Weekend creative project: Modern & easy patchwork cot quilt (free tutorial)

Mini-people (aka babies) take mini-sizes, so they’re great to create for! It is also nice to re-invent what’s traditionally accepted as cutesy baby stuff, trying a more modern aesthetic to suit the parents’ style (which will be the bub’s style by default, of course).

I recently made this quilt for a pending arrival. I took a break from the crochet and went with a modern patchwork instead. Alas, I am no talented patch-worker (far too much patience required), so it needed to be simple too! It turned out really well – it was fun and simple to make and the almost-mum liked it – phew! Here’s how to whip one up if you’re feeling crafty. (If you don’t have a baby to sew for, you could try this placemat pattern or this re-usable shopping bag pattern instead).

Materials

• 4 fat quarters of complementary quilting fabric (18 inch x 22 inch / 46 cm x 56 cm)
• 1 piece backing fabric (approx 2 yards/ 1 metre)
• 1 piece cotton batting (approx 2 yards/ 1 metre)
• Thread, scissors, sewing machine

How to make

1. Work out your arrangement. Decide how you’re going to arrange your four pieces for the quilt top. I chose put the solids as diagonal opposites.

2. Sew two strips Sew two pieces together, then sew the other two pieces together – taking you for four pieces of fabric to two pieces of fabric. Iron the seam flat on each ‘piece’.

3. Sew strips together  Sew the two strips together, ensuring you match the centre seams, so that it’s even and ‘square’ in the middle. Turn it over and cut off excess fabric in the center where the four pieces join. Then iron the whole piece flat.

4. Attach batting to back You now need to sew the batting to the wrong side of the backing fabric, making it essentially one piece.

5. Pin top and bottom Pin the quilt top to the back, right sides together. To find the centre of the back, just fold over in each direction, then pin the centre.

6. Sew together Sew the front to the back, but leave about 15 cm in the middle of one side. Trim each corner.

7. Turn through Use the open/remaining space to turn the piece inside out so that the right sides will be facing out. Ensure you push out each corner (with the end of your scissors to ensure it’s nice and sharp) and then iron it all flat, including the edge of each side of the opening.

8. Sew around outside Sew around the outside of the piece, including over the ‘opening’ so that it now fully closed.

9. Machine quilt Sew carefully in a straight line over each of the joins through the middle of the piece to deliver a slightly quilted effect. You wont see most of this sewn line as it falls into the flat seam.

10. Gift it Wrap, using fabric off-cut as decoration, and you’re done!

Friday colour palette- Thanksgiving inspired

For out friends in the North who are about to celebrate Thanksgiving, here’s a colour palette inspired by your day.

Charcoal, mulled wine, pumpkin, mustard, butter cream, forest fir, Bakelite green.

Looking for a Retro scheme? Here’s one

My absolute favourite character of all time (yes, I’m a bit in love with him)

I was slow off the mark this week and have missed a very significant milestone. I’m talking about the 50th anniversary of Dr Who- the complex and beloved alien that has been gracing our screens for half a century. Now I think it’s pretty clear I’m a science-fiction fan, but when it comes to Dr Who that fandom switches into an area that’s a bit disturbing. Here’s my confession: I carry a sonic screwdriver in my handbag. And if that TARDIS ever landed in my backyard, I wouldn’t take a backwards glance. Dr Who terrified yet thrilled me as a child, and in his recent reincarnations he won me over yet again.

What is it about this character that is so enduring? He’s charming and an idealist- and he has great power. The power the Doctor possesses is both strength and weakness, while he has great capacity for good, he’s very ‘human’ in his emotional responses; he makes mistakes. Plus he has the ultimate ride in the TARDIS- who is her own special character (Neil Gaiman wrote a great episode where the TARDIS’s soul took humanoid form (The Doctor’s Wife), bewitching and unpredictable, the Doctor’s perfect match). And I would be remiss if I forgot his companions- almost always female (with some exceptions), many falling head-over-heels for him as I would. But they’re not your usual science-fiction eye-candy additions; the Companion is an essential part to keeping the Doctor on the straight and narrow. Without a secondary voice guiding him he succumbs too easily to his foibles, which quickly turn from eccentricities to serious flaws. And- I haven’t even mentioned the host of villains and minor characters that add their own colour- ‘Exterminate! Exterminate!!’

Finally, Dr Who employs the cleverest device ever thought of for a TV character- his regeneration. When he is ‘killed’, the Doctor regenerates- but with a twist, his body, personality and style are all regenerated along with him, leaving room for not only a new actor to take up the role, but for them to create their own version of the Doctor. Genius? I think so. There have been 11 Doctors so far (12th to be introduced- I’m yet to see the anniversary special)- all with their unique quirks. My favourite? Well- here’s another confession: I cried big blubbery tears when David Tennant left; but Matt Smith did win me over with his bow tie. From my childhood it was Tom Baker I remember best (the scarf), though I’ve always had a soft spot for Paul McGann (a whole other post is required for the drinking game associated with Withnail and I).

So if ever you see a large blue Police Box land somewhere in your vicinity, trust me- don’t think about it, jump in and surrender to the most charming alien you will ever meet.

Images from the BBC

7 reasons I read the blogs I read – what’s important in a blog?

DailyInkling.com is a new blog, with just four months under its belt. Whilst Caitlin and I enjoy writing it, like most bloggers we hope people will read our blog, and keep reading because they’re getting something (entertainment, inspiration, ideas) from it.

So to try and create a readable blog, it seems smart to learn from other bloggers who’ve been successful: bloggers who’ve kept you coming back.

In my case, I considered what it is that made a blog appeal to me- and what had me skipping others in my feed? Sometimes I find a blog because I’m looking for something particular – renovation tips, writing ideas, crafty bits – but I have kept coming back even once that need was filled.

So after a little bit of self-analysis and navel gazing, here are the seven reasons I read the blogs I read…if you’re a blogger, hopefully this will give you some insight too.

1. Fresh ideas – I am somewhat addicted to stylish lifestyle and craft blogs that are filled with new ideas and projects – sometimes so clever that you think “how on earth did they think of that?” Check out: Oh Happy Day or Little Green Notebook
2. Great imagery or design – I must admit to being a bit of an image snob. If photos are different widths, if they are blurry or too dark, if there’s no original imagery, I just think they aren’t trying hard enough. It’s tough to come back from that impression. So I want a blog to look great. Check out: Bluebird or Design Love Fest or Wood & Wool Stool
3. Personal voice – Some bloggers make you feel like a confidant, like they’re talking just to you. They avoid ‘corporate’ writing and you really hear their voice coming through, like you could just be having a chat. Check out: The Design Files or Attic 24
4. A peek behind the curtains – I really enjoy blogs that have a touch of the personal, ones where they aren’t anonymous publications but have a sense of the blogger and their life in some of the posts. That’s not to say that’s ALL I want. In fact, strictly personal/diary-style blogs don’t interest me. Just a peek what I prefer. Check out: Greedy for Colour or  A Beautiful Mess
5. Good writing, including grammar and spelling – Now call me a stickler, but I do want good spelling and grammar. The occasional error is human, but I’ve followed links to the About pages of blogs where the author says they’re a writer and it’s littered with errors. I don’t say great writing because blogs aren’t intended to be literary masterpieces – although some bloggers craft words so beautifully that I’ve been taken aback. Check out: Catherine, Caffeinated or The Belle Jar
6. Humour – I appreciated when bloggers make me smile. Not all of the blogs I read make me laugh. But some, in between the great content, have been know to make me snort. Check out: Manhattan Nest or Aunty Cookie
7. Smart people –   Some blogs that are my ‘must reads’ are all about learning and inspiration – in everything from writing to craft to marketing. Check out: CopyBlogger or Purl Bee or Seth’s blog

If you have other reasons YOU read the blogs you read, please share this in the comments!

A-Z of inspiring women- Amelia Earhart

Here’s a new Tuesday series- 26 women that we find inspiring. It’s a bit of a mixture, but every one we have picked has an inspiring story and made a significant contribution to our world.

It had to be Amelia for A. I’ve loved Amelia Earhart from the moment I first saw a picture of her. Her eyes stared out at me with feisty intelligence. She was my ultimate real-life adventurer, an Indiana Jones of the skies.

Earhart broke many aviation records, but she is remembered most as the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic (1932). Living in a time when it was impossible for many to grasp the idea of equality between the sexes, Earhart set out to prove just that. She felt her achievements in flight affirmed that men and women were equal in ‘jobs requiring intelligence, coordination, speed, coolness and willpower.’

Her famous flight was plagued with difficulties, with Earhart landing in a farmer’s paddock in Ireland rather than in Paris as planned. For her ‘heroic courage and skill as a navigator at the risk of her life.’ she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Congress, also a first for a woman.

What do I love about her? She refused to conform to a feminine ideal from an early age, determined to do everything her male counterparts could. Before her own fame, Earhart kept a scrapbook of news-clippings of successful woman in male-dominated fields. She saw the importance to push the boundaries of what was expected of a woman, and show that truly, anyone can achieve greatness with determination.

Sadly, Earhart disappeared on her attempt to be the first woman to fly around the world. In an ending fit for Hollywood, her fate is unknown to this day. She and her navigator lost contact somewhere over Howland Island in the Pacific, and despite a massive rescue effort launched, nothing was ever recovered of her plane. She wrote to her husband in a letter before she took her last flight; ‘Please know I am quite aware of the hazards, I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.’

Her lesson to me is- Take courage. Dare to push boundaries- your own and others.

For her full list of achievements and biography- here is the official Amelia Earhart website.

‘The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune.’ AE

‘Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.’ AE

How to- create handmade folded invitations from A4 (with free template) #2

Here’s another nifty folded invite for your plethora of Christmas parties about to hit.

What you will need:

• A4 paper- something textured or coloured works best
• Scissors
• Pen
• Ribbon
• Hole punch
• Stamps / Washi tape (optional)

1. Cut your A4 craft paper down so it is square (210 x 210mm). Fold it in half to make a rectangle.

2. Fold the opposite outside corners into the centre to make a diamond shape.

3. Fold the outside corners in again (opposite ways). You should now have a square (as below).

4. Hole punch the centre flaps so they can be joined by a ribbon (it’s easier to see in the picture).

5. Now unfold and write- we used stamps and Washi tape as decoration. The nice thing with this design is you can reveal bits of information, little ‘teasers’ before you get to your main message.

6. Fold it back up and fasten with ribbon threaded through your hole-punched holes.

Here is the folding template (click and it will enlarge):

Have more than one party to throw? See our other folded invite idea here.

Inspired by…New Zealand’s landscape

I love New Zealand- beautiful countryside, beautiful people, beautiful wine. Landscapes are a great source of inspiration for me, sometimes I need to get lost in another place, for a moment at least. These shots were taken a few years ago on holiday.