Spring Quilt Festival

Want to be inspired?   Take a visit to the Spring Bloggers Quilt Festival 2011 over at Amy's Creative side.  Everytime I find something that I haven't seen before.  

If this is your first time here, I should say hi and welcome.  I am Kerry and I share my vintage and sewing life here.  Small scrappy projects are what I enjoy the most so it is no surprise that my entry is a mini- I haven't made a big quilt in a while but a whole load of work goes into my little quilts.

I made the for the Doll Quilt 10 Swap on Flickr.  It was for Terrie Sandelin her work is normally teeny tiny, intricate and ordered with a traditional feel..  Her tastes are pretty flexible and she had a lot of circles on her inspiration mosaic so that was my starting point.  I love piecing curves and circles and I have wanted to try a radiating pattern for a while.  I used Flickr to find pictures of spirals and circles- dandelion heads, broken glass etc- they all helped with building the idea.  Then a song crept in, it all fitted together- search through for the lyric!

 I used an Ez Dresden cutter to help with the pattern pieces and a mix of ticker tape pieces onto neutral wedges and pieced strips.  The stamping is with Versacraft ink, perfect for fabric and heat sets with an iron.

I then added some hand quilting with chunky perle cottons and appliqued the centre circle in.  It was one of those quilts where you just keep working it until you feel it is done.  All those yellows and turquoises make me so happy and I still feel really happy looking at it!

Enjoy looking round x

Thank you x

I never cease to be amazed of the kindness of bloggers and blog readers.  Thank you for so many kind and supportive words about Bob, I know he is only a cat but in our little family world he is a big part.  He is doing OK and is a happy cat.   All your lovely comments help me a lot!

More thankyous, to Julie, I have been meaning to blog this all week.  I was extremely lucky to have Julie secretly make me this doll quilt for the Doll Quilt Swap 10 and send all the vintage goodies on the right of this pic, they were wonderful too.

So many people wanted this quilt, me amongst them and although I hadn't dared to imagine it would

actually come to me.  It was a tears in the eyes moment opening this package.  Lula was with me as she was off school with a cold and we were both amazed.

The work Julie put into this is incredible, so many fiddly, detailed features, so many different skills.  It is like an activity quilt for adults, all be it adults obsessed by retro kitchens.  All the details to look at and touch, the little 3d bits- oven gloves, pot holder,

the tea towels with their frayed edges, made from vintage fabrics.

The apron can even be detached.  And just look at its tiny patch pocket.

I cannot thank Julie enough for this.  She well and truly got my taste in every way!  She doesn't have a blog but you can see her on Flickr.  A nice twist of swap luck is that she received my kitchen quilt in My Favourite little Quilt Swap so we each have a mini kitchen quilt from each other.

Doll Quilt Complete

Finished at last. Doll Quilt Swap 10.  My secret partner likes intricate tiny piecing, traditional and modern fabrics and is generally easy going.  I knew what I wanted to do but this one took a while to make.  I listened to a podcast from Radio Lab, this one was called Help!, take a listen, like all Radio Lab podcasts it's an interesting journey.  Elizabeth Gilbert quotes Tom Waits describing the creative process.  Every song has a distinctive identity that it comes into the world with.

There are songs you have to sneak up on like hunting for a rare bird.  Then there are songs that come to you  fully intact like a dream taken through a straw.  There are songs that you find little bits of, like pieces of gum underneath the desk, and you scrape them off and you put them together.  And there are songs that need to be bullied into shape to give itself over.

This quilt was one of those.  I had to kick it into shape, give it a talking too, and ask it to sit by itself until it was ready to  co-operate.  

There is a song theme to it too- can you find it amongst all the words?  Look for the stamped text...

I used a lot of different processes to make it including hand stitching and hand quilting.  On Heather Bailey's blog,  she and others are sharing tools of any kind that make life a little easier.  Check Florence's for great ideas on fabric markers

These sticky dotties make hand sewing just that little bit easier and reduce strain.  I had RSI for a long time and it still gives me problems, especially hand sewing, so anything I can find to make life easier is worth buying.

These are invaluable.  They give grip and stop the needle leaving long indentations in my fingers too- I've got skinny fingers, not much cushioning!  I have bought them at Hobby Craft and you can find them elsewhere online.

For piecing fabric and machine quilting, I use Clover Non Slip Finger grip.  I don't know what this stuff is made of but it doesn't stain the fabric and it doesn't irritate my skin.  It gives you an extra bit of grip or purchase (almost archaic word usage there, but I like it) and again reduces strain.  Easily available in sewing shops and online.

You just rub it on the tips.  When you have a big pile of piecing it speeds it up and allows you to put those edges together quickly and easily. It is not hot and itchy like quilting gloves- which have their uses, and their drawbacks-this is easy, I love it.

And I'll end today with a bit of Tom, a snippet and the whole song is here

Quilt-a-long with me?

It was my friend Kathy's birthday.  She is a great friend, very supportive and lots of fun plus our dogs were from the same litter, so we have a bond!  Last year I made her a little log cabin coin purse/pouch,  it is wearing out a bit now so time for a new one.

I made the shape up so it was a bit experimental.  At one point it was way too big and like a toiletries purse- not the look I was aiming for. I free pieced the K with purple linen.  I squared off the bottom to give a bit of body to the shape so it can comfortably hold coins, this meant the fabric spelt out Cups Butt on the bottom, noticed of course by her teenage son-it had completely bypassed me.  The fabric is Suzuko Koseki cotton/linen cooking print, and there is a layer of cotton batting between that and the black polka lining.

 It is small enough to fit in your hand, large enough for notes.

Having used much of my solitarty FQ of Cosmo Early Bird Yellow plaid in a quilt block I knew I would need more.  When I bought this I thought I wouldn't use yellow much and now I can't get enough of it.  The teal and the exercise book stripes are a great accompaniment, all bought from Quilted Castle (USA), although I think stocks are going.  The cup is the most beautiful Le Cresuset graduating turquoise colour .

I yielded to that and having read Amber's blog One Shabby Chick this morning, I checked out the link to an etsy shop  and bought a pile of Ruby Star Rising at a price that is cheaper than it will be in the UK.  I already know what I plan to make so I can sort of justify this but no more buying, making instead.  I have been drawing inspiration together for DQS10, this is for shapes and form.

1. Sew New to Me VQB--July, 2. Fragmentation of Big, 3. Seeds in the wind (Taraxacum officinale), 4. Splintered

And I am working on another secret mini quilt for Favourite Little Quilt Swap.  I wish I could show you, I am so pleased with it but the swap works on secrecy even of pics so no sneaky peeks.  So in the mean time, I am starting on a wonky Circle of Stars Baby Quilt- care to join me?  I am going to make it a quilt-a-long.  I am not sure if any one wants to quilt-a-long with me but as I am going to blog it I thought it was worth putting the offer out!  It will be made of 9 wonky star blocks, easy peasy! You will need some scraps and other stuff, list below.  Mine will be pink, your will be...?

 You will need:

1.  At least one yard of solid fabric, or being more generous 1 meter- (equivalent to 1 yard and 3 inches)
2.  Scraps for the starts, I am fussy cutting centre squares so you will need  9 x 5 inch squares (larger to allow for the fussy cutting.
3.  Scraps for the triangle points-great scrap buster.  Scraps need to contrast with the solid.
4.  1 yard/1 meter cotton batting, I use warm and natural.
5.  Fabric for binding.  Could be pieced or all one fabric.  If you do the bias binding option the way I do it, 1 fat quarter will be ample.  If you do straightgrain binding. you would need under 1/2 yard or a 1/4 metre length which is cut selvedge to selvedge.

I will make a button in case you want to put it on your own blog- I am on it now!  In the meantime, the sketch above gives you an idea of the layout.  It will be very flexible and a lot of the choices are up to you but I will give you the instructions to make a circle out of 9 wonky star blocks.   I need to get this made for the end of February at the latest so I will post the first instructions asap. Leave me a comment if you are joining in, nice to know if you are x

Catch ups

At a very rainy car boot sale I picked up a bit of sunshine- 4 vintage sheet pillow slips.  I love vintage sheets but I can't abide any polyester in the mix, I am a fibre snob, but these lovelies drying off indoors are all cotton!  Love that yellow/orange on amidst the pink.

Finally, at 40, I have my first decent pair of curtains, made by professional curtain makers- full length curtains are my sewing bete noire.  This may not make the most exciting picture but if I say 100 % linen, thermal lined, I'm guessing some of you may get my joy.

Doll Quilt swap 10 has kicked off proper,

 

I have my partner and someone has me.  All I can say to you partner if you are reading this, there is a whole load of info in my profile on Flickr, a gallery and an inspiration mosaic but deep down creativity and freedom rules!

And a big thankyou to Julianna who nominated me for a Liebster:) b;log award, for crafty blogs with less than 300 followers, the idea of the award is to encourage more visitors and discover bloggers you may not have seen before, and do visit Julianna's blog first-so I pass onto 

Megan- Megs Monkey Beans

To Mia- Handmade by Mia

and to Leila- Where the Orchids Grow 

Three fantastically talented crafters who need more recognition!

Blocks and Swaps

A new year brings new Flickr activities, swaps and Bees  I ran the lottery gaunlet for Doll Quilt Swap 10 and got in and I am very happy.  There is a very cool button designed by Amy, assisted by Smith and her miniature circle of geese.

I am also doing My Favorite Little Quilt Swap which you can join at any time as long as you make your quilt by beginning of February, it is a very flexible swap commitment, click the link to find out more.

I have 2 bee commitments and I am very happy with those.  February is my month in Bee (a Little Bit) Japanese so I have been devising a block and prepping fabrics to send.

Some of my all time favourites, Suzuko Koseki, Sevenberry, Lecien, Kokka, Kitchen rpints, sewing prints, I have an emotional relationship with each.

A pile of strips and a chunk of Kona coal ready to go.

This is the block design- i have called it Floating Bricks

It is designed to showcase the fabrics and is flexible and adaptable.  I did a lot of free cutting which frees up the shapes and creates nice seam lines too.  Here's another...

I will post a tutorial on how to make this but it is pretty easy.  Meanwhile for others I made, non wonky Drunk Love Denyse Schimdt inspired blocks for Tong in the same Bee

And a fun block for Lisa in Ringo Pie- here theme is Mid Century Modern doors- loved doing this and the other blocks have been amazing.  I was inspired by this photo on Flickr

It was a tricky one, quick unpic in use a few times but I was determined to get it how I wanted it.  The wall plate number 5 is the date of Lisa's birthday/  I loved the yellow- Cosmo Cricket Early Bird.  I loved it so much I had to buy a lot more whilst I could still find it.  I am definitely using it again, it makes me smile :)