My Sashiko Designs - Available Now

Yay, I've done it, I've sewn up my Sashiko designs.

Sashiko Snowflake Designs

Blousy Blooms Pillow Cushion [Hidden Zipper + Pointy Corner Removal Tutes]

Haven't done any #selfishsewing in quite a while so took a day off from the computer (writing blog posts, tutorials, newsletter and sewing patterns) at the end of last week to have an afternoon at the sewing machine.

May 2016 Progress & News

May has been a funny month, I feel like I haven't achieved but as I'm typing this progress report I'm really surprised by how much I have actually done, I'm in conversations regarding Christmas in July Blog Hops and, as my daughter Flicky is home from Uni for the Summer, I've done numerous clothing repairs for her.  My biggest progress was in finally starting a twice-monthly newsletter - more of that in a bit.

How I Repaired - Torn Jeans

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

Exploring Japan - Kyoto's Handmade Needle Man

Most sewists researching for a trip to Japan come across stories of Kyoto's Handmade Needle Man.  Almost legendary, his location is reportedly hard to locate with only a few lucky souls finding success at the end of their journey.

Sun, Sea & Sashiko

Well not quite sea, but it was a salt water pool at The Four Seasons in Austin, Texas during my travels at the end of April.  Best of all posting the above pic to Instagram gained me several hearts and this fab cupcake and note complimenting my stitching when I returned to my room.

April 2016 Progress & News

On the surface progress is slow again this month, I've been doing a lot of talking with fabric companies, working on a big plan for something I'll be able to share in the future (fingers crossed) and doing so much travelling I have no idea where I am or what time zone I'm in.

Selvedge Block and QAYG Quilting - The Something NEW Sampler: Week 6

A week of QAYG quilting on

hosted by Amy @the cute life

  
 This week I have wrapped up all the Quilt As You Go (QAYG) quilting on the 9 blocks and added a 10th Selvedge block to finish my layout.


Block 10 - Selvedge Block

 I've wanted to try a Selvedge Block for ages so this seemed like a great opportunity to learn another technique and round the number of blocks up to 10 which would make the final layout easier.  This is quite appealing as it's now a QAYG quilt so I've decided to opt for a simple grid layout while I'm learning my new QAYG skills.

To make this selvedge block I spray basted the backing sheet to the batting and then sprayed more basting spray onto the top of the batting.  I then started laying my selvedge strips from the fabrics used in making this quilt onto the batting overlapping a finished edge over each raw edge.  The strips held firmly in place, thanks to the basting spray (my new favourite tool!) and then I quilted along the selvedges with very closely spaced lines making sure to catch down all the selvedge edges.

I loooovvve this block, I'm so glad I tried it and I love too that it records all the fabrics used in the quilt which is really neat. 

QAYG Details for Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 8
(not necessarily in that order as I'm sick of fighting with html code each time I try to move things around!!!)

Block 1 - Bargello

Block 4 - Reverse Applique

You know I was so unsure about this block but I decided to do echo quilting around each reverse applique opening and in the end I've decided to keep it the final quilt layout.

Block 5 - Sashiko

 Block 2 - Scraptastic

Block 8 - Pinless Curves

Block 3 - Folded Block

and here's my plan for the final QAYG layout

and this is how the back will look

 For the back of each block I wanted to use a whole piece of each fabric included in the quilt top.  I was short of fabric for 3 of the blocks so I added strips of white to make them up to the correct size.  I'd only used 9 fabrics in total (well I have used white but I don't want a solid white block block) and I needed 10 so I 'made' fabric for the 10th block from the other 9 fabrics using the 'Block 2 - Scraptastic' method.

I just can't 'relax' into free motion quilting (FMQ) - I've followed all tips and advice, drinking a glass of wine, drinking two glasses of wine, drinking a bottle of wine, listening to great music. I've got an adjustable Tempur-Pedic chair and a Sew Ezi sewing table so my machine bed is level with my working surface, I have a Supreme Slider mat and a Quilt Halo ring.  Sometimes I use my Bernina BSR on settings 1 and also 2 and sometimes I use my darning foot with the stitch set to 0 and the feed dogs down and then again sometimes with the feed dogs up (to keep the tension working) and the Supreme Slider in place.  The only thing I don't seem to be able to change is ME - I just can't relax while I'm fmqing and I've paid the price this weekend for all my work - I've got a frozen neck and shoulder so I couldn't sew yesterday and, although it's loosening a bit now, I think I should leave it alone today as well.  

Need a trip to my LQS today though to pick up some fabric to sash and bind the quilt.  Quite nervous about this next stage - I've read lots of great tutorials but just want to get on with trying it for myself now.

I'll be back with a finished quilt for you as soon as my neck and shoulder will let me!!!  

You can follow The Something NEW Sampler on flickr


Featured On:

Related Posts:

A Modern Bargello
Scraptastic & Folded Blocks - The Something New Sampler: Week 2
Reverse Applique & Sashiko Blocks -The Something New Sampler: Week 3
Trapunto & Pinless Curve Blocks - The Something NEW Sampler: Week 4
Machine Applique and Cathedral Windows Blocks - The Something NEW Sampler: Week 5  

Linking To:

Reverse Applique & Sashiko Blocks - The Something New Sampler: Week 3

The next two blocks on

hosted by Amy @the cute life

Block 4 is a Reverse Applique Block from Lindsay @Lindsay Sews

I decided this was a good opportunity to pull together some of the fabrics that I'm using across the sampler quilt.  I created the reverse applique as Lindsay told us to but then I free motioned three times around each 'hole' using other colours 'teal' and 'pink' to show against the white background and give the block a looser more 'hand-drawn' feel.  This reminded me a bit of a textile art technique that I've use in the past called 'stitching over the void'

The fifth block is a Sashiko Block from Jess @The Elven Garden

 The block instructions said to trace a Sashiko design onto your fabric but I cheated a bit as one of my fabrics for this quilt already had a perfect design printed on it.  I picked out embroidery threads in various colours/shades to represent all the other fabrics I'm using in the quilt and stitched around random printed circles on the block.

I'm not sure that I've really got the hang of this Sashiko thing - to me it's just good old hand sewn running stitch.  I think the term 'Sashiko' really describes a specified Japanese design/pattern using the 'running stitch' sewn in white or red on an indigo blue background so I don't think my block really constitutes a Sashiko block merely an interpretation!

And here's the 5 blocks I've created so far

When I laid out the 5 blocks together in a row my assistant, Tatty and I were very much in agreement that the Scraptastic Block from Week 2 (Tatty's helpfully pointing the block out for you ;) ) just wasn't in keeping with the rest of the blocks.

What happened was that this block had to be created from scraps and at that stage I didn't have any scraps from my chosen fabrics so I raided my scrap bag.  Now don't get me wrong I absolutely looovvve this block but the colours just aren't right for this collection.  The photo on the left of the 4 other blocks together looks much better.  So I've decided not to use this Scraptastic Block in my Something NEW quilt - I'll remake this block at the end of the hop using scraps from my chosen fabrics instead.

You can follow The Something NEW Sampler on flickr

Next Time:

Trapunto and Cathedral Windows

Related Posts:

A Modern Bargello
Scraptastic & Folded Blocks - The Something New Sampler: Week 2  

Linking To: