Not small enough?

I love to make miniatures, I might have said this before but I am saying it again! I needed to make a class sample for the CUBITZ panel I am teaching at KIS Quilting (Ipswich) at the end of January so I can show the lovely ladies there how to face a quilt instead of binding it, since this panel has a shaped lower edge

The coin is just for reference: all will become clear soon

While sewing this panels I was idly wondering how small I could make it. My first instinct, when miniaturising a design, would be to foundation paper piece it, but this design just wouldn't work by that method. So it would have to be just done by accurate cutting and piecing (1/8th inch seams!)

Nailed it!

The fabric used throughout these panels is a lovely woven stripe by OAKSHOTT fabrics, sadly now discontinued. However the new weaving of LONGSHOTT is vibrant and gorgeous - I would recommend that you have a look at it.

I love Indigo!

Now, I never took a liking to hand dyeing - either product or process - but I have fallen in love with indigo. It's a quite magical and much more immediate process where you never know exactly what results you are going to get. The final colour/pattern depends on the basic fabric - silk, cotton or linen (wool works too), how you scrunch or tie it up, how long it is in the dye-bath and how many times you dip it.

Over-dyeing coloured or printed fabrics produced some interesting results too. I have an idea for a Modern indigo quilt floating about in my head using this severely limited palette. Must go and finish my stuff for Festival of Quilts so I can start on this!

Oakshott Galore!

That lovely Michael Oakshott has been at it again. Every now and then he has a clearout and sends us a box or two of oddments - it's like being a kid at Christmas!

Being swamped by a veritable mountain of fabric is a little daunting, but by sorting into colour heaps we managed to reduce chaos to a rather delicious order. This lot is destined for student packs, samples for Michael and generally drooling over.

Yellow Brick Road

Having fun making samples of a different colourway for a pattern I am writing at the moment

Yellow Brick Road in orange & purple with a dash of lime green just for kicks! The original was much more sedate:

The back door is open, the sun is streaming in and I am sewing - all is right with the world

Thought Processes

Having a lovely time today auditioning fabrics for an entry into this year's Festival of Quilts competition

Completely not what I had in mind (peacock blue/green/purple!) but these looked so delicious together. Really must get on and start now.

Making It

This week's fun has included making things for our local (christmas with a small 'c') market.
So far....

 

A whole table full of the ever popular QUIP PEG BAG kits




And a forest full of FRONDE leaf purses (I know they look a bit strange like this, but they will be leaves eventually)