top nine / one quilt
The year of colour site is an interesting tool that assesses the dominant colours used in your instagram photos. You can play with the sliders to adjust the pixels and brightness etc. and it's cool to see which colours it picks out. I have seen a lot of them pop up on other peoples feeds and they are all so different. Mine was a bit of a surprise, I know I've used brown a lot but I did think they'd be more pink and less blue. I guess it doesn't feel completely 'me' but then as I look back on the past year I was surprised by the fact that there hasn't been a whole lot completed...
carry around some quiet
This was part of my mum's Christmas present. I had this idea in my head, to combine some cross stitch and Kraft-tex to make a bookmark. This is really a very basic make but I'm pleased with how it turned out and hope it will wear well as she uses it. I know that Kraft-tex can actually feel better the more it's handled and it should still hold its shape, as it helpfully conceals the guts of the cross stitching.
◌ Washi Double Dresden Wreath ◌
It feels wonderful to have a new version of the Double Dresden Wreath, made using the free tutorial I created a couple of years ago. The original was demonstrated on Sewing Quarter, the samples that hung in the studio stayed there, and I am so happy to now have one for our house. I made this wreath for my December project as an Aurifil Artisan, our challenge was to create a holiday themed project. Perfect for brightening any door or bare looking wall space, the wreath pattern is a merry make!
My original plan was slightly different but this was one of those projects that naturally evolved and turned out even better than I hoped. The double sided wreath comes together quickly and I took a bit of extra time to stitch some hand embroidery as the added texture gives a fun touch. It's not at all necessary but you notice the extra detail up close.
The fabrics I chose are ones I've kept for something special, the green print is Christmas Wish by Lizzie Mackay for Dashwood Studio and the white print is Washi, Tinsel by Rashida Coleman-Hale. Originally I was going to make the wreath using the many blue Christmas prints I have but somehow it wasn't working and they didn't look good together. When I hit on this white and green combo, with pops of red it made me think of mints and was a winner!
You can use any dresden template or ruler with this pattern to create the dresden plates, I used the Creative Grids 18° Dresden Plate Ruler. Having an acrylic template makes it so simple and much quicker, as you can easily layer and cut the fabric with a rotary cutter. I stitched the plates using 50wt Aurifil - my go to for piecing - it definitely helps with accuracy and reduces the bulk in the seam when turning those points. Dresdens look like they are complicated or tricky but they are surprisingly easy and there are so many options for creating blocks with them. My favourite sewing is often traditional blocks made with modern fabric as it creates a different look.
fabric and day off frolics
I'm gearing up to prepare for next year, despite this definitely being the time of year where I feel like hibernating! It's time to make plans, thinking about what next year will bring and sorting out sewing projects. I'm hoping to get things in order over the Christmas break, sorting out my sewing stuff ready for a fresh start in 2020. Recently there have been a few stash additions, I've been out in Manchester stocking up and enjoying cheese toasties, and finally sneaking some project finishes in!
As I continue to work on my Manx Log Cabin blocks I realised I wouldn't have enough Essex Metallic for the centres so ordered a bit more from Sew Hot and the other prints were just irresistible:
clockwise from top left: Essex Yarn Dyed Linen Metallic in Oyster; Camo in Yarrow, Gleaned by Carolyn Friedlander; Dottie in Coral Metallic, Basics by Cotton + Steel and Pop Off in Peach Fizz, Pop! by Rashida Coleman-Hale - this print is one of those that I HAD to have and knew if I didn't get some I would wish I had. Honestly it's pretty easy to resist these urges nowadays but when it comes to Rashida Coleman-Hale prints I have no control because they are always fabulous.
This next selection was a surprise treat, a very kind lady that came to one of my classes had been to Standfast & Barracks and picked up these big cuts of Liberty Tana Lawn. She knew I loved Liberty and so I got all this for less than the price of 1/2 metre! These aren't scraps, they are large folded pieces. I'm very grateful she let me buy them from her and these snowdrops have already found their way into my log cabin blocks.
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