1812…

Another top completed…another Scrappy Bargello! These quilt tops are so fun to make that I didn’t stop at one!  You might remember that just after I finished the bargello with larger squares I started a second one with 2” strips.

After completing the centre, which measured 54” square, I felt it needed more so I added a 3” border and then more scrappy strips.  The result…this rather large 69” square quilt top with 1812 individual squares. 

I’m thrilled with it and best of all was the look on my DH’s face when he realized each square was pieced… LOL I think I just confirmed to him that I’m just slightly mad :o)

Until next time....

Mollie Makes Flower

Actually I should title this “Jane Makes Flower” :o)
Sometimes you just have to walk away then then come back to a problem on a new day…preferably a sunny, warm day when one’s mind is clear and ready to function.  You may recall that I wrote how I was stumped by the Free Mollie Makes Crochet Flower that arrived in the post earlier this month and that I was looking for advice on how to understand the pattern.  Thimbleanna was kind enough to have a go and see if she could clarify the pattern.

Well, it seems it even stumped Thimbleanna and that is saying something because Thimbleanna is so clever!  As there were no Youtube videos that could offer help, I took to looking for inspiration on Flickr.  It didn’t take long to find a completed flower that LittlestLass made and the conversation that followed.  There were a couple of us that were still confused and then PurplePolkaDot piped up with the key information,

There was a correction posted on the Mollie Makes blog here:molliemakes.themakingspot.com/blog/mollie-mak es-issue-12-...
Basically once you have done the the first 4 rounds turn it over and work around the outside and then through the backs of the loops towards the centre of the spiral (round 5). Once you get to the middle turn the work and then work towards the outside of the spiral in the stitches you have just made in round 5 (round 6).

AH-A!  Suddenly (ok…maybe not that quick) I got it!  Looks almost like the one in the picture and I’m thrilled.  I have a denim bag covered in pins and brooches so it will live on there looking pretty!

Until next time....

Sew into Solids – Week 3

There is nothing better than a deadline to keep one motivated!  We have had a really busy week, but I was determined I would get to the sewing machine and start piecing my Sew in Solids quilt in time to post an update today.

Rather than overwhelm myself with all the cutting I decided I would get a few strips cut and get sewing.  I was eager to see how the colours would play together.

I’m loving the Kona Ash Grey.  I was worried it would be too cold, but it is turning out to be a fabulous neutral.

So how about you?  How is your Sew into Solids Project progressing?  If you need any more inspiration, pop on over to Katherine's post from last week.  She has posted more inspiring quilts on her blog and I’m sure has something just as inspiring over there for you today.

Until next time....

112 in 2012 (#8)

It has been awhile since I’ve posted any pictures for the 112 in 2012 challenge so here’s one that I caught the other day.  These pansies were planted last year and I left the basket hanging up throughout the winter.  I’m not much of a gardener and was ever so surprised when they popped up all on their own.

 #50 Yellow

Until next time....

A Mishmash of News…

There has been a little of everything in my world this week and I’m throwing all the news in one post.
For starters I have another finish for 2012!   This was started back in 2010 and if you have been reading my blog for that long you might recognize some of the blocks.  The colours are a bit brighter in person and I just love it!

From one finish to a work in progress…

Carolyn recently posted about some blocks she is making in blues and when I commented that they would match my Just Take 2 blocks she kindly offered to send me her scraps.  There are a perfect match!  Thank you Carolyn! :o)

I tackled this block which is one of the latest blocks for the Just Take 2 challenge.  I think I’m happy with it, though it was a pain in the *** to put together!  I began by hand piecing, but then when I got to the tight curves I struggled and didn’t really know what I was doing.  So I resorted back to my favourite method of piec-liqué.  From that point on I knew hand-piecing wasn’t going to work so it became an exercise in trial and error.  In the end I got there, but journey wasn’t fun!

If one squishy package wasn’t enough for one day…look what else came in the post!  The winning bundle of fabric from the Village Haberdashery!  Many thanks to Annie and Susan.  These fabrics are perfect for a mini project that will fit in quite nicely with my Sew into Solids challenge.

Lastly, have any of you tackled the free gift that came with the latest Mollie Makes?

I don’t know how to crochet very well at all, but I managed to get as far as the first set of instructions, and then got stuck.  According to their blog there was an error in the pattern.  I think I’ve corrected it in the right place…but I’m still stuck and can’t work out how to work the spiral surface.  I’ve tried googling and youtubing for a demo, but haven’t found anything.  If anyone can shed a little light (or even some plain English) on the subject I would be very grateful.  Thanks :o)

Until next time....

Fancy a Bundle Challenge?

Katy over at I’m a Ginger Monkey has teamed up with Pink Castle Fabrics to challenge us to dream up our very own 12 fat quarter bundle.  What could be more fun!?  After much deliberation these are my final twelve. 

I call my bundle Handmade for Spring


The fabrics are:
1. Stripe in Tomato - Moda 2. Fly a Kite in Green - Riley Blake 3. Fly a Kite Circle in Teal - Riley Blake 4. City Stripe in Blue and Yellow - Moda 5. Bodega Bay in Pink - Free Spirit 6. Roundabout Dot in Yellow - Moda 7. Simple Dots in Poppy - Moda 8. Gingham in Pink - Riley Blake 9. Fly a Kite Dot in Green - Riley Blake 10. Rain Drops in Rain - Robert Kaufman 11. Basics Solid in Sunshine - Riley Blake 12. Cross Hatch in Green - Andover

Fancy a go yourself?
Here's what you need to do :
Pick a selection of 12 fabrics in Brenda's (Pink Castle Fabric) store (use the etsy shop or website or both), make your mosaic using the mosaic maker at big huge labs and blog about it (or upload your mosaic to flickr). Then go back to Katy’s blog and tell Katy @ Monkey Do that you've done so using the linky tool.

The contest is open until March 31st and the 2 winners will each win their own bundle AND get that very same bundle listed in Brenda's store!  Fun right?!

Until next time....

Sew into Solids – Week 2

I hope you’ve had your thinking caps on this week and are ready to start sharing the things that have inspired you for your Sew into Solids project.  Katherine shared a second inspiring post last Wednesday…click on over if you missed it.

To get things started I thought I’d share the progress that I have made this week.
I did wonder how modern to go with my choice of pattern and in the end I decided that it would be pushing me much further out of my comfort zone than I wanted.  I’m quite a traditional girl at heart so I have decided to go with a traditional pattern but in colours that are perhaps a bit more current.  After seeing this quilt I knew it could work… modern but traditional.

Back in February 2010, Nicole posted about her Toulouse quilt by the Miss Rosie Quilt Company.  Inspired by that post and quilt I thought it would be nice to make my own version of it in solids.

Now that my pattern was chosen it was on to picking colours.  As the pattern has 3 main colours I decided to use this picture and palette that I shared with you last week and focus on 3 main colours. 
They are Kona Rich Red, Kona Delft, and Kona Ash…which is a lovely soft grey and will make a wonderful neutral.  I ordered my fabrics from Simply Solids and The Village Haberdashery, both had easy to order online shops and all the fabrics arrived very quickly in the post.


Using EQ7 I planned out the quilt… The blocks are 15” and the pieced sashing is 3” wide.  With borders it should make a respectable 65” x 85” quilt.  And in keeping with traditional I hope to hand quilt it… but that’s a long way off so really I should worry about that later.

Katherine has posted about her colours and plans too...make sure you visit to see her latest!

So now it’s your turn.  

(I've started us off with a link to this post as an example of what to put...just the name of your blog and then add the link) 

Until next time....

Bargello Finish!

I think this must be my first quilt finished for 2012!  Set as a challenge to use up some scraps, several friends and I set off to make the Scrappy Bargello pattern from Bonnie Hunter.  Me being me, decided to try the pattern in 3 1/2" strips.

As a result, the quilt grew very quickly, but I don't think the visual effect was as good as the others who used 2 1/2" strips..like Lynda and Liz.



Just the same I think it will make a good Linus quilt and I'm sure will bring some warmth and comfort to someone.



As you may remember I have already started a second one in 2" strips and I'm loving the results!  It is currently 54" square, but I've got a plan to make it larger :o)

In other news I have ordered my solid fabric ready for the Sew into Solids challenge.  I can't wait to reveal my plans and colour scheme to you...  I just hope it looks as good in real life as it does in my head! :o)

Until next time....

Sew in Solids - Launch!

Have you every fancied working in solid fabrics but didn't know where to start?  Perhaps you've fancied the challenge, but without the encouragement of others your plans haven't got off the ground.  Well now is your chance to put those plans into action and join Katherine and I on our journey with solids!

A few weeks ago Katherine and I got talking about how we both fancied making a quilt in solids and thought that we could encourage each other during that process.  A few emails later we thought perhaps we should open it up to the blogging community and get a flickr group going too so we could get the inspiration and the encouragement of others which would help our ideas turn into real projects.  From that discussion we came up with "Sew into Solids"

Sew what is "Sew into Solids?"

"Sew into Solids" is a group of like-minded quilters and sewists who want the challenge of sewing a quilt or project in only solid fabrics, but may not know where to start.
The group is meant to inspire you and give you goals so you have continued support and inspiration whilst making your creation. Over the next 6 - 8 weeks (or however long it takes) you can to post any progress either on flickr or on your own blog and join the link-up parties hosted by myself and Katherine. Follow us at your own pace and choose to jump in as you please. We just want this to be fun!

You don't need a blog to join in and you don't need to commit to a whole quilt...it doesn't have to be modern nor does it have to be traditional...any project sewn in all solid fabric is the goal.

Each Monday, Katherine and I will each blog something to inspire you and help you along the way.  To start off this week, Katherine is posting about some of the wonderful projects seen around the web to get you thinking about what you might like to make and I'm going to tell you how you can look for colour inspiration.

Sew let's get started!

Choosing colours for a quilt can be daunting and many of us grab fabric from a designer as often there is variety of patterns and colours within the fabric line...but when you are working with solids it might be difficult to know where to start.  What does look good together?

One of my favourite ways to pick colours is to choose an image I love and then use one of the clever on-line tools to extract the colours in the image.  If you are using Chrome then why not try "Palette for Chrome"?  With a right click of a button it can give you 16, 24 or 32 colours from the image.

Take this image for example...fresh and airy..ready for spring!

Of course there is the Color Palette generator on Big Huge Labs.  Great if you host your images on flickr.

Or maybe you need some inspiration where someone has already picked the picture and the palette..well then Design Seed or Color Trends might be just the thing...

There are lots of ways to approach colour and the way they relate to each other.  Kathy Somers wrote a wonderful article on the relationship between colours that is worth a read and might help you decide what kind of colour scheme you might be after...

I hope you've enjoyed this first post and that some of you might jump in and give this a go.  Here's the code if you would like to spread the news and add a button to your sidebar...

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/sewintosolids/" title="Sew into Solids"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hBe3FmHb5rI/T1iU4lkt9bI/AAAAAAAAF6I/o0_PfHOku9c/s144/sewintosolids%2520buttonsupersmall.jpg" alt="Sew into Solids" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Lastly don't forget to hope on over to Katherine's blog and see her post.

Next Monday check back and either link up your blog post or post a mosaic on flickr sharing what inspired you this week!


***Just found out Susan is having a giveaway of solid fabric sponsored by The Village Haberdashery!  
If you are a U.K. resident pop on over to Susan's blog to enter!***

Until next time....

112 in 2012 (#7)

I have taken 22 pictures in my quest to complete 112 pictures in 2012 and there are exactly 300 days left in 2012...so as long as I take 1 picture every 3 days I should complete the challenge :o)
I hope you like these next 4 pictures...I'm quite pleased with them.

#83 In Your Own Garden

Straight out of the camera and taken with my point and shoot..The cobwebs were amazing in the misty morning!
I took several pictures that morning, but the best were taken with the macro setting on the little camera.



#25 Crockery, China or Pottery

I love this tea cup and saucer set! It was given to me by my m-i-l's neighbour and I have moved it from the U.K. to Canada and back again and it is still in one piece :o)



#29 Leap Day (Any shot to be taken on, or relating to 29th February 2012)

I'm a bit late...but I did finally get a picture taken for the 29th of Feb. I've added a texture to the image which I've never done before, but I think it works...?! ;o)

Apparently in 1288, Scotland supposedly passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to a man. Tradition states they also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine...luckily for my DH he said yes 8 years ago!  I'm sure it worked out cheaper for him this way! LOL



#30 Pink & Green

Tulips with the afternoon sun streaming through.  Spring seems to be on its way!

Until next time....

A Saturday Funny...

When I was a kid the best part about Saturday mornings was the getting hold of the Saturday morning cartoons out of the paper.  Times have moved on and I don't read the paper any more...but I still like to giggle.  Saw this funny this morning and it made me laugh out loud...cats and quilts do some how gravitate to each other...quite literally!

Until next time....