Quilt Fabric Delights

Paper Piecing

I told you back here that I had become obsessed with paper piecing.  After making the dresden plates for the table runner I couldn't stop and started more.  For these I used a charm pack of Snippets, they turned out to be perfect for cushions to freshen up our lounge suite that is starting to look rather tired.

 

I really loved making these dresdens and keep imagining it as a full quilt with what you see above as the block.  You could do it as a quilt as you go style.

But before finishing the second cushion I was side tracked by Pies and Tarts.  I have finished a small sample so that you can see what it looks like in contemporary fabrics.

The Pies and Tarts quilt has 200 blocks using 5 different background fabrics and 200 different fabrics for the pies and tarts.  I have used only one background fabric in my sample.  If you decide to do the quilt as a Block of the Month you will receive five different white background fabrics.  Since the fabrics I am using for the pies and tarts are larger designs that the original I will be repeating the fabrics through the quilt using a total of 50 different fabrics.  You could use the same fabric combinations through the quilt or mix them up so here is no pie or tart the same and even if you use the same combination of fabric four times many of them will look different due to the size of the fabric designs. 

If you look closely you will see that the two stripes are cut differently.  With the green and white stripe I folded the fabric so that I could cut four layers at once, this gives you a bias stripe.  With the pink/pink stripe I cut it with the fabric only doubled.  This way you top and tail your template and get a vertical stripe.

I've just quilted my sample with a Perle 8 thread around the pies and tarts.  The style and method of quilting you chose to quilt this quilt would make it look so different.

So when will the Block of the Month be ready? I am waiting on white tonal fabrics and as soon as they arrive we will be ready to go.  Hopefully they will be here early next week.  I have put the Pies and Tarts up for pre-order if you are eager not to miss out. 

But be careful it is addictive, you should see the pile of pie and tart slices on my table!

Sarah

A new obsession

That's right a new obsession, because I don't have enough projects on the go or planned.  I have had a pattern for a paper piecing project for months now and I finally decided I was going to give it a try.  I was itching to making something with the new Authentic fabrics so with the paper pieces from the pattern and a charm pack of Authentic off I went.  I love that I can sit in front of the TV and make these.  So I started out with one, but had so much fun I then had two dresden plates.  What do to with them, hmm, we need a new tablerunner.  So here is the result.

But I didn't stop there.  I grabbed a charm pack of Snippets and have paper pieced two more dresden plates that are going to become cushions for our lounge room. I'll be back with photographs of those when they are all finished.

The problem is I am enjoying the process of paper piecing so much I am finding it difficult to get myself to sit at the machine to finish the projects.

See all these yummy scraps (the children at the local kindergarten are going to love this lot of fabric scraps), that's right I've started another project.

I've moved on from dresden circles (although I don't think I am finished with them yet) to Pies and Tarts.

So the question is would you like to join me on the Pies & Tarts journey?  We will be offering this as a block of the month shortly (as soon as I have done enough of my sample to show you), but if you can't wait, please email me and I can get you started too.  We can keep each other motivated.  These are the colours we will be using, although I would be happy to work with you to design a custom kit using your favourite colours.  With the Tour de France on again, I am getting plenty of time in front of the television stitching, although for some reason I am finding it a little difficult to get going in the morning.  Not cut out for late nights anymore!

This is the original quilt designed by Sue at Patchwork with Busyfingers so that you can see what the finished look will be, just use your imagination to see it in the pretty pink and green fabrics on a white background.

Finished project

I actually finished this bag a month or so ago and it has been languishing, nearly forgotten as I moved on to a new project.  Not that I don't like it as such, but it is too big for me.  It would be okay if it fit our laptop in it but I didn't think about that when I had the idea to make this bag, so it is fractionally too small.  Perhaps I should stick to following patterns and not do my own thing. 

What I do love is the piping, I love doing that, and the way this Andalucia fabrics just invites you to quilt it.  The colours are much nicer than this winter light photograph shows.  I don't think this will be the last time use this fabric, I just need to fine tune the bag pattern so that I make something I will use.

So if you like this bag and would like it to come live with you, leave a comment and I will draw out a name and you could be the new owner at the end of the month.  The fabrics are just too yummy to leave it laying around unused here.

Stunt Sewing

Do you have some time on your hands (let me know your organisational secrets) then head on over to Helen's and read about the opportunity to be a stunt stitcher.

I can just see people's faces the next time you are at a dinner party and you are asked "and what do you do?" and you reply "I'm a stunt stitcher!"

More fabric goodness

Mezzanine has arrived!

You can find it here