Tuesday, 18 September 2012

By Popular demand - Moaning Myrtle

I have so many patterns that have not ben posted yet.  Most of them are over on fandominstitches.com but if you find any that are not let me know and I will put them on.

Today we have Moaning Myrtle.  I created her in all blues so she looked like a ghost and then overlaid the pieced of her with organza so she had that ghostly shimmer.  That took ages to double layer but was worth it.  She has a finished size of 7 x 8.5 inches,

You can find her on the Harry Potter page. Hope you like her - again.

Moaning Myrtle.



Monday, 17 September 2012

meet the ancestors - Pocahontas

This weeks Disney Princess is very close to my heart.  I am a direct descendent of Pocahontas.  My sister is the family tree expert of my family and has verified our direct lineage from Pocahontas.

The real Pocahontas





The Disney Version

The disney version is sweet but the real story happened this way.

Pocahontas was the daughter of chief Powhatan and her real name was Matoaka. Pocahontas was her childood nickname.  Pocahontas was only 11 when she first met John Smith who was 28.  John Smith was captured by the Indians when he got separated from his expedition.  He was not on his way to meet Pocahontas at the time.  He did not meet Pocahontas until he was to be executed and she rescued him.  John Smith was adopted into the tribe and he and Pocahontas became friends.  She visited often and helped the colonists when food was short.

John Smith was injured in an accident and returned to England but Pocahontas was told he had died.  She stopped visiting after that.  Pocahontas was captured and held hostage.  While being held hostage at Jamestown in 1613, she met colonist John Rolfe, a successful tobacco planter and sincere Christian. She converted to Christianity and married him in April 1614.  She changed her name to Rebecca.

The Rolfes had one child, Thomas Rolfe, whom they brought to England with them. When Pocahontas died on the way back, Thomas was also sick, and was left behind to be raised by relatives. John Rolfe would never see him again.

So here is the pattern for this week - hope you like it.  You can find the pattern on the Disney Princesses page or at fandominstitches.com.



Monday, 10 September 2012

I'll make a man out of you

One of my favourite Disney Princesses is first in my new series - Mulan.  Based on a legendary Chinese woman who takes her fathers place in the army and fights for 12 years before retiring back to her home village.

In the Disney version in typical Disney princess fashion she falls in love and gets her man (Shang) in the end.  She is helped along the way by a cricket and a miniature sized dragon.



Hope you enjoy the first in my new series of patterns Disney Princesses. 
It is a 10 inch block.
You can find the pattern on the Disney Princesses page and also on fandominstitches.com


If anyone wants the pattern for Shang let me know.



Monday, 20 August 2012

And for all you princess lovers



Disney Princesses - Coming Soon

Snow White and Aurora (from Sleeping Beauty)


Ariel and Belle


Jasmine and Giselle (from Enchanted)


Mulan and Cinderella


Still to come Pocahontas, Rapunzul and Tianna from Princess and the Frog.





















Lion King Teaser

This is a new project I'm working on.  Patterns have not been tested yet but will be soon.  It's for all you Lion King Lovers out there.  


Hyenas - Shenzi, Banzai and Ed





 Mufasa and Sarabi

Simba (Adult and Cub) and Nala
 
Rafiki
 

Scar

 Timon, Za-Zu and Pumba


I'm back

After a manic couple of months sewing this quilt I feel like I am back to normal.  You know when you think you have plenty of time to finish a project and then you get the flu and everything goes to hell - well that was me.  As soon as I realised I was not going to make the deadline I relaxed and the rest of the process became easier.

I started planning this project about a year ago.  My nieces 21st was coming up and she suggested I make her a quilt using the Birth of Venus but with her face.  As usual I said no problem, but then of course I had to make it.

For those not familiar with the painting this is it -






As it is a very wide painting not suitable for a quilt I cropped it to this size -




I think this gave the most attractive bits for the quilt.

Then I had to draft the pattern and use my nieces face -





So this is the finished quilt.  I don't think it turned our too badly.  A lot of the detail I did with quilting as to piece would have been too fiddley.  I probably would not have chosen the fabrics I did if I was just sewing a quilt of squares but I think they quite accurately reflect the colours of the painting.



It is called Birth of Nikita - hope she likes it.

Monday, 18 June 2012

Blues Clues for Payden

Another couple of Blues Clues Patterns tested and done for Payden
Thanks to 224 Donna, Anne and Sarah for testing my patterns and for donating them to Paydens Grandma.  Patterns can be found on the Blues Clues Page of this blog or at fandom in stitches .com