Friday 29 April 2011

Its Darling - Etsy UK Pick

 Millalove

The Cutest Pom Pom Garland ever!

Sarah of Millalove also has a blog on wordpress
And has just been featured in Etsy blog!






I'm off on holiday in the morning!!
OK so its going to be raining in Spain for 2 days, but I don't care, I'm not working!!
I am sitting watching the weeding on BBC1 whilst drinking tea.
I'll be off to the post office last thing with last min sales on blondesbackyard on Etsy & Folksy.
Signing off and having a nose around some blogs, see you in a week.
Kxxx

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Feel like a child again.........

I'm so excited, yes I am going on hols Saturday to Spain but that's not the main reason, hopefully tomorrow I will be receiving this little beauty in the post.
I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Hours of fun cutting strips of fabric - I am guessing you must think I have lost the plot, but after cutting on a cutting mat and a ruler that is never long enough, if it is, I can never keep it straight, if you breath or God forbid you sneeze, and rotate the middle of the ruler 1mm you miss the straight line by inches! and then when you are having a bad day your hand held rotary cutter won't cut because the drawing table I use is too tall to get good pressure on.

And as you know I dabble in using quilting strips and handmade bias bindings so a machine like this means by Friday afternoon - I will not have any fabric left in the house over 2.5" wide........

Kx

Sunday 24 April 2011

Boot Fair Booty

Bobbins

We were up at the crack of dawn this morning, and pitched up selling our unwanted stuff at 6am this morning, by 10.30am we had made £160.00!! and was left with the unloved items, so we packed up and quit for the day, and back home drinking coffee by 11am, not bad for a mornings work, I think it helped we wern't putting high prices on things.

But of course if I go to a boot fair I have to have a look around, and normally to stop me bringing home more than I sell, I look for only a couple of things, green stem or green wine glasses or gobblets, I have a little collection on my dresser. Or I look for glass pasta and sweet jars, nothing with plastic or cork lids, all glass, older the better. But today I was on a mission of old bobbins for photo shoots with my bindings, and from 2 different stalls found these, £3 and £2. Quarter of the price I can find any on ebay, so mission completed.

Happy Easter Sunday.

Kx

Friday 22 April 2011

Finished.........


One finished brick-set 16" x 16" quilted Cushion in thr UK, Pillow in the US
(still calling it brick-set until somebody puts me right...)
Now have the bug for more in different colours
Kx

Thursday 21 April 2011

WORK IN PROGRESS

2.5" Strips 
Joint together

And quilted

As I am still a virgin to quilting, can anybody say if this is brickset?

Turning into a pillow/cushion, but I am now thinking of also making a quilt this way as well! And now want to do other colours from my fabric stash.

Kx

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Driftwood Love Hearts

Finally got around to photographing these at work on an old corrugated tin shed!

Driftwood Love Hearts.

In Blue


In red

In Pink
Just a few!

I am trying to get bits finished so on this hopefully glorious weekend I can take loads of pictures.

Kxxx

Tuesday 19 April 2011

MAKE - HOTPOT MATS

HOT POT MATS

The cheats way! There are a lot of fabrics, especially Japanese prints which make fabrics ready made in quilting squares, the one I have uses I brought from a Fellow Folksy Seller, but tons to be found on Etsy.

These squares are 2" square and as the pattern repeat was every 4 square I have made them 6" square.

You will need

Fabric cut to size 6 1/4" x 6 1/4"
Wadding/Batting - over sized
Backing fabric - over sized
Bias Binding - up to 30"

 First lay the backing fabric face down
Then the wadding / batting
Last Top fabric face up, and then pin together
(I have used 2 layers of batting in mine, as I wanted them foolproof and a little spongy!)
 Starting from one corner edge, I have my machine needle in the middle, for these small ones as I want my lines closer together, but for larger ones I would put the needle over to the left.
Set the stitch for a straight line, I use the same stitch I would use to sew most things! Start sewing following the edge.
When you get to the next corner, I may take a couple attempts at making sure your needle is far enough along, but you need to stick to the edge of the fabric, repeat this until you reach the beginning.
 You now will continue to follow with the sewn line on the right, around and around, until your squares get smaller and you reach the middle.
Secure last stitch, back and forth.
 The Lines on the front
 The sewn lines on the back, easier to see the sewn line on this side.
 OK your mat will look a bit like this before trimming
 Trim you excess backing fabric and the wadding/batting fabric

 Next attaching the bias binding, I use what I sell which is single folded 25"
Open out one edge and pin to one edge of the mat on the front.
 Sew down the open fold, until you reach near the end
(which is the distance you are sewing away from the edge)
I somebody has a better way of doing this let me know, as I do like to make my own way of sewing as I go along!
 I then remove it from the machine and place the binding on the next edge, as in the photo
 Another glimpse how the binding will tuck, pin if need for ease.
 Following from where you left off sew down the 2nd edge, repeat the for all four edges
 End of the fourth edge, I sew right off the end.
 Turn over to see what you have achieved so far!
Last bit, and hand sewing, pin the back of the bias binding and slip stitch closed, folding your four corners as you go (I really do need to do a binding tutorial!)
One thing I forgot to mention is insert a piece of ribbon across one corner on the reverse before you start sewing, so the mats can be hung on hooks in the kitchen!
If you think I have missed anything let me know.
Happy Sewing.
Kx

Monday 18 April 2011

Polka Dots & Posies

Spotty Full Aprons

Finally got around to finishing some of the aprons I had cut out, that needed the bias binding, ribbon, ties and pockets adding.
I forgot to iron them, but these are the first batch, the others to follow are the floral with spotty pockets in reverse. Then to finish the half hostess aprons!




There are for sale in my blondedesigns shops on etsy and folksy.

And tomorrow I will upload the tutorial on the hot pot mats, as I didn't manage to get a finished photo in daylight.

Kx

It's Darling - Etsy Pick Uk & Binding Winner



Tweet Baby Pink and White love Bird

From Felt me Up designs based in Yorkshire.

Cute Tweety Bird!!

DRUM ROLL....................

AND THE WINNER OF THE THE BIAS BINDING IS
LEANNE OF SEETHEWOODSANDTHETREES 
This is her blog page

And I look forward to taking a peek at what she makes

Kx


Sunday 17 April 2011

Its Darling - and I brought it!



Tiny Laundry , Vintage Mini Clothespins and Line for Traveling, Display or Crafting

I found on Etsy through a treasury I was in, haven't got a clue what I am going to display on it yet! but just hat to have it, otherwise I can see my end of rolls of bias binding dangling hanging off it, just need to find another section of wall...........

DON'T forgot my bias binding giveaway, which I will draw tonight after 9pm.
Just click on the little picture top right of the binding ,it will take you to the link.

Tomorrow Monday Make quick cute hot pot mats, (the binding is perfect for this use).

Happy Sunday and I am off to the gym, 2 weeks to go before I get to Spain, and have only lost about 4lb in 2 months, still I am now under 11 stone!!!!!!! woozers 11st. Think I need to go on a starvation diet, the seefood diet is not working, (see food and eat it). SORRY really old joke I know.

Kx

Friday 15 April 2011

Its Darling - Etsy Pick UK





Vintage fabric bunting eco cards

handmade in Cornwall


Don't forget my giveaway in the previous pst.

Happy Friday. Kx