Circles Baby Quilt: Finished!

Dies used: Drunkard's Path Quarter Circle
                 Drunkard's Path & Fan Background


Hello again!

The little man that is set to receive this baby quilt has yet to make an appearance but it is now all ready when he is!

I've loved making this quilt. Sewing curves made a nice change, they weren't too tricky to handle and work so well on a small quilt like this one (approximately 32" x 32"). The circles are a really good size for quilting in that they are big enough to contain a specific pattern/design but not too big so that it's awkward to keep track of the design during quilting. I used 4 different quilting patterns and had 4 circles of each design.

The brushed cotton backing is super-soft and is lovely to touch especially with the ridges formed by the quilting.

All that's left now is to wrap it up and wait!

Happy sewing :)

Circles Baby Quilt

Dies used: Drunkard's Path Quarter Circle
                 Drunkard's Path & Fan Background


Last time I posted about the baby quilt I had just begun for my friend's baby that is due in a couple of weeks time. Having made the first four circles as a test run it was time to work out how the rest of the quilt was going to come together. After going through my entire stash of blue fabrics I opted to use some blenders to bring out some of the more detailed prints and not to repeat any as I'd originally intended and instead use 16 different fabrics.

I have to say that I'm not sure I'd have managed a quilt even as small as this if I had to cut all of those curves by hand! Here are all 16 circle blocks ready to be sewn together.

I always photograph my final intended layout and use the photo as a guide to work from as once sewing them all together gets under way I always lose track of what goes where! They were sewn together into four 2 x 2 blocks and then joined in pairs and then together to give the final quilt top.

The quilt is now basted and the backing is some super soft organic brushed cotton with a clouds design, perfect for snuggling a newborn under.

Quilting has begun and the plan is to have 4 different quilting designs for the circles, so there will be 4 of each style. One down, 15 to go.

As it's only small it's easy to manoeuvre on the sewing machine and fun to quilt. Next time I post there may be a little baby tucked up in it!

Happy sewing!

Bird and bear bibs

 I have some new favourite dies -

I think these look good on little bibs, but I also have other ideas for Christmas!

The dies are -660883 -  Loving Bear -http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660883/sizzix-bigz-die-loving-bear and 660887 - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660887/sizzix-bigz-die-wonderland-bird

I love the simple shapes - they are ideal for applique - although for the bear I have embroidered the eyes and nose as the pieces are so small.

To make the bib I cut a triangle 42cm across and 24cm to the point -

and I cut off the points on the top corners.

I fused Heat and Bond to the wrong side of mid grey and aqua coloured plain fabrics and, using the die and the Big Shot, cut out the bird in grey and the heart/wing and the eye in aqua

I fused it in place and then stitched around the shape so that it will withstand multiple washes.

 

 The backing was cut in towelling, the 2 pieces were stitched, right sides together, leaving an opening in one side -

When the bib is turned right side out the opening is slip stitched together.

To complete 2 small pieces of Velcro were stitched on the corners of the bib -

remember that one piece will be on the right side and the other will be on the wrong side.

The bear bib is made in the same way, but I fused the pieces on in stages to make the stitching easier -

If-the scarf is stitched a piece at a time you don't need to keep stopping and starting and securing the ends of the threads

and I stitched French knots for the eyes, and a few satin stitches for the nose -

then the bib is put together in the same way as the bird bib.

I've given one with a bear on it to my daughter for her little boy, and I think I might be making a few more. You can make then personal by adding the baby's name, using one of our alphabet dies - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657837/sizzix-bigz-xl-alphabet-die-word-play is a good size and quite fun because it's irregular.

That's all for this week - I hope I'll see you at the Festival of Quilts - I have lots of dies to demonstrate - so come and say hello to me on Lady Sew and Sew, or Beth on Cotton Patch, and Mandy on Abakhan.

Enjoy the show if you're coming, or enjoy some sun and sewing.

Angela

 

 



Turbulence of butterflies - part 2

 Hello again, I'm starting to get excited about the Festival of Quilts - I hope you are too.

I have finished the little butterfly quilt that I started last week -

 

First of all I hand stitched the butterflies - because I had 5 hours travelling in one day so thought I would put the time to good use.

I wasn't sure what to do for the quilting - which is done by machine (as I don't have anymore long journeys planned), and then I thought of using the butterfly as a template to draw around to quilt -

 blue butterfly is the template, and I used an air erasable pen to draw around it -

 

I only used the large and medium butterflies as templates, and I spaced them in the blank areas of the quilt, and then shadow quilted around some of the fabric butterflies as well.

I like the back of the quilt too -