At Liberty's - Second Part

Quote from Arthur Liberty :

“I was determined not to

follow existing fashion 

but to create new ones.”

Liberty's fabrics

Quote from Oscar Wilde: 

“Liberty is the chosen 
resort of the artistic 
shopper.”

Liberty's fabrics

Those prints are the classical ones from Liberty that I use to buy. Of course they are many others, very innovating and always original artistic creations.

This is a view from the opposite part of the "Well" :

Liberty's fabrics

Threads

Great choice of threads!

Threads

Great choice of yarns!

Yarn

Liberty's shirts

Shopping 

My little shopping : various grey yarns and various fabrics in order to knit babys blankets that i will line with Liberty's fabric.

I wish a wonderful week-end to everyone!

Christine

Quilts at Liberty's

Quilt

Arriving at London, first thing : visiting Liberty shop. There is no way that I would not go there, even with a flu, even with fever! Somewhat crazy when I think of it! Anyway, here I am in front of my favorite department store,  the most stunning and charming place!

Arriving at Liberty's

A short history about this London shop in Regent street : It was founded in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty, a pioneer spirit.

It was selling mainly art items and fabrics from Japan and East. It became quickly the most fashionable place to shop in London, and the Liberty fabrics well-known all-over the world.

Frontispiece

Personnaly I am crazy about this architecture. The inside decoration is called Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau, and is so beautiful and interesting! This luxury shop was growing and was added in 1920 the extraordinary Tudor Building, built with timbers of two ships.

Clock

When you walk inside, you have a kind of feeling like being at home, going from a small wooden room to another. Some rooms even still have fire places! Some lifts are antique, in wooden curved oak.

Entrance

Of course, for me, the first place to visit inside there is the fabric floor (third?).. and the quilting corner. I leave you to discover it with me :

At kaffe Fassett Corner

Fabrics and Quilt

Fabrics and quilt

Quilt on chair

I hope I made you enjoy this visit at Liberty's with me! The visit will go on soon, showing Liberty fabrics (Second part).

Many greetings.

Christine

Back home!

Luggage

Back home again in Athens. Apart from this horrible flu, I had a wonderful time in London with my sons and grand son. The weather was beautiful, sunshine every day! I visited museums, shops, tea-rooms... brought back some "treasures" from London... All this in a next post. Now I am ready to go on with my quilting occupations and to meet my quilting bee friends.

Have a great week!

Christine

Embroided Pincushion

Pincushion

This is not quilting, but I was feeling like showing one of my pincushions that I re-discovered after putting order in my studio. I think that this embroidery was meant to be a big one (I don't remember what exactly) but it remained at the size of a pincushion!! I suppose the work of cross-stitching on a raw piece of old linen was tedious and backbreaking, and it discouraged me from going further!

Pincushion & Spools

Embroidery detail

Greetings.

Christine

Quilted Liberty Bag for my Knitting

Here I am, still in London! I had to cancel my flight back to Athens, due to a bad flu.

The weather is so beautiful here, like summer, London is so extraordinary, so many beautiful places to visit, so many things to do and I have to stay at home... too bad. So I drink tea and eat scones all day long, I read a very good English book, and I knit a scarf.

Knitting

This is a very thick and soft wool called "laine meche" and I use number 15 knitting needles.

Liberty bag

I had bought this knitting bag at Liberty's shop and I carry it with me everywhere, so that I don't remain without something to do.

Liberty bag

Have a great day!

Christine

Little Red Riding Hood Apron

My daughter is wearing a little apron I sewed for her. As she likes everything vintage, I chose a fabric that has a print which brings memories of my childhood (the fifties). This is very funny to me, the thought that young people nowadays like things from that time, when I would not find them so exciting. If I like some items of the fifties now, it's just because of a kind of nostalgia! Anyway, she seems very proud of the apron her mother sewed for her!!

Best regards from London.

Christine

Patchwork Baby Curtain

Today, just showing a curtain I sewed for my grand son's bedroom. I bought 1m 50 of ecru cotton 

fabric (width 2m40).

I used the leftovers from this baby quilt and from this baby bumper to sew a decorative band.

The squares are the same size as for the nine patch blocks of the baby quilt.

I think that this will give the last touch of harmony to the bedroom.

Next picture when the curtain will be hanged on the window (first we have to buy the pole).

Greetings from London.

Christine

Baby Quilt Present

Here it is, my baby quilt, finished and ready to be offered!

Baby quilt present

Baby quilt

Last touch, the labels :

Labels

I like to use such a ribbon to present a quilt to be offered :

Hoping the parents will like it, and the baby enjoy it!

Christine

Short Tutorial for Hand Sewing a Quilt Back Border

I always enjoy to give the last touch to my quilts by hand sewing the back border. It is not very quick, but I like this part of the work, I find it relaxing.

I use an applique needle and a thread that should always be the same color as the border (here red).

I make a slipped stitch all along. (I slip the thread inside the border). The result is absolutely invisible!

Happy stitches to everyone!

Christine

Tutorial for an Easy Quilt Binding

The double border : my favorite method!

Baby quilt

This is the method I find the best, and that I use every time I have to bind a quilt.

For a finished border of 8mm width, cut stripes of 5cm width. The length of the strip

will be equal to the perimeter of your quilt + 30cm (for the corners and the ending).

Put two strips perpendicular on each other, right side against right side :

Sew them diagonally :

Trim seam at 1/2cm

Open and press seam :

Fold the angle :

Cut a 1/2cm :

Fold the strip on the whole length :

To start, open the strip and sew it on the right side of the quilt,
 in the middle of one side, for about 7cm :

Then fold back the strip and sew it all along the quilt :

Stop at 1/2cm from the edge, cut the thread, 

turn and go on sewing as shown :

To stop and start again, I use the smallest stitch possible,

instead of a backstitch.

At the end, I push the end of the strip inside the place
left open at the beginning :

And I go on sewing, backstitch to stop.

It is not important if there is a little fold on the wrong side

as it does not appear on the right side :

To finish, I turn the border on the wrong side,

and sew it by hand.

Finshed border

I hope my explanations have been clear enough, and will have been of help for those who need. For the beginners, next time I will give some tips on how to hand sew this border on the back side.  

Have a great week-end. Greetings from me.

Christine