Maple Leaf Block - Classic and Vintage Series

Hi Peeps!

Yes it's me again...third time in one week has got to be a record for the One Wee Bird blog posts...well at least for a really long time LOL

The Fat Quarter Shop has been reviving some of their older posts from their Classic and Vintage Series and this is one of them.

The Maple Leaf Quilt Block would you believe yet another quilt block I have never made? This is why I love it when they invite me to do these things because it's quite often something I've never tried before!

?

I googled the block and there are some gorgeous quilts out there, but mostly in the autumn colours and a few in scrappy rainbow...I wanted to do something lighter and more Spring - like?

As I can never make one of any block I'm trying out I made 4......then got stuck.....until I tried this layout, mmmm I like it....now I have an idea and I'm going to put pen to paper and see if I can come up with a quilt plan?

Watch this space....and if you have any ideas feel free to share them this way xx

Talk soon Peeps!

Monty the Monster - Finishing Stuff

Hi Peeps!

So as I mentioned last time, I have become the proud owner of a new to me Gamill Statler Longarm quilting machine named Monty. You can have a quick squiz at him here or just have a trawl through my Insta feed.

As a result I am getting a craaaazzzy amount of WIPS finished while I learn how to manipulate him and the quilting programme...it's awesome...and totally blowing my mind. But the one thing I didn't realise was how heavy the unfinished tops were laying on my shoulders??

Like this one...all the heart eyes here...I love it sooo much!

I accidentally made it while tidying up my sewing room......you know how it goes...found a cute pattern, saw a cute pile of fabric...stopped everything else to sew it up immediately like a woman possessed....siiighhh...life of a fabric hoarder/quilter LOL

And then I got Monty and he made this little quilts wishes come true and turned her into a beautiful swan.

I really want to keep it but I've made a pile of Quilts for a local charity that rehouses children into new families and the others like this one I am listing them in my Etsy shop....so I don't drown in quilts.

I've bound it with a coordinating Annabel Wrigley print from the front, the line is Daisy Chain if you're curious and backed it with a vintage pastel striped sheet...super cute and soft.

The sheet has a slight rust mark that I didn't notice despite pre washing but I'm confident it will fade over time. When using vintage sheets as backings I'm happy with the odd mark and/or stain ( as long as it's not blood ) for the sake of being able to recycle. The textile industry has a lot of responsibility on it's shoulders when it comes to polluting our planet.... I think :(

Talk soon Peeps xx

Trip Around The World - Last Family Baby

Hi Peeps!

Yes I'm still here and sewing and quilting up a storm LOL so I thought I'd better hop to it before the year is out and start updating you on what's been happening before it all gets too overwhelming.

As this title says, we're sadly up to the last family baby....boohoo...despite repeated gentle nudging and outright complaining on my behalf to the younger siblings LOL there will be no more little bubbas around until the grandkids start arriving.

As my eldest is just turning 25 and has no intention of procreating anytime soon he informs me I'm just going to have to be patient and grasp hold of any random baby that crosses my path......yes that sounds creepy but I love me a good baby sniff...am I right??

Anywhooooo onto this quilt.

This is a fabulous quick and satisfying make that will take you back to the most basic of patchwork, the humble square.

It was a free pattern from the Cotton and Steel website by Kimberly Kight, but it seems to no longer be there which will be due to the designers leaving and taking their intellectual property with them.

You could easily work this out yourself though with a piece of paper and some coloured pencils...go on be creative have a go.

If you follow me on Instagram you would've seen my gorgeous niece sitting on this very quilt...go on scoot over and have a peek, she is delicious!! So her mother is equally lovely and being Korean she has quite the cutesy taste when it comes to fabric etc. Knowing this I used this long hoarded Michael Miller butterfly print and chose the other colours based on this.

With a girly Tasha Noel print as the centre piece. Quick note if you do decide to draught your own pattern, it is made by four equal segments using strip piecing and then a centre strip piece both horizontally and vertically to jin all 4 quadrants together...google it they'll be tips and patterns.

The backing was an American Jane piece of alphabet fabric I've had forever and I surrounded it with a red pin dot.

Sandra from Wise Owl Quilting did an all over pantograph of a Ginko leaf which was just the perfect choice

Incidentally this was the last quilt that I've had sent out to be quilted as some of you know I've purchased my own Gammill Statler longarm machine. And I'll let you know how that's going shortly.

Talk soon Peeps xx

Simple Zipper Bag Blog Remix - It's been A While

Hi Peeps!

It has definitely been awhile, but I'm still here just been a bit absent in the blogosphere and hanging out over in IG Land.

But I'm here to show you something cute and quick that I made.......we all need to take a break from all the big things sometimes.

It's the Simple Zipper Bag!

Literally a really really simple zipper bag, but so so fun!

I decided to make the smaller of the two options using a Sweetwater Boat House mini charm pack (circa 2014 ! ) and some left over Daisy Chain scraps by Annabel Wrigley.

I made two small pouches while I watched the video after having prepared the pieced and quilted fronts in advance. I also used scrap batting instead of Soft and Stable and they worked out great.

I even got to use some of my teeny labels made specifically for little items like these, I clearly need more practice to get them even....sheesh

From One mini charm pack you'll be able to make both the large AND small zipper pouch, and I'm ready to go with the bigger one.

Fat Quarter Shop are remixing up some of their older blog tutorials and I'm so glad they did otherwise I never would have discovered this nifty tutorial.

 This would make a fabulous go to gift for teachers or to hold a smaller present with a handmade touch...I'm thinking of doing some Xmas ones with yummy treats inside :)

 Nice to see you again.

Talk soon Peeps xx

Clementine Quilt A Long - Month #7 Completion

Hi Peeps!

I remember when I started the Clementine QAL waaaaaaay back at the beginning of the year how far away I thought July was and how I hoped that I could stay the course and get this quilt completed within the allocated time........

Well Holy Balls would you looky here!

Not only is it completed it is quilted and as I tap away here on these keys it is also being snuggled by the cutest wee fairy girl......not mine ...she has enough quilts...but another cute as a button small person.

Warning photo overload is about to occur ;)

 I was originally going to use the same Riley Blake dot for the setting triangles that I had used throughout the quilt as the background but when I came across this gorgeous Art Gallery print in my stash I knew it would be perfect

Then I decided to piece the back with a soft yellow vintage sheet and a complimentary yellow solid....no idea of the name I've had it so long I can't remember....story of my life LOL

If you follow me on Insta you'll already know I played binding chicken and finished with only 4 inches to spare........ I live on the edge ya know!

Bound folded and all ready to go!

Thankyou Fat Quarter Shop for inviting me along on this fabulous quilting ride and for such a worthy cause

The final setting instructions to finish your quilt will be up on the Jolly Jabber at 9am 25th July and for the last time here is a list of the other fabulous quilters sewing along so you can oooh and ahhh over all the different choices

Talk soon Peeps x

*April of April Rosenthal (@amrosenthal)

Bonnie of Sunset Family Living (@sunsetfamilyliving)

Cara of That Crafty Cara (@thatcraftycara)
Carrie of Moda Cutting Table (@modafabrics)

Denise of Pieced Brain (@piecedbrain)

Elise of Elise and Emelie (@eliseandemelie)

Gina of Carpe Quiltin (@gina_tell_carpequiltin)

Heather of A Creative Pursuit (@acreativemama)

Hilary of By Hilary Jordan (@byhilaryjordan)

Jan of Cocoa Quilts (@cocoaquilts)

Jen of Heritage Threads (@heritage.threads)

Joanne of Quilts by Joanne (@turtlequilterjo)

Kairle of Kairle Oaks Handcrafted Goodness (@kairleoaks)

Kendra of Good Starter (@good_starter)

Kristen of 3 in the Nest (@threeinthenestraleigh)

Kristina of Center Street Quilts (@centerstreetquilts)

Leah of Ponderings from My Heart (@ponderingsfrommyheart)

Melanie of A Bit of Scrap Stuff (@mellierc)

Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)

Pat of Pat Sloan (@quilterpatsloan)

Pat B. of Life in the Scrapatch (@scrapatches)

Patty of Elm Street Quilts (@elmstreetquilts)

Sarah of 123 Quilt (@123quilt)

Seema of SSK Craft Shop (@sskcraftshop)

Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)

Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)

Stephanie of Quilt 'n Party (@quiltnparty)

Tanya of Tanya Quilts in CO (@tanyaquiltsinco)

Teresa of Aurea's Kitchen (@aureaskitchen)

Vickie of Crocheting Vixen (@crochetingvixen)

Clementine Quilt a Long - Month #6 Strawberry Star

Hi Peeps!

It's the 25th again....I know I bang on about it but I can't be the only one who feels like the year is just whizzing past them? We're over halfway through it??

Anywho on to this month's block!

Once again I think this block would make a fab scrap quilt....

 The Strawberry Star...so good to have a block this month that is actually quite easy to whip up and with very little effort when it came to point matching...phew!

Although I did manage some pretty awesome stripe matching......total fluke really!

As always this block is available to download for a small donation from here courtesy of The Fat Quarter Shop in aid of St Jude Children's research hospital.

Next month is the last post and it will give you the setting options to complete your quilt....I can't wait to see mine all together and deliberately have kept them tucked away in a box as I complete each month so I get a surprise also LOL

There are quite a few fabulous quilters sewing along and if you'd like to have a squizzy at their fabric choices, here is the list.

*April of April Rosenthal (@amrosenthal)

Bonnie of Sunset Family Living (@sunsetfamilyliving)

Cara of That Crafty Cara (@thatcraftycara)
Carrie of Moda Cutting Table (@modafabrics)

Denise of Pieced Brain (@piecedbrain)

Elise of Elise and Emelie (@eliseandemelie)

Gina of Carpe Quiltin (@gina_tell_carpequiltin)

Heather of A Creative Pursuit (@acreativemama)

Hilary of By Hilary Jordan (@byhilaryjordan)

Jan of Cocoa Quilts (@cocoaquilts)

Jen of Heritage Threads (@heritage.threads)

Joanne of Quilts by Joanne (@turtlequilterjo)

Kairle of Kairle Oaks Handcrafted Goodness (@kairleoaks)

Kendra of Good Starter (@good_starter)

Kristen of 3 in the Nest (@threeinthenestraleigh)

Kristina of Center Street Quilts (@centerstreetquilts)

Leah of Ponderings from My Heart (@ponderingsfrommyheart)

Melanie of A Bit of Scrap Stuff (@mellierc)

Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)

Pat of Pat Sloan (@quilterpatsloan)

Pat B. of Life in the Scrapatch (@scrapatches)

Patty of Elm Street Quilts (@elmstreetquilts)

Sarah of 123 Quilt (@123quilt)

Seema of SSK Craft Shop (@sskcraftshop)

Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)

Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)

Stephanie of Quilt 'n Party (@quiltnparty)

Tanya of Tanya Quilts in CO (@tanyaquiltsinco)

Teresa of Aurea's Kitchen (@aureaskitchen)

Vickie of Crocheting Vixen (@crochetingvixen)

Happy Sewing...talk soon xx