Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt - Finished and delivered

Terrrible oversight on my part: I neglected to share the finished "Very Hungry Caterpillar" quilt. This has been such a pleasure to work on it, not only because it has been a labor of love and a needed distraction while I was not feeling well but also because Bug and I adore the story, the images and I love colors, bright, bold colors. This was the perfect project for me You can see the earlier stages of the quilt here and here.

I finished it just in time to deliver it myself to my then very pregnant cousin Sophie in Provence

Bright and cheerful, it will keep her sweet child warm and cuddly.

I bound the quilt with a very plain white fabric with aqua polka dots and kept the quilting very simple 

Just in the ditch and some cross lines around the edges

And of course the outline of the butterfly and the caterpillar

Sophie liked it a lot! 

That day she also received the  translation of Eric Carle's adorable book so she could tell the story to her baby.

Barely 2 weeks later,  Sophie, her husband and the whole family welcomed sweet Chloé to the world

Unfortunately after we returned home. I will have to wait until our next trip to hold little Chloé. In the meantime, the quilt I made for her will have to make do.

Stashbusting - Jeans upcycled into fun purse

In this project, all my favorite things: denim, a cute purse, upcycling, awesome fabrics and even beads! It's no secret, I love making purses and I looove a challenge. A couple of months ago, one of my friends sent me a few ripped jeans done in by her children after I ran out of old jeans. The first transformation was the twirl skirt for Bug. This is the second pair, which had been cropped just below the knee before landing in my stash, so there was no extra to work with. 

The little embroidered flowers gave me the color scheme : denim + pink + chocolate brown. 

 

I did some stash diving and pulled out this lovely pink and chocolate damask style print I grabbed a while ago from the remnant bin at JoAnn's and a piece of leftover denim from my bike basket yielded the bottom piece and the shoulder strap.

I cropped the pants a bit below the crotch and recreated a straight seam after cutting off the excess fabric. Then I cut a piece of denim to make the bottom of a bucket shape bag.

 

Then I made the lining using the same measurements with the damask, adding 2 inside pockets from the  last of the pant legs. Yes it's been used to the last scrap. 

I generally put magnetic snaps for handbag closures but for a bucket bag it didn't really work out so I opted for a draw-string closure made with ribbon and beads. 

Old ripped jeans : zero dollars

Ribbon and fabrics from my stash... hmm about $3 dollars

Giving new life to old jeans : priceless!

What I've been up to - Week 37 and 38

If you missed my usual ramblings last weekend, sorry but the date needed to stay solemn. I preferred to skip a date. 

The past weeks have been all about getting into the new school routine, which we are finally getting down and also getting a few things done around the outside house before the colder weather settles in. Not so successful in that area but we got some other overdue projects tackled: Bug has now a proper homework desk in an area where the distractions are limited, I finally hung some artwork on the master bedroom's wall (after almost 7 years in this house ahem ... oops) and we reorganized a few things on the walls of the stairwell and second floor landing. Oh and I finally have a little desk in the office for "overnighters" when I'm on call for work. I will use it for the first time super early tomorrow morning .. yipee!! 

Bug is still doing wonderfully with her ADHD medication. We have a follow up appointment tomorrow morning but I think we are going to continue as is for the moment because not only the side effects are relatively minor, but she is also her happy, energetic and mischievous self, with the ability to concentrate on one task, including at school.

Not much done in the studio. I finished a corduroy skirt for Bug and a necklace for me, made a couple of pillowcases as a housewarming present for a girlfriend that just bought a house and started on a little halloween project I'm hoping to finish this week. I still have to take photos so the reveal will have to wait a little.

What have you been up to ??