Block 12 – Hemlock #quiltandshine

Hello, thanks for stopping by to read my blog, today I’m sharing with you Block 12 of the #quiltandhsine quilt along, hosted by myself and Dawn from Honeybee cloths.

Its never to late to join in with this quilt along, as the patterns will be available forever, but even if the thought of a whole quilt is daunting, maybe choose your favourite block and create a cushion cover or a table runner using a few blocks.

This block is all about wildflowers…

Its a beautiful, relaxing block to sit and hand sew,  we all need some time to switch off, and relax.

This blocks also completes the third row

Its lovely to see the quilt come together…

Download my free pattern here, be sure to tag me on Instagram @michelle_creativeblonde so I can see your finished blocks, use the hashtag #quiltandshine

Quilt and Shine block 12

We all need friends and family in our lives especially during these difficult times, keep talking, stay inside and stay safe xx

Follow me here on my blog, and share with friends, you can also find me on Instagram and Facebook

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Artsy Fartsy…

Welcome to the Island batik July challenge , the fabric and threads used in this project were given to me as part of the Island Batik Ambassador program 2019

Artsy Fartsy using three different Aurifil thread weights.

I’ve used thread weights 28,12 and floss.

The larger the number, the finer the thread.

I’ve used the Aurifil floss to hand embroider the letters in the center, 12 weight cotton thread for bold decorative machine stitches, and the 28 weight threads was used to machine applique my fabrics in place, using free motion embroidery

I had such fun fussy cutting lots of bright and bold flowers, butterflies and dragonflies from my gorgeous Island batik fabrics, which i fused to Vlieseline Bondaweb.

After I fused all my gorgeous fabrics into a 10″ circle, and used free motion quilting and thread weight 28 (slightly thicker then my everyday thread, I wanted it to be a little bolder) to secure my applique.

Before starting this project I fused the 16″ square piece of main fabric to Vlieseline Interfacing, this gave it extra strength, so I was ready to hand embroider the letters using floss and a darning needle. I chose a simple back stitch. I love the reverse of this piece too

To finish this piece, I used thread weight 12 (make sure you change your bobbin thread to match your top thread weight). I wanted to create a strong bold decorative stitch that would stand out

I framed my finished piece in a 12″ embroidery hoop. I’ve never made ‘Artsy Fartsy’ before, but I’ve had such fun – love a good challenge!

Thanks for reading, be sure to head over to the Island Batik Facebook page to see what the other ambassadors are making this month, and throughout the year…

Follow me here on my blog, and you can also find me on Instagram and Facebook

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Mystery QAL, plus a chance to win some Vlieseline Wool Mix Batting…

 

This quarter I joined the #mystery_qal hosted by Tracy @itsatsweetsday.

The mystery is seeing what everyone will create using one chosen piece of fabric, which can be incorporated with other fabrics…

This quarters fabric was this adorable mouse fabric available @lewisandirenefabrics

I paired it up with this beautiful pink solid available @stoffabrics and the navy floral.

The mouse fabric was screaming out to be fussy cut. I had the perfect paper pieces – from Tilda, called the mini flower…

In the middle of creating my mystery item, I was asked by my husband’s Gran to make her a tissue pocket – have you ever heard of one? She doesn’t like to stick a tissue up her sleeve, cause it causes havoc if left in the wash… so this is it, a mini apron. She also uses it to hold her phone, so its with her at all times, which is perfect for anyone elderly.

 

 

I love this Jacquard fabric available from @Stoffabrics, I was keen to show off both sides, so i reversed the fabric on the straps and for the lining…

With only a few weeks left before the mystery quilt-along was due to end, I got busy making my mystery item… I wanted something soft and cosy for my laptop. So I made a laptop case, which has been quilted with Vlieseline Wool Mix batting – my laptop is now super comfy and cosy when I’m not using it 🙂

 

I love this wool mix batting, I used it in my latest quilts, it really is so soft and cosy, and lovely to quilt

 

This batting is so gorgeous

I want to give one lucky winner a lap size piece, perfect for your next quilting project.

Find out more about this product here…

www.vlieseline.com/Products/Battings/266-Wool-Mix

To be in for a chance of winning, just leave me a message here or on my Instagram page, telling me what you’re currently making…

Good Luck

I will choose a winner Saturday 6th April…

Check out the other bloggers taking part this quarter here…

Edith @ ediscraftinglife.blogspot.com
Desert Suz @ DesertSky Quilting
Michelle @ Creative Blonde
Moira @ Quilted Snail
Shirley @ https://mountainbuttons.wordpress.com/
Tracy @ It’s a T-Sweets Day!

You can follow me here on my blog, and you can also find me on Instagram and Facebook

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle @creativeblonde66

All a Flutter, inc Giveaway…

Welcome to August Island Batik Ambassador challenge. This months challenge was for me to create a quilt showcasing the new fabric collection ‘All a Flutter’ and what a gorgeous collection it is. This months challenge is part of a 5 week blog hop… O M G that’s 5 weeks of Island Batik eye candy and 5 weeks of prizes up for grabs…

 

And the winner is …

‘Linda Cejnar’

Huge congratulations to you. Please email me your details and I will get your batik goodie bag sent out to you. Massive thank you to everyone who entered and left such beautiful comments, each one made me smile 😊

And the best part… YOU have the chance to win a bundle of this beautiful collection.

This collection is filled with flowers, dragonflies, bees and doves – everything i love to watch in my garden, and so that’s my inspiration came from to create this…. Ta Da

The beautiful pinks, purples, teals, blues and green are simple gorgeous

My quilt began like this…

I fussy cut all the beautiful flowers, doves and dragonflies, and added them to my garden trellis, and after stitches the trellis, with the help of Vlieseline H250 Stabilizer fused to the reverse, I used FMQ to add the leaves

There was something quite pretty about the two doves sitting on the top, so i sewed them in place.

There are so many beautiful fabrics in this collection, i wanted to use some as a boarder. I couldn’t resist using the beautiful dragonflies in blue/purple for the backing, and the opposite colour combo for the binding

And my quilt was complete, i used a lovely lush wadding 295 from Vlieseline, as i have plans to leave this comfy quilt laying on my bed for my cats to sleep on, but something tells me my dog has plans of his own 😉

Fabrics i used from the collection (just because i love their names):

Honeycomb – Cotton Candy

Floral Dot – Blush, Mixed Berry, and Raspberry

Dragonfly – Sea Mist, and Blueberry

Mixed Birds – Primrose

The 6th August is the start of the very excited Island batik Blog Hop, called ‘The Great Outdoors’ which will include a giveaways throughout the next 5 weeks, scroll down for the full list of each ambassador, to see the new island batik fabric collection, they are showcasing… But before you go, be sure to follow me here on my blog (remember to hit ‘subscribe’ to the confirmation email you will receive)

Who would like to win this beautiful bundle?

Here’s how to win…

Just follow me here on my blog and on my Instagram page – see link below, leaving me a comment, telling me what you’d like to make with these beauties, on both this post and my IG post  – best of luck

“I love a giveaway”

To see more of my tutorials, you can follow me here on my blog www.creativeblonde.co.uk and/or Instagram page www.instagram.com/creativeblonde66 and www.facebook.com/creativeblonde66

Stockist for the fabrics found in this tutorial

http://www.islandbatik.com

UK stockists

Fabritastic, Plush Addict, Sew Hot, The Sewing Studio and Cotton Patch

Extra lush wadding from Vlieseline, threads from Gutermann and Aurifil

Links to all the Island Batik Ambassadors and their fabric collections

Monday, August 6 – All A Flutter – Yellow Cat Quilt Designs, Creative Blonde

Tuesday, August 7 – Birds N’ Bees – Ark Angel Creations, Patterns By Jen

Wednesday, August 8 – Canterbury Manor – Sally Manke, Powered By Quilting

Thursday, August 9 – Eclectic Garden – Desert Bloom Quilting, Sew Karen-ly Created

Friday, August 10 – Vintage Morris – MooseStash Quilting, Devoted Quilter

Monday, August 13 – Safari – Sew Incredibly Crazy, SweetGrass Designs

Tuesday, August 14 – Spring Blossoms – Mary Mack Made Mine, If These Threads Could Talk

Wednesday, August 15 – Victoria and Albert – Bejeweled Quilts, Clever Chameleon

Thursday, August 16 – Wild Things – Freemotion By The River, Kauffman Designs

Friday, August 17 – Petting Zoo – Den Syende Himmel, Sarah Goer Quilts

Monday, August 20 – Ocean Odyssey – Gateway Quilts, The Quilt Rambler

Tuesday, August 21 – British Rose – Busy Hands Quilts, Mania for Quilts

Wednesday, August 22 – Dear William – The Inquiring Quilter, MMM Quilts, Living Water Quilter

Thursday, August 23 – Dragonfly Dreams – Inchworm Fabrics, BeaQuilter

Friday, August 24 – Fur-ocious Friends – Quilting Affection Designs, Dizzy Quilter

Monday, August 27 – Globetrotter – Pamela Quilts, Curliecue Creations

Tuesday, August 28 – Jungle Cruise – Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting, Little Bunny Quilts

Wednesday, August 29 – Lavendula – Carole Lyles Shaw, Masterpiece Quilting

Thursday, August 30 – London Calling – Quilt in a Not-Shell, Lizard Creek Quilting

Friday, August 31 – Spirit Rhythm – Steph Jacobson, Whispers of Yore

Monday, September 3 – Sweet Tweets – Kathleen McMusing, Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Tuesday, September 4 – Whatnot – heARTS Creations, Slice of Pi Quilts

Where Flowers Bloom…

I was thrilled to be involved in this blog hop, as i love flowers, I’ve been spending a lot of time recently in my garden, and my efforts are beginning to pay off…

I had some beautiful floral fabrics from Craftcotton, with the most perfect threads from Gutermann…

 

So i just needed to design my quilt, i knew i wanted a wall hanging, and i love a blanket stitch, so i set to work designing my block…

 

I really enjoyed using these beautiful threads, with the floral fabrics, here is my ‘where the flowers bloom’ wall hanging…

Thanks for reading, head over to my Instagram page to WIN Gutermann threads and fabrics, and follow me here on my blog for more info

x creativeblonde x

Here is a list of the other amazing bloggers involved in this blog hop…

Where Flowers Bloom Blog Hop Schedule

Monday, June 11th

MooseStash Quilting
In The Boon Docks
Seams To Be Sew
Lily Patch Quilts 
Days Filled With Joy
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Seacoast Quilter

Tuesday, June 12th

Life in the Scrapatch
Words & Stitches
Kwilty Pleasures
Patchwork Breeze
AllThingzSewn
VroomansQuilts
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
Why Knot Kwilt

Wednesday, June 13th

Just Let Me Quilt
Hazel’s Daughter
Nettie Sews and Lucky Quilts
ShirleyC
Cynthia’s Creating Ark
Songbird Designs
Creativeblonde
Patchouli Moon Studio

Thursday, June 14th

Sew Incredibly Crazy
selina quilts
PamelaQuilts
Ms P Designs USA
sunshinequilting
Melva Love Scraps
Quilty Pleasures

Friday, June 15th

Den syende himmel
QuiltFabrication
Blessings From Our Nest
DesertSky Quilting
Just Because Quilts
Quarter Inch Crafter
Creatin’ in the Sticks

Motivational Quilt

I was asked to make a quilt using words, to motivate me… after several cups of tea, and reading many motivational quotes, i came up with ‘make it happen’ I guess this stems from me always wishing stuff would happen, or moaning about why things didn’t happen… so from now on i’m going to MAKE IT HAPPEN …

These beautiful floral fabrics are a gorgeous new range from craftcotton

My print friendly step-by-step tutorial can be found here, motivational quilt ‘make it happen’ thanks for reading…

What would your motivational quilt say?

Be sure to follow me on instagram

x creativeblonde x

 

My tilda bumblebee table runner…

Bumblebee Tilda Fabric – Table runner tutorial

Follow the tutorial here

What you will need:

 

•       Tilda bumblebee Fat quarter bundle from poppies & polka dots

        http://www.poppiesandpolkadots.co.uk/product/tilda-bumblebee-10-fat-quarter-bundle-10-discount/

•       1 metre of Kona cotton solids – snow white from poppies & polka dots    http://www.poppiesandpolkadots.co.uk/product/kona-cotton-solids-snow/

•       Wadding measuring 48”x12”

•       1” paper hexies x 42

•       Paper for creating  your own petal template

•       Sewing machine, cutting mat, rotary cutter, pins, needles, quality threads, glue pen, scissors, erasable marker pen.

•       Small piece of light fusible interfacing, measuring 10”x10”

•       505 basting spray

 

Preparing your fabric…

Order your gorgeous fabrics from poppies & polka dots -fast delivery and wrapped beautifully

 

 

 

Cutting…

Take these four fat quarters from your bundle and cut out 10 hexies from each of the green, pink and cream fabrics using your EPP 1” hexagon template and cut 12 of the blue. Leaving a ¼” seam allowance all the way round. Using your glue pen, fold the fabric making sure you get crisp corners and edges all the way round

•       From the kona snow white fabric, cut a piece 44”x8” for the table runner main piece.

•       Cut the Wadding to 38”x11” (trim of excess later to measure 37”x10”)

•       5 pieces of backing fabric measuring 8.5”x11” (see diagram below)

 

Preparing your flowers…

Create your petal, use graph paper to get it symmetrical (mine are about 1.5” in length and 1” diameter. Fuse your interfacing to the reverse of the fabric and then cut petals to correct size and shape. You need 5 petals from each fabric design, I loved the bumblebees so much, I fussy cut these for my petals

Blanket stitch

•       Using your glue pen, fix your petals in place on the white fabric.

•       Using a white thread. Blanket stitch round each petal, see photo for below for the finished result on the front and the reverse of the white fabric.

•       Using your erasible marker pen, draw your spiral pattern on the top of the white fabric

 

Joining up your hexies up

To achieve this without stitches showing on the front, put your individual hexies right sides together and use a ladder stitch, pulling your stitches tight as you go, and create a chain of 21 hexies for each long edge of your table runner

 

Top stitch your hexies and then remove the papers…

 

Preparing the back of the table runner

Sew your fabric in the order shown above, using the ¼”seam allowance, right side together, then press seams

 

Baste your top and bottom fabric to the wadding to create a quilt sandwich, I use 505 spray.

Free motion quilting

•       Drop your feed dog and attach the quilting foot to your machine, you can choose any shade of thread ,I chose a bright king tut turquoise thread – shade 927, to show you the design, but I would usually choose a pale colour to keep the delicate feel.

The edges…

•       Create mitred corners, by trimming the excess wadding and folding your backing fabric over twice, to seal your raw edges, and pin in place.

Finishing off…

Pin or baste your hexies in place, then sew your two short binding egdes with a small whip stitch, and secure the corners with small stitches.

Sew each point of your hexies in place, with a small stitch sewn from underneath the edge of the fabric, so no stitches can be seen

Bring out the tea and warm scones, for the perfect afternoon tea

Enjoy…

 

Bumblebee Tilda Fabric poppies and polka dots

Thanks for reading, follow me at www.instagram.com/creativeblonde66

My beautiful Digitalis in illumination pink ♥

Loving making my cottage garden bee friendly, they are loving it too 😉