Where the Orchids Grow.

Staple Dress

2013-05-09T12:01:00.000+02:00

What do you do in the hours before you leave on holiday?
Me? well I whip up a new dress of course ;)
The pattern is the Staple Dress by April Rhodes which is available for instant download on her website. It was the perfect thing to sew in the few hours I had left between packing up my last few things and leaving for the airport. I love it, it's quick, stylish and super comfy to wear on the plane!

Apart from lowering the neckline slightly I made no alterations to the pattern.
I used a jersey knit fabric which I can highly recommend it makes for such an easy to wear dress. I made the drop hem version with pockets but omitted the shirred waistline. Since I'll only be wearing this with a belt I felt it wasn't necessary plus I was in a bit of a rush ;)

My holiday was lovely and we have a few more days left before school starts again. All I need to decide now is if I'll be good and get behind the machine for some serious sewing or if I'll go out and play in the sun some more... with my new dress on I don't think it's much of a choice now is it!

x Leila

Books and patchwork

2013-04-22T21:23:00.000+02:00

My weekend was all about the books and patchwork.
I listened to the audio version of this amazingly brilliant book whilst sewing some more hexagon flowers for what one day will be a quilt- really it will! ;)

I received Ayumi's book Patchwork Please in anticipation of the Zakka Sew Along. Notice the sponsor goodies, I will be sharing these with you soon! I love Ayumi and everything she does so I knew I would love her book, and I do! Her projects are SO cute! I started putting sticky notes on all the ones I want to make but soon had to stop as bookmarking each page seemed a bit silly.

I left the comfort of my couch and audio book for a little while to sew this block from Patchwork 163. It is a tricky block with lots of Y seams. I must admit it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.

I've gone blind to the good parts and can only see the faults, those uneven edges with not enough seam allowance - ouch. Oh well, I'm not in love with my work but the block is definitely pretty and worth another attempt some day.

It will have to wait though I have one more chapter to finish listening to before I'm ready to leave my couch yet :)

x Leila

Wednesday

2013-04-03T15:53:00.000+02:00

Lately I haven't been very good at finishing anything I start. I am keeping myself busy but have nothing to show for it in the end which leaves me with very little to blog about. It's one of those things I suppose, it happens to me now and then. I'm never quite sure if it's too many ideas or a lack of ideas that are inspired enough to actually stick.
My sewing room is filled with half sewn blocks, sketches and stacks of fabrics. Quilt blocks on piles waiting to be made into something, lots of projects in various states of 'unfinishedness'

For a while I sewed endless rows of scrap squares together just to go through the motions of creating something without actually making something (does that make any sense?!) It helps clear my head so fresh ideas will emerge.

As for finishes, I sewed two more Schoenrock Cross blocks which brings the total up to ten. Far from a quilt top yet but I still love them!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!
Ours was cold with icy winds and even some snow, but there was some sunshine as well and an endless supply of chocolate eggs to see us through :)

x Leila

Sloppy Josephine Tee

2013-03-18T13:17:00.000+01:00

I am willing it to be spring (snow in March gasp it's still so cold!!) So I made myself a new spring top. I'm hoping Rae will host another spring top sew along again this year it's one of my favourite ways to celebrate the coming of the sunshine, my pale skin needs it so!

In my search for a nice basic top pattern to add to my small pattern collection I stumbled upon Papercut Patterns Have you heard of them before? I had not, but the sloppy Josephine tee looked promising. Sloppy is the way I like my tee's and I love me a raglan sleeve top!

The packaging of this pattern alone is worth the price it is gorgeous!! Not only does it come in a pretty box, it has a cute little booklet with instructions and the pattern pieces are printed on nice thick brown paper. I'm impressed.

I was good and made a quick muslin before cutting into my fabric and decided on some minor adjustments:

I raised the neckline, it's still low cut and could be raised another 1" or so but I like the low cut look. Also I did not follow the patterns suggestion of binding the neckline. Instead I cut the strip about an 1" shorter and slightly stretched it in while attaching, finishing off the raw edges with my overlocker. This makes the neckline sit nice and flat, as a bonus it was easy and quick.

I'm not very tall so I shortened the length of the tee to suit me better.
And lastly I opted for more narrow sleeve cuffs, it's a personal preference I don't like the look of wide cuffs.

It's a pretty basic tee, very comfy so I'm sure I'll be wearing it lots. I want to try a long sleeved version when I find the right fabric for it.

oh and guess what the sun just came out woop!! my plan worked ;)

x Leila

Ringo Pie Guitar

2013-03-06T23:13:00.002+01:00

For Melinda's month in Ringo Pie she asked us to make guitar themed blocks to make a quilt for her son who loves everything guitars. He sounds like a pretty cool dude doesn't he!

I on the other hand wasn't so cool, more than one attempt at sewing a guitar block fit for Melinda's little rock star ended up in the rubbish bin. I will not bore you with all that went wrong, lets just say the curves and I were not going to get along, I'll not even mention the endless seam ripping and how things got so distorted there was no resemblance of a guitar in sight.... no best not ;)

So after quickly disposing of all evidence that ever such a horrible block had existed, I made a fresh start using a wonderful Paper panache pattern. And I'm glad I did it is just the right guitar shape and better still no curves - what a relief!

I'm looking forward to see this quilt I think it will be something very special!

x Leila

a little house

2013-02-11T10:43:00.001+01:00

Ooooh February how I dislike you! I'm fed up with the cold and the snow! I find myself longing for a sandy beach somewhere tropical and warm, dipping my toes in the sea.
Alas it's not the case and I've been busy with lots of things that I can't blog about because they're:
1. a surprise or 2. plain boring ( shortening curtains anyone? I didn't think so!)

I have managed to steal a little time away from it all to sew up this itty bitty house block. It's only 4", so cute!

And I made a couple more Schoenrock Cross blocks, I thought I had six so I was happy to find I had done 8 already!

They're in random order now, I love playing with the arrangement of blocks as I go along.
The promised tutorial on how to sew the blocks with an inset corner square is postponed, I'm sorry if you've been waiting anxiously for it! I do intend to eventually add it to the QAL, just not making any promises as to when :P

Stay warm my friends!

x Leila

Schoenrock Cross QAL - freezer paper piecing

2013-01-30T08:16:00.000+01:00

<div align="center"><a href="http://wheretheorchidsgrow.blogspot.nl/" title="Schoenrock Cross QAL"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b558/WheretheOrchidsGrow/QALbutton_zps76c07bd2.jpg" alt="Schoenrock Cross QAL" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Today I want to show you how I sew my Schoenrock Cross blocks. While it's easier to get accurate results with foundation paper piecing I prefer the freezer paper method because it wastes less of my precious fabrics.

This tutorial will only cover how to use the freezer paper method to piece the four corner blocks needed to complete one Schoenrock Cross block. Instructions on how to piece the centre cross section and how to piece the final block can be found in the foundation paper piecing tutorial here.

A few tips:

Freezer paper piecing is much like assembling a puzzle. It helps to keep an extra copy of the templates next to your sewing machine for reference.
The two halves of the corner blocks are the same but mirrored. I sewed pieces on the wrong way round for the first two blocks or so, after that I knew which piece belongs where.
It doesn't matter which side of the fabric you iron the templates on as long as you are consistently ironing them to either the wrong or the right side of the fabric.
I like to remove the templates before sewing them so I iron on the right side of the fabric. If you iron the templates to the wrong side of the fabric you can leave them on whilst sewing as a seam guide.
Cut 1\4" seam allowance around all sides of the freezer paper template. Cut your seam allowances slightly generous by placing the guide on your ruler next to the template instead of exactly on it. These blocks have a tendency to shrink a little. The little wriggle room in your seam allowances makes up for that.
Alternatively you can trace 1\4" seam allowance on the freezer paper itself which eliminates the need to add 1\4" when cutting your fabrics.
I press my seams open, this is a matter of personal preference. I find the seam that joins the two halves of the corner block together a bit bulky when the seams are pressed to one side. I get better results at matching up those points when my seams are pressed open and flat.
If you make more than one block you will lose a point tip here and there. With so many points to match up in one single block it's bound to happen, best to just accept that!

You will need:

Schoenrock Cross pattern template
freezer paper
fine tip pen
regular quilting supplies (rotary cutter, cutting mat, rulers etc.)

Step 1 - Freezer paper templates

Print the pattern templates. Check the 1" test square to make sure the templates are to scale
Trace each template on the dull side of the freezer paper using a fine tip pen.
Cut out each template with a scalpel or scissors.
Iron the templates onto the fabrics.
Cut around the the templates with 1\4" seam allowance on all sides using a transparent ruler and rotary cutter.

Step 2- Freezer paper piecing the corner blocks

Sew section A in the order in which it is numbered.
Sew section B in the order in which it is numbered.

3. Pin section A & B right sides together. Make sure the points of the kites match up.

4. Join section A & B

5. Sew three more blocks following steps 1-4.

6. Trim the blocks back to 4 3\4" if necessary.

7. Refer to the foundation paper piecing tutorial on how to piece the cross section and join the final block sections together.

All done!

If you have any questions or need help just ask here or on Flickr I will do my best to help you along!
There have already been some beautiful Schoenrock Cross blocks submitted to the Flickr group pool, don't forget to add yours too!

I will do one more short tutorial on how to piece the block with inset corner squares or Y seams, next.

x Leila

Schoenrock Cross QAL - foundation paper piecing

2013-01-21T16:58:00.000+01:00

Today's tutorial is on how to piece the Schoenrock Cross block using the foundation paper piecing method.

First off a few general tips on foundation paper piecing:

Always remember you are working in reverse, the image on the paper template is the mirror image of what your finished block will look like.
Because of that I always keep an extra printout of the templates, or finished block design next to my sewing machine for reference.
Use a very short stitch length and a larger size needle, this will make it a lot easier to remove the paper from the wrong side of the block.
I use regular (cheap) printer paper to print out my foundation templates.
Over estimate the amount of fabric you will need for each section, especially if there is a diagonal seam. The last thing you want to be doing is unpicking seams with tiny stitches because you came up short of fabric. Trust me I know it has happened to me many times!
If you hold up your pattern against a source of light you can check if the fabrics are in the right place before sewing them down.

Block Pattern Templates, click here.

Block construction:

Finished block size 10"

The block consists of four corner blocks and a centre cross section.
The cross section is made up of 2" squares (1 1\2" finished) and 2" x 3 1\4" rectangles (1\12" x 2 3\4" finished) Refer to my previous post on fabric choices for different options in making up the cross section. I suppose in theory you could paper piece the squares and rectangles needed but why bother when it is so much easier to just cut them. So I didn't include the cross section in the pattern templates.

Step 1 - Piecing the cross section.

For the centre cross section cut:
Four rectangles 2" x 3 1\4"
Four end squares 2" x 2"
One centre square 2" x 2"

Piece two sets of 1 rectangle and end square.
Piece one centre strip in the following order (refer to the diagram below): end square, rectangle, centre square, rectangle, end square.

Step 2 - Foundation paper piecing the corner blocks

1. Print out the Schoenrock Cross paper piecing pattern. You will need four copies to complete the block.

2. Place the first two fabrics for section A1 and A2 right sides facing on the wrong side of the template, hold up against the light to check if they are in the right place and sew.

3. Fold back the pattern template along the seam and trim back the seam allowance to 1\4"

4. Fold the foundation paper back and press the block on the fabric side.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the next two sections of block A.

6. Trim back all seam allowances to 1\4" on all sides of the block.

7. Repeat steps 2- 6 for section B

8. Join sections A & B, make sure to match up the points and pin them in place. I like to sew a row of longer length basting stitches first to make sure everything matches up correctly. This seam is easier to unpick should the sections not match up.

9. Foundation paper piece three more blocks.

10. Join the top two squares and centre strip.

11. Join the bottom two squares and centre strip.

12. Join the long centre strip to one complete half of your block.

14. Sew the top half to the bottom half to complete the block and remove all paper from the wrong side of the fabric.

Add caption

All done!

Don't forget to show off your blocks in the Schoenrock Cross QAL group !

<div align="center"><a href="http://wheretheorchidsgrow.blogspot.nl/" title="Schoenrock Cross QAL"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b558/WheretheOrchidsGrow/QALbutton_zps76c07bd2.jpg" alt="Schoenrock Cross QAL" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

I'll be busy working on the freezer paper tutorial next!

x Leila

Schoenrock Cross QAL - fabric choices

2013-01-17T19:35:00.000+01:00

Wow such an enthusiastic response to my previous post I'm excited, lets get this QAL started!!
Please feel free to jump in at any time, in any way you like whether it is to watch, make 1 block or a 100, all are welcome.

As a start I would like to discuss fabric choices. The block consists of 41 pieces so naturally there are a ton of choices you can make when it comes to fabric. I can only show so many in one blog post so keep in mind that there are many many more options for you to choose from!

The focus of this post is on the number of different fabrics needed to make up one block and how different layouts effect the overall look of a single block as well as how they will effect the secondary patterns that appear once the blocks are pieced together.
I will not go into colour value in particular as we have covered this already in our previous QAL, but of course adding different values as well as different colours and prints will make your blocks really spectacular!!

To make the most out of the pattern I believe a minimum of three different fabrics is best. This is just my personal preference so feel free to ignore me!
Depending on the layout and colour value used you can make certain pattern elements pop or recede into the background and thus create a different effect with each block you make. Below are two examples.

A beautiful example of the Schoenrock Cross using four different fabrics is this one made by Amy Badskirt. I love the colours she chose for her block, they are so striking!!

Schoenrock Cross block by Amy @Badskirt

Also on Flickr, I found this amazing cushion made by Joanne. She used five prints for her Schoenrock Cross cushion. I love how the colour pallete of Amy and Joanne's block is the same but the effect quite different because of the way they chose to accentuate different elements of the block.

Schoenrock Cross cushion by Joanne @Jo Jo 33

Lets add one more fabric to the mix, this is an example how the block can be made up with six colours\fabrics, there are many more layouts possible of course.

This next stunning cushion was made by Jennifer I was very lucky to receive it in the pillow talk swap, I still love it to bits Jen!! Her block is made up with seven different fabrics and unlike the previous examples her block uses a different print for each set of kites in the corner blocks.

Schoenrock Cross cushion made by Jennifer @Sugar Stitches

Most of my blocks done so far use seven prints as well but I used yet another layout with a fabric for each different pattern element. I plan to mix it up a little and do a few blocks with less prints as well.

Sooo many options right?! I'm hoping these examples demonstrate how amazing this block really is. Whether you go for a minimal approach or take it to town they all look fantastic!

One other thing to consider when choosing fabrics is the secondary pattern that appears once the blocks are pieced together.
Notice how the corner stones make up a new square in the centre of the kites? If you would consistently make up the blocks with one background colour they will be a plain centre square in the secondary pattern.

But use two or more fabrics and they become a fun new pattern element to play around with.

And with yet more different block layouts added to the mix the outer squares that connect each cross section of the block come into play as well.

Well I think this is enough for today! I hope these examples will be of help with your fabric choices. Just have fun with it and pick some of your favourites to work with and I'm sure you will love the blocks :)

I'll be working on getting those tutorials done as soon as possible, they take a bit of time to prepare so please be patient :) I'm aiming to have the first one up after the weekend.
In the meantime please join me in the Schoenrock Cross QAL Flickr group, share your thoughts, plans and fabric choices with us. Don't forget to grab a button on your way out!

<div align="center"><a href="http://wheretheorchidsgrow.blogspot.nl/" title="Schoenrock Cross QAL"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b558/WheretheOrchidsGrow/QALbutton_zps76c07bd2.jpg" alt="Schoenrock Cross QAL" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

x Leila

Schoenrock Cross

2013-01-15T11:15:00.000+01:00

Back when we were working on the Value Added QAL I had intended to use the Schoenrock Cross block for my quilt. Due to time restrictions there was no way I could finish the quilt in time. I only got as far as two blocks which was enough for me to know I really want to finish this quilt!

Who would like a QAL for this one? I thought it might be fun if I do a few posts about the block and different ways to construct it as I work my way through the minimum of 30 blocks I'll need to make a decent sized lap quilt. (but I'm really hoping to make it to 42)

I'm making 10" blocks using freezer paper templates for the diamond and triangle shapes and rotary cut squares and rectangles. The template can also be used for foundation paper piecing for those of you that prefer that. I plan to do a tutorial for both freezer paper and foundation piecing plus a variation that includes Y seams for the overachievers ;)

Before we start though I have to be honest, piecing these blocks is rather time consuming and requires a fair amount of patience. If you enjoyed the Farmers Wife blocks, if you like paper piecing or just want a bit of a challenge to start the year off - this is it!
For now I find the slow progress well worth the effort as the blocks are just so pretty and I can picture a quilt in the end that will rock your socks off!

So far I have only a small head start with four blocks completed, I still need to make the tutorials, and test the templates, make a Flickr group and blog button...well pretty much everything really!

But I'm excited to get started! So let me know, are you in?

x Leila

another year over...

2012-12-27T12:27:00.000+01:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time!

I don't have a large family and they live scattered all over Europe so spending these days together isn't always a given. This year we managed to all get together and enjoy a fancy Christmas dinner. It's been good fun and I am so grateful my family took the time to travel down here.
Now it is my turn to pack the suitcases and fly out for a few days to celebrate the new year with my Mr.

Since I'll be gone and not planning to spend my days glued to the computer I thought I'd take this moment to wrap up 2012.

Looking back on the year I can see I've been mostly practicing and improving my paper piecing and dress making skills. I finally feel like I got the hang of this paper piecing thing and I understand the basics of designing my own patterns and more importantly how to use Photoshop Elements to do so.
I've also grown much more confident in my dress making abilities, I can tackle some minor pattern adjustments and I'm not afraid to cut into my precious fabrics anymore. Mum, your sewing lessons are finally paying off! ;)

I'm already cooking up some plans for the new year. I started on some quilt blocks that I think would make a fun QAL if you fancy one? I've been dyeing more scarves, I'm playing around with Touchdraw - I've got lots more to learn on pattern design! I'd like to fit at least one swap in this year and I'm also itching to do a bit of hand sewing I'm thinking sashiko...

For now I just want to thank you all for your kind comments and support! May you have a wonderful creative new year!!

xx Leila

Monday

2012-12-17T20:32:00.000+01:00

This weekend I decided to experiment with some fabric dye. I picked up a few metres of plain sheer cotton and two colours to play with. I went for the ever popular ombre look by simply dipping the ends of the scarves in the dye first and slowly working my way to the middle.

The results are not too shabby, two hand dyed scarves that are very easy to wear. My only regret is that I didn't buy more fabric, I have a few more ideas I would like to try out.

x Leila

two more bee blocks

2012-12-06T13:30:00.001+01:00

These are my last two bee blocks for Cocorico.

First up is Erin who has a little one on the way and asked us for nursery rhyme blocks. I settled on twinkle twinkle little star. I used Lynne's ET phone home block because I loved how the stars in this block also look a bit like a brilliant cut diamond 'like a diamond in the sky'...

I took a snap shot with my new toy, isn't Instagram the best!

This block has a very soft vintage sort of feel to it, which is exactly what I wanted - result!

Next up is another house block for Kerry. I used a pattern from Patchwork 163 (I got my copy here) it's a lovely book I'm dying to make so many more of these blocks!

I tried to incorporate as many cute fabrics as I possibly could without it becoming too busy. There's little fussy cut pieces of Kumiko Fujita and Shinzi Katoh for the door and windows, a bit of Suzuko Koseki for the main body of the house and some Denyse Schmidt for the roof. House blocks are possibly my very favourite thing to sew!

With these two last blocks I've finished a years worth of Cocorico blocks. I think a mosaic is in order don't you?!

I sure hope we will be doing another round in 2013!!

x Leila

Christmas Pudding ornaments - tutorial

2012-12-03T11:17:00.000+01:00

I'm slowly but surely getting into the Christmas spirit - yay! I whipped up a couple of cute ornaments and thought y'all might like a little tutorial?
These Christmas Pudding ornaments are fun to sew and very easy to make, so lets get started!

Christmas Pudding Ornaments Tutorial

You will need:

Pattern
Brown wool felt
White wool felt
Green wool felt
Red wool felt
Stuffing
Bakers twine or ribbon for hanging.
Embroidery cotton

Cut:

Cut 2 brown felt circles
Cut 2 white felt icing shapes
Cut 2 green felt leaves. (I found the stems of the leaves too fiddly to cut so I left those off)
Cut 3 red felt berries.

If you have a circle cutter use it! I don't have one so I use my trusty old scissors to cut the circles by hand. I find it easiest to cut as much as possible in one go starting at the base of your scissors moving the felt round as you cut.

Instructions:

Applique the white icing on top of the brown circle.

You can either applique the shapes on by hand or machine, the choice is up to you. I chose a simple running stitch for this tutorial but I'm currently using a blanket stitch on another ornament, it looks great!

Fold a length (about 15'') of of bakers twine in half to make a hanging loop, stitch in place.

Place both circles wrong sides facing and stitch together.

You can machine sew the shapes together or hand sew them using a blanket stitch as I did.

Leave an opening of about 1'' to stuff your ornament before closing up.

Applique leaves and berries.

You will only need a few small stitches to secure them. The thread will sink into the wool felt leaving your stitches near invisible, it helps if you use matching thread.

Voila all done!
Now go sew some more they make great little gifts :)

As always if you make something from one of my tutorials please add your photo's to my Flickr group. It really makes my day seeing what you all come up with :)

x Leila

Value Added QAL linky party

2012-11-30T10:03:00.000+01:00

It's time for us to wrap up the Value Added Quilt Along. It's been an absolute pleasure seeing what you have all been up to! There were stacks of lovely fabrics all neatly arranged according to value, pretty value blocks, black and white photo's of value differences and some of you have been super busy and finished your quilts already!

Even though we are wrapping up the QAL our tutorials and value lessons will still be available on our blogs.

Lesson 1 - Understanding value
Lesson 2 - Using value to lead the eye
Lesson 3 -Value patterns in quilts
Lesson 4 -Value dynamics

The Bargain Basement quilt tutorial can be found on Amy's blog here
The Jacob's Ladder quilt tutorial can be found on Jolene's blog here
The Value Dance quilt tutorial can be found on Rachel's blog here
The Boy's Nonsense quilt tutorial can be found on my blog here

So we thought it would be great to celebrate our QAL with a linky party to show off all your value added makes.
Have you been quilting along with us, did you do one of the value exercises, how did you get on with value? Come join the party and link up with us!

x Leila

Improv quilt

2012-11-26T12:06:00.000+01:00

How was your weekend?
Ours was very windy and cold, perfect weather to stay indoors and sew.
I decided to dig into my never ending pile of scraps and start sewing, the only plan being to make a dent into said scraps.

This was one of those quilts that just sort of happened. I started off thinking it might become a cushion. A few more rows pieced I thought 'well perhaps it could be a fun kitchen mat'. And in the end it became this pretty lap quilt, with lots of wonderful tactile texture.
I just love when that happens!

It's made with a mix of mostly solids, lots of linen texture and a few pops of colour. I've quilted it in organic straight lines that are unevenly spaced to keep with the improvisational nature of the quilt. I just love the way straight line quilting feels on a quilt! This baby is listed in the shop in the hopes of finding a new good home.

Today is the last day of my Black Friday - Cyber Monday weekend sale, last chance to grab a bargain! Remember to use BlackFriday20 to receive 20% off your order!

x Leila

Thank you!!

2012-11-22T10:05:00.000+01:00

Have a happy weekend!!

x Leila

Make up pouch

2012-11-19T11:21:00.000+01:00

Have you started your Christmas sewing yet?
It suddenly hit me, there's only five weeks left and I have no idea what to make!!
So I convinced myself I might as well start with some selfish sewing... you know one thing would surely lead to another... inspiration will strike if only I keep myself busy. Well at least that is what I keep telling myself ;)

I made this make up pouch based on Ayumi's pencil case tutorial. The dimensions are different and I used bias binding, but the overall idea is the same.

I love how spacious this little pouch is it makes it so much easier to rummage through and find that right shade of lipstick!

I think I will have to make a few more of these, as Christmas presents this time!

Leila x

Pineapple

2012-11-13T13:44:00.000+01:00

Autumn has arrived with it's mandatory seasonal colds and shivers. Now that we're just a little under the weather but no longer huddled up under a pile of quilts watching DVDs I can finally catch up on some sewing.

October was Tamiko's month in Cocorico her theme was Hawaii. I was glad to get a second shot at this theme as I wasn't too pleased with the block I had made her in Ringo Pie.
I settled on a pineapple block from Patchwork 318.

I'm quite pleased with this cute little pineapple. Seeing as it finishes at only 5.5'' I decided to add a border to bulk it up a little.

As usual with Kumiko Fujita block designs looks are deceiving, there were some tricky inset seams to tackle. It took me two attempts but I conquered them - yay!

One belated bee block down, four more to go I think, yikes best get cracking!
But before I leave, the inspiration for my block and the reason I couldn't stop giggling the whole time I was sewing this...

They sure look comfortable don't they ;)

x Leila

Boy's Nonsense tutorial - part 2

2012-11-02T09:02:00.001+01:00

This is part two of the 'Boy's Nonsense' quilt tutorial as part of Value Added QAL. Part one can be found here

Finished block size 10" x 10"

* I had calculated my blocks to be 10 1\2" unfinished but after squaring up, they were closer to 10 1\4" this could be an error in my accuracy or in my calculations - math isn't exactly my strong suit! Either way as long as your blocks are consistently the same size it doesn't matter much!

Lets make a quilt shall we?

Block construction:

Sew the 4 large corner triangles to the 4 rectangles.

Sew the 4 small light value triangles in pairs of 2 to two of your triangle and rectangle blocks.

Sew the other two rectangle and triangle blocks to both opposite sides of the centre square.

Sew both triangle blocks to each opposite side of the centre strip to complete the block.

Trim and square up the block making sure you leave 1\4" seam allowance from the top of each point.

Sew 10 blocks with light corner triangles.

Sew 10 blocks with dark\medium corner triangles.

Arrange blocks alternating light and dark.

Sew 5 rows of four blocks.

Join rows to complete the quilt top.

Baste and quilt as desired.

Attach binding.

Your quilt is finished!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial, if you have any questions or comments I'm here :)

If you make this quilt or any of the other Value Added quilts we would love to see them! Please share your pictures in our Flickr group here.

x Leila

Boy's Nonsense tutorial - part 1

2012-10-31T10:07:00.002+01:00

Before we get started I would love to give credit where credit is due by linking you to the quilt that inspired my design, but for some reason the link is no longer working! It was inspired by a detail shot from a Tokyo Quilt Festival quilt - sorry, I don't know who made it.
The block design is a variation on Boy's Nonsense I loved the name so I kept it, it's as simple as that ;)
Fabrics used are Field Study by Anna Maria Horner, Kona cotton solids and a few Art Gallery prints.

Today we'll cover fabric requirements and cutting instructions.
The fabric requirements are based on one fabric used for light value (A) one for medium (B) and one for dark (C)
In reality I used fat quarters of different fabrics for my dark and medium values and two shades of Kona white for the background. If you plan on adding borders or making your quilt larger you will need to adjust the fabric requirements accordingly.

Finished block size 10" x 10"

You will need:

Fabric A - 5\8 yard
Fabric B - 7\8 yard
Fabric C - 3\4 yard
Backing fabric - 1 1\2 yard
Binding fabric - 1\2 yard
Batting
Sewing supplies (rotary cutter, thread, scissors etc.)

I ended up making a smaller quilt than I had intended, 4 x 5 blocks. My fabric got lost in the mail, time was running out my border fabric didn't work...well lots of things went wrong!
You can make your quilt larger by adding more blocks or a border. If you are planning on making this quilt I would like you to consider adding a border, I think it would look great with this pattern!

Cut:

From fabric A cut 40 3"x 3" squares, cut on the diagonal to make 80 half square triangles.
From fabric A cut 20 4 1\2" x 4 1\2" squares, cut on the diagonal to make 40 half square corner triangles.
From fabric B cut 20 5 1\2" x 5 1\2" centre squares.
From fabric B cut 20 4 1\2" x 4 1\2" squares, cut on the diagonal to make 40 half square corner triangles.
From fabric C cut 80 2 1\2" x 5 1\2" rectangles.

My quilt consists of 10 blocks with light value corner triangles and 10 blocks with relative medium or dark value corner triangles.

Light corner triangles.

Dark corner triangles.

You could choose to make all blocks the same (medium centre square, dark rectangles for instance) or if you are like me and find it difficult to stick to just one block repeat mix it up a bit. The value repeat of the blocks with light corners provides enough contrast for a little freedom to play around with the other blocks.

Alternating dark and light value corner triangles.

Same value pattern repeated.

Alternating, light and dark value rows.

These are just a few examples of how you can use this block to create different rhythmic value layouts. Feel free to come up with your own variations, it's fun to play around with the layout!

Next up, the block tutorial.

x Leila

Understanding Value

2012-10-23T10:25:00.000+02:00

Today's post is the first of our series of informative posts on value as part of Value Added QAL. I will do my best to start us off nice and easy with the basics of understanding the value aspect of colour.

Value simply put is the relative lightness or darkness of colour, measured by the amount of white, grey and black the colour contains.
Value can be used in many ways in your quilt design, from simply making certain pattern repeats pop to creating mind blowing optical illusions and anything in between.

Contrasting values make a pattern appear to have depth as dark colours recede from they eye first where light colours appear to remain on the foreground. When using colours with minimal value differences the pattern will appear to be a lot flatter, this can be used for example to create a blended effect.

When we look at difference in value it's usually easiest to distinguish within one colour group as colour value is always relative. To demonstrate this I picked a shade of green, lets call it 'grass green' and placed it in a box surrounded by a different shade of green.

First, next to the lighter 'bamboo green' the grass green shows up as darker in value.

But when put next to a dark 'hunter green' the grass green is lighter in value.

Easy enough right!

Most of our quilts however are made up of different colours and prints and that is where distinguishing value differences can become less obvious.

There are a few different ways to determine value. One is to squint when looking at your fabric choices. Squinting dims out the colours which makes it easier to distinguish light and dark. Remember darker colours disappear first from sight, lighter colours remain visible the longest. So when you slowly close your eyes whilst looking at your fabrics whichever one is the lightest will be the last one you'll still be able to see.

There are also monochromatic value finders on the market which are usually a piece of red plastic or glass. When placed over a fabric swatch the value finder transforms all colour into different shades of red which allows you to see the difference in value.

These tricks come in handy when deciding between two or three fabric swatches but when you are planning a quilt and pulled half your stash out for audition you will need something better than squinting and quicker than examining swatches with a value finder. This is where the camera trick will come in handy.

Start by arranging your fabrics as you think they should be light to dark and take a picture. If your camera has the option to take a black and white photo you can save yourself a step. No worries if you can't take a black and white photo it's a quick edit in any of the free photo editing sites available online. I like to use PicMonkey for quick editing jobs it's easy to use, simply upload your photo click the 'effects' tab scroll down, click 'black and white' and save to your computer.

I didn't quite get it right here but that's the point really, just arrange and rearrange until you find the right order.

Without the distraction of colour you can more clearly see the differences in light and dark. It becomes a lot easier to determine which fabrics to use next to each other in your block design to make that one shape really pop or which ones will blend nicely into the background.

Short recap:

Value is the relative lightness - darkness of colour.
Dark colour recedes from the eye first, light colour remains visible the longest
Distinguishing value differences is easiest within one colour group
Distinguishing differences in value is easiest when you dim out the colour either by squinting, using a value finder or taking a black and white photo.

Do stop by Amy at Badskirt tomorrow for her post on value leading the eye. She really knows her stuff and will take us that step further in understanding value and how to apply this to our fabric stash!

We will be talking value all week, here's a reminder of our schedule:
Wednesday 24th - Leading the Eye -with Amy @ Badskirt
Thursday 25th - Value Patterns -with Rachel @ Stitched in Color
Friday 26th - Value Dynamics -with Jolene Blue @ Elephant Stitches

If you have any questions or thoughts you would like to add, come chat with us in our Flickr group here we'd love to hear from you!

x Leila

Value Added Quilt Along

2012-10-22T10:04:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the Value Added Quilt Along!!
Amy, Jolene, Rachel and I have emerged ourselves into the subject of value quilts and we are ready to share our ideas and creations with you all.

Our QAL will start off with a series of informative posts covering different aspects of value. The following week we will share our individual quilt designs and tutorials on our blogs. We hope to inspire you to explore value in quilting with us! Please join our Flickr group where we will be available to chat with you about colour value and help you along the way. Feel free to add any previous value projects you have made to the group pool. This quilt along is not limited to our quilt designs only we encourage you to come up with your own creations and share them with us on Flickr and in our linky party.

The Value Added QAL schedule is as follows:

Tuesday 23rd - Understanding Value -with Leila @ Where the Orchids Grow
Wednesday 24th - Leading the Eye -with Amy @ Badskirt
Thursday 25th - Value Patterns -with Rachel @ Stitched in Color
Friday 26th - Value Dynamics -with Jolene Blue @ Elephant Stitches
Starting October the 29th quilt tutorials on our individual blogs.
November the 30th link up party here @ Where the Orchids Grow

I have learned lots of new things in preparing for the QAL. If like me, you have not given much thought to colour value in quilting before I think you are in for a treat! I really hope you will take something away from this QAL, be it a fun new quilt design, a fresh look at your fabric stash or how to improve your block designs. There is so much more to value than water colour quilts and tumbling blocks (not that there is anything wrong with those of course!)
I am very excited about the amazing quilt designs Amy, Jolene and Rachel came up with and I can't wait to get started on them!

So are you ready to talk value with us? Please do join our Flickr group, grab a button and enjoy!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/valueadded/" title="Value Added"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xiBvwDhIiB4/UIMKDruDm3I/AAAAAAAABQo/jVleSw0u9PY/s150/Value%2520Added150.jpg" alt="Value Added" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

x Leila

Give Away winner!!

2012-10-21T09:23:00.000+02:00

I am happy to announce the winner of the Wiksten tank pattern courtesy of Kollabora.
Mr. Random Number Generator has declared comment #11 to be the winner

Which was Nicke who said:

Congratulations Nicke!!! I know you will do great things with this pattern! A big thank you to all of you for your kind comments and playing along!

In other news our Value Added quilt along will kick off tomorrow - yay!!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/valueadded/" title="Value Added"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xiBvwDhIiB4/UIMKDruDm3I/AAAAAAAABQo/jVleSw0u9PY/s150/Value%2520Added150.jpg" alt="Value Added" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Rachel, Amy, Jolene and I have emerged ourselves in value quilting over the past couple of weeks and we are very excited to finally be able to share our thoughts and creations with you all! So please check in with us tomorrow to find out what we have in store for you :)

x Leila

Wiksten Tank Dress

2012-10-08T18:45:00.000+02:00

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I am so happy that I finally have something finished that I can share today! Oh, and if you manage to read all the way through this post there may be something in it for you....just sayin' ;)

A little while back I was contacted by the kind folks of Kollabora and asked if I would be interested in making something from one of their sewing kits to help promote the launch of the new website. In their own words; 'Kollabora is a brand new fashion and design forward DIY community, connecting makers with inspiring projects, tutorials and the best hard-to-find supplies.'

If like me, you enjoy the occasional venture into dressmaking, knitting, embroidery and other techniques you may enjoy this website as well. What I like about the site is the community aspect, you can find tips and video tutorials on different techniques, post a question, share your own projects or just shop for patterns and pretty fabrics.

I chose to make the Wiksten tank project as I adore Jenny's patterns. They are simple and stylish with lovely details and they fit me well, what more could a girl want! I received this beautiful Vera Wang silk courtesy of Mood Fabrics to make my dress, it is lush! Honestly it was such a treat to be allowed to pick something out at Mood, they have lots of fantastic fabrics available it took me forever to narrow my choice down.

Sewing the slippery silk was a little challenging for me having grown used to the ease of sewing with quilting cottons. I needed to take frequent short breaks from trying to control the slipping and sliding whilst cutting, pinning and sewing. It was hard on my hands and shoulders, I kept tensing them up for fear of messing up my entire project!

Hand on hip, it's my one and only pose!

The Wiksten tank is definitely a beginner friendly pattern but depending on sewing skills and the type of fabric can have it's little challenges. Especially the bottom hem and the neck and arm binding can be a little tricky.

When I made my first top I had trouble with gaping at the back of the neckline. Rae has a good solution for this here, if you have enough ease this will definitely work. But I was worried I would not have enough ease in the armscye so I simply lowered the back neckline which solved the issue nicely. First tricky part tackled, no more gaping -excellent!

On to the binding, one thing that is not mentioned in the instructions but I find quite helpful is clipping the curves before pressing the binding seams open. I also made the binding slightly wider than the pattern calls for just to make my life a little easier when tucking under those raw edges.

I could not iron my fabric too hot so the binding was not laying as flat as I would have liked but I found a solution for this. After ironing my seams open I pressed them towards the binding side and stitched a second seam very close to the first one. This line of stitching is not visible from the outside of the garment so it does not interfere with the look of the finished dress. What it does is to help set the seam so it falls neatly towards the inside and helps the binding to lay flat.

The line of stitching right at the top, that's the one I'm talking about!

For the hem I sewed a row of basting stitches just shy of 3\4" all the way along the hem this helped a little in getting a neater hem finish. I had to do the bottom hem twice and still it's not exactly perfect. There is some excess fabric in the curve that would not behave and the corners needed lots of clipping to prevent them from pulling. The bottom hem could definitely be better!

All in all I love my new dress, it's simple but the luxurious shiny silk makes it so special! I would definitely wear this on a night out or to a party.

You made it all the way down here that means it's Give Away time!!

The Kollabora kit I received came with a copy of the Wiksten tank pattern which I already own so we thought it would be nice to give it to one of you!

Comments are now closed

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Wiksten tank pattern, simply leave one comment on this post.
Anyone anywhere can enter, this is a simple give away- no hoops. But of course the people of Kollabora would love it if you paid a visit to their website, follow them on Twitter and Facebook
If you are a follower of my blog, new or old, you may up your chances by entering twice. Just leave one separate comment on this post.
Entries will close October 19th at midnight. Mr Random Number Generator will pick a winner to be announced later that weekend.
Last but not least please make sure there is a way for us to contact you should you win, this means you will need to make sure your profile is set to include your email address or leave an email address in your comment. If we can't contact you you can't win.

Good luck!!

x Leila