Thursday 4 February 2016

Fast and simple patchwork, tweet tweet.

Hello. It's been a grand drying day today. Bed stripped and washed, ready to go back on, sweats and teas put away in the cupboard.  
I'm still sorting the fabric out and have a bundle of small scraps of colourful cotton. I need to use them up. Remember the patchwork curtain on the small window at the bottom of the stairs, I'm going to make another curtain for the upstairs window at the top of the stairs. At the moment I have a plainish stripey green one there which I found in a skip, I will brighten the window up with some colour and give the green curtain to a charity shop. Good plan. 
I am making it the easy way, there will be two pieces to this curtain as it's a bigger window. I have a curtain liner which has been used as a table cloth, so this will be it's third re use. It's got a few marks on it but that doesn't matter because it will be covered on both sides. I have written about this before so some of you will know how to do it. First place a piece right side down just off centre. Sew it along one edge and turn it right side up.

Then choose another piece to go next to it. None of the pieces are measured, they can be any width but they must be the same length as the piece you are attaching it to.

Place it right side down matching the two edges, and sew it on.

The fold it over so the right side is on top. 
The next piece.

 Same again, lay it on top, right side down, and put a line of stitching along the edge.

Fold it over, right side on top. 
Same again with another piece.

See how it is growing, each piece added makes the patchwork bigger and needs to be longer.

Eventually you run out of long pieces so you need to join shorter pieces to make a strip of the right length. 
It's dead easy to do. As it grows longer strips are needed. Make the strips first then add them in the same way, right side down, stitch, then turn them right side up. Just keep adding until you reach the edges of the piece you are covering. You can iron as you go along, but I just pin to hold it flat while I add the next piece.

This is an easy way to make patchwork. I will cover the two curtains like this, then put a back on it. You could make cushion covers, or bags with it. A good way to use up scraps, why not have a go if you have a machine.

There's not much left in the fridge now. I'm putting off shopping, but I need to go before Sunday to use a £4 off voucher. Today I used the last of the yellow sticker potatoes, dated 20th January. Wash and trim off  the  blemishes, cut into small pieces. Boil in a stainless pan. Add spices.

Wash a handful of spinach, this was normal price 79p from Home Bargains. Add to the pan.

Zap it with a stick blender, serve with a wholemeal bread roll. A tasty two ingredient, warming soup.

I seem to have a few followers on Twitter, not sure how that happened, I only joined so I could follow Jo's progress on her walk. If people are going to follow me I suppose I ought to write something, or they might buzz off. I don't intend getting into the whole Twitter/Facebook/Instagram thing to promote my blog, it doesn't matter to me whether 20 or 200 read my wafflings. I will tweet if I have a flash of inspiration, but I'm sure no one wants to know every chuffin mundane thing I am doing. Oh, by the way, I washed my hair today and washed the kitchen floor with the rinsing water, I bet you wanted to know that, ha ha.

Got to do my three miles now, so I'll sign off. Thanks for popping in. Catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

27 comments:

  1. Regarding the patchwork curtain. you may have solved a problem for me. Not sure yet, so I'll have to think about it. I'm not really a sewer although I have made a few things in my time. I've made a few patchwork cushions and attempted patchwork curtains many moons ago with the hexagon template, but got fed up and threw it out. I've now been asked to make a large Christmas stocking in patchwork for my grand-daughter. The thing that I'm concerned about is the lining as I've never had to line anything before and it's causing me sleepless nights (only joking). Your way of doing patchwork may be the answer because then I'll have an inbuilt lining. I don't have a machine and my sewing is a bit amateurish, but I'm willing to have a go. Food for thought. (I'm more of a knitter.)

    Joan (Wales)

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    1. Hello Joan. What you could do is to cut out two stocking shapes for the size you want, there will be some curved edges, and when you add the patchwork pieces take them over the edge and trim off the excess. You could then sew the two sides together, right sides in, then turn it right sides out. You will have all the stitching inside, turn over the top to neaten it, put a drawstring in it if you wish.

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    2. Just got back from a weekend away and seen your advice about the stocking. It sounds so simple when you explain it. I may give it a go. As I said I'm not a sewer, but I do have all year, so that should be plenty of time, I hope. I'll let you know if I attempt it. Many thanks, Ilona.

      Joan (Wales)

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  2. Can't wait to see the finished curtains. What a great way to use up your stash of fabric.

    I have loads of pretty aprons (my teams uniforms) which I want to turn into bags for them so any tips or advice would be gratefully received.

    X x

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  3. I thought we were speaking a different language when you mentioned "sweats and teas" ... I thought "teas?" Earl Grey? PG Tips? And as for "sweats" I thought you meant "sweets" ... but then I realized you meant what we could call tracky bottoms and T-shirts! Not that I own a pair of tracky bottom/sweats as I don't have any need of them. I tend to live in dark indigo jeans or black or navy cords (smart culottes when I want to look, well smarter, or a dress and opaque tights.) But the difference in language certainly gave me pause for thought!

    Do you know, although I've made all kinds of soup, I've never used spinach for soup. Tomorrow, as I have a box of large mushrooms in the fridge, it will be mushroom soup. I usually kick-start all soups with onions and potato (sautéing both) and then adding whatever is in the fridge followed by stock and, when cooked, blended.

    Unfortunately where we have our clothes line it's directly under our walnut tree in a north-facing garden and even on a dry day, as today has been for the most part, it's often too still and too cold (and often too damp, for we do live in Devon, with all it's hills which of course ensure we have an abundance of rain) out there to dry clothes, so it's on with the electric-gobbling tumble dryer, I'm afraid to say.
    Margaret P

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    1. Hello Margaret. Sorry if I confused you. My fingers run away with me sometime.

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  4. Hi,Ilona.Very easy to follow instructions for those of us that need them,thank you!.I've not been sewing at all lately,but reading up a storm...must try and get with it again.Someone accidently left the hot water tap running in a stream the other night in our bathroom.Perhaps it was a fairy or "Idunno"(our children's habitual scapegoat)elf like creature.(Sadie is too little to reach the faucet)I happened to awaken in the wee hours and found it.It had been running since bedtime and by that time hours had gone by...horror upon horrors!Am not sure if I've quite recovered from the shock.Well now,your two ingredient soup looks very good to me and tasty.Happy trekking to all you mover and shakers out there with my best wishes,D.

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  5. How lucky is that laundry dry on the line. My mum would have said that you needed to air the bed linens before putting back on or was it not necessary?

    Your soup looked nice.

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    1. I'm big on airing clothes, especially when they have been outside in winter, but if I am happy they are bone dry on a sunny windy day I will put them right back on/away. I notice the older generation are far more habitual with airing all clothes that have been outside. I think this is going back to a time when houses were much more difficult to keep warm and damp free. Everything went into the airing cupboard. My MIL was horrified when I said I had managed to get a load out, dried and put away in 1 day. My rule of thumb is if they feel slightly clammy when you bring them in definitely air overnight, if they feel bone dry there is no need to air. Admittedly it is rare this time of year to be able to do that but we have had freakishly warm weather and a lot of wind.

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    2. Thank you for that reply Deborah. I say the same. The bedding was dry when I brought it in, no need to air it. Besides, I don't have any heat on for most of the day, and the temperature inside is similar to that outside.

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  6. I stared using twitter (@QuinnPiper) several years ago as a source of international and national news, and that is still the core benefit for me. Over time I have also gradually connected with other farming types and artists in many parts of the world, which is very interesting and helpful. I'm sure many other people use twitter in many other ways, but that's the beauty of twitter, I think: you control what kind of information you invite into your life.

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    1. Hi Quinn. I am beginning to see the advantages as you describe over facebook. It's a lot more simple to follow and unfollow people.

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  7. My favorite easy to snap a quilt top together. :)

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  8. Hi Ilona, I've just started following you so look forward to reading your posts. I love the patchwork curtains and it has inspired me to have a go at some cushion covers.
    Mal B

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    1. Hello Mal, and welcome. Cushion covers would be a good start. You wouldn't need to put a backing on it because you already have two layers. If you make it envelope style you wouldn't need a zip. Make one long piece of patchwork and fold it into thirds, if you want patchwork on both sides.

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  9. As you know I think you're fab and I'm a big fan of your recycled art work. However this time in my humble opinion the combination of bright warm colours, bright cool colours and pastels is not a winner, just sayin ;-)

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    1. Hi. Everyone has their favourite colours and combinations of colours. You could perhaps try this method of patchwork using fabric of your choice.

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    2. Well said Ilona, I should shut up and get productive instead of being an armchair critic of others labours LOL

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  10. I love the patchwork curtain you already have so will look forward to seeing these when finished. I found the way you do it really interesting as I had imagined the patches to be all the same size. This makes for a more imaginative look.

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    1. Hello Carol. Patchwork which is made of pieces all the same size means there is some fabric left over. Doing it this way you can use up every scrap of fabric.

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  11. I know the sewing as quilt as you go, yours looks lovely :)

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  12. Now you've got another Twitter follower!

    Linda xx

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  13. Looks like a fun way to use up the scraps. I'm not sure about your soup, as I'm not a fan of spinach.

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  14. I'm fashionably late to the party, as usual! I really like the quilt. Inspired by you I did give quilting a go last year and did pretty well. I'm liking the look of this and will try it myself. Thanks Ilona.

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  15. its rubbish weather now drives me insane when the washing's piling up and no drying in the wonderful fresh air available,i have got a dryer but only use it if my patience with waiting for the sun /wind to arrive wears thin and then only for the small things which dry quickly, also i work so its time as well getting on top of it all before back to the commute.

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  16. Your patchwork curtain is very beautiful. I have some leftover quilting materials and you have provided some inspiration. Your blog is a great read.

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  17. Thank you for the quilt making tip.. I love it .. will be having a go very soon.. :)

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