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Well this pattern (Under Cover from ByAnnie) has certainly challenged me with lots of firsts. First time sewing with mesh, first time binding a pocket with elastic and first time machine stitching the binding on - and it's around a curve! The binding strips were cut on the bias, I used a walking foot and altered the position of the needle and stitched it VERY slowly. I hardly dared to breath when I was stitching arounf these curves, but I'm very happy with the results. 
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Saturday morning was spent shut away in my sewing studio away from the rest of the world, reading the pattern, watching the add-on videos and finally making a start on this project. The Bernina fabrics are by Benartex and are available from Quilt Direct here in the UK. I've used a plain black Aurifil 40wt thread in the top, with a variegated red King Tut quilting thread in the bobbin. I've marked a simple 2" cross hatch design using a Clover hera marker and once the grid is quilted, I'll quilt inbetween it by eye. The wadding was pieced together from leftovers, so denser quilting will give it a bit more "oomph" and structure...  ...after a very productive day, all the fabric pieces were quilted, cut to size and ready for the the next stage of piecing them together. The fabric pocket and sides have been quilted in straight rows. This is the first "ByAnnie" project that I've made (pattern is Under Cover and was ourchased from Sew Hot - all the details are in an earlier post) and it certainly won't be the last! Although I did need to read the pattern a couple of times to make sure I understood everything, the add-on videos were brilliant, and it won't be long before my Bernina will be the best dressedBernina in Suffolk!!  Yup - right from the minute you wake up, you just know it's going to be one of those days. Do I really need to say any more??  This absolutely GORGEOUS selection of Kismet fabrics, designed by Sharon Holland Designs for Art Gallery Fabrics, arrived in the post yesterday from a very special friend. Available from Cross Patch as a roll of 10 assorted fabrics of 6.5” by 40” My head is buzzing with ideas about what projects I can make with these delicious fabrics - my brain feels like a computer with all the tabs open!  Ohhh my Bernina 570QE is going to have a posh new coat! This Bernina fabric (by Benartex) has been lurking in my sewing studio for such a long time, and it's about time I put it to good use. The sewing machine cover is a byAnnie pattern called Undercover, avaialble at Sew Hot - along with other byAnnie bits and bobs. Now I just need to curl up with a nice cup of tea, watch the assisting video and be inspired. I'm hoping I have enough fabric to make a cover for BOTH of my Bernina machines - so watch this space!  Drum roll please! This is the second cushion that I've made using the Cosy Home Cushion pattern (by the Australian designer Gail Pan Designs) and it certainly won't be the last! This was made with fabrics that were leftover from a quilt I made for my mother-in-law many years ago...  ...this cushion has been hand embroidered with Cosmo stranded embroidery thread and hand quilted with a variegated green Valdani perle thread. Embellished with vintage buttons and lace and the final flourish is a hand embroidered "label" on the back...
..and this is the actual quilt that I'd made all those years ago, back in 2006. I hadn't taken a photograph of it before, so just had to get a quick snap of it for my blog. These fabrics are from the Lilac Lane collection by Timeless Treasures and this pattern is called Lilac Lattice - it's still available as from the Patchwork and Quilting website. This was probably the first quilt that I'd made at home on my own without going to a workshop and was machine quilted very simply with my Bernina 230PE and a varigated YLI quilting thread. I was thrilled to know that my mother-in-law is still using it on her bed and although there are a few mistakes in it, it was definitely made with lots of love.  I was sorting through a box of embroidery bits and bobs a few days ago and found a very small Eva Rosenstand counted cross stitch picture that I'd made back in 1985. I was so surprised to find it after all these years! All it needed was a quick press, machine stitched onto a piece of grey Tilda fabric and wadding, popped it in a Hobbycraft frame and it's finally finished! Now it's displayed on the wall of my sewing studio along with a few of my other crafty pictures. 
I really love this pattern, Cosy Home Cushion (designed by Gail Pan Designs and bought last year from Poppy Patch) and I just couldn't resist making another one. So over the past couple of weeks I've been playing around with some scraps that had been carefully pressed and packed away YEARS ago! These were leftover from a quilt that I'd made for my mother-in-law and although I can't remember the name of this fabric collection, I do know that it was by Timeless Treasures...
...once the design was traced onto a green spot background fabric, the hand embroidery was stitched with a mauve Cosmo thread. With some very carey careful cutting, I managed to squeeze out the patchwork pieces from the scraps to piece together the cushion front. A piece of cotton lace was machine stitched into place...  ...the cushion front was layered with cotton wadding and a calico backing and a variegated green Valdani perle thread has been used for the hand quilting, which I've kept to a very simple design. A quick rummage in my button tin and a couple of vintage buttons were found to embellish the front...
...a few more scraps were pieced together for the back, and a "stitched by Nicola Foreman label" has been hand embroidered, using a Gail Pan Designs motif. Luckily I had a zipper in the perfect colour and the perfect size for the enclosure. Usually I fold my backing fabric double for a cushion back, but due to only having scraps for this one, I used some calico for the extra layer..
...a plump cushion pad has been inserted and it's ready for a proper photoshoot. Here's just a little peek at the finished cushion - well, just a little peek at the back - all will be revealed once it's been gifted!  Well another cushion has been completed! This pattern is Cosy Home Cushion by Gail Pan Designs and was bought last year from Poppy Patch. This has been hand embroidered iusing my favourite Hiroshima Tulip needles and a Cosmo stranded embroidery thread. These fabrics are from the Little Sweetheart collection by Edyta Sitar (bought from Cross Patch) and were leftover from a Turning Twenty quilt that I made last year. Embellished with lace and vintage buttons as usual and there's a zipper in the back of the cover...  ...rather than machine quilting, this has been hand quilted with a selection of variegated Valdani perle threads in colours to coordinate with my fabrics (also bought from Cross Patch). I.m beginning to enjoy this style of big-stitch quilting, and like the textured effect it gives. The zipper in the back has been hidden and I have handembroidered a small "label" using one of Gail Pan's sewing machine motifs too.
Mr F keeps "suggesting" that as I have a sewing machine (well 2 machines actually) I could make new seat cushions for the sofa and chairs in the conservatory. Well after carefully unpicking the original covers to use as a template (and to re-use the zippers) I've done it! The cushion class from Quilter's Question Time was invaluable! I used some old curtain fabric for a trial run, now I just need to buy some "proper" fabric! One of my nieces has suggested that maybe I should get Mr F on one of the machines and teach him how to make them!  |
 About me...Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! 
 
 
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