It's a big weekend in the UK this weekend...

From a national point of view it is Jubilee Weekend so the nation is in a frenzy, with bunting flags decorating absolutely everywhere. I am not what you would call a Royalist, but I do get excited by mass fervour.

On an ever so slightly smaller scale lots of people are getting excited about The Fat Quarterly Retreat this weekend. Unfortunately due to our very own exciting event I can't make that but can not wait to hear all about it.

 We are almost 24 hours from kick off from Noah's Bar Mitzvah. The boys' exams finished today, my aunt and uncle arrived from the US and all finishing touches are just about completed.

I even managed to squeeze in making a very important quilt this week, finishing it off today...

I am quite well aware that this was a crazy time to start a quilt but it was a very special quilt. Noah's Bar Mitzvah teacher and his wife had their first baby last week and I wanted to say a big thank you for all the amazing support Alby has given Noah and an even bigger thank you to baby Arielle for arriving early and enabling her Daddy to be with Noah on Saturday during his big performance. So it was a top priority to finish it.

And finished it is...complete with scrappy binding as I couldn't make a decision quickly enough which fabric to use, so used all 4, including my hoarded last bit of Mikodesign owl fabric.

I think, like a lot of us, I may be a little busy this weekend, but I hope you all have a fantastic extra long weekend and as a very good friend of mine says...see you on the flip side x

 Next party preparation item ticked off the agenda...

 ...table runners for the kitchen and deck tables.

One thing this party sure is doing is kicking me into touch with projects for the house that have been on the To Do list for aeons.

Yesterday was a very productive screen printing day. With the weather being so beautiful I was able to print, dry the screen and reprint in a different colour far faster than usual.

This left me a little window of opportunity to print up a couple of table runners.

I bought this beautiful pale blue linen in ready made table runner width from Ikea last year (that's how long I've been waiting to make these). Unfortunately it is now discontinued which makes me exceedingly cross I didn't buy the whole darn bolt.

The combination with the white ink is really pleasing and I am so cross about not having more as matching napkins would have gone down a treat.

If you do happen to be in your local Ikea and if by some miracle they have some still in stock, please do let me know and I may even make you a set to say a big thank you ;-)

I was very pleased to tick a Bar Mitzvah job off the list today.

Part of the celebrations include a party at home and no party is complete without bunting.

 Despite having several buntings that I have made over the years I had in my head that I wanted rows of them high up criss crossing across the driveway, rather than simply strewn across the fence or hedge or the like, which is what I usually do.

 

 I wanted impact... 

I wanted bunting with attitude...

and I also wanted rectangular bunting flags, not triangles.

 So there was obviously only one thing to do...

make some!

I decided to be frugal and look through my larger scrap pieces and screen printed pieces that were slight seconds and began cutting into random sized rectangle. 

I'm definitely not a neat and tidy and orderly person so random sizes suits me perfectly.

 So having now got piles of random coloured and shaped rectangles the question was what was I going to do with them?

I wasn't sure whether to do completely ad hoc or have some kind of order.

If order was involved was it going to be one red row, one orange row, one green row etc?

Having laid them all out over my studio floor, I eventually decided on each one being a rainbow so the depth of colours could be seen in rows.

I hooked them up on the deck to see if it gave the impact I was looking for and I'm so pleased with them and can't wait to get them in their proper spot on the day.

The only thing left is do I have enough?

I'm thinking maybe a couple more rows...

I have an unhealthy obsession with orange at the moment.

It all started when I received these fabrics (more on that to come very soon) and then the need for a binding fabric to bind the quilt I am making with them.

I couldn't find what I was after so I decided to print it. Easy, huh?

While I have been working on that quilt, all I can think about is orange, orange and more orange.

Consequently I have been trying out my designs in orange...

...and I absolutely love them.

I guess it is no surprise I can be so easily swayed, as at one time I couldn't look yellow in the eye and we all know where that has got me.

I'm pretty sure this love affair will be around for some time yet and having printed all 3 now 2 I'm now undecided which to use on the binding... scruffy daisy or tiger stripes...what do you reckon?

And if you have your own orange crush going on at the moment I've put together these 3 fabrics as a nice sunshiny summery set in the shop...it's right here.

It's Blogger's Quilt Festival this weekend! 

Even though I wouldn't call myself a quilter (through lack of quilts completed rather than desire) I've decided to take part.

I absolutely love making quilts but it's a time and priority issue that has so far prevented me from making more (although I do currently have 3 on the go...).

I spend a lot of time on Flickr and Pinterest mesmerised by the stunning quilts out there and am itching to abandon all my other commitments (work, children etc etc etc...) to just throw myself into quilt making.

 So here is my entry into Bloggers' Quilt Festival 2012...

If you are currently a reader of my blog you will be very familiar with it. If you have arrived via the Festival then thank you for coming and looking and I hope you like what you see!

I know there are way better, more intricate, more stunning, more professionally made quilts out there, but I am really entering in the vein of "it's the taking part that counts" and an opportunity to meet new lovely quilting peeps and see what everyone is up to. So please do leave a comment and let me know where I can see what you are up to too!

For those of you that don't know me, this quilt contains elements of all that I love about sewing and quilts. For me it's all about highlighting favourite fabrics and colours. I love hand quilting so you can see a few sashiko stitched pieces in there. As for the backing - AMH Loulouthi flannel snuggleness extraordinaire! I have to back my next quilts in this, if only to stop my 3 kids fighting over this one, with constant cries of "It's my turn to have the snuggle quilt!"

As for the strip of Nani Iro dots...that was a happy accident...I didn't quite have enough Loulouthi!

Thank you for stopping by and I really can't wait to see what you are all up to!

And if you haven't yet and you want to join in...head here...

See you at The Festival!

 I would like to blame Lu Summers for my latest addiction...

Yesterday Lu posted about her fantastic Teeny Weeny block, following a tutorial she had found. I was smitten and before I knew it I had countless 2" squares sitting on my desk.

Lu had found the tutorial from Elizabeth Hartman via Pinterest (don't you just love Pinterest?) and set to work on her block. If you haven't already seen Lu's block go check it out...it's super cute.

 This really is one of those genius ideas that makes sewing with tiny pieces of fabric a doddle and that's from someone who likes her pieces big!

The secret behind this method is placing the cut squares onto fusible interfacing and then 

folding and sewing in strips. You will honestly not believe how simple and quick it is and before you know you too will be requesting to be a member of Stamp Collection Block Anonymous because I defy you not to be addicted!

Head right here for Elizabeth's step by step tutorial, but be warned you will not walk away unscathed...

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...