Black Friday, here, there and everywhere!

Its Black Friday and bargains are coming thick and fast online so I am offering some here for 48 hours, starting with 500 Quilt Blocks, 20% discount on the hardbacks I have left- green with purple writing (far right on pic) £10 £8 + £2 postage (UK only).  

If you would like a copy please email me (link in side bar) and let me know the name for the bookplate and your paypal address and I will send you an invoice.  This offer is open for 48 hours!

Over at Sew-Ichigo, we are offering all our patterns at 20% off so if there is one you have been wanting to try, this is a good time and 'Sew Very Christmas' is perfect for gift bags, mug rugs and more:

Again, this offer is for 48 hours only and is in our shop with the code blackfriday , and in our Craftsy shop and Etsy: no codes needed on these, the prices are already changed.

And to finish, an ongoing offer, 20 % off everything at Saints and Pinners.  Here's a rainbow of fabrics to whet the appetite:

Red: Triflora Lipstick, Anna Maria Horner

Orange: Mind's Eye Toast, Anna Maria Horner

Yellow: Darla Gingham Yellow, Tanya Whelan

Green: Coreopsis Lime, Anna Maria Horner

Blue: Kaffe Fasset, Water dots

Indigo: Kaffe Fasset, Shot Cotton Smokey

Violet:  Framed Shadow, Anna Maria Horner

Enjoy your savings xxx

Liberty Craft Blog with Stile

You will find me on the Liberty Craft blog today...using Libety Lifestyle Stile fabrics to make some new variations based on Washington Pavement block from our 500 Quilt Blocks book including a pincushion which is just the right size to tuck into the throat of your sewing machine and stick pins in as you sew...

Stile prints throughout with yarn dyes Essex linen as a background.  It measures 2 3/4" x 8 1/4" and is stuffed with polyfill.

There are also instructions to make a jumbo hugs and kisses block XOX measuring just over 17" square.

Liberty Lifestyle featured many of the craft blog guests in an Australian quilt mag recently including my Sewing Portfolio and sent us all a pic,

And keep a look out as Quilt Market is coming up and the third Liberty Lifestyle fabric is launching there, I can't wait to see!

Social Tote at Purse Palooza and Book Details

You can find me at Sew Sweetness Purse Palooza 2013 today reviewing The Social Tote if you would care to take a look.

You will also find this on sale 500 Quilt Blocks: The Only Quilt Block Compendium You'll Ever Need    and delivering at Amazon and other online book stores (book depository etc)

Yesterday was very exciting, Claire of Cor blimey Claire E Poppins had her received her Amazon copy  and posted her pic on Instagram and Lynne and I got very emotional!  We will have copies to sell once we have received our delivery and book plates too.  They will be on our blogs so you can buy from us direct:

Softback £8 plus £2 UK p+p

Hardback £10 plus £3 UK p+p- both these options include free book plate sticker  

Single bookplate stickers £1.50 UK p+p (sold at cost).  

Postage to Europe and International will be more but is available for bookplate stickers

Stock is limited so if you are interested please leave a comment saying what you would like and make sure email is in your profile or in your comment (name (@) gmail dot com etc) and I'll get back to you once it arrives

Have a lovely weekend, I will spend it quietly, I have lost my voice and in my day job it is vital so I patiently await its return! 

500 Quilt Blocks: A peek inside

Self promotion does not always sit easy with me, but forgive me, I am a more than a little excited as is Lynne.  Advance copies of our book, 500 Quilt Blocks arrived today.

There are three formats, an aqua green hardback for UK(and maybe elsewhere?), an aqua green UK soft back  (not as vivid as the Amazon pic, much softer colour) and the blue hardback which is for the USA market.  The contents are the same, it's just the covers and the jackets which vary.

The book is a small format, just 6" x 6" and 1" thick and it is packed with blocks, instructions and pics .  There are 100 core blocks ranging from the simplest 4-patch to curves and paper piecing of more advanced blocks.  Each core block has 4 variation and there are 20 projects, each using a different block.  Lynne and I will have copies to sell imminently and book plate stickers too, these were just the advance copies, the publishers are waiting for the next bulk shipment.  So meanwhile, here are a few of my favourite blocks and projects.  This is 'Mother's Dream'.

Lynne and I decided on the blocks we were doing and were aiming to include all our favourites, represent our different design styles with new blocks, modern blocks and classic blocks.  I did a series of five animal blocks called 'Pets' based on cats and dogs.  This is dog block is for my cavalier Lottie and like her, it always makes me laugh when I see it.  The black cat with the white nose and chin reminds me of Bob, our late much loved moggy.  These are rotary cut blocks.

I love spool blocks and thinking of all the times I have seen wonderful online quilters and friends make great quilts and projects with the friendship butterfly/spool block, I knew that this block had to be in our book.  I chose it for a project bag.  There is a full size paper piecing template in the book for this.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you will know well my love of kitchenalia so there are a set of five blocks called 'Pots and Pans', all rotary cut and include a kettle, teapot, casserole dishes, and a milk pan.  All are rotary cut and any would be suitable for the obligatory potholder project.

Lynne did the lion's share of the quilts in this book- we each know our strengths.  I made one quilt, 'Baby Love', a baby sized square quilt which uses number, letter and giant heart blocks.  I used Oakshot elements for the solids so there is a bit of shimmer in there too and it is beautifully soft and cuddly.

It was a huge amount of work all packed into a little book.  Three months from start to finish, which is a very fast turn around.  I had the best co- author, a wonderful friend and support through some hard times that just happened to crop up during the writing so a shout out and lots of love to Lynne xxx We brought the best out in each other design wise and also kept each other going when we were exhausted and near the last of the 250 blocks we were each churning out last February.  Today has been very special, seeing it all in print.

500 Quilt Blocks Book

A surprise on Amazon and the cat is out of the bag.

Lynne and I have written a book.  It is a packed little volume with 500 quilt blocks- a photo and full instructions for each plus 20 projects- quilts, bags, cushions, pillows, needle books, boxes- all inside.  As you can imagine, it has been a busy few months and we are incredibly proud of what's in there!   It comes out in September but we think we will have advance copies to show at Fat Quarterly retreat!