; March 2014 | Quilting Stories Quilting Tutorials and Discussions

Saturday, March 29, 2014

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
Liberty's fabrics

Quote from Oscar Wilde: 
“Liberty is the chosen 
resort of the artistic 
shopper.”


Liberty's fabrics
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
Liberty's fabrics


Threads
Threads

Great choice of threads!

Threads
Threads


Yarn

Great choice of yarns!

Yarn
Yarn



Liberty's shirts and fabrics
Liberty's shirts



Liberty's shopping
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

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Quilts at Liberty's



Kaffe Fassett quilt
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!


At Liberty's
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
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
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
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
At kaffe Fassett Corner



Fabrics and Quilt
Fabrics and Quilt



Fabrics and quilt
Fabrics and quilt



Kaffe Fassett 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



Monday, March 24, 2014

Back home!


Luggage
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

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Embroided Pincushion



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!


Embroided pincushion
Pincushion & Spools



Embroided pincushion
Embroidery detail

Greetings.
Christine

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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
Knitting

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

Knitting bag
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.


Knitting bag
Liberty bag

Have a great day!

Christine

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Little Red Riding Hood Apron



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


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Patchwork Baby Curtain



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

Saturday, March 08, 2014

Baby Quilt Present


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

Rolled baby quilt
Baby quilt present


Baby quilt
Baby quilt

Last touch, the labels :

Labels
Labels

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

Rolled baby quilt



Rolled baby quilt


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

Christine


Tuesday, March 04, 2014

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

Saturday, March 01, 2014

Tutorial for an Easy Quilt Binding

The double border : my favorite method!

Baby quilt binding

Baby quilt binding
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).

Cutting

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


Sew them diagonally :

Sewing

Trim seam at 1/2cm


Open and press seam :


Fold the angle :

Fold angle

Cut a 1/2cm :

Trim seam

Fold the strip on the whole length :

Stripe folded

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

Machine sewing

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

Machine sewing

Stop at 1/2cm from the edge, cut the thread, 
turn and go on sewing as shown :

Corner

To stop and start again, I use the smallest stitch possible,
instead of a backstitch.

Corner

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

Ending

And I go on sewing, backstitch to stop.

Ended

It is not important if there is a little fold on the wrong side
as it does not appear on the right side :

Turned border

To finish, I turn the border on the wrong side,
and sew it by hand.

Border angle
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