Category: Quilts

London(e) Star

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Hurrah, I finished my London Star cushion cover and I’m really pleased with it. There are a few things that niggle at me but I won’t share what they are as I don’t want anyone to study the picture too carefully and find the flaws. I quilted it by following the star shape twice. I thought about continuing to echo quilt but liked the way it looked now, so I stopped.

I learned a lot from making this project. First, designing your own block is daunting but a lot of fun and once you’ve started you see quilt blocks everywhere. I’ve got a few sketches in my little notebook but before I can sit down and translate them into fabric I have to finish a few WIPs.

Second, think about how to iron the seams before you start sewing and stay consistent. Because I only thought of this as a trial piece I didn’t really care and ironed some seams open and some not. It makes it all a bit awkward.

Third, I realise that I’m not a fan of white as a background. After my Summer Luv mini quilt and this cushion cover I can honestly say that it will be quite a while before I sew with white again. Cream or light grey I would use anytime but not white.

Fourth, I really, really want to make a whole quilt with different size London Stars. Again, I have to finish a few things before I can think about that but when I do I might try to write a pattern. Biting off more than I can chew? Probably, but if I don’t try I can’t succeed, can I?

This cushion cover is coming with me to Switzerland next week and will be given to someone special.

 

Categories: Quilts2 Comments

London Star

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I’m really chuffed today.

One of the classes I took at the Fat Quarterly Retreat was the Designer Challenge where Katy and John got us to think about shapes and design quilt blocks. Most of my drawings were just blah but when we had to think about stars I designed a block that I quite liked. When John said he hadn’t seen anything like that before I took a quick  picture before handing over my drawings.

Back home I couldn’t get my star out of my head and decided to try and sew it up. I sat down, did the math and got it all wrong. When I sewed up the parts that make up the block they ended up way too big. Back to the drawing board….

I decided to actually cut out the components and go from there. I had to adjust my measurements quite a bit but plodded on too stubborn to give up (one of my most prominent traits according to Master). I’m so grateful I did as this is what I ended up with:

Do you like it? I love it. It’s not quite like my drawing but I think I actually prefer it like this. There are so many tiny pieces it takes forever to cut them all out but I think that time is worth it. Now, my math still didn’t quite work the way it was supposed to and the block ended being 11″ rather than 12,5″. Mmmh, not sure if I should just leave it at that or try again. This block will be turned into a cushion for a special person. One day I may even go back to it and make a quilt. Would be fun, wouldn’t it?

Categories: Fat Quarterly Sewing Retreat, Quilts5 Comments

Summer Luv

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On the train back from London I was thinking back to the fantastic three days that I had just spent in the great company of such creative ladies and gentlemen. I thought of all the things I had learned and the fact that I would have to try them out independently (ie without a teacher holding my hand) to really internalise them. I’m the kind of person who has to use my hands to learn, I write things down to remember them. I can’t read a pattern and understand it, I have to get the materials and make while I read the instructions. I’ve always been like that to a certain degree but it has become more prominent in the last eight years and is probably down to the flippin’ chemo.

Anyway, long story short, I was thinking about the portholes technique and especially about the flower template that Lu gave us together with the circles and heart. In my mind the flower became more abstract and suddenly I could see a picture in my head of three very stylised flowers in bright colours.

What do you think? I realise I could have appliqued the flowers onto the background and it would have taken me half the time but I love the more refined look that you get with the portholes technique (who am I kidding? it’s still something I made). I tried to keep the shapes as simple as possible to practice. The colours were chosen for their zing, I wanted the whole quilt to really pop. I’m very happy with it even though the coloured fabrics show a little through the white and I didn’t bury my knots at the back (as it was only supposed to be a trial piece I didn’t think it would matter). It finished at 12″ by 16″.

I put a picture up on Instagram and it seems I have two takers for this mini quilt. However, as I haven’t got any of the ladies’ addresses I might just hang it up in my room for a little while.

Next stop, finishing my double circle of flying geese. I just hope I remember enough to do it without having to bombard Lynne with too many questions. Watch this space….

Edit: At Di‘s suggestion I’m linking this mini quilt up to Ellison Lane Quilts‘ Summer Sewing Contest. Just for fun 🙂 

Categories: Quilts3 Comments

Another Tumbler Cushion

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When I got ready to go to my tumbler cushion workshop with Katy last summer I bought two charm packs to bring. One was Camden Market, the other Happy Go Lucky by Nel Whatmore. In the end I chose to bring Camden Market as the cushion was going to be for Little Miss Bossy Boots and I’m so happy I did. The cushion has been sitting on her bed since and has been brightening up her room. As soon as I got home, though, I started on another tumbler cushion with my Happy Go Lucky charm squares.

I decided to make the tumblers a little smaller so that I would be able to cut out two from each square. Then I added some Kona solids, again from the charm pack that I took to the workshop. I was really happy with how it looked and went to find some fabric for a border. A lovely black cotton with tiny white polka dots was duly ordered and then deemed not right. So the tumblers just sat there until now when I decided that I wanted to finish it. I wasn’t sure how to quilt it but in the end went with straight lines in an aqua colour.

In the end I loved the colours so much that I discarded any thoughts of a border and simply pulled out some ticking for the back.

I inserted a zip for easy washing (you have to with a small child, cat and dog).

The cushion is 22cm x 36cm, not really a size that you find in the shops. However I had a 36cm x 36cm cushion filler that I was able to squish into it. Hey presto I have a very plump little cushion and I love, love, love it.

Categories: Home Projects, Quilts1 Comment

Done!

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Here it is:

I’m a bit sad as I didn’t have an insert in the right size. This one is an 18″ one that I pinched out of Little Miss Bossy-Boots’ Tumbler Cushion and it’s definitely too big. Poor cushion cover is bursting at the seams. However, I will wash the cover, get a 16″ insert this weekend and then just enjoy looking at it.

On. My. Bed.

Have a lovely weekend!

Categories: Home Projects, Quilts2 Comments

EPP

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English Paper Piecing (EPP) is something I have seen but never tried. However Katy from I’m a Ginger Monkey (I know, I know, she’s mentioned on this blog every few minutes… I admit it, I find her incredibly inspirational) has been very busy paper piecing the most wonderful cushion covers and quilts.

Curious I went on the hunt for some nice shapes to try out EPP and found the tumbling block. It makes a lovely star shape when sewn together and that is what I did. I didn’t like it. I probably would have loved it if I had done it scrappy but I did it all pink and as I looked at it I felt bored and uninspired.

Out came the seam ripper and the star was no more. I then started playing with the shapes and colours until I found a pattern I liked. Sorry about the bad pictures but they were taken late at night on Instagram.

Next I decided to add some white in the centre and also use the white to frame all the blocks.

I’ve been sewing together my tumbling blocks every time I have a spare moment and the project is growing rapidly. This is going to be a cushion cover and it’s going to be mine. Little Miss Bossy-Boots has tried to claim it but this time I’m not giving in. Hands off, it’s mine! Mine!

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A Swoony Ta-dah!

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Yeah! I’ve finished my trial Swoon block and I love it. Ok, so some of the points went AWOL but that’s fine. I’m sure nobody is going to go and check my points once it has been turned into a big floor cushion to sit on during a picnic.

This is the fabric I’m going to use for the back of the cushion. After all I want it to be practical. I know Little Miss Bossy-Boots well enough to know she will be dragging it outside to play in the grass and on her climbing frame.

What I like most about this block is that this is not fabric I would buy; it’s just not “me”. My colours are all the blues, greens and greys but now that I’ve finished it I’m really happy with it.

I’m just not sure what to use for the binding. Any suggestions?

Categories: Quilts2 Comments

Swooning again

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First of all I have to apologise for my last blog post. I always say that a blog post without pictures is like toast without butter and there we have some very dry toast. There was supposed to be a picture but I hadn’t taken it yet. I wrote the post in the morning with the intention of posting later after taking a picture of my stacks of cut fabric and a bit of artistry when I hit the wrong button. Oh yes, I hit publish. I know I could’ve deleted the post and reposted it later but decided not to do it. Everyone makes mistakes and I believe that one should stand up for one’s mistakes.

Anyway, I finally finished cutting the fabric for my first Swoon block. I would have finished earlier but sadly I encountered a slight hitch. Two fat quarters are used for each Swoon block and not much is left after you’ve cut out your squares and rectangles. In fact there’s hardly anything left of one colour. Well, my fat quarter wasn’t quite fat enough and I wasn’t able to cut out three (!) rectangles. *Insert some choice words here*

Here’s the fabric that got away:

It wasn’t too bad in the end because this is a trial block. Being a beginner and reading about the difficulty level for this block I decided to use some fabric I won at a giveaway and some sheeting to make a cushion. Little Miss Bossy-Boots has already decided that it will be used for picnics. I’m happy with that.

This is part of my first Swoon block:

I’m really pleased with it. I have learned so much with this block so far and am really hoping that I can finish it today. Might be a tad difficult, though, as Little Miss Bossy-Boots is home with me today.

Categories: Quilts1 Comment

Swooning along

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When Katy from Monkey Do (aka I’m a Ginger Monkey) asked if anyone wanted to join her Swoon-along my first instinct was to go “yes, I do!” Then reason hit me and I thought how can I even contemplate making a Swoon quilt with so little previous experience in quilting. So reason won. For about a week. Then I went and bought the pattern and started fretting.

Yesterday evening I finally decided that I’ve fretted enough, grabbed two fat quarters and started cutting. I’m going to make a trial block before I go and buy fabric for a whole quilt. The reason I decided to go for it are all the posts with tips and tricks that I read on the flickr group‘s pages. Yes, I’m new to this whole quilting thing but with that much support what can go wrong? A lot, I know, but I’m not scared. Ignorance is bliss after all.

Categories: Quilts1 Comment