TulaNova Clashanova Quilt

This year's first slow stitching project, the TulaNova english paper pieced quilt started 21st March 2021. In celebration of my current #pinkhairdontcare mode, she's a bit of an eyeful, so I've renamed her TulanovaClashanova ...

I'll be adding to this post as I progress and then I'm planning a post on notions and mistakes along the way

Fabric: @alisonglass Cross stitch in Green and Ruby, 
@kokka.fashion_textile @missmelodymiller Mustang canvas linen, 
@michaelmillerfabrics Ta Dot from scrap bin

Fabric: Stars: @tulapink limeade & cosmo from @lovelyjubblyfabrics
Diamonds in @alisonglass #sunprint2021fabric in Cosmo Tuesday & Moss Tuesday from @thepurplestitches

Stars: #konasolids Parrot & Bright Pink from stash

Fabric: @makoweruk #makowerspoton yellow on green & purple on pink from @thepurplestitches

Fabric: Denim print - Libs Elliott Phosphor Alien Green & Glow Pink from @lovelyjubblyfabrics

Fabric: Pentagons: @alisonglass cross stitch in Garden & Ruby from @lovelyjubblyfabrics

Fabric: Inner Pentagons @robertkaufman Remix chevron from stash @alisonglass

She's giving me Nelson Riddle blaring brass arrangements:

Fabric: Pentagons: @alisonglass cross stitch in Garden & Ruby from @lovelyjubblyfabrics
10 point Diamonds: @tulapink #tulapinktruecolors hexy in Juniper from @cottonpatchuk
Stripey Diamonds: from stash
Stars: #konasolids Parrot & Bright Pink from stash

Fabric: Stars : #makowerfabrics spot on - purple on pink and yellow on green
Diamonds: @michaelmillerfabrics ta dot in Moss, pink dot unknown, all from stash

Notions: silicone bobbin hugger (great for stopping the unravelling) and generic snips from Amazon; @sewtites magnetic pins from @lovelyjubblyfabrics

Two more rounds to go ... I may be some time ....

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 …

Quilting Quandary

 
First off, let me apologise for the appalling quality of photos on my blog at the moment, but I’m down to using my phone, as my camera has decided that it’s a toaster.
 


Been away from the blog, cos I’ve been busy, see*
*in Jimmy Cagney voice
 


I’ve finished the main blocks for my Quilt of Good Intentions, but I veered away from the limited green/grey palette pretty damn quickly and decided to throw in a little more colour.  
 
As I’m intending to have it on my bed I was concerned that I might get bored with the green/grey thing once my crush on it diminishes.  After all, I am pretty fickle and nearly all colours look fab with grey! And I have this little panel (bottom right) from trois miettes at Spoonflower that I’ve been dying to use!
 
 


More importantly perhaps, the point of this quilt is for it to act as a kick start to my inspiration for the year. I thought a touch of paintboxery might be in order.  One day I’ll make a proper one, but this might just spur me on.
 
But here’s the quandary … white or grey?  These were my initial thoughts:

 

I think the white looks pretty fab and very grown up, but then the grey makes it pop more.  (I envisage the  grey version would be as large as the white, with squares of solid colour in the sashing, but I only had the width of fabric to lay the blocks out.) 

 

I've thought about not putting the central panel in if I went with the grey - I could have it on the back with some stacked paintbox coins - that way I get two quilts for one!  … what do you think?
 



My thoughts are to use two layers of batting and hand quilt each side separately with embroidery thread and then whack em together and do some wide straight stitch quilting. 
I’m afraid it’s all Mrs Singer can cope with, so free motion will have to wait until Damiel has his foot pedal replaced, before I embark on that little intention.  

It is another intention to finally use some white this year, which is why I’m thinking the white would be good.  Just not very practical!  The white I have is the most amazing heavy white linen that I picked up at a market for only £1.50 a metre - and it’s 2.5 metres wide!  It would be bliss on a bed.
 
Two hours later: I’m sulking a bit now as Mrs Singer has lost all sense of tension … sheesh, all I did was clean the discs.  How ungrateful can you get!?
 
3 hrs later: fixed it but not looking too consistent … grrr …
 
24hrs later: Back at work today - new students names to remember …  forgetting how to teach … being nerdy with computers … ah the joy of skool!
 
Anyway, please let me know which you think would work better, the white? or the grey?  Panel on the front?  Panel on the back? I’d really appreciate your advice.

As I’ve been making this up as I go along, I wondered if you’d like a tutorial when it’s all over?  Good idea?  Bad idea?

Sunday Evening Bliss

Following a weekend of mega marking and a lovely lunch out today with old friends I haven’t seen in a long, long while, this is where you will find me this evening: 



… snug in my sitting room, finishing off the hand quilting on the Echino Patchwork quilt, listening to a play on the radio, cup of coffee by my side.

Bliss

What was your bliss this weekend?

source unknown

 

 

 

… p.s. click on the pic to enter my giveaway

Sunday Stash - The Yum of Echino Birds Patchwork & Comments Update

 picture from fabricworm

You may have spotted something quite sultry nestling in my stash folding post a couple of days ago …





Well, I could resist no longer - four wonderful FQs of the new Patchwork Birds line arrived from fabricworm in the U.S. (what a great online shop!)

I’ve always worried that Echino colours were a little too sharp, but truth is, the texture and the neutral base of the linen helps to knock the edge off a bit.  Well, I think so anyway.  

There’s something so luxurious about it; a soft rich thickness that just urges you to make something beautiful.  

Feast your eyes on these little beauties … Etsuko Furuya = genius!

I’m sorely tempted just to make them up into napkins - at least that way they’d be seen and used daily - *swoon*

What would you make?

Comments Update: I think (I hope) I've patched the leaky comments link - I'm using Disqus - so let's see how it goes!

I'm going to extend the Melody Miller giveaway until Friday to make up for the missed time -

if you have any problems leaving a comment, please email me using the link on the left.

Many thanks, and enjoy your Sunday!

Regrets, I’ve Had A Few – an occasional series

Yesterday’s Sunday Stash got me thinking about the fabrics that I’ve missed out on altogether because I dithered for so long or because they were unavailable in the UK.

picture from sewtakeahike

Today’s missed boat is Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt   

 

I’ve seen such beautiful pieces made using this fabric, like this wonderful quilt from Rita @ Red Pepper Quilts – go here for more sumptuous detail – 

pictures from red pepper quilts

I really wish I’d been around for it - if only to have it in my stash to stroke and purr over.  Probably never to actually cut into – heh heh heh!

What about you?

Is there a 'Shall-I-Shan't-I?' fabric/collection that was sold out when you finally did mentally commit-to-cart?

One that you still think of with that deep pain of stash-empty regret?

Tell all, do …

Scrappy {Hoop} Swap - sneak peek 2 - {Blogtoberfest #25}

 

… so this is where we left off …

… bit more of a reveal

• The bird is cut from Alexander Henry “Willow Wren” birds
• The branch is cut from Michael Miller “Bird Swing”
• The leaves are the Donkey tails from another Alexander Henry fabric

The “Are we there yet?” is from Michael Miller’s ‘Dysfunctional Family’ 
I thought it reflected our little crafting circle !

Sunday afternoon – no time for a nap!

… finished-ish front

I think my awful embroidery just doesn’t do it justice. The pieces were way too fiddly for my big sausage fingers, and the weave on the linen way too big to be able to take small enough stitches without fraying everything dreadfully. 

… but we said scrappy, right?

I’ll do a full reveal later in the week

It’s growing on me … hope my partner will feel the same way!

I’m not going to jazz up the hoop, I think au naturel goes with the linen

What do you think?  Be honest!

Sunday Stash #5

Some fab Ikea fabric ... Some yummy new binding ... Some brilliant-white canvas.

(for a present, so, dying as I am to show and tell, I can do neither ...!)

Sunday Stash #4

Today's Sunday Stash is all about Japanese linens ... Yum!

These two little beauties come courtesy of my lovely friend Tomomi.  This summer, she and her husband, Dom (who has a great blog here) went back to Yokohama in Japan to complete their marriage celebrations with a traditional wedding.

With all that going on, she still managed to squeeze in a bit of fabric shopping for me!  Now, that's what I call a friend!

... Of course it's much too nice to ever actually cut into and USE! ;)

Tomomi, Dom, and I all work together -  Before I even met Tomo she was famous in our staffroom for the fabulously creative bento lunches that Dom popped open every day, to our drooling delight. 
Tupperware has never been so romantic.

... aren't these pictures a-ma-zing? 



おめでとうございます !

So, thank you Tomomi - for the beautiful fabric and for the kindness :)