CHARM ABOUT YOU

To begin I separated the fabrics into light and dark, which was simple since the two colorways of the collection lend themselves to that perfectly. Then it was just a case of cutting strips and I took a grab and sew approach as I was making the blocks!

I will be hand quilting this one, it's calling out for some guitar strings! And I have the backing and binding fabric on hand for when I'm done.

Check out the other bloggers on the tour here to see all the fabulous quilts and get your copy of the Fat Quarter Baby Book!

I couldn't resist using that happy chef and a giant chocolate cake to entice people into the café! My kids love it and it makes me smile too. There are lots of possibilities for fussy cutting prints and really making the cottage your own.

The pattern is clearly written and it takes hardly any time to cut out all the required pieces for the cottage, it's also easy to play about and audition fabrics before you sew them together. I changed from a darker grey to the pale grey around the door. The colour choices are a bit unusual for me but I like that I made myself use up scraps and do something a bit different.

The border in the pattern is so fun and I picked some patterned and bright scraps to give it nice pops of colour. I used a piece of ribbon to create a 'sign' for the café and then hand quilted in the borders and around the window and door to add texture. I finished the cushion with a covered zip back and the lime stripe binding makes the perfect vivid frame for the cushion.

I also decided to add some detail to the flap by stitching some pluses, inspired by Rachael from Blue Mountain Daisy and her beautiful stitches.

I started quilting just before I started this blog, encouraged by my cousin and my Aunty. I remember doing some blackwork embroidery when I was young and using a sewing machine at school. I love trying new techniques and currently hand quilting, hand piecing, EPP and cross stitch are my favourite. I like the slower pace and have a couple of hand sewing projects lined up to take me through the winter!

When was the first time you knew that you were a quilter/sewer?

I think after I had made a few quilts and wasn't about to stop!

Do you have any sewing/quilting horror stories or faux pas?

I am constantly making mistakes but none of them too horrific and honestly I don't care if I mess up, it helps me learn. I do know I have to stop when I'm tired, too often I sew things back to front, upside down or just wrong!

What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting out in sewing/quilting?




The Fat Quarter Shop have released a super cute 'Color My Heart' quilt pattern that you can download for free here.


Here in the UK it is National Cupcake Week and although I've not done any baking I do have a sweet treat for you!