Superhero Cushion

Do you remember a few months back I fell in love with and bought some gorgeous Superhero fabric?

Well as luck and coincidence would have it...guess what topic my (nearly 5 year old) daughter is going to be focusing on after half term...yes, Superheros!

So what better excuse than to experiment with some appliqué and make a cushion for the Reception Classroom.  Here's what I came up with.

I opted for an envelope back...

As it was the perfect opportunity to include my handmade superhero buttons, that I'm totally in love with. How lucky was it that the writing was small enough to fit! 

I also had the opportunity to use the buttonhole foot on my Bernina for the first time to make 3 button holes.

On the front, I decided to appliqué the 'POW' text over the quilting, (which you can see very faintly in the picture, it's 1" apart, vertical quilting) as I wanted to make it stand out, rather than be underneath the quilting. I think this actually worked quite well.  

Given that this cushion is going to be sat on and squashed by 30 five year olds, I used a tight zig-zag almost satin stitch for the appliqué to make it more durable.  It's as fray-proof as possible!

I really enjoyed adding the bright red binding to compliment the text and frame the cushion.  

I don't think I'll ever tire of this fabric, it's such fun, and my mind is busy thinking of  other coordinating cushions...oh the possibilities are endless :-)

I hope my daughter and the other children enjoy their Superhero topic next term and that my cushion sparks their imaginations.  What fun they are going to have!

Sarah x

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Button - tastic

I'm working on a little project, and the theme's superheroes.  I'm loving it!  I hope to share it with you soon.

In the meantime, here's a little sneek peek of some buttons I made with some of the left over fabric.

I can't tell you how happy they make me, I might get a little bit obsessed with button making!

Sarah x

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Identity Crisis

Don't worry, this isn't a deep and meaningful post about wondering who I am ;-)

But I have had a bit of an email identity crisis that I didn't even know about and it's only today I've figured out what's going on.

Long story short, when people posted comments on my blog I would get an email, which was great as I could reply and chat, but when I commented on other people's blogs, I never got a reply.  And yes I had checked several times that I was not a 'no reply blogger!' 

Well it turns out that all the comments were going to my gmail account, which is separate to my other 3 email accounts, which I manage through Outlook.  I didn't even know how to access my gmail, I just set it up as part of my blog.  But now I've now realised what's happened, so I have about a million lovely comments from people that I had never read until today!!!! 

So I'm writing this post to say, if you ever messaged me following a comment I left on your blog, then I wasn't ignoring you I promise!  Lovely Mr Candy has now created me another inbox in my Outlook to manage my gmail that way. 

Phew.  Glad that's sorted, here's to improved communication in 2014!

Back soon with some more quilting, I'm quite excited about sharing this next project as it's something a bit different for me and I've designed it myself. 

Sarah x

Fabric Tuesday

I've been away from my blog for over a week, busy quilting a quilt for somebody else, as well as making a baby quilt.  Pictures coming soon!

So for now I just want to share my latest fabric haul.  I was fabric browsing on the internet ( I know, always dangerous) and I found a collection of fabrics that screamed BUY ME NOW!  So who was I to say no.  Within 24 hours they had landed on my doorstep and here they are in all their beauty.

The collection is by Macrina Busto called Handmade in Aqua and I simply couldn't get enough of it.  

I don't have any specific plans for it yet, I think I'll just look at it and stroke it for a while ;-))  

Sarah x

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I 'Heart' The Strip Bees

Don't you just love it when you get ahead of schedule.  Well that's what happened this weekend when I managed to complete my strip for the Strip Bees.  It was a great feeling!

So here are a couple of sneak peeks.

I think you can guess hearts might be involved!

I had great fun making this strip, it was my first quilting challenge of the new year, and loved it.  What girl wouldn't love playing with fabric, red, pink and purple to be precise, and, well...hearts??!!!  

Feeling the quilty love this week.  

I hope you are having a good one too,

Sarah x

2013 - A Year in Review Part 2

Happy New Year!

 

I had planned for 2014 to start with slightly more calm than the beginning of December.  But that was not meant to be.  Hey ho, at least there won't be a dull moment!

 

So anyway, that's why it's taken so long to finish my review of 2013.  Thank you to everyone for your kind comments about all my makes of last year.  Now I want to share some of the event highlights, of which there were many.

 

The year started with the most wonderful gift a quilting girl could ask for, from my wonderful husband.  I am truly grateful and I have used my Bernina nearly every day.  (Thank you too Chrissie, for all you help and advice with choosing it).

 

 

Shortly after the arrival of my wonderful sewing machine, I attended a two day screen printing and portholes workshop with Lucie Summers here in Jersey.  Thank you  Sue for inviting me, I had such a ball.

 

 

Next on the agenda was a day trip to London for the Kaffe Fassett A Life in Colour Exhibition.  Here's one of my favourite quilts, and I really want to have a go at this design, isn't it just gorgeous.   

In July it was another trip to London, this time for the Fat Quarterly Retreat.  That was just 3 days of awesomeness.  I met SO many wonderful people, learnt new skills, drank cocktails, bought far too much fabric, went to Liberty for the second time in 2 months and made loads of new friends.  (Can't wait to do it all again in 2014!!) 

 

 

This trip was swiftly followed by the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.  Oh my goodness, it was fantastic, and I even got to meet one of my quilting hero's, Tula Pink.

 

I'm pleased to say I also managed to have a holiday with the family; we went to France and had a wonderful week of sun, swimming and sightseeing. 

 
So could my year get any better?  It certainly did.  My wonderful, dear friend Julie, who has been my blogging/emailing friend for over two years, came to visit me, all the way from Australia.  It meant to much to me to finally meet her, and the 4 days that she was here went far too fast.  I can't wait for the day that we meet again.

 

 

The year ended well too.  I ran a little parent and child craft class at my house as part of a Promises Auction at my daughters school, and had such fun teaching new skills to Christie and mum Cleo. 

 





 

And finally I had a chance to relax for Christmas in a gorgeous cottage in Wales with the family before 2014 began. (Will blog soon about the Tula Pink needlepoint that I started, I love it!)

 

It really was a great year for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed looking back and reliving all the special moments.  I hope you had a happy year too and I hope that 2014 brings you happiness and all you wish for too.

Sarah x