Dar es Salaam

I recently visited a friend in Tanzania for a few days. We stayed at Mikadi Beach Lodge in Dar es Salaam and it was just beautiful. Blue, Indian ocean, blue skies.... and way too hot and humid for me coming from cold England!

2nd Sophie Quilt

Finally got around to quilting my second Sophie Quilt, made in a rail fence design from Moda's Sophie jelly roll. I struggle to prevent the fabric ruching/ rucking up when machine quilting, even when I release the presser foot pressure, lengthen the stitch AND use a walking foot! However! I have found a solution! I'd never tried free motion machining with a darning foot and no feed dog. Wow! Quilting finally works for me! I was familiar with this method for machine embroidery, darning etc, but thought I would have the same problems with the walking foot when used for quilting, so never tried it. I'm so glad I did; I feel so much more confident about quilting now- I usually dread that part of quilt-making!! I used a simple vermicelli/ wandering/ swirly pattern. Getting your hands and feet coordinated takes some practise, but I'm really happy with the result.








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Camera Bag

I'm off to Tanzania for a week on Saturday and really dislike the boring camera cases available in camera shops. There are some amazing, quirky designs on the market, particularly Etsy. I designed my own to take with me, made in indigo, Japanese quilting fabrics and natural batting. It was a really simple design using a front and back, sewing the internal corners to create a 3D shape. I covered some plastic sheeting in a fabric sleeve for the base and used French seams inside and binding along the top edge for a neat finish. The strap of the camera forms the strap of the bag.









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Girls' Indian Tunic

Having made a prototype of a tunic with button-up yoke, I had a go at making one in one of the many hand printed, Indian cottons I have. It needs binding at the neck armholes and some buttons, but I think this is a really cute summer tunic! It's age 3 if anyone interested in purchasing it!






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Patchwork Cushion Covers

Finally completed three hand-pieced, patchwork cushion covers, coming to Etsy soon!



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Children's designs

After making a couple of prototypes for some girls' clothes (see earlier post), I decided to draw up a range of designs utilising my 26 metres if printed, Indian cotton! I'm thinking easy to make, simple tunic tops,dresses and skirts.






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Indian Sari Tops

Bought a couple of printed polyester/silk saris in India and want to put them to some use. All 6 metres each of them!! I've started making some patterns from these designs.



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Clothes for the Girls

I have about 26 million metres of hand block-printed Indian cotton to use and I thought I would try my hand at children's clothes. I bought the Winifred Aldrich pattern drafting book for children's clothes and have made a prototype tunic top and gathered skirt. This will be my half term project!

Africa Purchases

Seems like ages ago I went shopping in Swakopmund in Namibia and found some beautiful telephone wire bowls to send home to my mum. Interestingly, they are constructed starting at the top of the bowl.

I also found her this lovely cushion cover, hand embroidered by African women through a charity run to support them.

We stopped off along a dusty, Namibian road and looked at the bog standard tourist souvenirs, such as carved figurines. Beneath the junk, I spotted this handmade quilt top. The lady was reluctant to part with it, but I managed to persuade her. I'm not sure if I should leave it as it is or make it into a quilt.

India Purchases

Finally got around to photographing the beautiful textiles I bought In India: hand block-printed fabrics, silk saris and embroidered cushion covers to name a few. Just what to do with 26 metres of cotton.... Got a bit carried away!!

Wall-hanging made from recycled saris

Wooden block-prints (hand-carved)

Embroidered cushion covers

Silk sari

Printed cottons

Cluck Cluck Sew

Cluck Cluck Sew makes the most beautiful, bright, modern quilts and designs PDF patterns to buy online. She also has brilliant turoials on her website, with really clear photos and instructions. Love the raw edge circle quilt below.

Aunt Em's Quilt Patterns

I spotted this design on Moda's website, United Notions. It's an Aunt Em pattern found here. I love the retro feel of the clam shells pattern and the circle design is quite unique-looking. I'm guesing the clam shells are appliqued or pieced, but haven't purchased the PDF pattern yet. Very tempted to try to work it out myself. The fabric is Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket for Moda.

Also love the beach ball pattern using the same fabric:

Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals

I've recently got back into cooking and Jamie Oliver really inspires me, because he uses simple ideas and flavours that work. His 30 minute meal series was so innovative. I tried a couple of ideas from the programme and, although they took me longer than 30 minutes (lack of organisation more than anything!), were great successes. My mum bought me the book and my first recipe was Jamie's spinach and filo pie with cucumber and tomato salad (I didn't bother with the ice cream dessert seeing as we'd eaten Krispy Kreme doughnuts earlier in the day!!). It was amazing!! The sharpness of the vinegary dressing in the salad cut through the richness of the feta and eggs in the pie. It was also brilliant cold. Yum!!








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Anthropologie/ APC Quilts

My favourite shop, Anthropologie, and one of my favourite designer brands, APC, have teamed up to create these gorgeous quilts made from scrap fabrics. I really love the flying geese designs below. Find them here.

Finished Dresden Plate Quilt

I have finally finished my Dresden plate quilt hand-pieced in repro feedsack fabrics. I only did a small amount of machine-quilting: a shadow stitch around each plate. I bound it in blocks of the feedsack fabrics.

Parson Gray

Parson Gray is a new line of fabrics from David Butler, husband of Amy. Find his new range of geometric, earthy, masculine fabrics here.

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