bits & pieces

Taking a break from sorting 'house' things and playing with fabric today.
But what a mess,
seems some serious sorting is required in here too! 

Hey wait a minute - is that part of a quilt under there?

These zigzag blocks are in no particular order just yet. I've got a few more blocks to make as I want to have a 5 x 7 setting, so there's still plenty of wriggle room for a reshuffle. I'm also thinking about running the vertical darker colours into each other a bit more.

There's a mixture of Outback Wife fabrics and a few Anna Maria Horner ones. Loving the mix of these floral with stripes & checks, and I'm finding that repeating some fabric combos helps with calming things down!

I've also made a bit more progress on my 'whimsy' blocks. I'm enjoying making these, just wish I could be enjoying it a bit more often.  It seems to take me a least one block to get back into the swing of making them, what with those cheeky little inset seams and remembering to use a scant 1/4" as I piece them.

hm-m-m- a little bit of unpicking needed for my 1st block today
but this next one is looking a lot better . . .

15 blocks so far, here's a group photo . . .

I do love a little bit of vintage in some of my quilts, and so earlier in the year I signed up to the 'vintage fabric club' with Jen from apieceofcloth .

My first package arrived this week and it's an interesting selection, very different to anything we get here in NZ. I'm looking forward to using them.

Linking up all these little bits & pieces with Cynthia here for 'oh scrap'

sew stitch snap SHARE #12

Well hello!

Thank you all for linking up to 'Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE' over the past few months,

- it's been great to see such a variety of projects.

Things around here have got slightly diverted off course this week, are you not surprised? I started out with the best intentions, we are moving and my mission was decluttering & destashing. But it's always a risky activity when I start sorting scraps. Have a peep at what happened . . .

I love mixing florals with stripes 

and plaids

Totally inspired by Lee Ann from niftyquilts, I have wanted to make a version of her 'tennessee lightening' quilt for ages now (see here), and have just been waiting for a bold floral to set the blocks with.

Her pattern uses the simple way of making two HST units at the same time. First, cut your squares and match two right-sides-together. Draw a diagonal line down the back of one side. Sew a 1/4″ seam on both sides of the drawn line. Cut on the drawn line. (There's also a great tutorial here by Amy from DiaryofaQuilter, if you are not too sure what I mean)

More soon.

Time now for another fortnightly 'Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE' linkup

My pick from last time was the WiP Nicolette from dutchcomfort is working on,

her all-solids version of 'down a rabbit hole'  . . .

She also has a few other great projects on the go too, like her Delilah blocks.

I love her mix of fabrics and quirky selection of low voloume backgrounds, look at #3 . . .

- pop on over here to see lots more & be inspired! 

And what are you working on right now?

Whatever you're sewing or stitching, you can link it up here.

Just follow these simple guidelines:

1. Link up from any post from the past week that features something you have been sewing or stitching. You can write as much or as little about your project as you like, or simply let your photos do the talking.
2. Somewhere in your post, please link back to this post.

3. Please comment on a couple of the other Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE links - its fun to receive comments from new people, and we are trying to encourage people to read blogs and to keep blogging. Hope you find some new inspiration too!

Thanks for joining us, Julie & Linda

a mixed bunch

It's a quick post today, as I've been busy packing up things.
 However, a little treat arrived in the post
and so, in the absence of any sewing, I thought I'd share my recent fabric finds.
They are a bit of a mixed bunch of florals . . .

Amy Butler, Soul Mate, Inner Vision in Turquoise,
Poplin Bone Kaliedescope (which has to be my favourite) & Prismatic in Cocoa 

A few pinky purples to add to the (packed up) stash, a colour I don't often buy

'Dawn' Sunny Isle by Jennifer Paganelli 

and a couple of Joel Dewberry fabrics, Wander Rosetta 'Meadowby' & 'Moon Garden'  

Two small itty bitty prints, AGF Studio, Abloom Fusion, 'Ladylike in Abloom'
& Bonnie Christine, Hello Ollie Organic, 'Blossom Drift' in Roseate, both will be very useful
oh, and a pretty larger floral from Rifle Paper Co, Menagerie, 'Jardin De Paris in Mint' 

I love mixing fabrics from my stash with vintage and new prints for a eclectic, funky mix

and I'm sure these will fit in nicely with my latest WiPs too . . .

Three new fabrics from Denyse Schmidt, Washington Depot,
Flower Girl in Wild Rose, Wallflower in Linoleum & Flower Girl in Teal,
2x Robert Kaufman's London Calling
and the last one is from Josephine Kimberling, Daydream, Cherry Blossoms in Pink.  

Now to find some extra time for sewing!

Linking up with Molli here for 'sunday stash'

See you back here on Wednesday for 'Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE'

a tale of two wives

I think this is the first quilt I’ve ever made twice. I was crazy mad in love with my first Gypsy Wife quilt. I had lots of fun chosing from a large number of scrappy fabrics, I ran lots of colour through my blocks and through my vertical rows, and I love everything about this charming vintage looking quilt.

I loved it so much that mid last year, I thought I'd join Megan from jaffaquilts and make another one. I'd like to think the fabric choices I made about my new “wife” were different. I mean why bother making a second one if not to make it a bit different?

There was lots of fussy cutting & scrappy colour still, but I felt it was more co-ordinated, more 'modern' looking. And all my vertical rows were to be in low volume greys & whites. I even had a focus fabric as my jumping off point, to guide my colour choices, something that had never occurred to me first time around! 
I made up all the first sections and then I'm not sure why, but with half the quilt done, I stalled.

Fast forward to today . . . while decluttering the sewing room this weekend, I came across my GW #2, including all the little blocks, all pieced and all ready for making up section 6. I ironed everything and spread it all out on the design floor.

I took a few photos,

and here's an interesting little collage of three of my favourite blocks,

nurses cross - colour wheel - pershing

 GW #1 top row, GW #2 bottom row 

I know we all see colour differently and it may be just me, but I think my two wives look oh so very similar. Hehe, I guess I do have a certain 'style' after all - and I obviously got bored with doing it all over again! Wondering now about continuing on or not. Linking up with 'finished or not Friday' here at busyhandsquilts and with 'oh scrap' over here 

a bit more #67

If you are tempted to give this a go,

I did a bit of a search and discovered there's a GW sew along happening at present,

and lots of pics can be found here #gypsywifesal

Angie from gnomeangel has also put together heaps of information,

including ideas about fabric choices & a colouring chart.

sew stitch snap SHARE #11

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Slow stitching this week, lots of other stuff happening, however I have made three no,
four more 'whimsy' blocks . . .

I now have 13 blocks so far and planning for #14 is well underway . . . 

That's all from me at the moment.

Time now for another fortnightly 'Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE' linkup

There were lots of inspiring projects shared last time.

I just loved what Meredithe from pomegranateandchintz was working on . . .

Meredithe designs her own templates {see here} and is using her set called 'parson's geese' for these latest blocks. Such a lovely scrappy mix of fabrics!
It will be really interesting to see how these all come together as Meredithe is planning on combining another block with them.
She also posts a regular 'class show & tell', I check in often as I find it very inspiring to see how others-down-under combine their fabrics & colour. Pop on over to her blog to see a lovely variety of projects each week, and much more.

And what are you working on right now?

Whatever you're sewing or stitching, you can link it up here.

Just follow these simple guidelines:

1. Link up from any post from the past week that features something you have been sewing or stitching. You can write as much or as little about your project as you like, or simply let your photos do the talking.
2. Somewhere in your post, please link back to this post.

3. Please comment on a couple of the other Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE links - its fun to receive comments from new people, and we are trying to encourage people to read blogs and to keep blogging. Hope you find some new inspiration too!

Thanks for joining us, Julie & Linda

some serious spring cleaning

Ah yes, I'm on a full spring cleaning mission around here at present,
we are moving
decluttering & downsizing
and decisions need to be made about what comes or what goes,
- including the stuff in my sewing room!

*pic from Google cartoons

But But But . . .
I have a lot of my stash organised in colours, in baskets where I can easily see the fabrics.
It seems to work . . .
I can usually find things . . .



. . . lately mind you, while I start off with the best intentions
when I have pulled fabrics from anywhere & everywhere for a few recent projects,
things have gone from order to disorder!

So yes, I guess maybe it's time for some selective scrap sorting,
maybe some decluttering
and maybe some destashing.

I started with my collection of 10" squares.
For a while there I had a monthly postie parcel from a patchwork shop.

 Occasionally there were fabrics I wouldn't chose
but, as you know, I have a soft spot for scrappy, and I've found them all very handy.

But, how to store them?

I had them all mixed up together, however in all honesty, they just got lost.

So, I spent some time reminiscing, colour sorting & folding each one,

and it took a while I admit . . .

. . .  but they are now all back tidily in the basket.

Next up, I rummaged through my fabric baskets
and put aside anything that was vintage-y looking. 

I've had Judy Newman's lovely book for a while now, {see here for book info}

and while her patterns are certainly adaptable
to any number of colour and fabric theme variations, I love the way she actually combines things.

And the fabrics she uses are different to what I see available here in NZ,

so I've made up a new basket of fabrics, perfect for making something similar . . . 

sometime . . . 

I also collected up a few fabric pulls that I had made during the year on a whim,

and decided that I still loved 'the idea' of each one,
so I folded them up nicely,
popped them into 'project packs'

and labelled them for future use . . .

{thanx to Audrey from quiltyfolk  and Linda from koshka2quilts for the ideas!}

Oh dear, oh dear, I've had fun but nothing actually got thrown out

{how can that be?}

Wish me luck with the rest of the house . . .

floral fun

Working on some more of my whimsy blocks today

 Loving this pattern by @judynewman, 
and am having lots of fun machine piecing these little floral beauties

There is a cheeky little inset seam,
but I'm finding that if I make up a few blocks at a time things seem to go smoothly.
I'm teaming up a scrappy selection of large scale florals from my stash
with a sweet crosscheck and a bright red & white stripe.

And three new blocks to add to the group . . .

Linking up with Myra for 'finished or not Friday' here
and with Cynthia here for 'oh scrap'