Good Fortune

I love all of Kate Spain’s fabric lines and would buy every single one of them if I had more money. I did, however, buy a charm pack of ‘Good Fortune’ two years ago. Some of those charms were used in my first ever foundation paper pieced project, the double ring of flying geese, Lynne taught at the first Fat Quarterly Retreat and which ended as a cushion.

Some more charms were used to make this cushion. I do apologise for the quality of the pictures. It’s a grey and miserable day here today.

Good Fortune

This time I decided to play around with the quilting as I really want to become more confident at free motion quilting. I decided to quilt a grid in the centre simply following the seams using an Aurifil 50wt (5006), do some pebbling on the orange border with some Aurifil 40wt (2150) and a leaf pattern in the blue border with my favourite variegated Aurifil 40wt (4654).

Good Fortune Detail

My pebbles are definitely pebbles and not circles and some of my leaves have been visited by caterpillars but I love the textures and imperfections and can’t wait to do some more free motion quilting on my Heron Log Cabin which is up next.

I have found that for me the ideal speed at which to free motion quilt is a snails pace. That’s alright, though, it becomes quite relaxing when you go that slowly.

This is my first finish on this quarter’s Finish Along list.

Noel

This year I decided not to have a stall at the two Christmas Fairs in our village and I love the fact that I don’t have to sew under pressure. Instead I took out the Blitzen by Basic Grey for Moda mini charms I got at the Fat Quarterly Retreat and started playing. I love simple patchwork cushions and that was what I wanted to make from it. For a while I tried different combinations but it was only when I took out all the red charms and substituted them for a green shot cotton that it started to sing to me.

The quilting is very wonky.

Now, I could say it was done on purpose but I would be lying. I need more practice to pull off FMQ (free motion quilting) but decided to go for it anyway. All in all I’m happy with the result despite the wonkiness. Please excuse the cat’s hairs, Charlie rather likes to lie right next to the sewing machine.

You may have noticed that I take most of my cushion pictures in the same corner. Have you ever wondered why you never really see what the cushions are placed on?

That’s why. Charlie uses the pouf as a scratching post. He also sleeps on it, hence the sheepskin and cushions. I have thought about re-covering it but how am I going to deter him from scratching it again? I think I might try making a lose cover and see how he copes with that. Anything’s better than this tattered disaster.

 

Liberty Done

After my little melt down yesterday I felt a bit silly this morning. Some of my lovely readers suggested I put a cream border on to make it bigger and so I did.

In hindsight I think it’s probably a good thing because it means the corners, which I always find are the first to go, are now in the Klona quilting cotton rather than the wonderfully soft but maybe more fragile Tana Lawn. I kept the quilting to an absolute minimum, I didn’t feel it needed any more.

I like to put zips in my cushion covers but I didn’t have one in the correct colour so instead of waiting for an opportunity to go into town I made a simple envelope closure. With the 1″ cream border it finished at the required 36 x 36cm (14″ x 14″) and is now all wrapped up and ready to wing its way to Switzerland.

I fell in love with it so badly that I’ve started another one for myself with the rest of the 4″ Liberty squares. I might change up the layout a little but then again I might not.