Summer brights…

Welcome to July’s Island Batik Ambassador challenge. this months challenge was to create a quilt showing a secondary pattern. The fabrics in this blog were given to me from Island Batik, as part of the ambassador program

“Secondary patterns often emerge from a quilt designs without intention! Layout, color placement, and value all contribute to quilt design and creative use of any or all of these things can give you not one but two patterns in your quilt”

So first up was to choose my fabrics, i decided to leave my comfort zone, and head for the ‘paisley dot brights’…

 

I knew i wanted to try out a pattern i had created for a recent challenge called ’30 quit designs challenge’, hosted by @mmmquilts. This was design 20 of mine. I did make a few changes as i went along…

I created my block, using lots of half square triangles, and filled in the spaces using the lush ‘Aqua’ basic, i rotated the blocks to create my secondary pattern…

 

 

I added a lovely think boarder using the ‘watermelon’ basic, and backed the quilt with some more ‘aqua and ‘Bermuda’. To enhance the secondary pattern or even the tertiary pattern, i quilted squares 1/4″ inside the newly created patterns…

 

I’m super pleased with how this turned out, i would love to hear your thoughts, please leave me a comment below

Come back soon, as i will be back on the 6th August for my Island batik Blog Hop, called ‘The Great Outdoors’ which will include a very special giveaway

“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

 

 

2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop…

This year I signed up for this new and exciting challenge – 2018 new quilt bloggers, in the hope it will help me improve my blogging skills,

And it starts today – 16th April – Introductory Post about myself and I’m one of the 8 bloggers to post during this first week…

Do I know what I’m doing? not so much!… so please bare with me

I do know I’m with 8 other bloggers in a hive called ‘Quilt, Blog, Repeat’ Here is our button

Here are the members of our hive:

Jen – dizzyquilter.com

Michelle (that’s me!) –  creativeblonde.co.uk

Roseanne – homesewnbyus.com

Jan – cocoaquilts.com

Tara – quiltdistrict.com

Nicole – handwroughtquilts.wordpress.com

Karen – thequiltrambler.com/blog/

Becca – prettypiney.com

Sarah – 9658textiles.blogspot.ca

So lets get to the introductory bit…

My name is Michelle AKA creative blonde, my name came from a my dads love of The Beatles. oh wait, you guys meant my blogger name, well… this was chosen by my husband, who decided this was ‘awesome and catchy’ after a lengthy chat with each other about how i though i was never really ‘clever’, i just loved creating things and i have also been know to have many ‘blonde’ moments… So along came creative blonde (my husband designed and created my logo too)

I added a few of my favorite quilts/makes below, i love to work with blues, and my favourite stitch, is machine blanket stitch

I thoroughly enjoy taking photos, not just of the finished item, but the fabrics, and the process along the way. My Instagram page reflects this …

I got into quilting a few years ago, as my children (4 boys) started needing me less  – sob… I took a City & Guild Diploma in Quilting & Patchwork, I’ve always been a ‘stay at home’ mum, and wouldn’t have it any other way, i’m so very proud of my boys, even though everyday brings new challenges, and stresses, so this worked out perfectly. I can still be around for my boys, but focus on something to keep me sane. I guess quilting, sewing, embroidery, cross stitch and crocheting is my stress relief. I get a real buzz when i finish a project, and i’m always so excited to share my new pattern/ design here on my blog. I love to show photos on Instagram and Facebook of new fabrics, projects and challenges i’m involved in too

My best bit so far, is meeting all the lovely people on social media, everyday someone makes me smile or laugh, by a comment or photo

My Quilting Tip:

Accurate cutting is key…

And whenever you think ‘oh that will do, or as my husband says when doing DIY  – ‘get away with that’, always go back, unpick and re-do, because it will take a few minutes and look so much better, or you will be forever seeing the mistake in the finished item, and wish ‘why didn’t i go back and re-do that bit’

Whats your best Quilting Tip? i would love to hear from you…

Huge thanks for reading my post today, please hop around all the lovely bloggers in this blog hop, up this week with myself are and who knows you might pick up a tip or two

Gail      http://quiltinggail.wordpress.com

Rachel         http://rachelrossi.design/blog

Tracie H   http://www.ricefordstreams.com

Wendy T     http://www.piecefulthoughts.com

Jan                            http://cocoaquilts.com

Michelle (that’s me!) http://www.creativeblonde.co.uk

Terry   http://tlcquiltsblog.wordpress.com

April               http://jandabendquilts.com/blog

Happy Sewing

x creativeblonde x

 

 

#30quiltdesignschallenge2018

This year I’ve found a very exciting and slightly different challenge … Its being hosted by @mmmquilts on Instagram.

Check out Sandra blog http://www.mmmquilts.com for details, and a very interesting and exciting brief history of what came of last years challange…

I’ve been playing around on my phone for the first 5 designs, using an App called ‘Quiltcat’ its a very simple program, using simple colours and shapes, but its a great way to see what can happen with just a few blocks, as it places your block into a full quilt – so exciting!

I love the colours ,the effects that the lighter shades give along with depth to this pattern, if i had to give it a name, i think it would be ‘berry crush’…

Design 2, i decided to keep simple. I love the idea (given to me by Sandra herself @mmmquilts) that having lots of open spaces, allows for lots of free motion quilting ideas, im going to call this quilt ‘freedom’

Design 3 is my favourite so far, i love the simplicity of it again, its so exciting how turning a block round, can give you such different end results, this one is named ‘In the fast lane’

Design 4 inspiration came from my garden, a garden desperate to see the sun, so it can grow and become beautiful again, this quilt is named ‘Let me grow’

Design 5 is a little crazy, i think its a representation of my crazy head after 10 hours of hand sewing my cathedral window cushion yesterday – post coming soon, photos on my IG page @creativeblonde66 . I’m going to name this one ‘bright but crazy’

That’s the first 5 of 30 quilts, designed.

Join in the fun too, you have until April 17 to create 30 designs. I’m looking forward to getting the good old fashioned pen/pencil to paper for the next 5 designs.

Follow me here on my blog, and you’ll get an email alert every time i post, or come follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/creativeblonde66

happy sewing

x creativeblonde x