Speed Bonnie Boat

Sorry I couldn't help the title of this blog post. My Dad (who at one time was a fisherman from Skye) used to sing the song to me when I was a wee girl :)

My oldest son was complaining earlier this week that I never make him anything. Now this is quite simply Not True, but he was obviously feeling a bit left out. When I first started quilting, I bought a charm pack of Nautical and Nice by Sandy Gervais and a panel to match. I had no idea that this would not be enough fabric to actually make a quilt! They sat for ages as I pondered the fabulous quilt I was going to make him. When I finally realised I didn't have enough to make a quilt I managed to beg, borrow, buy and swap another 3 charm packs, but the quilt still didn't get made.

Then on Tuesday after he expressed his woe that I never sew for him, I grabbed the charms, some scraps and the panel and whizzed them all randomly through my machine in a chain piecing frenzy! Two hours later I have this quilt top!!

My son is very happy with it, and is now expressing impatience for me to get it quilted. This morning I spent some time on my hands and knees basting it, and I'll hopefully get it quilted next week.... if he can wait that long!

I'm planning some wavy lines like I did here and here, and I'm quite excited to see it finished :)

Hope you have a great weekend!
Fiona x

Modern Mini Challenge

You've probably already heard all about this, but it's worth telling again! There's a rather exciting new challenge starting up next week, with super dooper prizes to be won. REALLY exciting super dooper prizes!!!!

The lovely Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts has set up a fun, new sewing contest- the Modern Mini Challenge at Ellison Lane Quilts. 

The Modern Mini Challenge is a 5 week series that kicks off with some seriously inspiring work from some super talented bloggers and me.


I've never done a blog hop before and I'm a bit nervous, but this looks great, and I don't know if I already mentioned the super dooper prizes......

So here’s how it will work: 

2/6/12 - 2/19/12 

Weeks 1 & 2 - Inspiration Weeks - Modern Mini Challenge Blog Hop  

Bloggers share their modern minis and kick-start your creativity. Get inspired, get creative, get those ideas flowing!

2/20/12 - 3/4/12 

Weeks 3 & 4 - Sew. Sew. Sew! 

Work on those minis and create your Modern Mini Challenge piece. 

3/5/12 - 3/9/12 

Week 5: Enter the Contest!

Link up your Modern Mini Challenge piece at Ellison Lane Quilts. Voting begins that week and winners are announced on March 9th!

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Get out your sketch book because you don't want to miss your chance to win on of the 5 fabulous prizes. (Um, yes- you read that correctly- FIVE!) 

A BIG THANKS goes out to Kimberly at the Fat Quarter Shop for generously sponsoring all five of our fabulous prizes. 

The five winners will be chosen as follows: 

James’ choice (Jennifer's husband chooses his favorite) 

Viewer’s choice Mug Rugs

Viewer’s choice Mini Quilts 

(mug rugs and mini quilts- the viewers choose from a selection chosen by Jennifer and three other bloggers) 

Luck of the Draw (Random Number Generator chooses 2 winners)

So what are those fabulous five prizes? Hold on to your hats! 

Source: fatquartershop.com via Jennifer Mathis on Pinterest

Both Viewer’s Choice Winners will receive a fat quarter bundle of the FULL LINE of Flea Market Fancy reprint by Denyse Schmidt. 

James’ Choice Winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop

Both Luck of the Draw Winners will receive a $75 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop

Now, how does that sound? Are you as excited as me? Ready to jump in? 


All the fun starts next week with the Modern Mini Challenge Blog Hop and this amazing line-up: 

2/6: Stitchery Dickory Dock

2/7: Fairy Face Designs & Amy's Creative Side

2/8: Lily's Quilts

2/9: Patchwork Notes

2/10: Don't Call Me Betsy & Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle

2/11: Sukie, Don't You Know Who I Am? 

2/12: Freshly Pieced

2/13: From the Blue Chair & Poppy Makes

2/14: Needles, Pins & Baking Tins

2/15: Mon Petit Lyons & Felicity Quilts

2/16: LR Stitched & Random Thoughts Do or Di

2/17: Life's Rich Pattern & Twin Fibers

2/18: Cut to Pieces & Sew Sweetness

2/19: Swim Bike Quilt

Contest Requirements:
1. Create a modern mini quilt or mug rug - only one entry per person
2. Enter your mini quilt or mug rug in the linky party at Ellison Lane Quilts on Monday, March 5.
You do NOT have to have a blog to enter. You may link a picture from your Flickr account.
3. Your entry (blog post or Flickr description) should include the size of the item


Now, grab a button and go get started!


And remember to come back here on 13th February!

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Fiona x

Quilt of Joy!

My do.Good Stitches quilt is finished!!!!!

I really love this quilt!

For about a year now I have been a member of the do.Good Stitches Bee on flickr. I really love being part of this bee. Each month we make a couple of blocks for a quilt that goes to good cause. I'm part of the Joy circle. August last year was my first month where I designed the quilt that was to be made. I showed my lovely Joy ladies this mosaic and this sketch and referred them to this great tutorial. I asked them to make 2 blocks. They could choose to do girls or postage stamps, and it looks like they had a lot of fun making them!

Every block I received is just gorgeous, and I have to show a close up of some of the girlie blocks that were sent to me. I am so touched by the thought and detail that has gone into them

Look at the bow in her hair, and her pet duck!!!


Love the flared dress on this girl :)


I think this girl is off to a wedding - look at her fascinator!!!


this one actually has birds on her arms and head like Mary Poppins!


Look at those spaghetti straps on her dress!

My quilting is more than a little bit dodgy, obviously I need a LOT more practice, but that's okay. I didn't make this for inspection by the quilt police. This quilt destined for Project Linus and will go to a sick child in hospital in my local area. Hopefully a little girl will be too busy falling in love with all the wonderful details in this quilt to notice the wonky quilting :)

A HUGE big thankyou to all the lovely ladies in the Joy circle, and to Rachel who runs do.Good Stitches

And I just ticked off one of the items for Rhonda's Finish Along. Now I'm off to put my feet up with a glass of wine :)

Edited: I've linked up with Jenna's Manic Monday linky thing - never done that before, but it's fun seeing what other people have been up to :)



Hope you had a good weekend
Fiona x

Prince Charming Cushion

My sister asked me to make her husband a cushion for his birthday. I got mixed up, and thought I still had a while still to make it, but no, his birthday is today!!!

Cue frantic emergency cushion sewing this morning!

I hope he likes it!

Fabric is Prince Charming by Tula Pink bought from the Fat Quarter Shop.

I was inspired by this beautiful pillow on Flickr.

Happy Monday!
Fiona x

Hand Quilting

A while back I asked advice about how to quilt my Loulouthi quilt and got some really great ideas from some of you (Thankyou!) In the end I decided to hand quilt it, using perle cotton in a random, butterfly garden kind of thing and I thought you might be interested to see how it going

I am so glad I decided to hand quilt this. I am totally head over heels in love with it and snuggling up on the sofa with this on my lap, doing a little bit of stitching in whatever colour takes my fancy is a perfect way to spend a winter's evening :)

I chose to back it with a print from Heather Ross's Mendocino line (that I got on sale) and it is the softest backing I've ever felt!. The kids keeps squirrelling themselves under it while I work on it because it's so soft.

I did make a rather big error of judgement when I basted this though. I decided to give spray basting a go. It was after I'd spay basted that I decided on hand quilting. I have found that spray basting does not make quilting with perle easy. It is hard to get that needle and thread through the quilt!
But I'm getting there slowly. I've zigzagged it all round the edges so it can be snuggled under without too much worry while I'm working on it.

I've also finished my Brit Bee blocks for the lovely Judith she asked for any kind of log cabin with the centre of it to be our own fabric to remind her of us. I hope she doesn't mind a little bit of embroidery :)

And I've finished my blocks for do.Good Stitches. It's my month again this month and I chose a snowball design for a boy's I Spy quilt for Project Linus. I've already received some blocks from the lovely ladies in the Joy Circle and can't wait for the rest to arrive. I think this is going to be such a cute quilt!

It's a big day in our house today because it is my daughter's 6th birthday! I can't believe she's 6 already!!! How did that happen?!? We got her a new bike and she is chuffed to bits with it! It's her favourite colour turquoise, it has a stand, gears, suspension  and a bell and best of all it has a glittery saddle! I want one just like it for myself!

She took it out for a quick spin this morning before school :)

Happy Birthday Baby Big Girl!

Fiona x

Finished Swoon Cushion

Finished Swoon Cushion, a photo by fionapoppy on Flickr.

This is my downsized Swoon test block that I made, before chopping up my fabric for a quilt in Katy's Swoon-along. I've made a new rule for myself, I have to finish something before I can start something new. So now I can get going on my Swoon quilt.

I made it into a cushion/pillow just for me and I really like it :) I'm going to go and put it on my side of the bed quickly before my daughter tries to swipe it!

Fabric is Mendocino by Heather Ross and it's an 18" finished cushion

Are you Swooning too?

Fiona x

Swoon

I couldn't resist........

The lovely Katy posted over the weekend that she was hoping people would join her in a Swoon QAL and I couldn't resist!

I bought the pattern a couple of months ago when I realised that my FQ bundle of Joel Dewberry's Heirloom would be my perfect fabric for a Swoon quilt. I even bought backing and binding, but I couldn't decide on background fabric so my fabric and pattern sat patiently waiting.

A little voice in my head wondered if my beloved stash of Heather Ross's Mendocino might be the perfect fabric, but cutting up those treasured FQs requires bravery that I'm not sure I have, so the pattern waited some more.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to size down the block and use some of scraps of Mendocino (I just couldn't cut anything bigger than a scrap!) I thought if I decided to go ahead and use Mendocino for the quilt, it would be a pretty co-ordinating pillow.

I'm so glad I made a wee block first! The Swoon quilt is not "The One" for my Mendocino. I love this little block, and can't wait to quilt it and turn it into a cushion, but now the Mendocino Swoon thing is out of my system I can proceed as planned with the big pile of Joel Dewberry :) and I've ordered some white poplin for the background.

If you fancy Swooning too you should hop over to the group on Flickr. There are some gorgeous blocks, fabric and fully finished quilts in there already!

Our schools and nurseries went back today, so I have a peaceful empty house for the next 45 minutes! I'm off to have a coffee and sew some Bee blocks :)

Happy Monday!
Fiona x