Blog Archives - Nicola Foreman Quilts

All For Christmas Advent Calendar

27/11/2024

I've delved into my box of kits again, and here's one that I purchased back in 2021 from Coast and Country Crafts and Quilts - the All For Christmas Advent Calendar by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched and this was a fabulous jit - it contained all of the fabrics (these are from the All For Christmas colletion, also designed by Anni) and also included the DMC embridery threads required, along with a pack of press stud fasteners for the cute little gift bags. The pattern instructions suggested using needleturn applique for the small blocks, but you could use whatever method of applique you prefer. The blocks are also embellished with hand embroidery, using very simple stitches. I used a lightweight fusible interfacing on the back of the blocks, which I fused in place after I'd traced the design onto the fabric...

...once all the small blocks are stitched, they're joined together, pressed, and finally the bordered are added. Rather than quilting and adding a binding, this calendar is layered together with the wadding on the bottom, then the backing fabric facing the right way up and the pieced calander facing right side down. It's then stitched all the way around the outer edge, leaving a gap for turning through, which is then hand stitched closed and finally quilted...

...next step was to make 25 little gift bags - each one is embroidered with a number, and has a perle thread drawstring to keep it closed. A press stud fastening is stitched on the back of each bag, along with the corresponding part stitched onto the outer blocks of the calendar...

...the gift bags are then attached to the calendar, and can be arranged around the blocks however you wish. You can see from these pictures, I'd machine quilted this very simply with a cream quilting thread...

...I've added a quilt sleeve on the back of the calendar so it can be displayed on the wall, and I've added a very simple label on the back, made from a leftover piece of fabric. I've used one of the fabrics from the same collection for the backing, although this wasn't included in the kit...

...and here's the completed advent calendar - ready to be filled with little gifts and surprises for my grandsons. I'm sure they'll love dipping their fingers inside these bags to find their treats. This really has been a super project to make, and I'm sure it will get used every Christmas for many years to come!

Daisy May Quilting Has Worked Their Magic

26/11/2024

This morning I collected my Kate quilt from the longarm quilter Daisy May Quilting - and I couldn't be more pleased with it! This is the quilt that I started back in September when I was on a quilting retreat with friends, and after hours of organising fabrics, lots of cutting, hours and hours of precision piecing, this was finally put togather almost 6 weeks later. This was purcjased as a pre-packaged kit, and was designed by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie Quilt Co, and made using fabrics from the Rosewood collection by 3 Sisters for Moda. I'd originally purchased the kit from my local quilt shop, Kis Quilting Ltd back in 2019. Now I just need to get the binding prepared and then I'll be spending the next few evenings stitching the binding in place.

Christmas Gatherings Folder Cover

22/11/2024

Back in the summer, I purchased this pretty kit from Poppy Patch - designed by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched, this pattern is the Christmas Gatherings Folder Cover. The kit included all the fabrics needed to make the folder cover, and they are from the Down Tinsel Lane fabric collection, also designed by Anni Downs. The stunning centrepiece is hand embroidered and appliqued - the pattern instructions suggest needleturn applique, but you could use whatever method you prefer...

...as with all of the Hatched and Patched designs, it's all about the details - although I added a tiny star button to the tops of the Christmas trees rather than hand embroidered ones. The pattern instructions listed colours of DMC embroidery thread to use, which I supplied myself, and these matched the colours of the fabrics perfectly...

...once the centrpiec is completed, it was pressed and then appliqued to the front of the folder. I used a Hera Marker to mark the fold lines, then hand stitched it in place. I'd already quilted the actual cover (the pattern instructions suggest using fusible fleece, which doesn't need to be quilted, but I just used a piece of cotton wadding and machine quilted it very simply in a crosshatch design in a grey thread. Two smart fabric ties are stitched in place when the folder is constructed, and thes will allow the folder cover to expand as it gets filled up...

...I decided to quilt the inside slip pockets too, to make it a bit more sturdy. An A4 plastic project folder with pages of pockets fits in nicely (goodness only knows how long I've had this folder, but if you enlarge the picture you can see it wa spurchased from Woolworths! The pattern instructions suggest an A4 ringbinder will fit too...

...and here'surite recipes for the f the finished folder cover - I'm really pleased with this, it's the perfect project - pretty AND useful! I'll be able to keep all my Christmas lists in here, to remind me of presents to buy, what I've already bought, favourite recipes for the festive season, cards to write and jobs to be done. Hopefully this will make me much more organised in furture years too!

Many Thanks - Borders

11/11/2024

I've been working on this Many Thanks quilt for several weeks. Designed by Nancy Halvorsen of Art to Heart the original pattern uses raw edge applique, although I decided to use the needleturn applique method instead. Once all the blocks were pieced together, three borders were added. The first border was a scrappy one, made using a variety of coloured strips of fabric cut into random lengths. This was followed by a green border, (the same fabric will be used for the binding) and finally a wider, paler border...

...it was such a glorious day today, I couldn't resist doing a photoshoot outside in the sunshine! Now the borders are on, I'll pack this away for a few weeks while I deliberate over the quilting. This will give me the perfect opportunity to pratise my hand quilting, and I can doodle a few ideas before I return to it in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I've got a few festive projects that I need to get on with, as well as a few homemade Christmas gifts to make and I'm running out of time!

Many Thanks - The Blocks Put Together

10/11/2024

This project - designed by Nancy Halvorsen of Art to Heart - has been a super one to stitch, and it's been a great project to pratise my needleturn applique. Now the blocks have been pieced together, I just need to add the borders, then decide how it's going to be quilted. It may well be a great preat project to practise my hand quilting skills on too!

Many Thanks - Block 12 - Roads That Lead Home

9/11/2024

The final block - Roads That Lead Home - is finished. This block, like the others, has been hand embroidered and needleturn appliquéd, and the heart shaped button will be stitched in place once the quilt is finished. As you can see, I'd already joined the blocks together before I took a photograph! I'll share a picture of all the blocks tomorrow, then I just need to add three borders.

Many Thanks - Block 11 - A Plentiful Harvest

7/11/2024

The penultimate block of the Many Thanks quilt is A Plentiful Harvest. The squirrel and acorns have been needleturn appliqued, and the words have been hand embroidered. In the original quilt, an acorn button was used to embellish this block, and as I didn't have a set of the original buttons, I just appliqued an extra acorn instead. One more block to make, then the blocks can be pieced together and the borders added.

Many Thanks - Block 10 - Cozy Old Quilts

5/11/2024

Block 10 - Cozy Old Quilts - my version looks very different to the original design. The original pattern, in the Many Thanks book by Nancy Halvorsen of Art to Heart was raw edge appliqued, but I was determined to needleturn applique as much of this quilt as possible, but this block was really tricky, with lots of tiny pieces on the quilt. However, I had a brainwave - there is also a smaller stitchery version of the individual blocks, so I decided to hand embroider the "quilt" for this block in a similar way...

...the little jingle bell on the cat will be stitched into place once the quilt is completed. The patchwork strip at the top of the block was machine pieced together and the seams pressed open. I'm so pleased with the finished result of this quilt, even though it caused me so much anxiety when I was preparing it!

Many Thanks - Block 9 - Sweet Fragrant Flowers

3/11/2024

Sweet Fragrant Flowers is block 9 of the Give Thanks quilt, designed by Nancy Halvorsen of Art to Heart and this block has also been needleturn appliqued and hand embroidered. Lots of pretty flowers are practically spilling out of this jug! The patchwork border on the side was machine pieced together and the seams all presed open. This sweet block was supposed to have a bee button on it, however I've been a bit crafty, and made my own bee which I've hand appliqued in place.

Many Thanks - Block 8 - Family and Friends

1/11/2024

Block 8 of the Many Thanks quilt is Family and Friends. This has been hand embroidered and needleturn appliqued. This block is so pretty - I absolutely loved stitching this one! The original instructions used a button for the basket, but as I didn't have the set of buttons that were used in the original quilt, or anything suitable in my button tin, I made my own fabric basket which I then hand appliqued into place.