Blog Posts - Nicola Foreman Quilts

The Flower Farm Baby Quilt

8/7/2023

Last month I spent a lovely day shopping at Bury St Edmunds, and couldn't resist popping into Sew Much To Do - I really was on a mission, as I needed some fabric for a very special project. This gorgeous charm pack - The Flower Farm by Bunny Hill Designs - along with some yardage from one of the fabrics in this collection was perfect for the project I had planned. The lovely staff there helped to pick a pretty white fabric to go with it, and this Essentials Doodle Ditzy by Makower UK is simply perfect! Using the Charm Squares Baby Quilt pattern - designed by Elizabeth Hartman - the rows of squares and rectangles were soon cut and pieced together...

...sashing strips were added between the rows, and the quilt top was ready to be quilted in simple straight lines, half an inch apart. I've used a King Tut quilting thread purchased from Sew and So's - this particular shade is White linen, and works perfectly with these fabrics as the white isn't too bright. I prefer to use bamboo wadding for my baby quilts, and this particular wadding was purchased recently from Franklins in Ipswich. Using the edge of the walking foot as a guide, I've "stiched in the ditch" first of all, then stitched the straight lines, using the edge of the walking foot as a guide. This simple quilting gives a lovely ribbed texture to the quilt...

...this pink floral backing fabric is one of the fabrics from The Flower Farm collection, and is also used for the wide binding. The binding is machine stitched to the front of the quilt, then folded over and hand stittched o the back. I've used ladder stitch for this as it's almost impossible to see the stitches, and used the same King Tut thread that was used for the quilting. One of my pre-made labels from Woven Labels UK is stiched across the corner...

...and here's the finished quilt. The pattern is one that I've used several times before, Charm Squares Baby Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman, and is a free PDF download from her website. The pattern also has instructions for making a larger one with a Layer Cake too. The bamboo wadding and simple quilting make this such a soft, snuggly quilt, ideal for cuddles and for tummytime too. Now it just needs to be wrapped and sent off to the parents of a very special little girl, who made her arrival recently!

Forest Floor Table Runner - Embroidery, Applique and EPP

26/6/2023

Back in 2017, I purchased this kit to make a pretty tablerunner - Forest Floor, designed by the Australian designer Lynette Anderson. The kit contained the stitchery background fabric, backing fabric, and fabrics for the applique shapes. I also purchased a pack of laser cut hexagons which will be used for the centre panel. The kit was packed away in a box with several others, and this year I'm trying to get a few of them made! So a couple of weeks a go I finally pulled this one out of the box of "Lynette" kits. I traced the stitchery design by hand, using a lightpad and a fine Micron Pigma pen, then selected a few variegated Valdani stranded embroidery threads. The back of the pattern lists which colours Lynette used, along with a list of DMC colours you can use instead...

...these Valdani embroidery threads are lovely to work with, the variegated colours work well with the colour palette of Lynette's beautiful fabrics. I decided to complete all of the embroidery before I added the appliquue shapes. The pattern lists which embroidery stitches should be used, however rather than use satin stitch for the bees, I decided to give them fuzzy little coats, as I used Colonial knots instead. For this project, I stitched all of the hand embroidery first, leaving gaps for where the applique would be placed...

...next it was time for the applique shapes. I used the Apliquick method of papplique for the toadstools and hearts, then chose to make the flower centres with Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles. These were a little bit fiddly as they were the smallest size, but I was really pleased with the finished result. All of the applique shapes were stitched in place with 60wt polyester threads in matching colours...

...once the embroidered and appliqued border was stiched, it was time to make the hexagons. I'd bought both iron-on fusible hexagon papers by Hugs n' Kisses, along with a set of traditional paper templates. After much deliberation, I decided to go with the traditional paper templates by Sew & Quilt - they have a great website, along with a huge selection of EPP templates in a variety of shapes and sizes. The fabric hexagons were wrapped around the paper templates, thread basted, then hand stitched together using a fine 60wt thread. The hexagons were initially stitched in rows, then the rows stitched together...

...once the centre panel was pressed, it was held in place with a few spots of roxanne basting glue, ready to be hand stitched to the top of the tablerunner. Using a fine thread for this means the hand stitches are almost invisible. A small running stitch is sewn neatly around the hexagon panel, about an eighth of an inch away from the hexagons. The tablerunner was then pressed, and layered up with backing fabric and a piece of Pellon H30 wadding purchased from Cross Patch - this is a thin felted polyester wadding which I particularly like for my tablerunners. Once the layers were basted together, I machine quilted around the centre panel using a cream coloured thread. A narrow single fold binding finished it off nicely - this was machine stitched to the front of the tablerunner, folded over and then hand stitched to the back of the tablerunner...

...and heres the finished tablerunner - it really does look very pretty! Measuring 21.5" x 13.5" this is just a small runner, but it will be perfect to use on my sideboard. I really can't believe I'd had this kit for so long - especially as I've enjoyed making it so much!

Aurifil Colour Builder - Cross River Gorilla

19/6/2023

Thanks to signing up to the Aurifil Colour Builder club at Oh Sew Sweet Shop I've been able to add to my collection of Aurifil 40wt threads. Cross River Gorilla is this month's selection and these purple threads - shades 2545, 2520 and 2562 - really are beautiful and are great for machine quilting.

Woodland Secrets

16/6/2023

At the beginning of the year, I updated my long list of kits that were still waiting to be made, and a few weeks ago I finally made a start on Woodland Secrets, designed by Lynette Anderson Designs. I'd initially bought this as a kit from Cross Patch back in 2018, and the kit included the pattern, a Makower white spot fabric for the stitchery background and sashing, and fabrics from Lynette's Peacock Manor collection for the quilt top and the binding. The stitchery designs were traced onto the background fabric using a lightbox and a fine nibbed Micron Pigma pen. I've used a selection of variegated Valdani stranded embroidery threads for the stichery designs. Lynette has listed the colours used on the back of the pattern...

...These muted tones work well with Lynette's fabrics. Once the hand embroidery was completed, the fabric was pressed, the hearts were cut, and the edges turned over ready to be hand appliqued into place. I 've used a fine thread for this, and as i'm trying to use up my thread stash, I've been using a Bottomline 60wt polyester thread in a pale grey shade. It blends well into the background fabric, making the tiny stitches very difficult to see, which is perfect!...

...once the hearts had been appliqued into place, the blocks were joined together this sashing strips and cornerstones. The pieced borders were made up in the same was as the cornerstones. The seams were pressed open, and these little blocks were given a final press before being stitched together...

...two narrow borders were firstly added to the sides then the top and bottom of the quilt, followed by the pieced borders. As the pieced borders had lots of little seams, I machine stitched around the outside edge to prevent any unravelling while the quilt is waiting to be quilted...

...a final press, and it's ready for a photshoot! I really loved stitching this one, although I haven't decided how to quilt it yet. While I'm deliberating over quilting designs, I can doodle some ideas for a quilt label.

National Sewing Machine Day 2023

13/6/2023

Today is National Sewing Machine Day and I absolutely love both of my Bernina sewing machines. Mr F bought me the Activa 230PE back in 2005 from Jaycotts and I bought the 570QE in March 2017 from Tysew. Unfortunately I won't be using either of these machines today, as I'm off to watch Mr F play cricket. Luckily I've got lots of hand sewing in my bag to keep me busy, so I won't get bored!

A Redwork Stitchup

12/6/2023

These GORGEOUS Aurifil 12wt threads arrived in the post today from Cross Patch - I'd seen them on the Cross Patch FB page, and just couldn't resist them as I'm such an Aurifil-addict! These beautiful red threads are shades 2260, 1103, 2250, 2230 and variegated 4656, all of which will be perfect for some festive redwork projects.

En Lappeløper in Bright Batiks

10/6/2023

Several months ago, I promised one of my sister-in-law's that I would make her a tablerunner to co-ordinate with her newly decorated kitchen/dineing room. Time had passed by while I deliberated over which pattern tandf fabrics to use. Eventually, I gathered together some gorgeous bright batik fabrics from my stash, previouly purchased from Sew and So's along with a textured linen from Franklins in Ipswich - and chose one of my favourite tablerunner patterns, En Lappeløper by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa - I'd purchased this from Lapp-Elisa Quilts many years ago, and it's still one of my favourite tablerunner patterns...

...the batiks and linen work really well together. The applique flowers were machine appliqued at each end of the runner, using threads in matching colours. I used white Aurifil 40wt thread for the quilting, which I kept very simple. The dark green batik binding frames the runner nicely...

...the single-fold binding was hand stitched to the back of the table runner using ladder stitch, and I've added one of my Nicola Foreman Quilts labels, purchased from Woven Labels UK a few years ago. Now this tablerunner is finished, it can be wrapped and delivered to my sister-in-law.

Aurifil Colour Builder - African Wild Dog

17/5/2023

Thanks to signing up to the Aurifil Colour Builder club at Oh Sew Sweet Shop I've been able to add to my collection of Aurifil 40wt threads. African Wild Dog is this month's selection and these yellow threads - shades 2105, 2115 and 1135 - really are beautiful and are great for machine quilting.

Clothesline Quilter

13/5/2023

One of the kits that I purchased last year from Coast and Country Crafts and Quilts was Clothesline Quilter, by Heart to Hand. The kit included the pattern for this pretty wallhanging, along with fabrics, embroidery threads, buttons and ribbon trimmings. The facial features of the "doll" were hand embroidered, and the face appliqued onto the background frabric. The layers were then build up, and the final embellishment were the ribbons and buttons...

...I don't stitch much wool applique, but I really enjoyed making these wool pennies. Once they were embroidered and had a backing added, they were attached to the lower edge of the wallhanging with buttons...

...a quick rummage in my craft box and I found a couple of wooden dolly pegs, and a length of twine was sourced from Mr F's gardening supplies! Now the Clothesline Quilter is ready to display in my serwing studio.

George and the Donkey - Quilt Top

4/5/2023

Back in July, when I signed up with Poppy Patch here in the UK for this mystery BOM - George and the Donkey, designed by Lynette Anderson Designs - I had no idea how much I was going to love stitching this quilt. Once the final block was completed, I just had to assemble the blocks with the 4 cornersones and add the hexagon border. This is such a clever design, I love the way the hills roll and curve around the cornerstones...

...another row of hexagons was stitched in place to make the final border for this pretty quilt - I've lost count of the number of different fabrics that I've used for this project, but all of them are from varoiuos collections also designed by Lynette Anderson. These muted colours all look fabulous together...

...and here's the finished quilt top - oh my goodness just look at all those hexagons. Honestly, I'm not sure that I would've started this if I'd known how many hexagons were needed for this project, but by stitching a few each month I actually fell in love with them. Now the quilt top is finished, I feel quite sad that it's over, although here comes the really tricky part - deciding how to quilt it!