Fabric Frustrations

Over the last few days I have finally cut into the delicious Petite Odile fabrics by French General.

Here is my progress so far;

I have designed this quilt myself, with the idea being a feature panel in the middle surrounded by a series of concentric stars.

As you can see from the first photo, I bought a series of fat quarters for this project.  It's what I tend to do, and then I'll purchase a metre or more of my favourite print for the backing fabric and some more for the binding.  But this time I have a problem.  

I really like the red alphabet print and I want to use it in the next 'star'.  However, I am fast running out of this print and I know I will never have enough for all those HSTs that I will need to go around the edge of this quilt :-(  So I have just had to order in some more.  Which is frustrating because I have to wait a couple of days for it to arrive...just when I am in the creative flow...don't you hate it when that happens!

But I guess that is one of the drawbacks of coming up with your own design.  Particularly if with like this quilt, it's a kind of design-as-you-go type thing.  I hadn't realised just how much I was going to love the alphabet print, and it really works well against the more muted tones of the other fabrics. 

I am looking forward to reporting on progress on this one soon.

And I shall be hand quilting it too with pearle cotton.  I can't wait to settle down with a good film and get started!

Linking up with Plum and June's Monday Link Up

Sarah x

Productive in the Cold

The beginning of the month, and indeed the year started out with a little bit of this...

40 Degrees most days - bliss

But after a very long journey home and a week or so later, things were looking more like this...

We only lasted 5 minutes in the cold!

It's certainly been one extreme to another.

It has however been  productive month.  There has been a bit of quilting, bunting making, cake baking, cross stitching and magazine writing.  Let me share with you a collage.

Clockwise from top left: Pink bunting available here; Cross Stitch for my son's 1st birthday; Magazine article that I wrote for British Patchwork and Quilting Magazine (read more about it here) Pirate bunting, available here; Cake I made for my son; A sneak peek of my Magazine Quilt (read more about it here )

I am not sure which was the biggest highlight; seeing my article in print or stuffing myself silly with chocolate finger encrusted chocolate cake adorned with smarties!  

Looking forward, I have already started a quilt that I hope to finish before February is out, using these wonderful muted fabrics;

Petite Odile By French General

And there is sure to be more bunting :-)

How has January been for you?  What do you hope to finish and work on in February?  I'd love to her from you.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Linking up with Lily's Quilts

Sarah x

A Little Bit of Bunting

A few weeks go I made some Pirate Bunting to go on my website and so this week I wanted to add to my bunting collection and make some that was more 'feminine.'  I am reluctant to say 'for girls' as I am aware that there are probably many female pirate lovers out there, but I wanted to go sugary sweet, and yes, you guessed it, pink.   This is what I came up with.

Cute little cupcakes and flowers, with complimentary green and pink flags in between.  I've decided to call it Cherry Cupcake Bunting.  

And it just so happens that my daughter has  pink bedroom, and  it matches perfectly so this set is for her  I.  I didn't personalise it because she already has quite a few things with her name on, but this option is available on my shop .

It has been a special weekend too, as my son had his first birthday.  Sadly the birthday celebrations were slightly more low key than planned due to lots of last minute cancellations because to sickness,  but some very special friends did come over and join in the celebrations, which of course included cake, and lots of it! 

Back to quilting news, I have recently purchased lots of new fabrics, and I look forward to sharing them and telling you what I've got planned.  I have lots of projects in my head and I can't wait to get started!

Linking up with the lovely:

Sarah x

The Best Things...

Come to those who wait.

You know what it's like when you are waiting for something to arrive in the post.  Every morning you listen out for the postman's footsteps on the path (or on the gravel in our case) and for the sound of the letterbox opening and the post falling to the floor.  And usually, the more you want a letter to come, the less likely it is to do so on the day you want it.

I have been waiting like that since Thursday.  No sign of anything other than bills/pamphlets on Thursday morning.  Okay I thought, I shall wait till Friday.  But then this happened.

Yes only a small (ish) sprinkling, but you can't expect the postman to risk life and limb on our hazardous country lanes can you, even if it is a very special delivery ;-) 

So that meant more waiting.  Saturday you might think.  But guess what, in Jersey, we don't have post on a Saturday!  It will have to be Monday then, I thought to myself.  

Que Monday morning.  My ears were pricked listening out for his footsteps.  I listened, I waited.  I strained to listen and waited some more.  Still nothing.  It got to lunchtime.  It wasn't looking hopeful.  Yes, you guessed it, no sign of it on Monday either.  And by now the snow had very nearly all melted.  What was going on?  

Now it's Tuesday morning.  I was busy in the kitchen and suddenly I heard my 1 year old son shaking what sounded like pieces of paper...the post had arrived without me hearing and he was about to tear it to shreds!   Luckily I intervened just in time.  

And here is what I was waiting for, a copy of British Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, because guess what, my article's in it (eek!)

As you can see it's called 'Jargon Buster' and it's essentially a glossary of quilting terminology.  It even has examples of my work in it; my 'Tea in the Woods' Mug Rug, and the reverse of a toy blanket featuring a rather grumpy but kind of cute little frog. 

  

At the end of the article is my Quilt Candy logo and details of how to follow me on my blog/facebook etc.  So if you are reading this because you saw me in the magazine, I would love to hear from you :-)  Are you a new or experienced quilter?  Did you find the article helpful? Did I miss anything?!

Thank you for stopping by.

Belatedly linking up with http://fabricmutt.blogspot.com/2013/01/lets-get-acquainted.html

Sarah x

Ahoy There Shipmates

I just love the Sarah Jane Out at Sea fabric line, so imagine my delight when one of my closest friends told me her little boy was going to have pirate themed 3rd birthday party.  It was the perfect excuse to bring those cheeky pirates to the surface and put them to good use. 

I wasted no time in deciding what to make.  Being a party, bunting seemed the perfect option, but I wanted it to be a little bit special so that it can be hung in his bedroom and admired long after the party is over.  So I decided to make sewn flags and applique his name in large letters the middle.

I have some gorgeous navy fabric with white stars, and this worked perfectly on the reverse, alternated with white flags.

I had a great time making this bunting, it's such a fun fabric line to work with and I can't wait to give it to a very special little boy on his birthday.

And I have now made personalised bunting available to order on my Quilt Candy Shop  :-)


Sarah x


PS  I am sending out huge thanks to my husband  who is the technical mastermind behind all the clever new features on my website.  He has given up so much of his precious free time and I hope he knows just how much I appreciate him xxx

A Flurry of Finishes

Before I went away for Christmas, I had one very big project that was almost finished but not quite.  I was literally just a few hours short of finishing, but my time had to be duly spent elsewhere, namely wrapping presents and packing suitcases. 
 

So when we came home I was eager to jump right back in as soon as I had completed sufficient amounts of laundry to get us through the next couple of days. 
 

So this very big project is a quilt that I am making to feature in a magazine. (And yes I am very excited!)  You can read all about it here http://www.quiltcandygirl.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-sneak-peak.html and if you don't have time to look at the link then here is a little sneaky peek picture of the quilt when it was a WIP.

I can't tell you how much I want to share a picture of the finished quilt, I am so happy to have it finished, and I think that the gorgeous Kaffe Fassett fabrics work even better than I could have hoped. 

I do however have another little project that I can share with you.  Not a quilt this time, but a little cross stitch for my baby, who is due to turn 1 in the next couple of weeks.  I came across this pattern and knew that I had to sew it for him immediately.

And I have even colour photocopied it and made little invitations for his party.  It's a great idea that I came across in this gorgeous book by a French author, along with the design.

Regular readers will know that I have been away for a while over Christmas and I would love to share with you just a few pictures of a wonderful place that I went to called Cateratas Du Iguazu, which is a series of spectacular waterfalls on the border with Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.  

The photos really don't do justice to what a wonderful place it is and if you ever get a chance to go there, take it with both hands, it's not to be missed!

My final finish was a scrapbook that my daughter (aged 3 1/2) and I put together all about our holiday.  It's been a busy week choosing photos, printing, sticking, gluing and annotating.  But it's finished, looking lovely and has been proudly taken to pre-school this morning. 

I hope you have had a productive week too.  What have you been working on and have you had any New Year finishes yet?  

Linking up with:

 



Sarah x

Glancing back and looking forward

First of all I would like to wish you a Happy New Year and say it's good to be back!  I have had nearly a month away from home and blogging,  and I've missed you all and of course my sewing machine.  Now I'm home and back to reality, in cold, foggy Jersey.  A bit of a shock considering I have been used to 40 degree heat and blazing sunshine!

But anyhow, slightly late I know, here are my reflections on 2012 and my hopes for a fruitful 2013.

2012 was a big year for me.  Without question, the biggest and best thing that happened was the birth of our dear son William back in January and he has brought us all endless joy and happiness, even if it has meant we haven't had a decent night's sleep since the day he was born ;-)  But I wouldn't have it any other way and our lives are the richer for having him in our family.  It's hard to believe that in just a few weeks time he will be celebrating his first birthday.

 

And my vision of having my own business and developing Quilt Candy was also born.  Things are still in the early stages right now, but I have a logo and a website, this new blog, promotional materials and so many ideas of how to take Quilt Candy forward in the next couple of years.  In 2012 I made quite a few quilts, several of them hand quilted, and I have many more ideas for quilts and other products going forward.  2012 was a challenge, juggling a small baby, my young daughter, family life and working towards what I have always dreamed about.  But as my children get older I know that I will be able to devote more time to Quilt Candy, hopefully without burning the midnight oil far too often.

 

 

 

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me in my new venture so far; I can't tell you how much it means to hear words of encouragement and compliments about my work.

I have lots of things in the pipeline for 2013, and I can't wait to share them with you as and when they happen.  I hope that it brings all that you wish for too, and that it's a year full of creativity, making friends, learning new skills and most of all, happiness.

Happy New Year one and all,

Sarah x