Tuesday 13 August 2013

Zig Zag Quilts Round Up

I don't recall which zig zag quilt first caught my eye, but this week I reaslied that I keep coming back to zig zag quilts when thinking what I want to do with my Cloud 9 Simpatico fabrics.




In my research into how to combine these fabrics and construct a zig zag quilt I found these amazing examples. (Sorry for the lack of pictures but I don't want to breach the copyright of my fellow bloggers).


A quilt is nice
A detailed tutorial for piecing a 40x48 inch quilt top. This one uses a single fabric for each zig zag, all of them with pattern and colour. Some of the rows are very low volume giving the quilt contrast. 

Purl bee
Another detailed tutorial for a baby quilt - this time 32 x 44 inches. A combination of colour-matched fabrics is used for each contrast zig zag. These are separated by two solid white zig zags. this is probably the most extensive use of white space in a zig zag quilt I've come across. It really makes the colours blast from the quilt.

Red Pepper Quilts
A beautiful example of a zig zag quilt. Sadly not a pattern offered for sale by Red Pepper Quilts, but I've been studying the images for guidance instead! Like the purl bee example, this uses a combination of colour-matched fabrics in each contrast zig zag. Where it differs, is that there is just one solid white zig zag between each coloured zig zag. The alternation between colour and white works brilliantly to highlight the pattern. This is a slightly larger example - 49 x 63 inches.

luvinthemommyhood
Shannon has blogged about her experience of making a zig zag quilt. She's followed the same method as Rita of Red Pepper Quilts and although her zig zags are not colour-matched I still love the result.

Four lovely examples. The approach used by Rita and Shannon is definitely the way I want to go with my version. I plan to make the quilt for Poppet so it will be single bed (twin) size. Larger than any examples I've seen which is a bit intimidating. I've calculated that I need around 120 solid white 5 inch squares... see you soon, I might be a while ;-)

Sunday 11 August 2013

Quick Sew - Commuter Cowl


Having daughters of similar ages I enjoy following Shannon's blog luvinthemommyhood. I can symphathise with her challenges in balancing work and life, and really love her fabric choices. She's not daunted by anything and I really wanted to support her pattern release for the commuter cowl. I made this almost a year ago and with autumn on the horizon I'm glad I've got this to wear again. I may make myself a new one this year, perhaps in a voile but closer fitting to the neck.



Saturday 10 August 2013

Cookies are a girl's best friend

And her worst enemy!

I have been fortunate to be offered a Mint Choc Cookie made by a friend a couple of times, and every time I am blown away by how good they are. I thought it was a secretly guarded recipe but this week found out that they are from Nigella Lawson. I've got visitors tomorrow, so what further excuse did I need?




Get the recipe for Chocolate Mint Cookies from the Nigella website

As with all things you make yourself, they don't taste quite as lovely as when someone else makes it for you, but boy, these are good!
 
And I had all the ingredients bar peppermint essence in the house, so now I have some, and I know these are going to get made on a regular basis.