New Birthday, new year, new cicle, new life?

Hello.

I know I've been away and I'm so sorry about that. Unfortuntely I have been in a creative slump and it's been a hard couple of days. I haven't sewn for some time now and I miss it, but I don't feel like just doing it, does this make sense?

Anyway, tomorrow is my birthday. My 30th birthday, to be precise. It's exciting and daunting at the same time. I still feel like a girl and most people sure treate me as such. I'm one of those girls that people never believe to be quite as old as they really are. As usefull as this may prove in the future, right now it's annoying, I struggled with it every single day when I had my business, people just don't take you serious, they really underestimate you and it's always fun to watch the moment they realise they got more than they bargained for.

Astrologically speaking, the thirties are, they tell me, the begining of a whole new cycle, how exciting is this? And truly, maybe by chance or maybe not, my life has no other option but to begin a new phase, a new chapter, as I've written so much about it in the next few posts.

I feel like I should maybe set some goals, some objectives. Maybe thirty? Today I don't think like I'm able to concentrate enough to do that, but tomorrow, maybe tuesday, I'll get to that. And you'll be the first to know.

I can't stress enough just how amazing it's been to have you all in my life, to have this blog, to have sewing. It has really changed me. You have really changed me, shown me some very diferent realities and places, with so many similarities.

I know I'm rambling a bit today, sorry about that.

I guess what I truly want to say is: Thank you!

Keeping with it...

Hello.

So THE quilt is already basted and quilted, but I haven't been able to do anything since, I had no sewing time this weekend.

I love the look of this quilt seen from the back. I used a repurposed white sheet for the backing, it's a Summer quilt, it's all about the brightness and lightness of the fabrics, so the white sheet felt perfect!

Still needs the finishing touches and some ironing, but so far, I think it's going to look great! :)

Not bad for a day's work... :: Nada mau para um dia de trabalho...

Another complete stage!

Yesterday, after my last post, I added the frames, so I guess you could say the top is finished!

Outra fase completa!
Ontem, após o meu último post, adicionei a faixa branca e a moldura final. Podemos dizer que o topo está acabado!

I was kind of unsure about the last fabric frame, I thought about solids but didn't really work and I thought of pattern fabric, but thought it would be too busy, so this is what I came up with...

Não tinha muita certeza acerca do tecido da moldura final, pensei eu usar um tecido liso, mas não funcionou e pensei em usar um tecido com padrão, mas pensei que ficaria demasiad cheio, portanto resultou nisto...

It's the perfect size for this particular bed. Now I just have to find the backing. Seeing as this is supposed to be a Summer quilt, I'm thinking no bating, but I'm afraid it will not look good. What do you use for Summer quilts?

É o tamanho perfeito para esta cama. Agora tenho apenas que juntar o tecido da parte de trás. Uma vez que é suposto ser um quilt de Verão, portanto estava a pensar em não adicionar bating, mas receio que fique mal. O que costumam usar para quilts de Verão?

Much Love Monday

Wow, it's been so long since my last Much Love Monday!! If you've never tried it, you should, it's an amazing feeling to take time to think about what you're loving today. So, if you'd like to try it, join me and Anna at her blog today!
And what am I loving today?
Well... life, my kittens as usual and brand new opportunities. The truth is life as we know it can change in a minute.

What are you loving today?

Wip: The biggest quilt I've ever made ::: O maior quilt que já fiz

...which, granted, isn't saying that much ;)
I've completed another stage, so now I have the centre of que quilt complete:

...o que, ok, não é dizer muito ;)
Completei outra fase, agora já tenho o centro do quilt completo:

I notice some things I would change, but frankly I don't think there has ever been a project I would say looked perfect, I guess you look at it so much you know every single detail...
Next stage is the white stripe around this centre and then another fabric frame to finish the top. It is  going to be huuuugggeeee, I have no idea how I'll quilt this... maybe by hand?

Noto algumas coisas que gostaria de mudar, mas francamente acho que nunca terminei um projecto que posso dizer que ficou perfeito, acho que de tanto olhar para ele já conheço todos os pormenores...
A próxima fase é uma faixa branca à volta deste centro e outra moldura de tecido para acabar o topo. Vai ficar ennnooorrrmmmeee, não faço ideia como vai ser o quilting... à mão talvez?

A quick word and a request ::: Uma palavrinha rápida e um pedido

Hello everybody!

Sorry it's been this long, I've been really up to my neck with this quilt, but I'm getting there... Well, there being finishing the top, the rest I hope will be a bit easier than this first stage.
Also, it's given me some time to think about this blog and the direction I want it to go. I know there is so much more I can do with it, but sometimes it's hard for me to take a step back and look at it objectively.

So I was thinking maybe YOU could give me a hand!
I was hoping you could take a few minutes of your time to look at my blog and then comment on this post, mentioning what you think of it, what you would add or change, what would make your experience when visiting better.

Also, I’ve created a Facebook page for this blog and my Etsy shop, just click on the link if you’d like to take a look.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it! I promise to show you new pictures of my quilting progress by tomorrow. For now, it's back to the sewing machine!

 
Olá a todos!

Lamento a minha ausência prolongada, tenho estado atolada neste quilt, mas estou a chegar lá… Bem, lá sendo acabar a parte de cima, o resto espero que seja um pouco mais fácil que esta primeira fase.


 Por outro lado deu-me algum tempo para pensar neste blog e na direcção que quero que ele siga. Sei que posso fazer muito mais, mas por vezes fica difícil para mim dar um passo atrás e olhar para ele objectivamente.


Por isso, estava a pensar que VOCÊS podiam dar-me uma ajuda!
Gostava que pudessem dedicar-lhe uns minutinhos para olharem para ele com atenção e comentarem neste post o que vos parece, o que gostariam de adicionar ou mudar, o que melhoraria a vossa experiência quando o visitam.


Para além disso, criei uma página do Facebook para este blog e para a loja do Etsy, se quiserem dar uma vista de olhos, cliquem neste link.


Obrigada pela vossa ajuda, é mesmo preciosa! Prometo mostrar-vos algumas fotos do meu progresso amanhã. Por agora, vou voltar para a máquina de costura!

wip: another complete stage :: Outra fase completa

Hello!

I'm still having fun with this huge but lovely quilt. I have managed to cut the squares (not a pretty sight) and sew the first white stripes. Now all I have to do is cut is all again and add another direction of stripes.

Olá!

Continuo a divertir-me com este quilt enorme mas lindo. Consegui cortar os quadrados (não foi bonito) e coser as primeiras faixas brancas. Agora, tudo o que tenho que fazer é cortar tudo de novo noutra direcção de faixas.

Don't really know if I'm doing it in the most time/effort effective way, I do know I'm having a blast! I feel like I've made two quilts so far, with all the cutting and the piecing and I'm begining to realise it's actually one of my favorite parts of creating quilts. Well, the end result is pretty awesome too!

Não sei bem se o que estou a fazer é a melhor forma em termos de tempo e esforço, mas sei que me estou a divertir! Sinto-me como se tivesse feito já dois quilts, com tanto cortar e coser de novo e começo a perceber que é uma das minhas partes favoritas de criar quilts. Bem, o resultado final também é excelente!

This quilt is surprisingly forgiving, with the stripes covering up most corners and junctions, it's easy to make it look perfect.

Este quilt é bastante lisongeiro, com as faixas brancas a cobrir a maior parte dos cantos e das junções, é fácil ter um aspecto final perfeito.

Makes a pretty good curtain too ;)
Também faz um bom cortinado ;)

My first purchase on Etsy ::: a minha primeira compra no Etsy

I had been thinking of purchasing something on Etsy for quite some time now. There are such GREAT things over there!! But I was so afraid of portuguese customs, not reliable at all...

I was most in love with a necklace and just decided to go ahead with it. I bought one for myself, and one for my mother, supposedly for Mother's Day, but that's like, in May and I'm sooo bad at keeping this sort of secret...

I got them at Cathy's shop, called Designs by Cathy, and I've just got them today!

Tenho andado a pensar em comprar algo no Etsy há algum tempo. Têm tanta coisa incrível por lá!! Mas tinha medo da alfândega portuguesa, não são nada confiáveis...

Estava apaixonada por um fio e acabei mesmo por o comprar. Comprei um para mim e um para a minha mãe, supostamente para o Dia da Mãe, mas isso é em Maio e eu sou péssima a manter este tipo de segredo...

Comprei-os na loja da Cathy, chamada Designs by Cathy, e acabei de os receber!

This is mine, it says Mushi, Sandy and Nico and on top grateful. Yes, these are the names of my cats, but I really don't have children nor do I know if or when I'll ever have them, so my cats are the closest thing. Grateful is my favorite word and also I'm really grateful for them, they have changed my life completely.

Este é o meu, diz Mushi, Sandy e Nico e no topo diz grata. Sim, são os nomes dos meus gatos, mas não tenho filhos e não sei se ou quando os terei, portanto os meus gatos são o mais próximo que tenho. Grata é a minha palavra favorita e, para além disso, estou muito grata por os ter, eles mudaram a minha vida completamente.

This is my mother's necklace. It has some really cute hearts attached, as well as the same white pearl as mine. It has me and my sister's name and also our cats' names. hihihi

Hope she'll like it!

Este é o fio da minha mãe. Tem uns corações giros e a mesma pérola branca do meu. Tem o meu nome e o nome da minha irmã e dos meus gatos também.

Espero que ela goste!

Update on my most current WIP :: Actualização sobre o meu projecto actual

The squares have been sewn together, now I'm just getting myself ready to cut them all up again, I am so scared of messing up. Cutting fabric is not my forte...

Os quadrados jã estão cosidos, agora estou a preparar-me para os cortar novamente, tenho tanto receio de estragar algum. Cortar tecido não é o meu forte...

I think it's going to look so cute! I love that you can pretty much mix all sorts of fabrics in a quilt, all sorts of colors and it is still going to look great once you finish. The only rule I followed when sewing the squares together was not to sew two identical squares next to one another. Apart from that, there were no rules.

I'll try to proceed today, maybe tomorrow ;)

Vai ficar tão giro! Adoro que possamos misturar todo o tipo de tecidos num quilt, com todo o tipo de cores e o resultado final é sempre excelente. A única regra que segui foi não juntar tecidos semelhantes. Fora isso, não tenho mais nenhuma regra para este quilt.

Vou tentar prosseguir hoje, talvez amanha ;)

New Project: A brand new Quilt ::: Novo Projecto: Um novo Quilt

Hello again.

I was never very good at just standing around doing nothing, so I've been sewing a lot. I've made my first ever lounge pants with my favorite Amy Butler fabric and let me just tell you, I think I am MUCH bigger than I truly am, which is good, I guess...

but anyways, I've been thinking about this design I saw on a blog a couple of months ago, unfortunately I saved the picture, but now I have no idea where I got it from, so if you recognize this pattern or this photo, please tell me, it's driving me crazy!!!

Olá novamente.

Nunca fui muito boa a ficar parada sem fazer nada, por isso tenho cosido bastante. Fiz as minhas primeiras calças de pijama, com o meu tecido favorito da Amy Butler e deixem que vos diga que tenho a ideia de ser MUITO maior do que sou na realidade, o que são boas notícias, suponho...

Mas de qualquer das formas, tenho pensado neste design que vi num blog há uns meses atrás, infelizmente guardei a oto mas agora nem sei de onde a tirei, por isso se a reconhecerem, digam-me, estou a dar em doida!!!

This is what I'm trying to do. I don't have a pattern, I must say I'm not good at working with patterns, I like to get inspired by photos and then just do my version of it, sometimes, a must harder way than the pattern, but that's how I learn, I guess... It's gorgeous. My quilt will have larger squares, and it will also be a larger quilt.

These are the fabrics I'll be using:

Isto é o que estou a tentar fazer. Não tenho um molde, devo dizer que não sou muito boa a trabalhar com instruções, gosto de me inspirar nas fotos e depois fazer a minha própria versão, às vezes de uma maneira muito mais complicada, mas é assim que aprendo, suponho... é lindo. O meu quilt terá quadrados maiores e será maior no geral.
Estes são os tecidos que vou usar:

This is the layout:

Este é o layout:

This is meant to be a Spring/Summer-y quilt, I think the colors will work really great, but truly I don't really notice that until I'm sewing them together. We shall see....

Quero que este quilt seja estilo primavera/verão, penso que as cores funcionam lindamente, mas na realidade só reparo nessas coisas quando estou a cose-los. Veremos...

Carnaval!

Hello!

Next week will be Carnaval Tuesday. Do you celebrate Carnaval where you are? Have you chosen your costume? :)

Olá.

Na próxima semana é Terça-feira de Carnaval. Celebram o Carnaval onde vivem? Ja escolheram o vosso fato? :)

Finished Quilt: Ikea Baby Girl Quilt

Hello.

I can now show you the finished result of my baby girl Quilt. It's about 40"x40" and really colorful. Here it is:

Olá.
Já vos posso mostrar o resultado final. Tem cerca de 40"x40" e é muito colorida. Aqui está:

I kept the quilting pretty simple, just groups of 5 straightish lines, tha spacing between groups being completely random, I just went with what felt better and I think it turned out great.

Mantive o quilting muito simples, apenas grupos de 5 linhas mais ou menos rectas e o espaçamento entre os grupos de linhas é completamente aleatório. Simplesmente fiz o que me pareceu melhor e acho que ficou óptimo!

For the binding I used Jeanean Morrison fabric, and even though you can see it better from the back than from the front, I think it's that perfect special touch for this quilt. Overall I'm quite happy! Hope you like it too.

I will be listing it soon on Etsy soon.

Para o binding (Francamente não sei como traduzir) usei tecido da Jenean Morrison, e apesar de ser mais vistoso na parte de trás que visto de rente, acho que é o toque final ideal para este quilt. No geral estou bastante satisfeita. Espero que também gostem.

Vou listá-la no Etsy brevemente.

WIP: Baby Girl Ikea Quilt Part 4: Almost there!

So, with a lot more time on my hands,I've decided to finish the quilt that's been laying around for some time now, speacially because I'm not the sort of person that works on several projects at a time, I can only concentrate on one or I'll just leave it behind.

The work could go faster but...

You see, my quality controler has to check the softness and fabric quality in each of the stages! It was, as you can see, aproved :)

The quilting is done and now or the binding, I'm trying something a bit different. Do you think it will work??

Giveaway Winners

Hello!

The giveaway ended last night and today I am about to let you know who the lucky winners are.

But first, I'd like to thank you all, for joining this giveway. I had been thinking of doing a giveaway for some time now, but was so afraid nobody would notice it, frankly. But you noticed it and you joined in and shared with me some of your thoughts and answered my question and I loved all of your answers! I wish you could all be winners!

I've just got the names of the winners, with the help of the Random Number Generator!
So, without further ado, here are the lucky winners:

The Winner of the four Amy Butler Fat Quarters is:

Stefy disse... 41
Hi Sandy, great giveaway.

I'm a your follower now and put a link on sidebar of my blog.

Stefy

http://ilcastelloincantatato.blogspot.com/

Domingo, Fevereiro 27, 2011 10:20:00 PM

The Winner of the two Jeanean Morrison Fat Quarters is:

Laura disse... 11

The high point of my day is when I leave my day job and can come home and craft!!!!!!
Sexta-feira, Fevereiro 25, 2011 2:56:00 AM

I've already sent e-mail to these lovely ladies, and soon these prizes will be on their merry way.
In the meantime, today is, as they say, the first day of the rest of my life, I would toast to that if it weren't 10:51 a.m over here ;) Maybe later...