Hobbes for Nafisa!

Nafisa gave me this pattern a couple of years ago! Finally it got made for her 29 th birthday a few days ago! The way she squealed and jumped around when she got it, made me smile and feel happy that I had hit a winner for a birthday present! I wonder if kids ever actually grow upon the eyes of their parents! Possibly never, which in a way is a good thing,but the also a bad thing, as one never stops worrying that their lives will be good, they will be safe and happy, and most of all contented! A tall order I guess!
Anyway here is Nafisa and her Hobbes!

The pattern if free from the net. I need to find the name of the creator and not only acknowledge her here, but also thank her! It was really easy and well written!

Nikhil's Quilt....almost done!

I have one block left to make...thinking maybe it should be bees. The rest  have come out well, and I am so excited, so am sharing them here. Its been some experience, trying to use fabrics that are not the same weight....but complete fun! Viveck has kept me focused in that I don't make boring animals, but ones with character!!!! If Nikhil will be anything like his sister Sufi, he too will have an amazing imagination, and will appreciate the characters as he grows, and possibly build stories around them too!!!!

 Not sure why this peacock has uploaded on its side!

Close ups of some of the details. I think I like hand applique so much as there is so much scope for creativity and using one's imagination!

Finally couldn't resist laying out all the blocks!!!!

 

The Secret Tote Challenge

My machine was set up after a 3 month break!!!! I never thought I would actually do it!!!! The first WIP to finish was the tote for the DQ secret tote challenge. There were 20 of us who participated. It started with each of us putting together a mood board which we sent to Tina. She allocated a mood board to each of us, and based on that we made a tote. At the end there was a guessing session when we tried to guess who had made which tote! With all this travelling, I have only just managed to finish mine. The receiver is in Dubai! I decided to make as much of it as I could by hand, which I like doing anyway....so here is the finished product! Indian Summer !

I used a Warli print for the base with a handloom fabric for the lining and handles. I have put in 2 pockets as well!. I added the signature at the back as a personal touch....Lets hope she likes it.
The following 2 bags were sent to me by my partner....and in her generosity she sent me 2! Nishka has promptly whisked off the second one for her holiday to Thailand!
This was my mood board, and the bags that came for me:

 

WIP continued!!

More blocks for Nikhil's quilt. I love the process...first decide on the animal, then look for a picture for reference, then draw it, choose the fabrics (this is a really cool bit), trace on interfacing, cut out all the bits and then applique it!!! Its fun to see it develop it as I sew, hence I don't plan the details too much ahead....rather like my water colours!

 

WIP: Quilt for Nikhil

So many changes in our lives as we packed up our home of 12 years (40 odd years in Kolkata)  to relocate to Bangalore. What keeps me comfortable is the needlework that goes with me wherever I go....its a constant! I so enjoy working by hand, feel I have better control of my stitching!!

This is one of 11 blocks I am making for Nikhil's quilt. Hopefully will have it ready for his christening.

 

Finally a finish!

This is for Sudip and Pallavi's little miracle, just born! Luckily I had this fish fabric, which seemed to be just right for a little boy! I liked the lack of symmetry of the squares and enjoyed making them like that!

Sufi's Cushions

So finally I am posting something again. Goodness knows where the time goes, but it flies and I suddenly realise there is a lot of sharing left to do!. So here goes
I wanted to make something special for Sufi as she started school, and entered another phase in her life, a mile stone! What does one give a little girl who seems to have everything...I thought of a backpack, but she has a favourite one, so that was out. Nitasha told me she had recently  introduced Sufi to Polly Dunbar's books called Tilly and her friends.   (www.tillyandfriends.com/‎). They are an amazing read and Sufi has totally identified herself with Tilly and the animal friends are all alive. So I decided to create them in fabric on a set of small 10 inch cushions. She was so delighted, and its reward enough to see her lining them all up and chatting with them, carrying them around....so much fun!
I didn't have the books so looked up the characters on the net...drew them on graph paper first and then transferred them on to soft interfacing and then on to fabric. I did all the detail  by hand in simple stem stitch and attached them on to the cushions in blanket stitch. I loved the soothing effect of sewing precisely by hand! I used a little bit of fabric paint for things like Hector's pink cheeks and Pretty Pru's eye shadow! The images are simple with not too much detail, and I can see why Sufi has related to the characters so well.  I am pleased with these as I seem to have got the image the way they are in the book.

Cant seem to straighten the pictures!