A few little butterflies. This is very much an aside, in quilting terms. I cut a few squares, sew a seam here and there. Nothing is going to happen quickly, but that's fine. I don't know how long I will keep making these little units before I get bored and need to add something else, but for now they are a great way of using up odd little bits of shirting (I'm cutting 3" squares). I'm linking up with Ann and Cathy for their Kaleidoscope of Butterflies.

SDA's Indigo loop-knitted cotton shirting was created in collaboration with a factory in Wakayama Prefecture, which still operates the world's only loop knitting machine that used to knit vintage sweatshirts, and conveys the quality of those days to the present day. This indigo loop-knit jersey, woven slowly over a long period of time using a vintage loopwheeling machine, does not put a load on the yarn, and maintains its softness, comfort, and strength as a result. It is the ultimate cut and sew that you can enjoy for a long time, in regard to not only the fabric, but the fading potential of the indigo dye as well. These t-shirts are garment dyed in indigo after sewing. - 8001 - Loop Knit T-Shirt - 100% Japanese loopwheeled cotton - Cold wash, hang dry - Made in Japan

As mentioned, I have a couple of finishes saved up to share. Here is the first one. I seem to be getting much better at moving things through the system, since this is barely two years from start to finish. This is, admittedly, because there are a couple of tops I seem to have pretty much decided never to quilt, but if I don't feel it when I sort through the piles, I don't see the point in giving months of my time over to working on something. This is a simple little quilt really, but for some reason it is really ticking the boxes for me right now and has gone onto my bed as a result. I think the orange has something to do with it, plus those strips of my once-favourite green trousers and the lovely blue plaid shirt with the deep, deep blue stripes. The Indonesian batik fabric that is in the checkerboard bits posed some problems when I was piecing. It was so busy and unusual that I couldn't find a way to balance it with other fabrics for a while, but I am happy with how it worked out in the end. It sits well, I think, with the dark blues and the other orange/red areas help too. I started this on the 20th January 2022 and finished piecing on 31st March, so that's as close to exactly two years as makes no difference. It is pieced with shirts, plus the green trousers scraps (most of this went into this top) and some orange Oakshott fabric that I have had for years. I looked hard for a shirting that would do the job for me, but nothing worked and this lovely orange seemed right at home. The backing is some of the duvet cover that you can see in this quilt top and I used a different part of said cover for the binding as well. The wadding is organic cotton and it is quilted with perle cotton. As usual I used what I had rather than buying in specially, though this will be the last time I can do that without at least one or two new purchases. I echoed the flying geese in the centre in some areas of the quilting, just to make a change from straight lines. and am quite pleased with how it worked out. The finished piece is around 65 inches in all directions, give or take.

Welcome to the first of the AHIQ 'why don't you try this' posts. The aim of these posts is to offer anyone new to improv the chance to explore different ways of starting and hopefully also to provide some new challenges and ideas to people already happily working improvisationally. (There are definitely going to be some areas that I will be tackling for the first time too.) My challenge to you this month is to take a shape, any simple shape, and see where it leads you. I thought to kick off I'd use the piece I've been working on recently as an example of the sort of choices you might make. This started in my head with two ideas: firstly it had to be based on squares and secondly I had an idea to work with a traditional 9 patch arrangement. Maybe something like this: One square - then what else? Use two fabrics and you get this. You can see I was laying them out in as 9 patches. Then I rotated some by 90 degrees... then decided to make some bigger and some smaller... I still like how it looks at this stage, and have it in my head that I may revisit this, but ended up adding a border to each square - including the little strip in most. Still the 9 patch format and you can see that to start with I using the borders to bring every piece out at the same size. But it felt a bit static, so I started mixing up the sizes, which let me to using little strips to fill in the gaps. This was one solution, but as always there would have been others (like using filler strips or being more deliberate in the sizes I made things so that they would fit into rows or columns, or using an additional fabric - one that stood out more...) The stage I am at now is interesting as shortage of fabric has led me to piece the outer borders out of even the tiniest scraps, but this has unexpected benefits, the principal one for me being that it allows me to break down the clear lines between individual units like this... What I'm trying to illustrate is that at every stage of a project you can say 'this is fine, I'll stick with this' but that sometimes more interesting things happen if you think 'what can I change, what can I try now?' If you try something and don't like it, go back to where you were, if you feel it's working, keep going forwards. (For a completely different take on a quilt based on squares, hop over to Ann's blog and take a look at her latest work.) So go and play, pick a shape, start cutting, see where it gets you. Start with one colour, or two, or more, make them from crumbs, from strips, slice into them or leave them whole, border them, float them in space, arrange them in orderly lines, offset them, mix them up randomly. Ask yourself 'what if', follow your instincts and have fun. I'll post again next Tuesday, this time sharing some playing along these lines that I have been doing specifically for AHIQ.

I am not often short of words, but on this occasion I need one more than I have. I have finished the column on the right hand side that was nearly there last time I posted. And started to work with the remaining three birds, which need to go over on the left. If you look at the picture above and then the one below you will see that my first step was actually to chop a load of stuff off one of my little blocks. I didn't dislike it, but just couldn't get things to balance properly and decided that a rethink was in order. This was partly because I had quite a clear idea of where I want the words in this column to fall and that big chunk was just making it impossible. Taking it back to a smaller shape gave me much more room for manoeuvre. I also ended up shifting the birds around for the umpteenth time. I'm done now though: this is where they will be staying. Now I need to print one more word, to go in that gap. Linking up Off the Wall Friday.

The good thing about not being quite able to get all your binding stitched down before you go on holiday is that you're really, really close to a finish when you come back and pick up a needle again. All at Sea is finally finished, probably two months after I first thought the end was in sight, but that's the way it goes sometimes. This is a long quilt and I nearly despaired of getting a picture of the whole thing in one go; even my trusting washing line wasn't quite up to the job. The two best shots I've come up with are on kitchen floor, and this one, behind which lurks a husband, balancing on a stepladder and telling me to hurry up because his arms hurt. Here's the back... ...the binding... ...and a couple of close-ups. Details: 48"x 72". Quilt and backing made from stash fabrics. I think most of the prints that leap out at you are Janet Clare (some Hearty Good Wishes and some Nocturne). As a side note, Janet Clare is one of the designers whose fabrics I particularly miss while I'm just buying organic. Wadding is Hobbs wool. Handquilted using Aurifil Lana (again) but also Madeira Lana, which was new to me and is pretty much like the Arifil but came in a couple of pleasing variegated threads. I'm not sure anyone will notice that, but I know and it pleases me. I pieced this between 9th May and 22nd July 2016. Quilting started 14th May, finished 5th September 2017. Now that I see those dates I am thinking, 'blimey, this one took me ages' but the previous quilt got done really fast, so I guess it all balances out in the end. I should also mention that this quilt would never have been made without the inspiration of Julie's book, 'The Free Pieced Barn Project. It has it's own blog, so if you want to learn more, you can check it out here. Linking up today with NinaMarie for Off the Wall Friday and TGIFF at Devoted Quilter.

You don't need to be nervous about sewing with lace and slippery fabric. You can learn how to sew a slip pattern.

🚗 Iron-on applique car 🧲with adhesive coating for ironing on (BSN film: for permanent ironing) 📏Size: approx. 4.7 x 2.5 cm 📝 How to iron on the patch: • Set the iron to "cotton" (120°C) • cover with cloth • Iron with pressure and movement of the iron for approx. 15 seconds • iron from the back For delicate fabrics, it is better to sew on rather than iron on. 👕 After ironing on, it is best to let the patch rest for 24 hours. The item of clothing with the new patch on it should not be worn or washed during this time. This will help the patch stick better and stay on for longer. 👖 If you wear the garment constantly, the patch may start to stick off slowly. That's why I definitely recommend sewing the patch on with a few small stitches around the edge. 💌 Shipping is by letter. 🤗 If you have any further questions, please write to me!

Denim stripe shirt in blue and terracotta with embroidered stripes detail. Care instructions: Cool machine wash. No bleach. Similar colors together. Sizing My Little Cozmo generally fits true to size with relaxed designs. Composition 100% Organic Cotton Designed and made in Barcelona, S Founded in 2014 by sisters and mothers, Cristina and Núria, in Barcelona, My Little Cozmo has created a fashion universe. Each piece of their baby’s and kid’s clothing is designed and created with their own motherly hands, slowly with care and close attention to detail. Entirely produced in Spain, the brand takes an artisan approach to their sewing, dyeing and wash processes resulting in comfortably soft and wonderful clothes for all those great moments in a kid's life.

The Beginner Series is a great option for total beginners looking to dive into sewing and build solid skills from the get go. The collection of garments are not only the easiest ones in our range but they're the ones that offer the most guidance with the supporting online tutorials.

Long fine pins with a decoratative pearlised flower which are great when making quilts/patchwork as you can pin the fabric flat at 90 degrees and stitch very close or even over if you sew slowly. 45mm long and 40 pins to the wheel

Looking for a Backpack that is unique, sustainable and vibrant? Perfect! You came to the right shop! You are looking at a one of a kind ethically made round Backpack. This artistic bag is slowly crafted by two hands with absolute finesse and quality in mind. This vibrant backpack has been created out of the fabric waste. Denim jeans, cotton and polyester scraps, leftover threads, clothing labels and other small fabric pieces saved from previous design projects were used to create this one of a kind shoulder bag. This specific zero waste upcycling process requires time, patients and creative mindset. Sewing fabric scraps takes hours. Designed to be eye caching and unique, as we all are. Super comfy, lightweight and perfect size, fits for any season or any occasion. There are two extra pockets inside to keep smaller items away from the main compartment. There is no animal leather in this product, so it is completely vegan friendly. Suitable as a gift for your loved ones. Washable. Wash in cold water to preserve vibrant colors or use the delicate cycle in the washing machine. If you like this listing, check out my other backpacks at the link down below - I make them in a variety of colors: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ODUKupcycled?section_id=39918187 Still cant find color that suits you best? No problem, I can easily do a custom order! Dimensions approx. 30cm/30cm/8cm (l/h/w) Lightweight, approx. 350g Adjustable straps Zip closure Two pockets inside Top handle Do you have any questions? Don't hesitate and contact me, I am happy to help.

I have been making slow progress on my rattlesnake quilt. Though I love the blocks, I am finding that even when I have time, progress is slow. Cutting the backgrounds is a bit fussy — ironi…

Introduction to Sergers ✓ Step by Step Guide on Overlockers for Beginners ✓ Tools, Threading, Settings explained ► Start your first Project now!

** Check out other self-drafted patterns at Wood Child Designs! ** I’ve gotten quite a few DM’s on Instagram and comments on my posts asking about how to get started with sewing a linen top. The beauty of these designs is they are so simple, both design-wise, but also construction-wise. They are a great introduction …

Want to give your quilting some added texture and depth? Try machine quilting with 12 wt. thread! It's not difficult, but there are 5 secrets you must know.

Terry cloth round collar dress with coral and white stripes. Features shoulder ruffle. Care instructions: Cool machine wash. No bleach. Similar colors together. Sizing My Little Cozmo generally fits true to size with relaxed designs. Composition 80% Cotton / 20% Recycled Polyester / Knit Designed and made in Barcelona, S Founded in 2014 by sisters and mothers, Cristina and Núria, in Barcelona, My Little Cozmo has created a fashion universe. Each piece of their baby’s and kid’s clothing is designed and created with their own motherly hands, slowly with care and close attention to detail. Entirely produced in Spain, the brand takes an artisan approach to their sewing, dyeing and wash processes resulting in comfortably soft and wonderful clothes for all those great moments in a kid's life.

When I first started sewing plackets - I thought the standard version was a tad cumbersome, so I decided to come up with my own way, the 'easier way' if you like.

A blog about teddy bear making, mohair teddy bears and the life of teddy bear artist Paula Carter.