Farmers Wife 1930s Quilt - Susannah

Hello again, I'm back with another Farmer's Wife block. This time it's Block number 94 Susannah. This is a lovely simple block to make and as usual I've English paper pieced it. I've stuck to the colour palette from the book but played with the scale of the prints that I used and I chose a nice strawberry solid to add in. I'm really pleased with how it turned out :)

I've not managed to make as many blocks as I'd hoped during this quilt along. Life has been pretty busy for a while now and I'm struggling to find time to sew. But these little blocks have been the perfect hand stitching project to pick up when I have a few spare minutes. I've found that making just one little block soothes away my stress and is a good way to unwind. Also they're really portable. I'll be keeping on stitching them long after the quilt along is finished.

Above is my little stack of blocks so far. I think I've made 29, but I've not counted in a while so it might be more. I'm keeping the papers in for now because I haven't decided how I'm going to put them all together yet.

Here are another few blocks that I've made in the last few weeks. I've sometimes been trying to stick to the colours used in the book, especially if it's a colour combination I would never usually choose. The green and yellow Geneva block 36 is a perfect example of colours I wouldnt usually put together but I really like it.

I was really looking forward to making block 46 Jewel and it's one of my favourites so far.

And I was extremely stressed out when I made block 79 Patience. I search through the book to find the quickest, simplest block I could for some instant sewing therapy. It worked a treat and now when I look at it I think I chose the most soothing coloured fabrics I could get my hands on!

I've loved doing the quilt along and I'm really glad I decided to hand sew all the blocks. I think I would have managed to make even less blocks if I'd been machine piecing them all.

One bonus of being a good few steps behind most other people is that you can go and see what everyone else's blocks look like. There have been a few times where my fabric choices have been based on a block I've seen by looking at the hashtags on instagram.

So that's how my Farmer's Wife is getting along: slowly but surely, and it's been a fantastic stress-reliever when I've needed it.

You can see Kerry's beautiful version of Susannah on her blog, as well as Starlight, which is the next block on my to-do list :)

Thanks so much Kerry for hosting such a great quilt along and having me as a guest poster!

Fiona xxx

Farmers Wife 1930s Quilt - May

Hello! It's my turn again in Kerry's 1930s Farmer's Wife Quilt Along and this week I've made number 61 the May block.

I really like this block. The larger pieces are great for fussy cutting, and I think it's looks like quite a complex block but there are relatively few pieces. I think it's a block with a lot of impact depending on what fabrics you choose.

I decided to stick to the colours that Laurie Aaron Hird used because I think they're really pretty and I couldn't resist fussy cutting those sweet bunnies and kittens from Elea Lutz's Milk Flower Sugar line.

I'm English paper piecing my blocks so sometimes I'm able to reduce the number of seams in a block and this was one of those happy blocks! I used just one piece for each of the yellow diamonds which makes just 16 pieces in this block.

I also love the letter behind this block. My Mum's name is May and I think the letter tells us something very important about being a Mum and what can be very important to children.

All in all this is one of my favourite blocks that I've made so far and now it gets added to my slowly growing pile of blocks :)

You can see Kerry's gorgeous version of this block as well as her Milly block on her blog.

Thanks for visiting! 

Fiona x

Farmers Wife 1930s Quilt - Magnolia

It's my turn again in Kerry's 1930s Farmer's Wife Quilt Along and this week I've made number 53 the Magnolia block

I think Magnolia might be my favourite block in the Farmer's Wife 1930s book. To me it's a beautifully simple, elegant block and I think it's a lovely way to show off a favourite scrap of fabric. 

Kerry has has made a stunning Magnolia block and you can see it and her Lucy block over on her blog.

I made two versions of the block and I plan to make a few more. I made the first using a scrappy dark background and some scraps I had lying around. I made this version to go in another quilt and I machine pieced it using the templates. Whilst I like it, I couldn't get it as accurate as I would have liked. I think my precise 1/4" seam might need a bit of work!

My second version will be going in my Farmer's wife quilt. I used a pale pink solid for my background and some of my favourite 1930s repro scraps. I EPP'd this one and I'm much happier with the finish.

I've started to write the colours I'll be using on the block diagram before I cut it up because I get easily confused with which fabric goes with which shape. It's working out well for me so far.

 

Here's a quick snap I took of all the blocks I've made so far. I'm starting to think about the balance of colour now when I'm choosing fabric for each new block. I think I need some more little pops of black and more dark blue.

I can't wait to make more of these blocks. I'm really loving this QAL!

Fiona x

Farmers Wife 1930s Quillt - Flora

Hello again! I'm back with another block in the lovely Kerry's Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Along.

This time I've made block 35 Flora. As soon as I first flicked through the book this block jumped out at me and I haven't quite figured out why, but I really really like it.

I tried to keep to the original colours because I think part of what appeals to me is the original fabrics in the book, but I also love how the shapes seem to almost dance round the block. The blue and white fabrics I used are Pretty Posies by Darlene Zimmerman and the purple is a shot cotton by Kaffe Fasset that isn't quite so dark as it looks in the photos.

I'm English paper piecing all my blocks and so far that's working out really well for me. My sewing time is really limited these days but I can usually find a little bit of time here and there for some relaxing hand sewing. I've made about 20 of the blocks so far, and although I'm not keeping up with everyone I'm pretty chuffed with the amount I've managed to make. And I've really enjoyed stitching each one!

I print out the block diagrams from the book on standard printer paper and write on each piece which colour it is. This helps my poor brain not get too mixed up! Then I glue baste, and sew the block together in sections.

You can see the gorgeous blocks that the others are making for the quilt along on Instagram by using the hashtag #fw1930sqal and #florablock you can also use Fat Quarter Shop's hastags #fw35flora. I'm @FionaPoppyMakes on instagram. Check out Kerry's beautiful Geneva block and her version of Flora on her blog.

Farmers Wife 1930s Quilt - Belle

Hello, Its my turn to post about a block in the Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Along hosted by the lovely Kerry over at Very Kerry Berry.

I was so excited when Kerry first mentioned that she was planning to run a sew-along for this quilt. I already had my copy of the book and was dreaming of starting yet another project.

I have the original Farmer's Wife book and made about 25 blocks (I think) before I decided I wasn't overly pleased with my choice of fabric and they got stuffed in a box when I moved on to something else.

This time I thought carefully about my fabric selection and decided to stick close to the style of the book and use 1930s reproduction fabric along with a few sweet prints thrown in. I also decided that I would English paper piece my blocks this time. Partly because I love EPP but also because that's about all I have time for sewing-wise these days. I can pick up my EPP and stitch for 10 minutes when I get a rare quiet moment

I've been printing out the block diagrams at full size on standard printing paper and simply cutting out the shapes as accurately as I can. My top tip is to write the colour of the fabric that you plan to use on each little shape. This helps me keep the right colours in the right place and the right way round when I'm making the blocks. I've been glue basting my pieces so far and it's working a treat!

The Belle block is a very simple block to EPP. It only has 12 pieces and some of those pieces are a great size for a few fussy cuts to show off your favourite prints. Using EPP means you don't need to worry about the Y-seam. The block comes together really quickly

I chose a Moda 30's Playtime print in blue and one of my favourite prints from Milk, Sugar & Flower by Elea Lutz for Penny Rose Fabrics. I love those sweet little bunnies and kitties!

You can see the gorgeous blocks that the others are making for the quilt along on Instagram by using the hashtag #fw1930sqal and #belleblock you can also use Fat Quarter Shop's hastags #fw13Belle. I'm @FionaPoppyMakes on instagram. Check out Kerry's beautiful Betty block and her version of Belle on her blog.

Fiona x

Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Along

So..... that was a bit of a blogging break, wasn't it?!

Life got a bit more crazy for a while there and this blog fell by the wayside. I've been around on Instagram but actually writing a blog post just never happened.

Anyway, I'm hoping to be back on here more often as I'm taking part in Kerry's Farmers Wife 1930s quilt along and will be posting about the blocks I'm making.

Here is my initial fabric pull. I'm going for pretty 1930s prints and solids because I just love the fabrics used in the book. I'm planning to English paper piece the blocks. 

In case anybody is wondering about getting a copy of the book and joining the Quilt Along, I would really recommend it. The letters are really lovely to read and the blocks are beautiful. Kerry and her guests will be posting about two blocks each week for the next year so there will be loads of hints and tips for lots of construction methods. You can find her QAL page here

I can't wait to get started!

Since it's been a while since I've blogged here is a little picture of my boys :)

Have a great weekend!

Fiona x

An update on Bertie

A few people have been asking how Bertie's getting on and I didn't want to say until he'd had his 5 month vet check (I'm quite superstitious) I thought he was looking great with a shiny coat, a soft but trim little body, loads of energy and a very waggy tail, but I didn't know what was going on inside him. He visited the vet this morning and she declared him an almost perfectly healthy puppy! All the major things that they were concerned about have resolved themselves!

Lots of love, fun and good food seem to been the best medicine for him. I can tell you now he's a happy, healthy, mischievous, cute rascal! Yay!!!!!

On another note, our schools go back tomorrow (where has the summer gone???) so I'll hopefully have a bit more time to show you the very small amount of sewing I've been doing in the last few weeks.

Fiona x

A new bag

I made myself a new bag! I've been seeing lots of Poolside Totes popping up recently on blogs and Instagram and I've been itching to make one for myself. Yesterday that stars aligned for me and I got a couple of hours sewing time.

I used what I had in my stash, and as a result my bag is a bit floppy, but I think it's better that way because it's my new work bag, and I can squash it in my locker more easily while I'm working :)

I had planned to have the lining a different fabric but I got distracted while cutting and had cut the lining out before I realised what I was doing! I kind of wish I'd made the zippy pocket version, but I'll definitely be making another so I'll do that next time.

It all loaded up ready for my nightshift tonight, and it's so roomy there's still room for my lunch box! Yay!

Fiona x

Quilt Now Magazine

It's only a couple of weeks until the first issue of Quilt Now is out! Katy Jones is the editor and it looks set to be a really beautiful magazine. I am very excited to have a quilt in the first issue and I can't wait to see all the gorgeous projects in this 'Sorbet' themed issue - i'm sure it will be jam-packed with loads of summery inspiration!

I've already subscribed, but Quilt Now is still running their pre-launch subscription offer of 3 issues for £5 in the UK which has just a few days left! So if you want to try out this magazine you better be quick and snap up the offer here!!!

This week I'm juggling a new job, an unexpected, fun but huge sewing project, the school summer holidays and a dog and puppy who have discovered several holes in the garden fence and are having the best time sneaking out of the garden to caper round the neighbourhood visiting their doggy-pals.......

Fiona x

Meet Bertie!

I thought you might like to meet the latest addition to our family.

His name is Bertie and he is an English Springer Spaniel just like his big Brother Murphy.

He and Murphy are not actually related, but they both seem to be on the same wavelength (happy, gentle, hyperactive, lovable rogues!)

He's been with us for a couple of weeks now, and he came to us with a few health issues. But lots of love, good food, play and rest seem to be working wonders for him. We've got our fingers crossed that he grows out of some of his health issues, but whatever happens he's one of the family and we'll love him just as he is :)

Have a great weekend!
Fiona x

Stitch Gathering 2014

I'm just popping in to tell you all about the Stitch Gathering 2014 Retreat that is happening in September in the very beautiful city of Edinburgh.

Last year's retreat was fantastic fun and this year Jo is set to run it again, but it sounds like it's going to be even better!

I'm really excited to be teaching again, alongside all the lovely ladies that taught last year.

I'll be teaching two classes, the first is a reverse applique hoop, which is a quick and pretty little hand-sewing project that can be completed in class.

The second is an english paper piecing class where we will be making a panel using apple-cores, one of my favourite EPP shapes! 

You can find out all of the details on the Stitch Gathering website, and book tickets too!

I can't wait! Are you going?

Fiona x

A little bit of what you fancy....

There's been next to no sewing going on round here, but today I decided to give myself a little break and get my sewing machine out.

I spent a lovely couple of hours slowly cutting and sewing this block. It's block number 7 for my Tone it Down quilt from February's American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

Sometimes a little bit of what you crave makes you feel like yourself again :)

Fiona x

slowly slowly

Well hello! It's been a while. Things have been pretty busy round here and my sewing time has been severely limited. But I have been very slowly working on some pretty things

 I fell head over heels in love with the Tone it Down quilt by Lissa Alexander in the February edition of American Patchwork and Quilting and the very lovely Svetlana sent me a copy because I couldn't get hold of it in the UK. I really love this quilt. It's got this old-time charm about it that I just can't resist!

Over the last few months I've been slowly making blocks using some of my favourite fabrics and lots of lovely low volume prints, mostly bought from Amanda's shop Westwood Acres. I love her Inside Voices club and it feels like Christmas every month when my beautiful package arrives.

I'm making the scrappy version of this quilt so all the background fabrics are cut individually, but you can strip piece it so it's quicker. I've been cutting the fabric block by block in the evenings and then when I get a chance to sew, I can just grab a block and go :)

I've only made 6 blocks so far, but it's the kind of quilt that I don't really want to finish anyway, because I'm enjoying making it so much :)

If you are on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you can use the hashtag #APQquiltalong to see hundreds of versions of this gorgeous quilt.

Thanks for visiting

Fiona x

Love Patchwork and Quilting - Free download of Issue 4!

The lovely folks at Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine have just told me about a rather nice offer they're running, starting at 9am 28th February. Issue 4 will be available as a free download for a limited time!

My Sawtooth Stars cushions featured in this issue and there is a whole bunch of other lovely stuff for you to make.

Included in the download is the fantastic booklet of block designs by Lynne Goldsworthy using Amy Butler fabrics.

The offer starts 28th Feb 9am GMT and runs until the 4th Feb (9am GMT) 

All you need to do is download the iTunes app - here - open up issue 4 of Love Patchwork & Quilting (that's the one with the gorgeous butterfly quilt on the cover) and click on the 'voucher' icon.

Then tap in code: MADNESS14 and 'submit' and you can download the issue right away – easy, peasy! Hurry though – offer ends 4th March at 9am GMT.

Enjoy!

Fiona x