Clementine Quilt Along - Month #3 Peaches and Plenty

Hi Peeps!

Can you believe it's been a month already since the last block in the Clementine QAL??

Peaches and Plenty is another super cute block which will put your 1/4" seam and point matching skills to the test!

Don't get me wrong these blocks are in no way difficult to make but they do force me to slow down and really pay attention to my most basic sewing skills...which is always a good thing.

The Clementine QAL is run by Fat Quarter Shop to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital  and they're also partnering with Moda who will generously match up $20,000 for all funds raised.

It's a $5 USD donation for downloading the latest block available on the 25th of every month.....cup of coffee once a month really ;) 

OK onto the block....I actually cut my Squares for the HST even slightly larger than the suggested size in the pattern....plenty of wiggle room then when squaring them up.

And this time I made both block components simultaneously instead of one after the other, but I always sew the smaller block units together first....otherwise my attention span wanes and if I go from the big to small there's wayyyyy more moaning about the teeny squares LOL

Starch and press, starch and press....then everything matches up beautifully!

Smaller 12" block where the finished HST are 1 1/2"

The 20" block which would also make a great scrap quilt....just saying ;) The bias stripe from Bonnie and Camille's basics really messed with my eyes when cutting....I'd avoid it if you suffer migraines.

So there we have it two more blocks done and dusted and all for a great cause.

Talk soon peeps xx

Plus Squared - A Cautionary Tale, Take 2

Hi Peeps!

Yes it's me for the 2nd time today and ironically this is the 2nd attempt at this post as the first didn't save!......grrrrrr! 

Sometimes things just work against you and my advice has always been go back to bed and start again but the panicky ones are when you least expect them.

Feeling satisfied that I'd finally bound this beauty after several weeks of it being flung across the back of my sewing chair I threw it into the machine to ready it for thread checking and then the crinkly goodness treatment in the dryer....... cue freaking out face!!

I have no idea how?why?where these marks came from and am desperately hoping that my machine is not going to begin backfiring on a regular basis. 

When in doubt DO NOT LET IT DRY and throw it back into the machine with more colour catchers

Aaaand success, thankfully it was only on the back and sadly these inside pics don't do the colur justice, it's retained it's lovely saturation of colour against the dark background.

Absolutely fabulous pattern from Emily Dennis of Quilty Love fame. She has 20 PDF patterns available for instant quilty gratification and her patterns are all clear and well written with plenty of pics/diagrams...I'm a visual learner so this is important to me LOL

Having a quilt holder in the house I took full advantage and took a boat load of pics to try and show you the awesome texture the all over spikey panto created...

Quilts with feet hahaha

Blew the exposure out in this one so you can really see!

It was a great little scrap buster and used up some of my more obscure saturated prints that I looove but then get stuck with when trying to use and show them off to the best advantage.

In the most unlikely event that you have nothing on the go and need a new project I can highly recommend a Quilty Love pattern....but honestly any pattern that gives me an instant download is a winner in my book...regardless of whether I get to make it straight away or not??? LOLOLOL

have a great sewing weekend and we'll talk soon xx

Linking up with Amanda Jean and Myra

Shortcut Quilt - Jellyroll Ripples Quilt

Hi Peeps!

You know that I love me a quick quilt make and Fat Quarter Shop's Jellyroll Ripples quilt definitely scratches that itch!

It's part of the Shortcut Quilts series ( there's over 20! ) that they have over on the Jolly Jabber

Fortunately I decided to get stuck in with a Jelly Roll already in my possession Hello Love by Heather Bailey....as the balance of my order containing the border fabric and binding of the JR I'd ordered only arrived yesterday...postage is so erratic these days?

Can I tell you how much I adore the boho hippy vibe of this fabric!! especially the floral prints......if you click on the link above you'll find it's on sale....you're welcome LOL

I'm a fairly recent convert to precut fabrics ....and a total fan now that I've used them a few times, it means you can just enjoy the process. This pattern is fantastic, so straight forward and gives an interesting geometric vibe.

I have a weird guilt thing going on with my textile addiction....I don't feel bad about the size of my stash but do when I hear about the waste and subsequent landfill issues from the textile industries.

Fabric houses seem to release more fabric more often and the the clothing industry is always offering me the next season before I've finished wearing the current season??

So when I can use a vintage bedspread or a vintage sheet I feel a little bit of eco relief....I'm not sure if my tiny act warrants my still crazy fabric purchasing...but I feel a little better using something pre loved and something new.

I think this sheet suits the whole hippy vibe and I used a long hoarded ( 2011 ) Denyse Schmidt floral fabric for the binding. I felt so anxious cutting into this ( ridiculous!! ) but I still have a little more LOL...

My longarmer Sandra did an outstanding job with the quilting and I couldn't stop taking pics to show the texture off!

I already have the next one cut in Poetry by 3 Sisters and now the border fabric has arrived hopefully I can sew it together this weekend.