CHARM ABOUT YOU

I'm popping in to share a finish, which was actually done last month but what with all the nothingness going on I got sidetracked. The quilt top finally got finished in April and I was excited to quilt it. Honestly it's been a while since I made a quilt, there has been some hand sewing / cross stitch / blackwork in my life and I have been working on piecing another quilt top but my other projects seem to have all turned into cushions!

The quilt pattern is the Land of Magic Quilt by Kid Giddy, you can purchase the full quilt pattern or buy the blocks individually from the Kid Giddy shop. There are some very small pieces in some of the blocks but honestly with  foundation paper piecing that isn't really an issue, one you've got the technique down then you can tackle any pattern. The star and the crown are obviously good ones to start with and build up from there if you're new to the technique.

For the quilting I kept it simple, I love walking foot quilting and fancied some easy mindless lines. Rather than my usual straight lines or cross hatch quilting, I thought about the block positions and what would work with each area. The quilt is roughly split into thirds, with the top and bottom sections quilted with organic wavy lines and the central section with a decorative stitch (mode 2 #19 on my Elna 680) - this stitch is probably my favourite because it looks like clouds or waves and creates such a lovely texture.

It was quilted using Aurifil 40wt thread in Aluminium #2615 and a pretty variegated blue, Stone Washed Denim #3770.

I did decide to add facial features on the mermaid, as soon as I had done it I panicked and wasn't sure  it worked at all but now it's all quilted I am ok with it and she's smiling at least. I used a Sakura Pigma Micron pen, which is waterproof and fade resistant - great for quilt labels too.

It was quick to quilt and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The final effect is gentle and crinkly but doesn't overpower the blocks.

There are a lot of my favourite prints and fabric designers in the blocks, it feels good to use those special fabrics and see them in a finished quilt I am proud of. The unicorn prancing in a field of Denyse Schmidt blooms is pure happiness for me. This quilt is for my three year old niece and my sister helped me choose the prints, which is also special. It was unintentional but she's a Manchester City supporter and there is quite a lot of light blue in there!

For the backing I dug out this print that had been in my stash for quilt some time, the fabric is Oh Clementine by Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew. It's so cute, with a soft blue background too. I liked it so much that I decided to use it for the binding as well. Also if feels AMAZING, like really lovely and soft but not thin or slippy. It's made by Windham Fabrics and I would like to try more fabrics from them, especially if it is the same substrate. 

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.

There are fabulous text prints and a great mix of colours, here are some of my favourites:

Check out the STORY Lookbook here for all kinds of gorgeous inspiration. There is already a plan brewing in my mind as to what to use these for!

If you aren't familiar with Carrie and her work take a look at her website - I think she does all she does so well and I enjoy her whole ethos, like her annual unplugging.