Fabric and this = a cool quilt

In the fast few weeks an uncomfortable realisation has dawned on me and taken hold in my brain, despite my fervent wishing that it wouldn't. That it simply wasn't true. But it is,  I know it is and there simply isn't anything I can do about it. 

I do feel a little silly lamenting on it in such dramatic fashion because there are so many other more serious things to worry about in the world but make me sad it does.

And this truth? I will never be able to make all the quilts I want to or design in my mind each day. I'll never try all the techniques and crafts that interest me and I will certainly never master even of the fraction of the ones I do. Not even if I learn to live forever and stop eating, sleeping, cooking, cleaning, working, talking to other people, living life basically.

None of which I am going to do by the way. And that is to say nothing about the cost of all that fabric and batting and thread (and that is just the one craft).

So I have put my mind to how I might reconcile myself with this truth. 

And this is what I have come up with. Every now and again, mostly when I have the pictures, time and inclination all at the same time I'll post a little inspiration, a virtual quilt. With a focus on published or publicly available patterns in case anyone has more time than I do and can turn it into a real quilt. 

Depending on the inspiration I might talk about the fabric, how I imagine I would quilt it and even the size or use I imagine for it. In short all the things I would do when making a real quilt except for the cutting and sewing. 

So without further ado my first virtual quilt. 

The Porthole

When I saw this pattern in Quilts Made Modern that I got on sale recently from Spotlight  

I could help but think of it made in this fabric from Robert Kaufman. 

Urban Zoologie by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman
image collated from Robert Kaufman

I would use the whales as the circles, a dark grey as the outlines and then different Poseidon Kona colour solids as the backgrounds from the colours in the whales. I would hand quilt it in perle cotton and echo each of the circles to reflect a ripple on the waters surface.  

I think it would make a great quilt for a young boy or girl or in the a summer holiday house on the bunk beds. A slightly different colourway for each of the brothers, sisters or cousins...


NB: I have spotted the fabric still available at The Oz Material Girls and Funky Fabrix in Australia.

A new project - Moving on up the list

Do you ever find a pattern and a fabric range that have probably never met but couldn't be more perfect for each other?

I bought the Denyse Schmidt Cog and Wheel pattern a few weeks ago and then walked into the sewing room and saw my collection of Cogsmo prints, a 2008 or 2009 collection from Cosmo Cricket.

If I had been in a cartoon a lightbulb would have lit up above my head and I would have stuck a finger up in the air.

I have added the last couple of prints I didn't have to my collection after some careful searching and can't wait to get started after I finish of another couple of almost complete projects.

Colette Patterns - From the shelf in my sewing room to you

Have you heard of these patterns? Colette Patterns is a boutique pattern company from New York in the United States. They have a blog here. At the moment that have only 13 patterns, with a 14th (the first one for men) due out soon. So far all the patterns have a modern vintage feel.

I like them.

I came across them for the first time during Make It, Wear It month at Sew Mama Sew earlier this year when they posted this image as an inspiration on the second day. I bought the pattern for the Lady Grey and one of the others.

I haven't finished either yet because I have a habit of getting excited and starting new things. Plus it is too hot for the jacket this time of year. What I have done so far has worked out great.

But a few weeks ago, when I was still thinking I had enough time to sew a dress for my brother's wedding, I went online to order another pattern from the US because I couldn't find it in Australia.

While I was on there I was playing around with some different things and wished I could have access to these great patterns faster. And I saw the wholesale button. 

To cut a long story short I ordered quite a few patterns for myself as well as some extras that I have listed for sale in my Craftumi store. The favourable dollar at the moment means that I can offer them for the same amount as the RRP in US dollars and the shipping is cheaper and faster to you, if you happen to be in Australia.

And since I also got copies for myself as well I'm making myself some new summer clothes.
First, a nightie from the Cinnamon pattern with some Anna Maria Horner

and then a Parfait dress with some Liberty

I also have a Macaroon dress traced out, but no good picture.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'm going for one or two a week over summer!