I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was relaxing and fun and I even managed to get some sewing done. I've had these Art Gallery fabrics cut into tumblers for some time and finally picked them up Friday evening and started sewing...they feel so smooth to the touch, I love them! And the colors are gorgeous too...way more so than how they look in the photos. More pics in my Etsy shop listing.
Oh my. I've never done binding so fast before:) I so wanted to get this quilt washed and dried and see the final result. Like I mentioned, this was the first time using Cherrywood Fabrics and I am SO in love! Besides the colors being simply amazing, it is so incredibly SOFT especially now that it has been washed and dried. I am struggling with this one a bit...it was meant as a gift...but a gift for no real occasion...just a gift. LOL Perhaps the gift can be a charm quilt I will make from the scraps left over from this one?
If you haven't tried Cherrywood Fabrics yet you owe it to yourself! I can hardly wait to start my next one.
Thanks for the emails over the last few weeks. All is well but quilting has taken a back seat to a lot of business travel and a whole bunch of other life events. I think it's the longest stretch in 4 years that I have done so little sewing. BUT...I did work on a new quilt last night and just got the binding on. It's a gift for a friend. I finally cut into my Cherrywood fat quarters I have had forever and made a simple quilt. I cut all the pieces with my new 10 inch square Accucut die. Love it! I just have to do the hand sewing on the binding and I think I will do something I never actually do when finishing a quilt - I think I will wash and dry it for that crinkly look. This quilt just seems to crying for that:) Stay tuned...I plan on being around a little more often.
Well, well, well...for the very first time yesterday I ran out of top thread while quilting this new quilt. I had one and a half passes left and there I was threadless. Not ideal especially since it was Sunday and none of the LQS opened until noon. Luckily one of them had exactly what I needed and I was able to finish up today. I will have to be more conservative when I check the spool and wonder if there is enough left:)
Anyway, this is my second quilt featuring the new Amy Butler Love fabrics. This scrappy quilt features 10 different fabrics and a fun backing called Tumble Roses Pink. More pics are available in my Etsy shop.
The mail lady dropped off my first order of Amy Butler's Love fabric yesterday at 6pm and I was cutting into it very shortly after:) First up is a tumbler quilt using 16 of the 26 fabrics in this line. Like all Westminster fabrics, it is FABULOUS. Very soft to the touch. More photos are available in my Etsy shop.
We must have our priorities straight! I arrived in Amsterdam on business this morning at 9:30 am and by 3:00 pm had located the only real quilt shop in town just a few blocks from my hotel right in the center of the town. I had researched in advance of leaving and it was definitely in my plans to try and visit but the location made it super easy for me.
The shop is called Dutch Quilts and they specialize in reproduction antique Dutch chintz fabrics. The original handpainted designs from India were initially used for interior decoration as well as in Dutch national costumes. During the 18th century, when printing mills began commercially producing these flowered patterns, the cotton chinz was mainly used for clothing but sometimes, even then, for patchwork and as quilting fabric.These fabrics are so wonderful but NOT inexpensive. I treated myself to a collection of 50 different prints each 29 cm square or 11 1/2 inches square. I also got a traditional Dutch small scale plaid for the backing. I plan on making a snowball patchwork quilt.
One of these gorgeous dresses was displayed in the store.
Here is my sampler box.
Some fabric closeups.
My plaid backing.
I just made and listed in my Etsy shop this fun pillowcase made with the outdoorsy man in mind! The main body fabric is a rare, out-of-print retro flannel fabric by Kaufman and I think it's hysterical. I picked up a bunch of this during my last trip to Japan. I make all my pillowcases using the "hot dog" style so there are no exposed internal seams along the cuff and trim. Then I serge the side and bottom seams for durability. For a "hot dog" pillowcase tutorial, click here.
This is a two part post:)
First, I have been accepted into a local arts and craft consignment shop and today was my first day to have quilts on display! It's very exciting. The store is called Hand Works and is located in Danville, California, a great town here in Northern California. I have a small space that fits a rack for 4 or 5 quilts and some wall pegs to display some smaller items like pot holders, tote bags and table runners. I think it will be fun to try!
Second, while there today setting up a friend and I strolled an antique and arts fair being held on the same street. Now I have never been a fan of antique quilts nor do I know much about them. But when I came across this quilt today I HAD to have it. It came with a 2006 appraisal. The quilt is 72 x 80 inches and Circa 1930, likely from South Dakota and its condition is listed as Mint/Unused.It is hand quilted at approximately 6-7 stitches per inch. It doesn't have a spot on it. Nor any yellow. And most important it doesn't smell at all. It has been very well looked after. I love it!!! More pictures are NOT available in my Etsy shop. This beauty is NOT for sale:)
I don't make a lot of quilts for kids but this fabric spoke to me when I bought it and now that it is all quilted I can't stop staring at it. LOL It is just so darn sweet. It's Have a Sheri Berry Holiday by Northcott. More pics are in my Etsy Shop.
