Curvaceous fan blade

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 As promised I've come back to this design with the fan blade -

 

 

I have used the Bigz Die - 660459 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660459/sizzix-bigz-l-die-fan-blade-30-degrees and the Big Shot Machine - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray 





but this time I have stitched the fan blades together to create curves rather than circles -

I have done this by stitching 4 blades together as shown above, and then stitching the next 4 together in the opposite direction -

  to create a corner stitch 7 blades together in the same direction, before reversing to create the opposite curve -

This is obviously still a work in progress - so I hope to show you a finished cushion cover next week - and maybe the first of some items for Christmas - it all depends on how fast the clock ticks this week!!!

Enjoy the cosy evenings - and plan something nice.

Angela

Fan Blade Dresden Plate - finished

 Hello again - I have enjoyed completing this little quilt - I managed to make 9 'plates' from my fabric

 

and I decided to stitch them onto a plain white background, and then use narrow ric rac to create the appearance of blocks -

 

I used a 3 step zig zag stitch for the plates, and a straight stitch for the ric rac

 



For the centres I bonded 2 layers of white fabric together and then cut 9 x 1 1/2" circles using the Big Shot http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray and the Bigz Circle Die - 660113 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660113/sizzix-bigz-die-circles-1-1-2

I stitched the circles in place using a zig zag stitch

All it needs is the binding - which will be plain white and this little quilt is complete - I hope  you like it.

Next week I'll be back on the Fan Blade completing what I started 2 weeks ago.

After that it will be Christmas preparations - there will be some gifts and maybe some decorations - let's see what time and ideas allow.

Angela

 

Fan blade Dresden Plate - part 1

 I really enjoyed working at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace last week, with Lady Sew and Sew. Of course I had to buy some fabric for some new projects - and this has caused a slight re-arrangement of my planned blogs!! - (I just had to use some new fabric this week so I will come back to the blog I wrote last week in a week or so - sorry I've digressed a little!)
So this week I have used the fan blade to create a Dresden plate with points, rather than curves -

 

The fabric that distracted me is from one of the Kaffe Fassett ranges and it is different coloured stripes down the length of the fabric so that you have a bit of several colours across the width of the fabric.

Again I'm using the Bigz die -  Fan Blade - 660459 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660459/sizzix-bigz-l-die-fan-blade-30-degrees and the Big Shot Plus - 660020 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray

So I thought it would be fun to make some flowers using this fabric - so I folded the fabric so that the stripes would lie across the fan blade, and cut, then I moved the fabric so that I could cut a different colour and so on to give me a mix of pink, lilac, and green blades. (This is not an economical use of the fabric - but I can cut out hexagons, or triangles from the remaining fabric so it won't be wasted)

To make the points fold a blade in half, right sides together, down the length and stitch across the widest curve -

and then turn the right side out and press the edge to make the point -

 

Stitch 12 blades to create a plate -

for each complete plate you will need 60cm x 12cm, and the completed plate measures 18cm across
So far I have made 5 plates - each one different - aren't they pretty!

I am going to make a few more - and then next week I will show you an easy way to make a lovely, easy quilt with them.
Time for a cup of tea and then a bit more sewing I think.
Have fun this week.
Angela

 

Fan Blade

 Hello again - this week I'm in Alexandra Palace, with Lady Sew and Sew, at the Knitting and Stitching show - do come and see us - we are on stand G16/17.

I'm demonstrating the Big Shot, Big Shot Plus and the Big Shot Express - which is the electric model.

Along with lots of  Bigz Dies - both old and new.

As promised I've used one of the new dies this week - it's the Fan Blade - 660459 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660459/sizzix-bigz-l-die-fan-blade-30-degrees-

 along with the Big Shot Plus http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray 

and I'm going to be using this die for a couple of weeks to show different effects.

I used 3 different fabrics and cut out 4 fan blades in each -

With right sides of fabric together I joined the 12 blades together in sequence to create a circle (take care to keep your seam allowance precise) -

 

Press the seams flat, and trim the threads.

Stitch around the edge of the circle - 1/4"/6mm from the edge -

 

and then press the hem allowance to the wrong side - and pin in place to the background fabric -



 

the circle is 7"/18cm in diameter, and the centre circle is 1/2"/1.3cm - the choice is to cut a 1"/2.5cm circle to cover the hole - or use a button.

You can hand or machine stitch the piece in place.

Now at this moment I'm not sure what project I am going to create - so I am going to leave it just pinned onto the background for the moment.

Next week I'm going to use the same die to create a different effect and then I may combine them to create a cushion of a table runner.

So enjoy the autumn colours and plan some lovely sewing for the darker evenings.

I hope to see some of you at the show sometime.

Angela

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







Newish - Kaleidoscope die

Now it's October and the days are shorter it's time to look at some of our latest dies before starting on Christmas projects.

This week I'm showing the Kaleidoscope die - 660182, its not the latest die but I haven't used it yet -  http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660182/sizzix-bigz-l-die-kaleidoscope-6-1-2-assembled

I can remember as a child being fascinated with a kaleidoscope viewer, and would look at it for a long time - this doesn't have quite the versatility - but with the use of different colours you will be able to create a diverse pattern.

For this blog I am only using 4 fabrics because it is just to show how the die shapes create the pattern.

For each block you will need  25 x13cm/10" x 5" of fabrics 1 and 2 and 18 x 9cm/7" x 3 1/2" of fabric 3

Using the die and the Big Shot (http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray) or Big Shot plus (http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray) cut 4 large triangles from fabrics 1 and 2, and cut 4 small triangles in fabric 3 -

(the small triangle is a lighter blue - but doesn't show up too well on this background) 

Join the large triangles together in pairs-

 

 

then join the pairs together -

 

and then join the 2 halves together -

Stitch the small triangles to the four corners to complete the block -

 

Press the whole block -

 



At this point you can either make more blocks using the same fabrics and alternating which fabric you add the small triangle to - or you could make all the blocks in different fabrics - making a lovely kaleidoscope of colour - the choice is yours!

 For now I have just made 2 different blocks -

I might make up some more of these and see where the colours lead me, and I can already see the beginning of an illusion of a curve - so this could be fun, but that's all I have time for now.
I'm off to enjoy a bit more of this late sunshine!

Next week I'm demonstrating the ~Big Shot Machines, and the Bigz dies at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, alongside Lady Sew and Sew - sorry I don't know the stand number - but do come and say hello.

Angela

Carpenters Wheel quillow

The name quillow may be new to you - it means a quilt that folds into a pillow - or cushion. I love these and made some for each of my daughters as they went to university.

The carpenters wheel block, made with 2" squares and half square triangles, (dies used - 659831

http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659831/sizzix-bigz-die-half-square-triangles-2-1-2-assembled-square and 657607 -http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657607/sizzix-bigz-die-square-2-finished-2-1-2-unfinished, with the Big Shot Machine - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray) is a 16" square - so cut an 18" square in wadding and backing fabric. Layer the backing, wadding and cushion front together, pin and then quilt together.

Trim the wadding and backing to the same size as the cushion front.

Cut another piece of backing fabric the same size and

Trim the wadding and backing to the same size as the cushion front.

Cut another piece of backing fabric the same size and place on top of the cushion front and stitch around 3 sides (now you could leave the backing off when you are quilting but I like to quilt with a fabric on the back not just the wadding - but that's just personal choice)

Turn the cushion right side out and press.

For the quilt part I have used 1.8m by 112cm wide,of a plain black and a small print, and cut a piece of wadding to match.

As I don't want to add a binding to the quilt I layered on fabric right side up, on the wadding.

The cushion is placed in the middle of one end, matching raw edges, and then the other quilt fabric is placed right side down, over the top -

Pin through all layers and stitch together, using a 1/4" or 6mm seam allowance, and leaving an opening of 12"/ 30cm in one side.

Turn the quillow right side out, and slip stitch the open edges together.

Quilt as desired - leaving the cushion free at the end -



To complete flip the cushion onto the quilt, so that the pieced front is against the quilt, pin the sides to the quilt - and stitch in place, leaving the top edge open -

 

(this photo should show black - but I'm not sure what happened to the colour!!)

Turn the quillow over so that the pocket is underneath, fold the sides in to match the width of the cushion, then fold the length into 4, to match the cushion side.

All that remains is to turn the cushion right side out, with all of the quilt inside - and that's it folks -

A useful cushion, that doubles as a quilt for a cold evening.

Next week I'll show off one of our new dies - and then the following week I'll be at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace - so maybe I'll see some of you there.

Angela

Mystery block part 2

 In a little while the block will be revealed - and I love it - it is complex but I think worth the effort so to continue - join your rectangles together to make squares - you will make 4 of each - (remember to press the seams flat open) -

 

 

 

ant then join the squares together like this, again you will make 4 of each -



and then join together like this - so that you have 4 quarters of the block -

Lay the 4 quarters out - so that you join them together in the right arrangement -

 and then stitch them together to create your complete block -

I know this block as Carpenters Wheel - and I love the 3-D effect. As my father was a carpenter it reminds me of him. I had hoped to make a table runner by making 3 of these blocks - but I don't have enough fabric so this will become a cushion - so look out for next week to see how this cushion becomes a quilt!!! 

Angela

Mystery block - part 1

 Recently I had the privilege of demonstrating at a trade show in Lillestrom in Norway, with Global Hobby. I had a lovely time and came away with quite a few half-square triangles and squares cut - and I really liked some of the fabrics - so here we start the mystery block -
this is a 16" finished block and you will need a long quarter of each fabric for the block - and make it easier for yourself by choosing non directional fabric - believe me it will be a lot easier! and you need clear distinction between the light medium and dark fabrics to get the best effect.

 

You need to cut 32 x 2 1/2" half-square triangles from each fabric - using the Big Shot http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660200/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-white-gray
and Bigz die - 659831 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659831/sizzix-bigz-die-half-square-triangles-2-1-2-assembled-square
and 12 x 2 1/2" square in light and 4 in dark, using the Bigz die 657607 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657607/sizzix-bigz-die-square-2-finished-2-1-2-unfinished
Join the triangles together to make 16 squares in each colour combination, (and press the seams flat open because of the complexity and number of seams that join) -

 

Join 16 squares together to make 8 rectangles like this -



and then join the remaining squares into rectangles, 4 of each -



So this will give you 32 rectangles and next time you'll see how to put them together for the complete block.
Happy sewing
Angela