'The Novel Approach' fabric bookends

Thank you for your interest in my blog. This post has moved and is available in its entirety at this link. Best wishes, Bloom 

Last minute gift making

I have just finished a couple of small gifts for my girls. The littlest blossie has claimed this hexagon purse.

It was a kit from Hatched and Patched. As usual, their fabric choices were perfect! How I love piecing hexies - very relaxing.

The eldest blossie requested a charm square backpack. She rummaged through my stash of pre-cuts and emerged with a charm pack of  'Hello Luscious 'by Basic Grey for Moda.

Never one to be bound by convention, she decided she wanted one side pink, the other blue ;) And a zippered pocket on both sides if you please! Happy to oblige.

Special offer

One of my local quilt shops is sadly closing its doors on 22nd November. After over 10 years of supplying sewists across the Central West, Allyson Tilston is closing her beloved Marally Craft. However, in her usual optimistic style, she is seeing this as an opportunity for a new direction in her business life.

The good news for you is that Allyson has several kits of two of my quilts available at drastically reduced prices.

Spin to Play quilt

Size 53" x 57"

Detailed description here and here.

All kits include hard copy pattern.

Quilt kit (without backing) 

WAS AU$150 

NOW AU$75

plus AU$14.50 postage

Quilt kit (with backing) 

WAS AU$195 

NOW AU$97.50

plus AU$14.50 postage

Lovebird flannel quilt

Size 58” x 56½” 

Detailed description here.

All kits include hard copy pattern.

Quilt kit (without backing) 

WAS AU$160 

NOW AU$80

plus AU$14.50 postage

Quilt kit (with backing) 

WAS AU$220 

NOW AU$110

plus AU$14.50 postage

If you are interested in these quilt kits, give Allyson a call on (02) 6362 3860. I'd be quick though because they won't last long.

Allyson has reduced most of her stock, including fabrics and many other quilt kits, by 50%.

New journal cover tutorial

One of my most popular free tutorials over the years has been my journal cover tutorial. I have returned to it over and over to whiz up a quick gift. 

I've updated my tutorial to provide instructions to custom fit the dimensions of any journal. I've also come up with a couple of nifty options for elastic closures. Enjoy!

Step 1: Preliminary measuring

Measure and record the length (A) of your journal in inches.

 

Measure and record the total width of the back cover + spine + front cover of your journal(B) in inches. Do this by wrapping your measuring tape around your closed journal. 

 

A = length of journal

B = total width of back cover + spine + front cover of journal

Step 2: Gather your supplies

• Main fabric - yardage required = (A + 2)" For example, a journal with length 9" requires 11" x width of fabric
• Lightweight fusible batting, e.g. Vilene H630 - (A + 2)"
• Lining fabric - (A + 2)"
• ½" wide elastic - (A + 2)" length
• General sewing supplies
• Purchased white crocheted flower, approximately 2" diameter (optional)
• White stranded embroidery cotton (optional)

Step 3: Cutting

From each of the main fabric and the fusible batting, cut: 
One rectangle that has a length of (A + 1)" and a width of (1.5 x B)".

From the lining fabric, cut: 

One rectangle that has a length of (A + 1)" and a width of B".

Step 4:

A ¼" seam allowance is used unless otherwise stated. 

Fuse the batting rectangle to the wrong side of the main fabric rectangle. 

Overlock or zigzag the short edges of both the main fabric and lining rectangles. Note: Overlocking or zigzagging the edges is optional - it just gives a neater and more robust finish.

Turn the short ends of the main fabric rectangle to the wrong side by ¼" to form a hem. Top stitch the hem in place.

Step 5: Optional embellishment

If you would like to embellish your journal cover with a crocheted flower, mark the centre of your cover with pins as shown below. Using a pencil, lightly mark a line 6½" long, at a point 4½" to the right of centre.

Please note, my journal is approximately A5 size. If your chosen journal is significantly different in size, you may need to 'eyeball' the position of your stem and flower.

Using 6 strands of embroidery floss, work a running stitch along this pencil line. Hand stitch the crocheted flower in place.


Step 6: Elastic closure #1

Cut the ½" wide elastic to the length of your cover. Position the elastic 1" in from the right hand edge. Baste the ends of the elastic in place at the top and bottom edges using ⅛" seam.

Step 7:

Place the main fabric rectangle wrong side down on a flat surface. Fold each of the short ends of the rectangle in equally, right sides together, so that the total width of the cover measures B". Pin the ends in place. 

 

Step 8: Lining the cover

Lay the lining rectangle on the cover, right sides together. Pin all layers together.

Using a ¼" seam, sew along the top and bottom edges of the cover through all layers. Overlock or zigzag to neaten the seams if desired.


Step 9: Turning the cover

Turn the cover right side out and press well. This is the only step that can be a little confusing. I've addressed this in the following (rather dodgy!) clip:

That's it! Nothing remains but to slip your journal inside your cover and stand back to admire your work!

The elastic closure should extend from the front cover and wrap around the back of the journal.

The journal that I used had a transparent cover, which by chance was perfect because it allows you to see the lining fabric you've chosen when the journal is open.

A variation: Elastic closure #2

I made a second journal cover to show you an alternative elastic closure.

Follow the previous instructions up to and including Step 4. 
Place your main fabric rectangle wrong side down on a flat surface. Using a pencil, lightly mark vertical lines at equal distances from the left and right edges of the rectangle, so that the width between the lines measures (B + ½)", as shown below. 

Mark each of these lines at the midpoint. Place marks 2" either side of the midpoint on the left hand line.

Cut three 1¾" lengths of ½" wide elastic. Fold them in half to form loops and pin them at the three points that you just marked. The raw ends of the elastic should meet the marked line. Baste each of them in place using ⅛" seam, as shown below. 

Fold each of the short ends of the rectangle along the vertical pencil lines, right sides together. Sew a ¼" seam at each short end of the cover. This seam encloses the raw ends of the elastic loops.

Complete the journal cover by following the previous instructions from Step 8. Note that the width of lining fabric should lay between the two seam lines that you have just sewn. 

On turning your cover, it should look like this, with elastic loops at either end:

Insert your journal, and slide a pen through the loops to secure the journal closed. Nifty huh?

I hope you have as much fun with this tutorial as my previous one.

I would love to see your creations, so please send me photos! Best wishes, Bloom x

Charm square backpack PDF pattern

Whoever dreamed up the idea of fabric charm packs was a marketing genius ... and the nemesis of every fabric addict! The addict enters a fabric shop, and no matter her level of determination to resist, those little sample packs just draw her in. And she says to herself, "If I just buy one of these, it's cheaper than yardage, and I'll have a little bit of every fabric in the range. Win, win!" And so I have an untold number of random charm packs in my stash. 

I set myself a challenge to come up with a pattern to whittle down this collection. Something practical, something quick to make, and that can make use of a single random charm pack. I'm happy to say that I have written up a pattern for my Charm Square Backpack.

I have designed a drawstring backpack, made from a single charm pack, combined with a half metre of lining fabric.

At approximately 18" square, it is a perfect size for that quick trip to the shops, or a swim at the beach. It would also be great as a kid's library bag, or for their next sleepover with friends.

The backpack is fully lined, has an external zippered pocket for safe keeping of valuables and a loop for hanging.

I've made four of these backpacks now, and I confess they are quite addictive! But then it seems I'm prone to addiction :) The backpack on the left is made from Bonnie and Camille's 'Happy-Go-Lucky' range, while the one on the right is Zen Chic's 'Sphere', both by Moda of course, the leading culprit in charm pack world domination.

I also made two backpacks for some entomological friends of mine, using 'Bee My Honey' by Mary Jane.

I was lucky enough to find some fabulous braided cord at one of my local quilt shops. It is apparently an 'end of line' item, so is not readily available. If you find some, I suggest you buy it all (like I did). It just seems to blend with any fabric combination you can think of.

The Charm Square Backpack pattern is available as a PDF download in my shop.

If you happen to subscribe to my Newsletter, you will find a discount code for this pattern in your inbox. If you don't subscribe, but would like to, there is a newsletter subscription link at the top right of this page.

'Baled Up' knitting set

Do you remember this teaser from a few posts ago? This was a clue to my most recent project in last April's issue of Australian Homespun magazine.

This project was borne of my childhood memories of woolsheds and stencilling wool bales at shearing time. It ended up as a three-piece knitting set called 'Baled Up'. Homespun did a really lovely job of the styling; very country meets city!

Initially, this idea took form when I was brain-storming about gifts I could make for my brothers. I had intended to make cushions for them and I wanted to stencil the names of our childhood properties on linen, in a similarly rustic way as we stencilled on our wool bales.

When Homespun asked me to submit a project for their magazine, I decided to broaden this initial concept. And so, from a vague germ of an idea, spawned not only a stencilled cushion, but a wool caddy and a knitting needle roll.

And so Madam Knitter, you may sit at your 'knitting chair', with your personalised cushion warming your back. The caddy is designed to sit by your chair and hold your wool. It is fashioned to look a little like a wool bale. It is fully lined and has inner pockets to hold scissors, a tape measure, or in my case, my glasses :)

The needle roll unfolds to reveal various sized individual pockets for all your needles, crochet hooks, gauges etc.

This project was published in Australian Homespun No. 131 in April 2014. The magazine is available as a digital download through Zinio. And no, my brothers still haven't got their cushions!

For Jessica ... or is it Jessika?

I sewed up this little quilt not long ago for one of my nieces. Jessica has just turned one. While it was intended as her birth gift, I figure she wouldn't have appreciated it much earlier ... would she?!

I have used my 'go-to' baby quilt, the smaller quilt in my 'Abracadabra' pattern, simply because it can be made up so quickly. I have used an assortment of Aneela Hoey fabrics with some Denyse Schmidt prints, and an Amy Butler dot.

Jessica's big sister Kate also has a version of this quilt, so now they can snuggle together wrapped in love from Aunty Ros. 

Their mother, on unwrapping Jessica's gift, looked at me straight, in all seriousness and gasped, "You realise it's Jessika with a 'k'?" I momentarily died a thousand deaths until I caught the cheeky glint in her eye. Naughty!!

Coquetterie cosmetic wallet PDF pattern

Many moons ago, I posted about stitching this cosmetic wallet. After many hours (and a considerable amount of wrestling with Adobe Illustrator!), the PDF pattern is at last 'shop-ready'.

Of all the projects I have designed, this remains one of my favourites. It incorporates some things that I love to work with: linen, embroidery, botanical fabrics, and a vintage buckle. I was aiming to replicate the ethereal feel of antique French monogrammed linen with this project.

The wallet is able to be folded for travel, and unfolds (above) to hang conveniently for easy access when you reach your destination. 

It has specialised compartments for storing all your makeup needs: two clear vinyl pockets;

three elasticised pockets for storing compacts;

seven narrow pockets for brushes and pencils, with a felt cover that flips down to protect your brushes;

and an elasticised lipstick keep.

I made the wallet from a jelly roll of Moda's fabric range 'Etchings' by 3 Sisters which conveniently has a very French feel about it.

I especially enjoyed the embroidery on this project. The pattern includes a full alphabet for personalising your monogram.

Writing this pattern up was quite a task, and the instructions are very detailed which is reflected in its higher price.

The tone and meaning I was hoping to convey by calling this pattern 'Coquetterie' was variously: ‘vanity; concern for one’s appearance; a knack for fashion; flirty; playful behaviour'. So flirt and play to your heart's content with this pattern.

Bloom x