Goodie Goodie Gumdrops!

On Saturday I went to my local Irish Patchwork Society meeting for a little chat and inspiration.  It's always a good time.  Well, at each monthly meeting we have a raffle for a few fab prizes.  This month I was lucky enough to win!  Woo hoo!

Isn't it pretty?  It's a little pack of 8 coordinating 10x10 inch squares.  Yippee!  I'm totally in love with 5 of them, which is great luck.  So, here's the question...what do you guys make with 10 inch squares?  Have you ever used just a few out of a layer cake?  I think they're pretty together and would like to use them in one project...I just have to find a suitable idea!  What a great thing to think about on my morning commute!

Oh!  And do any of you know what the top print is?  Anyone know the designer?  This isn't a quiz...I'd just like to pick up a bit more for my stash :)

Holiday Shop Schedule

Although the shop will be open through the holiday, I will not always be able to quickly ship your orders.  To avoid any disappointment, I will send my last shipment this Saturday (15 December) and will start shipping again on 28 December.  To have your parcel included in Saturday's shipment, please have your orders to me by Friday night.  I will still be available to answer shop questions and chat about quilty things over the holiday, so do send a note if you have a query.

Hope you take a wee break from life too over the holiday!  Enjoy it!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Miss Courtney! She is the winner of the Fluffy Sheep Quilting SMS giveaway prize.

Good old reliable RNG choose Courtney's comment from the 677 entries:

Courtney is picking up a Kona charm pack in classic colors and perle cotton in orange, grey and blue.  What will she make with these pretties?

Super!  I can't wait to see it!  I hope you send us photos, Courtney!  Happy stitching!

Modern Stitching Bee: November

I was the lucky Miss November in the Modern Stitching Bee.  I am so in love with this bee as the folks involved are incredibly talented and inspired...and great fun :)  I had asked for a Depression block using Kona white and scrappy bits according to this tutorial.

I have four sets of gorgeous blocks back.  Want to see?

Eeee!!!  It's going to be so pretty!  Thank you, Diane, Emily, Sarah and Susan.  You guys are brightening my sewing room!  This quilt will be first on my 2013 FAL list.

PS - sorry again for the stinky night time indoor photo.  Honest the weather will get better in a few months.  Just stick with me!

iPad Covers!

I am a little out of control making iPad covers.  I only have one iPad (well, clearly!), but I became slightly obsessed this past weekend making these cuties.

Using the Fluffy Sheep Quilting iPad cover tutorial created by Geraldine of Sophie Belle Design (published in the shop newsletter) I made these:

I altered the tute a bit to include quilting a bit of batting onto the exterior panels of the front and back.  I also eliminated the elastic cord described in the tutorial and instead used a piece of ribbon to close the top of the iPad snuggie.

You see, I had first strictly followed the tutorial and made this one:

I learned a thing or two in the process.  First, these fit a "naked" iPad perfectly.  However, mine is usually sporting on of those magnetic screen cover things (see? in the first two photos?) that add a bit of bulk to the width of the iPad.

Second, I can not get elastic cord in Galway (shocking...) so I tried to use a hair tie.  It was too thick and short, making the closure a bit funny.

And finally I thought a larger print looked better.  I'll still take the elastic cord-sporting smaller version and modify it again to make the closure a bit better.  It will still be loved and used.  But the little fishy and scooter versions just make my heart flutter.

Thank you, Geraldine!  These were a treat!

If you haven't already subscribed to the Fluffy Sheep Quilting shop newsletter, just click here and enter your email into the box on the lower right hand corner of the home screen.  You don't want to miss next month's tutes, do you?

Fluffy Craft Fair Table

Looking for my Sew Mama Sew giveaway?  Just click here.

It is official.  It has rained for the last gazillion days in a row.  I have so many great finishes to show you, but I just can not get photos in the dry/light.  Instead you get inside pictures today.

You may remember a few weeks ago I held a stand at the Galway Food & Craft Fair.  I had a 3 meter by 2 meter space to fill anyway I'd like.  What great fun!

I brought in shelving units for the back and then hung quilts all around the walls.  Each space came with a table, too, so I set up a little sewing space to both conduct demos and to occupy me when footfall was quiet.    Made quite a few bee blocks right there!

You might notice an Oh Deer bunting hanging from the table.  The three quilts you see above were all created by Erin of Billy Button Design.  They were so beautiful!  And the wonderful Sarah of Fairy Face Designs contributed iPhone covers and zippy bags.  They were beautiful!  On the shelving to the back you'll see cut FQs, perle and lots and lots of Aurifil.  It was all topped off with my antique sewing machine.  Nearly needed a crane to get her up there!

I tucked a few bolts in there too just in case someone was looking for yardage.  Couldn't let them down!

And on the other side I hung Granny Mania and Chaos.  Granny Mania sold and is now on its way to a newborn little fella in the US.  Yippee!

It was an absolutely wonderful day.  Fantastic to meet new-to-me quilters in Galway, so fun to see familiar faces and a great creative buzz from the other vendors.  Thank you, Galway, for such a fantastic weekend.

Experienced craft fair hosts: any suggestions of how to improve next time?  I'm always open to an idea or two!

Giveaway Day!

It's come again!  It's Giveaway Day!  Oh we all love a little sewing treat this time of year, don't we?  How about a little goodie to you from Fluffy Sheep Quilting (the shop)?  Here you can win one Kona solid charm pack of your choice: bright or classic  as well as three spools of perle cotton (in your choice of colors).  

Winning is easy.  There are three different options, each of which will get you one entry into the giveaway:

1. just leave a comment below telling me what you like to make with Kona solids

2. leave a second comment if you are (or become) a follower of the shop on Facebook

3. leave a third entry if you already receive (or sign up for) the Fluffy Sheep Quilting newsletter.  To sign up, just go here and subscribe in the lower right corner of the shop homepage.

The small print:

I will choose a winner on 7 Dec at 5PM.  To be included in the draw, I need to be able to contact you via email.  If you are a no reply commenter, please leave your email address in your comment.  If I do not hear a response from the winner in 3 days, I will draw a second winner and pass the givaway onto them.

To see more Sew Mama Sew giveaways, just click here.  Good luck!

Chaos: Finished!

Chaos was an experiment.  I am absolutely thrilled that I gave it a go at all.  I wish the sun would peek out and the clouds would lift go get a good photo for you as the fabrics are so bright and cheerful.  I'm not that lucky...you get a bleak winter in Ireland photo instead.  

Even though it's a bit grey, don't let that dampen your excitement.  I love this little quilt.  I like the idea of using my old scraps to make a fabric that is unique to me and my sewing history.  You really do have to look closely to see that each colorful bit is pieced; at a glance it just looks like a basic square in a square quilt. 

There are a few things that I would change if given the chance.  I wish I used a colored (or cream/grey or white) thread to quilt it when I used invisible thread just to not add more chaos to the already insane little strips.  That's easy enough to make a mental note and not fall into that trap again in the future.

The back is just yummy.  It's Kona Magenta with a strip of scrappy bits running through it.  I think it looks just smashing with the Chartreuse Metro Circles used in the binding.

Chaos is quite small, finishing at 42 x 42 inches square.  I have such a huge piece of scrappy fabric left over that I might make a second, larger version to use myself on the couch.  We will see.  It just came together so quickly after the scrappy fabric was finished that it is a shame not to make a second every day version.  Maybe in 2013 when I'm starting with a new quilty slate....and the sun comes out again to give a little justice to the finished quilt photos!

Quilt Details

Name - Chaos

Made For - The fun of it.  

Fabric - All 100% cotton scraps pieced into a fabric, then interlaced with Kona White.  The back is Kona Magenta (pre-washed!) with a stripe of scrappy bits.  The binding Metro Circles. 

Thread - Pieced using a cotton cream Aurifil 50 weight.  Quilted with invisible thread.

Batting - 100% cotton.

Size - Approximately 42x42 inches

Quilting - By myself in straight lines 1/4 inch from the seams of the square in the square blocks.

Pattern - Based on a quilt first glimpsed on Completely Cauchy.

New Fabric In The Shop

 Long time no chat, guys!  I hope you are well and I miss you.  I just need a little time to re-focus on life, home, work and the (quickly approaching!!!) holiday.  So many gifts to make and so little time!  Blogging has to take a back seat.  I will have a good catch up with all of you very soon I truly hope.

In the mean time, the shop is kicking in full force!  There are several new prints in today that I wanted to show you.  They're so pretty!  First, we have Heaven and Helsinki.  Yum!  These are beautiful deep, rich fabrics with royal purple, fuchsia pink and a splash of yellowy-green.  So pretty.  You can find them here in the shop.

And there's the total opposite, Sweetest Thing.  A girly, floral, soft print filled with birds, spring blooms, dots and chevrons in pink, cherry red, green and aqua.  I already have two projects in mind for this line!  You can find them here in the shop.

 That's the news for today, ladies.  I hope to re-join you all soon!

Galway Food & Craft Gift Fair

Calling all Galwegians!  This weekend Fluffy Sheep Quilting will be at the first ever Local Food & Craft Gift Fair open 17-18 November in the Black Box Theatre.  The fair is open from 10-5 each day with 40 exhibitors confirmed.  There will be local foods (from smoked salmon to baked goods), jewellery, wood craft, textile designers and potters.  Their work is just amazing!

To get a glimpse at the amazing local crafts that will be highlighted, hop over to the Galway County & City Enterprise Board Facebook page.  This is going to be a super event to see friends, to have your eyes opened to the talent Galway holds AND to get your Christmas shopping done!  If you are roaming around town, please stop over and say hello!

Come Have A Peek

Come have a look at Fluffy Sheep Quilting (the shop).  There are new goodies listed that just make my heart sing.

How about some perle cotton?

There are 10 colors in stock, but these are my favorites.  You can see them all at Fluffy Sheep Quilting by clicking here.  They are a steal at 2.75 euro each for 80 m!  

We also have 3 new Kona Bundles available, made by super creative bloggers.  Yum!  As usual, they are all available as fat 8th or fat quarter bundles, so suit any project or budget.  Just click here to have a peek.

Tropical Smoothie

Pina Coladas & Mojitos

Gap Rainbow

Poppin' Along

Do not for a second think I forgot about Mod Pop.  I am slowly stitching along and now have 8 blocks finished!  I realize there are only 3 here...it's just that it is raining outside and this is all of the floor space I have to shoot the photo!  Stinkin' winter.

If you remember, initially I cut enough to make a baby quilt to "test" the technique before committing to a twin. I think I feel confident enough with piecing curves now.  Do not get me wrong - I unpick 1 block for every 3 or 4 I make.  Still, I get a little better each day.

I also wanted be sure I was happy with the color scheme.  What do we think now, Helen?  Are we happy?   Do I need more or less of any color?

It was slow going, but in the end I am so very happy I took on this curvy challenge.  Thank you, Leanne, for giving me a nudge and for your continual encouragement!  I just might have this done in time for Christmas!

Lovin' Liberty

At the Fat Quarterly Retreat last summer, I first saw bolts of Liberty fabric in person.  Of course I heard of Liberty before July 2012, but as I grew up in the US it was never a big deal.  Not our kind of thing, I guess.

Everything changed when Liberty released a fabric line suitable for quilting.

I found these beauties at the Knitting and Stitching show a few days ago. Eva told me when entering the show that one vendor had a Liberty display.  I could not get there fast enough.  Once I had a dig around and pulled the 4 prints I wanted to take home, Fiona convinced me I needed more.  It didn't take much to convince me, did it?

Now what will I make with them?  Any ideas?

Modern Quilting Guild Feature

Well done, Modern Quilt Guild of Ireland, for being featured in Irish Quilting magazine.

 Irish quilters, did you see this volume?  Could you get a copy before they sold out?  Well, I had problems grabbing one myself, but thankfully I ran into the editor, Sherry, and she had a copy with her.  Brilliant!

I think it's fantastic that a variety of quilts were featured in this article.  You might recognize quilts from Judith, Eva, Sarah, Irina and Fiona.  And there's little Stargazing.  Well done, girls.  It's nice to see our creations sharing a page!

Chaos: the top

I love this quilt top.  Love. Love. Love.  I have finished the quilt top to Chaos. It is about 42 inches square, made using Kona White solid and sheets and sheets of scraps sewn together into a fabric.  It took FOREVER to make the scrappy fabric, but the actual creation of the blocks took no time at all.  Easy peasy.

The colors in the top photo are a bit faded and light. The bottom photo is much more representative.  It was tough getting a photo between the raindrops :)  

I have more than enough of the scrappy fabric to make a second quilt of the same size.  I'm thinking about it, but right now just want to focus on loving (and finishing) version 1.  I have pieced the back using the same scrappy fabric and Kona Magenta. It's already layered and ready to quilt.  We'll have a finish in no time :)

Today Is The Day...

...to have your voice heard.  My American friends, please promise me you will vote in today's election.  I know your television has been over run with advertisements and your telephone is ringing off the hook with political volunteers trying to sway you one way or another.  You are tired and just want it to be over.  Please do not look at today as the (welcomed) end to this political battle, but instead the beginning of our future.  Today is the day that you are asked your opinion; asked what kind of America you want to live in.  Grab this opportunity and cast your vote.

Why bother voting?

• Voting gives you the opportunity to make decisions that directly affect your life.
• Voting is the most important way to have your voice heard on both a national and local scale.
• If you do not vote, others will make the decision for you.
• Those competing in the election will make decisions based on your behalf every day on topics including education, the quality of the air you breathe,  health care, housing and global issues - reaching from our alliances internationally to your trash collection or how you are treated for the common cold.
• The decisions made now will directly impact the world in which your children will live.

It is vitally important that the winner of this election accurately represents the minds and spirit of the 2012 American.  Please make your choice heard today.  Get out there and vote!

PS - You might be looking for the fabric snaps from the K&S show last weekend.  Sadly my computer "ate" them from the SD card on Sunday night.  I'm gutted to have lost them.

Knitting & Stitching Show: The Quilts

This past weekend myself, Erin and Fiona had a fabulous time visiting the Knitting and Stitching show in Dublin.  We saw lots of friends and had a great time digging through the fabric stalls, but I will tell you all about that in tomorrow's post.

Today I thought we'd instead focus on the quilts.  Each of the quilts shown are somehow related to the Irish Patchwork Society, representing Irish quilters throughout the country.  I would normally view IPS members as traditional quilters (at least in the local branch of the organization)  but I saw a more modern theme in this year's exhibit.  These are my favorites:

My little dorky heart started beating faster seeing strands of DNA in a quilt.  Ah, worlds melting together.  The central theme of the exhibit was "building blocks".  This sure fit.

Life Force: Maureen Kennedy of Co Louth

 This quilt just made me stop and stare.  I love the novel take on quilting here - kind of art quilter meets modern quilter.  It was so pretty!  So pretty I didn't even notice the brown bits.

Driven by Kandinsky by Loretta O'Brien of Co Clare

Really I think it was the hand quilting that grabbed my eye.  Isn't it yummy? It reminded me of work by Susan or Sarah.

The DP blocks here were just stunning.  It was primarily the colors used that caught my eye - a very Amish look with the black background.  Then looking a little closer, I see it was made by Peter, the husband of the woman who gave me my first quilting lessons back in the day.  Well done, Peter!

Drunken Flash of Colour by Peter McMulkin of Co Galway

And then a beautiful quilt using different shades of color to create a 3D effect.  Oh, it was pretty.  Again, this was hand quilted, but it was so much more subtle than the earlier quilt.  The stitching was just exquisite,   winning an award.

Interlocking Cubes by Elizabeth Brennan of Co Dublin

Awarded Excellence in Traditional Hand Quilting

I sadly didn't make a note of the creator behind this stunner.  Look at these New York Beauty blocks.  They were amazing!  I love the border on this quilt.  And the colors were just stunning.

Of course, Cúchulainn made an appearance with his friends.  The Galway branch of the IPS had a chance to re-exhibit our 20 panels of the Cú Na Mara, so we jumped.  This time, though, they were displayed in blocks of 4 so the blocks were intertwined a bit differently.  I liked it - more than when they're all in a straight line.  

There's mine!  There's mine in the upper right hand corner!

Of course I could not record every quilt at the exhibit.  There was so much to internalize in only a few short hours.  My mind became overwhelmed quite quickly.  Maybe next year I need two days at the exhibit.  I better start saving my spending money now!  

Come back tomorrow for the more social side and, of course, the fabric shopping!