How to make a quick quilt: 2

Back in June, I posted about this quick project that I’d started – it’s called a ‘cheater quilt’, as the fabric is already printed with the patchwork-style blocks on it, so I didn’t have to piece all those tiny shapes together! I just wanted a simple hand quilting project that would be portable, to see me over a few weeks of the summer while I was travelling about.

So, the quilting itself was completed after about a month. Very easy to do – I just did running stitch around the edges and inner patterns of all the printed blocks, and stitched little squares in the intersections of the blocks, to hold the fabric down nicely.

Then I did the binding, using a long quarter of a fabric I’ve had in my stash for years, which I bought from the Cotton Patch shop in Birmingham. I used two inch wide strips, and pinned the strip to the reverse side of the quilt, flush with the edge, with right sides together.

Then I handstitched the strip in place from the front side of the quilt, half an inch in from the edge.

I folded over the strip to the front, making a hem, and pinned it in place, then slip stitched it into position.

Then I did the same on the opposite side of the quilt, so both long sides were completed first. To neatly bind the two shorter sides, I pinned the strips in place in the same way as before, but first I had to turn back a half inch hem at the start and end of the strip, so that the corners would be neat.

This is how it looked sideways on.

After stitching half an inch in to attach the strip, as before, I slip stitched the binding in place.

This is the finished cheater quilt – it measures about 22 inches by 16 – not very large, but quite impressive considering I didn’t actually do any real patchwork for this!!

I love the checked backing fabric – it goes really well with the colourway of the front.

And this is what I made it for – I have some reproduction dolls that usually sit on the first floor landing in my home, and I decided to make them some mini quilts to sit on (actually, I wanted to make some mini quilts and couldn’t think what on earth to do with them, so that was the best ‘reason’ I could come up with!).

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Are you interested in doll’s houses and stitching? Then why not visit my website, where you can buy doll’s house needlepoint kits to make all kinds of soft furnishings for one-twelfth scale dollhouses. There are over 280 kits to choose from, plus chart packs, fabric project packs, tutorials, and lots of eye candy to inspire you! Kits are available on 18 and 22 count canvas, 28 and 32 count evenweave, and 32 and 40 count silk gauze, so there’s something for everyone – from beginners to experts.

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My dollhouse needlepoint kit business has a new look, and I’m celebrating with a special offer!

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been giving my dollhouse needlepoint kit business a makeover – hence the snazzy new header image here, with the gorgeous sweet peas!! I love this new look – it’s so pretty! You’ll be seeing the sweet pea look on all my social media from now on – Facebook, Etsy, my website, and so on.

To launch the new look, I’ve decided to celebrate with a special offer for you!

From now until midnight on Sunday, I am having a sale on all the dollhouse needlepoint kits featured in my Etsy shop. There are almost 70 of my kits on Etsy (they are the best-sellers from my whole range of 280) – to get 10% discount off any of them, just use the code MAKEOVER10 at the Etsy checkout, before midnight on Sunday 24th September.

So, if you’d like to treat yourself to a 1:12 kit to make a dollhouse scale carpet, bellpull, teacosy, handbag,wallhanging, or many other types of mini-stitching, now’s your chance to get a great kit at a discount price!

Visit my Etsy shop now, to save 10% on the usual price of these great little kits!

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Are you interested in doll’s houses and stitching? Then why not visit my website, where you can buy doll’s house needlepoint kits to make all kinds of soft furnishings for one-twelfth scale dollhouses. There are over 280 kits to choose from, plus chart packs, fabric project packs, tutorials, and lots of eye candy to inspire you! Kits are available on 18 and 22 count canvas, 28 and 32 count evenweave, and 32 and 40 count silk gauze, so there’s something for everyone – from beginners to experts.

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I’m hooked on stitching bellpulls now……

I spent some time a few days ago making up materials packs for the three Mary Hickmott cross stitch bellpulls that follow on from the fabulous ‘Height of Summer’ one which I made a few years ago. The Autumn, Spring and Winter bellpulls are one step closer to actually being made, now!

However…..

While I was hunting through my stash of charts, I came across another couple of Mary Hickmott’s bellpull designs, and I’ve decided (mad as it may seem) that I just have to kit these up as well, and one day make them too, as I’m hooked on stitching bellpulls now.

This first one is a gorgeous design of sweet peas in pink and purple shades, and is called ‘Sweet Pea Pastels’.

The chart pack suggests stitching it on pure white 28 count evenweave, but I think that might look a bit harsh against the wall where I would hang it, so I am going to stitch it on Zweigart Cashel linen ‘Ivory’ instead, which is a soft cream. The pinks and purple threads still look lovely against this fabric. I’m using Anchor stranded cotton again – look at all these beautiful colours!!

The brass bellpull end is one given to me by my friend Karen Dixon, who sells these on her Millennia Designs website, in case you want one yourself (she has many other designs, too).

This final bellpull design from my chart stash is called ‘Fabulous Fuchsias’, and it’s a smaller design than the others designed by Mary Hickmott – it’s only 32 inches long when finished, as opposed to the 40 inches of the other ones. Its also a bit narrower. So, it wouldn’t take as long to stitch, so I’m tempted to start my marathon bellpull-fest with this one!

The fabric recommended on the chart pack for this one is Zweigart 28 count Cashel linen in Vintage blue – it’s a really pretty, softly marbled-looking fabric.  I bought a piece of it from Sew and So, 27 x 39 inches cut size, and it should be plenty.

The wooden bellpull ends are also from Sew and So, and are manufactured by Framecraft. As this bellpull is a smaller design, I felt that heavy brass bellpull ends would be too overpowering.

Both chart packs are available from Mary Hickmott’s website Stitch Direct – the Sweet pea pastels one from here, and the Fabulous Fuchsias one from here.

So, that little lot should keep me busy for, ooh, several years, I should think  🙂

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Are you interested in doll’s houses and stitching? Then why not visit my website, where you can buy doll’s house needlepoint kits to make all kinds of soft furnishings for one-twelfth scale dollhouses. There are over 280 kits to choose from, plus chart packs, fabric project packs, tutorials, and lots of eye candy to inspire you! Kits are available on 18 and 22 count canvas, 28 and 32 count evenweave, and 32 and 40 count silk gauze, so there’s something for everyone – from beginners to experts.

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It’s National Needlepoint Day!

Today, 7th September, it’s National Needlepoint Day!

So, make the most of your stitching today, wherever you are doing it – try stitching in public, to let people know that needlepoint is a legitimate hobby, and how much fun it is!

I’ve tried most embroidery techniques over the years. In the eighties, I went through a phase of stitching only needlepoint – that lasted for several years, and I don’t have any of those pieces left now, as I tended to make things as gifts. Big scatter cushions, wallhangings, bellpulls – mostly from kits, but some were  my own designs.

I used to travel from my home in Essex by train into London, and visit The Needlewoman Shop on Regent Street to get my needlepoint supplies then, and struggle home again with huge bags of goodies! Such a pity that that shop has long since closed. I used to love it! They had an amazing range.

Obviously, I’m biased, as I sell *miniature* needlepoint kits, so everything I do for my business is small, but I have grown to love the mini versions of needlepoint more than the full-sized ones now.

Here’s a few examples of my dollhouse scale needlepoint, which can be bought as kits from my website:

 

Are you stitching any needlepoint at the moment? Do you only do cross stitch? Or surface embroidery? Or blackwork? Or does it depend on your mood as to what kind of project you want to stitch?

Let me know in the comments!

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Are you interested in doll’s houses and stitching? Then why not visit my website, where you can buy doll’s house needlepoint kits to make all kinds of soft furnishings for one-twelfth scale dollhouses. There are over 280 kits to choose from, plus chart packs, fabric project packs, tutorials, and lots of eye candy to inspire you! Kits are available on 18 and 22 count canvas, 28 and 32 count evenweave, and 32 and 40 count silk gauze, so there’s something for everyone – from beginners to experts.

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