Fabulous Fig Tree pattern

I love Fig Tree designs - great quilt patterns. But they are usually too pastel and pretty for me, so I decided to make one in different colors. I am going to try and get some samples made for the store in different colors and looks to the originals. The first of these is a Fig Tree pattern called Cameos . I love the pattern but changed the colors a bit. When I started it I thought it was going to take forever, there is a lot of sewing, then cutting, then sewing, then cutting, and on and on. But it was great, I really enjoyed it and it is very different from the original.

The original pattern - Cameos by Fig Tree

My color selection, I used all of these and then a couple of others as well.

The first 2 blocks - I think they are great.

The finished quilt, it has the same fabric for the centres and the cornerposts and the border. It is actually a bit brighter than the picture shows. But the other picture I took makes it look really blue.

Enough of showing off, now for the specials - if you go to the SewArmadillo page on Facebook you will find some specials for the next week on all Fig Tree patterns. 

Snow

What a fabulous day - it snowed. I know lots of people don't like the snow, and I probably wouldn't either if I had to go out in it. But I didn't have to go out, and it doesn't snow here very often so it was fabulous. I sat at my desk with the curtains opened (letting warm air out) and watched the snow falling. Then I had to step outside to take some pictures. It will all be gone by tomorrow so I was so pleased I had a chance to see it today. It snowed when I was away last time, but I was here for this one. YAHOO

  The view from the window near my desk. Not what I see when I am sitting there, that's really boring. I have to get up to look at this view, but isn't it great with the snow.

This is just outside my front door. That was about as far as I wanted to go outside today. Thank God for central heating, and warm clothes.

And just to prove I have been doing something constructive as well, I made a fun back for my granddaughter's birthday alphabet quilt. 

Goofed

Well, I must have been having a 'blonde' or 'senior' moment when I did my last post. I put the same picture up as the day before, and didn't realise till I spoke with Belinda and she asked where the applique was. Silly me. Anyway - here is the correct pic, finished and waiting for a back and bind to be organised, then it can go with the others waiting to be quilted. I'm glad I don't need to finish quilts completely to put them in the finished basket. I'm more than happy to get tops done. And I have quite a few now. Maybe one day I'll get around to organising some quilting, or (HORROR) I'll learn to quilt myself.

The Finished Quilt

Finished and some freebies

I finished my quilt, have no idea for a name so if anyone has any suggestions I would be grateful. The original is called April Showers by Rabbits Haven.

I used some new fusible webbing for the applique, it's a bit stiff when there are 3 layers but I think that's just the nature of the layers. As well as the new fusible, I tried Thangles for the first time. I'm so pleased with the results of both new products, I am offering some freebies for anyone else to try. All you have to do to get either enough Thangles to make 36 half square triangle ( finished size 2") or a piece of the new Heat n Bond (8" square) is sign up as a fan of SewArmadillo on my facebook page. Then let me know which one you want and I will arrange to have it sent out. 

Of course you can also become a friend of my blog, and sign up for the SewArmadillo newsletter and I may just send out one of each freebie.  This is a great chance to try some new products to see if they will work for you. The Thangles make sewing half square triangles so simple, and the new fusible is also really easy to use.

variation on a theme

Well, it has been so cold here for the last week that I haven't really felt like doing too much. Spent most of the week getting new stuff sorted for the shop, and writing up a couple of patterns. Including the Dresden plate one for Patricia. She really likes the quilt, so hopefully now we can get some people signed up to do the class. 

And, of course I had to do a bit of sewing. I decided to try a Rabbits Haven pattern but changed the colors a bit. The original pattern is called April Showers, and it is really pretty in pink and blue.

 So I had to decide on some fabrics. I bought the black and white at Patricia's this week, but it just seemed to work with the orange and red. I love the cream with black polka dots, but I decided to change the black little border one. It will be much more red.

Anyway, I got the centre panel done. I will probably do a flange before the next border, the pattern says do a little normal border, but I like flanges so I will probably go that way. The big border will be the same orange and red.

And of course, the flowers. This is the first one I have done. I ran out of Vliesofix about a week ago, and I have bought some stuff called Heat n Bond Lite, and this is the first time I have tried it. I think it will be better than Vliesofix - it seems like it will hold together better and not peel apart. 

Hopefully the quilt will be finished tomorrow and I will post a pic of the finished product. It will still have to be quilted, but I'm not in a hurry for that as I don't have a destination for it. I hope Arlene likes it. I will send her an email so she can have a look when I finish the whole thing.

Finished

Well Patricia will be pleased, I have finally finished the sample for the class I am teaching. It came together really well, I used a Bali Pop pack, but wasn't impressed with the way some of the strips were cut. I hope they are not all like that or I will be reluctant to use them too often. 

Don't have a name for it yet, I'll try to think of something fabulous.

And I also finished Sophia's birthday quilt. I'm sure she would be happier with a dinosaur quilt, but this is probably what she will get. And more of course. How could I just give her one quilt for her 3rd birthday. She already has about 6 or 8, but this one is 'educational' as well. Now I just have to give it to Belinda and get it quilted. It only needs an edge to edge on it so I'm sure it will be ready for her birthday.

Sophia's alphabet quilt

Today I wasn't going to do any work, I was going to sit around and sew, and maybe do some dreaded housework ( I don't do much if I can avoid it ). But instead I found some new AAN cross stitch charts that needed to be listed on the shop site. So I spent some time and got them all sent to the fabulous Jen, who will arrange the listing in the next couple of days. I love this designers stuff. This one is gorgeous. I don't drink coffee, but I love the design, just wish I knew a coffee fanatic to do it for. Maybe I'll just have to do one as a sample.

Coffee - AAN cross stitch chart

Now I'm going to sit and stitch some of the amazing cross stitch I am working on for Martin. It is so much work. Done on red Aida, and very intricate. I will take pics when I get a bit more done.

Work in Progress

I've been a bit slack with posting but I've been busy so I figure I can't do it all. I have had lots of fabulous new stock come into my store and I've been trying to get it all up so everyone else can see the great stuff I found in Salt Lake City. And I've been sewing. I'm teaching a class at a local shop in August and I haven't finished the samples. So here is a quick look at what I'm doing - it's a Dresden plate class.

What a mess, but it's an organised mess - kinda

One finished plate for the main quilt. It is done with Bali Pops, and will have plain batik sashings. Each block is 15" finished. It didn't help that I cut 4 background blocks at 12.5". Guess I'll have to find something to do with them.

And this is an older version, a bit different, and big. Each block will finish at least 22"and I am only doing 4 - not sure what it will become, but I'm sure I will work that out one day, when I finish putting it together. If anyone has any fabulous suggestions I would appreciate any advise I can get. 

I'm also working on an alphabet quilt for Sophia, she will be 3 on 1st August and I'm hoping to visit for her birthday, so I figured I should take something with me. She would probably prefer a dinosaur quilt, but that may have to wait till Christmas. 

And I shouldn't forget I just got new stock in from the gorgeous Arlene of Rabbits Haven. There are some of her new designs and some of her old favourites now available again. Here is my personal favourite. 

Tea In The Garden

Cross stitch

I'm getting back into cross stitch at last. Most nights I do some, maybe not much, but at least I pick it up. I'm working on several projects at the moment - cross stitch projects as well as quilting, knitting, and lots of others I would rather not talk about. It's too scary when I think of all the things that are started. 

Anyway, when I was in Paris I got some fabulous cross stitch charts from Alice and Co, and decided I needed to do one as a sample (more likely just because I really liked it). And here it is. The design is called 'Fleur Dans Fenetre' but I just call it Flower on my website. I changed it a bit, by putting different colors behind the flower stem, and did different colors for the rosebud.

I'm also working on some pretty little hearts for one of my daughters for Christmas. And a gorgeous Japanese lady for a friend from my old job. And.... and..... and..... I don't think I should continue with this line of thought.