Baby Bear Paw: Almost Wordless Wednesday

 More to come on binding and quilting spirals ...

Winners, washing up

Congrats to Liz (Harrysmum) who won the magazine in the giveaway...

 and to Chickenlover who won the pattern and the fabric- emails have been sent!

I did mean to post a few temptations from Al's All-Tea-Towels shop ready for Mother's day gifting but I am not with it at the moment so maybe a post-mother's day, pre Easter gifting period is in order.  There are some beautiful vintage image Italian tea towels that are new in.  I love food packaging and these old tea and biscuit tins are very appealing.

Beautiful botanical illustration of apples and pears...  These Italian tea towels are 100% linen.

Then I got distracted by Greengate- a sort of Danish Cath Kidston, you can also find some of their prints at Uniqlo- I am hotly awaiting the hoodies.

But then what really grabbed me was this one, love it!

Exeter Sewing Directory Meet Up

You do make me smile with all your- what made me smile today comments, keep them coming and go enter the giveaway if you haven't already.
I am prepping for Sewing Directory Meet Up Sat 16th March.  I will be there with my Sizzix Big Shot, ready to show you a bit of basic hexagon English Paper Piecing, plus diamonds for those already familiar with hexies. 

 I will be bring a starter bag of paper hexies and cute fabric hexagons so you can get stitching and chatting which is the main focus of the event. I also have a free 'Simple Marks', Malka Dubrawsky Moda layer cake that will be given away There will be  more free fabric to use from Annie at Village Haberdashery and Kath of Sew La La Fabric will have some pretty ditsy style fabrics on sale.  Any who want a go on the Big Shot are welcome- I warn you, you will then want one!

There will be local gals going including Jo of Saints and Pinners- if you are attending and want to order from her shop and collect your order from Jo at the meet up (saving on postage, more to spend on fabric of course) contact her here

Flea Market Blue FQ stack?

Anna Maria Charm packs?  A mix of LouLouThi and Field Study

Or Kaffe Charms?

The same applies to Jo (A Life in Lists) of Organic Stitch Company and her delightful selection of Liberty prints- I feel this low volume charm square collection calling me!

Or maybe the yellow/orange/ pink collection?

Or the grey?

And Mary has vintage charms on sale at her Etsy shop- drop her a line, and collect from her at the event too, plus a discount code on top of that!  See her shop for details.

If you are going, do drop me a line and let me know.  And along with Fi and all the other lovely stitch ladies, I'll see you there...x

Giving away

Giveaway is now closed- thankyou!

A giveaway.  Up for grabs, Love Quilting Magazine Spring Issue- pretty much sold out and that lovely Medallion Quilt by Alexia Marcelie Abegg (from her book Liberty Love) on the cover may well be a factor in that- full instructions are inside and a quilt along too on Instagram #marcellemedallion #medallionalong plus a flickr group.  It is a great mag, lots of lovely patterns, a tiny mention of me, a slightly bigger mention of Lynne, and lots of Katy and Jeni for a start.  I picked up an extra copy, you can find them if there are any left at WHSmiths.

My medallion so far...

and if you already have that magazine, you may want an Amy Butler pillow pattern 'Must Have Pullows' plus 1/2 yd of Yoshiko Jinzenji fabric.

In your comment please say which you would prefer magazine or pattern+fabric.  1 comment per person, open anywhere as long as I can contact you- add your email if you are no reply( email (at) gmail dot com sort of thing).  And tell me in your comment, what has made you smile, today or anytime.  I will pick the winner using random number next Monday.  Good luck...

Quilters, a generous lot

It has been a strange few months.  Some extraordinary highs and some deep, dark lows.  I have worked and worked worked and thankfully that is pretty much done, looking good and in many ways has kept me going.  In fact now that has almost stopped it is leaving me a little lost at sea and staring into space.  Blogging is a public space, I have to bear other's in mind so details that I can share are scant, plus I want it to be a positive and uplifting place but life doesn't always play the game.  There have been some tricky times and it is ongoing as life events often are.  Some days are very hard and I am sorry to say, at the moment it feels like it is getting harder.  I know it will pass but it is difficult on a day to day basis when you are living it and trying to do the stuff you need to do.  Amidst this,  I have had amazing support from so many quilty friends, lately it has been like a birthday with parcels and packages.  I have felt so touched by the generosity and thoughtfulness.  When I think about it, we are quilters and we feel a need to make quilts for ourselves and more often for others.  We can never make enough quilts, we can never have enough quilts, We want to wrap people up with them and look after them- the ultimate expression and purpose of a quilt- so I shouldn't be surprised by all this loveliness but I am in reference to me.  This isn't a 'look at what I got post', but really a massive thankyou, a spotlight on the givers and a start to give something back with a giveaway- I am just preparing a post for details of that.

So... here I am...in someone else's stitches

This was part of box of  goodness from Doe, I was totally speechless.  She designed a lever arch file cover with the most inspiring fabric selection ever- it like an ode to all my favourite prints!  Hand embroidery all across the front, tiny, tiny stitches, perfectly soon and vintage buttons too.  It is amazing it really is. And the green Spoonflower fabric behind it (already planning a use for this Doe!) and lots of other sweet treats...what to say? 

 I'll start with thankyou Doe xxx  Doe is a hugely talented sewist, just take a look at her Flickr stream and your jaw will drop.  Her eye for colour and attention to detail has me every time, just take in that tiny heart at the end of doe...

Chase has sent me so many lovely packages in the past and we have swapped fabrics and treats before. Sadly I sent a Christmas package with makes/fabrics/sweets  for her and her daughter and as often happens that time of year, it never arrived- I have had this happen before but only at Christmas.  So I am prepping something now for her and her daughter, and meanwhile she sent this...the little Lottie tag drawing by S makes me smile, it really captures her! 

This is such a 'Chase style' make, all those tiny squares, all the tiny hand stitches- I feel like a bit of Chase is in my sewing room!  Both the needle book and the little bag are already in use with my English Paper Piecing prep for Sewing Directory Exeter meet up.  Chase has an Etsy shop with her hand made beauties in and destash fabrics too.  The hand quilting is such a treat- she does it so beautifully...thankyou Chase xxx

Ayumi feels like an old friend now and she never fails to amaze me with her generosity and kindness.  She sent a care package including these stamps that she had hand carved.   The casserole dish is so cute and the details on the utensils, wow-  they are each not much longer than 1", incredible!    She is a multi talented creative! And her book, Patchwork Please! is out later this month!  A sew-along is coming too.

Thankyou Ayumi xxx

 And another total surprise, a box of delights from Brioni.  Packed full of sewing and sweet treats...

Another talented quilter with a book out soon.  Brioni's work is so beautifully detailed and she combines shapes and motifs in such a clever way- I can't wait to see what's inside- I just know the quilts are going to be astoundingly good.  Thankyou Brioni xxx

And from Krista, I now feel like a member of a special club that has one of her amazing thread catcher pin cushions.  These are a genius idea... the pin cushion with its weighty filling...

and the sprung edge to keep the generously size thread catcher open.  Love it!  Such a cute fabric choice, I think it is a Lecien print, and I love the tape measure tape round the edge.  It will be in constant use.  Thankyou Krista xxx   And Krista is going to be at FQ Retreat 2013 too- I can't quite believe that!

I am over whelmed,  I really am.  There have been a lot of tears.  I can't say it enough, thank you xxx

Pam Kitty Morning: A happy riot of colour

Via the wonder that is Instagram (you can find me as @verykerryberry) I got arranged a little swap with Pam of Pam Kitty Morning.  If I was Pam I think I change my whole name to Pam Kitty Morning, not just my designer status.  So, I sent Pam and little bundle of vintage bits and bobs and som  UK chocs and and she sent me USA candies, lovely cutesy notions and a big fat stack of her delicious fabrics.

 Those colours are amazing, they pack a big punch of bright loveliness. I am guessing that Pam is the sort of person who wears her heart on her sleeve as these designs just seem to be her through and through.   All the little vintage details are such a delight, this button print especially.  I found it online for those who are equally enchanted by it here.

There is a mix in the Pam Kitty Love collection of basics like spots and ginghams, large and small florals and picture spectaculars that lend themselves brilliantly to fussy cutting. You can see a couple of cuts below that may or may not be a window and a door- I couldn't possibly comment...

This green is one of my favs, I just love this particular grassy shade of green which is pretty hard to come by.  It combines brilliantly with pink for one of my favourite colour combos.  There are some perfect prints in this range, real bubblegum beauties.

Mmm, yum.  Who doesn't want to peep out of the window to see a kitten eating an ice cream?  This may of maynot be a house, I couldn't possibly say, shhhh...

The colourful world of Pam Kitty is a happy place.   You can find many of her Love fabrics at Jessie's Sew and Quilt shop.

Time for an Aperitif

Huge thankyous for all the skirt love comments.  Its always a little harder posting pics of things with me in so it helps when you all say such lovely things.  I know a few of you are feeling like you are just ready to rekindle your dress making or even dip your toe in for the first time.  So treat this post as a little aperitif to your dreams,  a selection of Saints and Pinners patterns at 40% discount as temptation to get you sewing.

Children's clothes are a great starting point.  This Oliver +S Music Class pattern is a little advanced with the buttons but the outfit won't take much fabric and the result is so cute!  Sizing is 6m- 4 years so if you trace off the pattern pieces there is a lot of opportunity to re-make again and again.  I kept many of the clothes and knitting I did for Lula, they hold so many memories. 

An easy girl's skirt pattern is this Little Belle pull on skirt by Favourite Things, sizing runs from 1-14 years.

  

Maybe you fancy something more for yourself?  These 3 Anna Maria Horner patterns are all great beginner makes, discounted and as with all AMH patterns they come with variations...

Roundabout

Evening Empire-(my fav, especially the brown version)

And there is  Little Folks voile in stock which suits all the dress patterns...

and the Sidewalk Satchel...

Tempting you again...I  can only apologise ;)  And if patterns aren't your thing, you will find fabric on sale too right here.