umbrella prints trimmings competition

it's that time of year for the lovely peeps at umbrella prints to run their competition making something with a pack of their trimmings.

i wasn't going to enter this year as i have so much going on and i was just going to admire from afar everyone's fabulous makes from the delicious fabrics.

my resolve lasted for approximately a week when i was chatting with a friend about the competition and whether we were entering. i was adamant i wasn't. she was sure i would be and would be that one of my patchwork lampshades would be perfect.

it seems i am beginning to get a reputation for these, hey helen?

once nicky had planted the seed that this is what i should do it seemed rude to not head straight over to umbrella prints' etsy shop, order a pack, wait for it to arrive and set to make within 20 minutes of the pack landing on the doormat.

it actually felt good to be time efficient with this and still make something i am pleased with. i will take better pictures of the finished article for the competition real but in the meantime here tells the story of my umbrella prints trimmings competition 2013 entry.

are you entering? if not why not? i am sure nicky will be able to make a perfect suggestion of what you should make.

the staple dress...potentially

i am determined that 2013 is going to be the year that my dress making extends beyond pj bottoms.

i have just bought april rhodes' fantastic and apparently relatively straight forward "the staple dress pattern"

apparently you just need to be able to stitch in a straight line to make this dress.

sounds easy enough.

i've already picked 4 fabrics that i would like to make what i think may be just what it says on the label...the staple dress of the summer.

clockwise from top left on my short list are...

scallop in punch from the new piper collection by stella

sunny day flutter nutter from the pb&j collection

raspberry jam jelly also from the pb&j collection

stitch circle mint from michael miller's stitch floral.

quite honestly it may just be a good excuse to buy even more pretty fabric.

handprinted: a fabric swap lll

 i'm trying to be disciplined and not sign up for a lot of time sapping swaps at the moment but this is one that is difficult to resist.

 handprinted:a fabric swap lll is organised by the lovely and talented leslie and she gets a whole bunch of people involved. i actually did resist last year, but apparently the same resolve couldn't be expected 2 years running.

the aim of the swap is to print an fq of fabric in any printing medium you like.

rather than just printing up one of my designs i do like to produce something original for this.

 obviously just printing up one of my designs would be a lot easier and quicker but where's the creative fun in that?!

i had been thinking about what i would do for a while.

actually translate that to "i had been thinking that i really must get on with this as the deadline is approaching.

to be honest until i sat down yesterday i really wasn't sure what i would be doing but apparently i'd be cutting stacking bowls out of a stencil and apparently i would be grabbing some designated fqs and apparently i would be printing them up in 2 colours.

this does sound like a rushed job, but i guess when inspiration arrives, you just go with it. no messing.

i hope the 4 members of my group jennifer, yasmine, ciana and ruth (it's not a secret swap, they all know) will like their pieces and i'm sitting excitedly awaiting to see what wonders i receive from them.

buzzy bee blocks...

 every now an then something comes along that you get a little bit excited about.

yesterday a very lovely Flickr contact asked me if i could make her up some scrap packs for her turn in the bee she is in.

she wanted to send a selection out to her bee mates, along with some coordinating solids to make blocks inspired by the ones ashley had done.

this was an unbelievable compliment, firstly because i am a huge fan of ashley's and secondly because i just love umbrella prints (the ones that Ashley used in her blocks).

i made up a block for her yesterday because i couldn't resist trying one out for myself i said i would do a sample for her bee guys and gals and i am beyond ridiculously excited at the thought of all these blocks being made with my fabrics by all the bee peeps. i can not wait to see how this turns out and i think i may not be able to resist further making my own quilt of them too.

i am not going to ruin it by mentioning who bought this or which bee they are for, but if you have a little pack come through your door i hope you have fun and i can't wait to see what you do with them!

i LOVE teaching screen printing...

i love sitting around my kitchen table creating with enthusiastic fun people. 

 i love that every workshop is different and everyone comes with their own take and own designs.

 i love that everyone gets caught up in my enthusiasm rather than thinking i am a manic nutcase...although to be fair they probably quite rightly think that too.

 i love that everyone gets as excited as i do to venture down to the depths of my cellar eagerly anticipating what their designs are going to turn out like.

 i love as their hearts skip a beat that moment before they see the first print, wondering if what they imagined would transpire.

i love seeing them using my oh so high tech hoist system as though it was the most natural way and best invention ever .

i love seeing their beaming faces after the success of just one day's printing.

i absolutely FRIKIN love teaching screen printing!

giant hexies...stateside...

 my giant hexies quilt pattern has always been a big hit. i really love doing it and i really love that others do. 

it makes me smile to think of all those giant hexie quilts that must be out there...or maybe it's just the patterns...

i was about to start a blueberry park version when i had an custom order from a lovely lady in the US for me to make one for her. 

very exciting...my first commissioned quilt!

we chatted a little over Etsy and she sent me some images of colour schemes she liked and we settled on red and aqua.

 i have a lot of red and aqua in my stash so it was pretty easy finding enough fabrics to use...

and particularly since I had a couple of recent arrivals from  DS Quilts collection.

 i really really enjoyed making this quilt. it is very easy to piece - although i did it differently this time thanks to my new 'y' seam skillage acquisition.

 i have to admit though that i think my favourite part of this quilt is the back!

i started out wanting to use the pale spot at  the bottom but didn't have enough, so i pieced it with another DS Quilts fabric that the uber lovely Audrie recently sent me. i made a little panel between the two of the cut-offs and put it all together. i love it!

the photos all look a little washed out due to so much light out there today and even more bouncing off the snow we continuously seem to have this year. i'm not complaining mind. just saying.

i did make this in record time which i think made it even more enjoyable. i didn't have time to get bored of it. i was spurred on by the possibility of it cadging a lift to the US tomorrow when hubs goes on business.

i am ever so slightly concerned it will get brought straight back again or worse still, left in a hotel room somewhere.

so still only tuesday and the biggest thing of the week ticked off.

surely that must mean it will be a productive week...

...will let you know!

my creative space...in the middle of the day...

 yesterday i snuck in some playtime...

you know, the kind of crafting that has nothing to do with work.

 i indulgently got on with jan's march blocks for the bee a brit stingy group...

right in broad daylight...

well it was my birthday!

meanwhile today it's back to hitting the list proper.

what have you been up to in your creative space? either legitimately or in an oh so sneaky fashion?

check out what other peeps have been up to this week here.

x