CHARM ABOUT YOU

It's been sew sew sew at my house! These projects each have a lot of seams and used up a lot of thread. Completely worth it though because they turned out really nicely. 

My first project used the new Bird Pond collection in Blue and Teal by Tilda. I made two sizes of pineapple blocks for a 20" cushion front (which I did make into a cushion but I don't have a picture of the finish!). I chose to fussy cut the gorgeous Anemone print for the centre of the largest block and for the corner squares.

Surrounded by smaller blocks like this, it looks like ripples on a pond. The blocks were made using the Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool, both the larger (for the 10" centre block) and mini version (for the eight 5" blocks). It makes it so easy to create really accurate, straight seams for what is otherwise a fiddly block. Someone messaged the show to ask if you could foundation paper piece these blocks, of course you can and a quick google search showed up plenty of free patterns you can use. Personally I prefer using the tools, it really is so simple once you get in the swing of it - just be sure to follow the instructions! I have made errors myself though those blocks still turned out nicely, they just weren't pineapples! I also think this is a brilliant way to use up scraps and like that you can create so many different layouts playing with fabric placement. You can see my 'mistake' blocks and another version of the block I made during the demo, video at the end of this post.

My other project is a quilt top made using the fabulous Paris Star pattern by Lynne Goldsworthy. This is such a stunning design and Lynne's instructions are excellent as always. I really like those half stars and the way they disappear into the border. It's a fairly big quilt finishing at 70" but the piecing isn't complicated. 

Here is lovely Vicki (and her beautiful princess hair) with a ta da moment after director Tim did a great job of hanging the quilt top in the studio. Not as easy when it's a flimsy that's larger than the angled wall!

If you'd like to see the demos click below - the Pineapple cushion starts at 1:05:00 and the Paris Star starts at 3:04:00 - you could watch the whole show and see Becky Alexander Frost demo bag making!

My husband sneakily took this as I was taking pictures of the finished quilt, I think it's a pretty cool photo! 

Last week I made this trip around the world quilt for a Sewing Quarter demo. Now these aren't all colours I would normally go for but I really like this combination of pastel colours with the deep purple and bright blues. It's a mix of solids, Linea and prints from the Bijoux range by Makower.

Cutting strips from 'tubes' for the blocks leaves you with some extra, so I used some of them in the binding too. I made sure to press all the seams open so the binding wouldn't be too bulky and I interspersed it with strips of the print fabric to avoid having seams in the corners. I made a long strip for binding and then laid it out around the quilt to make sure! Good job too because I had to add in another fabric strip between the pieced sections to make it work.

One of the things I love about visiting a quilt shop is getting to see fabric collections you've seen online, in real life. I was teaching at Patchfinders the other day and, after ogling City Nights by Lewis and Irene on my laptop, some had to come home with me! It has lovely touches of metallic, just enough sparkle without being too much. I fell for, from left to right: Architectural Blender in copper on light and City Buildings in copper and copper on multi. The copper glistens so beautifully and the colours are totally my style.

While I was at the shop, a local quilting group was meeting in one of the rooms and they were selling Super Snips mini scissors to raise money for the charity Siblings Together. Of course I bought a pair and of course I chose pink. How dinky and cute are they?! Handy that it has an attached cover too. The whole thing measures less than 2".

Big, bright, bold blocks make up this Fireworks quilt I designed. It was fun mixing up the warm toned fabrics and the 14" blocks repeat to create an explosion of light against a dark navy background. The quilt is 56" square, I seem to have a thing for square quilts... they do work well for lap quilts.

Real life wobbles, true friends and bunches of creativity! //

There is something so special about spending time with kindred spirits; especially those people that understand fabric love, why we cut up fabric and sew it back together, the procraftination brought about by a quilt needing to be basted, etc. Quilt retreats are the place where we can enjoy talking about sewing and actually doing it! Earlier this month I went to the Stitch Gathering, organised by lovely Jo Avery of mybearpaw. I taught in 2017 and was thrilled to be asked to teach again this year. 

Jo has this fun tradition of people making a 'ticket' when they attend, this year it was dog and cat blocks. They will be made into charity quilts, which is great! This is my resting cat block, using Jo's block pattern, made with appropriately themed fabric she sent me. I spent ages choosing the background fabric, digging through my stash looking for the perfect bright print. The red disco dot shouted at me and is a good mix of fun and cat sass.

I'm going to write a bit about the day, but before I do I feel the need to share that it wasn't so easy for me. I've been struggling with anxiety for a while now and it has this horrible way of either totally jumping out of nowhere, like a massive spider; or creeping stealthily, clawing it's way into my thoughts and building up slowly before it attacks. I notice that more now, aware of what is going to happen. For the few days leading up to the retreat I saw it coming - I doubted myself, I worried about plans, I checked the door was locked too many times, I cried for no reason, snapped, etc. 

And this wasn't scary; I know lots of the wonderful people that were going, I've done it before, everyone is supportive and I love teaching. I told my friend, she gave me a few loving and wise words for me to think about. It really helped and I used all the tools I know and have, to deal with those irrational thoughts and feelings. I am functioning with anxiety. I'm sharing this because if I don't, it will seem like another 'oh it was amazing' post and it WAS but it feels important to write how it felt before I went, as a reminder to myself that I CAN and DO do these sociable things and that during and after the event it is all GOOD!

Here is the gathering! 

The morning was my opportunity to be a student, always eager to learn and especially when my friend Karen Lewis is the tutor. I have wanted to take a class with her for a long time and it was super exciting to get to play with cutting lino, fabric paint and stamping. Here's a glipse at a couple of my attempts and I will be doing more of this. So much fun and possibility. Karen is an awesome teacher!

In the afternoon I taught an improvised English Paper Piecing / applique class 'Bloom in EPP', everyone came up with such brilliant ways of combining shapes and using epp in a slightly different way. This is one of my favourite classes to teach because it's so different and really allows people to explore their creativity and also learn some new ways and tricks for stitching! I was a bit wired on caffeine, excited seeing all the epp combinations and completely forgot to take any pictures but here is a shot of some of my original blooms:

Or course it was amazing to be able to see friends, meet new people and be around inspiring creatives. There was a brilliant show and tell (again failed with the photography) and it's so nice hearing about peoples process and stories of quilt making.

Another nice part of the retreat is the swapping! This year I took part in the pincushion swap and my partner was gorgeous Natalie. I know she likes flowers and purple, I was seemingly influenced by autumn too as I picked out these rich fabrics. 

Who can resist such an adorable quilt pattern?! It is seasonal cuteness at it's best. This beautiful Gingerbread House quilt  by Gracey Larson features in the latest Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine, issue 66 out now.

The blocks are all traditionally pieced using easy methods like corner squares triangles. Row-by-row quilts are so appealing, the neat structure appeals to my organised side and the possibility of easily mixing things up pleases the rebel in me! Full of sweet blocks, the quilt is made up of the Gingerbread man, Candy cane, Gumdrops, Mint sweet, Tree cookie and Hot chocolate blocks. I fell for the little gumdrops and enjoyed picking out fabrics that had that sugar sprinkle look.

Being married to a Scottish man I was happy to be given a project from the book 'Modern Scot Patchwork: Bold Quilts Inspired by Iconic Tartans' by Kathy Allen, to make for Sewing Quarter. The book features 8 different tartans and you can make various size quilt projects from each one. The colours chosen for this quilt work really nicely with the theme, as they remind me of thistles and that beautiful Highlands palette. The also make me think of Wimbledon and the Suffragettes.

The pattern was very thorough and detailed. Written out almost like a science experiment with a few tables for the different steps. The piecing is labelled throughout, with fabrics A, B, C etc. and then sewn into lettered triplet sets and then relabelled set 1, 2, 3. Are you still with me?!