Recently, I won a little prize from colourmehappy2 on instagram. I showed you the picture of my prize in my last blog post but this is it again.........
I made a tumbling block using English Paper Piecing way back when I made my Sampler Quilt but hadn't tried it since. In my head, I had convinced myself that I couldn't make the points match. How daft, the papers take all that effort away!
After a few long days in the hospital, I grabbed my bionic gear bag on the way out the door and got through basting most of a pack of deliciously pretty Moda Mini Charms from the Best Day Ever Range. How could anyone not be distracted by the beautiful bright colours?
I tried two methods of basting - firstly, I was using a tacking stitch. It's easy, it makes the paper or card templates secure but obviously you have to pull all those tacking stitches out later. And next I decided to use the Sewline Glue Pen from The Quilt Shop (where I work, for those of you who didn't know) and see how that went. I have had this in my sewing kit for well over a year and never used it. I thought it was a glorified pritt stick and I just couldn't imagine it holding the fabric securely or for any length! Well.......... I was wrong! It was fast, super easy and way more secure than I could have imagined! I have one less step to deal with when pulling out all the templates too! Consider me converted!
When I started, I honestly thought I would string a few together and make a notebook cover or a pencil case but I'm in love with these colours, so I'm going to make a lapquilt. They're deliciously scrappy together and so bright and beautiful. As time has gone on, I've added quite a few extra colours from Moda's Daysail and another range called Just My Type (thank you to The Fat Quarter Shop for that mega sale) and some random scraps!
This quilt will be totally different from ANYTHING in my house. I have 3 sons and a husband, so my house is not what you'd call girlie. However, check this picture out....... my husband bought me 2 of these footstools as part of my anniversary present recently. How well does it match? Now, I'll admit, I'm a bad wife, I took his gift back to the shop and exchanged them for 2 more sedate versions. They actually have similar colours but aren't so ultra-violet-hi-viz-like......... and they still work great with the quilt! If he was trying to match something though - he did well!!!
I'm just about finished piecing the quilt top. I'll shop it off properly once it's been quilted and bound. I'd say it's about 45" x 55" roughly. A nice lap quilt size and I'm seriously thinking about redecorating my livingroom to give this a proper home (alongside my new footstools)!
It's nice to slowly get my motivation back for sewing, it feels like I was off-track for the past while (understandably) but I feel like I'm getting somewhere again and it feels good!
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