Blog Archives

A Vintage Journal Cover

28/2/2019

This is the result of a busy morning on Saturday, spent with some lovely crafty ladies, demonstrating how to make a quilted journal cover. For my sample, I used a selection of cream fabrics and a rather saucy little madam, printed onto fabric. This was trimmed with vintage lace, and a good rummage in my button trim produced the perfect embellishments...

...the back of the journal cover is made up of strips of cream fabrics and a piece of linen. I've also trimmed it with some vintage lace too. This journal cover has been quilted very simply, with Aurifil 40wt thread...

...I usually put an A5 sized Pukka Pad notebook inside these quilted journal covers, but I found an absolute bargain recently - these A5 notebooks are just perfect, and best of all they're from Poundland - I do like a bargain!

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Out For Lunch Again!

27/2/2019

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Another day off mid-week and another glorious day out with Mr F in the sunshine. We drove over to Southwold, and did a tour around the Adnams brewery, included a beer tasting which Mr F enjoyed VERY much!...

...after sauntering around the shops, we stopped off for a fish and chips lunch, before stocking up on a few bottles of Adnams (well it would have been silly not too) before heading back to Foreman Towers. Unfortunately I'm back to work tomorrow, so no more trips out this week!

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Out For Lunch

26/2/2019

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This weather is absolutely glorious! We drove over to Framlingham this mornning and had a browse around the shops followed by a lovely walk around the Mere, with wonderful views of the castle...

...this was followed by luncb in the pub. We sat outside as it was such a glorious day. Normally a trip to Fram for a pub lunch in February would mean a hot bowl of soup sitting infront of a roaring fire! Hope this good weather lasts as we've got another trip planned for tomorrow!

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Peaceful Garden In Progress

24/2/2019

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Mr F is working night shifts this weekend, so while he's been tucked up in bed snoozing, I've had a very peaceful Sunday, curled up on the sofa with numerous cups of tea and some hand sewing. Peaceful Garden by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched is just the most delightful project - the centre has been hand appliqued and hand embroidered. Next step is 16 small stitchery blocks for the border. If you'd like to make this project, it's available either as a pattern or as the kit (includes pattern, fabrics including the binding and backing fabrics) from Cross Patch - a super online shop based in Wales, here in the UK.

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Happy Mail From Australia

23/2/2019

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Eeekkk! A very nice parcel arrived yesterday morning from Australia - EPP Carry All is the latest pattern from Lynette Anderson Designs, and is perfect for storing all those applique paper templates and acrylic templates for EPP. Yes, there are a few hexies which definitely aren't my favourites, but my technique with them is slowly improving, and I'm actually looking forward to stitching them!

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Sewing Angel Journal Cover

21/2/2019

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I've had this pattern for simply ages, tucked away in a box simply overflowing with patterns by Australian designers. It's "Sewing Angel Toolstore" by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched. Although I absolutely loved the applique design, I really didn't want to make the actual project, so decided to use it to make a quilted journal cover instead...

...this has been hand embroidered using DMC embroidery threads, and appliqued using the Apliquick method, with Apliquick tools, applique paper and a glue stick. Some teeny tiny buttons have also been stitched in place on both the front and the back of the journal cover...

...this cute little 4 patch block is only 1" square. It was machine pieced together, then appliqued into place using 80wt Aurifil thread and a Clover Black Gold applique needle. The pin heads are made with colonial knots (I find them much neater than French knots)...

...the back is also appliqued and hand embroidered. (The journal cover was made using some leftover strips of fabric from another recent make, Home Sweet Home). I used some thin felted polyester wadding, and quilted it very simply in straight rows, both stitch in the ditch and using the edge of the walking foot as a guide. I've slipped a small A5 sized notebook inside - it will be perfect for keeping my sewing notes in!

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Another Surprise From My Postie

20/2/2019

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After a hectic day at work, it's always exciting to discover the postman has delivered another super parcel! Peaceful Garden is another pattern by the Australian designer Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched, and this was purchased as a kit online from Cross Patch in Wales. Julia (the owner of Cross Patch) puts amazing kits together, and this one is no exception. Peaceful Garden is another wall hanging, and will be displayed in my sewing studio when it's completed. It will involve lots of hand applique and hand embroidery, so I just need to delve into my thread box for some appropriate colours, then I can start to prepare the stitchery design.

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Home Sweet Home on Display

19/2/2019

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"Home Sweet Home" - pattern by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse Patchwork Designs, this was bought as a kit from Cross Patch in Wales here in the UK. (It's a fantastic online shop, Julia puts some brilliant kits together, and stocks a huge assortment of patterns from my favourite designers, aswell as some of her own designs. Oh and her customer service really is BRILLIANT). The finished size is approx 11" x 15" - this decorative quilt hanger was a gift from a friend a few years ago and is perfect for small wall hangings!

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Home Sweet Home

18/2/2019

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"Home Sweet Home" is designed by Natalie Bird of The Birdhouse Patchwork Designs. I bought the kit to make this wall hanging a few weeks ago from my favourite online shop, Cross Patch in Wales. This kit included the pattern, all the fabrics including the backing and binding fabric, and a piece of lightweight interfacing. All I needed to add was a piece of wadding and some embroidery threads. As usual, I traced the stitchery design onto the background fabric using a fine tipped Micron Pigma pen (my favourite is the 005 size, in a light brown colour ink). The hand embroidery was all done using DMC stranded embroidery threads in colours to match the fabrics in the kit...

...the hand applique was completed using applique paper and Apliquick tools, but you could use whatever method of applique you prefer. This wall hanging was machine quilted very simply around the centre panel and around the inner border. I used a single fold binding to trim the raw edges, and mitred the corners. A narrow quilt sleeve was added to the back. The finished size is approx 11" x 15" - just perfect for hanging on the wall of my sewing studio along with a few other small projects.

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The Sopwell Ladies Basket Society Quilt - Finally Revealed

15/2/2019

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It was a glorious day here in Suffolk yesterday, and the perfect opportunity to take some outdoor photographs of this - The Sopwell Ladies Basket Society Quilt, pattern by the Australian designer Gail Pan. This was bought as a BOM from Cross Patch in Wales, and Julia the owner supplied all the fabrics in a kit - these are from the Sequoia collection by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts for Andover Fabrics...

...once the quilt top was machine pieced together, (my favourite thread is Aurifil, and I use a 50wt mid-grey shade for most of my piecing) it was hand appliqued (using the Apliquick method, with Apliquick rods, applique paper and a gluestick, the hand stitched in place using Aurifil 80wt thread) and hand embroidered using a few DMC threads in co-ordinating colours from my thread box. My quilt spent a few months with the longarm quilter, patiently waiting it's turn to be freehand custom longarm quilted by J-Quilts...

...once the binding had been stitched in place and a quilt sleeve was added, some of the baskets were embellished with a few vintage buttons from my button tin. Although it has a quilt sleeve stitched on the back, I was struggling to find an appropriate place to display it outside ready for a photo shoot, so my neighbours probably thought I was mad, laying my quilt out on the driveway taking photographs of it!...

...I really am so very pleased with this quilt - all those hours spent hand stitching the applique has been so very well worth it. Now I'm deliberating over which Gail Pan quilt to make next as there are a couple of her designs I'd like to stitch.

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<<Previous

A Vintage Journal Cover

Out For Lunch Again!

Out For Lunch

Peaceful Garden In Progress

Happy Mail From Australia

Sewing Angel Journal Cover

Another Surprise From My Postie

Home Sweet Home on Display

Home Sweet Home

The Sopwell Ladies Basket Society Quilt - Finally Revealed

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