Let's fly, let's fly away - butterfly & map quilt
Two quilts that both have a flying theme today! One literally has wings and the other is a map of the world. To add detail I used decorative stitches on my machine, something I am exploring more and more and have a lot of fun with. Both projects were demonstrated on Sewing Quarter.
I created a butterfly mini quilt, a smaller version of a pattern from the book 'Log Cabin Variations' by Annies. The butterfly shapes were easy to appliqué with bondaweb and then stitched by machine with a blanket stitch and a satin stitch.
The whole pattern is made up of Log Cabin blocks and I used the Creative Grids Log Cabin Trim Tool, which allows you to trim and straighten pieces as you go, super easy and accurate!
The Amy Butler Soulmate print looks lovely on the wings and frames the quilt beautifully, I used it for the outer section of the blocks and for the binding. I used another decorative stitch for the quilting, it works well with the print designs and adds a little more texture.
CHSI stitches 2018
At the beginning of the week I attended CHSI stitches - the UK's trade show for the creative craft industry. Clearly I'm not a buyer but I donned my press badge and hit the stands to see all the new fabrics and products that will be coming our way. Wandering is more fun in company and it was a good opportunity to meet up with fabulous Samantha Claridge, who was buying for her shop Sew Crafty (so keep an eye on the 'new in' section!). There were other crafty friends there too so it wasn't all business! Here's what I loved...
2017 FINISH-A-LONG ~ Q4 WINNERS!
Today is the day we are delighted to announce the winners for Q4 of the 2017 Finish-A-Long, thus bringing the 2017 Finish-A-Long to an official close.
If
you are low on inspiration or maybe your sewing mojo has been missing
lately, we highly recommend you visit some of the finishes from the last quarter of the year. There are a lot of beauties linked up and
ready
to inspire you!
tree pillow and merry go round quilt
There's nothing quite as frightening as taking a pair of scissors to cut into something you've sewn! The results of doing reverse appliqué make that trepidation well worth it though.
This is the Tree Pillow, pattern from the book Sewing by Heart by Tone Finnanger, made for Sewing Quarter.
It's a lovely folk design, with birds and lots of curves; circles, flowers and leaves. I used two layers of cream cotton over the Sigrid Plum print from the Tilda Cottage Collection.
This meant the design only showed through the reverse appliqué areas that I cut away. It also gave enough stability to the cushion that it didn't really need quilting. I was really pleased with the result!
nest quilt, cube & stash
It is sometimes difficult to find fabric I love for babies. The new Nest collection by AGF Studio, Art Gallery Fabrics is adorable, wonderfully neutral and low volume. It features a few panels, which are so easy and quick to turn into a quilt.
For this baby quilt I just added some strips of fabric top and bottom, the dots and stripes at the side are part of the print - pretty cool! I quilted simple wavy lines, please excuse the fold creases! This is one of the simplest and quickest quilting patterns and I like the movement it adds.
The other panel I used has to be my favourite, with sweet sayings and illustrations. This one I cut up to create a baby cube using the McCalls pattern M7372, which was the perfect size to show off the designs. It's not small, here's my 5 year old holding it!
sewing machine 🎯 Elna 680 review
It was love at first use, it's been a year since I got the Elna eXcellence 680 (aka Elna 680EX), now I'm sharing my honest thoughts; the reasons I chose this model, its features and the overall pluses and minuses. This is not a sponsored post. If you are looking for a new sewing machine or simply have an interest in them, this might be helpful.
The list was:
✦ a needle down function
✦ speed control
✦ bigger throat space
Not an excessive list is it? The reason those three things were important to me is because I knew they would make my quilting life easier. Needle down function would allow me to pivot more easily (with less hand cranking!), as well as stop and start without the stitches jumping about. Speed control to help with free motion quilting or any time I wanted to just be slower - I'm a pedal to the metal kind of sewer! And bigger throat space for less awkward squishing while quilting.
But something was holding me back and it wasn't just finances.
Lever Arch file cover and Tula Pink 💖
I am pleased as punch (stationery pun intended) with my Lever Arch file cover, designed to pretty up those boring plain files. Mine has been filled with sewing patterns but you can use it for whatever you like! Keep it simple using one fabric or add in some patchwork and embellish to your hearts content. There are so many possibilities for personalising this with patchwork, appliqué or embroidery.
The spine of the file has a vinyl pocket for a label, so it is practical as well as pretty.
This first edition was made with Blueberry Park by Karen Lewis Textiles as the main fabric and a strip of hand sewn clamshells (begun as a sample while I was teaching).
Next I made one for work and today was a super exciting day because Tula Pink came to the studio and was absolutely enchanting (watch the interview below)! The whole All Stars range and her amazing tools were featured on Sewing Quarter.
▪ houndstooth runner & quick step quilt ▪
This is a fresh and pretty quilt made for Sewing Quarter. I had fun quilting this one and doing a bit of appliqué. The four patches were strip pieced so it came together quite easily.
The Quick Step quilt pattern is from the book Quick & Easy Quilts from Annie's, Leisure Arts. I made a smaller version than the one in the book, with four blocks and sashing.
The wavy lines in the centre were free motion quilted and then I used the walking foot to do some straight lines and curves around the outside. I didn't mark any lines, just eyeballed it. I really enjoyed creating the curves! Given more time I think this pattern would be perfect for some intricate free motion quilting and those larger sections could be filled with beautiful designs, something floral to match the flowers created by the appliqué perhaps.
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