Scrumptuous lace

No stash note today as there have been very few stash additions over the past weeks but instead I thought I share with you what I am knitting at the moment.

This wool is lace weight from scrumptious lace and is 45 % silk and 55 % merino which as you might guess makes it unbelievably soft.

The colour is gold and it really shimmers like real gold, so warm and luxurious.
I am knitting the wedding shawl from purl bee which you can find here (and no I am not getting married...) I and am using a 3 1/2 knitting needle and I knit with the yarn doubled.

I bought the yarn last year when I was in Edinburgh at the Fringe in this lovely shop here.

Pouch factory

I do love a good bag as you probably know if you are a 'regular' here at needlesandlemons. I frequently get the urge to make a bag but lately it has been zipper pouches. I had a few layer cake piece left from my 'Sumemrsville' layer cake and thought the other day they should be put to good use.

I also had these 'VW bullis' in my stash for a while. I bought this fabric more than a year ago in Bremen and other than using a little bit of it for a drawstring bag I hadn't really found any use for them (shame on me). Then I saw how Amber makes clever use of Melody Miller's typewriters and suddenly I felt a project coming on.

So here are my zipper pouches featuring hippy VW bullies.

They are all available in my Etsy shop.

Siblings Together VIII

A quick update on the Log cabin Quilt Project for Siblings Together.

By mid last week I had received the remainder of the blocks and this first lovely set here is from Harry who is 12 years old. Well done Harry !

Harry's blocks

The next set is from Kim who contacted me two weeks ago when she read my block and offered to help. These will add great highlights to the quilts.

And the last set is from Liz who incidentally is Harry's mother. I do love Laura Wisbrun's fabrics.

And I went straight to work after I had the blocks and made 3 (three !) quilt tops which makes the total 4 including the already pieced top from Joanne.

ST Quilt I

I pieced two larger quilt tops that are multicolored and fairly gender neutral. I love how each block gives the quilt tops their own little story.

ST Quilt II

And one smaller quilt for which I reserved most of the more girly colored blocks. I added a border in two different shades of vibrant pink to complete the picture.

ST quilt III

 

 

 

And this is Joanne's top she sent me a while ago.

Stash Note 56

Today's stash note is a lovely bunch of solids in the 'Quilt Con' colours from Michael Miller who recently have also started to produce solids like Free Spirit, Moda and Robert Kaufmann. Their collection is called 'Cotton Couture'.

I love solids and have a sizable stash of them. I think my favorite pure solids (i.e. not shot cottons) are those from Free Spirit as they have a wonderful sheen and a very soft and luxurious textures. And normally I would say this is followed closely by Kona solids but they might be pushed into third place now by 'Cotton Couture' as they too have a fantastic texture and are very light. Of course the biggest selection of colours is provided by Kona so they will always rank pretty high with me and will most often be the first choice simply because of their wider availability.

 

These were bought at FatQuater shop.

Prepare for the Comet

So I did say the other day that I wanted to make a quilt in mainly creams and as a little preparatory study I produced the 'Red Diamond' mini for the John Lewis exhibition of the LMQG. And I will make the bigger version of this but you see something caught my eye the other day and then I had a brainwave while riding my scooter home from work (most probably no the best time for inspirational brainwaves in the middle of London rush hour but there you go....) and sort of went of to the other end of the spectrum (the dark side ?)

Recently I have been seeing black, literally a lot of black quilts or just black backgrounds and I love it. The first black quilt I saw is from Denyse Schmidt's new book which by the way is fabulous and then I saw on Katy's blog a swoon block with black background and was rather taken by that too.

Denyse Schmidt quilt from 'Traditional Inspiration'

In addition the July challenge of the LMQG is to make something that is inspired by a piece of art. I love art and in particular contemporary photography and painting and with all of the above inspiration in mind it didn't take me long to think about Rothko and his series in black and red.

Rothko - Light red over black - 1957

 So I back to the brainwave. When I got home that brainwave would not let go and so I went from a whole day sitting in front of the computer back in front of the next computer and designed this quilt with EQ7 (slowly but surely I get the hang of this SO not intuitive software).

I have quite a lovely collection of gorgeous Oakshotts reds at home that have been glamoring to be made into something beautiful. I have worked with Oakshotts for over two years now and regular readers will know that they really are my favorite fabrics. I have used 'Cranberry' in this and this quilt and it firmly remains the best red that is out there (in my humble opinion).

I conversed with Michael from Oakshott and he advised me expertly on a few more reds and i added the oh so lush black and voila my stash bundle for Comet is completed.
The coloures from left to right are: Black, Ischia, Cranberry, Oxblood, COTT 74 and COTT 73 just in case you would like to know.


Here are a few alternative designs I played with:

I am going to call it 'Comet' as it sort of reminds of a comet or burning planet in the universe and I can't wait to start this and am so looking forward to the quilting !
Told you I had big plans.....

Ready to play

...that is my 'Girls at Play' quilt which I finished over the weekend. I so enjoyed making this quilt that I felt a little sadness when it was done. Normally I am always happy when a quilt is finished because I am then allowed to start a new one but with this one it was different. And that is also the reason why I am making this one into my first pattern which I hopefully will finalize this week and that then can be downloaded from my blog.


On the other hand it is good that the quilt is now done because I have big plans for a number of new quilts and there is the small matter of the ST quilt project that will need tending to and a commission .... no rest for the wicked.

Here it is in all its glory. I officially declare the block in the top left corner my favorite simply because of the great combination of the soft orange with the deep petrol green.

 

The back is pieced with some left over fabrics and also some Riley Blake 'Alphabet Soup'.

For the binding I used Momo 'Its a hoot' in a pinkish red that give the white background a much needed frame.

I quilted with Gueterman Sulky 30 w in colour 1072 in straight lines along the seams.

 And here a close up of the 'Alphabet Sour' - they are so cute.

The quilt is 44" x 58 " which makes it grip size and I do hope it will find a loving owner who adores it as much as I do. The listing can be found in my Etsy shop.

 

 

Siblings Together VII

Yes it is the weekend and time to report on the blocks I have received for the 'Siblings Together' log cabin project. I received 6 sets of fantastic blocks from all over the world, this really has turned into an international effort. I am fairly certain that these are almost the last blocks I to arrive at my house; there might just be one or two stragglers still on their way. 

Please do not sent anymore blocks as I will start assembling the quilts this coming week and need to be sure that I have them all to ensure that I can achieve balanced colour designs.

If you do know after reading this post that your blocks are still on their way then please drop me a line or leave a comment on this post.

If you haven't heard anything about it yet and wish to join in this great cause then you can read up on it in the flickr group, the charity itself, Lynn's blog or on my first and second post.

Let's see what we got this week:

First there is an arrival from Riga in Latvia from Fiona who sent me what I believe is 20 beautiful blocks. I think somebody really enjoyed making this block !

Second is post from Canada from Felicity who sent below gorgeous blocks:

Third in the race is Christine from Israel who sent twelve blocks that are just marvelous. I so love those dogs.

The fourth entry came all the way from Australia from Danielle and you know those blocks do remind me of the dark red earth in the outback (a long time ago)

Number five is from Nikki who I believe lives here in the UK. She even put in a little Heather Ross which always makes my heart beat faster.

And lastly Moira blocks which I believe also come from the UK finally arrived. I love the combination with the solids, so striking.

As mentioned in the beginning I will start assembling quilts in the coming week and will post regular (though not weekly) updates on the progress. By the looks of it I have enough blocks for 3 quilts. I am aiming to have them all done by the end of July. 

I'd like to take the opportunity  to sent you all a heartfelt thank you for your contributions. I am convinced the quilts will look fantastic and three kids/teenager will be made very happy.

London Brick and Mortar fabric and wool stores

I was recently asked by somebody who lives abroad and is planning a visit to London if I could recommend any brick and mortar fabric stores. Then we have the Fat Quarterly retreat upon us in a few weeks time for which excitement in some quarters is reaching fever pitch.

A lot of quilters and sewers from outside London will descent onto South Kensington. And all that got me thinking that although most of us do shop on-line these days as it is more convenient and the on-line choice is often more plentiful, all of us still do love a proper brick and mortar fabric shop.

For us quilters and makers of beautiful things a fabric store is like a candy store that has the distinct advantage  of having zero calories (let's not talk about the damage they can inflict on our wallets though).

So I compiled a list of stores in and around London that I use to satisfy my candy habit and hope this is useful to anybody who is interested. I will add new shops every time I discover one but as a rule only those that I actually have visited.


I made a specific Page on my blog where you will find the below list from now on permanently.


Tikki Patchwork in Kew

First of is my local quilt store (LQS) Tikki Patchwork. Isn't it wonderful if you are lucky enough to say that you have an LQS !
Tina who owns the shop has a fantastic selection of modern quilting fabric in her store and also stocks a large variety of embroidery thread plus all sorts of haberdashery. Although the shop is small, I almost always find what I am looking for and of course a lot of what I am not looking for.
One warning though, be aware of the opening hours and always check the website before you set of or better even call to make sure Tina or Corinne are there.




Shaukat

If you are after Liberty fabric then all you need for your happiness is Shaukat. Yes you read correctly not Liberties of London but Shaukat. The reason why I am  recommending this shop which is located in South Kensington is because it has the largest selection of past and new Liberties collections you can possibly imagine. In addition Shaukat stocks fine wool for suitsand other attire, stripes, dots and wonderful  silks. You name it they have it. Shaukat caters mainly for  the Far Eastern Market and has a lot of pre-cuts that start with several meters but they are happy to cut as small as 0.5 meter of the bolt. The prices are similar to those of Liberties of London but you do find bargains and discounts that you do not find at Liberties. Shaukat also have on-line shopping.      



Liberties of London

Liberties of London can of course not be missed on the list. I do visit this wonderful beacon of style regularly and although I tend to buy my liberty tana lawn at Shaukats I still love checking out the displays and brows the Rowan fabrics they stock and of course the lovely selection of wool. Liberties also have on-line shopping.


















The Cloth House

This is my guilty pleasure shop. My heart regularly misses a beat from pure excitement when I approach the Cloth House at No 47 Berwick Street. The Cloth House has two branches and the one in 47 Berwick Street stocks a lot of gorgeous linens, canvas, Thai Hemp and Indian and Japanese fabrics plus a million bits and bobs. It is utterly gorgeous and the staff are very helpful. The other branch at 98 Berwick Street stocks silks, cottons, trimmings, velvets, woolens etc.









Soho

While you are in Soho have a wonder around Berwick and Broadwick Street and its many side streets. You will find a multitude of shops selling fabrics here and most specialize in silks (Berwick Street Cloth shop, Broadwick Silks, The Silk Society to name just a few shops). Walk around, browse and nip into some of the great cafes around there where you can play the game of people spotting to your hearts content.


John Lewis

John Lewis branches in Oxford Street and Sloane Square have sizable haberdashery departments. They stock more wool then quilting fabric but either is worth a visit though the flag ship store on Oxford Street has a better selection. Both stores stock an excellent selection of home decor fabric and have superb sales in Summer and Winter. John Lewis do have on-line shopping.

MacCulloch & Wallis

MacCulloch & Wallis are a haberdashery store just a stone through from Liberties and John Lewis. They have a superb selection of everything haberdashery and also a large variety of fabrics. It is a great shop and whenever I do have to buy haberdashery then I tend to go there rather than to the big stores and to be honest MacCulloch & Wallis actually have much more stock than John Lewis and Liberties of London. They do have on-line shopping.














Fabric Galore

Fabric Galore is a very popular shop amongst the London sewing crowd. They are located in Battersea on Lavender Hill. Fabric Galore has a large selection of home decor and quilting cottons, oilcloth and also fabric suited for sewing clothes. A truly fantastic selection to even more fantastic prices. They have a fast turnaround and you often find fabric from past collection there. There is no on-line shopping facility though.



Ray Stitch

Ray Stitch opened up premises in 2011 in Islington after having started as an on-line shop. They have a beautiful selection of contemporary quilting cottons including Japanese imports in addition to ribbons, buttons, threads, bits and bobs. And the best thing is that the shop doubles as a cafe with incredibly delicious cakes and well brewed coffee. What can you want more than a little sweet snack after the hard work of fabric shopping !
In 2012 Ray Stitch also started to offer classes.












Loop yarn

Loop Yarn is also located in Islington and is a wool shop with a wonderful selection of yarns starting with the usual suspects such as Rowan and Lang to the more exquisite such as Madelinetosh, Brookly Tweed or Alchemy. The shop is on two levels and has an enormous amount of pattern books and magazine, armchairs everywhere and lovely people. It is a blissful place and is located in a lovely part of Islington in Camden Passage where there is always a nice cafe to nip in. Loop Yarn also offers classes and has an on-line shop












Mrs. Moon

Mrs. Moon is a yarn and fabric store located in St. Margrets (just outside London, a little further than Kew where Tikki is located). They stock a wonderful selection of yarns and also a small selection of quilting fabrics. They stock a sizable selection of Rowan yarns, Debbie Bliss, Noro but also Scrumptuous Lace that I have bought a few times now because it is very soft and lovely to work with.  Mrs. Moon also has an online-shop.

You can never have enough

.... cushions that is. Do you agree ? You may remember that  I made a series of pillows in the Aurifill challenge for 'Fat Quarterly' . They were in shades of yellow like the sunshine, in red like hot spices and in turquoise like the Caribbean sea.

But I always thought that at least one shade was missing and that kind of nagged me. So I made a fourth addition that is called 'Berrylishes' as it reminds me of Summer berries (if they aren't going to be drowned in the wettest drought ever).

Berrylishes front

Berrylishes back

You know and whilst I was at it I also made a pillow with the 'Stitched in colour' collection from Malka Dubrawsky that I bought a while ago and absolutely adore.
I used a template I made from cardboard to cut the tumblers (no need for Go Baby !).

The back features a great print from Echino with a black background.

And here a little stack for good measure...
All pillows can be found in my Etsy Shop

Girls at Play - progress update

It's been already a couple of weeks since I started this new quilt ' Girls at Play' . I have had all the blocks finished for a while now and went on to piece them over the weekend.

Each block has brought a new surprise and I am struggling to pick my favorite.

 I think it might be this one as t his my favorite drawing of the series and I love the green and orange around it. (Kaffe Fassett and Flea Market Fancy).

Then again I do love the this combination too.

Or in fact this all pink one...... I think I mull this over a little while longer.

This is such an enjoyable quilt to make that I suspect I am dragging my feet with this one because I don't want it to end. But all things have to end so I guess there will be some basting tonight after work.