Duckface People - A Pattern Test for Latifah Saafir

Hi Peeps!

As you know one of my things these days seems to be pattern testing LOL

It started out as an exercise for myself and my concentration skills...which can be why I quite often screw up the cutting and/or measuring LOL...but it's turned out to be so FUN!

I'm testing all sorts of patterns that I would definitely admire but not necessarily do and this one for Latifah Saafir does fall into this category!......I did a little squeal when she emailed me, cause she's like awesome and stuff and I'm a fangirl of her work!

I've had the 8" Clammy ruler for a while now and watched her tutorial video like 5 times but am still nervous to start.....

Anywho onto the Duckface People Quilt....LOVE IT!

My little helper insists on making the edges straight...which is actually really great, the pics of her holding it up were a little wonky though...I just need her to grow a little taller...which will make her almost up to my chest!!

Latifah's pattern is a dream to work with, there are several people included and as an added bonus a full alphabet and number layout. Each person has it's own table with the number of units required in each colour and a small pic of the person so you don't have to flick between pages to check.

For a visual learner like me....who doesn't like to read the words??.. this is the perfect pattern style, straight to the making!!

The cross stitch units finish up at 2" but with her technique they are straight forward to do

This wee sweetie is called Madeleine and I modeled her on my wee sweetie. 

 Latifah mentioned in her correspondence to me that she hopes people realize that all the people can be customized to suit your own tastes...it didn't occur to me not to LOL

I made the baby quilt version so I could get the complete quilt finished in the quick turn around time required and Sandra, my longarmer chose a gorgeous girly all over panto that shows up beautifully in the white negative space.

I used a long hoarded Art Gallery print from Curiosities for the backing and teamed it with and         B &W spot, I did have to purchase some white cotton batting as I was worried that my usual cream cotton batting would show through.....good choice.

Michael Miller skinny stripe for the binding and she's done.

Couple more pics to show off the quillting!

The pattern is at the printers as we speak so keep an eye out for the release.

Talk soon peeps xx

Linking with the girls Amanda Jean and Myra

Week of Quilts - Day 5! I Made It!

Well I made it to Friday ! Woohoo!

 And believe it or not I still have one more finished quilt after this one!

But let's just get to today's Quilt...and just quietly my current fave...don't tell the others!

The pattern is from Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine Issue 33 and is called Stargazer, by Anjeanette Klinder.

I used my hoarded Amy Butler fabric to inspire the fabric pull, the print blocks are paper pieced but it's a simple block that would be great for a beginner and has such striking results.

And I'm thrilled with the two different quilting motifs used in each block by Sandra. I know that the chenille backings aren't her favourite especially the really thick ones but she's very tolerant and does a fabulous job!

Despite the plush of the chenille and the fact that it looks barely used there was a teeny hole....

So I used this random Dresden block that I found lying around and appliqued it over the hole using a blanket stitch so it could be incorporated into the quilting.

In my never ending and sometimes futile attempt to reduce my scrap bins I went with a scrappy binding using some of the left overs from the blocks

It finishes up reasonably large at 60" x 72" but I think that's the perfect snuggle size, especially with the weight of the chenille backing which makes it extra cuddle worthy!

And so concludes my week of quilts, well at least Monday to Friday and there's one last one tomorrow, but I'm pretty happy with finally getting my ass back into blogging LOL

Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish It Up Friday and Myra for Finished or Not Friday

Sunday Stash #32 - How Does That Happen

Seriously?! Where has a week gone to?

I have been head down bum up working, sewing and trying to manage my almost 5 year old....3 weeks until she's off to school??

I'm not sure if school is ready for her but she and her "sassy attitude" are definitely ready LOL

The girl child after 3 boys is certainly a challenge

Anywhoo onto luscious fabric!

I didn't intentionally pick a coordinating fabric bundle while I was shopping but I think these all play really nicely together....maybe another baby quilt LOL

 

Cotton & Steel Cosy is very cute but in the modern funky way only C& S can do.

These three are in the quilt cotton substrate ( big word ay )

Teddy and the Bears in Light Ballerina and Mint with Dream Owl in Lilac on the bottom.

These two are from the Brushed Twill range, just gorgeous, enough fluff to make them snuggly but not as thick as a flannel....I will be buying more! Dream Owl in Aqua and Pale Nightfall

 

Now these lovelies are from Amy Sinibaldi's Les Petits range for Art Gallery. 

Top to bottom is Checks in Graphite and Indigo, Dots in Indigo & Baby Blue and Strokes in Indigo & Natural.

Lastly two from Sweetwater's Sunday Supper. Plus design in Teal and American Blue.

So that's a wrap for another Sunday Stash and another week begins xxx 

Pattern Testing Finish - Making Tracks

Hi Lovelies!

I often put my hand up for pattern testing,because you all know how I struggle with instructions and quite clearly need the practice!

So when my long time online friend Angie of Gnome Angel fame put the call out I was there front and centre waving my hand like a spazzo.

If you don't know her you should! Ang hosts all sorts of QAL's which I always start.....and never complete...rolls her eyes

So here it is the behemoth Making Tracks

I've had it finished and quilted for a few weeks but since I'm of the Hobbit variety and have a very reluctant 6 foot teenage helper who's never home, I've struggled to get at least one decent photo!

I had to hang from a backyard tree to get some progress shots for instagram, god knows what the neighbours think I'm doing??

It finishes up at 80" square and I used my newly arrived Wonderland by Cotton & Steel for the Bear Paw blocks and a kona Cotton for the front background which I think is Oyster....note to self, label yardage of solid colours!!

And in the spirit of  NOT hoarding all the fabric...sigh...I tried to use as much of my fat quarter bundle as possible...do not ask me what the two kona colours are, no labels yet again!

Lets call them Navy and Hot Pink LOL

I sent it out to be longarmed by my lovely friend Sandra of Wise Owl Quilting

As always I love the choice she made

The metallics in the range are very bright so I'll be interested to see how they fair after the hot wash and dryer spa treatment

The Cup print was my favourite I think followed by the all over Alice print

I really struggled with these two colours but still thought they deserved a Paw each....a little dreary for my taste

The black/cream cheshire stripe was the perfect print for both front and back I think.

We took it to my Mum's for photographing....but she's only 4'11" so clearly she was no help LOLOLOL

Little OWB was chief fluff picker upper

So thats a quilt for Finish It Up Friday, and Myra's Finished or Not Friday...even though it's Saturday here x

Baby Quilts - So Simple So Easy So Calming

So......

Do you often find that in the crazy haze that is social media you spend more time looking, being inspired, oooohing and aaaahing, saving pics,commenting....which then leads to conversations....than you actually do sewing??

Thats me!! I have such a small window for sewing that I quite literally have to cut myself off from my phone and do what it is I loooove to do which other than fabric shop is simply to sew.

A baby quilt is the best phone break ever!!

They are quick to make, especially when it's custom and the Mumma to be has chosen all the fabrics already from your stash.This is her second custom from me as she chose this cross stitch one for her first wee Bubba

And it gives your over filled work weary brain something to do that is both soothing and creative and gets finished.....in a weekend...or a day if you have time....soooo jealous if you have that kind of time...sigh

The prints from Sleep Tight and Wee Gallery just wanted to shine on their own so a simple

 4 1/2"square grid was easy peasy

The Pandalicious Tee Pees were just begging to be added

Cotton & Steel have yet to have a dud line.....just my opinion

Unicorns! Every baby must have some sort of Unicorn in their near vicinity......it's mandatory I say

The colours in this quilt were so hard to photograph there was a lot more contrast than I could capture in any of these photos, indoors or out.

A Winter baby must have a flannel backing for extra snuggliness

Bound labelled and ready to go

Rumour has it that the Mumma is ecstatic and I am more relaxed and ready to tackle my sewing to do list more calm and hopefully organised......ok lets not get too crazy...and stick with just more calm LOL

FYI I found this post by Suzy Quilts super helpful on the whole baby size thing.

Normally I wing it and stop when it looks balanced but for this quilt I went with a 36" x 48" finished quilt

Happy Sewing Lovelies xx

Sunday Stash #30 - It's Been A While

 I know it's been over a month! Can you believe it?

But the good news is I'm almost caught up with all my sewing commitments, and don't think for a second that there hasn't been fabric pouring through the door....

The first pile is actually from Xmas when my gorgeous girlfriend, who sadly married an American and moved away, came home for a warm Xmas and was my own personal fabric mule!!

It's from Fabricworm and is a Birch Organics line called Wink.

To be honest it feels quite crisp and almost stiff so I'll be interested to see how it washes once made into a quilt........FYI yes that is a new ironing  board cover made by Moi in AH Heath...thanks for noticing ;)

I don't think these two lines need any introduction and I just LOVE them both and will get MORE MORE MORE....my lovely Fabric Shack had run out of the Cotton & Steel gingham in Black but I will track some down elsewhere ;)

Above is C&S Checkers Woven Basics and below is their Add It Up line

Aaand this is our new baby.

He is a present for Little OWB for her 5th birthday!!!.....I know right?!... she goes to school in 5 weeks!

He's a designer baby Ragdoll/Birman cross ( rolls her eyes) and so was ready a few weeks earlier....he is being loved to death which fortunately he doesn't seem to mind... thankgoodness.

I do have a few finishes to share so I will TRY to get them here for you to see XXX

Linking up with my Sparkle Boy who's sipping Champers as we speak high in the sky!

And I know it's still Sunday for those peeps in the Northern Hemisphere ;)

Sunday Stash #29 - Just A Quick Hi & Bye

Hi Lovely Peeps!

Just a quick in and out so I can rush downstairs and squeeze in some sewing time before the weekend is over...sigh...how can we get a three day weekend and a four day working week to be a real thing!!

So this happened first....Stitchbird had a destash of fat quarters and I spied my fave Posy print by Aneela Hoey, boom sold!

Annnd then

Two of three parcels that I've been expecting from Massdrop...don't judge LOL....finally appeared after tracking them down, apparently they'd been sent with my name,country and postcode.....but no street address? I am definitely not that famous, or hopefully infamous, in my town!

Invisafil 100wt thread for EPP....don't laugh...I will get to do some eventually and a throwback Tula bundle which has a little of everything in it YAY

Third parcel is AWOL but Joe ( from Massdrop ) & I are working on it....yes I know my customer service guy at MD by his first name!!

Then I Love Fabric had a sale....

I was really only looking at the True Colours that were going crazy cheap, like the AMH Filigree in Dusk, the one on the bottom

And the Tula Pink Making Waves in Navy, one on the top

And then the whales called me in their best Dory impersonation sounding whale, and the whole bundle of S.S.Bluebird just flew into my cart

And because the owner Adrienne is so ridiculously awesome at stuffing a flat rate envelope for the overseas peeps, I snagged some Denyse Schmidt Winter Walk and this 8" Clammy ruler and pattern.

I'm super excited about this ruler and pattern by Latifah Saafir and have watched the YouTube tutorial several times.

BUT ...big but for dramatic purposes..

I AM NOT (yelling at myself ) going to start or even cut up any fabric for this until I have completed this months Bee commitments (3) and the two quilts I have lying on my garage floor.

Hold me to it my Quilty Peeps!

So thats a wrap Hi & Bye ;)

I will link  up with My Sparkly Boy when he puts down his Martini!!