A quilt for the baby

The other thing I have been making in my time away from the shop is this little fella, baby Nathaniel born five weeks ago:

The embroidered fish piece in the last post made me think how nice it would look as a square in a quilt. At the same time, a good selection of yellow-y fabrics began, as if by magic, to build in my stash. Like, all by themselves.

A trip to Whitstable last summer led to a bit of this:

Which in turn led to a very satisfying and definitely best-done-in-private bit of this:

(I posted these on Instagram hence the filters. The comment was 'I miss my blog'. I really did).

...And before I knew it I had enough for a cot quilt. I always look to Alicia Paulson for spiritual guidance when planning a quilt, and followed the technique she used in her Ollalieberry quilt. 

I went for fabrics that had a bit of a narrative, like this lovely Heather Ross 'Princess and the Pea' (below) from her Far Far Away range. And the Hansel and Gretel fabric. Not sure what the story is with the Mexican dudes but I'd sure like to know it.

I copied Alicia and used Warm and White wadding this time, all natural and made from hemp and not too artificially light feeling. Perhaps it would also aid sleep...

Nat in progress visible here. The choice of wadding makes it a bit thinner than usual but I am pleased with the result:

A boy! He's a bit small for it yet, in fact he's a bit small for most things yet; but when he graduates from moses basket to cot, the quilt is ready and waiting, with love.

kindle case

I am a compulsive reader and member of a book club. So I have participated in quite a few Kindle debates. I hear that they are great for reading whilst travelling/in a queue/on the beach/in a shed/breastfeeding/breastfeeding in a shed, but I am still not convinced. 

You see, I love books. I love paper, spines, smells, bookmarks,  cover artwork and all that good stuff.  

But I do understand the arguments of the people who love them. I am a fully paid up member of the digital world after all.

One of these people is my dear sister-in-law, who asked me to make a cover for her beloved Kindle. One that would also hold her charger and keep it all safe from the bottom of her handbag. I know how dangerous those places can be.

She liked the laptop case I made so we talked it through and this is what I came up with.


I made the cover using scraps leftover from this quilt and a piece of felt to strengthen it in the middle.

I made it up as I went along but the design was a cross between the laptop case and the book roll I made back in October.


In terms of process, I sewed the strips right side to the felt along one side, and then opened the flap so it was the right way round, like this:

And this:

A bit fiddly, but it worked well. I bound all the edges with shop-bought bias binding, and a lot of strategically placed velcro.

This case will be winging it's way to France where the Kindle lives so I sadly don't have a photo of it in action. But I hope they will all be very happy together. 

Me, I'm building more bookshelves.




Stop press! A communiqué from France containing photos of the Kindle case in use:

Merci Réjane!

Late spring coverlet

My friend has just had a little baby boy, such a nice time of year for it: you just put a rug down and let the chaos reign. 


Just over a year ago I had a baby at this time of year too, and I found a coverlet very handy. Not a blanket or a quilt - it was too warm for those - but a coverlet. A sheet on one side and a quilt top on the other, so it was kind of a lined sheet. 

Now it is a little rug to sit on. I decided to make one for the new little boy and try out some fabric combinations I had had my eye on.

I cut the squares quite precisely for once and used the overlocker (love) to join them into strips, then the strips to each other. It was so quick and painless that I am not sure it earns the right to be called patchwork. Patchwork to me implies a level of endurance and suffering. 

I added some quilting knots, another first, in red embroidery floss. This kept top and bottom together. A bit of home made bias binding, a strip of some nice cotton lace and it all came together with amazing ease.

I hope he likes it, and that it fosters a love of gingham, Snoopy, geese, trees, apples, Miffy, polka dots and all life's good things.

Running repairs

I finished this quilt about fourteen years ago. It was the first quilt I made using a machine, and the second one I had ever done. I made it up as I went along. This may have something to do with why it took three years. That and the fact that I went to university in the middle of making it.

I didn't use the highest standards. I did not know about things like binding, or binding makers, or really have any  proper understanding of how fabric frays. The quilt goes on our bed every winter and currently looks like this:

Fourteen years wear and tear. I know how it feels. 


Around ten years ago, in a moment of madness I took it to the launderette to be cleaned, not knowing how else to do it. It came back faded, which at the time I was very upset about, but now quite like. 

Once, I filled the bath with warm soapy water and walked on it with my bare feet, grape crusher style, this was a lot of fun but it took about a week to dry. 

Any suggestions of how to clean a patchwork quilt are greatly appreciated.

Last week with the first sign of sun in our little north facing garden I hung it over the washing line and did some repairs. 

Just me, the sun, the birds, the radio, the local stereo soundclash and some sewing. It was lovely. 

And it lasted exactly twenty-nine minutes. But each one was bliss.






PS Giveaway winners Ju, Elizabeth and Claire from clarabella kindly send me your adresses and I'll get cards in the post. And thanks to all who entered.