Something wonderful happened, my best friends kids asked me to make them quilts. They really, really wanted quilts to snuggle with! The best kind of making is when you know the recipient is going to love it, use it and enjoy it.

This has been a long time coming but I'm so glad I took the time to create these quilts for her boys. They are simple, based on things they love and I had a lot of fun sewing them.

First is this Pokeball quilt, obviously because the elder boy likes Pokemon! For the central block I used the awesome pattern by Kelli of Seriously I think it needs stitches, from her Pokemon sew-along. I doubled all the measurements so the block finished at 40".

Pokeball quilt Pokemon pixelated quilt

I was going to add some appliqué text but time wasn't on my side. So, for a quick finish, I added 10.5" squares to create a border. It works really well, adds to the striking effect of the quilt and the geometric pattern. The grid quilting also follows the pixelated theme, I used Aurifil Forty3 thread #2024. It stands out nicely, adding another layer but not detracting from the design.

Pokeball quilt Pokemon pixelated quilt

For her younger son, whose current obsession is police cars, I made this appliqué car quilt. I sketched out the design, then traced each element onto bondaweb. I kept the shapes rounded because it looks like a plastic police car my son used to have and it's easier than trying to recreate a realistic car! 

quilted applique police car

Again I didn't want to mess around with fiddly lettering, so I 'cheated' and using a Pigma Micron pen to write POLICE on the sides. I printed out an image of a police car to make sure the lettering was the same (might as well have that be realistic!). 

quilted applique police car quilt

Below is a test I did before committing the ink to the fabric - I definitely recommend doing any writing like this before you do any piecing or sew the top together, in case of mistakes! The one on the left is the Pigma Micron pen 08 and the right is a regular fine tip Sharpie. The micron pen is quite fine so I had to do lots of lines to get it thicker. I do like the faded look of the Sharpie and might play with that another time - it was a regular Sharpie pen, I've since learnt there are fabric Sharpie pens that are now on my shopping list! 

pigma micron pen vs sharpie

Ultimately I decided to do an outline of the lettering with the micron pen.
For each appliqué section I used a tight zig zag stitch to stitch it in place. I mostly coordinated the thread to the fabric but in some areas I used black on white, I really like the effect it gives, sort of more homemade and light hearted.

quilted applique police car quilt

I'm pleased to say the boys loved their Christmas present quilts!

I was fortunate enough to receive some lovely homemade goodies myself and saved them to open at Christmas, I do like surprises! Sarah and I had agreed to do a swap after she volunteered to make me some hand knitted socks. It's such an incredibly kind thing to do, I adore handmade socks and don't have any so these are such a special gift. She made them in my favourite colours, pink and orange and there's even some metallic in those stripes - they fit absolutely perfectly and I LOVE them!

hand knitted socks

She also sent some lovely fabric and a pretty button, all wrapped up with this beautiful crochet trim. Thank you so much Sarah!

home made hand knitted socks

Tracy sent me a care package, these beautiful Chenoa Skin Care balms that she hand makes as part of her natural skincare range. One is cuticle and nail balm - it's amazing! The consistency is fairly solid in the jar but it's soft as you rub it and easy to apply. It absorbs nicely and leaves skin looking and feeling so healthy. There are no added fragrances but it smells faintly of refreshers!

Chenoa Skin Care natural handmade nail and cuticle balm lip balm

The other is a lip balm, which smells divine! Honey and sweet orange is a gorgeous combination and again this is a treat to use. I've been using it and my lips feel great. My youngest daughter has had terrible dry, cracked lips and it's been very soothing for her too. I love that this is natural and contains no nasties, particularly as it's being put on her lips. I've also been using her quilter's hand cream, which I really like - I keep it by the sewing machine as a reminder to use it and look after my hands! Earlier in the year I had very dry cracked skin on my hands and that has disappeared since I've been using that cream. Thank you for looking after me Tracy!

Chenoa Skin Care natural handmade nail and cuticle balm lip balm

If you enjoy natural products and are looking for something handmade, or you just really want to look after your skin, I would recommend a visit to Chenoa Skin Care! ♡