Orange Peel Cushion Tutorial

Well, today is a very exciting day, as I'm guest blogger over at Simply Solids. I've never been a guest blogger before!!

Justine from Simply Solids sent me a lovely selection of fabrics and I came up with this cushion idea.

It's very easy to make. The orange peel shape leaves are machine appliquéd onto the cushion front, so no curved piecing involved! and it has an envelope back so no zips either!

Do pop over to Simply Solids blog to see the full post. 

You can also download the PDF with full instructions, orange peel template and photo tutorial here

It's a perfect size for using outdoors now the spring-like weather has arrived (along with a good book and a cup of tea, of course!) and as Justine so rightly says - it would make a great Mother's day gift.

A Little Paper Piecing

Much as I have really wanted to start some dressmaking with the fabrics I bought and showed you last week, I've been really good and finished off some other projects first.

I have been making paper-pieced birds.

It had seemed such a nice idea at the time, but I had forgotten how long paper piecing takes to do.
Both these birds are from patterns I bought on Craftsy. The songbird in the top photo and the one below, is from the very talented Kristy who blogs at Quiet Play You can find the patterns here and here

I made each pattern twice, one facing each way, and I'm really rather pleased with them! I did question my sanity when I embarked upon that tiny section with the beak in it, but it was actually a lot easier than I imagined. 

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with paper piecing. I love the precision of it all, and I love the process. You know it's going to work so you just sit back and enjoy it, but patterns as detailed as these can mean there is a lot of bulk at the back of some of the seams, and the back of the work just looks so untidy! And it always takes so much longer than regular piecing,…... which I always forget when I start it! I do think they were worth the time though, don't you? 

Once I'd finished them I embroidered a little eye on each bird.

Project done!

Springing into Action

Yes, all that gorgeous cherry blossom is in my garden. It's been in flower for the last week - Spring has definitely arrived!
Suddenly, there is so much to do.
I've swapped these

for these

I've been sowing (not sewing!)……..lots of seeds

Sweet peas are a must have flower in my garden each year, soI've been soaking seeds I saved from last years's flowers

and planting them in tall "pots" made from newspaper.

I've been buying potatoes tubers 

and moving the salad leaves that were in the greenhouse all winter to an outside spot.

It's so nice to see the garden swathed in sunshine.
I haven't completely forgotten my sewing though. I've made the quarter square triangles for my quilt.

And guess what! I bought an adjustable dressmaking model !

Sorry about the photo bombing by the cat…..she's yet to learn that life doesn't always revolve around her!
I have wanted one of these for so long, and as making more of my own clothes was one of my New Year resolutions, I decided now was the time to take the plunge. It was quite a long process adjusting it to my measurements, and it still doesn't accurately emulate my really short waist, but I'm hoping it will be a lot of help in getting an accurate fit.
Of course, once I had the model, I needed to buy some fabric to make some clothes with. I took a trip to Leamington Spa as there was supposed to be a very good fabric store there.Well, all I can say is, I was very disappointed. I stopped and bought some lunch and googled fabric shops on my phone. There were 2 more fabric shops in Leamington, so I went off exploring, and I'm so glad I did, as I found this little gem.

and I was thrilled. It has lots of nicely labelled fabric on easily accessible shelves. It has patterns to browse, all the needles, zips etc you could want, and the most friendly and knowledgeable staff I have ever come across. I will be going back!!

I bought some cotton jersey for T shirts and  tops

and some dress fabric.

I'm so thrilled with that top one. I didn't see it until the last minute when I was actually at the counter about to pay. It just happened to have a pink in it that I knew instantly would be a perfect match for a jacket I have.

As soon as I got home I draped it on my dress from, with the jacket on top.

See how good that match is?

I have a wedding to go to in May, and if I can just make a dress, that fits…., that I like……… then that wedding will be sorted!

It's a good job I got all those seeds sOwn, because I think it's back to the sEwing  now!

Block Buster Sunday #5 The X Block

The block I've been playing with today is nice and easy, and I've even allowed for trimming the quarter square units in my fabric measurements, so you don't even have to be that accurate whilst making them….. perfect for a quiet Sunday.
And yes, I've chosen some VERY pink fabric. Well, to be honest, it's not only quiet round here, it's also wet and very grey, so I had to bring some brightness into the day somehow!!
I've made a 12" block, as I have plans for this little baby, but as usual I've provided cutting instructions for other sizes too. Note that the cutting instructions are for TWO blocks, so you don't have any wastage

For two 6" finished blocks you need:

6     3 1/2" squares of  fabric A

6     3 1/2" squares of  fabric B

8     2 1/2" squares of  fabric C

For two 9" finished blocks you need:

6     4 1/2" squares of  fabric A

6     4 1/2" squares of  fabric B

8     3 1/2" squares of  fabric C

For two 12" finished blocks you need:

6     5 1/2" squares of  fabric A

6     5 1/2" squares of  fabric B

8     4 1/2" squares of  fabric C

    

Pair each colour A square with a colour B square.Place one on top of the other, right sides together and draw a diagonal line from one corner o the opposite corner. Sew a seam 1/4" away from the drawn line on either side.

Rotary cut along the pencil line to create 2 half square triangle units.

Press open with the seam allowance pressed to the dark side.

Place the 2 half square triangle units right sides together so that the dark right side of one is facing the light right side of the other. Draw a diagonal pencil line as you did before.
Sew 1/4" away from the line on either side.

Cut along the pencil line.

Press each unit open.

Trim each unit to the same size as the colour C squares. For accurate trimming make sure that the diagonal like on your ruler is aligned with the diagonal seam on your unit.

Lay out the sections of your block as shown.

Sew the pieces in each row together.

Press seams towards Fabric C

Sew the rows together to complete the block.

I hope you liked my choice of block for today.

I'm going to make a baby quilt using this block and I deliberately chose solids as I want to practice some free motion quilting on this design.

What fabric would you choose to make this block?

Bunting for Baby Connie

Ten days ago a very precious baby was born into our family - Connie Hope. Her heart had not grown properly and her young parents knew there was a long road ahead of them. Despite being shifted from one hospital to another, and waiting a long time for the first operation, this little girl had her first major heart surgery yesterday, and all went as planned.

As soon as she was born, I set to work making some bunting for her. I pulled all my favourite organic fabrics and chose the colours I knew her Mum and Dad would love. Fortunately, when I saw them at Christmas, they had told me the colours of the nursery, so I knew which ones to pick. I didn't have the right organic solid for the lettering, so I had to choose some Sketch that went well. A little disappointing for me, I would have loved it to be entirely organic, but that will be the very last thing on their minds right now!

I had a fun day cutting and fusing the letters.

Sewing them in place with a zig zag stitch

and adding the tape.

I made two separate strings as Constance is so much longer than Hope, and it just wouldn't balance well if I joined it all together.

I also made the strings ridiculously long !!

They will spend the next month in a guest room provided by the hospital, whilst little Connie recovers in intensive care. I'm guessing it's not a very homely looking place, so this is something to brighten the room and remind them that she is not far away. When they get home, they can shorten the ties to suit wherever they hang it.

This little girl still has a long road ahead of her, but hopefully I'm going to be able to make a lot more items for her in the future.

I have a tutorial for making the bunting here

Quilted Heart Cushion Tutorial

Right on cue for Valentine's Day, I have a quilted cushion to show you. This was great fun to make and brightened up my sewing room no end. With the radio on and this bright fabric by my side I almost managed to ignore the storms that brought lashing rain and wind howling round the house last night.

I've used the same heart block that I showed you in my last Block Buster Sunday  post and have given it an envelope style back complete with a little border made from the offcuts of the heart blocks.

Just incase you want to make one too, I've written a tutorial for it:

To make one cushion you will need:

Scraps of 6 different printed fabrics for the heart blocks

1/8th yard background fabric for the heart blocks. (I used Kona Snow)

4 1/2" x Width of fabric (WOF) for the grey sashing (I used Kona Ash)

5" x WOF for the red border

19" square of wadding

19" square of backing for the wadding (optional)

3/4 yard fabric for the cushion back.

Follow the instructions here to make four 6" scrappy heart blocks, but when you come to the trimming of the corner pieces, instead of trimming after sewing from corner to corner, sew another line 1/2" further out than the first first. 

Cut between the two lines of sewing. Repeat for the other side of the block. Store these little off-cut pieces safely. They are 8 tiny half square triangle blocks and we are going to use them on the back of the cushion. Yay!  a good way to use up those scraps!

 Cut three 1 1/2" wide WOF strips from the light grey fabric.
Use these to sash the blocks, first horizontally

Then vertically

Cut two 2 1/2" wide x WOF strips of the outer border fabric and create a border all round the cushion front.

I make a proper quilt sandwich at this stage, placing a 19" square of lining fabric down first, then the wadding and then the cushion front on top and baste with pins in the normal way.

I think the lining fabric protects the wadding and makes it easier to take the cover off and on again when you want to wash it, but its fine to just use the cushion front and wadding if you prefer.

Quilt the top in the normal way. I quilted diagonal lines 1"apart.

Trim the cushion front to 19" square.

Take the little off cut half square triangle units and trim the to 2 1/2"square. 

Join together in one long strip and add a 2 1/2"square of border fabric to either end.

Cut 3 rectangles from your background fabric:

1.  25" x 19"

2.  19" x 14"

3.  19" 9 1/2"

Centre and pin the offcuts border to the long edge of the 19" x 9 1/2" rectangle.

Attach and press open.

Join the 19" x 14" rectangle to the opposite edge.

Fold in half and press.

Top stitch on either side of the border.

Place the right side of the piece you have just completed against the right side of the cushion front, so that the raw edge is level with the top edge of the cushion front with the back border towards the middle.

Take the final rectangle of backing fabric and fold in half and press so that it measures 19" x 12 1/2".

Place on top of the other section so that the raw edges of the back piece are level with the base of the quilted front (folded edge towards the centre).

Pin all layers in place.

Sew around all four edges with a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim the corners.

Turn the cushion cover the right way out through the envelope opening.

Fill with a cushion, snuggle up and enjoy !!

It is Valentine's Day after all :-)