(Big) City Girl QAL

It's my turn on the (Big) City Girl blog hop - welcome to Marrakech!

Situated in Morocco, N.Africa, Marrakech has been my home for the last 11 years.  Love it or hate it, it's a crazy, colourful and vibrant city known for its beautiful winter sun and searingly hot summers.

I won't lie - it took me a while to come up with a design for my block.  I can only just paper piece let along come up with a pattern (have you seen some of the amazing blocks in this QAL?!) and when I thought about this city, it is really known for its souqs, Djem El Fna square and its iconic colour.  You see, all the buildings are a dusky pink.  Marrakech is known as The Red City.

To ward against the evil eye, Moroccans believe in the powers of a palm shaped amulet called the Fatima's hand.  They can wear it as a piece of jewelery or you often see it as a door knocker (see the centre image in the mosaic below) - believing that you never really knowing the true intentions of some visitors!

Here is my block - an improv. pieced Fatima's hand in the colours of Marrakech, using Oakshott cottons.

So here's a quick and super easy tutorial!

Tutorial
various scraps for the improv.pieced hand (solids or patterns in any colorway)
Paper template, which you can download here (enlarge to desired size)
Template plastic (not essential)
10 1/2" x 10 1/2"backing fabric
Double sided fusible interfacing

Step 1
Improv. piece scraps of fabric together until you have a rectangle approximately 9" x 9". There are lots of good tutorials online. I didn't use a ruler - I just used random scraps - sewed them together - trimmed and kept piecing! Go with your heart!

Step 2
Using the template, trace it on to some template plastic and lay it across the block diagonally.  This isn't necessary but does help you position the hand on the pieced square so that you can decide where to position it.  Try not to position the edge of the template near to where seams meet, like you can see half way along the top long edge in the picture below.

Step 3
Use the plastic template to trace round on to the non sticky side of the double sided fusible interfacing and trim around it leaving a half inch or so.

Position the interfacing on the wrong side of the pieced block with the sticky side down.  Fuse the two together following the manufacturer's instructions (usually applying a dry heat for a few seconds).

Step 4
Cut around the template and peel away the interfacing paper - don't leave it on too long and be careful so that you don't pull the seams.

Fold your backing fabric in half and press with an iron so that you have a central line.  Position your Fatima's hand on the backing fabric using the central line as a guide.

Step 5
Applique the hand to the backing fabric using your preferred method - either by hand or machine. I machine appliqued using the applique stitch.

Et voila!

Thank you so much to Aylin and Amy for organizing this QAL.  It's not too late to join in - it's low key and low pressure! Why not design a block of your own for your city? You can read about the QAL here.

Little Sign of Snow

Despite me being a day ahead of myself and thinking it's Friday today, I have had a good couple of days of sewing.

Yesterday, I re-did the granny squares I had made using Kona White with Kona Snow.  Here's a group photo of the grannies placed on an old sheet.

I was quite surprised to see how much orange and green were in the blocks but I'm very happy with that.  There's also quite a lot of purple - another surprise. I have loads of 2.5" pieces of fabric cut so I guess I shall keep going until my meagre supplies of snow run out.

Today I added a border to James' quilt -  a monochromatic Union Jack in shades of blues and varied neutrals. This is the first time I have shown a full view of this quilt. Don't ask me why as I have absolutely no idea - like days of the week, clearly.

After gathering all the solid scraps I could find and the improv. blocks I made the other day I pieced a backing.

I'm hoping this will be another finish for February using resources I already have. It really depends on the thread situation. This was not on my FAL list but with granny progress slowing, this may be a substitute finish.  Are they allowed?

Thanks for all your comments on quilting style - some more polite than others *cough*. It seems many of us are unsure as to what our style is, are still trying to find one or are simply embracing the fact that quilting gives us the opportunity to do the same thing but differently.  I like that.

Modern Minimal

A week or so ago, I was sent a digital copy of Modern Minimal by Alissa Haight Carlton, to review.

You all know how I love my quilting books don`t you?  Well this book has been in my amazon wishlist since I first saw that quilt on the front cover.  It`s full of designs for bright modern and graphic quilts using solids.

Alissa has included 20 gorgeous designs in total from baby quilts to a 90 inch beast over 5 sections - White Negative Space, Colorful Negative Space, Improvisational Piecing, Monochromatic Quilts and Baby Quilts.

Each design is clearly explained with instructions and diagrams in a highly visual way.   Alissa gives lots of great and easy to find tips about how to vary the design and also colour value which is really important when working with solids. Unlike some other quilting books, Alissa also gives you 2 ideas for quilting (usually 1 straight line and 1 free motion quilting) for each design so that`s a whopping forty ideas in total!
 
There is a section at the end of the book entitled `How to Make a Quilt`, where Alissa goes through all the basics (tools, piecing, basting, quilting and binding etc.,), which is great for a beginner quilter. 


This book is full of eye candy for those who love contemporary and graphic designs. The quilts are simply beautiful.  As a newbie to solids, using them more in my quilting and using lots of negative space is something I really want to do more of. I don`t think I would ever follow a pattern to the letter but would rather use the book as inspiration and put my own spin on it. However, if I was a beginner quilter interested in modern quilting, this would be a great book to start with!

When I am next vacillating over which binding to use or wondering whether my quilting is good enough, I shall remember the advivce - the best kind of quilt is a finished quilt!

My first all solids and improv.pieced mini

So you`re all wondering how I got my hands on this book hmm? A week or so ago, I saw an interesting post on Amarette`s blog about how she reviewed books for C&T Publishing as part of their Creative Troupe.  C&T are responsible for fabulous titles in quiltmaking, embroidery, sewing, fibre arts and their stash books, which I love - titles such as Block Party - The Modern Quilting Bee, City Quilts, Modern Blocks and Elizabeth Hartman`s soon to be released, Modern Patchwork!

I emailed the Creative Troupe, heard back within a couple of hours and had received my first book for review the next day - sent to me digitally. You can choose whichever C&T book you want to review.  Once you receive your book, you have 20 days to write your review and then you can ask for your next one.  How cool is that?

I could have chosen Zakka Style by Rachida Coleman Hale, and joined in the Zakka Style Sew Along, or Modern Mix by Jennifer Levitt or any other of C&T`s publications.  There are other perks too including product testing and discount offers. In fact now I have belatedly jumped in the Sample Swap for the FQ Retreat, I better get my hands on Zakka Style so that I can whip something up!  Off to email the Creative Troupe to get my copy.  Why don`t you give them an email too?

Boxed In

Boxed In Block from the book Modern Blocks

I`m so enjoying being part of the bee, We Bee Modern Too, where we make blocks from the book Modern Blocks compiled by Susanne Woods. This block is called Boxed In and was designed by Faith Jones.  It`s for Heather who asked us to make it in solid red, black, white and grey or in fabrics which would read as solids. Heather will be making the blocks up in to a charity quilt for a pre-teen or adolescent boy. This block is super easy but very striking. I  quite fancy making a quilt from this block myself - in solids.  My new love.

Trying to get as many things ticked off my list before we go to the airport this evening to collect my mum!

Work in Progress Wednesday - The Quilting Equivalent of Burning Your Bra

I feel liberated.  I feel free.  I`ve thrown my ruler away and am free of all shackles.

For the Love of Solids Mini Quilt Work in Progress

I`m in the zone.  I`m going with the flow. 5 blocks down and another 4 to go. 

Linking up for the first time in ages with Lee at Freshly Pieced .  Thanks as ever to Lee for hosting this link up. Head on over there to see what other people are making.