brighton pavilion, tea & geeky seed heads

Today I met my cousin (he’s eccentric, a bit of a black sheep, shall we say) …  also delightful company and down in Brighton on a little two week poetry writing holiday.  He’s in his mid 60s, lives in Mexico, and I love him to bits.




We went round Brighton Pavilion … I haven’t been for about 10 years, so it was a delight for me … the building just oozes excess and sex.  As Cuz said “Well, Minnie, [family nickname, long story] this just proves that nothing succeeds like excess”




I had my quilt top with me because I had to go buy batting (bamboo … gone up in price to £12 per metre … eeek!) so I really really wanted to take some guerilla pics in the Pavilion … you know, draped over a chair in the banqueting room …





[imagine photo here]

or draped over the King’s bed … honestly you’d need a springboard - 6 mattresses!





[imagine photo here]


or draped over a cellist in the music room ….




[imagine photo & sexy cellist here]


Yeah, well, I chickened out … too many ‘no photo’ signs and helpful knowledgeable guides - you don’t want to upset them  … ultimate deterrent.






The best I got was a quick shot on the Pavilion railings, but the quilt was so bloody huge and the railings so bloody small that  it could be any railings anywhere … LOL … epic photo fail!


I like the spotlights though, even though they are facing the wrong way … *ahem

anyway, if you want to see what I saw watch this, it’s fab 

- the guide featured is wonderful, she really understands this building! :

Then we had tea in the Pavilion gardens … it’s one of my favourite places … just tucked away right in the middle of everything.


Proper old fashioned park cafe.  None of yer fancy double mocha choc half fat decaff water stuff here. 

Oh no.

Finger burningly hot steel teapots and a nice rock cake.  Bliss.
 
It’s somewhere I come and sit and people watch, often. 
I like seeing the little old ladies have the sandwiches they’ve sneaked in under the radar get swooped on by gulls …

heh heh heh … swoop or get swooped on. That’s life, baby.



And we went for another wander through the gardens …  and I noticed these fably geeky seed heads …



 

How cool? 










perfect little 5-point stars … *sigh











Thus was spent a fruitful afternoon …
I like holidays.





p.s. you’ve still got about 2.5 hrs (in all honesty about 8)  left for my giveaway for 16 FQs of really cool Christmas fabric … If you’re not into giveaways, or you’ve already entered (gold star) you should go visit just to read the comments … they’re wonderful … each one a little short story in the making … just sayin …

Ruby Star Spring Quilt Top Finish - Yay!

Ruby Star Spring Quilt Top Finish - Yay!, a photo by Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr.

*phew*

- hot off the machine, untrimmed, unpressed ... just ... well, bright!

This was a massive task for me!  A whole improv quilt?

Towards the end of play yesterday (which was actually 4:00 am!) I was really enjoying the rhythm of piecing these blocks.  I liked the fact that I was totally random with what I picked out of my giant bowl of strips and bits.

I also pieced the whole quilt standing up! I know, sounds mad, but I put my machine on my bookshelves, which are the perfect height.  With so much getting up and down to press (which you've really got to do when you're improv piecing) my back was absolutely killing me.

I loved loved loved sewing standing up and I'll continue to do it for most things other than chain piecing or actual quilting.

Today my feet are killing me!  I also trapped my thumb in the presser lever yesterday ... lots of blood (what quilt of mine doesn't end up with battle bloodspots, eh?) but ultimately not that much damage.

After 12 hours non-stop sewing I noticed I'd sewn two blocks wrong side facing, so I decided it was time to go to bed!  I got up early and to be honest struggled through the last block or two.  I just want to get on with quilting it now!

I'm backing it in the paler bright orange (a 100% linen) with no fancy schmancy piecing.   I'm going to perle cotton hand quilt it, I think ...  I fancy doing some cross-stitch on those bees ... I have got the perfect variegated thread though ... so I'm tempted to do something radically simple on the machine ...  But ... This baby is heavy! ...

Now to lock the cat out and get grappling on the floor for some basting.  I don't actually know if I've got enough batting ... d'oh!

*Edited to add - Bwahaha!  Enough batting you say ? Pshaw!  Seriously considering just missing out the batting altogether ... I'm going to sleep on it ... the idea, not the quilt top ... that's folded up nicely for me to purr over ...

I’m living a colo[u]rful life today …

Every day is colourful here at Pings Towers, but today it’s especially true as I’m taking part in Cindy’s fab name game doodah over here …

If you’re over here from over there, welcome!  Do have a good snoop around …



I had a lovely out-and-about-in-Brighton weekend, wandering around making contact with real people!   I sat next to unknown people at cafes and engaged them in conversation.  What’s the betting there’s someone, somewhere, writing on their blog “Some nutter sat next to me while I was trying to have a quiet coffee in the sunshine.”  ??


I went to a couple of small pop up craft fairs and met some really interesting people …


… a fantastic jeweller called Sarah who has a great website over at www.rockcakes.com
She makes beautifully crafted witty, wry, iconic jewellery.









I love this Paper Scissors Rock necklace - silver and rough diamond (4 ct) …









I also had a long chat with a lovely lady called Lindy Wells who sews memory blankets, fab doorstops, cushions using re-cycled fabrics … great stuff.






Online, I’ve got so much to catch up on in my Reader, it’s just silly … but I'm getting through it in little batches ...






...  I was totally speechless at Hadley@Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle’s beautiful ruby star spring 241 bag … *swoon thwump  … go here now and drool …








and when you've recovered, pop over to Cindy's and see how my blog got its name …

It's a Bank Holiday here in the UK today! (woot!) what are you getting up to this fine Monday?

Those of you who were visited by Irene over the weekend, I hope you are safe and dry and with enough power to crank up the sewing machine for a bit of relief ...

Winners! Japanese Scrap Bag Giveaway!

Okay, this was a really difficult one because I wasn’t using mr random generator but my own mind.  heavy, man.

So, if you didn’t win it’s not because it wasn’t a brilliant idea.  I did focus on choosing ideas that I thought people would really like to see and that I thought would embrace the scrap challenge to the full!




I’m joining in too with my scrap bag – although I’m obviously not entering my own competition, cos that would be silly and highly illegal.


I haven’t thought about what I’m going to make yet, but whatever it is I’ll be paying it forward to someone along the line!





So, without further ado, the ten winners who are entered into the next round to win a year’s subscription to the Eternal Maker’s Japanese charm club are:

• narcoleptic in a cupboard
  
  If I won the scrap bag I'd like to make a little fabric game I've been thinking about ... ooh intriguing!  Can’t wait to see!  I’ve been wanting to make a memory game for ages … is that what you have in mind?
  
  
• Sarah Olson
  
  I think I'd like to make a quilt square purse, or maybe an eyeglasses case!  OR SOMETHING SHAPED LIKE A DINOSAUR.  Just because.  You’re on!  I want to see the something shaped like a dinosaur!!
  
  
  
• Flying Blind On A Rocket Cycle
  
Depending on the scraps, I would be making tags to distinguish all 3 school kiddies identical book bags, PE bags, swimming bags and cardies; children should be identifiable by pattern!  Blurry brilliant idea Hadley!  I can see people really appreciating this one!

• Alli H
  
  I'd make an eating out kit: a little pouch to hold a knife, fork, spoon, and a pair of chopsticks. Lately I've been feeling guilty about using plastic utensils when I go to restaurants that put your food in takeaway containers even though you'll be eating there. I felt bad that those plastic forks and things only get used for about ten minutes and then thrown away... they barely had a chance to live! :D  This is such a great idea … I totally agree about the plastic cutlery thang …
  
  
  

• Bianca G
  
  
  My sister has been wanting a muff to keep her hands warm when it's cold outside. I think it would be so cute to have the Japanese prints on the outer of the muff with some nice fluffy fabric for the inside. Oh yeah, she also wants it to be a purse, so I'm working on inserting at least a small zipper compartment of some sort. But she would simply die if she got a muff plus cute Japanese fabric. We've been Japan-o-philes for a while. Well, anyone who can write the word muff without sniggering is a better person than me … can’t wait to see your muff *snigger!"

• Ali @ Very Berry
  
  Oooh - have been thinking about this all day... If I had some gorgeous Japanese fabrics, I would want to do something really special with them... My friend is having a baby later on this year, and I think I would like to make some cute little patchwork baby booties...  I can see them now - they would be so fab! Oh yes, bring on the booties!
  
  
  

• Eilidh
  
  I would make a stocking for my wee 1 year old friend Joseph. He'll be spending Christmas in Japan this year (and maybe next) as his mum moved out there with him in March. We all really miss them and this would be a lovely way to show that I'm thinking of them and hopefully he'll use it once he's back in Scotland for a long long time and then the fabric will remind him of Japan! Lovely idea and it’s good to have something Christmassy … eek! only 16 weeks to go!
  
  
  

• Emily L
  
I would make my little girl a patchwork sandwich bag and try lamintating my scraps once pieced to make it usefully wipeable, she is off to pre-school soon :( and it will be lovely to send her with something made with love and unlike any of the other childrens! I’d love to see this made, it would be soooo useful!

• Madscouser
  
I'd make the Sorbetto top from Collete patterns:
http://www.coletterie.com/colette-patterns-news/free-pattern-to-download-the-sorbetto-top
And use the scraps for the central pleat and hopefully the arm & neck bindings if there was enough left! :-) This is a lovely top and the pleat would look fantastic in scrappy japanese style …

• Ella
  
  I could make a corset belt for bellydance ... and if there were sufficient scraps, a border for the edge of a bra.  How could I not let this one in!?  Go shake those scraps baby!

Yay!  So, ladies … Please make sure that you email me your postal details so that Anna get your scrap bags off to you!  You’ll have until roughly 10th October to complete your project and for voting to commence.  woohoo!    I’ve set up a Flickr Group, so please go and join there for updates, more details etc.




It would be great if you could chart your process a bit for the rest of us, but if you’re really busy, a pic of the scraps you get and of your finished item would be fine too. 



Everyone is welcome to join the group – please come on over and comment or add pics of your own scrap bag makes …


Those of you who didn’t win this little giveaway still have a chance to win 16 FQs of Holiday Fabric – Jovial by Moda – for my blogiversary giveaway … There are such great answers coming in you should go and have a read!

Thank you all so much for such great ideas … you make my day, really!

Brighton Mini Maker Faire 2011 - Sat Sept 3rd -

Wow!  This looks interesting: gelatine watches, mechanical hats, fire breathing robot horses? Oh My!

Lots of nerdy mad inventor stuff  ... and crafting too! *swoon

Part of the Brighton Digital Festival, which runs right through September ... man, it's going to be a crazy month!

Brighton Mini Maker Faire runs in the Brighton Dome foyer, all day, Saturday 3rd September - free entry, but I guess making things will cost, natch.

Welcome to Brighton Mini Maker Faire 2011 from BuildBrighton Hackspace on Vimeo.

Blogiversary FQ Bundle giveaway … sponsored by ... ME!

<<<<<<<  THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED   >>>>>>

So, 1st Blogiversary eh?  That means pay it forward time, in my book.

A long long while ago (the back end of January!) I won an amazing giveaway over at Monica @HappyZombie’s blog for a mystery FQ bundle from Moda. 





‘Jovial’, a Christmas line, arrived in June, but I couldn’t really think about Christmas then (like I can now?!) so I stroked it a while and then put it away for another day …


Today is that day.







I have to confess, I’m not a huge fan of Christmas fabric AT ALL, but my mind was totally changed when Angela @FussyCut’s posted this brilliant Starry Eyed quilt, on Moda Bakeshop back in July.

I think this is the best use of Crimbo fabric I’ve ever seen, and I think this line would look brilliant.

I figure someone else might really like to make it … or any other Christmas type stuff …


S-o-o-o-o-o … my Pay It Forward giveaway to you, my lovely readers, followers, stalkers and casual droppers by … is 16 FQs of Jovial, to do with whatever you wish.





If you would like a chance to win this mini bundle, all you need to do is pledge your undying love leave a comment telling me the BEST Christmas present/gift you’ve ever received - and I mean an actual ‘thing’, NOT the birth of a baby, grandchild, love of your partner, or any other stuff with real meaning. Marks will be deducted … I’m after the cold hard truth of consumerism here ...

For another chance, in a separate comment, you could tell me the WORST present you have either given or received. 

Here’s a little rundown of all the chances you have. (separate comments for each please)

1. BEST present received
   
2. WORST present given or received
   
3. If you are a die hard or new follower
   
4. If you blog about it
   
5. If you tweet or tell the milkman

That’s a whacking 5 chances chaps … Or just the one if you don’t like jumping through hoops.

Please make sure that you have an email address somewhere in the trail - no-reply bloggers will lose out … It’s worth checking once in a while … for some reason my profile randomly just decides to revert to no-reply without me asking it to … To change this in blogger.com go to your Dashboard. Select Edit Profile. Check the box for "Show my Email Address." Save changes.


Good Luck! ... mayMr Random Generator smile at you ... Giveaway ends Wednesday 31st August, midnight Pings time ..

(in other news, I’ll be announcing the 10 winners of the Japanese scrap bags tomorrow)


<<<<<<<  THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED   >>>>>>

1st year blogiversary

1st year blogiversary, a photo by Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr.

1. pencil case & usb stick pouch, 2. Little House Pincushion, 3. Icosahedron 3, 4. Icosahedron 1, 5. Dodecahedron 2, 6. Dodecahedron 1, 7. hexie heaven, 8. hexie christmas bauble, 9. ipod/camera pouch, 10. Scrappy {Hoop} Swap - front, 11. quilting as therapy, 12. Oliver's Christmas/18th Quilt, 13. Urban Home Goods Swap - Placemats, 14. Brunswick Terrace, cushion covers ... main piecing, 15. Berlin Alexanderplatz - finished cushion, 16. Wonky Star Block 2, 17. Modern BOM - July, 18. Wonky Star Block - trial for 4x5 {modern} quilt bee [hive11], 19. SingAlonga{modern}HexAlong, 20. Sew Fresh Fabrics Scrappy Bee Block, 21. Melody Miller Ruby Star Rising/Andover Quilt - Dec 2010, 22. Echino Patchwork Quilt - Dec 2010, 23. The Quilt of Good Intentions 2011, 24. colour wheelerama for Lily's Quilts QAL, 25. DQS10 - Bendy Bloody Mary - Finished - Front, 26. Heart Applique Block, 27. MMMSwap - echo quilting complete!, 28. Charley Harper - Muskellunge, 29. playtime, 30. PMT - HRT - HST, 31. Feel the Fear and Sew It Anyway, 32. Giant Lynne Bob Square Pants ..., 33. BritQuiltSwap - Harlot's Web - detail, 34. Fibonacci Round The Bend, 35. Ironic Trimming, 36. Pingwheels of My {Happy Mochi Yum Yum} Mind - Finish!

Quite extraordinary for me that this time a year ago, the most I'd sewn in 20 odd years was the odd errant button!

And the most I'd blogged was businessy techy and decidedly dull.

Yay! for all the skills I've learned, people I've communed with, wonders I've seen, laughter I've LOL-ed, gifts I've received & given, FUN I've had ...

... and Friends I've made ... You know who you are ..

... Thank you lovely blogopolis, I couldn't have got through the year without you ...

I'll be back a little later with a celebratory giveaway but it's late right now and I'm pooped!

10 things you can do with a marble ...

I'm guest posting over at my lovely colleague Dom Pates' blog today

It is not about sewing :)

It is nerdy

It is also fun ..

You should spend some time on Dom's blog too, he takes fantastic photos, makes great little films, and writes beautifully ... 

Pingwheels of My {Happy Mochi Yum Yum} Mind - Finish!

Pingwheels of My {Happy Mochi Yum Yum} Mind - Finish!, a photo by Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr.

Quilted and Bound ... Yay!


This is for my god-daughter Frankie's birthday ...

Finished a week early? Gadzooks!

Pingwheels: Happy Mochi Yum Yum (my giveaway winnings from Lily's Quilts ) & Kona white - The Mochi Yum Yum is just wonderful to sew with. It's soft and supple, yet it completely keeps its shape for HSTs. Lovely stuff!

Sashing: lightweight pale blue 100% linen (slippery little sucker!)

Outer Sashing: white Klona cotton - it's a bit stiffer than the Kona ... keeps its shape better, I think ...

Binding: Happy Mochi Yum Yum

Batting/Wadding: Bamboo blend - This is fantastically soft and light and I thoroughly recommend it. Next quilt I'm going to double it up for even more loft but it's just wonderful.

Pieced Backing: Mochi, linen and bright multi polka dot cotton ...

Hand quilted with Anchor Perle no. 8 in toffee, blue, green and white.

Pieced with: Aurifil 50 netural thread (heavenly!)

>

>

Ha Ha! That was like the credits on a boring movie!

I took it into work to photograph ... the college is a modern building with a huge glazed atrium ... duh!! ... light! Not like my gloomy for photography but not living basement.

The students and staff thought I was a bit mad ... Nothing really new there - When someone asked me what I was doing I told them I was photographing my quilt! And he walked off, nodding his head and muttering "As one does ... as one does ..."

This quilt was a delight to make. I made it up as I went along but I had some form of picture in my mind, of which this is a pretty good representation!

I'm entirely converted to using linen as my main solid. I love the feel of it.

you can see more pics of the process in my flickr set here

Ruby Star Spring - I feel a Quilt Coming On

Ruby Star Spring - I feel a Quilt Coming On, a photo by Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr.

When I got back from work tonight I just couldn't resist having a little solid matching fun with the lovely bee and coin prints Melody sent me ...

Kona comes up trumps again: Canary; Tangerine; Purple; Cerise, Pond and a blue that I can't identify - it's not teal) match this fabric absolutely beautifully. All from Mandy @ Simply Solids

After a cup of tea and some more fabric stroking I just had to dive in and cut and sew and have a little play.

I have the day off tomorrow so I'm going to have a little more fun and see where I get to from here ... stay tuned!

p.s. The Eternal Maker has the whole line in stock here in the UK! Might just have to order a little more :)

ruby-star-spring-in-the-post!?! … *@!%? ... Oh My!

If you're here for the  The Eternal Maker Japanese Scrap Bag/Japanese Swatch Club givewaway click HERE… (until Friday 19th ….)

My lovely online friend and uber talented designer Melody Miller sent me a little something in the post … not tiny scraps this time …. oh goodness no …

Let me tell you people, Ruby Star Spring is absolutely bloomin wonderful …

I will pay this forward in some way … but I’m just going to stroke it for a while first :)




Really, you’ll want this - it’s beautiful!

No more words … just some lovely pics … enjoy … and The light from a dull and windy day just doesn't do it justice ...

In the midst of a bit of a ‘meh’ patch, this is just wonderful, thank you Melody …

Yay! It’s Giveaway Time - Round One - get those creative thinking caps on …

This giveaway has now closed ... thank you :) Round Two coming soon!

Hello lovely people - (201 followers! yay!) I hope your Monday has been a joy.  My boiler conked out over the weekend so I’ve been pretending that I’m on a camping holiday and boiling up great pans of water on the hob … you can tell it’s still a novelty eh?

I got my lovely Japanese charm swap fabrics a couple of weeks ago …   I split the charms (there were two of each design) with a friend of mine, so I’m left with 28 little squares of delight. 

Thank you Cindy @ FluffySheepQuilting for organising this swap!  It was so easy and yielded such loveliness!

I haven’t decided what to do with them yet. It was a great swap. I like charm squares.  They make me happy. 



Anyway, let’s get started with this lovely giveaway from The Eternal Maker, celebrating their brand new website, shall we? 



You could win a Japanese Scrap Bag AND get yourself a little charm square action for a whole year!  This is such a great idea - you get 6 Japanese charm squares a month for a year! Thank you Anna, for such a great prize!


Round One:  - for the chance to win a Japanese Scrap Bag, (approx. a fat quarter’s worth of fabric) leave a comment at the bottom of this post to tell me what you’d make!
The 10 most creative answers will win a scrap bag to actually make their item … and then qualify for Round Two!

In Round Two, you lucky 10 scrap bag winners will link up to what you’ve made, and the final winner (voted for by all the rest of us!) will win a year's membership of Eternal Maker’s Japanese Swatch Club! 
 
I realise that lots of people are on holiday yada yada, so the deadline for the second round (what you make with a scrap pack) won’t be until w/c 5th September …
 
The deadline to win a scrap pack (and enter into Round Two) is Friday 19th August, so have a little think and then leave a comment here, telling me what you’d make … remember that you’ll have to actually make it to qualify for the grand Japanese Swatch Club prize! Edited to Add: Just remember you've only got a fat quarter to play with in your minds .... I only say this because I'd be planning quilts and bags and getting generally over-excited.  

Happy thinking!

This giveaway has now closed ... thank you :) Round Two coming soon!

198 followers? - sounds like it's nearly time for another Eternal Maker Giveaway!

Wow! It’s been a busy couple of months here - I’m utterly delighted to see so many people following my random blatherings … thank you! 24,000 hits in under a year?! I know it’s not in the gazillions, like many other blogs, but it means a great deal to me. I am deeply thankful that you’ve come along for the ride.


So, to celebrate this, and more importantly (for them at least!) the fact that The Eternal Maker have a fantabulous new website, we’re getting together again to do another giveaway … This one will be a two parter! It starts on Monday 08/08.

But today let’s have a little look at the new site … I think you will really appreciate all the hard work that Anna has put in. You can see pretty much everything that you can get in their bricks and mortar store …

It’s so worth spending some time here … There’s lots of good stuff - designer bundles, scrap bags, monthly swatch clubs - everything from FQs to charm squares - and some lovely organic cottons.


But, what I really really love about The Eternal Maker is that along with what I would call ‘normal’ stock like Moda, Kaufman, Miller, et al - they also specialise in Japanese imports from manufacturers like Hokkoh, Kinkame, Kiyohara, Kobayashi, Kokka, Lecien etc.


There is wonderfulness here …

how about this lovely deco rose print from Kobayashi?	or this great alphabet print from Kinkame?	or this vintage newspaper linen blend from Kokka?

… For me of course it has to be all of these dreamy Etsuko Furuya prints for Kokka …

(I couldn’t fit the whole range on the page! - trust me I tried LOL!)

Oh how I dream of an unlimited Echino stash. I honestly think I’d swap all my prints just to work only with Echino and solids. 

 Are you listening to that Kokka? LOL!

So - come back on Monday (08/08) for Part 1 of the giveaway …  I promise you it’s a little cracker that could keep you happy all year!

p.s. a little bird told me you might just be able to get your hands on some gorgeous RubyStarSpring at the FOQ next week if the nice delivery man turns up in time ... oh yes ... fingers crossed !!

Bletchley Park Quilt - Concept Board

Bletchley Park Quilt - Concept Board, a photo by Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr.

I'm not going to have a lot of time to work on this in the next couple of weeks, so I thought I'd get my initial thoughts down on paper, along with some swatches of potential fabric.


I found the perfect backing and binding fabrics in my LQS, so I'm totally delighted about that. It's always a tricky decision for me, so for now, that one's taken care of!


(Until I change my mind about the whole direction of the quilt, that is!)


If you click to view the picture full size you'll see some more detail ...


I was in two minds about showing my Bletchley quilt in progress, as it's top secret and all that (in my head LOL) but really, I'd rather share, as I think it's going to be an interesting process ...


check out some more inspiring creative spaces here

Kitsune

My lovely 14 year old cat, Schwa, died last year, about two weeks before my brother, so I haven't felt ready to take on the responsibility or, quite honestly, the love of another pet.  Until now.  This past year has been the first time I’ve been without a cat since I was about 12 years old, so given that I’ve got all these new beginnings going on, I thought I should start to look at re-homing a needy feline.

Meet Kitsune - Kitsu for short.  (He came to me named Paddy, but I’ve renamed him, as he's only just a year old, I think he'll cope!)

'Kitsune' means fox in Japanese - also in folklore a mischievous fox spirit - and as he's half persian with a magnificent twitchy ‘brush’ and an incredibly mischievous nature, it seems perfect.  'Kitsu' was an old Japanese word for the sound of a fox bark.

I re-homed Kitsu for a lovely couple who are moving to London to work and whose landord won't let them take a cat.  I went to meet him (and them) yesterday to see if we would get on.  He hissed and bit me, so it was a done deal!

He was dropped off this morning with a wonderful assortment of toys and food and an amazing plug in cat aromatherapy thing to calm him down (it works!  boy, it works, I’ve been chilled all day!) It was an emotional handover. 

I made him a little Echino mouse stuffed with catnip as a welcome present.  He has spent most of the day alternating between batting the mouse around my sitting room and hiding behind the sofa.

I know how he feels.

epiphany {or eppy-fanny as my dad used to say}

epiphany {or eppy-fanny as my dad used to say}, a photo by Sarah @ pingsandneedles on Flickr.

I have to confess, I've never really 'got' big fabric collections, so I've tended to overlook designers like Amy Butler ... until now.

I find the whole 'collection' thing in general a bit too overwhelming. It's lovely if you find one that works, but I find it a bit of a struggle. For me it's like painting with a really limited palette, chosen by someone else. It's a purely personal thing. I suppose the only exception for me has been Echino, with which I can quite happily be monogamous.

Now I'm more comfortable in my sewing skin, I realise that just because I don't generally like to use only one collection in a quilt, it doesn't mean I shouldn't look at individual prints!! Yeah, I know, it took a while!

I've also learned how to visualise a print when cut & cropped, and I think that really, really helps.

Thanks mainly to all you wonderful stitchy bloggers out there, who use your experience and talent to make really beautiful, truly fab quilts from single collections (and I'm in awe of you) I am slowly discovering individual prints that are exquisite ... Huzzah!

Specifically these:

Soul Blossoms - Delhi Blooms in Lime
Soul Blossoms Dancing Paisley in Limestone
Daisy Chain - Daisy Bouquet in Turquoise

(seen here with Pat Bravo's Oval Elements in Peacock & Green Apple)

I got this little lot from a great - and new to me - UK online shop: Gone To Earth. Julia is really helpful, go check out the loveliness!

These, along with any 4x5 modern bee blocks, will all go towards my Berlin Quilt

So, thank you, wonderful blogolopolis people, really, for opening my eyes to even more joy in fabric. Thank you!

... and Amy, I dig you. I really do. I'm sorry it took me so long ...

Fresh Sewing Day

Yay it’s FSD @ Lily’sQuilts  .. another month gone (good grief?) …


July was a busy month at work (end of term and such like) and the beginning of my holidays saw me doing a lot of preparation and planning and very little of yer actual sewing … but here’s a little mosaic of what I’ve been up to …



I did do two tutorials though!  A first for me …

One for QAYG Hexies for  Lily’s Quilts HexAlong, and one for a 30 minute Heart applique block, to help out Caroline over at Serenity Quilts raise money for Cancer Research.

On Flickr I’m signed up for the 4x5 Modern Quilt Bee, and I’ve been auditioning blocks … It starts officially today, so I’ll be focusing a bit more on it from now on.

I’m also doing the For The Love of Solids swap on Flickr.  I’ll be showing you a few sneak peeks to tease my secret partner in due course ;)

Lynne has also set up a lovely initiative for new bloggers out there …

If you’re just starting out, with fewer than 20 followers you can add your link and we’ll come and give you a bit of support!  It took me forever to get past about 5 followers(!) so I think this is a lovely idea …

                          My sewing day month looks like this … eek!







For more loveliness and to add your links to either the Fresh Sewing Day or the Small Blog Meet Up head over to Lily’s ….