sunday stash # 11

Panda leaf print from Robert Kaufman

Ava fabric from Alexander Henry

I hope you had a great weekend

Isa

Bugshots

This is Dottie Daisy, and she is just the cutest little girl bug.

Christy from sweet tidings sent her to me as part of our bug swap.

This is Caramella. She is afraid of flying so I had to make her a little friend that could hold her hands, when she was sent all the way to the Philippines. I hope you like them Christy.

And because I had so much fun using Rebecca’s bug pattern,

I just had to make another little fellow.

Speaking of Rebecca from Blinking Flights, she is having a Pay It Forward thing going on at her Etsy shop where if you are lucky you can get one of her softies for 50 cent.

I was the lucky buyer yesterday, and I really look forward to be adding Dot to our family.

Take care

Isa

Busy as a bee

Well I haven’t been but the other members of the Euro bee has.

I’ve joined my first bee and was assigned with the first month. I sent out my fabric and instructions just before I went on vacation Saturday before last.

And already there are some amazing blocks popping up in the flickr group. I’m really excited about them, and get butterflies in my stomach every time there is a new pic.

Since we’ve been on vacation I haven’t been doing any sewing, but I brought along some embroidery supplies including patterns from Polka dot bunny. I’m thinking about using them for a fairy tale wall hanging, mixed with Heather Ross far far away,

and other fairytale themed fabric.

When returning from vacation Nicole from polka dot bunny

had sent me this great package filled with great goodies.

Thank you Nicole, it really made it so much better to return to normal life again.

Take care

Isa

one a day rainbow

I finished the one-a-day quilt, and it turned out great. I did a really simple grid pattern, and for the binding I used some of my favorite fabric ever. A. Henry raindrop stripe, in both the light and the dark color way. I think it’s the best quilt I’ve made yet.

About a year ago I made my first quilt which was also a nine-patch. A lot has happened since then, I’ve learned to make a decent binding, to make mitered corners (well.. sort of, they are still a bit tricky), the importance of accurate seam allowance, I’ve “met” so many other great bloggers from whom I’ve gotten so much inspiration and encouragement.

I’ve discovered and developed a love (read addiction) for fabric,

but most important I’ve had so much fun!

I’m so thankful for having stumbled upon the worldwide quilting community. And I look forward to explore, improve and learn more about patchwork, quilting and sewing.

Have a great day.
Isa

I'm in love

I finished the one-a-day nine patch quiltalong top, and I love it.

I think it's going to be favorite quilt.

I sashed it with white 1 inch strips, because I wanted the blocks being close together

in this way the colorway idea seems to be more obvious.

I made long strips from the leftover squares,

and Marie was very helpful in arranging them...

I finished the quilt with another 1 inch white border, but I must have erased it,

because I can't seem to find anywhere on the computer or in the camera.

But it looks great, you'll have to take my word for it :-)

I think I'll quilt in a relative simple grid pattern since I really don't want to ruin it, and sometime simple is better.

And I signed up for a bug softie swap Rebecca from Blinking flights is hosting, I've been admiring her bugs for quite some time and she's been kind enough to make the pattern free for download.

I've been signed up with Christy from Sweet tidings, she said she liked polka dots, and when looking at this sunday stash I should be able to find some dots :-)

And I won a giveaway! Nicole had a great giveaway on her blog polkadotbunny, with some lovely vintage embroidery patterns and some floss and fabric to go with it. Nicole makes some really cute embroidery patterns, wich you can find in her etsy shop. She also has a Flickr group where you can see the patterns all stitched up.

I hope your day have been as good as mine.

Isa

sunday stash # 10 Australian inspiration

This week I’ve wanted to show and recommend two new acquisitions.
They are all written by some extremely talented ladies from down under.

One of the first quilting books I ever bought was “Material obsession” by Kathy Doughty and Sara Fielke. And they are truly some of the most innovating and inspiring quilters out there.

So of course I had to get their new book and it’s just as great and beautiful as the first.

The other book is Melanie Hurlston’s “Kaleidoscope”. Ever since I made the Peanut elephant softie I’ve fallen in love with the patterns from “Melly and me”. And if you are into making softies there are some really cute ones in this book, the Koala bears somehow slipped their way in the basket, but you can’t really stay mad at them for doing so when they are being so cute

I hope you had a great weekend
Isa

Summer reruns

It’s done. The ORBC-quilt is done. It took about nine hours to quilt. I’ve never quilted anything that big or quilted anything that heavily, but I love the result. The texture in this quilt is so great, and it’s hard to stop stroking across it with my fingers. It’s also the first time I tried not to prewash the fabric before piecing it, I think it crinkles better when washing afterwards, but I don’t like the feel and smell of the fabric when sewing and quilting it unwashed, so I think I’m going back to prewashing

After finishing the ORBC quilt, the “on the spot” quilt seemed so easy, and it ran through my sewing machine like a knife trough hot butter.

It’s been such a kick to get some UFO’s out of the way, and I think I’m going to try and get some more WIP’s done. So hopefully there will be more reruns throughout the summer.

Have a nice day
Isa

Sunday stash # 9 for a rainy day

This weeks Sunday stash is April Showers from Alexander Henry in three different color ways.

I just couldn’t resist those little people. They are so cute.
I don’t think I’ve ever used any novelty prints in my quilts, but first times a charm right?
Have a great day
Isa

Copycat

Have you ever seen a quilt and known that you had to copy it?

Well I have, many times. But this time it came out of the blue…

I’ve had a bunch of blue Kaffe Fasset prints in my stash for a long time, it was some of the first fabric I bought online (Boy, a lot of water have been running under the bridge since then!) and I had planned to use them for a lady in the lake quilt. But then I saw this quilt, Rita from redpepperquilt made a while ago, and I just loved how the cotton/linen blend made the printed fabric light up. So I decided to make a very similar one.

I never tried to make a quilt with linen, so I was a bit anxious to use it.

It’s not a favourite, but it sure isn’t the last time I use linen.

I made this quilt for my sister and her husband a couple of weeks ago,

but I haven’t gotten around to posting about it before now.

Otherwise sewing and bloggin has been a little slow, I think maybe because of the heat.
And because Marie is teething again (who needs more than two teeth anyway?)
I’m not finished quilting my snippets quilt from the ORBC quilt along,
but I’m getting closer.

Have a nice day
Isa

Quilting along

I’ve started quilting the ORBC quiltalong quilt,

and it’s slowly coming along, I’m ¼ of the way.

There’s still at least 6 hours quilting left,

and I decided not to work on anything else before this is done.

But with a million or so degrees outside,

leaving us all hot and sweaty,

I don’t think it will be finished before sometimes next week.

I’m quilting in “wonky” straight lines, with random spacing

and in alternating directions.

I think it enhances the pattern in a good way,

and give the quilt a great texture.

I hope you have a great day.

Isa