I had a trip over to Fabric8 at Felixstowe last Saturday, and saw this fab and funky fabric - "Space Rockets" by The Henley Studio, for Makower UK. (Oh and I also bought some great retro-looking Christmas fabric too by Riley Blake designs, but I'm saving that to show you another day!!) This space-themed fabric was just perfect for a whole cloth baby quilt. I used a metre of the large print for one side of the quilt, and a metre of the smaller print for the other side of the quilt. I used cotton wadding - I prefer to use Quilter's Dream wadding in the select weight for baby quilts as it is so lovely and soft. I never EVER use polyester wadding for quilts for little people as the fibers can migrate..... .....this is not like the traditional whole cloth quilts you understand, but this is a fab and funky whole cloth quilt, quilted in a 3" diagonal grid with bright threads to match the colours in the fabric. I started off by marking a 3" grid with a Clover Hera marker. I chose an orange Mettler quilting thread for the initial 3" grid, then quilted either side of all the quilting lines using the edge of the walking foot as a guide. Finally I quilted in the middle of the two navy lines with a King Tut variegated blue thread. The same navy blue Mettler thread was used in the bobbin so the reverse side is completely navy quilting - I needed about 5 bobbins of thread for this project! but keeping the same colour saved an awful lot of time as I just made sure I had wound several bobbins before I started quilting!..... .....the orange print was used for the binding. (I really do love this orange fabric - and I just wish I had more of it!!) and a label added as a final flourish to the back or the quilt - or it could be the front - as this quilt is totally reversible!! Now it's going to be posted off to it's new owner. My friend Vanda has just become a grandma again - this is for her new grandson, Riley Jon. Hope he gets lots of use from this quilt!!
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I have been very busy over the last couple of weeks drafting a pattern for a tote bag, and have made a few samples using the same basic pattern. This version was started yesterday, when I spent the day with my friend Helen (unfortunately I didn't actually get much sewing done - must have been too busy yakking!!). Anyway, I had an idea to make a "thrifty" bag, so decided to upcycle an old pair of jeans..... .....I used some fabric that I had bought from Fabric8 a few weeks ago, when I went shopping with my friend Val. I've quilted it very simply with a 3" cross-hatch design, and used a navy blue Mettler quilting thread. I used the bottom half of one leg of the jeans for the back of the bag (which was quilted completely) and the top half of the leg of the jeans for the front. I quilted the lining and added the front afterwards, and just quilted around the pockets to stop the layers from shifting, as I didn't want to quilt across the pockets!..... .....this picture shows the inside - I love this fabric - I added a useful key holder and of course one of my labels just HAD to added - this one has been sewn onto the outside of the bag as a design feature..... .....and here is the completed tote bag, complete with a pair of very smart brown leather handles. I'm really pleased with how this has turned out - Mr F had better look out as I might cut up his old jeans and shirts!! I'll share a tutorial later showing more details of how to make the basic bag. I've still got the other leg of the jeans left over, so watch out for another bag soon! In a previous post I showed you a very patriotic bag that I had made ready for my trip to London last weekend. Well, I had a small piece of the screen-printed canvas left over. What better way to use it up than to make another bag!! I teamed the canvas with a piece of denim and made a tote bag (my own design - whoop whoop!!) and this is the result. This was very simple to make as I decided to quilt the bag and lining all-in-one so just had to neaten the seams with binding rather than make a separate lining. Easy peasy!! Oh and yes I have sewn one of my labels in the bag too - if I get any admiring comments when I'm out and about with this bag I'll be able to say "ohhhh - it's a Nicola Foreman Quilts original"!! And I just love these red leather handles (note to self: next time I decide to sew a pair of leather handles in place, wear a thimble!!) - I've now got a VERY sore finger from attaching these, but I am SOOO pleased with the result. This bag will be going with me to the Festival of Quilts later this week in Birmingham. I think I NEED to buy some more of these handles in other colours. Maybe in navy blue. And lime green. And red - I definitely more red handles!! Update: I've had several emails asking about the canvas I used (and thanks for your comment too Sheila! - anyway, I bought this fabric a few weeks ago from a local fabric shop called Fabric8 in Felixstowe. I had gone for coffee with my friend Val, and when we saw this in the window of the fabric shop we couldn't resist it! Unfortunately there isn't much info on the selvedge - just Made in Spain by Vilber. It was extra wide so we bought a metre then cut it half - as you can see, I've made two bags with mine, so it was great value for money! Well Mr F and me are off to London on Sunday to meet up with some friends, who we first met when we went on a cruise to Norway back in April. It seems such a long time ago now - so it's going to be absolutely great to catch up with them all again - (Vanda and Gill - can't wait for a good girlie gossip!!). We've got the day all planned out - travelling up to London on the train, then meeting our friends in a pub for a quick drink, taking the clipper boat along the Thames, a historical walk around Greenwich and then it'll be time for food - and drinks - and a bit of a natter - before we head home in the evening. I'm sure London will be buzzing with excitement as it's the last day of the Olympics..... .....anyway, I just needed a new bag to take to London with me - and what better than a really BIG bag to keep all the stuff that I'll need for a grand day out. I decided to use this fabulous canvas - how patriotic is that!! I based this bag on the pattern "Håndbagasje" by AnnAKa but did not use the applique or Suffolk puffs. I marked out a simple 3" cross-hatch pattern using a Clover Hera Marker, and quilted this bag using a King Tut quilting thread in black.... .....what do you think? Inside I have used a red crowns print keeping with the patriotic theme - there is a hanger for my keys - just perfect!! Oh and a label? Mais oui!! This bag is HUGE and so there's plenty of room for the surprises that I'm taking with me for Vanda and Gill (you didn't think I'd come along empty handed did you girls?!) Anyway, I'm going to have a fabulous time - and even Mr F is just a little bit excited about our trip too!! On Saturday I was meeting my friend Val, and after I'd had a look at her longarm quilting machine in action (her husband was busy operating the machine) we drove over to Felixstowe as we both NEEDED to have a browse at some fabrics. After a very VERY long chat over coffee, we headed off to Fabric8 and we were really spoilt for choice. I have been asked to teach a bag-making class for a quilting group in Essex next month, and so was looking for fabrics to make a couple of samples with. Firstly I spotted some red and white spotty fabric that would be ideal for a splash of colour for a bag lining - so that HAD to come home with me. Then I saw some Union Jack fabric - (this will look great teamed with some denim for a tote bag) - and finally I found a vintage chocolate bar print - perfect! Whilst the fabric was being cut, I spied a nice firm weave fabric (looks like linen but is really stiff) that would go perfectly with some brown batics from my stash (may also get to make a new runner with this fabric!) so that was the end of my shopping spree - or so I thought..... ..... I had really wanted something a bit more unusual to add to my stash, and Val had seen this fabulous fabric in the shop window - it is a wonderful screen printed extra wide canvas with a very patriotic design of union jacks, heraldry symbols and stars - with a very large pattern repeat. As it WAS rather expensive, we decided to economize and have half a piece each, which really will be more than enough to make some great shopping bags. We headed back to Val's after the shopping spree to have another cuppa! (and to admire the quilt that had been on the machine - her husband had finished it while we'd been shopping and it looked great!) - we'd been so busy nattering I really don't know where the day went! Right - off to start sewing samples! As Mr F is at the races today, I've got the whole day to myself to make as much creative mess as I like! |
About me...Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! Archives
July 2023
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