grey and cloudy days {quilt}

i haven't finished a 'big' project in what seems like forever! so i am so happy to share my latest quilt. my friend asked me if i could make a quilt for her, of course i said yes! i started thinking up all the colour schemes and then she said she wanted a grey quilt, i was stumped!

and here is the finished quilt! this was not my first idea, i went through a couple ideas before finally picking the pinwheel design...

this was my original idea, i love plus quilts and i love these two fabrics, especially that dot! but together they just didn't work, there was no contrast and it just looked really dull and blah, so it was back to the drawing board! then one day while browsing pinterest, i came across this quilt and just knew that it was the one!

i loved the pinwheels and sashing and kept my quilt pretty similar to the pinterest quilt. i added a bluey-grey fabric from the feed company fabric line and kept the grey from my original idea. when i got to the sashing, i had forgotten how hard it was and spent hours pinning and re-pinning long strips of fabric together, luckily in the end i got there, because this quilt very nearly ended up in the 'no' pile! the sashing is kona ash, which was really hard to find, do they not make it anymore?

with using the soft grey fabrics, i chose a big stipple for my quilting, i think it really adds to the cosy-ness factor, also stippling is my favourite! also why is it called stippling? it should be called squiggling in my opinion :)

i wanted to keep the quilt simple and used plain navy as the backing and the bluey-grey fabric as the binding, and it was done *yay* it is now all packaged up and in the post, my friend hasn't seen it yet, so it will be a surprise, i hope she likes it :)

rachael

linking up with finish it up friday

a bear doing a hand-stand

i'm still loving pink, yellow and aqua and while i'm still working on my night sky blocks i just got a *little*  bit distracted! have you heard about love quilting and patchwork magazine? you more than likely have unless you close your eyes and cover your ears a lot! i get it *nearly* every month but have never, ever made something from it (hands up who else gets magazines and never makes what's in them?) until i was looking through last months and was stopped in my tracks!

isn't it just amazing!! i just had to make it (and may have to make another one!) it is made using quilt as you go (or QAYG as the 'cool' kids say) and i've never done this technique before so i was excited to try it. (the pattern is by megan from quilt story)

and it was soo fun! i never really understood the whole concept of quilting as you go, but it's literally what it says on the tin, you sew a piece down and then quilt it, having done it now seems super obvious, but i could just not understand how to do it before!

i really like the look of the straight line quilting, cause i am usually a free motion girl, so it was fun doing straight-ish lines. and wow does it use a lot of thread, i used 2 bobbins! my cushion came together really quick and it is a really well written pattern. 

the pattern said to use piping, but i just decided to use binding, i used navy for that little extra pop! i think it sets of the sweetness of the colours perfectly

now that i've tried QAYG i want to make all the things, next up i think i'll have to make a QAYG quilt, maybe this one!

have you ever tried QAYG? did you like it and find it super fun? what have you made using QAYG?

rachael x

linking up with fabric tuesday

: : hibernating : :

hello! i am slowly coming out of my christmas hibernation, did everybody have a good break? i did absolutely nothing and it was wonderful, after a busy few weeks at college and home it was nice to simply potter about the house and do things at a leisurely pace (mainly watching movies and eating cake!)

i'm going to try and be super organised this year! so i treated myself to an erin condren planner and it is just beyond amazing! and also super adorable! i already feel more organised just having it! also this is going to be my motto this year 'believe you can and you will' this year i'm going to believe in myself and not doubt everything and that i CAN do this!

how fun are paint chips? i am cutting lots and lots of triangles to make a big doodle-y, colourful forest. i am having so much fun playing with the layout and patterns. this is the first stage, hopefully the rest of my idea will work. oh and how cute is that 'R' banner made by the lovely ink and bobbin!

i haven't touched my sewing machine in 4 weeks! but i fixed that on monday night. it is so bloomin' cold (actually i love this type of weather) it had me digging out my hot water bottle and it drastically needed a new cover. so with this brilliant pattern (seriously so easy! and even more easy if you read it properly and don't have to unpick lots) and some super cute unicorn fabric (i just stashed 5 yards of it!) i had a new pretty cover for my hot water bottle! after seeing mine, my mum has already picked fabrics for hers! 

and i'm having a little sale in my etsy shop, use coupon code JANUARY25 to get 25% off (expires 31st january). i've been having a wee think about my 'business' and i've decided i'm going to change a couple of things around *exciting* so watch this space!

rachael x

sailing away...

guess what? i made another cushion! they're just so 'quick' and fun to make in the middle of big quilt-y projects! when i saw jessies amazing quilt i knew i had to make the block, but i didn't want to make a big quilt, so a cushion was the obvious answer.

i went to my fabric closet and pulled all the navy fabrics i had, it such a good colour, it might even be replacing my favourite aqua colour! i paired them with a small blue pin-dot on white, which was actually surprisingly hard to find, i think it just adds to the cuteness factor.

the block is mostly made up of HST's (half square triangles) and i found that i don't totally hate trimming them, dare i say i found it quite enjoyable while *singing* loudly along with frozen! the four blocks themselves didn't quite make my cushion cover big enough, so i added borders in the most prettiest heather bailey check/plaid-type fabric (along with navy, plaid is quickly becoming a favourite)

*i love sunspots* a bit of loop quilting (to look like waves) and a linen envelope back and ta-dah! it's finished! i have to say i'm soo happy with it!!

this cushion is for sale and listed in my etsy shop

you can find the cushion cover here

navy and white nautical cushion cover

linking up with fabric tuesday at quilt story

rachael x

new blogger blog hop!

hello! i'm super excited to be part of the new bloggers blog hop hosted by the lovely beth from plum and june. there is a great bunch of bloggers and it's been fun getting to know everybody!

so hello! (again) welcome to my little blog! i'm rachael, i am 22 and studying graphic design, i love being a student! oh and i love hot chocolate, i have metal knees and i never use capital letters (sorry to all the grammar people out there)

i have been sewing and quilting for about, wow! 4 years, ever since the day i found out about bonnie and camille fabric *swoon* and i've been hooked ever since! i'm internet and book taught, i did go to a class at a quilt shop nearby but that's better not talked about!

scrappy trip around the world

i love bright, fun fabrics! but i also love soft 'pretty' fabrics and quilts, i guess i'm still finding my 'style'. i blog about my current projects and fabrics and sometimes tilly (my dog) will pop up!

ferry floor quilt

this was my *favourite* quilt i made last year, i'm sure i'm not the only one whose favourite quilt changes daily :) 

big quilt-y projects are great, but i have to say there is nothing more satisfying than small projects, especially cushions, last year i went on a bit of a cushion kick! one of my favourite things is sketch-y applique! and see those boxes up there? there is a little tutorial coming soon to make your own :)

here are two of my current wip's retro butterflies and red letter day by thimbleblossoms! and i'm so, so excited that my retro butterflies quilt is almost finished (well it just needs basted, quilted and bound, but sure that's almost finished!)

and here is my little blogging tip: just have fun! write what you want to write about and just have fun :) oh and a little quilting tip: if you haven't tried free motion quilting, you totally should because it's so ( i can't think of another word) fun! and really not as scary as you think!

thank-you :) for visiting my blog! and guess what? there are lots more blog to visit today, yay! have fun!

Carole @ Fresh Off The Frame

Camelia @ Camelia Elliott

Nurdan @ Hug a Bit Quilts

Paula @ Mud Pies and Pins

Lori @ Sew Psychd

Kitty @ Night Quilter

Christina @ Wips and Tuts

Diana @ Sew Crafty Chick

Marcia @ Cozy Capatiller

Judy @ Quilt Paradigm

Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts

rachael x

up in the sky - bloggers quilt festival

this is my first time entering the bloggers quilt festival over at amys creative side! there are soo many amazing quilts linked up, you should go and check them out!

the quilt i am linking up is my 'up in the sky' quilt (which i started almost a year ago!) are you ready for lots of pictures?!

i fell in love with the low volume look and jumped on the bandwagon after seeing rita @ red pepper quilts, low volume quilts. i wanted to keep it simple and went with 5inch square patchwork. i used one of westwood acres amazing low volume fabric bundles and added in my favourite pink fabrics, including a much hoarded square of heather ross fabric!

i have to say when i had finished piecing the top i fell a little out of love with it, and it sat and sat for months being neglected, then one random day i decided to baste it with this backing fabric and start quilting 1/4" on each side of the seam, it was all going well, then i got distracted by other pretty projects and it got neglected again!

after months of it staring at me i decided this week to finally finish it! and i decided to have some fun with the thread, there are 4 different colours used, variegated red, pink, sea foam blue and navy (all aurifil of course)

and ta-dah! here it is in all its (i should stop referring to it as 'it') glory

i have now fallen back in love with my pink quilt! and will be bringing it to cub camp with me next weekend! i bound it with a navy joel dewberry print, even though i was told it would't work, but then i like things that don't necessarily work.

i love this little bunny print and wish i knew what it was. the finished size is 61"x70" the perfect size for snuggling under.

so that is the story of my 'up in the sky' quilt, my longest ever work in progress, but i'm soo glad i finished it!

rachael x 

four flutterbys flying

i didn't have my foot this past week, which meant no sewing. i am taking judiths amazing retro butterflies class and luckily there was just a little bit of trimming to do, so the past week was spent trimming a gazillion drunkards paths, yay! i got my foot back just in time for class and all that trimming meant i could sew some blocks together.

i now have four pretty, fluttery butterflies finished! and wow were they a struggle to get to this stage, me and my seam ripper are super best friends now! only because i didn't read the instructions and merrily sewed away with a 1/4" seam instead of a 3/8" seam, even after i found out i had to use a 3/8" seam i didn't move my needle over enough and had to get the seam ripper out again!

even with all the seam ripping and perhaps just a few naughty words, i love how the blocks turned out! i am using all my bonnie and camille fabric from most of their past collections, it's been fun mixing them all together! i don't really have a plan for this quilt, i keep going between colour blocking and scrappy, so i guess it's going to be a mixture of both!

oh and we had a visitor today, meet storm he is just a big gentle giant and oh so fluffy! and as you can see everybody that comes to the house leaves with thread on them!

rachael x


p.s thanks for all the entries on my giveaway post and for telling me your favourite movies, i now have a very long list of movies to watch and i can't wait!

walking in the air

it's monday! my favourite day of the week.

yesterday it was my brothers birthday and we all know what that means, yes! a handmade present, yay! do you remember this panel from ages ago?

i said i was going to make a cushion for him moving to england, well his birthday came first so i made it for his birthday. 

some straight line quilting, a little bit of appliqué, some binding and ta-dah! a cushion is made, i really like this map print from out to sea by sarah jane.

have you guessed his name yet? i am also happy to say that he loved it! and took a nap on it straight away, i would say that it was a success, yay! cause you just never know with handmade gifts.

now you've seen the cushion you might be wondering what age he is, any guesses? here's a clue

yes he turned 23! and every 23 year old needs a map cushion (he studied geography, so at least its relevant haha) with their name appliquéd onto it.

two birds, one stone i got to make a handmade birthday present and put a tick on my FAL quarter 1 list,  win, win!

rachael x

oh and before i forget there was also cake, a polka dot cake

just a quick photo i snapped before it was all eaten, it was yummy!!

the sunday night feeling

last week was one of those weeks, the type where you just want to switch your clock off and hide and that is exactly what i did. the whole week had the 'sunday night feeling' and was all just 'blah!' i took the week off school college, because to be honest i just couldn't face it! sooo i sewed, i couldn't settle on one thing so i just sewed 'ideas' and listened to this

i went through my scrap bag and just started pulling out random fabrics, cut them into 2.5inch squares, sewed them up to become mini patchwork, which then became...

sweet dreams sleeping teddy, i don't know if i love him but i think he looks cute all snuggled up in his little patchwork quilt! after making him i thought he needed a 'matching' cushion so introducing...

mr. teddy in blue and white striped pyjamas along with his teddy bear! can you tell that 'sleep' was on my mind? i think they are really cute as a pair and they are available in my etsy shop

after the cushions i wanted something a bit different, something that involved maths and really hard thinking, enter the fabric box

now i know there are lots and lots and lotttss of tutorials and patterns out there for fabric boxes but i wanted to come up with my own pattern/way of doing it, i will say it involved many prototypes and even more tears, but i am so so happy with the result and so happy that i did it by myself :)

also last week a lovely customer asked if i could make her some cushions and one of my quilts, i love cushions! so of course i couldn't say no, want to see?

it is absolutely delightful to work with voile, it is just soo soft, i finished the cushions of with some perle cotton hand quilting, i think we might need a pair for our house!

oh i also indulged in a little bit of fabric purchasing in the #greatukfabricdestash on instagram (boy! was that fun!) and i got a cotton blossom jelly roll by bonnie and camille, i am beyond excited!!

heres to a good week!

rachael x