Love Patchwork and Quilting: Winter House

I've so many things to blog about at the moment, I don't have time to get them all in, but I really want to share a foundation paper piecing project that is just about to come out in October's copy of Love Patchwork and Quilting.  You know my favourite things to paper piece are teapots and houses, so in preparation of the colder weather  a 'Winter House' foundation pieced cushion cover.

I love the photo styling!   I find cushions and pillows hard to photograph so its amazing what a professional can do!   This is a a skills builder project:  there are downloadable free full-size templates on the LPQ website for the paper piecing and I cover the foundation piecing process in details; there is a mitred corner border so the house looks like its sitting in a picture frame; and finally there is a machine stitched zipper opening which could easily be replaced by an envelope style opening too.

I kept to a muted cool palette with a hint of warmth just hinting at Christmas.  

This is the issue to look out for, you can see Lynne's new BOM top right in very pretty new Windham 'Mimosa' fabrics, as well as Cristina's stunning star quilt and a hint of Christmas with Ali's star stockings and Judith's easy paper pieced winter tree triangle projects.

New Pattern Set: Back to School

It is new pattern tine at Sew-Ichigo, welcome to 'Back to School', a multi pattern set including a basic pencil block, a pencil wheel and a hi- lighter pen with two variations.

This pattern started with the hi lighters.  Penny designed them as a block for Elizabeth Hartman for her 'Traveling Quilts' Bee which is full of uber quilty brilliant people.

The hi lighters lead to pencils, I had done this block a while back for Ayumi in Ringo Pie

I never drew it up into a proper pattern and now felt like the time.  I tightened it up from my slovenly improv ways of winging it and turned it into a Dresden style wheel with an appliqué style centre.

It is foundation paper pieced, 12" finished size and made up of 10 single sections so the paper piecing is very straightforward- the only seams to join are when you join the wedges together.  I used Liberty Lifestyle Bloomsbury fabrics for the pencils and it shows how a little print can go a long way! 

For the more timid paper pieces who want a genuine beginner block, the solo pencil is perfect.  This has a single pattern piece and detailed instructions including what size of fabrics to rotary cut ready to piece and a cheats way to so pencil tips.    Penny and I put a lot of details into our patterns and share tips and construction details wherever possible.  The  pencil case pattern is available for free at A Spoonful of Sugar Designs  and I just pieced a single solo pencil block into the main fabric.  I will share more details on Sew-Ichigo in case anyone wanted to make one just the same.  The lace zip makes adding a zipper the easiest thing.  It is sewn on top of the finished seams which is such a simple way to add a zip and the metal zipper pull is perfect for a pencil case.  I bought mine at Eternal Maker  here.

Penny combined both of the easiest blocks- the solo pencil and the capped hi-liter pen and used the same pencil case pattern but jazzed it around moving the zipper placement.  You can use text or stamp your fabric for the pen centre or just leave it solid as a block.  There is an uncapped pen too with a chiseled tip like you can see in her travelling quilts block.  All these patterns are available  complete set in our Sew-Ichigo shop and our Craftsy store too!

Play time

We were meant to be on a little holiday this weekend but the weather conspired against us and we realise on Friday there would be little chance in going.  As it turned out there were floods on the route we were going on and it has been bad in Devon- though not where we live- so a staycation has been in order.  Yesterday I spent a bit of time just playing with ideas, not something I do very often but I should, it leads me to new places! 

These are Secret Garden blocks, similar to Cathedral Windows, I followed a tutorial here.  They are not especially hard, all hand sewing and easy to cut out.  Mine are 2.5 inches square.  It was a test run for my Brit Mini Quilt swap partner so I am waiting to see if s/he comments.  I also got a chance to make an ice lolly from Ayumi's new popsicle pattern for Superbuzzy.  It is the first of a series of Block of the Month patterns!  If you haven't done much paper piecing, this is an idea pattern as it is very straightforward.  This will be for my daughter, an ice lolly pillow, a surprise for her birthday.

And as I wasn't away I got a chance to go the car boot sale.  I saw all the fabric ladies- Mary + daughter, Wendy and Barbra and they had fun rummaging in some scraps from my car boot that I brought along for them.  It was actually sunny so a lovely morning and I could not resist this little beauty!

It will make the most perfect pattern weight and you can get an idea of size from the buttons!  Not going on holiday is a bit rubbish but I always love being at home.  An afternoon of Wimbledon, strawberries and Carcosonne calls  x

Kate Winslet speech

I apologise if this all gets a bit Kate Winslet but I cannot tell you exciting it feels when people trust your work enough to buy a pattern- I am totally overwhelmed.  I thought I might sell a couple- I underestimated completely and had to keep rushing back to my etsy shop to top up the numbers!  Your kind and generous comments have made me smile and blush so much!  Even the Flickr photo was on explore today- icing on the cake! So time to give a little credit to some very lovely friends.  Firstly Amy, who has more energy and better time management than anyone I know,  has been a wonderful pattern tester.  She was emailing me pictures before I had even finished my own and came up with this frosty, wintery table topper in an unbelievably short time.

in fact she has only just finished this beauty before she started my pattern.  This block really took my breath away, stunning!  If you haven't already, take a visit to her blog  and you will soon see how muliti talented she is with her patterns, screen printing and crafty makes.  She has an incredibly generous spirit and has been so helpful in my tense final stages of getting this up and running, thankyou Amy.   And she is also hosting a little giveaway for my pattern here if you want a freebie ( if you have already bought it, you can still enter and get a freebie on my next one).

And holding my hand across in Japan has been Ayumi who made these in double quick time- an enlarged version of each mitten block to make for his and hers mini tea cozy- I love that idea and it is an extra test of the pattern!   Ayumi is a pillar of support to me, a great friend and always gives positive and helpful advice.  Sometimes people visit here who haven't looked at her Pink Penguin blog before- if that's you, oh wow you are in for such a treat.  Thankyou Ayumi!  She is also  giving away my pattern here and the same applies as with Amy's giveaway.

If you are stuck for Christmas presents Ayumi's latest tutorial is here and you can make this cute and very useful organiser basket

And then there was Hadley who turned my cheeks red with her blog post (and ended it with my favourite musician and comedy genius).  Hadley made this clever little mug rug use the  + x block in the best way

And last but you know definitely never least, Lynne wrote some incredibly nice things and is hosting another giveaway- 3 peeps win a pattern from me.  It is hard not to find something amazing in her photostream, take a look at this, her latest work

Such a supportive community could leave me speechless apart from the very long speech I have just written...thankyou x