Feeling texty

Just a couple of years ago I struggled to find text prints on and would snap up any that I discovered quick as they were such hot property.  Since then, availability has improved so much and they are much more widely used.  Amy Friend is running a Texty challenge- Texting Whilst Sewing contest.  The aim is to use text fabric imaginatively in a 12" quilt block.  I am lucky enough to be judging the top ten entries with Ayumi!   There is a lot of potential with such an open brief for creative ideas and there is ample time - entries need to be in by the end of August.

Text fabrics are an essential part of my stash and I find they fulfill a range of functions.  They are great blenders, providing background interest and texture, as seen in this graffiti print by Keiko Goke for Yuwa.  White/cream fabrics with a mono print are so useful- they lighten a mix of fabrics and provide a bit of space whilst the dynamic scribbles create direction and a bit of life!

 This print by Yoshiko Jinzenji develops abstract lines adding pops of colour, illustration and text.  I bought this a while ago and as soon as it arrived I realised how great it would be for clothing.  It is a very fine cotton- you can see the print of the layer underneath- and the print is random so needs no matching up.

 Effective number prints can be a bit harder to find and designing a print with a twist is more of a challenge for the fabric designers.  This is a Sukuko Kosekit fabric, 'What's the Time'  The curves were exactly what I needed when i planned the grocery scales block for Ayumi's Vintage grocery store theme Ringo Pie.  The background is a lovely pinky shade of cream too, a nice variation on neutral colours.

Other text prints lend themselves to fussy cutting.   This is another Suzuko Koseki print.  You can find a coral colourway available here.  There are instant images and text so you can almost code your work with messages!  I sometimes feel like my mini quilts tell a story with fussy cut words and pictures.

This Kei fabric is also ideal for fussy cutting, love those cute retro telephones- the cord making the word is genius!

You can find a good variety of text prints at Eternal Maker- look under Numbers and Letters Fabrics and also under Japanese Imports.  I hope some of you feel inspired by Amy's competition to have a go and submit a block- I look forward to seeing what you come up with- and check the prizes out, that might be enough to push you over the edge to enter!

Squeaks

It sort of feels wrong for a grown woman to squeak when she opens the mail- a bit like going- Ahh!  when you drink a cup of tea ( I promise I don't do that...yet).  I have had some great mail this week, almost like a secret extra birthday that I didn't know I had.  These printing press beauties came from Suzanne, an act of kindness, she knows how much I love to see her printing press photos and student activities.

You can just see my vkb initials stamped on the corner.  It is a notebook with upcycled paper- very loud squeaks!  And just look at the cards- I think they are going on the wall.  Printing is one of those processes that I love with an intensity but I am too messy when I work and maybe a bit impatient so I have to admire the work of others.  I really admire Suzanne's!

Ayumi sent me 2 beautiful bright and happy blocks for 318 Patchwork Bee to go with my Teatime theme.   I love them Ayumi, so sunny!   They look very pretty alongside Charise's tea caddy and Leila's teapot.  I plan to make a table runner with my 318 blocks.

And Amy sent me some paper bits and pieces for no reason apart from her general loveliness- this is her latest paper pieced pattern on sale here.  Her shaping on this watering can is unbelievable- look at the handle!

Thankyou ladies, you are making this a very happy mail week xxx

Sharing

This is ending up being a bit of a lost week, I am under the weather so not much is happening here, sewing progress is slow and most of the time is spent unpicking mistakes- let's draw a veil over that and instead I would like to share the work of a couple of friends.

Looking for a quick scrappy project?  After a gentle nudge from Penny, Leila has her first pattern for sale

You can buy it here .  

And, if you are feeling  like a little more paper piecing, Amy has made her stunning Vintage Skier block into a pattern on sale here

Amy has great attention to detail in this pattern with notes on suitable fabrics and the most wonderful shaping that makes the skier jump out at you!

And Julianna kicked off the Sew Out Loud Quilt a long with this stunning graphic block

 

Details and free pattern are found here. You can join this quilt a long at any time, dip in, dip out whatever you fancy- Flickr group here

Proud of my talented friends!  Back when normal service resumes here x

Gone Paper Piecing

Amy and I tested each others patterns in preparation for their publication in Fat Quarterly Issue 8 Paper Piecing Issue (available today!).  I smiled so much when I saw her wonderful vintage skate design.  I loved the shaping and I knew just what I was going to make with it. 

This was my friend Kathy's Christmas present.  Kathy grew up in Michigan and skating on the lakes was a regular winter pursuit.  Now this hoop hangs on on a little gallery that I have got going on in there kitchen along with the man mat and a mini teeny tiny pieced mug rug quilt.  What you can't see is the pretty dusky pink Sevenberry flower print on the back- Kathy is not one for flowers but I got some in there, she even confessed to liking it.  And of course she has turned the vintage ribbon round to the back, too fussy for her!  But I know she and the family love it!

I stitched little eyelets from the presets on my machine and threaded a little pearl cotton through for laces.  Amy added cute brads to hers and we both picked the same boot fabric without knowing it!  You can find this pattern plus my teapot block and heaps of other paper pieced blocks and projects in issue 8.  There are 126 jam packed pages!  Not had enough paper piecing?  A new sew a long/ quilt a long is starting, 11 designers (including me) with 11 sewing themed paper pieced blocks combining sewing and words.  I have seen a few previews and am sworn to secrecy but it is seriously good stuff!  Texty fabrics, word play, intrigued? Find out more here and you could be designer for block 12.  Blog posts, giveaways and introductions kick off tomorrow at Joanna's and Julianna's blogs

Swapsies

I meet so many lovely people in the online sewing world and every now and again I meet someone I really click with and I can imagine having a cup of tea with whilst swapping ideas and talking fabrics.  Amy is one of those people and we conspired a little swap to follow the rush of Christmas- we have both received our packages so now its show and tell.  Look what I have to show- the cutest little Dresden bag and matching coin purse adapted from Amy's free pattern.

This is a bag with a purpose.  When I teach music in school, I have a little bag with remote control, throat sweets and other vital bits and pieces.   My current bag is a sad and sorry denim patch pocket, well worn so Amy made a replacement.  It needed a strap large enough to cross my body- we move around a lot in music!  You can see me in my work clothes below- the bag is perfect and its little coin pouch partner fits inside!  Both have just the right amount of grey to fit in with my sober serious Mrs Green attire ( gotta have some sort of authority) and the pops of colour make me smile and my eyes glint each time I look at it!

The tiny pouch is the cutest thing with its mini dresden petals!  I can only imagine how fiddly this was for Amy to make.

And Amy included some of her screen printed My Happy Place print (available in her shop)  Such a crisp and neat print on the softest linen.

And a cathedral windows card- this shape really makes me think of Amy!

And I think it was the cathedral windows that lead to me using the petal design on a frame purse in my makes for her.  The flower pattern was from Suzuko Koseki's book Natural Patchwork

It is a tricksy pattern to do with all those curves and I did it the worng way roung and the texts weren't reading how I wanted them to read so the quick unpic came out- but all worked out!  We both added a personal touch with initials!  Fabrics are Japanese linen, Yuwa print and vintage flowery fabric scraps.

The lining is a Suzko Koseki print.   I drafted the purse pattern myself using Lisa's helpful hints at U- handbag and the frame is from Cotton and Cloud.

I found an interesting fabric panel just before I started this swap that I thought would suit Amy.  It is a fine cotton with a lovely text print- I have no idea what it was for, emboridery maybe, but the print stayed on after I washed it.  It was a large rectangle, big enough to make a decent size lined drawstring bag.  The ties are vintage bias binding.

It is hard to photograph white on white, but you get the idea

A very nice swap and a great friendship, makes the world seem a little smaller x