International Postage

Every year we travel by Brittany Ferries to Brittany France for a holiday.  But this summer/autumn due to the 'virus' we cannot travel.

I love to purchase the french quilting magazines.  It is always my special treat.  The french mags always have excellent articles and projects.  And an extra bonus it helps improve my french language skills.

To help me cope with this 'stay at home and lockdown' summer I ordered a magazine on Ebay.  I was very surprised how quickly it arrive.  With this lovely weather at the moment, I am off to sit in the garden and read.  See you soon..

Quarantine Quilt Show at Home

Happy Saturday. Since quarantine started here in the UK on the 23rd March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been joining Pokey Bolton on her Instagram live video at 9pm every evening. 

Children have rainbow and bear treasure hunts during lockdown.  Pokey suggested that we have a quarantine quilt show at home to cheer up our neighbours every Saturday during lockdown.

So we have quilts! Although Mr D thought he should hang the White Ensign flag.  For those who do not know, the Royal Navy fly this flag on their ships, boats and shore bases.
Next Saturday I must remember to hang a larger quilt!

OPAM April

When you are 'staying at home' and need a simple task to keep some routine in your day so I am finishing some UFO's. This mini modern wall hanging quilt just need the binding and sleeve.

All hand dyed fabric.  Random machine quilted shapes.  I am inspired to make a bigger version.

I started this quilt many many moons ago.  It is a sample that I made in a workshop with Alicia Merrett.  It is wonderful to achieve finishing this task.

Pattern Hack

I really enjoy making a flat zipper case.  I have made a lot over the year to sell at craft fairs.

So it was one of the first patterns written for Bon Couture Designs.  At Bon Couture Designs, we have decided that we need to make some new samples for our social media platforms.

I made this smaller zipper case to keep all my drawing pens safe when I am out and about and to take away to France in the summer.  I love to do quick sketches of places, floral and beach inspirational things when I am on holiday.  It is a keepsake memory book.  

I saw something similar to this 'pattern hack' on Instagram.  It was a ten minute make.  I will be making some more as I think they would make a lovely gift combined with a note book/diary.

Block Three

I do not usually work with brown colour fabrics.  These brown tones are too 'vomit sick' colour for me.  But these brown fabrics are part of the fat quarter bundle so I feel that if I do not use I will never use them. 

I will make some more block using these brown fabric to see if I can begin to like them.  I think the brown fabrics are needed to be incorporated in the quilt to enhance the overall design.

Anyway that all folks until next time.

OPAM February

I am on a roll with the 'end of season' or gift box thingy.  See my last OPAM post. This purse key fob is ideal if only want to carry a key and a few coins on a trip to the shops, on the school run or dog walking.   

There are few pattern tutorial for these project on the internet. Another great sash busting projects.

I have started another sewing project that I have again seen on Instagram.  I am still tweaking with the measurements.  When I have finished I will post about it...

Block Two

So now have make block two of my new quilt BOM.  Again this block is six inches finished.  I love the colours of this block.

 So here are both blocks.

I am writing up the instructions for Bon Couture Designs as a quilt pattern.  I have yet to decide a name for this new quilt pattern.  Any suggestions? 

OPAM January 2020

I really enjoyed getting started on this year seasonal gift projects.  I am planning to make at least one item for the 'end of year season'.  For some crafters it is tooooooo early to mention the word Christmas.

Not me, I am getting an early start with this Santa Wine Bottle Topper.  These are very popular on Instagram.

Everyone needs a key fob.  It is a great way to using up all my scraps. I will probably make a whole bunch off these key fobs for my Etsy shop and well as for my gift box.  It is always handy to have a few items made in the gift box for unexpected birthday or celebrations.

I have already started cutting out February's seasonal gift.  See you next month....

Travel Tissue Cover

I have made hundreds of travel tissue cover over the years. They are easy and quick to make plus they sell well at craft fairs. These are what I call 'pocket change' sales.

I have been playing with a new design for the tissue cover. Again this new cover is a quick and very easy to stitch.

I am gong to tweak the measurements to decrease the aperture a bit. Other than a bit of tweaking, I am happy with the new cover.

New Year, New Quilt..

I have been designing a new quilt to teach at my classes. Jan - June all the blocks are pieced and July to Dec the blocks are appliqué.

I am using a fat quarter bundle that I have had for several year now. There are about twelve fat quarters. They are not my usual colours or tones but as I am trying to reduce my enormous stash.

The blocks are all six inches.  So I am going to have to make lots of blocks to use all the fabric. I love working on small blocks but I know it is going to be a challenge for some of the ladies.

Would you like to see some the finished blocks made by my lovely ladies...

Gifts

I purchased this PVC fabric some time ago with the intention of making several of nieces some bags. It was a discontinued fabric at Dunelm Mill shop. As it is a Disney license fabric I cannot make items to sell on my Etsy shop. When I purchased the fabric, I thought my young nieces would like it as it is 'Frozen Princess'.  All my nieces are princess.

PVC can be difficult to machine stitch without the correct foot.  I use a teflon foot.  They are not a standard foot that usually come with your machine.  But it well worth investing in a teflon foot.  I use it to stitch not only PVC but also faux leather.  Remember to also increase your stitch length and insert a larger size needle.  I refer to use a 90/14 universal needle.

These two shopper bags were made for my youngest twin girls nieces. I am making bags for the other girls. 

The metre of fabric cost £4 and will be able to make about six bags. The shopper bags are the largest bags.  I will upload photos of the other bags when I have finished them. 

My Words for the Year.

A new month, new year and new decade.  The 'roaring twenties' has arrived.

Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one.

Brad Paisley

A new adventure that I have learnt from the past 365 days.  Life and dreams are the pages of the same book. Every day is a new adventure. 

The last year and decade has disappeared so fast.  I am not sure where they went but I always love a fresh start.

So here is too the 'roaring twenties'.....