Corduroy and Liberty

I'm on a roll!

Today I whipped together another one of Amy Butler's Nappy bag pattern (no I don't need nappy bags anymore or ever again  - I just like the pattern)

Its actually a really good camera bag and holds my SLR nicely when I'm out and about.

I used a green corduroy for the outside bought from Purl Soho and the feature fabric on the outside is a Liberty of London Tana Lawn.

I looked everywhere locally for corduroy fabric (I was actually after an olive type colour) but couldn't find any!

I also wanted the wider more heavy corduroy but this stuff worked out nicely.Its very fine, thin and soft.

The lining on the inside is two prints of Liberty of London Tana Lawn and a little bit of the green corduroy.

below you can see a picture of the bag turned inside out and the liberty fabric as the lining and the pockets.

The bag is completely reversible so I could have it any way I wanted - really it doesn't matter.

I used wadding as a lining for the pockets to help stiffen it up

 Very happy with my new bag!

I bought a few more colours of corduroy and I might make a few more variations...

Xx Siobhan 

Easter

Hi!

Today was the first time in weeks that I made a little project that I can share :)

Easter is nearly upon us and I hadn't done/ made anything Easter related - too busy working on huge quilts. 

So it was nice today to make a little placemat and have a finished product in a day!

I think its nice to have small achievable projects every now and then (in between the big ones)

Finished Size 13 X 14 inches

1- I used a Liberty Lifestyles print as my main background and cut 4 X 5inch Squares

I bought this Liberty print last week at Calico & Ivy Balmain - They are closing down early May 2013 and have lots of fabric reduced

2 - I then chose 5 coordinating fabrics 1.5 inch wide and joined them together - These are for the egg shape. 

2 - I then cut the pieced strips into 4 X 4 inch squares.

 3/4 - to create the egg shape I used the drunkards path method of curved piecing and made my own paper oval template.

5 - Square off your easter egg block

6 - I framed the block with 1.5 inch strip of purple and then a 2 inch strip of the Liberty print again

I used another liberty print for the binding 

2.5 inch strip selvedge to selvedge in length.

Which was a scrap in my scrap basket! Never throw out any Liberty Fabric! no matter how small!

Now I just have to make one for everyone in the family :-/

ohh and in other brief news

I have a quilt in the Easy Quilts Summer edition of Fons & Porter :)

and

 in my last post I forgot to add Australian stores that might have stock of Lotta Jansdotters "Bella" Fabric

Which is really bad of me :(

Australian stores need our business

If you have an Australian online store I don't mind sharing your links - It might take me awhile but I will eventually respond to you and post info!

I'm not one to advertise or do sponsored posts, usually because I'm not organised not because I have any issue with them.

All that "stuff" takes up time that I could be sewing! Although it could actually make me some $$, 

One day I'll be organised and have ads/ sponsors or something!

anyway Helen emailed me saying she had stock of Lotta Jansdotter fabrics

Finger Tip Fabrics - An online store based in Brisbane, Australia

Anyway Now I really am off!

kids, homework Dinner etc

Xx Siobhan 

Quiet always means real work is going on

This is a little snap shot of what my week has looked like

I've been head down sewing - attempting to finish some big tricky quilts

I cant show you the quilt - But I can show you the colours! (bit cheeky)

This grouping of fabrics below is for the next quilt. I like to prep one quilt as I'm working on one.

 It keeps my mind working and interested - I'm going back to some more subtle fabrics Liberty/ Linen/ text after working with the extra brights above.

The text fabric is my own and available on Spoonflower or I have a few Fat Quarters available in my ETSY shop

I've been looking at some posts/ blogs about Quilt Con that was held recently in Austin USA

The conference looked fantastic - Its made me want to make one of Denyse Schmidt's wonky scrap quilts, and I think my scrap basket is screaming to be used!

After these two/ three quilts are made for "work" purposes I plan on making either another trip around the world quilt or a Wonky improve quilt .... and a messenger bag! I'm desperate to make a bag

In all my cutting of late I have cemented in my mind forever more that 1 Fat Quarter of fabric gives you 30 X 3.5 inch squares 

Handy to know.... 

I still haven't gotten around to photographing my "Bella" quilt that is on the cover of Down Under Quilts #156

I've had lots of emails about sourcing fabrics for the quilt - I had a look and found these

I noticed that Purl Bee's online shop has most of the range

 

http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8819-Windham-Fabrics-Bella

 

and so does

 

Fabric Worm

 

http://www.fabricworm.com/loja.html

 

and 

The Fat Quarter shop

http://www.fatquartershop.com/Bella-Lotta-Jansdotter-Windham-Fabrics.asp

 

even though the fabric line "Bella" only came out at the end-ish of last year it seems to have sold quickly?!

The Quilt was long arm machine quilted by Kim Bradley in a funky fans pattern

Down Under Quilts by Practical Publishing

In other news I'm going to Spring Quilt Market in May!

its going to be held in Portland, Oregon USA

I've never been before and happy for any hints!

anyway

I best be off

We have a big weekend of Kid focused activities and hopefully some sewing :)

Xx Siobhan