an extra special quilt finish

Happy Monday, friends. 

I must tell you, I'm super, super excited about this new quilt. I love its simplicity and muted colors, but mostly I love the fact that I used a mix of different solids from my stash combined with my own either screen printed or block printed fabrics (some of which are still available for sale at my etsy shop).

It took forever for me to decide which pattern to go with and I'm glad I chose this simple coin quilt layout. I was loosely following my strip quilt tutorial but decided to do different widths of columns to make better use of fabric I had.

When it comes to quilt backs, I usually use one single fabric to do as little piecing as possible. This time, though, I actually went ahead and used leftover strips from the top and a big piece of block printed fabric to make this happy looking backing.

And, once again, I did my favorite 1" apart straight-ish line quilting and striped binding.

♥ ♥ ♥

QUILT STATS

finished size: 41" x 56" 

fabrics used: different Kona Cottons and Essex linen + my own printed fabric

batting: Warm and White

Thanks for reading, everyone. Wishing you all a fun, creative week. 

Svetlana

screen printed fabric panels and kits on sale now

 

phew, I made it. 

I managed to list quite a few printed fabric panels as well as some pouch kits in my shop today. 

Hope you'll find something you like. And, as always, thanks for your support. It's greatly appreciated. 

Svetlana

lately ...

Hello, happy Monday to you all!

It's been a while, hasn't it? Ever since I started this blog five years ago I never stayed away from blogging for this long. Lately I've been feeling increasingly overwhelmed as there didn't seem to be enough hours in a day to finish all the tasks I planned, so this little break from social media (and my manic need to create no matter what) was just what I needed to catch up a bit.

I didn't stay away from creating for too long though. I did a lot of screen and block printing and I'm super excited about the quilt in the picture above as I only used solids and my screen printed fabric to make it. A lot more photos and a full blog post on this quilt coming just as soon as the weather cooperates :).

I'm in the process of listing some of the screen printed fabric panels in my Etsy shop, as well. I'll let you know when it all goes live (possibly this Wednesday).

And, I'm kind of obsessed with sketching these fun mushroom looking line drawings. I'm very seriously considering turning that giant one into a screen printed pillow.

Oh, and I have to show you Alice (Singer 338), the newest addition to my studio before I go. I was originally looking for a Singer Featherweight (which is quite pricey these days), so when I came across this beauty for a measly $20 at Salvation Army store, I knew she was destined to come home with me. I think there are a lot of beautifully stitched bags in our future.

Off I go, still lots of things to be done as tomorrow is my children's last day of school. I think our school district might be trying to kill off all the parents by letting the kids out so early :).

Wish me luck. Svetlana

#mayisformakers {necessary clutch wallet}

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to show you my newest wallet I made using a pattern I purchased as part of #mayisformakers campaign (read more by clicking here).

Here's my version of the Necessary Clutch Wallet by Emmaline Bags.

This is not the easiest or quickest wallet to sew, but definitely worth all the extra effort it requires. It's a super clever, well written pattern, and I greatly appreciated all the additional tips and ideas Janelle shares on alternate front flap (which is the one I decided to go with, stripe inspired by this lovely clutch) as well as adding a removable wrist or shoulder strap to one's wallet.

(second version)

(first version)

 

As you can see from the two pictures above, I made two almost identical wallets in the last few days. Now, my plan was to make just one. But there were way too many features I wanted to improve on once my first wallet was finished, I simply decided to rip it up, reuse the parts I could, and start all over. Yes, I do things like that on a regular basis :).

The thing that bugged me to no end on my first version was how terrible my side seams looked. There were quite a few layers of fabric and interfacing I had to deal with, plus it was really hard to get a good access with my sewing machine. And, to make things worse, I used contrasting thread instead of coordinating one. Definitely not a smart choice.

 Thankfully though I came across this gorgeous version of Necessary Clutch Wallet on Pinterest  and decided to copy the idea of using rivets instead of stitching. I love how it looks and I think it gives the finished wallet that extra little touch of special.

I also changed the way I installed the zipper pocket to reduce on bulk in the side seams, and added a removable wrist strap (you can find a free tutorial here) to my second version. And, I used a different closure because I wanted it to match my rivets.

I wanted my wallet to be quite sturdy, so I used 809 Decor Bond for all the exterior panels, and SF101 interfacing for lining and pockets. Plus, I added a layer of fusible fleece to my flap for added sturdiness and structure. Worked like a charm :).

I'm absolutely in love with this wallet and I'm super happy I decided to make a second, way better looking version.

Wishing you all a fantastically creative week. Svetlana

#mayisformakers {the circle box}

Hello friends,

I'm sure many of you came across Lindsey's campaign (#mayisformakers) to consciously support and thus show our love and appreciation to indie pattern designers through the month of May. Being a pattern designer myself, and facing many dilemmas Lindsey addresses in her blog post, I was more than happy to jump right in and purchase my first pattern for May.

 The Circle Box pattern by Simple Love Quilts

 And, of course I had to try it out right away :). Thankfully it rained all day yesterday which made it a perfectly perfect day to do all this slow, very enjoyable and meditative hand stitching.

 

I used Cotton and Steel fabric for my little box and I absolutely love how it turned out. Pretty charming, isn't it? I can't wait for another rainy day to whip up another one of these cuties.

The box I made is a larger one - 6" diameter, and the pattern includes instructions for a 4" box as well. I think this one will be great to keep my thread organized while I do some hand stitching.

Hope some of you will be able to join #mayisformakers as well. Can't wait to see your pattern picks and makes. Let's show some love and support, shall we? 

Wishing you all a super lovely week. Svetlana