Plus and Minus Quilts - Times 3

Hi Peeps!

Sit down put your feet up or grab a cuppa there's 3 quilts so there are alot of photos!!

It's not often, if ever, that I make a quilt using the same pattern more than once, but I've made this quilt three times, and I absolutely don't think that will be it!

Pattern is Plus and Minus quilt by Emily Dennis from Quilty Love.

I have several of her patterns and they are easy to follow with lots of pictures and easy to follow instructions.

This colour combo was from a Fat Quarter Shop stash pack, this particular pack is no longer available but they have some others that are equally great....you get matching Aurifil thread with the coordinating Bella Solids...YAY!

I used Kona Cotton Snow for the background, and crosshatched all over....but my favourite part is the backing!

This Suzy Ultman print was beyond perfection when it came to matching the front colours I just wish I had enough to have them standing upright instead of laying down LOL

So backing is from the stash aaaand the binding.....win win...using it up!

This version uses a Cotton and Steel bundle by Alexia Abegg called Flowershop that when paired with a charcoal shot cotton makes a very funky little boys quilt.... I think

I even used another stash fabric for the backing, Filigree by Anna Maria Horner...still trying not to freak out that it's pretty much all used up........

And this is why I love this pattern so much...I've had this Dashwood fabric pile forrreevaaahh....along comes the Plus Minus magic and boom we have another quilt.....just what we need Mwahahaha

I also got to use a couple of other random fabrics and some recent purchases to round out the overall colour scheme for a decent sized lap quilt.

Excuse me while I high five myself for another hoarded fabric used in the backing....feels so good...but also freaks me out when it's actually goooone.

Love Cypress Paisley by Amy Butler

Binding is stash fabric by Jennifer Paganelli Maritza dot.....no idea how long I've had that??

OK you made it to the end! Well done!.......go get the pattern you'll use it over and over, I promise!

All three are listed in my Etsy Shop......seriously I can't keep them....can I ?

Talk soon Peeps xx

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

September - You're Almost My Favourite

I Heart Spring! 

Almost as much as I love Autumn, I don't hate Winter but this year I have developed a strong dislike to it we have had week after week of rain...which I know is nothing compared to some of the weather that you Northern hemisphere peeps have had to endure!

But damp day after damp day makes me cranky and my hair like Monica from friends when she went to the Bahamas...crazy!! Plus we've had no end of boogers and coughs and lurgys and I'm done!

So Spring I welcome you with open arms and a boatload of quilt tops to be bound and quilted LOL

Let's start with this Little Beauty...all the heart eyes!!

*WARNING* Picture overload

In the midst of my Pickle Dish obsession this quilt pattern from Lindsey Neill of Pen + Paper Patterns fame popped up in my feed and I fell in love instantly and had to make it...you know how that goes...and I have a small liking for baby quilts

IT'S FREE!! heres the link......I'll wait while you download it.....and follow her on Instagram @penandpaperpatterns.

she's also the author of the Garden Snails Quilt which I also have half cut out ready to go....read WIP in waiting...rolls eyes

Even though it's the worst time of day to take photos I think you can see how stinking cute this little quilt is and perfect as a gift for a baby shower or a little person in your life.

My wonderful longarmer Sandra of Wise Owl Quilting chose the perfect panto of all over clouds

I used Birch Organic fabric in Wink for the raindrops and a Moda white dot on cream for the background

The cloud quilting looks so cute on the cream spotty background!

The back was four pieces of flannel that I'd forgotten what I had in mind for, so they became the backing...I'm trying to use and not hoard

And it is true what they say the more you practise the better you get! Machine binding for me saves so much time. don't get me wrong I love and sometimes prefer the look of a hand bound quilt but I simply do not have the time anymore so I've let it go and machine it if I can.

Last two in the sun so you can see the texture...can't wait to spa treat it and see how snuggly and crinkly it gets!

That's it my lovelies see you soon for International Jelly Roll Day YAY...and another cute little quilt.

linking up with

Week of Quilts - Day 4

Here I Am Once Again....with my suitcase in my hand and I'm running away down River Rooooaaadd...I have no idea why that song is stuck in my head but it is....and then I think, imagine all the useful stuff I could store in my head if I just got rid of all the crap...like earworms, and my phone number when I was 7 and the licence plate number of my first car LOL

Anyway on to more serious things...

Like the very serious face or eyes of Little OWB who is now my Chief Quilt Holder...and not to be messed with!

So after I made The Giant Kiss/Plus Quilt ( such an original name?!) I had a whole pile of HST cut offs that I couldn't bring myself to throw away.

So I had a stern word to myself, as you do, and said if you're not going to throw them away you have to use them in a project straight away, or it's just more "stuff" you're hoarding for "just in case"

So voila the little Churn Dash Baby quilt was made ( do not laugh at the very serious face! )

I had two attempts at quilting this!!....sigh...kitten rearranged the backing without me noticing and before I pin basted, 10 rows in I checked the back and there were puckers!! Grrrrr!

Luckily at 6" finished blocks it's not a massive quilt so 10 rows didn't take too long to unpick.

I had enough left over vintage sheet from the Giant Cross Quilt backing to use it again on this little sweetie

The binding is a Riley Blake print and I think it's from one of Tasha Noel's lines?

Vintage sheets, strawberries and sweet little Churn Dash blocks seems like they were made for each other!

OK let's link up with Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for some Thursday fun

Week of Quilts - Day 3 I'm Doing This!

OK Day 3, here we are with a WIP that is at least 5 years old!!

I found a few half done 1/4 log cabin blocks and a big pile of randomly cut strips while shifting stuff from the downstairs garage sewing space to the new upstairs sewing room.

From memory the inspiration fabric was Backyard Baby by Patty Sloniger, a designer for Michael Miller fabrics....my helper is still struggling with the "stand still " concept of picture taking hahaha

I'm feeling pretty good about having this little pile of nothing turn into a sweet little quilt

Being of the lazy quilting type ( I'm definitely a piecer! ) I thought I'd try out this cute snake like stitch on my Elna, just as a change from my huge repetoire of....straight stitch quilting LOL

All I can say is thank F*** it was a teeny tiny quilt....it was sooooo slow

It looks super cute unwashed and dried so I'm hoping that the spa treatment will accentuate the pucker of the snake stitch....which I will never do again!

It's a sweet 36" x 45" and the mint stripe binding was a moda print from my stash, so YAY to using up what I already have.

And that's Day 3 and Wednesday hump day just about gone :) and since it's been a while that I've posted midweek Let's Bee Social with Sew Fresh Quilts.



Happy halfway through the week my Peeps!