Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2013

Well after the week I've had, I wasn't sure I'd get to enter the fun and games over at Amy's...

But I hate missing out, so here I am!

Since the Spring Festival I have had a lot of finishes, but it came down to a choice of two...

or...

Gah!  So hard to choose.  BUT then I spotted in the small print that you can enter two, so I will enter one today and the other tomorrow, as I am not getting much done right now, and what the heck!

Firstly I went with my Liberty Marcelle Medallion, entering it in the Scrappy Quilt category; purely for the amount of work, piecing and fabrics that went into this one.  I had never made anything as complex before and stuck to a pattern, and I love the sense of achievement it has given me...

I love this quilt so, so much.  And the fact that I managed to get the lovely photoshoot over at my parents' means that it's only fair it gets another airing on my blog.

The Details:
Pattern - Marcelle Medallion by Alexia Abegg from the book Liberty Love
Fabrics - lots and lots of Liberty lawn, and Liberty Lifestyle mixed with complimentary prints and low volume scraps
Finished - 57"x 57"
Pieced and quilted - 50wt Aurifil in 2021
Quilted - continuous spiral from the centre
Backed - IKEA Britten Nummer and more Liberty

If you are visiting for the first time, hello, welcome and please do have a look about and come back again tomorrow.  I do make a lot of stuff, usually!

Picky...

You all know the score.  The evening before you head off on holiday, and you have to be up at about 2am, all the bags are packed, spare keys hidden, fridge emptied and time to relax, then you decide you need to make a new iPad cover, because you just have to!  Right?

Well I did.

I had been eyeing two different patterns, Ayumi's from Patchwork Please! and Alexia's from Liberty Love.

I plumped for a mix, the Liberty and Echino combo of Alexia's, and Ayumi's pattern, minus the accessories pocket.

I stitched up a storm until I had the binding attached and ready for finishing.  Gah!

I had used my walking foot to do everything, so although the binding looked great on the outside, when it came to stitching it down, the wider than necessary seam meant the mitred corners were horrendous and I had to pull it quite tight to cover all the raw edges.  The clock was ticking, so I persevered.

It looked OK, but it didn't look great...

As it turned out, I didn't even get my iPad out of the case the whole time we were away, but it niggled me nonetheless.

So on the night we got home I unpicked the binding, trimmed the whole case down by 1/4" all round, as it was a little on the large size too, then re-attached and re-finished the binding.

I had to use a straight seam to join the ends as I had previously cut them on the bias; it was making my head hurt to try and re-cut to the right length, but I am more than fine with the outcome...

So now I am a happy bunny.

Looking at the After picture above, it still looks wonky as I'd just plonked it on the floor, but in reality, it is all good!

The pattern was easy to follow, and really quick to put together, even with all the quilting.  I will make more in the future no doubt as it is not a fabric-hungry pattern, and I am all about the co-ordinating tech!

Da da daaaaah!

There's nothing like a visit to my parents' and a potential pretty photo shoot to get me to put the pedal to the metal and get things done.

My Marcelle Medallion has been a long time coming since the top was completed, very out of character, but I wanted the quilting and backing to be perfect.  I think I sussed it.  I love this quilt...

OK, I took loads of photos, and here they are!!

The Full Details:

Pattern - Marcelle Medallion from Liberty Love by Alexia Marcelle Abegg
Top - mix of Liberty and other high & low prints, mostly from here, here, here and here
Back - IKEA print plus Liberty and low volume charms
Binding - Tula Pink - Prince Charming Fern, in Indigo
Pieced & Quilted - Aurifil 50wt 2021
Spiral quilting from the centre out
Finished size c. 57" square

You don't need to hear me rave on and on, but I have to say this is the quilt I am most proud of; that I didn't rush for the sake of a finish (and a FAL tick), and that has cemented my love for Liberty completely! 

Show & Tell

I have a stinking headache, so I am going to give you some quick show and tell!

The show...

I have turned all that prep from the other day into the simple pouch for Danny...

I used the Elizabeth Hartman perfect zipper tabs method, and oh boy I am impressed!

I have also made my swap items for Fat Quarterly Retreat...

There are four Liberty Love Pincushions, but don't be fooled, I may not be in a group of five, four just look way better then three.

I got these all finished up in the sun today; I think it may have gone to my head, so hopefully a good night's sleep and some aftersun will ease me into tomorrow!

The tell...

I am linking up again this year with my friend Jennifer for the Modern Mini Challenge that has started today. 

I'll let Jennifer explain...

"The Modern Mini Challenge is a call to challenge yourself. Try something new: a new technique, a new pattern, a new thread, etc and make a mini quilt.

A mini quilt makes it possible and oh-so-doable!

What's a mini quilt? It's a mug rug, a pillow, a wall hanging, a table topper... you get the idea!

Check out the AMAZING minis in last year's contest! There were over 200 awesome entries! 

You don't have to be an experienced sewist to enter! Don't let your lack of experience keep you from joining in! I want this event to be fun, encouraging and inspiring- just go for it! Believe in your ability and go CREATE!! 

Go be AWESOME!!

Speaking of awesome, there will be fabulous prizes available just for entering! So try your best, pick something fun to create that speaks to you and get sewing. 

The details:
You can enter any mini quilt that you've made within the past 6 months. Remember, a mini quilt can be a mug rug, a mini quilt, a pillow, a table topper, etc. Only one entry per person. 

Size requirements: must be at least 6" x 6" and no bigger than 24" x 24". 
You can enter a mini quilt made from your own design or from a pattern. Please give credit to the pattern designer in your description. 

Need some inspiration? Never fear. I've got that covered! There's a snazzy group of quilters ready to share some of their creations to show just how fun a mini can be. The Modern Mini Blog Hop kicks off June 5!

June 5: Ellison Lane
June 6: Happy Quilting
June 7: Swim, Bike, Quilt 
June 8: Craft Buds
June 9: From the Blue Chair and Sewing Under the Rainbow 
June 10: The Sewing Chick
June 11: Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle and Fresh Lemons Quilts 

Starting June 12, you'll be able to link up your entry at Ellison Lane. You'll have until 5:00 PM EST on June 16 to add your mini quilt. Link from your blog (a NEW post please), your Flickr account or your Threadbias account. Remember, you don't have to have a blog to enter! 

PRIZES! Did she say prizes? For sure! Check out these amazing goodies up for grabs: 

$125 Gift Certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop

$75 Gift Certificate to the Intrepid Thread

$50 Gift Pack of Pellon Products

$50 Box of Coats and Clark Threads

(2) $50 prize packs of Dritz sewing products

$25 Gift Certificate to Christa Quilts

A Bundle of Marblehead fabrics from Fabri-Quilt

The $125 Gift Certificate winner will be chosen by my husband- his is the Wild Card Choice! The other prizes will be awarded by random draw.

So what are you waiting for? Get excited, get creative and get sewing. Challenge yourself and go make something great!
xo,
Jennifer"

So what are you waiting for?  Time to turn some big ideas into compact beauties xxx

Groundwork and smiles!

This afternoon, I took advantage of our dear exhausted Cub's decision not to go swimming, I really didn't try to talk him round.  I flopped out in the sun with my bag of Liberty charms and scraps; which incidentally is a little Liberty bag I received at last year's Retreat from Mandy in the sample swap, and I pulled all the reds, pinks and blues to make my swapsies for this year.

I am going to make pincushions from Liberty Love, like the one I made before which was won by Trudi...

I have since cut all the pieces, so I am all set for the fun sewing bit.

I also cut the panels for a pouch that I am sending over to Danny for this year's Teen Reach Adventure Camp appeal.  If you would like to whip up a simple zipper pouch, drawstring bag or pillowcase for kids in the US Foster care system, take a look and please sign up.

And after all that prep, I checked my emails, only to have my day get even better by a surprise from Liberty to say I was selected as one of five winners to receive a FQ bundle after May's Instagram competition; I'm beaming!!

So now I am all set for a sewing session tomorrow, and with the prospect of more Liberty sessions to come in the mail.  And all this on my first day back at work!!

I'd like to say I hope your Monday was as good as mine, but really, you would have had to of won the lottery or something!

Liberty, Liberty, Liberty!

Well I have had a Liberty-fuelled day.

Kids at school, hubby packed off to the office, (albeit he only made it until lunchtime), and I got down to it.

First I finished off my Marcelle Medallion quilt top.

I. Love. It!  Simple as.  I had a grand plan, lots of Liberty and not a lot of red, pure white or orange.   And it worked!

I took lots of photos...

Then I took some more...

Then the postman turned up with a couple of envelopes containing some more beautiful Liberty...

I knew Ali of Very Berry Handmade had the Eloise print I was after to finish my Retreat name tag, so I ordered what I needed, and maybe a little more fell into the basket, (well Ali does a mini-bundle deal on 3 pieces, so why buy 1 when you can buy 3, or something like that; and super lovely friend that she is, I also received an Only Ditzies Please! scrap bag, which I must say is a complete super bargain at £3, and with all those beautiful teeny prints, is perfect for smaller projects... I am thinking my Retreat goody-swap partners may be seeing these again!  Watch this space.

So with time to myself, I bound my partner's name tag, and made a blue Essex Linen lanyard; and then hand finished the back whilst catching up with a recorded EastEnders that I missed whilst on the Cub run!  (Hold a grudge, moi?).

I now have the dilemma of how to quilt my Marcelle Medallion, but I am surrounded by beautiful things, so I think I can cope with that!

Grazie Mille!

Do you see what I see?

How the heck I have managed to get to one thousand posts is completely beyond me.

OK, so to some it may feel like it's way more already, but to each and every one of you who has taken the time to pop by, read my ramblings, once, twice, maybe 1000 times, you make my day brighter, thank you so, so much!

To show my appreciation, it's only fair to have a little follower GIVEAWAY don't you think!?

On Sunday I instagrammed and posted this sneaky peak...

Which turned into this...

I think it is possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever made!!  I love it, I really would love to keep it, and I think that's why I should give it away.  Giving away something that I don't really want, isn't quite the point is it?

Just in case you missed my Le Challenge post; this is made using the Liberty charm off-cuts from my Marcelle Medallion quilt, and is another gorgeous pattern from Alexia's beautiful book.  It is a substantial 6" square, made of Liberty lawn and a little Lifestyle, pieced with Aurifil 50wt 2021 and backed with natural Essex Linen.  I even did ric-rac, and it worked!  It is looking a little less luminous than it is in real life - it was so sunny, so no complaining!

So what do you need to do, other than not being a No-Reply Blogger?  (Well, OK, you can be, as long as you put your email address in your comment, please!).

One comment only, (extras will be deleted), no hoops, simply tell me:

What is the most beautiful item you have ever made?

I will use Random.org to pick a winner at 8pm British Summer Time on Friday 19th April; open internationally and as ever with giveaways, I probably won't be responding to individual comments, sorry.

Good luck and thank you, my wonderful friends xxx

*** The Giveaway is now closed ***

Oooh Le Challenge!

Entries into this month's Le Challenge have been popping up today, and I have been pondering what to enter, because, looking back over the past month, pretty much all my makes have been of a geometric persuasion! 

I think my Orbit quilt is a prime example of all things square; my beach bag is hexagon heaven, and my first few Marcelle Medallion borders have incorporated more equilateral triangles than I had ever attempted before.  Today though, I made what has to be my most favourite, instantly gratifying, mini project, ever!

Now I can only, well, will only, be showing you this in progress photo for today, but it is finished, I promise you, (I have been smiling and squidging it since lunchtime).  I am leaving the grand reveal until Tuesday, before 10am so as not to fall foul of those strict Le Challenge rules, so you might want to come back for that one, just saying!

I love a (non-wonky) log cabin, and a Liberty one to boot?  Well it doesn't get much better than that does it?!!

Whilst I was cutting all those Medallion pieces yesterday, I couldn't stop thinking about using all those charm off-cuts, and before I had even got showered this morning, I was pulling the prints and planning this little beauty.

With a little diversion of the park and Tesco variety, and then lunch, I was all done by 2pm; just in time to have a sit outside in the sun... until an inevitable rain-shower!

***Edited to add - if you click here you can see it in its full beauty and maybe even win it!!!***

Lucy and Nat's joint online baby is looking like it will grow into a smashing credit to them both; have you linked up this month?  I'm looking forward to next month's challenge already.

So that's the Easter holidays over and done with too; a pretty miserable fortnight really, but that seems to have been the same for most of the UK, so we'll just put it down the never-ending winter of 2013 and move on!

Tomorrow I will be posting my Stitch Tease reveal; I don't want to giveaway what I am up to on Tuesday, but please keep coming back, it's going to be a busy week xxx

Liberty Belle...

(OK, I watched National Treasure again, for the millionth time recently, so blame Nicolas Cage for that one!).

Anyway, I have been threatening to show you my Marcelle Medallion progress for ages, so here you go...

For anyone who doesn't already have the book,  Liberty Love is so full of beautiful things, and the Marcelle Medallion is only the tip of the iceberg.  I loved seeing all the beautiful quilts appearing on instagram, and knew I would start as soon as my Orbit and Brit Bee quilts were complete.  I am nothing, if not, a sheep!

I already had some old skool Liberty scraps and F8ths from Jo and Ali, and some Lifestyle yardage more recently from Pink Castle, but really wanted to supplement these with lots and lots more!  So I hit eBay and discovered my dream charm shop!

Frey is one of those sellers who likes to email you straight away to say they will be mailing tomorrow, thanks you for your business, pops a couple of extra charms in and packages up your treasures like super pretty birthday presents...

Yes, including some Grayson Perry!

I am so impressed, if you want a really lovely selection of prints, be quick, because in the few days since I ordered, loads have sold; and I am not surprised, with such great service and prices they will be gone.  Oh and once you have bought 10 packs, you can trade in your 'thank you cards' for a free pack!!  Please know I am saying all this purely as a satisfied customer and for the warm and fuzzies of sharing the love.

Edited to add:  If you go to Frey's etsyshop, and send a Convo (contatc) mentioning that you are one of my blog followers, you will be sent a discount code;  now you have no excuse!

So having spent a disproportionate part of yesterday evening playing with said charms, I have now whittled down my fabric selections and cut many many small prices, not all mind, but enough to make a start, and it is making me smile, a lot!

This evening I started on my triangle border,  and two are now sewn together.  These are going to be slow-going, requiring thought and accuracy which I usually forego in the name of speed!  But not this time folks, I am going to try and do justice to the fabrics!  One for the FAL for sure.

Talking of good ones, today was another sunny, fine and fun one.

Sadly hubby retired to bed for the day, so I took the kids out to Pulborough Brooks, an RSPB reserve up the road.  We took a 2 mile stroll, saw an adder coiled in the sun, completed a nature quiz, (how come there is 3G access in the middle of nowhere and none at home?  I couldn't remember what animal lives in a holt and had to find out, for the kids' sake, honest!).  We had lunch in the sun and then I just sat back and relaxed whilst they ran about for a couple of hours in the adventure playground...

So here endeth a great weekend, which is a bit of a shame really.  Not holding out hopes of a sunny second week of the holidays, but more sewing time is looking likely, so not all bad.

Right, getting the rest of my Q2 FAL list out into the public domain is next on the cards.