gotta get a lotta

Echo has hit the fabric shops here this week. Oh my this fabric collection is fantastic! What's not to love about the colours, lovely bold graphic prints, cross hatching? It's not often that a whole range really hits the mark for me, quite often I'll like one or two designs in a collection but am not be too fussed about the rest. No such problem with Echo by Lotta Jansdotter I love it all. What fabulous cushions, bags, quilts could be made with this range..aah if I had to choose one range to use for the rest of my days it would be this one. I know that's a bit rash but honestly I really love this stuff...can you tell?

So go on tell me what your all time favourite fabric collection is, or is that just too difficult to answer?

Bye for now

fabric and thread - mmm nice!

I thought I'd share with you my sewing related spoils from my birthday. First up is the fabric I bought on my trip to The Peacock and the Tortoise in Perth. It's a lovely shop with a really nice atmosphere and so far the best selection of fabrics I've found in a 'real life' shop. I shop almost exclusively on the internet for my fabrics which as we all know has it's pros and cons.

It was great to see Sherbet Pips and Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms however I didn't buy any of them, maybe next time. I came away with five fat quarters, the two solids are to be included in my Dead Simple QAL. The red dots and gingham are going to be staple fabrics in my stash as I think they're fab and will go well in so many projects.

I've already made a star block with the red dots and gingham with the addition of some Alexander Henry Farmdale Blossom and Heath. It's more than likely going to be a mug rug. I made it just to try out making this block as I've admired it in many a blog post so thought it was time I had a go. I used the July Star Blocks tutorial on Cluck Cluck Sew if you fancy a go yourself.

I also received some thread ( I know how geeky really) from my brother which I'm sure has helped me be more accurate with my piecing. It's Presencia Finca 60/3 which you'll find at The Cotton Patch and I think it's pretty good stuff. It's much finer than my usual thread and that seems (get it 'seams' - oh dear just ignore me it's getting late) to make all the difference as far as my piecing goes. Of course it may be all the tips you all kindly gave me during the giveaway and not the thread at all.

I've also got my final present on it's way to me and it might just have something to do with cutting fabric, can you guess what it might be? I know what you're thinking and you're pretty close.

So I really should go and do some sewing.

Bye for now, see you soon

innocent crush

Anna Maria Horner’s latest collection Innocent Crush has hit the UK. Time to hide your wallet and shout ‘don’t need more fabric, don’t need more fabric' over and over until you either forget about it or just give in and buy some after all. These designs are very different style wise from her last collection but they are still stunning none the less. Look at Anna Maria's Shop for pictures of the whole range and her blog for wonderful items made from the fabric, I'm loving the Figuring the 8 scarf.





I received a parcel from Hawthorne Threads from the US a week or so ago containing 2 yards of my current favourite,  Maybe in Sixpence Voile. The voiles are something special, wonderful for dressmaking but I’ve seen beautiful quilts and baby blankets made from it too. They are so soft and silky and the colours just seem to sing on this fabric.





I was going to use a photo of the actual fabric but the hard drive on my netbook has gone bye-bye and my photos were on it. I was also hoping to share a scarf I’ve just finished using some voile from AMH’s previous collection Little Folks but guess what those photos have gone too.


Moving swiftly on… These voiles are now available in the UK, yipee! You can currently get them along with the whole cotton range at M is for make, very tempted by this one, Shattered in Sky. Some lovely bundles there too with 11 fat quarters of cotton for the price of 10.




Also Seamstar have the whole collection of cotton fabrics (no voiles as far as I can tell) with some rather nice bundle options like the complete collection in 1/8 meter strips.

I wonder if anyone will be getting the velveteen range in as they look very nice, lovely for winter.

Well I must go but not before I say hello and thank you to all my new followers. I’m really glad that the giveaway is going well, was a little bit worried nobody would like the fabric – silly I know as it is gorgeous but first giveaway nerves I guess.

Bye for now

Nikki

I'm back

Well I'm fed up waiting for my arms to be pain free so I'm doing a little bit of sewing again. I'm going to try and pace myself from now on which is going to be interesting as I'm kind of an 'all or nothing' person.




Today I've started on a birthday present that is long overdue. It involves applique again and this time I thought I'd try out the blanket stitch setting on my machine. I really like how it looks as you end up with a neat edge stitch and decorative stitches at the same time.

  Applique: The Basics and Beyond 

Turning inside and outside corners can be tricky but I've found great instructions in this book.I bought it ages ago and haven't really used it until now but it looks like it's going to be really useful.

I've got loads of projects planned including some halloween bunting using some great fabric from Riley Blake and I've still got the green cord trousers to finish yet as well as a few Christmas projects too so plenty to be getting on with. I'm also planning on featuring some book reviews and highlighting tasty fabric finds too.

So anyway that's it for now hope to see you soon  :)

happy sewist today!

Last week I got a lovely surprise email from Irene at Sew, Mama, Sew. She was asking if they could feature the Little Smarty Pants sharks shorts I made from my youngest, in their Back to School month. Well I thought and I thought....... no I didn't I immediately said "yes, of course, I'd be thrilled".  So today J's shorts are featured here and I'm chuffed to bits. So 'Hi and welcome' to anyone who has arrived here from Sew,Mama,Sew. The post about the shorts is here, I really must get round to adding tags and stuff to my posts.

On another note I received my latest batch of fabric yesterday, some gorgeous knit and velour. These are destined to be sewn on my yet to be befriended overlocker. I'm a bit scared of it but as soon as I get the party bags done I'll be firing it up and hopefully making some kids clothes, fingers crossed.