of quilting and not my ignorance. I know that in sewing clothes, if something is not perfect, it is just not good and hope that quilting might be a bit more forgiving;)
Any advices or suggestions are warmly welcomed.
xo, Katarina

Friday, 15 March 2013

More plushies!!!


Ice cream plushies

Just like with the dolls, I am all addicted to dolls and plushies and have been really enjoying making them lately. Ice cream set is available for sale on Etsy.

 Ice cream plushies

Ice cream plushies

As I made quite a few of these lately, this upcoming exhibition will come quite handy to have them all exposed (you are all invited, of course:).

Ice cream plushies

Ice cream plushies

Ice cream plushies

Ice cream plushies


Fox pillow, foxes, dolls and wolfs - cut and sew pattern

Fox pillow, foxes, dolls and wolfs - cut and sew pattern

Fox pillow, foxes, dolls and wolfs - cut and sew pattern

Fox pillow, foxes, dolls and wolfs - cut and sew pattern

Fox pillow, foxes, dolls and wolfs - cut and sew pattern

Fox pillow, foxes, dolls and wolfs - cut and sew pattern

fabric scraps

Another great thing about these SF fabric templates is that (as they are so precious to me), I will use every possible inch of it and so I will actually make some scrappy quilt out of the little leftovers.

fabric scraps fabric scraps

Feels really great to have someone helping and thinking about the kitchen and real food while I am making the play food:)


Have a wonderful weekend,
Katarina

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

In the sea of {fabric} love


small ditsy flowers

 I decided to organize all my Spoonflower fabric swatches that I collected over these past 3 years, so there's so much cutting, organizing and photographing going on. My fabric design set on Flickr is getting fatter and fatter. My plan is to finally list some of my fabric designs and creations with my fabrics on etsy. Hopefully, I'll arrive there soonish.

my Spoonflower swatches

fabrics cut

mustache watercolor fabric

My wonderland fabric collection

And, yes, dreaming about making dresses with my fabric designs. In the mean time, I'll enjoy looking at this beautiful "My wonderland" dress made with my fabrics that can be found on etsy
and Francoise Lama-Solet's website.
Thanks Fran, you are the best!!!
xo, Katarina

Sunday, 3 March 2013

Dolls mania

softie dolls

If you remember this blog post, then you will know that this new endeavor will hardly end. It's getting bigger and better and I keep designing new doll styles almost every day.

softie dolls

softie dolls

softie dolls

I am so enjoying this pile of dolls, all the little details, all the little mistakes I made during this process, but what I cherish most is that it's totally MY design and my product-from the drawing till the sewn doll and packaging design -the completed product.

softie dolls

softie dolls

softie dolls

Each week, I am eagerly waiting for the postman to arrive and bring me some new doll templates. It's a long way down the road, as it starts here, it's printed in the USA and the final product is made here again. So, the turnaround takes more than a month, but, I am so happy with the results.

harajuku_dolls

softie dolls

softie dolls

The dolls are printed on the great quality, 100% cotton poplin, stuffed with 100% polyester wadding and are sewn with utmost love and care and special attention to a detail. As far the reactions are great, little girls love them, as much as adults.

softie dolls

softie dolls

softie dolls

xo, Katarina