Archive of ‘Patterns’ category
Hanging Organizer Tutorial fit for a wee princess!
![organiser on bed](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/organiser-on-bed-1024x685.jpg)
When the super talented Sarah Jane put the call out for blogger to work with her new line, Wee Wander, I couldn’t help but put my hand up!
![](http://sarahjanestudios.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/wee-wander-blog-tour-logo-blog2.jpg)
Today I’m sharing a tutorial for a Hanging Organizer. I have a lovely three year old daughter who certainly could do with a little help organizing her important and precious belongings and she just LOVES her pretty new organizer <3
Fit for a princess!
Let’s get started! You will need…
Supplies:
- 1 panel Wee Wander
- Backing fabric (32″ W x 29″ H)
- Wadding (28″ x 25″)
- Hanging sleeve (5′ x 23″)
- 1 piece clear vinyl 11″ x 15″ (I repurposed one of those clear zip bags that pillows and linen come in)
- 12″ x WOF (width of fabric) for binding OR purchase aprox 250″ premade double bias binding (you will have lots left over!)
- 60″ ribbon for clip strip and hanging
- 24″ long piece of dowel rod for hanging
- usual quilting supplies
Gather your supplies
Prepare and quilt you Wee Wander panel for quilting. I cut backing to 32″ x 29″, wadding 28″ x 25″ and the panel to 21″ x 24″. I changed threads a few times and let Sara Jane’s whimsicle design dictate my quilting. TIP: I always find it best to quilt wall hangings quite densely so they sit nice and flat.
Quilt to your heart’s content!
Once you have finished quilting your panel, trim it so it is nice and square, then set it aside.
Trim your quilted panel
Prepare your binding. I wanted to feature a number of Sara Jane’s prints for the binding, but you can use pre-made double bias binding or make your own. You will need 105″ binding for the outside of the organiser and four smaller pieces for the plastic pockets:
- Pocket A 37″ of double fold binding
- Pocket B 36″ of double fold binding
- Pocket C 29″ of double fold binding
- Pocket D 43″ of double fold binding
![organiser diagram](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/organiser-diagram.jpg)
Prepared your clear plastic/vinyl pockets. Cut one each of:
- Pocket A 3″ x 9.5″
- Pocket B 5″ x 7″
- Pocket C 5″ x 3.5″
- Pocket D 9.5″ x 6″
Bind all four sides of A, B and C. Bind three sides of D (leave one of the long sides raw).
Binding tips
Cut a 23″ length of ribbon for your clip strip. My ribbon is .75″ wide.
Place your pockets where you would like them. DO NOT PIN THEM!! I decided to fold the bottom two corners of pocket B in a little so that the pocket sits out and can take bigger objects. TIP: make sure that you don’t place your pockets directly over the parts of the panel that you would like to feature.
lay out pockets
Once you are happy with the placement of your ribbon and pockets you can pin them carefully within the found section. The pins will leave holes in the vinyl so please be careful ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Pin your pockets on the binding so that you don’t mark the vinyl.
Sew your pockets in place. I used a walking foot as the bound vinyl is somewhat bulky.
Sew pockets in place
Prepare your hanging sleeve. Take your 5″ x 23″ strip of fabric and fold both short ends in by 1/4″ and again by 1/4″ to conceal the raw edges. Sew in place, fold in half with wrong sides together and press. Center your hanging sleeve on the top back edge of your organiser (raw edges togethre) and sew in place within the 1/4″ seam allowance.
![Line raw edge of hanging sleeve up with top raw edge of quilt](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/organiser-hanging-sleeve-1024x686.jpg)
Apply binding. I applied my binding to the back and then machine stitched it down to the front. This is a quick,easy and neat way of binding. Crazy Mom Quilts has a great tutorial here.
I applied my binding to the back and then machine stitched it in place on the front
Use your remaining ribbon and dowel to hang your organiser in place. Fill with all your precious items <3
A place for everything and everything in it’s place <3
Then let your wee one re-organize to their heart’s content! ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![organiser rearranging](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/organiser-rearranging-1024x748.jpg)
Thanks for stopping by and a big thank you to Sarah Jane for always producing such beautiful illustrations and for turning them into fabric that we can use and love! I’ve loved being part of this blog tour <3 You can find out more about Wee Wander here <3
In a few weeks I will be teaching the first of a few quilt classes featuring my pattern, Starry Skies, at HobbySew Beclonnen. It’s a fun quilt that is originally lap sized but can easily be enlarged. Read on for details and quilt candy <3
April was such a whirlwind of activity that I haven’t had a chance to blog about all the quilts I finished! Today I’d like to share Starry Skies (#2) with you (and subtly mention an upcoming class that I’m teaching
). I also want to apologise that I didn’t post I Quilt last week, I spent Thursday night in ER with my son (he is OK, just a little glue holding his scalp together!)
![starry skies by prettybobbins](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/starry-skies-by-prettybobbins-751x1024.jpg)
I first made this quilt a year or so ago in a very different palette for a Kate Spain blog hop. I love the pink with the grey, but this time I wanted higher contrast.
Starry Skies #1
This quilt is great for imaginative quilting! You can really go anywhere. FIrst time around I mixed in some hand quilting and kind of did a shooting stars theme. This time I went for movement again, but more swirls and bubbles. It’s also a great one for using up scraps and gaining confidence with improv techniques. I’m going to talk a lot about colour play in the class as I feel this is an area where we can all always learn more ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![starry skies quilting detail](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/starry-skies-quilting-detail-685x1024.jpg)
The texture is really quite fabulous (if I do say so myself…) ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![starry skies texture quilting](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/starry-skies-texture-quilting-1024x685.jpg)
As pretty as this quilt looks in our house it is on display at HobbySew Belconnen tempting quilters to sign up to a one day workshop with me on the 24th of May. I’d love you to come along and spend the day piecing with me! You can call the lovely ladies at HobbySew on and book in
It’s $60 for the day and you get cutting instructions to take home and get busy in advance of the class so we get the most out of the day.
![starry skies on double bed](/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/starry-skies-on-double-bed-685x1024.jpg)
If you’d like to find out about other upcoming classes you can see them here.
As soon as I saw the Wiksten Tova pattern I knew I had to make it (I bought the PDF version available here). It’s my favourite type of pattern; hides the wobbly bits, has a decent neckline (gives me shape but not too revealing) and versatile. I would recommend it to intermediate to advanced sew-ers. It is a rather forgiving pattern but the collar is fiddly and I had to make a few alterations to give it some shape.
I love this top with jeans!
First up I made a Tova tunic with long sleeves in Madrona Road (Wild Carrot in Straw) from Pink Castle Fabrics and Aurifil 2000 in 50wt. It was very easy to lengthen the sleeves, I just measured my arm from shoulder to wrist and added about an inch then cut the sleeves to that length. I found the top too large around the bust so I added a dart to each side, this took a bit of pinning to get right and they are slightly uneven on my first attempt, but not noticeable.
Tova top with full length sleeves and shortened collar
I really need tops that hide my tummy but don’t make me look like maternity wear. When I first tried on my tova for fitting I looked like I was wearing a potato sack. Not cool. I added 5 rows of shirring (10″ wide and .5″ apart) at the center of the back which really helped to give my tova some shape. I also made the collar half the height of the pattern piece, Very Kerry Berry has a tutorial on this step.
Shirring added at center back to give shape
I was so happy with my tova top that I promptly whipped up a second one, this time as a dress using some yardage from the Notting Hill range.
Tova dress; feeling bold ;)
For my Tova dress I broke out some Nottinghill (Primrose Magenta from Pink Castle Fabrics) and stuck with the original 3/4 length sleeves and collar height. I did make the same adjustments to the pattern (darts and shirring) and made the pattern at the suggested dress length. Now I’m not one for a short skirt but I love this dress so much that I don’t mind that it’s a little shorter than I’m comfortable with. I could easily lengthen the hem by an inch but I took up some of the length doing an invisible hem.
Tova dress back with added shirring.
The pattern suggests that you need 3.5 yards, I made a size L and just managed to squeeze it out of 2 yards of fabric with only the smallest of scraps left over (I wouldn’t suggest this and I couldn’t have done full length sleeves, but just so you know, it is possible). I had fun using a bold pink thread, Aurifil 1100 in 50wt, I figured if the stitching won’t blend in because of the graphic print, then why not let it feature? ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I find both my tova top and dress so comfortable to wear that I’m planning on making another with short sleeves. I also think it would be the PERFECT pattern to use as a nightie, I’m thinking I might make a long sleeved dress Tova in flannel for next winter. In the meantime I have a few other patterns that I’m itching to break out. These two are fairly straight forward and one actually looks quite similar to the Tova.
Left: Simplicity 2363. Right New Look 6557
I’ve had these for ages but having had such success with the Tova I’m thinking I might try one of these two which require a bit more work.
Left: DKNY V2900. Right: Vogue V1086.
I have a few different prints that I have enough yardage to make myself another dress and I can’t wait. I prefer to wear clothes by me as they fit perfectly, look good and I feel a little clever
Plus, I NEED to grow my wardrobe. Seriously.
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3721/9911959214_85a62a6a23_z.jpg)
Once again I’m adding these photos to the Selfish Sewing Week pool on Flickr. Technically these weren’t sewn this week but they were sewn in September and I did have selfish sewing week in mind. That counts, right?
There are some lovely items being made so make sure you pop over and check it out!
I’m linking up to Sew Cute Tuesday at Better Off Thread, pop by and say hi to Janice if you haven’t seen this linky before ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![](http://betteroffthread.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sewcutelarge.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQsONupUiwQ/UeqeAV_I33I/AAAAAAAAFQY/AHrc_zpyE8o/s320/selfish+sewing+week+button+1.jpg)
***August is a month of celebrations for Pretty Bobbins. It is my two year blogiversary and two of my children have birthdays this month. There will be a giveaway for each of these events, you will find the first giveaway at the bottom of this post.***
Back in April I was Queen Bee for Wombat Stew, a paper piecing bee. I struggled with a theme from the beginning, I really wasn’t sure that ‘celebrate’ would work. I put together an inspiration board and by the time my month rolled around I hadn’t thought of anything better so I decided to go for it. I asked the girls to make blocks of any size to fit the theme ‘celebrate’. I planned to make a wall quilt to hang every time we have a family celebration. I also like the challenge of making a quilt from different sized blocks. I asked the girls to stick to fun, bright and relatively gender neutral colours (so pink is OK but not all pink). You can see some progress shots here. Today it’s all about the big reveal! (And if you really like the patterns you should keep reading right to the end *HINT HINT*)
Celebrate – a paper pieced quilt
I LOVE this quilt! My kids love this quilt and August is a month of celebrations so as soon as I buy some dowel it is going on the wall
I quilted the heck out of the quilt and had soooo much fun doing so! You can see the quilting better on the back. It measures 37″ x 37″ and was put together and quilted with Aurifil threads by me on my Bernina 440. Full credit to each of the bee members below <3
Celebrate – quilting details on back
I had my own little party quilting with a rainbow of Aurifil 50 wt threads (really, what’s a party without Aurifil? Alex seems to be everywhere if you follow him on Facebook LOL). I used 2000 on the cream/off white areas and I love how they sparkle. Can you see the word PARTY popping out in Kristy’s party hat blocks (Kristy of Quiet Play designed most of these blocks, isn’t she AMAZING???)?
Party hats by Kristy
Marieka baked me a delicious cake. I was really unsure of how to quilt this block but really happy with how it turned out. My icing is never that neat LOL There is enough cake here for everyone, LOVE!
Tiered cake by Marieka
I had a lot of fun playing with Alyce’s pom poms (and I’m sorry, I had to make that joke LOL). She very cleverly used a flying geese pattern, you can see her tutorial here. I’m still considering adding a few beads to the pom poms but for now I’m sticking to the star in the middle (and yes, more micro-stippling there). Aren’t they fun?!
Pom Poms by Alyce
Jane’s block is immediately apparent to Australian’s but some of my readers may be wondering what it is. This is an absolute classic and staple of children’s birthday parties. Known as “fairy bread” it is sliced white bread, spread with butter and then covered in sprinkles. Jane obviously took a bite out whilst piecing and left her party blower behind as evidence ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Fairybread by Jane
Fiona’s cups (pattern by Ayumi of Pink Penguin fame) had a real retro feel so I quilted the wall paper to enhance this vibe. Possibly better seen from the back, but aren’t they the cutest drinks ever? (There is a fourth block, you can see it in the larger photos)
Paper Pieced cups by Fiona (pattern by Ayumi Mills)
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3791/9467489131_c49bac8bf0_z.jpg)
What party would be complete without bunting? The adorable Lara (she is completely adorable, you should check out her instagram – luellabella) made me rainbow bunting. LOVE! I went a little nuts and quilted pebbles with each dot being inside a pebble.
Rainbow bunting by Lara
Whilst the wonderful Ms Midge wasn’t in round one of Wombat Stew she decided to join the party early and brought the candles. Can you believe she tried to tell us she was a novice paper piece-er when we asked her to join us????
Candles by Ms Midge
And whilst we’re on the topic of Ms Midge, she sent me the cutest scrap EVER! I LOVE this fairy and I quilted her in a micro version of the the FMQ design that I used on my daughter’s quilt. I’ve saved the last skerrik of this scrap and plan to make my daughter a cushion with it. Thank you Midge xx
Cutest fairy scrap EVER complete with micro quilting
I totally got my FMQ on and micro-stippled this fantastic cupcake print (did I mention the girls sent the most amazing scraps with their blocks?!).
scrap love from the Wombats
I think every block/print features a different FMQ design. I must admit I went a little crazy quilting around each candle (print in the bottom right of the above photo) this scrap is only 1.5″ x 4.25″. I was so impressed with the affect that I then quilted around the jellybeans and balloons too LOL
Celebrate paper pieced quilt
I added in some three dimensional bunting down the side (left over from another project) and at the suggestion from a friend quilted words underneath (sing, dance, encore, cake, secret, surprise, kiss). The idea being that the birthday person must choose an activity to complete ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
You gotta dance! (then shout hooray)
Well done if you’ve read this far! Possibly my favourite part of quilting this beast is the words in the border. I used 12wt Aurifil (2250) for top thread and the same colour in 50wt on my bobbin. The stitches are perfect (I suggest going slow and smoothly and dropping your top tension a few notches). Can you believe that I didn’t mark the words first? It was all done free hand and I’m so pleased that it filled the borders perfectly and looks rather neat
YAY for machine quilting with Aurifil 12wt. I will be doing this again and again and again <3
FMQ writing in 12wt Aurifil in the border, woohoo!
Did I mention that it was worth reading to the end? Well, the fabulous Kristy of Quiet Play who designed most of these patterns has come to the party with a giveaway of most of the patterns seen in this quilt! Thank you Kristy xx I highly recommend that you give her patterns a go if you’re thinking of trying out paper piecing. I’ve made quite a few of them and they’re always easy to follow and very well designed. You can find her shop here on Craftsy.
Pattern giveaway thanks to Quiet Play
All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment letting me know that you follow both Pretty Bobbins and Quiet Play blogs. (Head over to Quiet Play and follow Kristy here.) You can have an additional entry if you follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Flickr, just leave me a comment letting me know
You have a chance to win a bundle of paper pieced patterns by Kristy of Quiet Play as seen in the collage above (bunting, candles, hat and cupcake). The giveaway will close at midnight 18th August Australian Eastern Standard time (google Sydney time).
***This giveaway is closed***
Bravo if you made it to the end. What a mammoth post! I’m taking my celebration to the Paper Piecing Party at Quiet Play and TGIFF at Bedtime Quilting.
![](http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a545/QuietPlay/756a4a42-bdb4-402e-bfbb-1e64ce533a9a_zpscd378c07.jpg)
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OY3a_N2KxI0/UGpO-s7LVwI/AAAAAAAACwE/EpSYVY17B9M/s800/tgiff-button-blog.jpg)
Last year when Alyce was Queen Bee for Wombat Stew she selected a theme of Japanese Cuisine. At the time I was using Quilt Assistant and drew up a paper pieced block of my favourite Japanese dish, Gyoza (dumplings).
![gyoza block image](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8877191987_584938a291.jpg) |
Available for purchase here on Craftsy |
Alyce put her blocks together this month and produced this beautiful mini, Itadakimasu! She has entered it into The Blogger’s Quilt Festival, you can find it here if you’re thinking of voting ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![Itedakimasu detail](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8128/8746911246_5dd24dc42e.jpg) |
Photo with permission courtesy of Blossom Heart Quilts. |
To celebrate Alyce’s awesome quilt I redrew my original block in EQ7 and have listed it for sale on Craftsy. It looks tricky and it is a little fiddly, but it is pieced in such a way as to avoid scary Y seams
I’d love to hear from you if you make it!
Now I’m off to hunt down some dumplings in Nouméa ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I seem to be making more minis and fewer large quilts recently, but they’re all fun, so on with the show and tell ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Earlier in the week I finished a fun retro TV cushion for the boys. I used my own pattern for the centre block and it is now available to purchase on craftsy. I had previously made a 10″ version of this block but I wanted to have fun fussy cutting a print for the TV screen so I went with a 15″ block this time. The cushion requires a 26″ insert but our cushion are rather deflated from pillow fights, but you get the idea
I plan to make a few more large cushion covers for the children to play pillow fights with have in their playroom.
It’s a week of birthday celebrations for us, I turn 35 tomorrow (keep an eye out for a celebratory giveaway over the next few days.) and Mr Husband had a birthday earlier in the week. We have a few bought presents coming but I made this mini for Mr Husband.
In my mind my FMQ writing was much neater *sigh* but this probably accurately reflects my messy scribble
The words reflect significant points in our life together (my first memory is of him holding the bus door open, I thought he was such a gentleman! I was obviously easily impressed as a 21 year old LOL.)
I selected a red thread (Aurifil 50wt 2250) for the writing to jump out and a pale cream (Aurifil 50 wt 2000) for the rest of the FMQ to blend in. Usually when quilting I have a plan. Before I jump in I generally sketch out my design or run my finger over the fabric to work out the size and shape or any obstacles I might encounter. This time it was made up as I went. I threw a couple of feathers in because Angela Walters says they’re her favourite and she will always fall back on them.
I love harsh geometric shapes and I played off the sharp edges of the numbers and symbols balanced with lots of swirls and organic shapes for interest. At one point I stitched a leaf and decided it was perfect for an apple. We fell in love in a village that grew apples so there you go, there’s an apple ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![FMQ apple](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8682161843_e4c36cba5a.jpg) |
The apple looks a little strange as I wrote the name of the village.
But hey, the recipient gets it
|
We lived in Beijing for awhile so I stitched out The Great Wall and then underlined it with the highrise skyline of Beijing.
![FMQ Beijing skyline Great Wall](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8544/8683255348_27f13fcfb8.jpg) |
The Ls got chopped off when I trimmed the mini. This is where planning would have been helpful! |
I decided this location theme was fun and added in some bicycles. We used to go on lots of family bike rides in Australia. Generally with kids on the back of the bikes but I thought I would end up with a mess if I started to draw a kid’s seat attachment LOL
As you may know, we currently live in the South Pacific so I added in a little scene of the Pacific, some waves, a traditional hut, a coconut palm and the brilliant sun.
There are lots of love hearts hidden in the FMQ and the whole thing is a bit of whimsy, possibly over the top, but Mr Husband is very supportive so I’m sure that he’ll love it when I give it to him tonight ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The mini measure up at 13″ x 15″ and I used some scrap cotton wadding. I used a fun orange print (Soul Garden) for the binding and some favourite prints for the paper pieced equation. I’m hoping the equation makes sense, but it’s meant to represent that 1 (him) plus 1 (me) became 5 when we had our three wonderful children. (Well, mostly wonderful, Miss 2 has spent the last hour refusing to put on leggings and is wearing a dress I made her a year ago which barely covers her bum. Keeping it real, people, keeping it real. LOL)
Once I’ve finished wrestling with the software I will offer the 1 + 1 = 5 pattern for free on both Craftsy and within my Paper Piecing Tutorial.
I’m linking up with TGIFF over at What a Hoot and once I’ve managed to get these pattern pieces into a PDF I will be celebrating TGIFF!!! In the meantime I’ll check out the other linkys and enjoy the quilt candy ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
You may have noticed that I have a thing for Paper Piecing
Yesterday was a big day for me, I launched my first Paper Pieced Patterns, exciting!
Today I’m sharing a tutorial (and free pattern for the teapot block – you can download it from the second last page of the tutorial) for anyone new to this technique. I hope that you find this tutorial useful and that you enjoy the new format that I am using for my tutorials.
simplebooklet.com
I would be absolutely delight to hear from you if you do make something with one of my patterns. Please feel free to add images of your creations using my patterns to my Flickr group
Do you have a favourite piecing or quilting technique?
It’s awhile since I’ve linked up with TGIFF but I definitely have that TGIFF feeling today! I’m also linking up with Finish It Up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts.
Recently I’ve been working hard to produce a number of paper pieced patterns. It’s fun and creative but there is also a lot of tedious computer work involved in creating a simple downloadable pattern to share on Craftsy. Today I’ve finally achieved that and I’m super happy! You can find my very first pattern here.
I originally designed this pattern for Lara as part of our paper piecing bee, Wombat Stew, so I’ve made this block twice now
The second time around I decided to design two more blocks and turn them all into a mini.
Never one to be overly ambitious
I also decided I needed a tutorial to refer back to. So I put together a Paper Piecing tutorial for beginners (I’ll share it here tomorrow) using the teapot block. And because I’d been talking about this block for so long I decided to make it available for free on craftsy ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
But I’ve also been talking about opening an etsy shop for like, FOREVER! So I’ve listed it over there too. I’ve almost finished the teacup and coffee machine patterns and they’ll be there soon too
*Phew* What a day!! Definitely got that TGIFF feeling!!
![coffe machine without lines](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8661574297_1cc2e89413.jpg) |
Coffee machine pattern is now available here. |
![teacups](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8116/8657412838_a627fb1a3e.jpg) |
Teacup Pattern is now available here. |
But back to the actual quilt LOL
This mini measure up at 30″ x 17″ and was machine quilted by me using Aurifil 2000, 2065, 2692, 2245, 5006 and 1100 in 50wt. I also had some fun hand quilting around the reverse applique in a lovely verigated pink (4660) 12wt Aurifil thread.
It feels like forever since I got my quilt on and I think my soul was crying out for some quilt time so I densely echoed the teapot, cups and coffee machine.
I don’t think I can produce a quilt without getting my FMQ on so I played around with the teacups and the teapot. I didn’t want to overdo it and tried to work with the various prints.
The teacup block is really easy and I have to thank Kristy for coaching me through the process. Her patterns are fantastic and I was trying to channel my inner Kristy while designing this one
The coffee machine is actually my coffee machine LOL
I even tried tried to get all trendy and do some styling ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
I added hanging corners to all four corners as I think a piece of dowel running along the bottom will help this mini hang flat.
I’m super happy with this mini but I don’t know if I’ll keep it or sell it. I’m not really one to decorate in the kitchen (you should see my old French kitchen – paint peeling off the walls, not old rustic – it does not inspire spending time in it other than to cook) but I have used some favourite prints here. Plus now I’ve finally got that etsy shop with one listing I should add a few more items LOL ![;)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
I’m linking up with TGIFF over at Sew at Home Mummy for the first time in awhile and holy moly, I am happy it is Friday and that my patterns are published and my quilt is done!
Have you had a big crafty week? Do you set yourself deadlines? I’d love to hear if you make any of these patterns ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
After a big week this week is much calmer. I’m happy to report that the stress I referred to last week is in the past
Yay! So this week I’m catching up on things that got set aside.
Yesterday I designed two new Paper Pieced patterns for Fiona‘s theme of Mid Century Modern for our paper pieced bee, Wombat Stew. Originally we had agreed that I would make a star burst clock (my Poppy had one and I’m a bit nostalgic) so I came up with the pattern from hell LOL
![Paper Pieced Sunburst Clock](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8616049802_c9bc1308c4.jpg) |
Sunburst Clock paper pieced pattern |
I’m going to try it out when I have time but there are a lot of Y seams in this baby LOL
In addition to the clock pattern I drew up this television (it’s meant to be a vase on top if you’re wondering LOL) and when I put the two patterns to Fiona she preferred the television.
![Paper Pieced TV pattern](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8614943883_74aaaf7a48.jpg) |
Mid century modern television paper pieced pattern |
So today I have been working on putting together this block. I had a lot of fun searching through my stash for appropriate prints and had a few options, I hope Fiona likes what I selected!
![paper pieced TV in progress](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8616050124_948c1e7cba.jpg) |
pattern testing in progress |
It didn’t take too long to come together and you could make it a lot easier by using a dot print for the TV knobs.
![paper pieced TV](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8614943815_a3fd8b105c.jpg) |
Can you guess what TV show this is meant to be? I used to watch it with my Grandpa
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I spent yesterday working on a tutorial in a new format (think slider) using some new software, Simple Booklet. Hopefully it will be ready to share in the next few days. It was superfast being able to edit my photos and add text all within Simple Booklet and I think it will make my tutorials page much tidier and easier to manage having all the tutorials in one place rather than having to click through to a post and scroll down to see a million photos. This was a trial run as I’m hoping to use it to share some paper pieced patterns I’ve been working on using the same software, I should be able to include a downloadable PDF within the booklet. It’s my current WiP, so watch this space
Speaking of patterns, I now have a few patterns that I’d like to share but only I have made them.
![vintage scales wip](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8532459699_34890c3433.jpg) |
Vintage Kitchen Scales Pattern |
If anyone is interested in helping me test patterns, please let me know
At this stage I’m planning to offer a couple of free patterns but of course it is much better if they have been tested by a couple of people ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![paper pieced teapot](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8072/8413584668_050e925771.jpg) |
Triangle Teapot Pattern |
So the rest of the week will include slowly handstitching words on Mr 6′s quilt (yes, it is STILL a WiP!), working on these patterns and new software and hopefully basting and quilting my create quilt. I think I may be being a little over ambitious there LOL Do you set yourself ambitious or realistic sewing goals?
![curved quilt](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8593390207_5a72693d8b.jpg) |
Create quilt top
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I’m linking up with Work In Progress Wednesday.
It appears to be a week of finishes for me which should be uplifting, but having just spent the morning on hold to various businesses I am feeling kinda flat LOL But enough of that, let’s look at my most recent Washi dress ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
![washi dress front](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8505973105_0db4d69d22.jpg) |
Washi dress front. Me feeling like a total poser LOL |
I love this print. It is part of the Nottinghill range and this voile is so insanely soft. It’s almost like silk and was easy to work with and an absolute delight to wear. (Side note: I bought the yardage at Pink Chalk Fabrics which is a lovely online store and the only place I could find the right colourway in the voile.)
![washi dress photo bomber](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8106/8505972761_d525021a2e.jpg) |
My darling daughter needed Mummy’s attention NOW.
Love this little photo bomber
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I love this pattern. When it first came out it was all over blogland and I did my usual, “I love it but I don’t want to be a sheep” thing. But then common sense prevailed and I bought a copy and I am so glad I did! You can see my first version here and there is even a Washi group on flickr! The pattern is very easy to put together with a number of handy tips in the pattern instructs ions I also love that the fabric requirements are listed on the website, a little thing, but very handy!
I altered the pattern (again) slightly. The neckline is lower than the pattern calls for, I went with what suits me
This time I didn’t do the little cutout and I’m happy with it this way. The other change I made was dropping the shirring rows a little. The first time around the bottom line of shirring lines up perfectly with the bottom of the bodice. Second time around there are a couple of rows of shirring below the bottom of the bodice (on the back) which gives the dress a better shape on me.
![washi dress side](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8100/8505972307_437dfbfd4d.jpg) |
side view: Washi dress |
The main reason I love this dress (and let’s be honest) is that it hides my belly. Any extra weight goes straight to my tummy and there has been a fair amount lately with me being unwell. This dress will fit if I manage to lose those extra kilos (shirring is so forgiving!) and the pleats on the front manage to hide my tummy without it looking like a maternity dress. Win – win
If you’re considering the Washi dress, I would say go for it! I’m already planning to make another soon. They are just perfect for our sticky, hot days here in Nouméa.
And just so you know
All these opinions are 100% my own. I paid for the supplies myself and was not asked to provide a review. I just like to share things I love ![:)](/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Have you made a Washi dress or is there another very forgiving dress pattern that you love?