Rainy Day Sewing Book Tour

Guys! Have you heard? Amy Sinibaldi (Nana Company) and Kristyne Czepuryk (Pretty by Hand) have a new book out, published by Tuva Publishing. And it's good. Like really, really good. Makes-me-green-with-envy-as-a-fellow-author good. Uniquely clever projects, beautiful fabric selections, and photography to die for. They've really knocked it out of the park!

I struggled to pick a project for the book tour (today is my day but I think you figured that out already!) It's the kind of book that makes you want to make everything in it. In the end I settled on the doll quilt / mattress / pillow combo. It's my daughter's 7th birthday today, and I thought she would appreciate a new bedding set for her Ikea doll's bed.

Most of the fabrics I used are from Amy's fabric collections, with the deep pink foliage print from my Rhapsody collection for contrast. The doll and bunny are from the retail chain Mamas & Papas. I really enjoyed making this project - and it was a huge hit with the birthday girl also.

Today also happens to be the last day of the book tour! To mark the occasion I have an extra copy of the book to share with you, courtesy of Tuva Publishing. Go to my Instagram for a chance to win! Here are the other makers who took part in the tour - check out their IG feeds or #rainydaysewingbooktour to see their projects. Thanks for visiting today!

Backyard Chicks QAL - Week 3

It's Week 3 of the Backyard Chicks QAL!

It's been such fun seeing everyone's first blocks on Instagram - I'm loving the huge range of styles and fabrics everyone's gone for. And some of you have started laying out those first blocks on a design wall already, so we can begin to see what the finished quilts will look like. Exciting stuff!

The winner of the week 2 prize is @sewlindini! Who also pointed out that she could see cats in her quilt instead of chickens - once you see it, you can't unsee it ! :D Congratulations @sewlindini - please email me at sedef@downgrapevinelane.com (or DM me on Instagram) to arrange delivery of your prize.

Week 3

• Catch up with cutting / making the week 2 blocks. It's not too late to join in on the sew along, especially once you see what a fast sew the blocks are! To give you an idea I made the whole throw size quilt top in less than 2 days (including cutting) so don't fret if you haven't had a chance to start yet or fell behind last week! Plenty of time to catch up.

• Make 16 blocks. This week we are making 16 blocks again, using four different fabrics, 4 blocks from each fabric. Remember that this is for the throw size quilt - if you are making the baby or bed size you will need to make fewer or more blocks each week.

• Share your blocks on Instagram tagging them with #backyardchicksQAL, if you want to be in the running for this week's prize! You can share your photos on Facebook with the same hashtag if you wish, but I will only be selecting winners from Instagram. One clarification on prizes - I pick an account randomly from Instagram from among those who posted that week, regardless of whether you have completed the week's tasks or not! So feel free to post any and all progress you make, even if you are just joining the QAL for instance, and you will still be in the running for that week's prize. However to qualify for the grand prize at the end you will need to have finished and bound your quilt by the finish date of the QAL, which is 27 October. 

This week's prize:

On Sunday evening I will randomly pick a winner from all the entries on the Instagram hashtag #backyardchicksQAL. The winner will receive:

• 3 fat quarters of quilting fabric (from my own fabric collections)

• 3 patterns of their choice from my pattern collection. 

See you back here next week, below is a recap of all the details for the QAL!

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Backyard Chicks Quilt Along Details

Dates: 16 September - 27 October 2019 (6 weeks)
Block size: 10" finished
Finished quilt size: 60" x 80" (throw)
Experience level: Beginner

Schedule

Week 1 - Planning, fabric selection, cutting

Week 2 - Make 16 blocks 

Week 3 - Make 16 blocks
Week 4 - Make 16 blocks

Week 5 - Sew the quilt top together (+ catch up!)
Week 6 - Quilting and binding

Materials

Here are the fabric requirements for the quilt:

You will also need the pattern!

Follow Along

• You can follow the QAL via my Instagram account here. Use the hashtag #backyardchicksQAL to post pictures of your progress and to see how others' quilts are coming along.
• Sign up to the weekly QAL emails here. 
• I will share a new blog post every Monday so feel free to check my blog each week for updates. 

Needle Card Tutorial

Today I'm a guest blogger on fellow Riley Blake designer Amy Smart's blog Diary of A Quilter, where I'm sharing a tutorial to make fabric covered greeting / needle cards!

Although sewing is a solitary hobby, most of us are part of a sewing circle of friends, be it virtual or real. We take part in swaps, gift or sell our hand-made items, share our fabric stash with friends, and generally form a social group around this beautiful hobby of ours. And there are so many occasions when you are sending something to someone where you want to include a special card with some 'extras' - a cute pin or two or some buttons perhaps. This fabric covered needle card is just the ticket!

There is a 'Thank You' message on the inside cover and a cute sewing drawing on the other side. There is room to write your personal message also.

You can find the free tutorial to make these cards on Amy's Blog. And because I know you will be asking, the fabrics I've used in this post are mostly rare out of print fabrics, which I have been collecting for years and use very sparingly... I love the sweet colours and floral / cherry designs!

Thanks for visiting today and if you make these cards please tag me @downgrapevinelane on Facebook or Instagram as I would love to see them. Happy sewing!

Backyard Chicks QAL - Week 2

It's Week 2 of the Backyard Chicks QAL!

I loved seeing everyone's fabric choices on the #backyardchicksQAL hashtag on Instagram this week! We are going to have some truly stunning quilts to admire at the end.

The winner of the week 1 prize is @coolbeza! Congratulations - please email me at sedef@downgrapevinelane.com (or DM me on Instagram) to arrange delivery of your prize.

Week 2

• Finish planning / cutting. Hopefully you have finished the planning of your quilt and cutting your pieces by now! If not go ahead and do that first.

• Make 16 blocks. This week we are making 16 blocks, using four different fabrics. You will be making 4 blocks from each fabric. (Remember that this is for the throw size quilt - if you are making the baby or bed size you will need to make fewer or more blocks each week.) So select the four fabrics you want to work with this week, grab all those pieces, study the pattern to understand the block construction, and get sewing! Making 16 blocks in one week can sound a bit daunting, but believe me they come together so fast. To give you an idea I pieced the quilt top for the whole quilt (including the cutting) in 1.5 days!

• Share your blocks on Instagram tagging them with #backyardchicksQAL, if you want to be in the running for this week's prize! You can share your photos on Facebook with the same hashtag if you wish, but I will only be selecting winners from Instagram.

This week's prize:

On Sunday evening I will randomly pick a winner from all the entries on the Instagram hashtag #backyardchicksQAL. The winner will receive:

• 3 fat quarters of quilting fabric (from my own fabric collections)

• 3 patterns of their choice from my pattern collection. 

See you back here next week, below is a recap of all the details for the QAL!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Backyard Chicks Quilt Along Details

Dates: 16 September - 27 October 2019 (6 weeks)
Block size: 10" finished
Finished quilt size: 60" x 80" (throw)
Experience level: Beginner

Schedule

Week 1 - Planning, fabric selection, cutting

Week 2 - Make 16 blocks 

Week 3 - Make 16 blocks
Week 4 - Make 16 blocks

Week 5 - Sew the quilt top together (+ catch up!)
Week 6 - Quilting and binding

Materials

Here are the fabric requirements for the quilt:

You will also need the pattern!

Follow Along

• You can follow the QAL via my Instagram account here. Use the hashtag #backyardchicksQAL to post pictures of your progress and to see how others' quilts are coming along.
• Sign up to the weekly QAL emails here. 
• I will share a new blog post every Monday so feel free to check my blog each week for updates. 

Backyard Chicks QAL - Week 1

Welcome to Week 1 of the Backyard Chicks QAL!

I'm so excited to kick off this quilt-along today! In this first week we are planning our quilt, selecting our fabrics, and cutting the pieces.

• Plan your quilt. You can make any size quilt as part of this QAL, though the pace is based on the medium (throw size) quilt. If you intend to make the smaller or larger sizes you'll need to adjust your pace accordingly by making fewer or more blocks over the next three weeks.

• Download the printable colouring page if you would like to plan out your colour placements. 

• Get your fabrics together - feel free to share your fabric pulls on Instagram with the hashtag #backyardchicksQAL if you would like to! The material requirements are at the bottom of this post and also in the pattern.

• Purchase and download the pattern if you haven't done so already.

• Cut your fabrics following the cutting directions in the pattern. Tip: Starch your fabrics before cutting for more precise results in your patchwork! Using a can or bottle of spray starch, first spray your fabric lightly then press it with a hot iron till the fabric is dry and the starch has set. Take care not to scorch the fabric! The fabric should feel stiffer following this process, and your cuts (and subsequent piecing) will be a lot more precise. 

• Share your cut pieces on Instagram tagging them with #backyardchicksQAL!

• Go ahead and sew a test block if you are an overachiever! ;-) 

This week's prize:

On Sunday evening I will randomly pick a winner from all the entries on the Instagram hashtag #backyardchicksQAL. The winner will receive:

• 3 fat quarters of quilting fabric (from my own fabric collections)

• 3 patterns of their choice from my pattern collection. 

See you back here next week, below is a recap of all the details for the QAL!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Backyard Chicks Quilt Along Details

Dates: 16 September - 27 October 2019 (6 weeks)
Block size: 10" finished
Finished quilt size: 60" x 80" (throw)
Experience level: Beginner

Schedule

Week 1 - Planning, fabric selection, cutting

Week 2 - Make 16 blocks 

Week 3 - Make 16 blocks
Week 4 - Make 16 blocks

Week 5 - Sew the quilt top together (+ catch up!)
Week 6 - Quilting and binding

Materials

Here are the fabric requirements for the quilt:

You will also need the pattern!

Follow Along

• You can follow the QAL via my Instagram account here. Use the hashtag #backyardchicksQAL to post pictures of your progress and to see how others' quilts are coming along.
• Sign up to the weekly QAL emails here. 
• I will share a new blog post every Monday so feel free to check my blog each week for updates.