Nicola Foreman Quilts - BLOG

My Stitching Things - Hand Embroidery

10/11/2019

This was the perfect project for stitching while I was travelling to Scotland for my hols. "My Stitching Things" pattern is by the Australian designer Gail Pan Designs. Before I went away, I traced the design using a lightpad and a very fine tipped Micron Pigma pen (my favourite sized nib is 005) and fused some lightweight interfacing to the back. I used a spool of Presencia Finca perle thread for the hand embroidery - although the no 16 was a bit too fine, so I just doubled the thread. I'm really pleased with how this looks - and now I'm back home, I can get this project finished. I'm off on a quilting retreat next weekend, so this project will definitely be in my sewing bag. I'm going to take a few smaller projects with me, rather than a large one, as there will probably be lots of chatting and catching up with friends that I haven't seen for ages, which might distract me from stitching anything too ambitious!

Bountiful Quilt

27/10/2019

My latest project is finally hanging on the wall of my sewing studio. This pattern is "Bountiful" and was designed by the Australian designer Gail Pan Designs - and as usual, this supplied as a kit from Cross Patch, an online shop based in Wales here in the UK. Julia, the oener of Cross Patch, always puts such gorgeous kits together, and this one was no execption! I used an 50wt Aurifil thread in a mid grey colour for all the machine piecing, and as I showed in a previous blog post, this was machine quilted very simply using an assortment of quilting threads - including a mid grey Aurifil 40wt thread, a variegated blue and a variegated gold King Tut thread and a variegated cream Gutterman Sulky thread. This was hand appliqued using Apliquick tools and applique paper - if you're not familar with this method of applique, there are lots of videos on YouTube that you can watch.

Quilting the Bountiful Borders

26/10/2019

I've been busy sewing today with a group of very special friends. Today's project was my Bountiful quilt (pattern is by the Australian designer Gail Pan, and thiese fabrics were included in a gorgeous kit which was supplied by Cross Patch in Wales), and I've been busy free motion quilting a few feathers and plumes in the outer borders. The inner borders had already been machine quilted very simply. I've used a variety of threads for the machine quilting, and today I was using a Gutterman Sulky quilting thread in a variegated cream colourway.

A Spooky Corner

22/10/2019

Here's a spooky little corner of my lounge today - this Halloween themed table topper is the "Spooky House" pattern by Lynette Anderson Designs. This has been hand embroidered using a mix of DMC embroidery thread and variegated Valdani Threads. The hand applique is a mix of cotton fabrics (also by Lynette Anderson Designs) and wool felt. I'd made this table topper back in 2015, and love having it on display in my home.

Christmas Collage - Hand Embroidery

20/10/2019

A couple of weeks ago a parcel of loveliness arrived in the post from Cross Patch, and included this festive pattern "Christmas Collage" by the Australian designer Gail Pan Designs. It's been my evening sewing project this week, and it's been such a pleasure to stitch. I've traced the design using a very fine Micron Pigma pen (nib size 005) and used a variegated Valdani perle thread (shade M57) from the Cross Patch Favourotes collection. Now I just need to gather together a few festive bits and bobs to embellish it with, and it'll be another project ticked off my list!

Machine Quilting Threads

19/10/2019

When I'm machine quilting, I really love using variegated threads, and I've got quite a large collection! This morning I've got a couple of hours to spend in my sewing studio, so I'm busy choosing a selection of threads for my Bountiful quilt. I'm not normally keen on Gutterman thread, but the variegated Sulky ones are rather nice, and King Tut by Superior Threads are absolutely wonderful for machine quilting. Well now I've poicked out a few colours I'll make a start with some simpole straight rows and stitch-in-the-ditch quilting before I save the free motion flourishes for another day!

Time for a Chuckle

18/10/2019

Haha - everytime I see this it makes me chuckle! Maybe I should order some printed lables with this on - it's much truer than my usual sayings about being made by the hand and given from the heart! I'm sure when Mr F listens to me cussing in my studio he probably thinks I've developed Tourette's Syndrome - either that or he's married to a fish-wife!!

Spray Basting a Quilt

17/10/2019

My larger quilts get sent to the longarm quilter, but this small wall hanging will be easy enough for me to manage! I'd bought some pretty blue and cream fabric from KIS Quilting Ltd in Ipswich that was just perfect for the backing, and I made sure I'd bought enough for the quilt sleeve too! I tend to spray baste my smaller quilts rather than pin basting (except for baby quilt, obviously) and had bought this can of June Tailor quilt basting spray several months ago (also from KIS) - it seemed more powdery and not so "wet" as my usual one is, and I actually preferred it to my usual brand of 505. Now it's all ready for some machine quilting, I just need to delve into my thread boxes and decide which colours I'm going to use!

The Alice Bag

15/10/2019

The Alice Bag is a new design by the Australian designer Gail Pan - and is a very simple design, combining applique, embroisdery and quilting. This pretty kit, that included the pattern, all the fabrics and the blue cord, was from Cross Patch, an online shop based in Wales, here in the UK. This was my first attempt at hand quilting, and I used a selection of Valdanini perle threads from the Welsh Summer collection, which worked perfectly with these pretty fabrics...

...I used two pretty green flower buttons from my button tin for embellishment, The pale blue linen background is lovely to quilt qwith, and looks fab combined with these pretty prints...

..the drawstring bag was quite simple to construct, and it's a really useful size for keeping sewing projects and bits and bobs in. I'll definately make another one of these, especially as my daughter Alice has already put in a request for a batik one!

More Peeks at Hearts and Happy Flowers

13/10/2019

Here is another little peek at my Hearts and Happy Flowers quilt, which is on the frame with the longarm quilter - J-Quilts is freehand custom quilting this one, and is doing some amazing work - it's so exciting seeing her progress!