I've had a humungous pain in the neck today and been resting motionless on my bed for most of it, but thankfully I had something to keep my mind off it...

I have to say this book is rather spectacular...not that you would expect anything less from the Fat Quarterly team.

It has to be said that I have my fair share of quilting books and this is way up there with the best of them.

For starters it is split into 6 chapters, each with it's own shape, making it very simple to navigate around and find tutorials for exactly what you are after. 

On the face of it that seems what you would expect, but unlike my other quilting books this is definitely more of a resource for all those blocks you see around and have no idea how to make. 

But it doesn't stop there. Not only are there fantastic step by step tutorials for all those blocks you think you know about and want to learn how to do, but there are fantastic Fat Quarterly interpretations and tons of new ideas too.

 Only what you'd expect huh?

I think this is going to be one of those Must Have Most Valuable Resource books that every sewer, quilter will have on their shelves in years to come.

And there is more...beautiful made up projects putting some of the ideas into practice.

Again...only what we have come to expect from these guys.

I can't quite decide which of these 2 projects I'm going to try out first. I love the random appliqued circles over the simple patchwork and the wonky triangles incorporating valuable scraps is to die for.

If you haven't ordered your copy yet you need to head over to your nearest stockist pronto...here or here is a good place to start...


and a big thank you to the lovely Katy Jones for sending me a copy and stopping me being a big pain in the neck!

It's a 3 day weekend in the UK this weekend.

That's cause for celebration don't you think?

It doesn't look like we are going to be celebrating too much on the weather front, which quite honestly for my eldest off on a 2 day Duke of Edinburgh Expedition, isn't the greatest news.

In an attempt to have something to celebrate, I'm offering 3 for 2 on my screen printed fabrics until the end of the Bank Holiday on Monday.

And if that isn't cause to celebrate, quite frankly I don't know what is.

I'm under no illusions that this may not soften the blow for Sam, but hey, if we're happy, right?

Have a great weekend however you may be spending it.

I have a new love...I'm a bit fickle like that.

Actually to be fair, I've had a crush on an orange & blue combo for a while now and even have a Pinterest board dedicated to it.

 But my love affair with it has been taken to a whole new level thanks to some sample fabrics I have recently been working with.

Until this week I have loved it from afar, but now seeing the Lotta fabrics in the flesh and then teemed with some well matched Klona fabrics, I just gasp every time I see it.

It goes without saying that I had to try out my own orange/blue combo item and it also goes without saying that it's not helping dilute my new addiction with it.

Whilst I know (hope) that I'll still have eyes for my grey/mustard love, I am enjoying this gorgeous zingy summery combo and will be featuring it a great deal more in the coming weeks.

If you'd like to get your hands on a piece of zingy magic, this pouch is right here...

 Another new design that has been sitting waiting patiently in the file named "new designs" had an opportunity to come to life today.

I've decided that Mondays are for just that...

 ...y'know, when you've had all weekend with work being pushed into a corner for the sake of family time, but your brain doesn't switch off and by the end of the weekend it's bursting at the seams to get going on some of those ideas?

 So it seems only right that Mondays should be honoured with time for creating...time for releasing those ideas that have been cooped up and time for putting into practice some restrained creativity.  

Well that's my excuse for getting on with trialling a new design today (not all day obviously...I did some proper work too...promise, stockists...) and finally my Doily design is here.

The Doily design is a stencil screen print taken from an actual doily with the added twist of paper cutting added detail.

Whilst honouring Making Monday, I was fairly restrained and stuck to one colour, one item...

but...

...tomorrow is another day...

a day for more colours and more products...

...can't wait for Tuesday!

 So less than 24 hours from conception, so to speak, and already we have the Jewellery Pouch Mark II...

I wasn't overly happy with the ribbons and where they were placed and I wanted to be able to fold the pouch in 3 if necessary.

So now the ties, made from coordinating fabric is sewn onto the back of the pouch - you'll have to take my word for that since I haven't taken a photo of that integral detail - and the ends are free to tie big...

...or smaller.

Hopefully there won't be a Mark III, Mark IV or any other Marks and I'll be able to get on with making these guys like this.

 And in other news today, I had a very exciting delivery that I've started working on this afternoon and no doubt will get abandoned until after the weekend now, unless I can find an excuse to sneak off upstairs for a few hours over the weekend.

Hope you have a great weekend and manage some sneaking around of your own ;-)

So, carrying on with my attacking the long list of things I want to try out mode (note: 'want' rather than 'need') here is a jewellery pouch that I've been wanting to produce.

 I didn't sleep very well last night and for some reason every time I was awake I found myself trying to work out how it would all piece together.

Do you ever do that?

So once awake today I had to give it a go.

It has to be said, it wasn't easy!

I had sort of got a picture of it in my head of how the zips and linings needed to go, but it didn't transfer quite as easily as I had hoped.

Thank goodness I made notes along the way because I'm not sure I would be able to remember what I did, without working through from scratch again.

Strangely it has worked out exactly as it was in my head, including the divided pockets on one side and ribbon fasteners at either end (although I did have to use my trusted friend the stitch ripper as I had obviously forgotten to place the ribbons the first time. 

I love finding time to try new things an all I need to do now is try it out a few more times to see if it really is a goer.

What do you reckon?

A little update on what I've been up to today...

I have had this waterproof fabric on order for a while and finally it arrived today. 

You know me and my inability to put something to one side, so it was operation sew up for an order that had been waiting for their super cute wash bags.

 And the good news is I ordered extra so there's a listing for them in my Blueberry Park shop right here...

It's probably a good thing that I just got on and made these as I have other projects that really need attending to...including one very exciting (to me...and probably you) one that I can't wait to get started on...

...but more about that another time.