How I Repaired - Torn Jeans

Second repair for Flicky - torn jeans where she's pulled on the belt loop to get into them!

Exploring London - Shaukat, Cloth House & John Lewis

So you're in London and wanting to fabric shop - there are three other stores I love to visit when I'm home that you may want to take a look at.

Exploring London - Liberty 2016

I can't visit London without nipping into Liberty but last time I shared pics with you from inside the store was back in 2012.

Liberty Love - Happy Birthday Aprons

On a recent trip to Pins & Needles on Manhattan's Upper East Side (explore the store with me here) I came face to face with this Cotton + Steele Melody Miller B&W Typewriter fabric.  

Pincushion Organiser and Thread Catcher

When you're an avid sewist it goes without saying that you, your family, pets and home are always covered in thread.  As I take the lift down from my apartment I'm often embarrassed to discover there's even thread scattered on the corridor carpet outside my front door - how did it get there?!!! And I feel bad for my husband who regularly removes thread from his suit trousers when he's at work.

Liberty Lawn & Essex Linen FPP Feather

I love foundation paper piecing, but experience has taught me that not all foundation paper piecing patterns are equal, I'm very happy to shout from the rooftops, however, about all FPP patterns created by Juliet @The Tartankiwi.  

Juliet is an absolute Queen of FPP, her patterns are well thought out so there's the minimum number of pieces necessary for the sewist to piece the design as simply and easily as possible.  She is rigorous in her pattern testing too, testing and developing patterns thoroughly herself then she has several reliable testers trial the patterns and feedback before releasing them to the general public.

When Juliet sent me an image of her latest FPP Feather Border pattern I jumped at the chance to test it and here it is.

I've used Liberty Lawns for the feather and Robert Kaufman Yarn-Dyed Black Essex Linen for the background.  My favourite London shop for Liberty Lawns is Shaukat, they've more Liberty fabric than the Liberty store itself alongside other lawns and specialist fabrics - I've written a couple of posts about the fabric I've bought there here and here.  If you haven't been to the Liberty store then, of course, that should be top of your 'must do' list for any London trip - more pretty pics of the store here.

A couple of the lawns were left over from this reversible apron I made for my Mum a few years ago, you can read more about it here and though my Mum's looking very good for her years it's not actually her but my youngest, Flicky, modelling the apron ;D

Getting sidetracked now, all this talk of home and Liberty - let's have another look at that FPP Feather.

The FPP pattern includes two sizes of feather - 12" x 3" and 24" x 6" - I've made a 24" x 6" feather.  Juliet made the feather so she could border a block with four feathers, I've got other ideas, though.  Initially, I thought I'd extend the block to make a rectangular cushion but now I'm thinking a wall hanging so I'm going to sit on it for a while and see what ideas brew, you know the way they do.

You can see more tested versions of the FPP Feather Border here on Juliet's The Tartankiwi blog and her pattern's available now via her Etsy store and also her Payhip store.  

Disclaimer: I do not receive payment from Juliet @TheTartankiwi for testing her patterns, nor do I receive a commission on any patterns sold via her Etsy store or any other sales method.  This post is purely informational and of no direct benefit, monetary or otherwise, to me.

Please note the pattern does not include Juliet's Kea Alpine Parrot pattern as pictured but this FPP pattern is available separately.

Here's a look back at the patterns I've previously tested for Juliet.

Click any of the images below to go through to my post about testing that particular pattern:

  
 

Clicking on an image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :)

Disclosure: 

This post contains a Craftsy affiliate banner for which I am paid commission on click-through purchases. Otherwise, no payment or commission is received for click-throughs to shared links; the post is for informational purposes only and all opinions are my own.

Copyright: 

Uncredited reproduction of all content, text and images on this site is prohibited. All content, text and images must be credited to Chris Dodsley @made by ChrissieD and include a link back to this site.

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Linky Parties This post may be linked to some great Linky Parties, always a great source of inspiration too. If you click through to my 'Fave Linky Parties' page you can see where I like to share my work.

The Thrill Of Coming Home

"The thrill of coming home has never changed."

Guy Pearce

For just over two weeks I've been in England and it has been wonderful to wake to this view from my hotel room window every morning.

As I pack to fly back to the States this evening, here's a handful of pics.

English Paper Piecing on the plane.

Knitting on the plane.

My hotel room view by night.

Two fat quarter bundles from John Lewis.

 Four lots of three metre lengths of Liberty fabric from Shaukat on Old Brompton Road (the best place to buy Liberty!).

Some more small pieces of Liberty from Shaukat.

Oh and I squeezed in a visit to this wonderful city too - doesn't everyone love Paris?

 

 

 

   

A Finished UFO Or A Lost Mind?

I put my heart and my soul into my work and have lost my mind in the process

                                                                                                 Vincent van Gogh

Back in February 2013 I pattern tested this 7" foundation paper pieced heart for Juliet @The Tartankiwi (you can read about it here).

Of course, it's sat in my UFO pile ever since ... but no longer.  I ironed a piece of Pellon fusible fleece to the back of the heart and added a backing with a turned machine bound edge using the same fabulous Philip Jacobs Iris and Peony (Red) fabric that I've used for the heart centre on the front.  Yep those corners aren't perfectly mitred but at least it's finished and useable and I'm starting to think this could be a good mantra for me to live by - certainly if it's not something I'm selling!

I picked the fabric up on a trip to Liberty London - if you've never visited then take a look at the photos in my post here then put it on your Sewer's Bucket List.

Now it's an attractive table topper or wall hanging and could look equally good framed.

So one UFO's finished and unlike van Gogh I've even managed to keep my sanity I think - though my family might beg to differ ;D

Juliet's patterns are available now via her Etsy store and also her Payhip store.  

Here's a look back at the patterns I've previously tested for Juliet.

Click any of the images below to go through to my post about testing that particular pattern:

  

 
 

Disclosure: I do not receive payment from Juliet @TheTartankiwi for testing her patterns, nor do I receive a commission on any patterns sold via her Etsy store or any other sales method.  This post is purely informational and of no direct benefit, monetary or otherwise, to me.

Clicking on an image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :)

Disclosure: 

This post contains a Craftsy affiliate banner for which I am paid commission on click-through purchases. Otherwise, no payment or commission is received for click-throughs to shared links; the post is for informational purposes only and all opinions are my own.

Copyright: 

Uncredited reproduction of all content, text and images on this site is prohibited. All content, text and images must be credited to Chris Dodsley @made by ChrissieD and include a link back to this site.

Follow

Linky Parties This post may be linked to some great Linky Parties, always a great source of inspiration too. If you click through to my 'Fave Linky Parties' page you can see where I like to share my work.