Saturday 24 November 2012

Hmm... what shall I make with these?

Don't you just love these? I do. This Julia Rothman's debut collection for Windham Fabric and its called Type.

I do love typewriters. When I was a kid I used to go to my mother's office and type on their typewriter. Just anything to hear the click of those keys. So I really love this fabric.

I'm think pouches, pencil cases, bags... what else?



Books and Letters

This gorgeous collection just came in to the store this month - Books and Letters by Whistler Studios for Windham Fabrics. I thought of my husband when I saw it and asked him if he'd like a bag made from it. He wanted a quilt and made me feel bad that he did not have a quilt yet.

So... I worked out a pattern and bought the fabric. Need to still buy another solid. 
After I worked it out I found the pattern on two blogs! 
Cara had worked it out for her turn on the Bar Hop Quilt Along. See it here: Cara Quilts.
Marj is working on a pattern she bought from Lunden Designs. 

Isn't it weird how you think of something and then you see it out there already! 
Nothing is new under the sun!






Applique!

This is the applique block we made for our Beginner Hand Quilting Class. With this all our blocks our done and we are on to sashing. I love the way the block turned out even though it was a pretty long process. But I am really excited that I now know how to applique and I can't wait to get started on more shapes!  



Thursday 15 November 2012

Dresdens and Tumbling Blocks!

I used to look at tutorials of Dresden Plates and think, "Some day I'm going to make one"... and I always put it off 'coz I thought it would be too difficult. But here we are! :)This Beginner Hand Quilting Class with Jeannie has really made a lot of things so much simpler. Right now I'm working on the applique block - again something I have not done before - but it's going great! I am very inspired. Yaay! :)

We used freezer paper to make the circle and I have to say that I was a little daunted by having to cut the back and take the freezer paper out and everything.... but it was a breeze. Another note to self - don't write off something before you've given it a shot and definately don't spend hours stressing about it either!
Dresden
Got my Tumbling Blocks all done and appliqued onto the background. Really like the way they turned out!



Linking up to: Quiltsy WiP

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Made some Progress

I just had to put my flying geese blocks together and see what they looked like. And I love it! 
I love how one pattern creates a whole new pattern. :)

I think I'm going to call this quilt Whirl. The pinwheel in gray in the center gives it a whirly feel don't you think?

Whirl

And a new project!
I am determined to make those sketches in my book come to life. So I started this easy peasy baby quilt with Kate Spain's Cuzco and a lot of Kona White!





Linking up to The Needle and Thread Network.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline Sketch
My aunt had a game on her phone. You had to form this pipeline from the water source to where you were supposed to get the water to go. There were different shapes of pipes that you could use to get the water flowing. This quilt... came from that game. :)

I drew up the pattern earlier this year when I was working out a quilt for my nephew. I loved the design but knew it was going to be a lot of work so I didn't make it for him.

I have tried to work the math on this one but it's scrambling my brains! I may just have to work with the fabric and see how it goes. 


I'm using a Charm Pack of Simply Modern by V and Co. Gosh I love this line. It is so gorgeous. So simple but so nicely done. Love the colours and the patterns.  And I'm using Kona Charcoal and Chartreuse.

Started piecing the blocks.

Then ran out of Chartreuse strips so gotta cut again!


Really looking forward to this quilt. Fingers crossed! 

Linking up to The Needle and Thread Network.


WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Improv Piecing Experiment 2



So I had a bunch of bright scraps from the Grandmother's Flower Garden Flowers I'm making for the store and I've been wanting to use them. This is what I did.

I took a piece of batting (left over from another quilt), cut some backing fabric for it, and a piece of Kona White. I just ironed them on to the batting. No pinning or basting.

Then I took scraps, used my walking foot and sewed them on. Placed the fabric right side down on the opposide side of how I wanted the fabric placed. Sewed a 1/4" seam (kid of approximately... I just used the edge of my walking foot). And then pressed the fabric to the right side. I made sure that I folded in a 1/4" seam if I knew I would be letting some of the white background show.



Added more strips and scraps as went along. 



And added some quilting stitches now and then when I felt like it. 



Squared it up when I was done. Just needs binding. 


I like doing these minis.... I feel like I'm getting some practice and my work can evolve. 

Sunday 4 November 2012

Giveaway Win from Incomparable Buttons

I won a giveaway sometime back from Incomparable Buttons! They make the most gorgeous hand made buttons and I was thrilled when I won!

Sorry it's taken me so long to put up the pictures but here they are. :)


I don't think I've ever got mail from South Africa before.


Saturday 3 November 2012

Flirting with Flirt

I bought two charm packs of Sandy Gervais' Flirt a few weeks ago. It's such a sweet line... very hard to resist.

Decided to go with Half Square Triangles for this one.  I seem to make a lot of HSTs it seems. They are such versatile blocks. I'm doing my best to try and make them just right.

I'm pressing seams open this time and squaring them up and hoping for good results. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


What is the best way to square the block up though? Should I be taking the angle into consideration... how do I do this the rigth way?


 I tried to get them to be 4 and three eighths...


And played with them a little bit to see what would look best...


I think I'm going to go for the scrappy chevron look.


Blogathon Canada!

Sew Sisters Quilt Shop is sponsoring a Blogathon for Canadian Quilters! They have host bloggers who will post through the week of November 19 - 24. These bloggers will have also have a list of blogs from their province/territories. If you're a blogger in Canada and would like to be on that list write to: connect@sew-sisters.com.
And there are a lot of giveaways and you don't have to be Canadian to enter! So follow along. 
Go here: Sew Sisters for all the details!
This is going to be a lot of fun.