How do you clean your cutting mat?

Oh my goodness! These blocks are just breaking my heart, they're so beautiful!

My cutting board is a little fluffy from cutting lots of batting for my altar cloths.

Any tips on how to clean your mat?

Look at how simple this one is! But so effective!

Eep! A fourpatch with a border, and boom. It's cute!

I've made 11 blocks so far! This is a dreamy project, and those are my new shoes!

Oh yum. Dragonfruit is cheap at the market right now. I love seasonal fruit.

This is a bit like a grapefruit, but it's huge. A pomelo. I learnt these were the food of the Chinese processional dragons. During childhood we went to the Chinese museums and saw the dragons were fed pomelo leaves.

 

100 Modern Quilt Blocks

I've been saving this new project for a special occasion! My birthday!

Today I was gifted time in my studio to play with these goodies that I had already bought for myself.

I bought the book online (it's been out for a few years now, so it wasn't in my local quilt shops), and I chose some Tula Pink and Devonstone fabrics from Quilty Desires.

I'm so excited to play with these. And then I notice, once again, they are pink, with a bit of green. Pink and green. 

This is starting to be such a weird pattern in my fabric choices.

So much calm in this project.

This is my happy space.

So relaxing. Cut out a few blocks at a time, then sit down to sew.

These are simple, but effective blocks. I'm so glad Tula came up with these. 

I think it would be fun to create some easy blocks too.

My cutting mat looks like it needs cleaning!

Hello, I am happy!

I am going to make as many blocks as I can from the fabric I bought. I don't plan to make the entire 100 blocks for this quilt.

So satisfying!

A nice easy pattern to follow.

Look at that green background! But, let's change it up on the next one.

The quilting is really clear in the book too. It's been done so meticulously.

Oh my goodness! I love these blocks!

This cube was cute in the book.... but when I actually made it....

that's when I really saw the possibilities of making these with feature fabrics.

Look! A mini French braid!

 

The pink French Braid

Whoever said red hair doesn't go with pink was looking at the wrong pink.

This gorgeous French Braid quilt is hanging on my wall.

Why do I always seem to make things from pink and green? They are colours of the heart. But they're not the number 1 choice for my home decor.

I keep needing to make vignettes and change the colour of the decor from time to time. Especially when I make more quilts!

Do you find that you consistently choose similar fabrics?

 

Eye of The Tiger

I'm enjoying hand quilting Eye Of The Tiger. 

I eyeballed the distance between where I'd stitched and where I wanted to go next.

Would you believe the local quilt shops had no quarter inch quilt marking tape? Maybe people don't often hand quilt anymore?

So I used tape I already had. A double sided tape that I also used to make seam and contour lines on the dressmaking model.

Not as easy as it could've been, if I had the "right" tape. 

Do you know anyone who hand quilts with tape?

 

Back To The Bee

It's feeling a little mundane working on this. 

I am back to it after Christmas, I haven't touched it since about November. There's so much background to do.

Rather than put fusible web behind every piece of fabric (Which would cost me about $300), I cut strips and put around the perimeter of each background shape. This will keep the centre of the shape soft without the stiffness of the glue.

It's starting to become clear.

After these big pieces, I need to add words and small details and layer effects.

I don't think you really understand  how big this bee is.

 

Revisiting stash looking for inspiration.

I am still looking through stash fabric to find a new project, or some inspiration... to see what comes.

Oh these Reese Scannel shot cottons I bought about 10 years ago are still so beautiful.

And this bag of stuff I put aside for an Indian inspired quilt after my second trip in 2010.

Still no idea what to make yet. It might be a bag. Who knows?

Nope. No ideas yet.

 

Christmas Cat boy shirt

I think these might be Louis Wain cats as well! Another bargain buy after Christmas last year....

Guess what? This will be another boy shirt of course.

He loves cats and Christmas... so why not?

I need to buy more interfacing. The woven one is best.

And some press studs too. Spotlight have none left in the same colour. I'm getting a collection, it might be time to look on ebay for some of the press studs. I think more shirts are coming.

My boy has found his style.