Wintertime Shimmer quilt and Table Runner by Jennifer Sampou, instructions and patterns. Published by C & T Publishing, ISBN 9781617459115, price 16.99 available in the UK from www.searchpress.com
This quilt pattern caught my eye straight away. Actually it is two patterns, one for a bird quilt on a background of stars and twigs, the other for a table runner of winter trees. Both are very attractive designs and would look great as seasonal decorative projects. They are both pieced and applique projects. The projects have a modern look about them but use traditional quilting methods. Suitable for a number of fabrics to change the look. The instructions are super clear. Great to make and wonderful to give either the makes or the pattern as a gift.
Creative Straight Line Quilting by Natalia Whiting Bonner, softback published by Stash Books. ISBN 9781617457654, price 20.99 available in the UK from www.searchpress.com
In fear for free motion quilting? Stuck with straight lines but cannot come up with new and exciting ideas? Natalia comes to the rescue with 60 ideas for a professional quilting look using nothing but straight lines. There are designs for triangles, squares, borders and the very useful all over designs. Walking foot designs for domestic machines, ruler foot designs for domestic or longarm machines. pre-mark or use a foot as the guide; mark or use a ruler. Great designs for a fresh modern quilting look.
Day 7 quilting, that makes one whole week of writing on the 31 day quilters’ blog challenge. One down 3 more to go (and a bit). Keep tuned as there is plenty more to come. Are you following the other bloggers? So what do I have for you on Day 7 quilting? What about my dream project?
Dream Quilting Project
Wow, that is a big ask. You see there are so many quilts that are in my dreams. Basically you can quilt anything if you have the sewing skills. I dream of making a huge quilt. Something dynamic, lots of colour. A quilt that stops people in their tracks.
I could include in the quilt design some of the things I love the most, freeform, colour, texture, 3-dimensions, shape and so on.
Design is the key, so check out the ecourses on offer. You’ll find what you need to help your quilting along.
Last year I began a competition quilt for FOQ, but I soon realised that my quilting skills were not up to what I was aiming at. I think I know how to do it now. One day it will definitely get made. I will show only a snippet because I do intend to finish this quilt. Like many of my Skill Builder quilting patterns, this one incorporates many different techniques.
Day 6 quilting of the blog challenge brings you my oldest UFO. My one and only UFO. Yes I have only one. Every day brings a new blog for the 31 days of December, so don’t miss any.
UFO or Unfinished Object
Day 6 quilting – what do I have that is unfinished? In this case, a full sized quilt. An early project that I tried to stitch in the ditch on my small domestic machine at the time without a walking foot. I learned that lesson. That was one not to be repeated. It all went so horribly wrong and some of the stitches are very tight. Why is it still unfinished? It’s so much easier to start a new project. Unpicking takes so much longer than sewing. Day 6 quilting promise to myself is to finish it asap. I was hoping to finish it this year but a few things have gotten in the way. It is on my to do list.
One and only UFOThe layout was quickly sorted
How Old Is It?
I started making the quilt in August 2017. It was easy to put together. I just fell down on the quilting. The fabrics I was using were much older, they had been in a drawer since 2008!
At least I can now stitch in the ditch perfectly (more or less). I also bought a walking foot. So there should not be any more unfinished quilts on this patch.
Do you have any ufo’s? Work out why and fix it. All quilts deserve to be finished, sooner or later.
The pieced quilt top
My Xmas Gift To You
At the same time as the 31 day blog challenge, I am running an advent calendar Christmas countdown, with a special offer every day. Today, there is a special offer on my hand dyed fabrics. Take 10% off the advertised price. The hand dyed fabrics are all dyed by me, most are cotton including quilting cotton (calico and fat quarters) and hand dyed cotton scrim suitable for textiles, but there are still a few velvets, silks and linens as well as muslin. Some are available in packs. If you cannot see what you want, just let me know.
Day 5 quilting of the December challenge. I am in for the long haul, others might not have the stamina. Initiated by Muppin, we (those of us taking part) blog about quilting for the whole month. Stick around for tips, techniques and discounts.
First Project
Theme of the day for Day 5 quilting is the first project I made. I am going with my first machine made quilt. Sometimes I might deviate from the suggested theme, but today seems like a good topic for any quilter. My quilting started slowly, very slowly. I found it hard, no that is too gentle, impossible to follow instructions in books. I had dreams, big dreams of making quilts, but I was stuck on square one. There are only two things to do in that position a) give up or b) find a way through. I am no quitter, so the latter was the way to go.
Designing My Own Quilt
I got up one day and thought ‘There is no way that fabric can stay in the drawer any longer’. I took it out and began to quilt. A simple strip roll with two added fabrics as ominous as an old bed sheet and broderie anglaise turned into not only my first bed sized quilt but one of my favourites. It’s on my bed for some time to come.
First completed full size quilt
Advent Calendar Christmas Countdown
My gift to you today is 20% off any finished quilt design. A quilt ready to enhance your own home. These are mainly lap quilts or large wall hangings. Some are one-offs, some are repeatable, some even have a bigger discount. All are unique designs. Grab them while you can. They are on offer for one day only. Tomorrow there will be another discount.
One Block Wonder Quilt For SaleAnother OBW lap quilt with the same fabrics, but different for saleAutumn Quilt for saleFish and Eagle Quilt for saleThe Not So Scrappy Scrap Quilt for salePink One Block Wonder quilt for saleCan’t Find My Way Home Quilt For saleIndian Wedding Quilts For SaleBells of St. Clements quilt to buy
On Day 4 Quilting I hope you are enjoying all ‘behind the scenes’ quilt know-how and tips. Today I am bringing you more of what I love and more discounts. Great ideas for gifts today for the quilter who has everything.
Hand or Machine
On Day 4 Quilting are you hand or machine quilting today? I tend to do both. Even my machine made quilts are finished by hand with the binding stitched to the back by hand. It gives a good professional finish. Although hand stitching takes longer, I find I can relax with it in the evening, and it hardly seems like work.
Cathedral Windows Quilting
One of my favourite methods for hand stitching is Cathedral Windows. I love the rhythm of folding back and stitching in place. Apart from basic patchwork, this was how I got into quilting. Last year speaking at quilt shows, one lady was amused by how my samples were nearly all Cathedral Windows. I was speaking on my favourite design topic – colour but I had taken mostly samples of my Cathedral Window quilts.
Cathedral Windows Quilt copyright Karen Platt 2019
Cable Knits From Nordic Lands by Ivar Asplund, softback published by Search Press. ISBN 9781782218142, price 14.99 available from www.searchpress.com
This book presents with a pleasant cover. It is subtitled ‘Beauty and Ingenuity In Over 20 Unique Patterns’. Without doubt there are some wonderful stitch patterns and anyone who enjoys aran-style, textured knits will find this book of interest. However, it has one big let-down for experienced knitters – the shaping of the garments leaves a lot to be desired. Mainly straight with straight sleeves, these garments tend to be bulky under the arms. A little know-how will mean you can change the shaping and this book is best bought as a small stitch guide. Step by step instructions, charts and stitch sampler.
Day 3 Quilting already (actually feels like day 30 :)) this is quite intense blogging. Writers love writing. Quilters love to quilt, so today I am going to start with a question
What Do You Love Most About Quilting?
I have already answered that in Day 1 and Day 2, for me it is the design. I know for many quilters it is actually sewing, which I sometimes like and sometimes hate depending on how smoothly it is going. I like straight stitches, honestly, and I love hand stitch. I must do more free-motion quilting because that is where the fun really starts. It took me a while to try it and I need lots of practice.
Quilting Machines
Day 3 Quilting let’s talk about quilting machines. They are just sewing machines that make life a little easier when quilting. I started on a very basic Singer Confidence, which I loved. It lasted 7 years until the computer bit went haywire. I donated it to a charity that mends and sends machines to Africa. I upgraded to something a little better. My main objective was a wider throat to take a full-size quilt. But, you’ll never guess, so far after 18 months, I have yet to make another full-size quilt. I am very much a wall hanging and lap quilt lady. The other thing is the ability to free-motion, which is a feature of many machines now.
Quilted wallhangingDigital Block DesignFabric Pattern designArt PromptsKaleidoscopes for quiltingTransform Your Photos Into Art QuiltsCathedral Window Hand Quilting
Hello Quilters, here I am with day 2 of 31 day blog challenge for all you quilters out there.
More About Me
I started quilting seriously just 3 years ago. I am a fully qualified teacher and I now teach quilting. I also teach hand knitting and textiles. I am a bit of a computer whizz and love digital design. I love all styles of quilting from traditional through to modern. This is my fantastic job – designing and making quilts. I love it.
Designing Quilts
When I finally started quilting, I decided I had to design. I had looked at almost every book on how to quilt and it just was not happening for me. I did not get quilting at all. So I basically started teaching myself. I just sat down one day with some of my stash of fabrics and decided this is the day I quilt. I was already a designer, so the design aspect never bothered me. It was all that cut 10 of this, stitch it together, cut it up again malarkey that had me confused. I still love the design aspect the best. It really is a thrill for me. I start all my quilts from scratch. I do not use quilting design software.
Discount Day 2
Since we have been talking about design, I would love you to take one of my exciting quilting or textile design ecourses. The Christmas Countdown is in full swing now. The advent calendar discount today is 20% off all ecourses over 100 pounds, this includes all the longer ecourses : Creative Quilting, First Steps Patchwork and Quilting, Colour Confidence, Design in Quilting and Patchwork, Photoshop For Textiles. Each unique ecourse is written by me from my own experience and study. You will not find this content elsewhere. See all the ecourses by clicking through to the website
Creative quilting ecourseBeginners Patchwork & Quilting ecourseColour Confidence for QuiltersDesign in Quilting ecoursePhotoshop for Textiles ecourse
Come back tomorrow for more on quilting and another Advent Calendar discount.
Words, work and images copyright Karen Platt 2019.
31 Day Blog challenge as set by a fellow quilter. On that website you can see all the other quilters who are taking part in this blog challenge. Welcome to Day 1 of the quilters’ blog challenge.
What I Hope To Do
I’ll be using the 31 Day Blog Challenge to give tips, techniques, wip, ufos and all things quilting so pop along every day to make sure you do not miss anything. At the same time I have an ‘advent calendar’ of discounts on items from my quilting website. Each discount will last one day only, the discounts vary from day to day. Some items are unique and one only, others are available to more than one purchaser. So keep tuned as we go through the next 31 days. I am currently working on 3 new quilts.
my new scrap quilt design
Day 1
A little introduction for people who do not know me. I am a hands on quilter and teacher in the UK. I design all my quilts from scratch. I tend towards the more modern side of quilting, but enjoy all styles and techniques. I write my own patterns. I teach online, so it does not matter where you live. Quilts can also be purchased. You can see all my work so far on this page of my website.
working with variations on one block
Today’s Special Discount
Every day there will be a different discount. The discount runs until the launch of the next blog post on the following day, so make sure you place your order without delay. Day 1 on the 31 Day Quilters’ Blog Challenge is 15% off a one and only unique quilt. The for sale price has been put on the website. The higher price was marked from when the item was listed to 30 November 2019, it will revert back to the full price on 2nd December when discount 2 is launched.
