Step by step guide to patchwork, simple as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
1. Choose fabric and set iron to cotton setting.
2. Press fabric square and select additional squares, be sure not to leave iron in one place too long.
3. Turn off iron and lay fabric squares on the floor, any which way you like.
4. Measure once.
5. Concentrate. Measure twice.
6. Leave mess behind while you break for morning tea.
Patchwork, it's childs play.
I love it,
Natalie x
Time to share a gorgeous project with you made from Woodland, stitched and designed by the amazing Kristyne from Pretty by Hand. If you have not checked out her blog before - run there now and flag it as your new favorite.
Actually, I secretly wish I had spent Christmas in a cabin in the snow like she did. How much fun would that be? Don't even get me started on her Farmer's Wife blocks, because I might not stop.
Anyway, back to the sewing......It's Personal.
That's the name of the pattern and you can sew it up too, then monogram it with whatever letter you like - make one for every member of the family. Isabelle is starting kinder next month and if I was a really awesome Mum I would make one for her, a special book bag......hmm maybe I am not that awesome after all ;)
Where do you find the pattern?
Right here @ the Lecien web site
Click the link above to download - the pattern is full of images and fabulous instructions to make your own drawstring bag. There really is nothing stopping you now - have a peek at these images *pattern instruction love*
Thank you so much Kristyne for sharing your Zakka design and choosing some of my favorite Woodland prints to whip up It's Personal - (dude) you are one amazing gal x
So quick - go and grab some Woodland, print the pattern, sew up a storm and enjoy. I would like one in every color thanks!
Till then,
Natalie x
It's so nice to take a step back, to sit and look at how far I have come and seek the direction I will now take.
To say the last twelve months have been awesome would be an understatement but there have been many other things among the awesomeness that have lead me to the place I am now. The laughter, the tears, the fun times, the disappointment & sheer exhilaration the late nights and hard work...the margaritas in USA - when I look back on 2011 I understand why I feel the way I do....so many things accomplished in twelve short months.
And you thought playing with fabric was all cotton candy and ferris wheels.....right?
Sometimes it is.
2012 will be the year I chase more dreams.
Because I know I can,
and I know you want me to.
There is so much catching up I need to do and share with you, projects made, radio shows, magazine features. I need to get you up to date on all things Cinderberry....so let's back track a little and start where I last left you.
From memory I was madly preparing for Quilt Market and making sweet samples from Woodland. To me, my fabric is my art - it's the drawings I sat up and sketched while the little one was sleeping, the inspiration coming from whatever went on in the house and my mind that day.
I wanted to make a project that required little or no sewing, it had to be quick and simple for anyone to put together but still look gob-smackingly-Woodland-gorgeous.
This is what I was thinking
- One canvas art board
- self cover buttons
- a ruler and black COSMO embroidery thread
- lot's of 1 1/2 inch woodland squares
- glue
You can probably guess the rest and whip one of these up for yourself - I have a huge rectangle canvas in the studio I have plans for next, this one here is just a little but still so perfect & exactly what I had imagined.
If you are wondering (and I know someone will be) just use a pencil and ruler and lightly draw a 1 1/2 inch grid over the canvas...glue fabric squares and sew on buttons. Finish off by stitching over the grid pencil lines = done.
All up it took me about 2-3 hours...probably less if I didn't stop for that cup of tea.
I adore it.
My own personal art work of my artwork,
there is nothing better.
Be sure to let me know if you whip one up or if Woodland has arrived in your home, I look forward to sharing some more news and projects in the coming days as I slowly get myself back in the blogging hot seat.
May you have a wonderful 2012 and follow those dreams,
because you know I want you to.
Natalie xo
Time for a little illumination.
Of the Woodland kind.
To say my Daughter is excited about this lamp would be an understatement.
It also has to be the most simple project I have made for sometime and I like simple, especially when running around getting last minute things ready for quilt market.
Hot pink lamp base & shade: Target $15
Fabric to recover shade: Woodland (neighbours print / pink)
Target also had the same lamp in blue which would match Woodland perfectly. I am planning to pop back in a see if they still have some left on the shelf, my studio needs a new lamp now Isabelle has adopted this one. Hmmmm.....would you like to see a blue version?
So glad I saw the light.
Till then,
Natalie x
Did I mention last time there was another new pattern to come?
The third new design (hot on the heels of Woodland Village and Hedgehog Happy Hour) is the sweetest design I have named 'Hedgehog Happy Hour'.
Two patterns in one - Bunting and the bags
This design is also packaged with iron on transfers and as with all the new patterns are printed in full color and written with lots of detail. Oh, and did I mention my little illustrations among the pattern pages? A little bit of Cinderberry on every pattern page *LOVE*
Hedgehog Happy Hour features my latest pencil sketch - The cuckoo clock. Not any regular clock, this one has deer, hedgehog and a little cuckoo bird popping it's head out.
Surely it must be happy hour? Whatever the time of day.
The bags on the pattern cover feature three diffecent colorways from my Woodland fabric collection and a delicious polka dot lining from Lecien basics.
The same embroidery design is featured on the bunting just a smaller version which looks super cute. Perfect for any bedroom - studio - nursery - kids play room, actually anywhere you can find a spare spot.
Everyone needs Hedgehog Happy Hour cuckoo clock bunting. Don't you think?
Well, at least this little fella agrees with me.
Pattern: Hedgehog Happy Hour
Includes: Iron on transfers
Fabric: Woodland by Cinderberry Stitches (& Lecien basics (polka dot) for lining)
Embroidery floss: COSMO & COSMO Seasons thread
Hope it's Hedgehog Happy Hour at your place soon.
Till then,
Natalie x
I adore this quilt.
Generally speaking the last quilt I make is my favorite, or at least until the next one is sewn and ready to share.
This one is different
Hedgehog Happy-ness will be my forever favorite.
F.o.r.e.v.e.r
Four little elfin girls, each with a bunch of ten hedgehog balloons makes anyone hedgehog happy. And every girl in woodland dreams about hedgehog balloons, don't they?
Sweet little faces and stripe stockings peep out from the middle of the quilt.
So innocent & full of imagination. Hard not to love them, just a little.
Hedgehog Happy-ness features my Woodland fabric and Lecien basics against white linen. I adore the bright fabrics against the crisp linen - fresh and modern.
The quilting? I decided on a mix of hand and machine quilting, DMC perle cotton across the middle panel and straight line quilting.
Oh, and the deer.
They are so deer.
I want to reach out and squeeze them.
But the hedgies? They are definately my favorite.
Spreading their Hedgehog Happy-ness
Pattern: Hedgehog Happy-ness
Includes: Iron on transfers
Fabric: Woodland by Cinderberry Stitches & a little Flower Sugar & Lecien basics
Embroidery floss: COSMO & COSMO Seasons thread
(Hand) Quilting thread: DMC perle cotton
Hope they spread their happy-ness your way soon and find themselves in your local patchwork store.
Till then,
Natalie x
I have just arrived home from set up day at AQM so it is time to start sharing with you the new patterns ready to hit the market. Feel free to pass the word on to your local patchwork store.
I think it might be best to show you the new patterns over a series of three days while I am up in Melbourne at Quilt Market, that way you get to see the goodies the same time the stores attending do. I have been in my own pattern writing world getting the new products ready for release so now I can finally share some more handmade goodness with you.
The first new design is called Woodland Village, I have been holding on to this pattern for a little while. It was created around the time I was designing my fabric line for Lecien and you can see where some of the inspiration for the fabric came from with my little 'shroom' village.
Woodland Village features fourteen small embroidery designs (some designs are repeated) and one large scale 'shroom' village though the middle of the quilt - as I type this I have begun stitching the blocks again so I can make the quilt using Woodland fabrics and show you two different colorways.
Here is a close up of a few little houses in the village centre block, with little pot plants on the window sill and flowers 'painted' over the door of each house. I believe the lady birds love these little houses too.
Woodland Village is packaged with iron on transfers so you have all you need to go home and get started on your own version - no need to trace = perfect!
At the time what I thought was a moment of sheer madness, I decided to hand quilt with DMC perle cotton rather than send it off to my quilter. Actually it turned out to be the best decision, very relaxing and the perfect size quilt to finish by hand at 50" x 44"
Pattern: Woodland Village
Includes: Iron on transfers
Fabric: Flower Sugar & Grandmothers Flower Garden / Lecien
Embroidery floss: COSMO
Quilting thread: DMC perle cotton
For any shop owners attending AQM (wholesale market) over the weekend please be sure to come and say hello I would love to meet you - my Cinderberry Stitches designs and Woodland fabric can be seen at both the Creative Abundance and Charles Parsons booths.
Which reminds me, I must pack my camera tomorrow to snap photos of the booth display for you! (with a clean lens this time)
Till then,
Natalie x
Pattern writing or making daisy chains with my girl?
I choose the daisy chains every time.
There is nothing better on a sweet Spring day.
It makes me want to dance like this.....
Congratulations to Sandra Timmons who left this message -
"I just love happy dance. I could be dancing my little heart out when I have the copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4 in my possession. I just want to make so many of these blocks. Thanks for a chance to win such a wonderful magazine."
I will have Quiltmaker send you a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volumn 4 so you can in fact dance your heart out - and stitch away!
Till then,
Natalie x
During Quilt Market I sent out a message to my Twitter and Facebook friends about Flat Nat and her miss adventures during market. It read something like this:
"Travel alert! The infamous Flat Nat's suitcase has gone missing at International Quilt Market. She has no travel insurance and needs your help! If you see her hand stitched luggage anywhere, please return. Thanks a Million."
Her bag is still missing.
Feel free to share this post, and help get the message around - I guess you never know where her case might appear next.
This is the case, it's cute and little -10cm x 8cm (4″ x 3¼″ ) when closed.
Open and inside is the contents, this is a pic I snapped the night before I left for market...kind of wish now I had taken more images at the time.
It was last seen right here in the Woodland display
The fabric in the lining inside the case is the yellow Woodland print below
Here is a better image of the inside - image from the original version 'Flat Nat 1.0'
Ironically, my suitcase also went missing on the way home from America.
Yes, the two of us - Flat Nat AND Not so Flat Nat hanging out with no luggage.....must have been a full moon. I can laugh about it now, but there is nothing worse than waiting at the airport baggage claim area for a bag that never arrives.
Believe me, it's 1,000,000 x worse when your case is filled with samples.
I was lucky, mine arrived by courier 24 hours after I got home. I wonder if Flat Nat will ever be reunited with hers? Please, let me know if you catch a glimpse of the case anywhere around your neighbourhood.
Till then,
Natalie x