STAR QUILT: PART 5

Dies used: Half-Square Triangles, 4 1/2in Finished Square
                Square, 4in Finished (4 1/2in Unfinished)
                Star, Nested

One single-size boys quilt, completed!

I'm so happy with the results and more importantly so is its new owner, Aidan. It was really very straightforward to make (especially the cutting, obviously!) using just two shapes (and therefore only two dies) for the pieced quilt top - definitely an example of simple but effective! A third die was used for the small applique stars that pepper the low volume, in-between areas.
There are plenty of colours in it but it meets his specification (thankfully it passed!) of 'mainly blue' with the orange fabric really bringing out the blues and providing some depth.

The backing fabric was picked up in the sale in Ikea and although it wasn't ideal to quilt with being more of a canvas weight it looks really good, the large print contrasting nicely with all of the fine detail on the front.

Hand-sewing the binding took longer than usual as making a stitch through thick backing fabric wasn't as easy as it would have been with quilters weight cotton but it wasn't too much of a hardship.

I really enjoy hand-sewing binding but it's starting to feel a bit indulgent when deadlines are looming and other sewing projects are stacking up, it may be time to investigate machine binding techniques!

Here it is in its new home.

Now to start something new, probably not another full size quilt just yet but I do have another son wanting one for his bed.

Happy sewing!

Star Quilt: Part 4

Dies used: Half-Square Triangles, 4 1/2in Finished Square
                Square, 4in Finished (4 1/2in Unfinished)
                Star, Nested

There are 2 lessons that I really should have learnt from making my last quilt:

1. Multiply the amount of time expected to complete the quilting by 4

2. Buy 1 more reel of thread than required

Oh and maybe a third lesson should be added on:

3. Never say 'X should be finished in time for my next post'.

Sure enough the quilting has taken an enormous amount of time, largely because it's so dense to make sure the die-cut applique stars are well secured (I love those little stars so much alongside the big, pieced ones). I'm in complete awe of people who can quilt a substantial item in a day or so.

And of course my thread ran out within a whisker of the end, again. Ho hum.

Before basting and quilting a border was added all around the edge to increase the overall size to just larger than that of a single duvet so that when on the bed there won't be any duvet sticking out from underneath. The backing fabric is from Ikea, it was half price in the sale and although it is a heavier weight than is ideal, the larger apple print was too good to resist.

This quilt is for my son, Aidan he turned 8 last week and his birthday made a natural target deadline. Unfortunately it wasn't possible to meet that deadline but as things worked out his birthday became a bit of a non-event as he became ill with a throat infection the day before. As a result his trip to Legoland had to be cancelled and replaced with 2 visits to the doctor and he didn't manage a single mouthful of his own birthday cake. A re-run of his birthday once he's fully recovered is set to take place. In the meantime he can snuggle next to me under this quilt and watch films as I hand sew the binding down.

See you next time when this quilt should be...no, lesson 3, I won't say it.

Happy sewing!

How to give a cinema voucher....

Hi there,

it is time for the next colleagues birthday - and because she loves movies
we bought some cinema vouchers for her...

But how to wrap them...?

I decided to combine the birthday card with the wrapping... in a quick and easy way...

All you need:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus Starter Kit (White & Gray)
Sizzix Sizzlits Decorative Strip Alphabet Die - Alphabetical
Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Tag & Bookplates
Sizzix Framelits Die Set 5PK - Stars
2 different paper bags
a black pen
matching ribbon
<7div>
First i placed the dotted paper bag into the other paper bag, and decoreted the
brown on the outside with red and white stars

Then i cutted the "Happy Birthday" and painted it with the black pen and fixed it on the bag.

Then i cutted a tag and and fixed the ribbon on it - later we want to write down our

birthday wishes on it. Put it into the outer paper bag.

Into the inside paper bag you can put the voucher.

Have a great weekend, Stephanie

****************

Hallo ihr Lieben,

es ist mal wieder Zeit für einen Kollegen-Geburtstag - und die Kollegin liebt Filme.
Daher haben wir ihr Kino-Gutscheine organisiert.

Aber wie verpackt man Kino-Gutscheine?

Ich habe mich für eine Kombination aus Geburtstagskarte und Verpackung entschieden.

Alles was ihr braucht:
Sizzix Big Shot Plus Starter Kit (White & Gray)
Sizzix Sizzlits Decorative Strip Alphabet Die - Alphabetical
Sizzix Movers & Shapers L Die - Tag & Bookplates
Sizzix Framelits Die Set 5PK - Stars
2 zwei verschiedene Papiertütchen
einen schwarzen Stift
farblich passendes Band

Einfach die eine Tüte in die andere Tüte stecken. Bei mir also die gepunktete in die braune Tüte.
Dann die äußere Tüte mit Sternen dekorieren.

Dann habe ich ein "Happy Birthday" ausgeschnitten und mit meinem schwarzen
Stift bemalt. Das ganze dann auf die Tüte kleben.

Dann habe ich ein Tag ausgestanzt - hier schreiben wir später unsere Glückwünsche drauf.
Das Band daran fixieren und in die äußere Tüte stecken.

In die innere Tüte kommen die Gutscheine.

Viel Spaß beim Nachmachen.

Liebste Grüße und ein schönes Wochenende.

My happy new quilt

This last week has been so lovely - but I haven't been tempted away from my sewing!

I've finished the quilt top that I showed you last week - it's only small but I do like it -

The finished size is 42 1/2" square - so makes a cute little lap quilt or even a picnic blanket.

The blocks are made using - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660183/sizzix-bigz-l-die-triangles-isosceles-right-3-1-2-h-assembled and the 3"finished square - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657608/sizzix-bigz-die-square-3-finished-3-1-2-unfinished 
The fabrics and amounts you need are as follows -
Centre squares - 3 pieces 12" x 4" - more if you are going to cut motifs for each square
Star points - 3 pieces 36" x 4 1/2" 
As I mentioned before I used the lovely fabric from the Fenton House collection by Guetermann for the stars.
White - 27" x 42" for the triangles and squares.
For the inner borders - dusky purple - 27" x 42" - cut into 2" strips and then cut 18 x 9 1/2" and 18 x 12 1/2"

For the sashing, outer border, and binding - 27" x 42" - cut into 2" strips.
- For the sashing cut 6 x 12 1/2", 2 x 39 1/2".
- For the outer border cut 2 x 39 1/2" and 2 x 42 1/2" ( now my fabric wasn't quite wide enough so I had to join an extra piece onto each end )
- the remaining strips are for the binding.
Backing and wadding - 45" square of each

Make the 9 blocks - you can see the layout for each block in my blog on 9th April.
Add the borders to each block.
Then join the blocks with the sashing, and then add the border.
Now this is as far as I've got this week - but all that is needed is to layer up the backing, wadding and top. Quilt by hand or machine - I'm not sure yet how I'm going to quilt - but hope to be able to show you what I've done by next week.
Binding uses the remaining strips, and voila! one small quilt completed
And now for something completely different - but with the same die -

If you join the triangles together in rows of 3, as pictured above, you can make easy hexagons!!

Or using 2 fabrics and staggering the rows you can make a zig zag design -

and that's just a starters - I like the idea of using one die for lots of different effects and projects - so next week I might still be on this die - you'll have to wait and see.

Hope you have a lovely weekend and make something fun.

Angela



New fabrics and a new die!

I you all enjoyed the Easter weekend.

It was lovely to have a long weekend and to have time to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We also started to decorate our dining room - it's almost finished - but unfortunately the baby quilts still  need to be quilted - maybe this weekend!!

Recently I was given some lovely fabrics from the Fenton House collection by Guetermann, and have been thinking about what to use them for - and now I have a new die to use - so it may be a marriage made in heaven.

I am so excited about using these lovely fabrics.

I'm using the 3" finished square Bigz die - 657608, and die 660183 - 3" finished Isosceles triangle ( and half triangle), also a Bigz die

When these shapes are stitched together they will make a star, but as I'm running very late this week I can only show the pieces laid out -



 to give you the idea of what this will look like.

I'm not sure at the moment how big this will be - or quite how I'm going to join the blocks together when they're made - but that's part of the fun.

So that's all for now - I'll be hard at work this weekend - creating this quilt and also finishing the baby quilts - update next week.

Have a great weekend.

Angela

 

Sizzix project : Little Bird for Kid's room

Hello crafter,

Spring is near and there is a great desire for sunshine!

Today we present a new project for kid's room....that like "ourselves" have the head in the stars and balloons!

NECESSARY:

- Sizzix big shot machine only

- Sizzix Thinlits Die set 3PK  - Happiness Fhrases

- Sizzix Thinlits Die 4PK - Speech Bubbles

- Sizzix Framelits Die set 23PK - Card, balloons Step-ups

- Sizzix Framelits Die set 5PK - Stars

- Sizzix Thinlits Die set 5PK - Love Bird

- SizzixTree Die set

- Sizzix Framelits Die set 8PK - Squares

- Cardstocks or paper scrap

- Paper craft

- Paper glitter

- Frame (thick)

- Wire thin

- Glue 

- Hot glue

- Scissors

- double adhesive tape

- Foam board tape

Cut to size back for frame and stick on the foam board tape the square that will be base for composition.
Cut the dies in the various shapes and compose to create the pictures.



Finally paste the big star at the end of wire thin whit hot glue.
Stick on the other end with hot glue and cover with one of the small stars.



I hope you enjoyed it!
See you soon whit a new project......

Pasticci di Carta
Sara

Cari crafter,

la primavera si avvicina e c'è tanta voglia di sole!
Oggi vi presento un progetto adatto alle camere dei nostri bimbi....che come "noi" vivono con la testa tra stelle e palloncini!

OCCORRENTE:

Sizzix big shot machine only
Sizzix Thinlits Die set 3PK  - Happiness Fhrases
Sizzix Thinlits Die 4PK - Speech Bubbles
Sizzix Framelits Die set 23PK - Card, balloons Step-ups
Sizzix Framelits Die set 5PK - Stars
Sizzix Thinlits Die set 5PK - Love Bird
Sizzix Tree Die set
Sizzix Framelits Die set 8PK - Squares
Carta scrap fantasia e tinta unita
Carta craft
Carta glitter
Cornice con spessore interno
Fil di ferro sottile
Colla
Colla a caldo
Forbici
Biadesivo
Biadesivo con spessore

Tagliare a misura lo sfondo per la cornice ed applicare il biadesivo con spessore il quadrato che farà da base alla composizione.

Fustellare le varie sagome e comporle per creare il disegno.

Per ultimo incollare con la colla a caldo la stella grande all'estremità del fil di ferro ed applicare l'altra estremità sempre con la colla a caldo andando a coprire con una delle stelle più piccole.

Spero vi sia piaciuto!
A presto con un nuovo progetto....

Pasticci di Carta
Sara

Starry coasters

I've had a very busy weekend at the Stitches trade show at the NEC in Birmingham - I love these shows where I have the chance to meet customers old and new - and I still love demonstrating the Big Shot machines and the dies. I also had the privilege to teach a workshop each day - and the photo below showcases what we made and two lovely ladies who played with the layout of the stars so that we used all three instead of two ( sorry girls I didn't get your names so can't mention you personally).

The project was initially to make a pin cushion but it could just as easily be a pin cushion!

  

 We used the new Big Shot Plus http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray - check it out on our website - it has a 9" wide aperture - so will be able to accommodate larger dies, and I love the new colour which is available in all 3 machine sizes, and is available from next month.

The dies we used were Bigz 5" circle -  http://www.sizzix.co.uk/catalog#q=5%22%20circle ,to cut 2 circles, and the new Nested Star - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/655160/sizzix-bigz-die-star-nested which we used to cut contrasting stars. We used a running stitch to fix the stars to one circle and then stitched the 2 circles together - a lovely quick and easy project. To make it into a pin cushion simply leave an opening, stuff and then complete stitching the circle.

 

 

and here is the alternative next to the original -

If you stitched these by machine then they could even be made as wedding favours ( as long as you're not having hundreds of people to the wedding!!!!)

Now I'm going to show you some photos of our stand at Stitches - and with it you'll get a glimpse of new dies that will become available over the next few months, and which will feature in some of my future blogs - hope you like them -

I loved our room setting - which gave an idea of lots of different ways to use our dies to create lots of lovely projects for the home.

So that's all for now.

I'll be at the Stitching Sewing and Quilting Show in Glasgow at the beginning of March - so I hope to see some of you there, and then later in March I will be at the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC in Birmingham. A busy month ahead, but I hope to meet lots of you there.
Angela
 Stitching Sewing & Quilting Show

Stand-up card by Olga

Hello all,

this time I'm back to New Year projects)) Again I'm using a die which can help to create a base for a card. Besides it contains a huge number of other elements which can help with decoration of any project.

The card has rather interesting construction so it can easily be used like home decoration:

To make the layers be more vivid I used foam tape:

To use flowers for Christmas projects seem unusual and for me - rather beautiful)) Berries make such projects look more winter-like and white paint looks like snow.

And the stars I really like and often use:

The products I used:

Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit (Powder Blue & Teal)

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 4PK - Holiday Greens (658759)

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 54PK - Calendar Months

Have a nice day!

Olga

Downton continued

Hello again, are you enjoying the cosy autumn evenings now we have turned the clocks back?

I'm enjoying the autumn colours in the trees, and the fallen leaves - which I still enjoy kicking my way through ( even when I haven't got my grandchildren with me!!)

Talking about colours - I received a wonderful box of  'Art Gallery' fabrics last week -

 

sent to me by http://www.hantex.co.uk/ for a whole heap of projects - now this is a little unfair, as you won't get a glimpse of any of the projects until later in the year or even early next year - but these fabrics are so bright and beautiful to work with I just wanted to share the photo.

Before I show you the latest progress on 'Downton' I just show you a couple of photos from the workshop I taught  yesterday at The Sewing Room in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, the shop - for Anita - you can see her in the second photo below

 

 We had fun making quick and easy Christmas decorations, using hearts http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/656334/sizzix-bigz-die-hearts , and stars http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/656339/sizzix-bigz-die-stars
Christmas decorations will feature in my blogs next month - when I hope to have finished Downton.
So here is the next instalment -

I finished laying out the triangles and then joined them into strips - here you see all the strips joined together - to make a large central hexagon.
Now I really want this to be a quilt that I can snuggle up under while watching Downton Abbey - so I'm going to add a neutral fabric - maybe calico to make this into a rectangle, and then maybe add a border to create the size I want - so that will be the final instalment - and then I'll give you the fabric requirements as well.
Meanwhile enjoy the cosy evenings and keep sewing.
Angela