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

Kokeshi Doll Pattern - A Blossom Heart Quilts Pattern

Hi Peeps!

This is a quick in and out and a Howdy Doody post to let you know about an awesome pattern being released by my friend Alyce ( Ah - lease ) of Blossom Heart Quilts aka EQ8 Ninja ;)

Edit * release date is this week Wednesday 2nd May

Kokeshi Dolls! Totally cute!

These are photos of the dolls and the hair do's I was not supposed to be testing but couldn't stop!...also can't find the pics of my pigtail girls duh!

There's so much room for playing, and fabric choosing....and did I mention playing?

Like I said on Instagram this pattern is absolutely the quilters version of paper dolls LOL

Mine to test was the top and bottom far left....Pippy Starch Pigtails I've nicknamed her

But there's also Helen Clark ( google her if you're unfamiliar, amazing woman with bad hairdo )

Aaaand Princess Leia ;)

The pattern is expertly written, as per usual and such a great in betweener, one doll only took half an hour!

But don't take my word for it, stand by for the pattern release and try one for yourself :)

Talk soon xx

National Sew A Jelly Roll Day - Fat Quarter Shop Quilt A Long

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

It's National Sew A Jelly Roll Day!

I'll let you in on a little secret.... I used to be a precut snob.... I know I know judge away LOL

I couldn't work out why you'd spend so much money on only having a little piece of each fabric from a line.......until I unrolled my 1st jelly roll!

There's something about seeing every single piece of a fabric line in front of you that is so intoxicating for a fabric hoarder like myself.....just quietly I now have several precuts stashed....and by several I mean a shelf full....sigh ;)

I rarely buy or even like every single piece in a line but with a jelly roll or any other precut for that matter, you can instantly hone in on your must have fabrics!

The Fat Quarter Shop asked me to test Jelly Jam which is a free pattern from their website and has an accompanying tutorial.

I chose Sweetwater's The Cookie Exchange for my fabric, thinking I could kill two birds with one stone. Pattern testing and a Christmas quilt all in one go...boom!

This is a seriously quick way to whip up a quilt in an afternoon!

The patterns instructions allows for two quilts in a 3 x 3 layout ( perfect for two matching baby quilts!)

but I went with a 4 x 4 layout for more of a play mat size.

She loves to help!

I used the two leftover blocks in the back with some of the cut off strips and my favourite Kona Snow

I've one small pieced strip 2 1/2" x 12 1/2" left from the entire jelly roll!

Peppermint striped binding and  simple crosshatched quilting through the blocks and it's done.

Now for the good news!! Fat Quarter Shop are having a 20% off sale on ALL their jelly rolls until Sunday night....which is Monday morning if you live Down Under with me.

They can fit 3 jelly rolls in one international parcel so with the discount that easily offsets the cost of postage.....just saying :)

Happy sewing my Peeps xxx

Geode Quilt - Bound and Delicious

I'm counting this as a Friday finish even though it's Saturday here as I finally got the binding on last night!

this is a quick picture heavy post as you're gonna have me popping up in your feed again in a few hours for National Jelly Roll Day....sorry LOL

I shared pics as I was making this on Instagram as a pattern testing project by Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts

Let me introduce Geode

 ( every time I lay a quilt down BOTH the cat and the small person have to dance and/or lie on it! )

I absolutely love it! It's fat quarter and yardage/scrap friendly, with so many options for different looks depending on your fabric choices.

I went for a different colour palette for a change of mustard, black and pink. Using some of my favourite designers.

I sent it out to be long armed as I backed it with another chenille bedspread.

Not quite as thick as some of my others but a good match for the peach/pink blocks on the top.

In fact this is one of the stubblier ( is that a word ) bedspreads I have but I love the weight that they add to a quilt for increased snuggle factor.

This one is currently on my bed over the top of Fractured Heart as Spring is giving us some cooler nights and I love a heavy bedspread feel on me.

Linking up with Amanda and Myra

See you soon with Jelly Roll shenanigans xxx 

Lady of the Lake - Fat Quarter Shop Pattern Testing

Hi my peeps!!

Wow August was just a blip for me but that doesn't mean I haven't been sewing away in the background.

As you know I love to pattern test which means I get to try things outside my comfort zone or test patterns that I might normally overlook.

Not so with this pattern!

 I've been wanting to cross a Lady of the Lake block from my "to do" list forever and Fat Quarter Shop granted that wish when I was asked to test an upcoming pattern from their "Classic & Vintage Series"

The Anna Maria Horner print has been a hoarded piece of fabric far longer than it should so I used it as the inspiration piece for the fabric pull.

The pattern calls for the use of 3" HST paper which I didn't have so I used Blossom Heart Quilts handy maths sheet to utilise the 8 at a time HST method....brilliant!

Quite often I'm a a bull in a china shop kinda girl but when I'm testing I always make a sample block first just to make sure it's the correct size before I cut up a boat load of fabric...

So this neat tidy pile 

Turns into this...which doesn't look too bad

Until you realise they allllll need trimming!!

Initially I planned to have a quilt with no setting triangles of plain fabric so I cut way too much fabric up but once I realised how little time I actually had to sew before the posting deadline, I followed the pattern.......isn't that a crazy idea!!

So I have plenty of blocks left over for either a pieced backing or another whole quilt....sigh

But despite the uncooperative weather for photo taking I think you still get to see the awesome graphic nature of the blocks when set in a floating background

This pattern would look great in so many different colourways and either a light or dark background.

Imagine a dark navy or black background with pops of saturated Alison Glass fabric!

And of course classic vintage with small ditsy florals or 1930's prints. Also the centre HST triangle blocks are large enough to feature some fussy cut fabrics, the possibilities are really endless.

So folks that's it for my first post for September...definitely not my last as I have a couple of finished quilts to showcase and some others in the pipeline ;)

Poinsettia Pattern - Testing for Alyce an Overdue Post

This is a long overdue post....sorry Alyce... 

I sucked last year at blogging but this year...you'll be sick to death of me ;)

Alyce is the super productive, mathematical genius, and all round nice person behind Blossom Heart Quilts and you should totally stalk her.....in a non creepy quilty way!

Quite often she puts the call out for pattern testers and I always put my hand up cause I know it will be something unique and fun...check this one out I tested and then I also tested Bright Sky.

The patterns are always clearly written and easy to follow Poinsettia was no exception, fabric choice is up to the tester and luckily for me Alyce embraces my non traditional choices ;)

I'd had this voile for some time so decided to use it as the background, I swapped out my first hot pink choice for a non directional print as I knew it with mess with my OCD

The Voile, Art Gallery,Tula and Michael Miller fabrics all played beautifully together and sewed like a dream....but be warned Voile is a slippery Wench and frays quite quickly if over handled.

I highly recommend starching the crap out of her to tame the bias edge or you'll be buying lots of vowels!!

Open pressed seams to keep everything flat and crisp

The  Poinsettia block lends itself to so many great fabric interpretations and the beauty of Alyce's pattern is that there are options for more than one size block, great for a secondary pattern on a smaller block size repeat.

I like to have baby quilts on hand for gifting so I added some zig zag borders and Voila she's done.

It's hard to show but it was quilted beautifully by Sandra in a cube and circle panto that echoed the building outlines of the voile...clever

Machine binding and a stash backing, win ,win.