rose star
Showing posts with label rose star. Show all posts
rose star progress and instagram giveaway ✴
I actually managed to get my rose star basted yesterday! This is the first time I've ever thread basted and I'm pleased with how it went. It should make hand quilting much easier.
I did my usual stick the backing to the floor and layer method, Clare (my quilt is her rose star tutorial) recommended the rolling method and after watching this Youtube video I will be trying that next time. It would be nice to not have to take up so much room!
I have the perfect thread, which matches the backing. My plan is to quilt the centre hexies and I'm still thinking about what else to do. Any suggestions are welcome?!
I'm having a little giveaway for my followers over on Instagram! To share some cute things and celebrate having 2427 followers over there :) Apologies if you don't have an instagram account, there will be another giveaway on my blog soon.
I'm giving away a charm pack of Just a Speck, a cassette tape measure and a lined notebook.
How cute is this?!
ends 13th June 2016
scrabble tile bag
Today I sewed up this quick little zip bag, a request from my mum who needed a new bag to hold her scrabble tiles. She takes her scrabble board on holiday and plays a lot, so she requested a bag with a zip to keep the tiles safe and protected.
(She doesn't play junior scrabble but those were the nearest tiles I had to hand in our house!)
I used Maze in Grass, Glow by Amy Butler for the outside and a pretty grey leaf print for the inside.
I didn't do zip ends so it has some funky diagonal corners going on at the top but I'm ok with that and it kind of works with the pattern of the fabric.
I also made a start on another Secret Pocket Envelope Clutch, they are so fun to make and I'm doing all the different sizes.
This time I'm making it all out of patchwork, using a mini origami pack of Retro 30's Child Smile by Lecien that I got from Sunny Day Supply. The cuteness of these prints combined with the heart Kam snap is bringing me joy!
Last night I was productive too, finally piecing the backing for my rose star quilt. I'm using Oakshott cotton. This colour is Coral from the Jewel Collection, which I purchased with the intention of using it as backing for this quilt way back in 2012. Maybe I will actually baste it soon?! That bit is my least favourite now and probably partially why I have so many quilt tops sitting waiting.
Let's hope my productivity and enthusiasm continue all week!
My rose star quilt top
I finished my rose star quilt top...
It will need trimming along the sides and of course I will be hand quilting it. I have a quilting plan and Aurifil thread ready to go!
There's 5,467 pieces in this quilt top... ok kidding I haven't got time to count them!! But it's a lot. All the papers were cut out from printer paper, then hand basted and hand pieced with Aurifil 50wt 2600 and 2610.
All done by hand and all done by me, except for one beautiful block made by my wonderful friend Nicky - she made the one on the bottom right in the picture above and she also made me about 5 of the 'alien' connecting shapes because she's awesome :)
I haven't quite finished taking out all the papers but I'm just pulling those basting threads by hand and it comes out easily, most of the time I took them out as I made each block but some have remained from connecting them together.
There was very little thought put into this quilt. In the sense that I decided to use solid colours (orange, pink, mint, grey and beige) in the centres and I used a stack of fabrics I liked but I just put them together one by one in combinations that I liked. There is very little fussy cutting, I tried it and I love the effect but for the most part I just cut totally randomly. I didn't play around with the layout, I just started sewing them together. Then I realised you can put them in rows so that's what I did. Putting them together is much faster when you work in rows - one rose star, two alien shapes, one rose star, etc.
To finish it off I decided to have the rose stars almost floating by using kites and half hexagons to get to the point I could just use full hexagons. I was going to do more hexagon borders but honestly this quilt top is big enough as it is and I like how the rows of rose stars look like they're stacked on top of each other, kind of higgledy-piggledy.
It's random, eclectic and all mine!
The rose star tutorial is by the amazing Clare - my love of English Paper Piecing is all down to her and this brilliant pattern. This was the very first English Paper Piecing I attempted, I have finished other projects along the way but this quilt holds my first block. Is it weird that fact almost has me tearing up?! I adore this quilt top so much. I totally recommend going and visiting Clare's inspiring blog selfsewn, she also has an English Paper Piecing tutorial if you'd like to start doing some yourself.
You can see more fabulous rose star blocks and quilts in the Flickr group.
Linking up:
I'm not here...
because I'm hosting over at Freshly Pieced!
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it is this big
I've been working away at my rose star quilt. I thought I was done making blocks but I decided to add one more row (I can't help myself). I have 4 blocks left to make and will then start work on the border. It's been a while since you've seen a progress shot of the whole thing and not all sewn up so here you go:
Too busy to bother measuring it so you will just have to trust me when I say it is this big.
Here's the latest 2 blocks to start the last row:
Busy, busy finishing other projects but nothing beats coming back to this one and spending the evening English paper piecing. Ah even basting the shapes brings me joy, especially since I've got faster. I have a plan for the border and I think it might take a while so this will not get done this FAL quarter but I don't care. Loving every laid back stitch.
Linking up to the lovely Hydee:
Blue Hawaii
The colours and prints in this rose star remind me of this:
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| source |
This week my eldest daughter has been behaving like the little girl who had a little curl and she said the funniest and sweetest thing the other day. She said, "I know everything in the whole wide world but I don't know how to spell long numbers because I'm not five yet. I do know how to love mummy." Well surely loving me is the most important thing she needs to know!
I.just.can't.help.myself.
How is it that I always feel like I never have enough time to sew all the things I want to and then, rather than finish the things I've started, I go ahead and start something new?! bonkers. Even more bonkers is that fact I'm sure I've said that before ;) The quilter's curse of beginning projects!
So here's what I'm up to...
I loved making the last rainbow log cabin quilt, so I'm at it again:
I finished embroidering the alphabet panel and got it all cut up and sewn into blocks - I think it's going to look so pretty! Just need to press and trim these:
And I've nearly finished my latest rose star block:
I intended to do a full on WIP report this week but it's half term so I'm impressed with what sewing I've done and I want to get on with it not talk about it!
Today we spent the day with friends carving our pumpkins. She wanted happy and he wanted scary:
We even all managed to have lunch and do the pumpkins while Lois napped. Baby and pumpkins might not have worked so well!
We moved Lois into her own room yesterday (I say we but actually my husband was the one building the cot bed, clearing, putting up a new curtain rail, etc.). And she slept right through from 8pm until 6am this morning! I couldn't believe it. I also cried last night knowing I wouldn't be sleeping next to her (as I have for the past 9 months) but that was probably the exhaustion taking over ;) It is a little sad but I will accept that phase is over if I get more sleep as a result... although as many of you mums may know, she slept through the night but I didn't. Getting back into a good sleep routine will take time for me.
Just in case you missed it...
Be sure to go and enter my GIVEAWAY to win yourself some haberdashery (sewing notions if you're American!), open until Monday 4th November and international entries welcome!
Also check out Le Challenge and join us on November 15th to link up any project with the theme STRIPES for your chance to win $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop :)
getting spooky
The kids and I had great fun the other day with some Sharpies and felt. We decorated some skulls after I was inspired by Rebecca's Day of the Dead post.
Then last night I took a bit more felt and embroidered a couple of black skulls.
This was a nice surprise for them this morning!
It's a start for our Halloween decorating.
I got round to a little EPP too and am back to making more individual Rose Star blocks. This one includes some gorgeous fabric I swapped during the fugly party with the lovely Laura. I think they look very un-fugly!
Once I've finished this post I'm going to get the binding on this beauty:
I am resolved to get more time at my sewing machine. I have bee blocks to get done too but I'm bursting with things I want to make and they won't get done without some machine love!
It's pretty hard to tear myself away from my adorable family though...
see!
Guess I will have to wait until they've all gone to bed ;)
**If you're in the UK make sure you enter my paperback GIVEAWAY!**
mad about applique and a winner
I am trying to work on my applique skills and this little project was great practice for me!
I made this tea towel from the book 'Patchwork Please!' and am joining in the Zakka Along 2.0.
I chose to just do the little pictures to represent 'breakfast, lunch, dinner' on one tea towel and as much as I love seeing all the beautifully bound ones I really haven't had time to bind it.
I made this tea towel from the book 'Patchwork Please!' and am joining in the Zakka Along 2.0.
I chose to just do the little pictures to represent 'breakfast, lunch, dinner' on one tea towel and as much as I love seeing all the beautifully bound ones I really haven't had time to bind it.
I chose some of my favourite scraps since I'm going to be looking at it a lot!
In other applique news I finally made this Apple Leaf block for Jodi in Scrappy? Sew Bee It. The tutorial is fantastic and it was so fast putting this together. I love it and think she's going to have a gorgeous quilt - her inspiration is beautiful too.
I got my own block in the post this week, an amazing Rose Star from my incredible friend Nicky. We did our own little swap because we are working on the same size and it seemed like a fun thing to do. I adore the vibrant fabrics she picked and I love that my quilt will have a bit of her work in it!
She also sent this cute card and 'space invader' filler shapes for my quilt - how very kind you are!! You have now also named these little creatures so thanks for that too ;)
Congratulations grandmarockton, I have sent you an email :)
Have a great weekend everyone!
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