Tie-front Toile for Dress

I used the amazing Pattern Magic book to create this toile for a dress I would like to make- you might remember the miniature version. This one was much less tricky to construct! The only problem is that there is a lot of fullness around the chest and neck area, so I have to keep the neckline high, but I think this looks nice with the cap-sleeves I have added. I'm thinking about adding a circle skirt to the design.

Cathedral Windows

My first attempt at cathedral windows- they are fiddly! Tricky to get neat at the corners.

Finished Sugar Pop Quilt

Finished Sophie Quilt #1

Finally completed my first Sophie Quilt. I attempted ditch-stitching to quilt it, but this never seems to go well for me... I ended up stitching simple diagonal lines across it instead, which has worked well with the simple rail fence design. I used a natural batting as I much prefer this for quilting. I am going to list this for sale on Etsy.

Lisa Congdon

I have just re-discovered this amazing artist of 'A Collection a Day' fame. Lisa photographed or sketched a collection of objects every day in 2010 and posted them on her blog. (You can view the blog here, which is now also a book.) Her paintings, drawings and patterns are very colourful and remind me of quilts, often featuring symmetrical patterns. Her portfolio and blogare both worth a look.

Gee's Bend Quilts

I heard about these amazing quilts a while ago, but stumbled upon a recent post on Deb Rowden's quilt blog. I searched for some images and found these. So original, modern and colourful and all made using recycled fabrics. Gee's Bend is a small, African-American town in Alabama- for a more comprehensive history see this website.

Quilt top

The Sophie quilt top is almost finished (x2) and ready to have a border added.


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Quilt progress

This is such an easy quilt to make from a jelly roll: just sew the long strips together, chop into squares then arrange into a rail fence design.






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Strip the Willow Quilt

I'm starting another quilt from this book:



It's called strip the willow and is based on a traditional rail fence design.



I'm using Moda's Sophie collection.



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More Pattern Magic

I love these books by Tomoko Nakamichi; so creative and challenging for pattern drafters. I made a scale version of 'Tied Up' to test the method. I'm thinking of making a 1950s style evening dress- for what purpose, I have no idea!!









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Quilting

I've been home from travelling a week now, so I've made use of my free time by finally quilting some lap quilts I'd been working on a while ago. I love the cutting and piecing, but the quilting scares and bores me: machine quilting as it always seems to go wrong (bunching, tension issues etc); hand quilting so time consuming and callous causing!! I've finally cracked the machine style: walking foot, long stitch length, releasing the pressure on the presser foot and natural batting. And the hand style, well it keeps me busy on these long, cold nights. Oh how I miss 30 degree heat!!

Hand quilted lap quilt:






Machine quilted lap quilt:






Machine quilted, Dresden plate, single quilt:


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Africa

Africa

India

India