Monday 5 August 2013

Patchwork Please! Zakka Along 2 : Swedish Bloom Quilt

Welcome to week 10 of the Patchwork Please Zakka Along 2 hosted by Lindsey and Debbie.  I was so thrilled when Ayumi told me she was finally writing a book and even more excited when I got a copy of Patchwork Please!  I felt so proud of her and her huge accomplishment of creating a book where every project is a delight.  It is packed full of projects with a little bit of everything- applique, paper piecing, quilting, small projects, big projects- I chose the biggest, Swedish Bloom Time lap quilt, it was love at first sight.  
A project this size with paper piecing as the main design needs a little organisation.  I printed out my foundation templates first- I use a scanner to transfer the pattern from the book.  It does use a lot of paper but the cheapest thinnest paper makes the best foundation patterns so don't use your best printer paper.  I was systematic in my process.  I picked out a colour combination for each flower looking for contrast and harmony.  I made plastic templates of each separate piece of the petals and leaves and drew round them on the reverse of the fabric with Sewline pencil and cut 1/2" seam allowance all round.  I worked on 4 petals at a time so I could sort out directional prints and laid all the pieces out before I sewed anything.  This method means you use a less fabric, allows you to fussy cut a little and keeps all the pieces on the grain.   I used just over a yard of background for the flower/leaf blocks rather than 2 yards.   Each flower took around 2  to 3 hours to assemble from beginning to end.  
If you are a beginner at paper piecing, using non directional prints or solids makes this process a lot easier- no need to worry about getting things upside down- (read about directional prints here).  I also  creased all the seam lines on the foundation paper pattern  using a Hera tool as this makes the process of flipping the paper back and forth for each seam easier for me.  I pressedand trimmed all the seams to 1/4" as I sew. You can find paper piecing tutorials here.  The same process is applied to the leaves- I did a 9 of these in one session so I started to pre-cut the pieces in bulk and create an assembly line.
The template method has some big advantages.  The pencil marks on the reverse help lining up the pieces.  You can see how I aligned piece 3 on the petal.
This is especially useful when adding diagonal pieces.  The pencilled corners give precise points- in the pic below I am adding one of the background corner sections- the pencil corner aligns with the edge of the paper, then I know the fabric will fit without being too small.
When it came to sashing, I got a little confused with the different strip measurement so I went my own way with it.   I stuck to the same widths but I cut my lengths differently and assembled in a different order.  My outer columns and top/bottom strips ended up 1/2" longer than those in the book which may have been trhough my strip construction but it is worth checking your measurements, especially the lengths before you cut the sashing. There is room to be creative and play around with the layout- add more leaves, take leaves away.  Just a single bloom would make a great pillow/cushion or mini quilt, or the design could be shrunk down for mini blooms, they would look great all in a row!
The border was 5" pieces, mainly a the remains of a Posy layer cake with a few extras added.
I kept the quilting simple.  There was a lot going on with the flowers and so I did a little colour matching with these fantastic variegated 50wt threads from Aurifil- this selection is chosen by Tula Pink and the colours were a great match.  The quilting is mainly echo quilting on petals and leaves with parallel lines round the quilt border.
I did get a little fancy in each flower centre.  Free motion quilting does not come easy to me so these were stitched with a pencil line to guide me, lets just say they are organic in design!
 I used Amy Butler Full Moon dots for the binding with a little Riley Blake Mind's Eye  'Lost and Found' coral dot on one corner and Rita's trusty sewing machine binding tutorial, plus glue basting- it  produces perfect corners!  Clover wonder clips are a boon for this, essential for the gluing.  The backing is a cotton unused vintage sheet.
I used my favourite batting of the moment, Quilter's  Dream  Blend.  This has a little more loft (only a little, it is still very flat) than the 100% cotton Quilter's Dream Natural Request so it makes for a little softer, cuddlier quilt plus the touch of poly makes it lighter and quicker to dry.  It is a very stable batting that holds its shape whilst cutting and making the quilt sandwich and it can be stitched far apart.  
The only thing to watch out for is not to get a hot iron near it.  I was trying to fix a nick in the border by pressing a little fusible interfacing underneath the fabric  but my iron was too hot  and ended up scorching the fabric and the batting went a little hard and flat underneath.  I had to hand piece a new section of fabric and  batting.  All was hidden in the quilting but it did give me a little flutter at the time.
The quilt is with its new recipient, my daughter.  She is most happy!
Now time for some giveaway goodies, generously donated by some of the sponsors involved in the the sew-along,  Form and Fabric and Aurfil.    
  • 1 person will win Form and Fabric fat 8th pack in green prints plus a great sticker plus Aurifil sample pack, further 3 people win Aurifil sample packs. 
  •  I can post anywhere so international entries are welcome but you must have an email address that I can contact you on in your profile/comment.  
  • I always find giveaways where you recommend me something are great to read and really helpful- please recommend: a great book- audio/fiction/whatever, or great music- track, artist- whatever and if all else fails recommend me something totally random!
Leave one comment with your recommendation!
Random winners chosen 12th August
Don't forget to visit Lindsey's blog where she has a Zakka Along 2 linkup details and  prizes provided by the generous sponsors. 

134 comments:

  1. Totally random you say!
    It's still early evening Sunday in Hawaii so it is usually quiet here since we are in such a different time zone. And these weather maps that show all the tropical storms/hurricanes forming in the Pacific off the coast of Mexico are really scary! How's that for random?

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  2. I'm going to go random-ish - I love putting a DVD on when I'm stitching, and since I like to stitch a lot I prefer TV series that run for a LOOOONG time. My current fave is The West Wing (US politics sounds boring but totally is not) and when I'm finished that I might go back and watch the Gilmore Girls (wittiest TV show you've never watched) for about the 5th time. Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous!

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  3. Something to recommend...... Or something totally random. Weeeeellll, I can whole heartedly recommend listening to Blurred Lines by Robin Thick . I love that song! I cannot, however, recommend it for quilting. As you WILL be dancing like crazy. So, for security, I will add something completely random. A question for you. What do you do with orphan blocks? Do you give them away, work them into a quilt or just let them gather dust?

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  4. Hi Kerry! That is the most sweet quilt! So beautiful and those fabrics and colours are perfect for flowers! You made me want to do flowers!
    Faith from www.freshlemonsquilts.com has fantastic give aways and if you get www.hawthornethreads.com newsletter, they have every time lovely give away! x Teje
    nerospost(at)gmail(dot)com

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  5. Thanks for such a great giveaway. I love this book and it doesn't disappoint - lovely ideas and projects. I shall recommend another cute zakka style book that I just received as well (I'm a sucker for quilting/sewing books!) called Zakka Handmades by Amy Morinaka. Love this one as well. Sometimes it's hard to find time to sew, but a book you can take around with you and sneak moments here and there!
    therese.aiken@gmail.com

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  6. This quilt is total and utterperfection. Xxx

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  7. Beautiful quilt Kerry and I love the way your vintage sheet and the flowers echo each other. Something random: my 21 year old son was very bored, so I got him to help me make supper. He made the spinach pasties ( first time he'd ever done anything like it!) and I made the ratatouille using some of our home grown veg while listening to ( very cheesy I know) Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. We were both dancing round the kitchen

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  8. Oh, it looks gorgeous! And surprisingly different from the original. I love seeing how different the same pattern can look made by someone else. I am slightly ashamed of my current book addiction (I listen to audiobooks constantly during the day). The Dresden files. Typical american detective novels, but about a wizard detective. Classy or what? I am onto book 9 already.

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  9. Fantastic quilt and I really like the photos - very interesting setting. I've just finished reading Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty - absorbing and compelling

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  10. I love the quilt. In particular, I love the fabric that you chose for the binding. I just spent the weekend listening to great blues music, so I have to recommend one of my favorite blues musician - Del Ray.

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  11. Wow! It's absolutely stunning Kerry! I will have to recommend my all time favourite author Guy Gavriel Kay - all his books are brilliant. I'm currently re-reading the Summer Tree trilogy for the billionth time :o)

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  12. I'll recommend a book, Loves Executioner by Irvin Yalom. It's an non fiction book about some of his therapy patients but its really moving an honest about both them and him as a therapist. In essence it's about people.

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  13. Love your new quilt, it was certainly worth all the hard work!
    I'm going to recommend the new BBC drama the White Queen, bout sure if its hit the USA yet but we're getting near the end of the series and its getting very exiting! (although as its historical wee know what's going to happen!)

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  14. I totally love this quilt and all projects in that book! and yours Kerry looks particularly A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!! Regarding books, the one that I loooooove is "The Shadow of the Wind" by the Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon - it has around 600 pages but read it over a weekend

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  15. My favourite author is Matt Ruff, all his books are amazing, funny and original. His first novel "Fool on the hill" is still my favourite book. Thanks!

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  16. It's freezing in Australia - perfect Patchwork Please sewing weather. I love the quilt - a lot of work - will stick to one for a pillow as suggested. My favourite magazine is Patchwork Tsushin - Japanese - very inspiring. Available for subscription.

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  17. Your quilt is gorgeous! And such clear instructions for paper piecing! If only I didn't have so many projects on-the-go! Now for some randomness, have you seen the movie The Way, Way Back? A nice little 'coming-of-age' movie with Sam ROckwell- love Sam Rockwell!

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  18. What a beautiful quilt. I can recommend sitting in the garden with a glass of wine, an audio book and hexies! But not today- its tipping down,

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  19. Love your quilt! It turned out awesome :)
    I love to sew to 80's rock! Try it, it's a great motivator for me and keeps me excited about what I'm doing!

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  20. I just had my copy of this book arrive at the weekend. It's gorgeous to look at and I can't decide what I want to make first. Good to know that about backing and irons as I'm about to invest in some of that joining tape to try and sort out an issue I have with some joined backing. It never occurred to me that a hot iron and wadding might not play well together.

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  21. Such a beautiful quilt - I love your version of it! I have just finished watching the BBC television series 'The Hour' and loved it!

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  22. Recommendation: to help with the clutter in your sewing room, bag up all your scraps and send them to me. :o)

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  23. Beautiful quilt!
    I love the novel by Muriel Barbery, The elegance of the hedgehog. I'm not sure that's the correct title in english, it's translated straight forward from the swedish title.

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  24. You did such a fabulous job on this quilt. I have the book, which I love, but this quilt pattern scares the hell out of me, I think I would be trying to sew it for years! I love your fabric choices, its so fresh and lovely.

    On the recommendations from, I'm currently reading Life after Life by Kate Atkinson and really enjoying it. I also read Maggie O'Farrell's new one a couple of months ago - Instructions on a Heatwave - and it was, as always, a great read, if with a sudden and intriguing ending.

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  25. Oh Kerry, it's a beautiful, beautiful quilt, you've done such a gorgeous job. I love Ayumi's book too - I've only made a couple of pincushions and the book block so far. Thanks for sharing all your organising-tips for this one, I'm going to 'pin' your quilt to Pinterest so I can easily find your post again. I love sharing books too - I've recently read and loved 'Burial Rites' by Hannah ?Kent (I think it's Kent) and The Light Between Oceans - both terribly sad, but so beautifully written. I loved Tomorrow There Will be Apricots too. I just saw someone recommended The Elegance of the Hedgehog in the comments too - loved that one as well! And music - my current favourite song is Lanterns by Birds of Tokyo. And have you heard of Angus and Julia Stone - they're well known over here - they're my cousin's kids, so I always mention them! Thanks again for sharing your gorgeous quilt, Kerry! Catherine.

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  26. What a great quilt and thanks for the tips on foundation piecing. I can't think of a book to recommend at the moment, but I'd recommend an iPad mini on which to read them. Mine seems to be seldom out of my hands as it is great for instant book and magazine fixes, catching up on blog posts, playing with quilt designs in Touchdraw, taking photos for Twitter/IG, etc.

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  27. Love the quilt. I have the book but that's as far as it goes for now. Something to recommend? Umm The Thread by Victoria Hislop. She is an axing writer and I've read two out of three of her books - I read The Island too and both were definitely 5* books.

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  28. Oh.My.Gosh!! What an amazing quilt!! You did a fantastic job :)

    I did the book lap quilt, so I'm going to sit this week out. But after seeing yours I will have to add it to my to-do list someday.

    Cindy

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  29. I've been reading about natural dyes lately and highly recommend Harvesting Color by Rebecca Burgess. I now want to tell my boyfriend that I'm plotting to turn our entire backyard into a dye garden.

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  30. Kerry it is gorgeous! I have been watching the flowers come up on IG and got anxious to see this come together. I love the tips you post on assembly and your daughters hair color looks perfect with it too ;)

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  31. The quilt turned out beautifully. Thank you for the pointers with respect to paper piecing. I have a random recommendation for you: When sewing, I love to listen to music. Michael Buble is one of my favs! His music puts me in such a great mood.

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  32. Gorgeous quilt! Lovely photos too. A great book is When God was a rabbit, it's very poignant.

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  33. Your quilt is so fun looking! I have one flower done and I like all your suggestions!
    I love books so it's hard to recommend just one but my new book is Sweet & Simple Patchwork Gifts and it is adorable.
    jfroot @ comcast dot net

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  34. I am reading "I Am Forbidden" by Anouk Markovits - good so far!

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  35. I am reading "The Haunting Of Maddy Clare" by Simone St. James--it is really terrific and scarey so far...thanks for the chance to win..hugs, Julierose

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  36. I loved The Poinsonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and A Grand Don't Come for Free by The Streets. Oldies but goodies! Thanks for the fun giveaway opportunity.
    mmckee at wi dot rr dot com

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  37. Fabulous quilt!
    Have you read Gillian Flynn's 'Gone Girl'?

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  38. Your quilt is beautiful!
    I'm going to recommend an artist, whose portraits I adore. Her name is Louise Marie Stevenson, and her pet portraits are particularly fantastic. She has a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LouiseMarieFine.Art?fref=ts) where you can watch her work, as she posts pictures of her portraits throughout their creation. It's lovely to see these pieces of art come to life, and the detail in her work makes them seem so realistic! :-)

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  39. Your quilt is adorable! My all-time favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It's an oldie but goodie. It was made into a movie starring Gregory Peck (swoon), and the movie is a great adaptation of the book. Rcoyle at olemss dot edu.

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  40. Love this quilt and it's on my list one things to make!
    Something bookish ~ just finished The Leopard by Jo Nesbo ~ a really great read, if you like detective murder mysteries. It's an Inspector Harry Hole series and the best one yet!
    Thanks for sharing your lovely quilt ~ paper piecing is the best!

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  41. LOVE THE PHOTO OF LULA IN THE WEAT FIELD. REMINDS ME OF THE FILM .HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUIT ,WERE SHE WRAPS HER SELF IN THE QUILT AT THE END OF THE FILM. HOPE ALLS WELL IN EXETER. DO YOU COME DOWN FOR FOLK WEEK HERE. OPPS IM IN CAPS HX

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  42. Oh, this quilt is so lovely! I already gushed over it at flickr but I just cant stop. I will be thinking about this one for a long time. I am working on my version for Zakka 2.0 but its just a pillow. I might make a quilt after all. Thanks for the inspiration! I do have a book recommendation! I just finished Another Piece of my Heart by Jane Green. I read it in less than a week (which is really fast for me between reading blogs and quilting)! Thanks for such a great giveaway!

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  43. Beautiful job Kerry! I think that the quilt is my favorite project in the book too--that shouldn't surprise you knowing my love of flowers. Your's is wonderful!

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  44. I just tried glue basting my binding down for the first time last week and I loved it too! I love your quilt, it's so beautiful. My favorite band is Switchfoot!

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  45. I just heard Bon Jov concert of his new Music, its rather nice, different when I was growing up, Its still a bit rock and country.........I liked it alot.

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  46. Your quilt is beautiful! Recommendations.... Hmmm... This summer I've enjoyed reading An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor.

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  47. I love your quilt, lucky daughter to be the owner. I recommend the Elm Creek series of books by Jennifer Chiaverini.

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  48. Your quilt is really lovely & it's wonderful that your daughter loves it. I don't have a book to recommend as I only read quilting books these days! As far as music goes, I'm really liking Katie Noonan, she's an Australian singer & has the most amazing voice. Thanks for the great giveaway.

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  49. Have you ever read the book Ice Castles by Jane Waller? It is based on her life growing up homeless due to her parents' marginal mental states. This is not the kind of book I would normally seek out but it really gives a good view of this situation from the child's perspective. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  50. Beautiful quilt! I'm recommending The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. But I also must add in one of my all time favorites, Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett - awesome read!

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  51. Love your quilt. I hope to make it one day.
    While visiting my sewing friend for 2 weeks, we would stop sewing for lunch and watch 'Monarchs of the Glen' on Netflix. You should watch it! It's addicting.

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  52. Your quilt is so beautiful, and I'm going to come back to reread the specifics in the template method. I would love to learn that technique for paper piecing. If you're a Downton Abbey fan, you might enjoy a biography called "Lady Almina: The Real Story of Downton Abbey."

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  53. Your quilt is amazing!!! Just perfect! I am currently totally enthralled with the new Netflix series "Orange is the New Black" based on the book with the same name by Piper Kerman. It is great!

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  54. the quilt is absolutely stunning Kerry! it's so great. I love all the fabrics! And what gorgeous pics, glad your daughter loves the quilt. :)

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  55. Im recommending the Louise Penny mysteries that take place in Quebec. Love Inspector Gamache! The audio books are great too, great reader.

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  56. Your quilt is beautiful and inspiring... Thanks for the careful review of process and decisions made along the way. I am currently listening to a book I've previously read. I don't usually return to things, but I adored this this first time, and it is so dense with beautiful language, ideas, and imagination, that I'm loving it the second go-around. It's called A Discovery if Witches, and its the first book in a trilogy. The second is out as well, and I loved it just as much! Thanks for the fun giveaway!

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  57. I love this quilt! I have been seeing the blocks as you posted them one by one on FB and I've been awaiting the finished project. Lovely!

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  58. Beautiful quilt! Love your fabric choices!!!! I have aused a few of those in my projects:)
    I love reading any quilt related stories such as teh Elm Creek series:) Only need 2 more and I think I will be caught up:) Of course love James Patterson Alex Cross series:)

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  59. My summer recommendation is to be a kid and go to a science museum, zoo, or other activity you haven't done for far too long (bringing children optional, because it's nice not to have too worry about pee and snack breaks, but borrowing children if you don't have your own is completely acceptable). Have fun!

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  60. HI!LOVE YOUR PROJECTS!
    YOU MIGHT ENJOY THE 'ELM CREEK' BOOKS!
    THANKS FOR SHARING!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  61. I am in love with that quilt, and if I hadn't had that book on my wish list already, it will surely be at the top now! I am reading The Light Between Oceans==fantastic!

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  62. Lovely quilt. I love to read mysteries and am reading The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

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  63. Thanks for the detailed review! Your quilt turned out so cute!:D I have a question though - how do you make the plastic templates? (sorry if this question sounds so...noob!) As for recommendation, I'd love to suggest Heather Ross Prints since the book (+dvd) is great for designing lots of useful things!;)

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  64. Your quilt turned out delightful.

    For book lists, I turn to another Oregon blogger, Angry Chicken, who compiled a nice list right before summer started: http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2013/04/a-list-of-books-suggested-by-you-awesome-people.html

    Thanks for the giveaway.

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  65. I just happened upon one of my favorite movies yesterday afternoon - My Cousin Vinnie. Of course I could have been sewing instead of watching TV... kcannon@anwsu.org

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  66. Hi And Thanks!
    I suggest "Creative Thursday" by Marisa Anne Cummings and "The War Of Art" by Steven Pressfield.
    Both are fabulous for helping unlock our creative potentials! A challenge for me a WIP kinda gal.
    Thanks, Lori sewsewlg@sbcglobal.net

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  67. i love how this turned out. :) i enjoyed watching the flowers get completed via FB.

    i am going to recommend this carrot tomato soup (link below). one of my favorites! so yummy, especially with a really good bread and butter.

    http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2010/08/our-carrot-tomato-soup.html (the blogger is from maine and i am a regular reader...good stuff here.)

    thanks for the chance to win!
    peeper@maine.rr.com

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  68. Lucky lucky Ms L, it's a beautiful quilt.
    As for recommendations - I have the latest No1. Ladies Detective Agency book ready for holiday reading - you can't beat a bit of escapist reading xxx

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  69. Hello from Minnesota! Movie recommendation here. Three films: Before Sunrise(1995), Before Sunset(2004), and Before Midnight(2013) all directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy. Hip, talky, romantic, and thoughtful. Maybe you've already seen them?

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  70. I am almost finished with my quilt I just have to do the binding and I can't wait to post it because it was such a fun project. If you listen to Pandora I recommend Over the rainbow/Its a wonderful world station, its all happy music and when you are sewing its peaceful and time goes by and your projects done.

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  71. The quilt is absolutely gorgeous! I would recommend a memoir All good things by Sarah Turnbull it is set in Taihiti.

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  72. Your quilt looks wonderful and it is modelled beautifully. Your photos are great as well. I am trying to improve my quilt photography so a post on how you do yours would be great. I recommend a book titled The Sewing Machine Accessory Bible - now I know what to do with all those feet!

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  73. Beautiful quilt Kerry! And great giveaway. Random recommendation - reading Gone with the Wind and it is seriously one of the best books ever. Don't be put off by its chunkiness!

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  74. I love how you're just hanging out in your local field for the photo shoot :oD It looks fab though, and glad you could rescue the batting incident!

    I would recommend the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood <- do I get extra entries for suggesting a Kerry? ;o)

    Thanks for the chance to win :o)

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  75. Love your quilt. I'm sure your daughter is very happy. I would recommend The 100 Dresses by Erin McKean. I found myself nodding along the way as I remembered each dress she mentioned.

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  76. This came together so nicely! Thanks for all the tips and time estimation too. The basics and colors are super, and great photo shoot location too. Random... Did you know that miss matabi on etsy has a pdf guide to Tokyo crafts, with maps, listings and opening hours? For the next time you go to Japan, or to dream a little over the winter :)

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  77. This Is Where I Leave You: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper is a great listen on audio!
    lenelson(at)mail(dot)com

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  78. What an awesome quilt! We just recently bought a album by ZZ Ward. She is a mix between Adele and Serena Ryder. I hope your Daughter enjoys her quilt for a long long time!

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  79. You know, I was going to comment even before I saw the giveaway. I LOVE the retro look of this quilt -- it feels kind of retro late 'sixties, early 'seventies to me. It makes me happy! Now, what can I recommend to you? That's a tough one; I come visit you here because YOU inspire ME. But since you mentioned that you don't feel very confident with free-motion quilting... Blogger SewCalGal hosted a 2012 FMQ challenge last year that helped me so, SO much. Each month a different FMQ expert shared a tutorial, and if you committed to the challenge you were supposed to fill a fat quarter sized quilt sandwich just practicing the design or technique from that month's tutorial. She had superstars like Diane Gaudynski, Cindy Needham, Leah Day... And it was great that each teacher had different tips, different techniques and product suggestions, so you get to try lots of different approaches and see what works for you. All you are doing is committing to setting aside an hour or two once a month for twelve months, just to practice FMQ without the pressure of "ruining a real quilt." I promise you that I sucked royally at the beginning, but I was able to see such a huge improvement from month to month and I feel so much more confident about my ability to FMQ that I'm actually LOOKING FORWARD to the quilting part next time! So, this is my recommendation to you -- either go through the SewCalGal FMQ tutorials month by month from last year, or commit to doing an etsy class, live FMQ class, or some other exercise just once a month where you're solely working on FMQ. Also, date your samples, because it feels AWESOME to dig out the crappy sample you did 6 months ago and compare it to the one you just finished, and realize how far you have come. Here's a link to SewCalGal's FMQ Challenges for 2012 and 2013: http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/p/free-motion-quilt-challenge.html
    Your FMQ now is much better than mine was when I started, by the way -- I think your flowers are really cute!

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  80. I just read Crow Lake (I can't remember the author). It's not a new book but it was new to me this summer and I really enjoyed it. Love the quilt. My daughter definitely needs one!

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  81. I was really drawn to your fabric/color choices for this quilt. So pretty. I am an author and quilting helps to even out my brain after hours of pondering wording and plot structure. I don't read much while I am involved in a book project, but one book I did love recently was Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. Great reading during the heat of summer.

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  82. Love your version of this quilt , Kerry . Gorgeous fabrics . I find that listening to light audio books while sewing is fun and I love the " Confessions of a shopaholic " series . They are fun .....but one of my absolute favourite audio books is " The Glass Room " by Simon Mawer . I've heard that "The Hare with the Amber Eyes." Is very good.

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  83. Kerry the quilt turned out fabulously!! I loved seeing your updates on IG, and you've really done the design justice with your lovely fabric choices, great job! :) umm now for a recommendation, book wise I love the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series - my all time fav! mainly I'm a TV series addict though, so catch up on 'Suits' series (if you haven't seen it already) or Modern Family series for some laughs :) xx

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  84. I adore this quilt, Kerry. You really knocked this one out of the park. My book recommendation is The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. It is a short, quick read but I clutched the book to my chest for a long time when I was done reading it. I love it so very much.

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  85. Wow! Outstanding. I guess it does take some organizing you did a fab job. Thanks for sharing this amazing quilt.

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  86. Truly lovely quilt! Recommendations: Any audio book you enjoy! I like listening to the Stephanie Plum series or spunky Agatha Raisin mysteries! I've kept up with nephews by listening to the entire Harry Potter series & then Twilight (younger coworkers). The readers add another dimension of richness to the story & bring it alive - much like quilting adds to piecing :) Faith.

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  87. Beautiful quilt, if you have not had one yet, I recommend a McDonalds chocolate chip frappe, they are so good I am addicted hahaha, thanks.

    (smjohns63 at yahoo dot com)

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  88. I really love this quilt! Now I just need to find my book . . . it's someplace on my cutting table! I just finished reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It was one of my daughter's summer reading books. Very easy to read and I really enjoyed it. Now I'm going to see what others are recommending for books. Thanks for sharing your quilt and a chance at your giveaway.

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  89. Great looking quilt. I really like the new PBS show about the young Inspector Morse - Endevour. Always makes me want to visit Oxford. I also really like the Flavia de Luce series by Allen Bradley, not the least because the heroines middle name is Sabine.

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  90. Gorgeous quilt, gorgeous photo's too. Recommendations? Heck I've not read a book for too long, I'm going for recommending rice cakes with marmite as a great snack when biscuits are nowhere to be found (yep that's how exciting life gets around here!)

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  91. Kerry, BRAVO! It's a gorgeous piece - very retro and vintage-y and industrious of you! I quit after block four, and am very glad that you did not!
    A good summer read, very soulful and introspective - HALF OF A YELLOW SUN by C Adichie. Thought provoking.
    On the dorky side - I FINALLY found a use for the little wooden golf tee holders that fall out of my husband's pockets in the wash. They fit into an Aurifil spool perfectly. Wind your bobbins for a big project, slide them onto the tee and into the spool! You'll always know where they are and how many you have left.

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  92. Beautiful quilt. I think your daughter must look very much like you! Glad she loves it.
    I can recommend Australia as a place to visit one day :)

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  93. Love the quilt & the photos!Your daughter is very lucky to have such a talented Mom like you.Janet ;-)

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  94. Lovely quilt. Couldn't tell there was ever a problem to fix.
    I am currently reading They Call Me a Hero by Daniel Hernandez. It is quite interesting, covering his youth and the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords.

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  95. I currently love to hear One Republic - Counting Stars.
    Susanne

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  96. Beautiful quilt! It really caught my eye in the book too! I am a beginner so I think I will do some solids and nondirectional prints! thank you - I finished the third book in the Alan Bradley series - mysteries - start w/ Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie... Fun! Thank yoU!

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  97. I think I could handle one block, but not a whole quilt! It is so beautiful, and I'm sure your daughter will always cherish it!

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  98. It is a really cute quilt, and your fabric choices are lovely. I wish I had read a great book lately, but have been too busy. I think Barbara Kingsolver has a new one out but if you have not read her earlier ones, every single one is excellent, those I have read.

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  99. Beautiful quilt, not sure I could make a whole quilt with that technique - speedy for me right now :-) I'm rereading books in my collection before charity shopping the fiction I won't read again - I'm on Mike Gayle books at the moment, male written chick lit.

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  100. Your daughter has a really beautiful quilt! I love it! I could recommend you to see great work of Romanian quilter http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/2013/04/together-in-friendship-world.html. It's made from hexagons and I'm fascinated by this quilt. Greetings from Malta!

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  101. Your quilt is beautiful! I have this book but I have only made the pin cushion so far - my first attempt at foundation paper piecing.
    I recommend the book Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - I read anything and everything and this book stayed with me. I just googled it to find out the name of the author and I see it has been made into a film, so thank you for asking for a recommendation because I probably wouldn't have found out about the film otherwise.
    Happy sewing and thank you for the chance to win.
    Clare

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  102. Beautiful quilt! I really love it! I'm recommending MGMT's latest album. It's wonderful!

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  103. Love your quilt - I'll make it one day! I recommend the audio book The Secret Island of the Holy Grail.

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  104. Oh Kerry, I made just one Bloom flower and I was exhausted in the process! I didn't use the template method as you did -- wonder if that would tire me out even more?:) But for now, I'm very happy to just stare at your completed one. It looks wonderful!

    In terms of recs, I just picked up Leonard Cohen's Songs from the Road live album and have been listening to it non-stop. I've seen him a bunch of times since he started touring recently, so I guess it's me getting stuck on that!

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  105. I <3 nutella. You should try it.

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  106. Love the quilt, some of the fabric is really fun! My recommendation is never to go look at a puppy for some one else, we went looking for a new pup for my in laws after their dog sadly passed away and somehow now we both have new pups! Never again!

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  107. Beautiful quilt - looks like a great book. I'm doing a hexagon quilt using INKLINGO. If you haven't tried it, do. Printing on fabric and no basting or removing papers when your done sewing.

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  108. The Bella Bella Sample Quilts by Norah McMeeking would be a wonderful giveaway.

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  109. What a fantastic quilt!

    I'm going to recommend JD Gross Ecuador 70 percent chocolate from Lidl with raspberry pieces. Its delicious and only £1.09 a bar :-)

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  110. That is a gorgeous quilt, I love it!
    I recommend 'The Dinner' by Herman Koch. Orignally Dutch but recently translated. A novel about a very intriguing subject: how far is one prepared to go? And what do we or don't we share with our loved ones? Ethical quistions, yet very humorous written. And mouth watering food descriptions as well!

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  111. Gorgeous quilt! I can recommend Anita Shreve. Eden close is my fav book of hers.

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  112. I have been following along for the entire ride and really need this book:) LOVE your quilt and the fabrics you chose for it. I like to use the Add-A-Quarter, 6" and 12", rulers when sewing. Not only does it help tremendously for paper piecing, but it is essential for me when I make bindings. It is small enough to easily use when trimming off the pieces left over from joining the strips- I just butt it against the stitch lines and cut- so easy:) Thanks for the chance to win:)

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  113. This is stunning!! Hm, as for a book, my mom's been raving about "A Most Dangerous Book" so that's the first that comes to mind ;)

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  114. Hi!! Thanks for the lovely giveaway!! I am reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and I'm enjoying it very much! I also am impressed by the beautiful quilt you made!! My email address is jenjeb@juno.com

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  115. I'm sure you already know it but the new album by Duft Pank is pretty nice! :) And my favorite radio on internet: www.latina.fr.
    But you have to love latin music.. and French language.. I know, it's kind of special :)

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  116. Gorgeous quilt and great giveaway. I recently read thred by Victoria Hislop and really enjoyed it as it is about a woman's love of sewing, amongst other things.

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  117. My totally random comes in the form of a question. I have never, ever paper pieced before but I'd love to make this quilt...do you think it is doable? Or should I start small?

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  118. I'm afraid that I haven't read a book since my daughter was born five years ago so my advice is don't have kids although I see it's too late for you lol! Not really - I love my kids to bits (sometimes)

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  119. Your quilt is beautiful!Thanks for the detailed tips (and the glue basting instructions!). I love it when giveaways ask for reader recommendations - I always learn about so many new interesting things. If you like discovering new authors/books you should check out Nick Hornby's "Stuff I've Been Reading" column from the Believer magazine (also in book form - The Polysyllabic Spree, More Baths Less Talking, etc). I've picked up several new favorites thanks to him and usually find myself laughing hysterically at some point in every column.

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  120. I love this quilt! I have two recommendations (both bands) - The Chevin and Fossil Collective, I love them both but you may already be a fan because they've been on Dermot's Saturday Show. I particularly like this song by The Chevin (don't like the original but this is fabulous, they sang it on Dermot's show) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jy0NEVmC7Vg I want it on my ipod so I can listen to it again and again and again...

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  121. I like your quilt in this post. It gives me hope for my paper piecing skills. I enjoy the book Brownies to die for! The Complete Guide for Brownie Lovers by Bev Shaffer. It is excellent. I get so hungry looking at the cover picture (page 42). I usually get a ribbon at the fair with Saucepan Brownies on page 46. If my yahoo id doesn't work-->ll_gee at hotmail

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  122. This is a bit random but i find dear stella fabric to be really nice to work with; it seems to have a better hand feel.

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  123. Beautiful quilt! I wasn't sure I was going to try this project from Patchwork, Please! but, after seeing your quilt, I've changed my mind. Maybe I'll try a smaller scale though! Books: I really like Tilda's books and Fairy Tale Wonderland is really dreamy. I love the teapot pattern she's come up with. She's getting more patchworky too!

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  124. Really pretty quilt! I like your how-to pictures also - I'm a very visual person and new to paper piecing. Right now I am reading Bossypants by Tina Fey, she is so funny and a very good writer. Thanks for the give away!

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  125. your quilt is lovely. easy to see why your daughter loves it.
    I just got a book called: 300 Paper Pieced Quilt Blocks by Carol Doak that I love. It is so fun.

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  126. Totally random, I'm loving drawing my ideas on graph paper instead of plain copy paper. Really helping me.

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  127. Love the quilt. I recommend Sweet Frog for frozen yogurt. Hope you have one in your area!

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  128. I love the photo of your daughter wrapped up in the quilt. And I love how the pieced border frames the flowers.
    I'm not sure if you're familiar with Jasper Fforde's books - they are quite funny, a bit crazy, full of wordplays and twists on the well know English literary pieces. I think the Thursday Next series is my favourite. The Eyre Affair is the first one.

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  129. I don't get much time for reading - except books like Dr Seuss and Little Golden Books, and I don't get to listen to music or watch much tv outside of Veggie Tales. Occasionally I get a break with Chuggington or the movie How to Train Your Dragon (my toddler's favorite)

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  130. Fabulous quilt...and photography....I recommend buying an SLR.....and some books to go with it....you won't regret it!

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  131. The photo of your daughter with the quilt is priceless! It's wonderful to be able to wrap someone in quilty love. The quilt is beautiful. I love the retro look of it. I just finished reading Flora by Gail Godwin. It's a great coming of age story, and I would recommend anything by this author. My other current recommendation is a great recipe for potato and ham soup: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/delicious-ham-and-potato-soup/. \Thanks for the fun question. I enjoyed reading all the comments!

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  132. My favorite fabric shop is Pink Castle Fabrics. They just opened up a brick and mortar store in Ann Arbor, which is close to where I live. Thanks for the chance to win.

    ksmith8@emich.edu

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  133. What an amazing quilt. I have a whole bin full of vintage sheets, and this was a great inspiration to get going on using some of them. I love using them for backing, that looks great with your quilt. My recommendation for a book is Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors. It is about the building of the Taj Majal. I read it several years ago, but is one of those books that just lingers in my mind. I think about it alot, about a lot of the themes and characters. I was in a book club, and we read this book. At our meeting, we actually had a phone conference with the author. He took time out of his evening to chat with us, isn't that cool?
    It is a beautiful book. Oh, and most importantly, I LOVE your blog!!!!

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