Guestimating Fabric

The amount of fabrics that are hitting the Shops in the next month or so is mind blowing....

Its usually best to have a plan - not necessarily on what projects you will use the fabric in (because I always buy way ahead) - more of a $$$ plan. How much are you willing to spend! also making sure when it comes time to design and make a project I'm not going to be left short.

My fabric buying Guestimating works like this

- I find that a single bed quilt tends to use 6/8 yards of fabric for a front and then about the same for the back give or take.

Binding is usually around 6/8 X 2.5inch strips = 15 inches/20 inches

I add on an extra 3 yards for a double/ king sized quilt front & back

Binding is usually around 12 X 2.5 inch strips = 30 inches

all of these are VERY rough estimates but it gives you an idea of how I shop.

I'm happy to have leftovers - they make great pillows and scrap quilts.

If I see a fabric that is great for a backing I will buy it in 3 yard lengths - easy for storage & piecing

If a fabric looks good for borders and sashing I will buy 2- 3 yards

I still love buying fat 1/4's which are great for mixing fabrics up or adding interest but I tend to stick to larger pieces. 

Anyway I have started my shopping and this is what I have so far

From top to bottom
My own numbers fabric
Vintage Modern Bonnie & Camille
Denyse Schmidt for Australian Spotlight (from my Fabric stash)
Vintage Modern Bonnie & Camille
Lizzy House castle peeps(from my Fabric stash)
Valori Wells Butterflys

All of these were bought at an Australian online retailer
Kelani Fabrics 

These gems were bought at Calico & Ivy a few days ago.
The top 6 fabrics are Anna Maria Horner's new fabric range called Field Study
A liberty of London print
& some linen

From Ballarat Patchworks online store this week I purchased the new Denyse Schmidt range Chicopee - Looking forward to using this lot.

 I also have a stack of solids coming from pink chalk fabrics

and bought not that long ago A vintage sheet & Lots of Lotta Jansdotters Echo range for backing of two king sized quilts 

Thats not including the stuff I don't have pictures of......

Although in my defence I have made 5 king sized quilts in the last few weeks and a few other things!! All to be revealed once they are published in their assorted magazines.

All the pictures are from my Instagram feed

my handle is @beaspokequilts 

Whats your most recent fabric purchase or what are you coveting in the fabric world?

Xx Siobhan

On a binding roll & other bits

I've been binding quilts all day!

and here is number 1

This is my take on a log cabin block.

I wrote about it originally back here.

The log cabin is very easy to piece together - Its quick & effective.

It still amazes me after all these years of quilting - how much of a change the quilting actually makes. This one was long arm machine quilted by Kim Bradley

The text fabric is my Pride & Prejudice text design - available at my shop

and the postman delivered some Heather Ross fabric! now I can get started on another one of my little miss quilt tops - I plan on writing up the pattern/ dimensions. Keep an eye out for that post soon

on an extra note before I get back into work mode 

The Ladies at CLOTH Fabric are participating in the City of Sydney Garage sale trail.

Its on this saturday 5th May.

I used cloth fabric in the middle squares of the log cabin quilt.

When your looking at the fabric - you need to remember that its a very wide fabric 140cm, keep that in mind when your ordering your length.

Should be lots of fun!

I'm off

Xx Siobhan

Home

Holy roly, me, oh my, you’re the apple of my eye.

I've been stuck at home for over a week! I've

 had a bit of an old man cough and trying to

 rest up - sleeping mostly so not much has been

 going on in the creative department, thanks to

 my third lot of antibiotics I'm almost back to

 myself...almost

No your eyes haven't gone - I forgot to turn the auto focus on :) but I liked the colour and movement. 

 here is what it should look like actually focused.

 I still think it looks like the entry way floor to a big old beautiful house

53 x 37 inches

I used my Pride & Prejudice fabric that I designed and printed on spoonflower and my left over bits of Liberty of London fabric that I had from my previous Quilt.

I used my full 1 yard of fabric in the pride & prejudice fabric.

Its a bright little quilt - I think it would be a lovely addition anywhere, but maybe a cot or stroller blanket or rug to play on?

Very easy to whip up.

It would look fantastic as a Big persons Quilt! 

Now I just have to work out how to Quilt it?

Below I have some surplus & with being busy & having a few projects on the go I know I'm not going to use them.

I'm going to give them away :)

Leave a comment in this post, 

Ill leave it open till Sat 28th May 10pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.

please make sure you make a comment with an email address so that I can contact you if you win the fabric.

There have been some beautiful mini quilts and hand made sewing kits on lots of blogs which would look so pretty with these little bits of fabric.

This is it - all together, lots of pretty liberty and Pride & Prejudice fabric

eight 5 X 5 inch squares in Liberty and Text 

 & lots of little mini triangles (around 2.5 inch X 3.5 inch) in Liberty & Text fabric.

Did anyone guess my song reference ? 
- Ed Sharpe

XxSiobhan

Rainy Sundays

Hi All 
It's been raining here in Sydney all weekend, and it's really nice! it hasn't rained here for a while and the garden really needed it.


I thought I'd show you a good way to get rid of some scraps and small bits of fabric you might have lying around.


I call this my 

Eton Mess Squares Block

I am using a 1/2 inch seam in this example. Very odd I know - but I like it, It irons down easily and sits nicer when I use big heavy linens and canvas.


In this example I had 6 different fabric ranges. Ultimately you could have a million different fabrics or just two - The possibilities in this block are endless.


First you need to make a framed Square 
- you will need one 7 X 7 inch square and then framed with 3 1/2 inch strips for each square.

Fold selvage to selvage, line up your fabric and trim to square off. 

Measure 7 inches and cut

turn your strip and measure 7 inches again - now you have a 7 X 7 inch square.

cut a 3 1/2 inch strip and then cut into 

a 7 inch strip and 12 inch strip

each framed square should have a contrasting fabric framing it.

sew both 7 inch strips to the squares, press seams open.

Sew the 12 inch seams and press seams open

One finished framed Square

For todays purpose Im working with 9 framed squares

Grab three squares from a row and place on top of each other

Make one cut horizontally and vertically, try to be a bit off centre to make it look a bit more messy.

re-arrange blocks back together again and repeat with the next two rows. Try to mix it so that no same fabrics are side by side.

sew two bottom bits together and then two top bits together, press seams open and sew the two together. You now have a Eton Mess Square complete.

One Complete Eton Mess Square.

Sew three blocks together to create a long strip - repeat with all three rows.

Sew the three rows together and press seams open

One finished Messy Squares Block containing
3 X 3 Eaton Mess Squares

What the back should look like

This finished block measures 32 Inch's.

Perfect for a nice Baby throw or cot cover. Equally great for a Big Cushion.


I've made a Flickr Group for anyone who made the Eton Mess Square or any other of my Designs to show - I'd love to see what people come up with.


http://www.flickr.com/groups/beaspokequilts/

If you wanted to turn this into a single bed size quilt you would need to repeat the above pattern three* across and four* down.
-three and four of the finished block from the above pattern, this would give you 12 small squares across by 18 small squares long! does that make sense :) I hope so.

I'm thinking I'll keep adding to it.
I'm also thinking of Eton Mess and wondering if I have the ingredients to make it......

Endless Opportunities

 This Quilt has evolved over time, it kept being put away whilst other projects were started and finished. I kept losing interest or not really sure which direction to go in. I had at one stage actually put it all together ready to be machine quilted - then the next day up picked it all, it just didn't look right.


I started with the pink and navy nine patch checkerboard and then just didn't know what to do, it was such a strong and dark colour combination. 
After a long while I decided to add in some more material mixes and made some more nine patches. 
I then experimented with framing them - which after a while I liked and then sashed it in white - Voila! two finished quilts. 

I look back at the progress photo's and still see the endless choices .............


What would you have done?
Im curious - No two quilts are ever the same and everyone has a different eye for detail.

Edith's Quilt

Bea's Quilt - please note matching Pegs :)

Have a good week :)
Xx Siobhan