Half Hexagon cushion cover

 As it's nearly September I've started thinking about back to school and off to Uni - and that I haven't managed to complete many of my half completed projects!
so I've combined off to Uni and finishing something, and made a cushion to brighten a student room.
These half hexagon friendship braids have been lying around for ages - obviously they were cut using the Big Shot and the Half Hexagon die - 660175 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660175/sizzix-bigz-die-5-half-hex

So I cut some navy fabric stripes using the Big Shot Plus 660020http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/660020/sizzix-big-shot-plus-machine-only-white-gray

and the 2 1/2" strip 658328 http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658328/sizzix-bigz-xl-25-die-strips-2-1-2-wide , and used them to join 3 of the strips together -

I trimmed the top and bottom to make the edges straight and then just added a backing in the same navy to complete - I am going to insert a cushion pad and then slip stitch the edges together -

 

 So I'm feeling pleased with myself - one less thing to finish
Next week might be back to school - or it might be a mystery quilt.
Until then have fun sewing.
Angela

A Card for Father´s Day with the Sizzix Printables

Hello everybody,

Father´s Day is near in the UK and Sizzix has a bunch of perfect free printables for you. I printed them  out and made a (hopefully) manly card. ;) Hopefully, because I normally don´t use a lot of blue in my pojects. But I really like this card. 

Here is my list of supplies I used:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus Starter Kit (White & Gray) #660515

Sizzix Framelits Die Set 10PK - Hexagons #658609

Father´s Day Printables by Sizzix 

If you can see I made a blank card with my favorite white cardstock and the Hexagon Framelits. Super easy to make (fold your cardstock and use the biggest Hexagon Framelit to get your card in shape) and I really like how it turned out. :)

I thought that stars would be the perfect addition for this card and I found those blue wood veneer stars in my stash. Do you like this card? Have you ever made a "different" shaped card? Tell me what you think about it. Hope you got inspired a little bit and I wish you a lovely weekend. Today it started to rain in Germany. Hope the sun comes back soon! :)

xo Julia

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Hallo ihr Lieben,

in England ist nächste Woche Vatertag. Bei uns ist er schon lange rum, aber ich wollte dennoch die tollen kostenlosen Printables von Sizzix nutzen, um eine Karte zu machen. ;) Ich hoffe die Karte ist auch männlich genug. Blau nutze ich ansonsten super selten bei meinen Projekten. Aber diese Karte gefällt mir irgendwie echt gut. :)

Materialliste:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus Starter Kit (White & Gray) #660515

Sizzix Framelits Die Set 10PK - Hexagons #658609

Father´s Day Printables von Sizzix 

Für diese Karte habe ich mir einen Sechseckkartenrohling gemacht. Dazu einfach euren Cardstock entsprechend falten und mit der größten Stanzform aus dem Hexagon-Stanzset die Form ausstanzen. Die Printables dann in den kleineren und das dann aufkleben. Schon ist die Karte eigentlich fertig! ;)

Zum Abschluss habe ich noch ein paar Sternchen aus Holz in Blau aufgeklebt. Ich finde sie passen wunderbar zu der Karte. Was meint ihr? Habt ihr schonmal eine etwas anders geformte Karte gemacht? Erzählt mir davon, bin neugierig. :) Habt einen tollen Tag, xo Julia

Hello card and gift card folder

Hello everybody,

I offer you a small card in pastel colours and its gift card folder, in which you can slip some sweets.

The card is rather simply decorated with a hexagon die. It allowed me to cut hexagons in various papers, to create the bottom of my card. 

Then I put it down on a more contrasted striped paper.
I decorated with a ribbon and before tying it, I slipped inside a small charm.

For the pocket decoration, I played with coloured papers and the various sizes of the “Flowers” die.
I then added some brads in the flowers centers.

Good day to you all.

Supply list:

658300:  Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit
656640:  Sizzix Tattered Florals 
658317:  Sizzix Hexagons
660804:  Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 3PK - Happiness Phrases NEW! 

Paper: Swirlcards
Strass: Artemio
Brads: Kési'art
Charm and clip: Scrapboukits


Have a good day, 

Isalilou

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Bonjour à toutes et tous,

Je vous propose une petite carte aux couleurs pastels et sa petites pochette cadeaux, dans laquelle, on peut glisser des petites gourmandises.

La carte est décorée assez simplement avec le die hexagone, qui m'a permis de découper des hexagones dans différents papiers pour créer le fond de ma carte que j'ai ensuite maté sur un papier rayé plus contrasté.

J'ai décoré avec un ruban: avant de le nouer, j'y ai glissé une petite breloque. 

Pour la pochette, c'est le die Fleurs qui m'a permis de décorerai jouant avec les couleurs des papiers et les différentes tailles de découpe du die.

J'ai ensuite ajouté des brads au centres des fleurs.

matériels utilisés:

658300:  Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit
656640:  Sizzix Tattered Florals 
658317:  Sizzix Hexagons
660804:  Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 3PK - Happiness Phrases NEW! 

Paper: Swirlcards
Strass: Artemio
Brads: Kési'art
Charm and clip: Scrapboukits

Bonne journée,

Isalilou

Layer cake quicky

Where has this week gone? Well I was in Dublin at the Knitting and Stitching Show at the weekend - so I think that has made the time seem to disappear. I was demonstrating the Big Shot and Bigz dies for Abakhanhttp://www.abakhan.co.uk/ , and teaching a workshop using the Butterfly die - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658629/sizzix-bigz-die-butterfly-4 to decorate a needle case.

So now I'm back and trying to complete the Downton Abbey quilt - my idea of completing it with a plain background just doesn't work - so I am going to have to piece together some more 'whirligigs' to make a small lap quilt - but as I've only made that decision today I can't show you the results this week - but I can let you know that you can cut 28 half hexagons from a fat quarter, with die http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658880/sizzix-bigz-die-5-half-hex - but you have to lay the fabric all the same way - R.S or W.S up - and do not fan fold

Each fat quarter will make 4 complete 'whirligigs'.

So far I have used 288 half hexagons and my top measures approx. 52" at the widest point and 42" at the narrowest - just to give you an idea of size.

Sooooo - Downton is delayed again - and it could be a couple of weeks before I can finish it - but in the meantime I have something else to show you -

Do you remember this from a couple of weeks ago?

 

 

I said I would let you know  how big a quilt top I could make out of this Layer cake pack of fabrics.

Now I'm pleased to be able to give you the answer and show the started top -

 

 

 

Using this die http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/657622/sizzix-bigz-l-die-triangles-isosceles-right-4-1-2-h-assembled I can make a top approx. 40"/1m square. Obviously if you use a smaller die the size you can make will be reduced.

What can  you look forward to next week - well it won't be Downton or this small quilt - but it will be a quick make for Christmas.

In the meantime enjoy your sewing.

Angela

 



Have Hexies, Will Travel

I was away in North Wales last week with my two boys and my parents for the half term break. I wanted to take some sewing with me and whilst I've had a little try of English paper piecing before (the needle book in the second photo, I did say a little try) I've never had a proper go and this seemed like the ideal opportunity.

The day before we set off I found a little plastic box and assembled a travel-hexy-sewing-kit. Using my Hexagons, 1in Sides #2 die I cut approximately 80 hexies on my Big Shot, using up lots of leftover scraps of some favourite prints in the process. Then with the Hexagons, 3/4in Sides die I cut the papers to use with them.

Now I know I'm a EPP newbie but surely there can't be an easier, faster way of preparing hexies than this?

A needle book, small pair of scissors and 2 reels of thread went into the box along with the papers and hexagons and it was ready to go. Next time though I'll definitely add basting glue to the kit and use a dab to hold the paper to the fabric as it was awkward holding the paper in place whilst folding the sides over.

It was lovely to sit and baste a few hexagons in the evenings when the boys were winding down or asleep in bed.

I managed to get all of the hexagons basted over the course of the week (it's pretty addictive once you get going) and started to join them into 'flowers'. There is a plan for these once they're all joined together.

The more I've got into quilting the more enjoyable hand-sewing has become, I spent years trying to avoid it and used a machine wherever possible. Maybe hand-sewing will even start to overtake machine sewing one day - although probably not too soon as my new sewing machine is due tomorrow, yay!

Downton continued

Hello again, are you enjoying the cosy autumn evenings now we have turned the clocks back?

I'm enjoying the autumn colours in the trees, and the fallen leaves - which I still enjoy kicking my way through ( even when I haven't got my grandchildren with me!!)

Talking about colours - I received a wonderful box of  'Art Gallery' fabrics last week -

 

sent to me by http://www.hantex.co.uk/ for a whole heap of projects - now this is a little unfair, as you won't get a glimpse of any of the projects until later in the year or even early next year - but these fabrics are so bright and beautiful to work with I just wanted to share the photo.

Before I show you the latest progress on 'Downton' I just show you a couple of photos from the workshop I taught  yesterday at The Sewing Room in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, the shop - for Anita - you can see her in the second photo below

 

 We had fun making quick and easy Christmas decorations, using hearts http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/656334/sizzix-bigz-die-hearts , and stars http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/656339/sizzix-bigz-die-stars
Christmas decorations will feature in my blogs next month - when I hope to have finished Downton.
So here is the next instalment -

I finished laying out the triangles and then joined them into strips - here you see all the strips joined together - to make a large central hexagon.
Now I really want this to be a quilt that I can snuggle up under while watching Downton Abbey - so I'm going to add a neutral fabric - maybe calico to make this into a rectangle, and then maybe add a border to create the size I want - so that will be the final instalment - and then I'll give you the fabric requirements as well.
Meanwhile enjoy the cosy evenings and keep sewing.
Angela

 

Downton dilema



 Well it's only how to put the quilt together! - there's and easy way for the piecing, which is difficult to plan, or there is a difficult way to piece which is very easy to plan - still not sure which option to take - here are the options -

 

 I can make each pinwheel complete and then lay them out to get a balance of colour and pattern - but the piecing will be complicated, or

 

I can stitch the shapes into triangles - but as you can see from the numbering on the pieces in each triangle that it is quite complicated - so I'm off to the sewing machine to see which method I'm going to adopt - back soon.

The decision is made - this method was quite tricky to stitch precisely although as previously discussed it's easy to plan.

 This triangle method gives me a much neater result - not so many difficult half seams - so I'm going to attempt this method and hope that I can plan it well enough.

As I have about 20 different fabrics to work with I think this method will work.

My next task is to cut some more half hexagons with die -http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658880/sizzix-bigz-die-5-half-hex and get sewing again. I'm going to cut 24 half hexagons from each fabric and see how far I get - this may just end up as a bed runner-or a single bed quilt - I'm not sure yet. I'll keep you informed as it progresses!

Next week I'm demonstrating at Alexandra Palace at the Knitting and Stitching show. I'll be on The Cotton Patch stand, I'm not sure of the number, so if you're at the show come and say hello.

Hope to see you next week.

Angela

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome back Downton Abbey



 I'm thoroughly enjoying the beautiful blue skies and late summer sun this September, but I'm also enjoying the prospect of curling up in front of the television, watching Downton Abbey, as the Autumn evenings become shorter and cooler.

So what better way to celebrate than to bring out my collection of Downton Abbey fabrics and begin a new quilt - sound of hands rubbing together in excitement!

I've been trying to decide what to make with these fabrics for ages - I've kept picking them up and putting them down - and now I've decided - so here we go -

I have a selection of Lady Edith and Lady Sybil fat quarters and have added 5 plain fabrics from the Wickerweave range from Andover fabrics - as I think all the patterns together might be a bit much'

I've used one of my favourite dies the half- hexagon http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658880/sizzix-bigz-die-5-half-hex but I'm going to stitch them together to create a different shape -

 

 So now I have to work out how to stitch them together - by making each pinwheel - or by creating triangles which can then be stitched quickly by machine - but this will entail careful planning - so I think I'll go and make a cup of tea and then see if I can plan the lay out - it may take a while - so you'll have to wait until next week to see how I fair!!!

Angela

 

Did you enjoy the show?

Well I hope you did.
As always I am very tired after the Festival of Quilts - 27 workshops in 4 days is a lot, but as always it means that I met a lot of lovely ladies, and we also had a few lovely gents join us this year.
The only down side for me is that I hardly saw any of the quilts on display - just a quick run round after the show had closed on Saturday evening, and also I don't have much time to be tempted to spend my money - although our stand was right by a rather lovely fabric stand which did cost me a bit - photos to follow in the next few weeks showing my creations.
So for now I thought I'd show you the project we made at the show -

 

a useful jewellery roll using one of the new Nel Whatmore applique dies - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/659599/sizzix-bigz-die-paisley-daisy

I think I'm going to have some fun with this die - I'm planning a little clutch bag with lots of beads or sequins on it for the Christmas session.

Nik from The Cotton Patch http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/ had also been very busy creating a couple of new quilt kits which were on display at the show -

This quilt was made using the 5" Half Hexagon die - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658880/sizzix-bigz-die-5-half-hex and almost creates a 3D effect

 and this quilt uses another of my favourite dies  10" Dresden Plate - http://www.sizzix.co.uk/product/658884/sizzix-bigz-xl-die-10-dresden-plate

I love the vivid colours Nik used in this one.
Well that's all for now folks - back to work on a quilt for Christmas.

Next week I'll show you some of the completed ( yes I am giving myself a pat on the back ) table runners we used at the Festival of Quilts - as long as I've located the boxes they were packed in!!

Enjoy stroking your purchases, reading your books, dreaming of having time to make lots of new projects. How about a nice cuppa?

Angela

 

 

 



Hexagon greetings

 

 

 

This week I decided to break the square and make a card with six edges using a few sizes from the Framelits Die Set 10PK - Hexagons.



First step was to make my cardbase and for that I folded a white piece of cardstock and chose the largest die from Framelits Hexagons. I let one edge of the die extend out over the fold of the paper so the die wouldn't cut here. Once I had run my sandwich through the Big Shot Starter Kit (Powder Blue & Teal) I was left with a hexagon that opened on one side and could be used as my cardbase.

Next step was to make the patterned paper for my card and I chose matching papers and a single solid cardstock and die cut them using a smaller hexagon. Once I had die cut a few of each paper, I traced a hexagon on a piece of white cardstock (using one of the dies as template) and started to assemble my pattern using the traced lines as my guide. When I had filled out the entire traced area, I ran the paper and the matching die through the Big Shot and was then left with a patterned hexagon-shaped piece of paper. Now all I had to do was put my card together.

Using the labels that come with the Big Shot Starter Kit I diecut two labels and sandwiched those with a handcut banner giving my sentiment some interest. I also tied a piece of seam binding around the patterned paper prior to attaching on the cardbase.

And then I called the card done. When doing something like the patterned paper using simple shaped dies, I don't think you need much in ways of embellishments and thus I kept mine to a minimum.

Supply list:
Big Shot Starter Kit (Powder Blue & Teal)
Framelits Die Set 10PK - Hexagons
Cardstock
Patterned Paper
Seam Binding
Stamp (Papertrey Ink)
Ink (VersaFine)

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I denne uge ville jeg springe boxen og lave et kort med seks kanter, og jeg tog Framelits Die Set 10PK - Hexagons til hjælp.

Første skridt var at lave min kortbase, og til det formål foldede jeg et stykke hvidt karton og placerede den største die fra Framelits - Hexagons, så den hang lidt ud over folden. På den måde bliver der ikke skåret dér, hvor dien hænger ud over kanten. Da jeg havde kørt sandwichen gennem min Big Shot, havde jeg et sekskantet kort lige klar til at dekorere.

Næste skridt var at lave mit mønstrede papir, og her valgte jeg en mindre sekskant-die, som jeg brugte til at udstanse sekskanter i forskellige mønstrede papirer og i karton. Da jeg havde skåret nogle stykker af hvert papir, brugte jeg en af diene til at tegne en sekskant på et stykke hvidt karton. Det fyldte jeg nu ud med mine små sekskanter, og da jeg havde fyldt hele sekskanten ud, kørte jeg den og dien igennem min Big Shot, hvorefter jeg havde et sekskantet stykke mønstret papir til mit kort.

Jeg brugte de labels, der følger med Big Shot Starter Kit (Powder Blue & Teal) til at udstanse to labels, som jeg lagde sammen med et håndklippet grønt banner imellem. På den måde fik kortets tekst også lidt ekstra opmærksomhed. Endelige bandt jeg et stykke seam binding omkring det mønstrede papir. Når man laver kort, som er så busy, som dette, synes jeg ikke, at man behøver alverden af dekorationer.

Ingredienser:
Big Shot Starter Kit (Powder Blue & Teal)
Framelits Die Set 10PK - Hexagons
Karton
Mønstret papir
Seam Binding
Stempel (Papertrey Ink)
Sværte (VersaFine)

having fun with hexies!

 A very enjoyable day was spent at Oh Sew Sweet Shop in Barnsley this past Saturday. I had a class of ladies all learning how to english paper piece, using the Big Shot to cut their papers.

It's always great to watch them use a Big Shot for the first time, the look of amazement as it magically turns paper or fabric into shapes!

If you are local to Barnsley in South Yorkshire then why not sign up for Angela's half day class this Thursday. Give the shop a call on 01226 386863