Fabric Heaven for me today...

The postie came early this morning, luckily I was up to receive this little bundle of (17 yards of) wonders from Quilthome.com. Fantastic Service from the 'Quilt Angels' and such good prices.



Top Row Amy Butler (Nigella, August Fields and Lotus)
Middle Row Anna Maria Horner (Drawing Room and Garden Party)
Bottom Row Joel Dewberry and a couple of bits for other projects.

Mmm, might not manage any sewing today, too busy stroking my lovely new toys.

Quilt Top Completed

So here it is, it's taken quite some time but I'm reasonably happy with the final look. The yellow line around the blocks was a last minute flash of inspiration that I was particularly pleased with.



Phew, just got to bind it and quilt it now...

OK, I've hit my first quilting conundrum. The original pattern for the quilt was this one.

Give and Take

The colours are quite dark and the fabrics are very busy so I think that it needs to be broken up a bit and am thinking of 4 square blocks with sashing in between. Either in the purple to blend but break up the business a bit, or maybe the olivey green or the pink as a contrast?

And then I started playing with the blocks.

This is the original style

1.

but then there are these options...

2.

3.

4.

I think I like 1 and 2 best, or I could do three of each (the quilt is looking like being 12 blocks) and mix them up. Or would that be just too busy?

Ooh, what to do...

Well, off to Spotlight to browse for 'sashing' material. If anyone has any thoughts I would be very greatful for imput.

Ta da!

I actually managed to finish something (Simplicity 4054),



Apologies for such a terrible picture...

The machine isn't quite right, but it's allowing me to sew so I'm going to allow it to stay for now.

If little miss 'daytime sleeps are for wimps' will actually have an early night tonight then I'm going to have a go at the quilt. I'm excited.

What a grin

So here is a gratuitous picture of my little one. I still look at her and can't believe that she is really mine, that I really made her (well with a little help). She's so perfect.



She will be two months on Friday and she really is making my days at the moment with her cheeky smiles. I'm in love.

A Wedding Quilt

I went to Spotlight (again) on Sunday and chose some fabrics for the quilt I am going to attempt for my friends wedding in September.



I was looking for a masculine print and a feminine one, I hadn't realised how hard it is to put the fabrics together and get the effect you are looking for. These are nothing like I had imagined I would choose but I think that they will suit the couple in question.

The quilt is called the 'give and take' quilt (I posted the pattern in a previous post), and is based on a 'borrow and return' pattern (i.e. opposite fabrics). The hearts are appliqued on once the squares are sewn together. I have decided to make the blocks smaller and have cut enough squares of each fabric to make the quilt 6 blocks by 8 blocks. I think they will be about 6inches each once finished but we will see.

I have been cutting more cubes and beanbags now as well, up to 12 cubes and 8 beanbags... it's much easier now that I've bought myself a rotary cutter and board. Still waiting for the sewing machine to be fixed, I'm going to have lots to sew once it comes home again.

Pay It Forward

I have been lucky enough to join in with a Pay it Forward (aka PIF) through Zigzag Baby's blog.

Mrs Zigzag has offered to pass on the joy of her pay it forward to the first three comments on her PIF blog post(of which I was lucky number three) and in order to play the game I shall do the same. I am very excited and already thinking of ideas of what to send if and when three people manage to read my blog in the next 365 days.

This is how it works:The first three people to comment on this post will receive a gift from me, sometime within the next 365 days. Who knows when it will turn up, or what it will be, but rest assured, it will arrive. All you have to do is promise to make the same declaration on your blog, and send out gifts to three of your lovely readers.

The concept is fantastic, each person involved sends a little gift on to three others, who send on to three (9) others who send on to 3 (27)and so on and so on. Everyone involved has up to 365 days from joining in to 'pay it forward'.

So comment away!

Cutting and Planning

I have started cutting out the beanbags and cubes, but it's a lot of cutting to do...

The frog wipes are cut, and I've cut another stack of nappy liners from the rest of the microfleece.



I also got my wedding dress in the post today - I got married 5 years ago and it has been listed on an online store for a couple of years but never got sold. I'm secretly quite pleased really as I'd always thought I might make a wedding dress quilt from it one day (or have one made). It has arrived slightly damp though, and I'm in two minds as to whether to call DHL and complain, but it doesn' seem to be damaged. It's just airing now before I work out how to pack it up safely. The fabric is heavily beaded with an ivy leaf pattern.



I haven't done any quilting before, but I'm considering having a go. I wondered if this stashbuster quilt might be a good one to start with, and am eyeing up these fabrics. It looks reasonably straight forward. I'm also considering this 'give and take' wedding quilt as a possible gift for a friend who is getting married this September - not sure if I'll have enough time though.

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