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Monday 31 March 2014

The Zakka Block Quilt - A Lovely Year of Finishes

The Zakka Block Quilt top is finished and I'm so happy with it that I'm loading this post with lots of photos of it! I used nearly two charm packs of Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander I'd bought from Mad about Patchwork and I love how they look with the Essex Yarn Dyed in Black.



Set my goal for a Lovely Year of Finishes here and after an initial mistake piecing, all the rest of the top went smoothly!


This is my first quilt for The Library Project over at Adrienne's Chezzetcook Quilts and the quilt top was my goal for March for A Lovely Year of Finishes, so I'm linking up here:

A Lovely Year of Finishes



Also linking up to:

Creations by Nina-Marie



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Sunday 30 March 2014

Sunday Stash: fabric for Spring Infinity Scarves

At last Spring is coming, it's getting warmer and the Infinity Scarf I made in January is too thick. So when I saw this cheap fabric (it's not silk even though it feels so silky!) at my local Giesse Scampoli shop, I thought it would be perfect for making a spring infinity scarf for Ella and myself.
I am still following the Fabriholics Anonymous fabric fast and so far I've only bought fabric to pattern test the beautiful Bright Sky giant block by Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts and fabric to make scarfs, which is for clothing, so it should be an exception, right?!

Finalmente sta arrivando la primavera, sta diventando sempre più caldo e la Sciarpa Infinita che ho cucito a gennaio è troppo pesante. Così quando ho visto queste stoffe super economiche (non è seta anche se è così setoso!) nel negozio Giesse Scampoli di zona, ho pensato che erano perfette per cucire una sciarpa infinita leggera per Ella e per me.
Sto ancora partecipando al "digiuno" Fabriholics Anonymous e così finora ho solo comprato stoffa per testare lo schema per il bellissimo quilt Bright Sky to Alyce a Blossom Heart Quilts e stoffa per cucire sciarpe infinite, che sono in realtà abbigliamento e che quindi dovrebbero essere un'eccezione, no?!




I would like the back fabric to complement the front so at the moment I'm thinking about using white for both. Ella's flower scarf will also have a mini pom pom trim. It's so pretty!

Vorrei che la stoffa da usare dietro si coordinasse con il davanti e allora per il momento sto pensando di usare bianco per entrambe le sciarpe. La sciarpa di Ella con la stoffa a fiori avrà anche un profilo con il nastro pom pom. E' carinissimo.




Linking up with Sunday Stash over at Molli Sparkles
and Fabriholics Anoymous at Making Rebecca Lynne:


Molli Sparkles

FabAnon



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Thursday 27 March 2014

Fill My Pockets Bunting - Spring Party Garland Tutorial with free template

Spring weather here in the north of Italy at last! After all the rain… Makes you want to stay outdoors and celebrate! Here’s a quick idea for making colourful bunting you can use for a birthday party or even in a child’s bedroom to decorate and tidy up at the same time: Fill My Pockets Bunting (Spring Party Garland!). Download the free template to make your own!


Here is what you need to make the Fill My Pockets Bunting
  •  8" x 10" of fabric for each side of the pocket that makes one flag (if you like, you can use a favourite print on the front and a solid for the back of the flags)
  • Scraps of fabric for the appliqué
  • Ready made bias tape, 1" wide and at least 75" long (minimum length of the bias tape for a bunting with five flags)
  • Heat and Bond or other fusible web if you want to appliqué on the flags
  • Any other embellishment you’d like to use: buttons, crochet flowers, trims or ribbons…
  • A water soluble marker
Start by printing the template for the flags. You can cut out this paper template and use it to trace out the flag shape on a piece of cardboard. In this way you can make a cardboard template to use over and over again. Click on the image of the template below or here to download.




Place your flag template on the print fabric and trace around it with a water soluble marker. Repeat on the fabric you’ve chosen for the back of the flag. Cut out the two pieces of flag using your rotary cutter or a sharp pair of scissors.


If you’d like to add some appliquéd letters (or shapes) on your flags, then use letters printed in the right size as templates or draw them freehand on your scraps of fabric. Iron the scrap of fabric on Heat and Bond or other fusible web, following the instructions of the producer. Remember to use baking paper between the iron and the fabric to protect both! Now cut around the letter (or shape). Peel the paper off the back of the fabric and iron into place on the print flag fabric, making sure to leave at least ½” from the edge of the fabric for the seam allowance. Sew around the fussy cut fabric using a matching (or contrasting, if you prefer) thread. Try to stitch as close as possible to the edge of the fabric.

Fold the print fabric (front piece of the flag) along the wavy line indicated in the template and sew at ½” from the folded edge to hem.


Place the two fabric flag pieces right sides facing, with the points and long sides matching. The piece of fabric for the back of the flag will be longer than the front piece. Now sew around the two long edges. Sew backwards and forwards a couple of times at the beginning and end of the pocket edge to reinforce the opening of the pocket.


Cut off the excess fabric on the point of the flag, cutting diagonally and not too close to the stitches. This will make the point of the flag sharper.



Turn the flag right side out and iron. Repeat to make another five flags (or the number of flags you need). 


Take your ready made bias tape and iron in half, wrong sides facing. Start sewing the bias tape from one end, folding in the end first. This will hide the end of the tape and stop it from fraying. Sew the bias tape folded in half as close as possible to the open edge. Sew the tape closed for at least 15" inches (you will need this part to tie the bunting when you hang it up).


After sewing about 15" of the bias tape closed, insert your first flag. You will be inserting just the back piece of the flag into the folded bias tape. Continue sewing the bias tape making sure not to sew on the front piece of the flag. 



Leave at least 1/2" space after your first flag before inserting a second flag and continuing to sew the bias tape. Continue for all the flags you've made. Sew the last 15" of the bias tape as you did at the beginning, folding and sewing in the end to stop it from fraying.



Now hang up your bunting and fill the pockets!




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Linking up to:


Just Sew Sue

Mud, Pies and Pins

Creations by Nina-Marie

Linky Party C'e' Crisi


Saturday 22 March 2014

Baby Reading Mat - Suzy Ultman fabric

To be honest this quilt was supposed to be a mat to put inside Lucy's playpen, but I think I put her (and the quilt) in there about three times. Now the playpen is a big storing place for games! The quilt instead has become a special "place" for reading.


When Lucy wants me to read her a book, she'll reach for this quilt and lay it on the floor. This is the signal, it's time to sit down and read!



The fabrics are Little Kukla by Suzy Ultman for Robert Kaufman. The sweets and all the polka dots are from fabric bundles bought at Fabric Rehab. I love their bundles, eye candy!



I quilted the mat with offset straight lines, just to make the columns stand out. 


I will always have special memories connected with this quilt and I hope Lucy will have too!



A fun garland made with the same fabric!


Linking up to:


Linky Party 2014


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Monday 17 March 2014

Pattern Testing: Bright Sky by Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts

I've been pattern testing for Alyce over at Blossom Heart Quilts. Her pattern Bright Sky is for a wonderful giant one-block quilt. I had been wanting to make a giant one-block quilt for a while now, so when Alyce gave me the opportunity to try out her pattern I couldn't resist.


I decided to use low volume fabrics and I'm glad I did because I love the result. I'm planning on using the stripy fabric for the binding, I think it will give it the right finish. A very enjoyable pattern to make. The fabrics are all Dear Stella. Don't ask me how I managed to get it so messy after I'd just ironed it!

Don't miss the other pattern testers versions at Blossom Heart Quilts because this pattern is so versatile. It's incredible how the fabrics change the final result completely. Alyce's version is also her Pantone Quilt Challenge entry and it's stunning!



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Friday 14 March 2014

Le Challenge - Order: Hang it up Pincushion!

This is my entry for the Le Challenge #10 Order: the Hang it up Pincushion! A skinny pincushion with a pocket for scissors. Keeps pins and scissors at hand while sewing, but out of the way of little hands!






The beautiful scissors cross stitch pattern is from Issue 257 of the CrossStitcher.





Le Challenge

Also linking up to:

    

    SmallsSAL2014

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