Nicola Foreman Quilts - BLOG

Winter Playground - Block 6 - Renard And Friends

8/11/2025

The final block of the Winter Playground quilt is called "Renard and Friends" and features yet another fox, along with a snowman. The snowman is wearing a very cosy looking jumper, and a very smart hat...

...a sweet little bird is skating along, and a string of bunting is held betwen the two friends. As with the other blocks, all of the hand embroidery has been stitched using a selection of hand-dyed variegated Valdani stranded embroidery threads. The letters on the bunting were a little bit fiddly to stitch! The appliqued shapes have all been completed using the Apliquick method of applique...

...Reynard the fox is well wrapped up in his "knitted" scarf - I love the attention to detail that Lynette has put into these designs...

...and here's the completed block - adorned with a scattering of hand embroidered snowflakes. These variegated Valdani stranded embroidery threads are really lovely, and the variegation is very subtle...

...once the two blocks had been stitched together, the seam was pressed open, and I traced the remaining part of the "string" between these two snowmen. This was then covered with a neat backstitch...

...now it's ready to join to all of the other blocks. I'm going to add a couple of "star" buttons to these blocks, rather than the wool appliqued stars that are in the original design...

...now all the blocks have been joined together, I just need to prepare the outer borders - there are lots more tiny squares for the outer borders, so I'll be very busy, choosing fabrics, and cutting out squares , and stitching them all back together again!

Winter Playground - Block 5 - Dorothea Can Skate

5/11/2025

The penultimate block of this Winter Playground qult is called "Dorothea Can Skate" and features another cosy knitted scarf, wrapped around a very handsome snowman...

...his mate is wearing a pair of cosy ear muffs to keep him warm, and they're both tucked into a very smart sleigh. Dorothea is wearing a pretty lace-trimmed dress, with a rather nice white wool felt collar...

...lots of hand embroidered snowflakes have been scattered across the block, and as with the rest of this quilt, the hand embroidery has been stitched using a selection of hand-dyed variegated Valdani stranded embroidery threads. This just needs a final press, then I can start photographing the final block, which I'd already prepared a few days ago.

Winter Playground - Block 4 - Let's Skate

4/11/2025

Block 4 - Let's Skate - of the Winter Playground quilt, designed by Lynette Anderson, is such a pretty block, with lots of little birds out skating. Ther's even a cute little chick in her pram! The hand embroidery has all been stitched using a selection of variegated Valdani stranded embroidery threads, and I've used the Apliquick method for the applique...

...the birds don't seem to be bothered at all by Mr Fox - who does look very fancy wearing his snow goggles! And there's even a very jolly snowman joining in with the fun...

...there was lots of cutting and stitching for the next part, and I've used a large selection of fabrics, all designed by Lynette, for these narrow borders. These are stitched to both the top and bottom edge of this pretty block...

...I couldn't resist getting it stitched onto the larger piece that I'd already constructed, and I'm really peased with how it looks so far! I've given it a final press, and now I can get on with finishing the next two blocks!

Zoo Train Cushion Set

19/10/2025

A few weeks ago, my grandson Rory asked me to make him a cushion with a train on, and I knew this would be the perfect design! This pattern is Zoo Train Cushion Set, designed as a collaboration between 2 great designers - Claire Turpin Design and Tied With a Rbbon - known together as Sew Along. I purchased the pattern, along with the pale grey star print fabric (which is for the front and the back of the cushion) from Poppy Patch here in the UK - and the black and white narrow stripe (which I'll use for the binding) was purchased from Fabric Love - also here in the UK . I've used a selection of my own bright batiks for the applique shapes, with matching threads - thank goodness for my extensive collection of colourful Aurifil 40wt threads! The fusible webbing that I've used for this project is Lite Steam-a-Seam 2. Once the applique shapes had been prepared, the background fabric was layered up with a piece of lightweight fusible wadding, Vlieseline H630, and a piece of cotton fabric for the backing. The applique was machined into place through all 3 layers, so it was quilted as it was appliqued...

...these 2 cushions feature a train engine, with a couple of carriages containing some fun zoo animals - and the second carriage also has Rory's name appliqued on it. One of his favourite colours is orange, so that was the obvious choice to use an orange batik for his name...

...I've added a covered zipper to the back of the cushion cover, so it can easily be removed if it needs to be laundered. A cute little label "Made by nanny" is stitched onto the front - the labels are designed and purchased from Little Rosy Cheeks - and the narrow stipey binding just finishes it all off neatly...

...the larger rectangular cushion measures 24" x 16" and the smaller cushion measures 16" square...

...I've popped a couple of polyester filled cushion inserts into both of the covers, and they'll be perfect for Rory's reading corner in his bedroom. Now I just need to sort through my remaining batik fabrics, and make a set for his little brother Alfie.

Winter Playground - Block 3 - Lone Pine

4/10/2025

Block 3 - Lone Pine - is the next installment of the Winter Playground quilt, designed by Lynette Anderson, and is made up of 2 sections. This sweet little bird, with her cosy scarf and pompom hat, is skating under a very tall pine tree. The scarf was stitched using Colonial knots - these are very similar to French knots, but I find them easier to stitch...

...the tall pine tree then curls over onto the second part of the block, with a star perched on the top. More stars are twinkling in the sky, over the pieced section of block 2, along with hand embroidered snowflakes. These have been stitched using a variegated Valdani stranded embroidery thread...

...the first 3 blocks are now joined together, and depict a very pretty wintertime scene.

Winter Playground - Block 2 - Hooty and Mr Moon

1/10/2025

I'm really enjoying stitching this quilt - pattern is Winter Playground by the Australian designer Lynette Anderson Designs. This block is stitched in 2 parts - lots of small squares pieced together to make the patchwork sky, and an appliqued block with a cute little owl. These fabrics are from a variety of collections by Lynette Anderson Designs, and mixed in with a few hand embroidered snowflakes, this patchwork block will be the sky. The owl is perched on top of a very pretty tree...

...I've used lots of green fabrics for both of these trees, again they're from a variety of fabric collections designed by Lynette - her fabrics all blend so well together. Once these two pieces have been pressed, I can make a start on block 3, and then join these pieces together.

321 Blast Off Backpack

29/9/2025

I'd pre-ordered this panel from Lady Sew and Sew several months ago, and it arrived in the post just before I want on my quilting retreat! Designed by Stacy Iest Hsu for Moda, this pre-printed panel has all the instructions to make a cute backpack, printed to look like a rocket...

...I've used a fusible fleece wadding, Vlieseline H630 to give a little bit of structure to the backpack - this has been fused onto the wrong side of both the front and the back of the main fabric. A neat fabric handle is stitched in place between the main body of the bag and the casing, and I've added some fusible fleece inside the handle too...

...the fabric drawstrings are also printed on the panel, and are inserted into the casing to keep the backpack closed. The star printed lining is also included on the panel...

...the bottom of the backpack has neat boxed corners, and loops for the drawstrings to go through before they're secured with a knot. There's even a fabric padded flame coming out of the base of the backpack!...

...this was such a simple backpack to make, the instructions were really easy to follow. This will be packed away for Christmas as it's a present for a very special little boy.

Aspen Frost - McGuffy

28/9/2025

I've been away on my annual quilting retreat in Yorkshire, and I've had an amazing time with some very special friends. Great food, great company, and LOTS of sewing! Anyway, this is my forst project - I'd bought these Aspen Frost Layer Cakes back in 2012. Designed by Basic Grey for Moda, the colours really are gorgeous. The book Schnibbles Times Two by Carrie Nelson, has some super patterns for quilts using 2 Layer Cakes for larger ones, and you can make a smaller version of the same quilt using 2 Charm Packs. These Layer Cakes were swiftly sliced up according to the pattern instructions, and it didn't long to start piecing these gorgeous fabrics back together...

...the pattern I've used is called McGuffy. The Layer Cake is cut into a mixture of squares and rectangles, which ar epieced together to make both the blocks and the outer border. I've used a Moda Grunge spot for the inner border, and I'll use the same fabric for the binding. Now I'm home from my retreat, it just needs to be pressed, then it can be delivered to the longarm quilter.

Winter Playground - Block 1 - His and Hers

19/9/2025

Another fabulous kit that I've had for ages is Winter Playgrund, by the Australian designer, Lynette Anderson. Purchased from Little Quilt Store in 2018, when it was still based in Australia, this kit included a starter pack of fabrics, the pattern, and the required Valdani stranded embroidery threads...

...I'd also purchased a set of these wooden spools - these snowmen look very plump with the threads wrapped around them! Valdani threads are hand-dyed, and are lovely to use for hand embroidery, as the variegation is very subtle. I've used a piece of lightweight fusible interfacing on the back of the background fabric, and the stitchery design has been traced using a lightpad (a very thin lightbox) and a Micron Pigma pen. I've used a wooden embroidery hoop to keep the fabric taut...

...once the background embroidery was finished, I stitched the applique shapes into place by hand. I've used the Apliquick method of applique. Some of these shapes have surface embroidery - the trickiest part was the "knitted" scarves, although I'm glad I persevered - I'm really pleased with the finished result...

...here's the finished block - I've added some tiny dolls clothes buttons on the reindeer's dress, and I've replaced a wool felt star on the Christmas tree with a large star button, which will be stitched in place once the quilting has been finished.

Run Rabbit Run

30/8/2025

I'm still working my way through that list of kits that I wrote about back in January. When I took part in the Declutter Challenge a few months ago, I passed a few of my kits on to some of my quilty friends - kits that I no longer liked, or kits that I thought I really had no use for, so thankfully that very long list has become a bit shorter! Anyway, this is a pretty kit to make the Run Rabbit Run Cushion, designed by Jo Colwill of Cowslip Workshops - the pattern is in Jo's book, Patchwork Quilts and Gifts, and both the book and the kit were purchased back in 2015. The kit included all the materials to make the cushion cover - the fabrics, calico and wadding...

...anyway, I made a start on this a few days ago, and a mix of sunny weather and showers meant I was able to sit outside in the garden stitching the hand embroidery and sewing on the vintage buttons, then dashing into my sewing studio before the rain came, to stitch the machine applique...

...I've used a selection of vintage buttons from my own button tin. Small ones are used to decorate the front of the cushion along the "hill" and around the heart, whilst larger ones are stitched through the sides to keep the cushion closed. These larger buttons are stitched through all the layers, and I've added smaller buttons on the back, so you don't see any unsightly threads or knots.

...and here's the finished cushion, photographed along with another one of Jo Colwill's designed, the Bouquet Cushion that I made last year. Now I need to tidy my cutting table, clean and oil my machine, and prepare another project from that list of kits.