Quilt and Shine – Block 10

Welcome to Block 10 of #quiltandshine Quilt-along…

Block 10 – Friendship

We all need friends in our lives, to let us shine. Take time to reach out to your friends and family and talk…  Be the reason someone has a smile on their face today….

#bekind

Block 10 is ready for you to download at the link below, perfect for some weekend sewing. #Quiltandshine quilt along, is hosted by dawn and myself, there is still plenty of time to get involved and join in.

Download your free pattern here

You can find blocks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 here on my blog

Be sure to head over to Dawn blog and download block 4, 7 and 9

https://fromourlittlehivetoyours.blog/blog/

 

Share your gorgeous blocks on Instagram using the hashtag #quiltandshine, we are so excited to see your finished blocks… .

This Quilt Along is sponsored by HoneybeeCloths

Dawn has very kindly put together packs of fabric especially for the quilt along

https://www.honeybeecloths.co.uk/shop/4574190065/Zen-Chic

Thanks for joining in with our Quilt-along, we are so excited to be sewing along with you.

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

exiting news…

Super excited to share with you my news… one of my quilts is inside the March/April issue of McCalls Quilting magazine – the best of American Quilting! and its out NOW…

This issue is packed with eye candy quilts and inspiration, and inside you’ll find my ‘Cosy Friendship’ quilt. Its using the beautiful Linea collection from Makower fabrics. Quilted using Vlieseline Wool Mix batting and Gutermann threads

Here are a few close ups, I love all the little squares that surround the ‘friendship’ block

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Christmas Inspiration…

This week I’ve had so much fun getting creative, coming up with some simple Christmas craft ideas, you can the kids involved with, so head out this weekend and stock up on Christmas crafts…

These items are all available from groves, for more information for your local stockiest, please email stockistenquiries.co.uk

Follow my step by step photos and get create this Christmas holiday

Making mini advent Calendar bags, which can be kept year after year

Another idea…

Some more ideas…

personalize them…

Just keep it simple…

Fill them with chocolates, sweets or small gifts, that could be given as presents

Wishing you a beautiful Christmas filled with happiness and laughter, creating memories to cherish forever and always x

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

The countdown is on…

Oh my goodness, is anyone else starting to feel the pressure of Christmas…

I’m wonder if you’re a ‘buy early and get everything wrapped, well before the big day’ kinda person, or are you a ‘last minute, fly by the seat of your pants’  type?

Every year I say I’m gonna be organised, and every year I find myself praying my online orders will arrive in time … but somehow it always seems to come together, and it becomes another amazing Christmas full of memories to cherish.

Issue 71 of Quilt Now magazine has just arrived in the shops, its a really packed issue, and inside I’m thrilled to share my ‘Fruit Punch’ quilt, using the stunning bright collection ‘Colour Fun’ by stoffabrics,  using the beautiful Vlieseline Wool Mix batting

Inside this month December issue of British Patchwork & Quilting you can find my ‘Shimmering Christmas kaleidoscope Quilt’ using another stunning collection from stoffabrics. I used the beautiful Hobbs batting inside.

 

Feeling chuffed to of completed the December blocks for the ‘colour challenge’ and the ‘HST BOM’. Both these blocks complete the Quilt alongs, so now comes the exciting part of joining the last 12 months of blocks together and creating two beautiful quilts… il keep you posted, but its definitely on my 2020 list…

For the Purple block I’ve used two fabrics from my Island Batik stash ‘Dandelion Jelly’ and ‘marble Blackberry’ to complete the colour challenge by @patternsbyjen.

The yellow block completes the #modernhstbom hosted by Steph @stephjacobsondesigns.

HST are so much fun to make and sew when using the AccuQuilt ultimate cutting machine, it works a treat and saves so much time.

The two Hospital gowns I made using the very pretty pink fabric from craftcotton, are currently being delivered to Addenbrookes hospital as we speak, this order was for 100 gowns of all different sizes  – all the fairies involved in this charity, really are amazing people, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.

Head over to @pyjamafairies website and see how you could get involved with this beautiful charity and help more children sparkle.

One last pattern I would love to share with you this month is my ‘Ski Resort’ quilt using the brand new Christmas collection from Craftcotton, fabrics are available in Hobbycraft.

FREE PATTERN PDF   CraftCotton Christmas Quilt

I love to see my custom quilts being used, loved and hugged. So today I will leave you with this adorable photo that was sent to me from a happy customer.

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Island batik Ambassador – November Challenge…

Hello… welcome along to the Island Batik November challenge, this month we have been asked to make a lap quilt or bigger using special quilting tools – rulers, templates and dies.

Earlier this year, all the Island batik Ambassadors received a AccuQuilt ultimate cutting machine  – wow… right!! … I know , I couldn’t believe it either… and oh my goodness, it really is an amazing cutting machine…

As an Island batik Ambassador we receive two huge boxes, filled with gorgeous Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting, and Aurifil threads, twice a year. This year AccuQuilt joined in as a sponsor, and I was blown away with the goodies we received – the Ultimate cutting machine and the dies… So couldn’t resist having a go at using the Cleopatra’s Block…

“90% faster than rotary cutters*, the AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter is one for the quilters, accurately cutting up to six layers of cotton fabric at a time!

With an easy-to-use design, developed to help reduce hand and arm strain, this innovative machine is portable and easy to store – weighing just 15lbs.

The double roller design provides clean cuts, while the rubber feet grip and hold the cutter in place when cutting. But it doesn’t end there – the comfortable roller handle grip is easy and safe, eliminating the aches and pains often caused by using a rotary cutter“

With my fabrics chosen… to be honest with purple and teal being my favourite colours, they literally leaped into my hands, screaming ‘pick me’…

This cutting machine doesn’t just cut up to six layers at a time, but if you look closely you can see the very clever points, which makes matching up your points, a dream.

With beautiful, clear instructions from AccuQuilt, this pattern wasn’t as over whelming as I first thought it was going to be

The Island Batik fabrics I chose for the top quilt were Mosaic Burst, solid black, Fan Mardigras, and Jelly basic in Lilac.

I love the contrast of the black against the vibrant Fan Mardigras and Mosaic Burst fabrics

I decided to create 4 blocks all the same, to create a bold centre to my lap quilt, framing it with the gorgeous jelly basic in Lilac

The backing  I chose was Opal Escence. Finished off with hand made solid black binding. Inside I used the very cosy Hobbs Tuscany 100% wool batting.

An alternative to hand sewing your bias binding, is to machine sew… but have you tried using Gütermann variegated threads… They add a beautiful finished. I’ve used thread colour 4033.

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Top It Off…

October’s Island Batik challenge is called ‘Top it off’.

The challenge is to create a holiday runner or table topper, using a applique technique…

I instantly thought of Christmas, my late Nan’s favourite flower at this time of year was the poinsettia, I chose these beautiful fabrics; Plum, Storm and Sky from my Island Batik stash…

Free motion applique is such a beautiful and simple technique, I love how you can literally take any shape, and create it from fabric, by fusing your chosen fabrics to some lightweight interfacing  – I used Vlieseline interfacing.

I appliqued leaf details on each piece, using the beautiful variegated threads from Gutermann. Colour number 4022,4030,4127.

 

 I used Thermore batting from Hobbs – Thin and easy to quilt, excellent for wall hangings, miniature quilts, and other small quilting projects.

I chose to leave the centre of the table runner plainer, as this is where the table decorations tend to be placed.

I love the slightly non traditional colours used for this table runner…

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

 

Christmas and Autumnal Inspiration…

The inspiration inside this months sewing and quilting magazines is sure to get you busy at your sewing machine… I would love to tell you where you cab find some of my tutorials this month…

Inside this months issue of Love Sewing, you will find my ‘Let it Snow’ cushion. Using the beautiful Christmas fabrics ‘Tinsel’ by Clarice Gifford for Cloud9fabrics from Hantexcreate. I’ve used Vlieseline Interfacing, and Guterman threads. Creating this snowflake, took me back to my school days, of cutting out snowflakes from paper.

Issue 69 Quilt Now Magazine…

“Issue 69 is our big festive special and comes with a bumper Christmas makes book, a Jera Brandvig quilt pattern and an exclusive stained glass window pattern from Sarah Ashford, making it our biggest issue ever! It also marks the start of our brand-new quilt-along with Sarah Payne”

I received the best news on the 17th October… I only found myself on the front cover of Quilt Now magazine with my Christmas Star Quilt…

Absolutely buzzing!!

 

This quilt uses the stunning Christmas collection ‘Moda Bella Solids and Merry Merry Snow Days by Bunny Hill designs for Moda‘. I’ve used Guterman threads and Vlieseline Cotton mix batting – making this the coziest Christmas quilt, perfect for they chilly evenings.

Available to buy from ‘The Sewing Studio‘, with a very special discount code especially for my readers/ followers and Quilt Now readers.

 

The November issue of British Patchwork and Quilting is out now, full of Autumnal and Christmas inspiration, including my ‘Woodland Walk’ quilt. using the beautiful ‘Pinewood Acres’ collection from Riley Blake. Gutermann threads and Vlieseline cotton mix batting.

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Hot Chocolate Snuggles Quilt…

Follow my tutorial, to make your own Cosy Christmas Quilt. These gorgeous fabrics are all available from ‘Craft Cotton’.

This tutorial can be found on the Craftcotton blog, where you can also find lots more inspiration

 

 

Its been quilted using snowflakes using the beautiful metallic threads from Gutermann

Download my free pattern here…

CraftCotton Christmas Quilt

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Block 5 #quiltandshine Quilt-along…

Hey,

Today I want to share with you Block 5 of the #quiltandshine quilt-along, hosted by myself and Dawn @dawn_honeybeecloths

Block 5 is all about seeing stars… using prairie points to create this beautiful star. Download block 5 at the link below

Quilt and Shine block 5

I was so excited to complete block 4 – Beachcomber (designed by Dawn) and its available now to download on the blog at the link below

https://fromourlittlehivetoyours.blog/2019/08/24/quilt-and-shine-quilt-along-block-4-beachcomber/

Now the first four blocks have been released, they are ready to been sewn together…

Love the seeing the stars begin to appear between the blocks

Thanks for reading, hope this post has inspired you to get creative.

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle

Feeling creative?

Yesterday, was the first day I’ve been home alone for 6 weeks, yes it was back to school time for all four of my boys, and boy did my house feel empty and soooo quiet…

So I set myself a little challenge to create different ways to use an embroidery hoop.

First up, was a reminder hoop, I thought it could be hung by the door, to hold little messages…

Here’s how I made it… Really simple, but quite effective, would make a beautiful gift too…

Then I included a pocket, the fabric I used is a super soft Jersey fabric, so it had a little stretch in it, perfect for a nursery…

Here’s how I made it… My son thought it was adorable, and wants it hanging in his room 😊

These are all great scrap busting projects, but this last one, is perfect if you have a special piece of fabric, or a piece left over from something special you have made…

And there they were… And before I knew it the boys were home, complaining about being hungry and arguing with each other – back to normal, and just the way I like it 😊

Thanks for reading, hope this post has inspired you to get creative.

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

‘Do what makes your heart smile’

Happy Sewing

Michelle