Sometimes creating something pretty requires some gorgeous fabric.... and the simplest of designs.
A simple envelope back cushion cover made from Amy Butler's Love Paradise Garden in Midnight.
And the back with a little binding (Sunspots) which picks up the turquoise dots....
... in the Paradise Garden fabric and emphasises the fact that the fabric pattern isn't meant to match precisely.
Simple, bright, gorgeous and took less than an hour to make.
Happy Sewing!
Does that sounds a little pessimistic... I suppose it does. But when you look around the berries are ripening, the harvest is nearly in, the birds are beginning to gather on the wires and the mornings have that still, quietness that signals that summer is passing into Autumn.
Another sign of the cooler days to come is that brushed cotton or flannel, if you prefer has begun to arrive in the shop.
Squares in Blossom
and Stones in Ocean
Just two so far but more will arrive soon. These are both from Valori Wells Della Flannel Range. Lively colours aren't they? Want something comforting and cosy to curl up with on cool autumn evenings? (!!) Then they'd make a lovely soft, snuggly backings for a quilt or a throw. And how about a soft cuddly toy?
If you're wondering about sewing for cooler days and evenings then this is a recent addition to the shop from Indygo Junction, The London Jacket.
or a waistcoat for a light extra layer...
I love the buttons on that design.
There is also the Simple Sleeved Shawl which can be made out of knitted fabric or wool if you prefer.
Then because at some point it will probably rain (Cheerful aren't I ? ), there is the Amy Butlers 'rainy days hooded raincoat and runabout jacket'
....and for children the 'Little Splashes hooded raincoat and runabout jacket' patterns.
Make them out of Laminated fabric for a waterproof outer layer or a use home decor weight fabric if you prefer for warmth and style.
Perfect to see you through the Autumn in style.
Modern Meadow designed by Joel Dewberry.
This is where I have moved my blog. It wasn't an easy decision to take but as I/we couldn't discover how to put all the issues right on my old blog, this seemed to be the only way forward.
It's taken a lot of editing and a lot of wondering whether it's the right thing to do but in the end I need a blog I can rely on to work and hopefully this one will be all healthy and happy.
I'll feel happier about posting now, although I've still a lot to do to this blog.... tidying around the edges... but I do have all those useful articles over here to help.
So, I'll be back to normal posting now and I hope you'll join me.
Amy Butler now as quite a catalogue of beautiful sewing patterns suited to different levels of sewing skills. There are sewing patterns for bags, appropriate for all different needs. There are all kinds of gorgeous, versatile and extremely stylish sewing patterns for skirts, tunics, halter tops and sun tops and now she's added patterns for jackets/coats.
This is 'little splashes hooded raincoat & runabout jacket' sewing pattern
and this is the 'rainy Days hooded raincoat & runabout jacket' sewing pattern.
The jackets together....
If you want these jackets to be waterproof then you will need to make them from a laminate fabric. What do you do, however if you really love the jacket but aren't so confident about working with laminates? Amy suggests making them from the heavier home dec fabrics for an extremely stylish extra layer to wear on cooler days.
Whilst we're on the subject of home decor fabrics I've just added these to the shop. They're all 100% cotton on a 54/55 inch bolt as opposed to the more usual 44/45 inch wide bolt and are perfect for bag making, making curtains, upholstery, cushions and of course Amy's new coat designs.
I love the deep gorgeous blue colours in these fabrics. The colour of the Sun spots is almost electric.
Sun spots in Midnight and Paradise Garden in Midnight
The pretty Asian inspired Sandlewood in Ivory fabric with it's soft, feminine colours and up-beat contemporary design.
Looks good combined with Tumble Roses.....
I thought it might be helpful to see the size of the Sun spots home dec fabric next to the Sun spots quilt weight fabric because the home decor fabrics spots are larger.
.... just in case it's critical in your sewing project....
At the risk of turning my poor dear blog into a bit of a catalogue I felt honour bound to share these with you. But there is something nice at the end.
My room of fabric has gained a few boxes ... large boxes. O.K that’s not very interesting unless you’re a cat (what is it with cats and boxes? ) or a small child (now I do understand their fascination with boxes.... caves... castles ...etc ) But these are filled with fabric and that makes them exciting.... to me. Look what’s inside.... (inside a few of them)
Beautiful, beautiful Nicey Jane designed by Heather Bailey. There are so many gorgeous prints in this collection. Big spots in multi colours and different sizes.
Small prints called the Hop dot which in some colourways looks like a tiny star shape.
I love the Lindy leaf....
I think the Church flowers and the Swing Toss prints have a real retro look about them.
I love the jewel like colours in the centres of the flowers.
Then there are Hello Roses,
Big blousy old fashioned roses with a retro yet contemporary look.
Picnic Bouquet ... with it's big floral sprays. I love the retro feel to this design.
As well as spots, dots and flowers there are stripes, different kinds of stripes and you can always have a little fun with stripes. When I looked closely at the Welcome Road stripe it made me think of being in a car... dosing maybe and the road looks as if it flashing along with solid bits of colour. (Is it just me that thinks like that?)
I’m looking forward to getting to know these patterns a little better but looking at them now I think it’s a collection of beautiful designs. Each would work perfectly used alone and yet there are so many opportunities to mix up the designs and create a totally different look.
I shall have to explore that statement in another post.
So, for now please go and take a look and let me know what you think to Nicey Jane.
If you've made it this far, well done and just for doing that I'm going to have a little bit of a giveaway for the launch (in my shop anyway) of Nicey Jane. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post before 12.00 noon next Friday (2nd April, which incidentally is Good Friday) to enter a 'random number' style of giveaway of four fat quarters of your choice from the Nicey Jane fabric range. I've made it your choice as I think that there is such variety in the pattern and the colours that that may make it a lovely 'giveaway' for any potential winner. (I don't mind where on the globe you live either :) So, please join in. ) Speak soon.These fabrics are all designed by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller and are part of her Poppy collection.
I love the 'painterly' style ... I love the colours ... burnt spice orange against aqua blues ... bleached whites against darker blues ... and I love the textures that are part of the look.
The Mosaic in purple is full of shaded colour giving an impression of rich texture with luminous colour.
The polka dot is a giant amongst polka dots. It has colour, it has texture and absolutely it has style.
The colour used in these fabrics are not 'solid' nor are they uniform but shade and mix just like paint on a canvas. The magnificent Big Poppy design looks just as if the colour has been applied to a canvas.
They are big designs... they are exciting designs and I find them quite hypnotic. If ever you wanted to create a piece with drama and impact these fabrics would be perfect for it.
I haven't been able to resist sewing with some of it so my pieces are cut out all ready to do something with. I should get it finished by tomorrow if I get a 'wiggle' move on ....
Hope you like them. Speak soon...
Recent Comments