In my last post i showed you the english paper pieced pentagons i was using to make...........
..................these soft patchwork pentagon balls............for babies to play with of course, but older children like to throw them too :D................and they could be used as a pin cushion as well ;-)..........
.............they are easy to make and it is fun to choose the different fabrics for the patches.........they are made in two halves, like small bowls, and then joined together..............
.............they are best when stuffed very firmly to keep a nice rounded shape..............
..............here are the pretty pastel ones i was sewing when we were away..................
............i have had a bit of a painting crush lately, and decided to paint these very old shelves with some annie sloan chalk paint...........the shelves were in the cellar when we moved into this old house.............
...............they are made from an old soap box.........we could tell this as the lettering is still on the back.............. it says 'tyson & co dirt shifter soap'...............they are very rustic and i liked them a lot when i first found them ......... they have been painted several times over the years.............
...............so i gave them a couple of coats of chalk paint in pure, and then did a bit of distressing here and there and then waxed them...........now it is fun to arrange things on them and i am thinking they might become my 'seasonal shelves' where i can create a special little arrangement of objects as each new season arrives...............
...............recently my lovely blog friend jessie of
sew and quilt sent me some of their own fabulous new pre cut paper pieces to play with.........they also have lovely little kits too..........such a great idea to give as gifts, to try new shapes already made for you or to learn how to do english paper piecing if you have never tried it before (it is addictive!).............
.................my project in this month's bright and summery issue of
crafts beautiful magazine is a doll's quilt with a nautical theme...................
................it was fun to make this little quilt, with its cross stitched boats and applique stars...........
..............this weekend i celebrated my birthday........... every fourth of july seems to come around faster and faster now :)..............we had a great weekend with both daughters and their families....lots of fun........ and luckily it was still sunny and we could drink pimms in the garden and cook and eat outdoors too...............i received some lovely flowers and presents which i will show soon.......
..................thank you for visiting me here in my little blog space, dear readers, and for taking the time to leave such kind comments....................wishing you a wonderful summery week with sunshine, inspirations and time to indulge some crafty crushes..........back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
45 comments:
Hi
your blog is so inspirational.
I love English paper piecing the colours you use are so beautiful.
A friend has just had a baby .
You have inspired me to do a baby quilt.
Belated Birthday Wishes Helen! The patchwork balls are so pretty and I like the look of the little paper piecing sewing kits too. Your magazine project has a lovely combination of pattern and colour and I like the applique squares too! Have a lovely week ahead. x
I love your little fabric balls, and that quilt is so cute. I love your idea of using the shelves for seasonal displays. I'm sure you'll decorate them so well. Thank you for such a pretty and inspirational post. Happy Birthday. (I celebrated mine July 4 too)
Belated birthday wishes. I'm eager to have a go at English paper piecing, the patchwork ball is beautiful and looks like a reasonably quick idea to practise with. The little quilt is also beautiful. I must get myself organised and get stuck in.
Happy Belated, Helen! I just love those sweet little balls. That shelf is so neat, being able to read the old lettering adds a little bit of secret charm! ;)
Love those fabric balls, saw one down years ago embroidered as a baby momento
Julie xxxxx
Hello Helen and a belated Happy Birthday to you! As always your post is full of pretty creative makes and beautiful colours! You are always such an inspiration! :) x
Happy Birthday Helen (even if it is a bit too late...) !!
Love those old shelves - what a good idea to use them as seasonal shelves ! Always fun to change decoration in the house from time to time !
Happy belated birthday to you, Helen! I'm glad you had a nice day. I love those balls. I've been looking at one in a sewing book and hoping there will be a new baby near me to make one for. The shelves you painted look very nice. I haven't tried chalk paint but I have used milk paint and I think it's somewhat similar. I hope you have a great week!
Hello Helen and my warmest Happy Birthday wishes! So cute patchwork balls! After making the stuffed hexagon flower toy, these are absolutely next to Paper piece in the shop. I really like the self you painted and the idea to make it seasonal, is perfect! So we shall see it often we your sweet little things! These days I'm working with a Super cute secret Project which makes me happy! x Teje
Happy belated birthday! I have lots of little Liberty hexagons cut out for a quilt using paper piecing, I shall crack on with it one day. Hope you have a lovely week x
Happy belated birthday dear Helen. I'm glad to hear you had a lovely day. Your seasonal shelves are a great idea. Those patchwork balls are super....very retro too. Have a lovely week xx
Happy Birthday [belatedly], Helen! I am glad to know that you had a happy celebration :) One of the things I appreciate about many of the projects that you have shared is that they are small scale which is less overwhelming than larger projects, especially if one is just learning new skills. The doll quilt is precious...maybe I need to make one before making the quilt I have been collecting material for for years. If you have the chance sometime could you please give me a pep talk on cutting material? Do you use a cutting wheel or scissors to cut your blocks. My attempts using either have not been very accurate...I am left handed, but loath to think that is a handicap! :) What fun to find your shelves and paint and wax them so successfully. It will be great to see your seasonal displays as you share them with us.
Happy Summer! xx
Love that little quilt.
Best wishes for your birthday, Helen!
The doll's quilt is really cute!
Tina xxx
Happy belated birthday Helen, so glad you had a lovely day with your family!
I'm sure your little ones love playing with those cute little patchwork balls, they are so sweet. Such a cute little nautical quilt too! :)
Have a lovely week,
V x
Well Happy Birthday! I love that little dog on wheels.
Brenda
quilts ... balls ... painting ... and then that adorable airedale on the shelf ... I love coming to visit for my "color" fix!
Happy Birthday sweet friend. I hope your day was special...like you! And I love that precious doll quilt. I would so like to make something like that. I've never made a quilt and this would be a fun one to start with. Enjoy your week. Hugs, Diane
First off---Happy Birthday, Helen! Sounds like you had a lovely celebration!
The fabric balls are so unique to me and I just love them. I'm sure my little Elsie would have one in her mouth pronto! She loves to nibble on anything and everything. And your quilt sounds like it's going to be darling. You have so many nice projects! :)
Jane xxx
Love those quilted balls! I would like to make some for the grands. And the little quit is so cute! I think adding some cross stitch to it makes it so special. Happy birthday, Helen!
What a child friendly post, Helen!
I can't think of a baby who wouldn't like a ball
or a little girl who wouldn't want a blanket for her doll.
Amalia
xo
Happy Birthday Helen, your little balls are so cute, such a great way to use your favourite fabrics. I love your new shelves to. Can I ask you what the difference is between chalk paint and normal paint. I have seen several people use chalk paint to do up furniture so I wondered how it worked.
A very Happy birthday Helen! Hope you had a lovely day. Oh these little balls are just so gorgeous-I am going to have to try making one! All of your work is just so beautiful. What a coincidence I am doing some painting too, using Laura Ashley paint on old frames. Hope you are enjoying the summer months xx
Happy birthday lovely Helen! I love the pretty little balls with the English paper piecing..,so sweet.
Marianne x
Happy belated birthday! I love the things you're made and your painted shelves. The pentagon balls are really lovely.
Herzlichen Glückwunsch liebe Helen zu deinem Geburtstag, bleib gesund und zufrieden.
Sehr schön der kleine Puppen-Quilt und die Bälle gefallen mir auch, sowas könnte ich meiner kleinen Enkeltochter machen.
Ganz liebe Grüße Annerose
Belated birthday wishes to youuuu Helen! I'm so pleased you like the pincushion kit :-) I can't wait to see it all sewn up. Those pentagon balls are fantastic too! I've made some in the past for my little nephew, so fun. Have a great week xx
happy belated birthday, Helen!!!
///what nice things you have crated once again, i just love what you do. your pictures are alaways a feast for the eye.
Antigone xxx
Happy, happy birthday for the other day, I hope you had a wonderful day.
Loving the hexi balls, they are gorgeous, great fabric choices too.
Gem x x
GemsCountryLifeDream
Happy belated birthday, sounds like it was spent with the best company. Your shelves are so sweet, I like the idea of changing the display seasonally. That wee quilt is gorgeous xx
Your hexagon balls look lovely Helen! They make such a beautiful present. Your shelve looks lovely too....oh that toy dog :-)
Wishing you a happy week!
Madelief x
*H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to a wonderful and beautiful lady, blogger, friend, craftswoman and friend! Have a fabulous July! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Happy Birthday. Helen! Now I know why there were so many fireworks here....we were all celebrating your birthday! :)
Wow -- you're the third blogger I'm following to have a July 4th birthday -- that must be the most common birthday among bloggers LOL. Happy Belated Birthday -- I hope you had a wonderful day. As always you're full of wonderful projects -- love the little balls, the adorable quilt and the oh-so-chic little shelf!
happiest birthday wishes Helen xxx
Happy belated birthday, dear Helen! I hope you had a great day. Your patchwork balls look so lovely, my children had a similar one when they were small. Your painted shelf looks great, I also love to give old things a new look. And your doll's quilt is just beautiful, I wish I could sew... Have a nice evening, Viola
Many happy returns Helen. Lovely post and makes. I love your little quilt x
Happy Belated Birthday! Love your little hexagon balls. Your quilt is so darling.
Judy
Belated birthday greetings. Lovely post. Isn't it fun to fill up new shelves with favorite bits and pieces? Love the mini quilt. Happy summer days to you.
thank you for your comments on my blog. I'm happy you like it ;)
your blog is so optimistic, beautiful colors, and nice stories of your normal days. I like visiting your handicraft world :)
a lovely post, thank you !
i do enjoy the steady rhythm of your posts throughout the year, the way you write about everything in season, as it were. the homely family things, the gardens and holidays, the children and their ploys. and of course the crafts. your patchwork is inspirational , truly. my family have benefitted from my quilts not copies of yours but triggered by pictures of yours. i do hope you wouldn't mind this.
wishing you many happy returns for your recent birthday, and thanks for your weekly posts.
susan.
ps. i have just pre ordered your new quilt book on amazon, it looks really good !
Happy Birthday and thanks for sharing your lovely projects. Jo x
Happy belated birthday!!
There are fantastic projects, the stars are my best favorite and the strawberries are delicious!
Have a great and amazing week.
Happy Birthday dear Helen!
And thank you again for all those inspirational pictures... All so lovely. What a unique find those shelves; just perfect for some nice display! I Use Annie for those things as well :-). The little quilt is so very pretty, I wish I could make things like that!
Lots of love from Mirjam.
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