Quick and Easy Quilts Blog Tour: Modern Feedsack Stars & a Giveaway!

I've been waiting for what feels like ages to see Lynne Goldsworthy's new book Quick & Easy Quilts and now it is finally here I have really enjoyed seeing how she's grown as a quilt designer.   Lynne is a prolific quilt maker and Quick& Easy Quilts is deceptively clever book: each project is packed full of tips and tricks to speed up your piecing, increase your accuracy and produce a quilt that looks harder to achieve that it actually was!

I loved the cover quilt, 'Modern Stars', and I knew it was a perfect fit for my stash of feedback fabrics which have been waiting for a simple effective block to make the most of their gorgeous colours and prints.  I starched the fabrics with a gentle non aerosol starch before cutting as feedbacks are very soft and easily distort and stretch out of shape. 

I made a fabric throw (quilt top and batting fabric with no batting or quilting, top stitched edge) rather than a quilt as I use a lot of these as pretty covers for boxes of musical instruments and toys in my day job- I run group music classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.  This means I will get to enjoy looking at beautiful fabrics during my day job as well as when I'm at home!  I made a nine-block version of the quilt- each block is 14" finished- and I adapted the border sizes to fit. 

I precut all the fabrics out using nine prints, one main background (Linea Texture by Makower) and a little extra Makower Linen Texture as I ran slightly short.  All the half-square triangles are made using a full size template from the book which produces eight accurate HSTs in minutes, I'm not kidding, it was seriously fast with minimal trimming.   This technique is also a great introduction to foundation paper piecing at it's simplest. 

My top tip for removing paper when foundation paper piecing is to tear the template part way along the seam line and then remove from the seam.  This reduces the strain on the stitches especially at the start and end so they won't come loose.  I've used this tip a lot for my Farmer's Wife blocks.

It's a great book for someone who's pieced squares together and sewn a beginner quilt and wants to progress and pick up skills and tips. It's also a handy resource for more experienced quilters who might need to whip up a baby quilt or pillow at short notice, that's what I'm planning for my copy!

You can see many of the projects inside the book on Kyle Books website and enjoy perusing Jan Baldwin's excellent photography.  I especially like that each quilt/project is shown in a styled shot and also in a flat overhead full-sized photo so you can study the layout and details close up.  The other stops on the blog tour also include some beautiful new versions of projects from the book.

I have a copy to giveaway and entries are open internationally, as long as I can find your email to contact you, you are eligible to win!  To enter, comment below and tell me about an vintage or older fabric that you have in your stash- good, bad or somewhere in between. Add an extra entries for each share on social media- write a comment adding where you shared- Facebook, Twitter etc. Winner will be contacted and announced Sunday 24th April. *Comments are now closed*.

{Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for taking part in this blog hop.  It was my decision to make something from it.  All opinions and content are my own}

April at Plush Addict

Here are my top picks from Plush Addict for April.  I've gone for nine quilting cottons this months and I am happy to say that many of the fabrics are from British fabric companies like Makower and Lewis & Irene.

(Items organised in three rows and numbered left to right)

1. The Botanist: Dark Ferns and Leaves from Lewis and Irene.  A beautiful, subdued collection with a botanical drawing theme.  Dark prints can be hard to find and this one is a rather fine example.  Great for gardeners of course!

2.  Makower Scandi 3: Stag heads on Grey For extraordinarily well organised people, the newest Christmas ranges have started to arrive including Scandi 3 which is a restrained wintery collection with potential well beyond December.  Love the red noses that pop up in the grey!

3.  Pirates from Makower.  A very boy friendly fabric collection with lots of extras including this quilt kit from the lovely Lynne Goldsworthy.

4. Haberdashery by Makower- Sewing Machines.  From the Haberdashery range- Makower seem to be having an explosion of new fabric collections this month!  I'm rather partial subdued Sewing Machine print, it reminds me of the All Saints shops with all the old sewing machines in the window.

5 Tea Party from Makower.  Beautiful spring colours with aqua, pink, yellow and green.  Perfect collection for vintage kitchen fans and baking fanatics.  Lots of feature prints although the polka dots are my absolute favourite- see more of those here.

6.  Vintage Circus: Acrobats in White (Lewis and Irene).   Soft colours and vintage themed designs.  Great dress potential in this print!  See the rest of the collection here. 

7.  Bernatex Vroom Black Let's Drag Excellent racing car design that's a cut above the usual motor style print.

8.  Sundaland Jungle from Blend.  This Pygmy elephants print is the stand out for me (also available in a pink colour way.  Find the bundles and co-ordinating prints here.

9.  Radiance by Beth Studley for Makower: Heart Circles Navy.  This range is inspired by antique crochet and lace by talented British designer Beth Studley.  I'm guessing there's a lot of fussy cutting potential in this collection for english paper piecing and Passacaglia lovers.

{This is a monthly post for one of my sponsors which features my choices from Plush Addict's fabric selection}

Farmer's Wife 1930s QAL Blocks 61 and 62: May and Milly

It's time for blocks 61 and 62 in this weeks  Farmer's Wife Quilt Along post.  Starting with block 61, May (p.220, letter p.126) and my fourth of the eight half- blocks I have planned for the  the twin sized quilt layout from the book (see this post for more info).  Fiona of Poppy Makes is the guest blogger for this blocs and she simplifies the construction with an English Paper Pieced May block.  With the Y seams around the pointy leaf style sections, it's certainly a good candidate for EPP.  I found that foundation piecing was almost the same to cutting out the shapes using templates and sewing them together.

Fabric credits:

Kona Buttercup

Windham Playdate Ditsy in Green

Atsuko Matsuyama, Ginham Ribbon Orange

When I select the blocks that would bevsuitable for half blocks, firstly I look to see if there is a seam across the diagonal, and then I consider if the design will keep it's integrity when half of it is missing. It worked well enough for block 61 but I thought the four different colours might get a little lost in block 62, Milly (p.221, letter p.54) so kept it full size.  It is an interesting block with different effects are created on point compared to a square layout.   My contrast could've been stronger- maybe a yellow solid would've been a better choice- but I wanted to see if I make it work with four prints.

Fabric credits:
Yellow: Moda Garden Project, Vintage floral pear yellow
Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Penny and Friends, Square Dance Camelia
Bonnie and Camille for Moda, Daysail crosshatch in aqua
Windham Story book classics, Daisy Dots (purple) 

{Please note:  I have linked to my sponsors on items bought through them and elsewhere for anything that has come from other shops}

This block using the same shape throughout so I pre-cut my pieces as usual and this time that meant 32 half square triangles, cut first as squares and then sub-cut into triangle.  The piecing is in rows and once everything is cut, the block goes together relatively quickly and the seams nest nicely.

Rotary Cutting Dimensions 
(cutting approx. ¼" larger for foundation piecing)
Aqua: cut (2) 2 ¾" squares; sub-cut square diagonally to yield 4 half square triangles
Yellow: cut (4) 2 ¾" squares; sub-cut square diagonally to yield 8 half square triangles
Purple: cut (4) 2 ¾" squares; sub-cut square diagonally to yield 8 half square triangles
Background/light: cut (6) 2 ¾" squares; sub-cut square diagonally to yield 12 half square triangles

Top tips for this block

• Pre-cut all pieces
• Use a water based glue stick. I use Sewline, to stick the first piece of each section
• Chain piece sections  
•  Pressed section seams open
• Use gentle starch spray like Flatter to smooth out lumps and bumps.  I found it helps a lot!  I use it sparingly as it is pricey and only tend to spray it on a finished block

Remember you can:

• Hashtag  #fw1930sqal on Instagram and add photos to the Flickr group if you like to share there.  
• For individual blocks, you can use #Mayblock and #Millyblock on Instagram, Fat Quarter Shop and Angie are using these hash tags, #fw60May,  #fw61Milly - I'm using both hashtag systems.
• You can also copy and paste links to any blog posts you do on these blocks in the comments and I'd love to visit and take a look. 

Sarah Edgar from Pretty Fabrics and Trims returns  next Monday for another guest post.

April at Village Haberdashery

Finally a bit of sun here in Devon and my thoughts can legitimately turn to dresses, short sleeve tops and warmer weather.  There are some lovely light and bright arrivals at Village Haberdashery this month- Annie makes my job so easy!  Here are my nine top picks for April...

(Items organised in three rows and numbered left to right)

1.  Linen/cotton Herringbone Weave Chambray, wide width at 59" and beautiful for garment making (see 'Skipper' dress below) or an informal bag like the Grainline Stowe. 

2.  Mendoccino by Heather Ross  has arrived and the Underwater sisters mermaid print is swimming out of the shop (see what I did there ;).  Available in gold, pink on cream, dark pink and plum as well as blue on blush and the other Mendocino prints can be seen here whilst stocks last. 

3.   'Manu Forest' organic cotton voile (44" wide) from the stunning range of Yucca fabrics designed by Leah Duncan for Cloud 9.  Amazing colours. 

4.  Leaping Foxes by Joanne Cocker for Dashwood.  From Fablewood, a promising debut collection with lovely fresh colours.

5.  Merchant & Mills 'The Skipper'.  Classic sailor dress pattern designed for 3-8 year olds. Ideal for chambrays, linens and would also work with Art Gallery cottons  or Cloud 9 Organics as they are both so soft silky to work with. 

6. Rainbows in Aqua from the Flying Colours collection by Momo.  Typical psychedelic style from Momo, I really like the flower power print and the Rainbow Forest from the same range. 

7. Ladies Night (Metallic).  Irresistible print by Sarah Watts for the Cotton+Steel Black & White 2016 collection.

8.  Lore-Up Above the Clouds in Multi.  More stunning designs from Leah Duncan for Cloud 9, this time from the Lore collection.  If you prefer a quieter print, check out Lore- Fable Forest, a soft subtle design. 

9.  Cotton/Spandex denim- Rushton.  A bit of stretch so maybe this would be good for a pair of Ginger jeans or an Airelle Skirt?

If you'd like to see more new arrivals at Village Haberdashery, click here.
Meanwhile, thankyou for your kind comments to this post, they were much appreciated x

{This is a monthly post for one of my sponsors which features my choices from Village Haberdashery's fabric/pattern selection}

Farmer's Wife QAL blocks 59 and 60: Mary and Mary Gray

Welcome back for another Monday at the  Farmer's Wife Quilt Along.  This week starts with block 59, Mary (p.218, letter p.64) and I've made this the third in my aim for eight half- blocks following the twin sized quilt layout from the book (see this post for more info).  I played around with the colours of the smaller triangles to make the pattern slightly more effective in a half-block.  I pressed each  section seam open.

Fabric credits:

Marcus Brother Fabrics, Aunt Grace Simpler Sampler, Flower Toss Pink

Blue Floral- reproduction fabric, gift from friend 

Kona Buttercup

I am deliberately going back to my previous blocks and trying to use fabrics that have only been used maybe once or twice before in earlier blocks so that the quilt has some degree of balance in it's scrappiness.   This same combo was used in block 21, Carrie.   For Mary, I precut all the fabric pieces for this block before foundation paper piecing so the rotary cutting dimensions below are a little bigger than required to give you room to manoeuvre. 

Rotary Cutting Dimensions 
(cutting approx. ¼" larger for foundation piecing)
For the large triangles: cut (1) 4 ½" square; sub-cut square diagonally to yield 2 half square triangles.  Repeat for other colour way.
For the small triangles: cut (1)3 ¼" sub-cut square  across both diagonals to yield 4 quarter square triangles.  Repeat for for the required number of triangles needed in each colourway.

Top tips for this block

• Pre-cut all pieces
• Use a water based glue stick. I use Sewline, to stick the first piece of each section
• Chain piece sections in pairs 
•  pressed each  section seam open.

Block 60, Mary Gray ( p.219, letter p.69) is fun to piece although I prefer the square layout rather than the on point, but an interesting block nevertheless is quick to sew.  Chase is guest blogger for this block so take a visit to Quarter Inch Mark and take a look at her version here and read her detailed post about how she constructs her blocks.

Fabric credits:
Kona Bahama Blue
Moda, Mary-Jane Butters, Glamping, Blue daisies (out of print)
Pink bubble report print from Pretty Little Fabrics and Trims but maybe sold out now!

{Please note:  I have linked to my sponsors on items bought through them and elsewhere for anything that has come from other shops}

Remember you can:

• Hashtag  #fw1930sqal on Instagram and add photos to the Flickr group if you like to share there.  
• For individual blocks, you can use #Maryblock and #MaryGrayblock on Instagram, Fat Quarter Shop and Angie are using these hash tags, #fw59Mary,  #fw60MaryGray - I'm using both hashtag systems.
• You can also copy and paste links to any blog posts you do on these blocks in the comments and I'd love to visit and take a look. 

  Fiona from Poppy Makes is back for another guest blogger post next Monday.

Reality Check

Time for a reality check in the social media world of clean empty work spaces, clothes that get sewn in half a day and still seem to fit perfectly and quilts that go from cut pieces to finished bound masterpiece in under six months.  

Much of my time when not doing usual day time work and parent/family stuff is currently being spent supporting a relative who is suffering with dementia.  I am sure many of you have being through this and know what a difficult place it is to be for all involved.   It's not an issue that can be quickly solved; it is an ongoing, ever-changing situation with constant challenges.  I'll still be posting my weekly Farmer's Wife 1930s quilt-along posts along with my monthly nine-patch sponsor selection but anything else may be a bonus.  I don't especially like to live my life beyond the sewing machine on Instagram, blog, Facebook etc. so this is just by way of explanation.  I'll still be here -  sewing keeps my mental state on the straight and narrow and is a place where I don't have to think about medications, mental health teams and what I can do next for someone who is obviously suffering.  But, if you've emailed me and I haven't got back to you, it may be that it got swamped in other emails and you'll need to get in touch again.

Farmer's Wife Quilt-Along Blocks 57 and 58: Margaret & Martha

It's the start of the week and time for two more farmer's wife blocks in the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along I'm thinking ahead to my layout so I've started with made another half block, Margaret  (p.216, letter p.112).  This is my third half-block.

Fabric credits:

Kona Candy Pink

Robert Kaufman Fabrics-Penny's Dollshouse, Floating Leaves

Aunt Grace by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabric, Simpler Sampler green Floral Buds

Margaret is made up of the a single half square triangle shape used 32 times for a full block and 16 for a half.  There are rotary instructions for this shape on the book CD and I pre-cut mine about ¼" larger for foundation piecing.  It's an easy block to make as a triangle shaped half-block.  You can see the alterations I made to the foundation paper pattern pieces and my colour coding.   I added an extra triangle to D2 to complete the shape. 

It went together quickly!  I use Flatter spray to fully flatten the bulky seams when the sections are joined together.   I'm not sure what the ingredients are in Flatter but it certainly does the trick!  I found it easiest to press these to one side. 

Top tips for this block

• Pre-cut all pieces
• Use a water based glue stick. I use Sewline, to stick the first piece of each section to the paper
• Chain piece sections where possible
• Press the joining seams to one side 

Jo from My Bear Paw returns with Block 58, Martha ( p.217, letter p.33).  I love the centre pinwheel in this block and the piecing order makes the joining seams nest together nicely.    This block could also be easily adapted to make a half-block. 

Fabric credits:
Kona Corn Yellow
Kokka Lighthearted Kitchen Floral in Mustard by Ayumi Mills
Riley Blake Fabulous and Fancy-Breath in Yellow

{Please note:  I have linked to my sponsors for fabrics bought from them and elsewhere for anything that has come from other shops}

Remember you can:

• Hashtag  #fw1930sqal on Instagram and add photos to the Flickr group if you like to share there.  
• For individual blocks, you can use #Margaretblock and #Marthablock on Instagram, Fat Quarter Shop and Angie are using these hash tags, #fw57margaret,  #fw58martha, I'm using both hashtag systems.
• You can also copy and paste links to any blog posts you do on these blocks in the comments or tag me on Instagram and I'd love to visit and take a look. 

Chase will be here next week as a guest blogger and I'm looking forward to seeing her block!