A quick-quilt WiP and other random tidbits

I got hold of a charm pack of Kate & Birdie Paper Co Winter's Lane, played around to make some smallish blocks and am now working on a layout - this will be a quick-quilt with lots of negative space, I'm all about things that come together quickly at the moment.

I'm paying particular attention to an accurate 1/4 inch seam allowance, and have come up with this easy, albeit crude seam guide:

After sewing each seam I then check it against my rotary cutter ruler, I've been pleased with the results.  My new machine will have a 1/4 inch foot, but until then I'll be 'sticking' with this.

I needed a grocery bag holder; I have a ridiculous amount of vintage sheets - I put the two together and made this, which looked lovely sitting next to this retro coffee pot I thrifted recently.

My sister wanted a headband, so I rummaged around in my stash and made these - the thinner, pink one looks great on Pepper-Mae.

Finally, yesterday afternoon my brother dropped off a surprise (to us all) gift for the girls - twin orphan lambs, only 3 days old.  Ruby wants to name her lamb Ruby.  I suggested that perhaps this could get a bit confusing, how would I know which Ruby to take to kindergarten?

 

Linking up to:

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Op Shop Show Off at Blackbird has Spoken 

Make me an Offer!

** I updated this to add pictures of the granny squares up for offer - Item L - at bottom of the list **

Yay for good ideas like Fugly / Lost the Love! I'm hoping to arrange a swap, or a few swaps - I have a range of things on offer, so take a look through and see if anything takes your fancy and whether you have anything that might help me fill some gaps in my stash.  I need/want stash builders/blenders or prints in:

• Purple / lilac
• Grey / beige
• Yellow / orange;
• or anything Kate & Birdie for Moda.

So here's what I can offer:

Decisions, decisions ...

Who ever knew there were so many decisions to make when making a quilt?  Not me.  I want to make a quilt for Ruby when she moves to a big girl bed, and  thought I'd get some practice in on something a little smaller.  For Ruby's one I'm thinking red, and I love love love Hazelnuts red quilt, and the Red Pepper quilts one she got her inspiration from.

For this practice one I'm going vintage - using up some of my vintage linen stash.  I'm trying to decide how to lay it out and which fabrics to include.  I'm going basic with some big squares and some rectangles, and will quilt 'stitch in the ditch' style.  I think I have discovered that it's easier to combine fabrics when the pieces you're working with are small, which mine are not.  I was going to follow Flossie Teacakes tutorial to the letter but was too impatient to sew together all those rectangles so opted for squares instead with a few rectangles thrown in.

Here is my first layout:

Then I decided I didn't like the overly pink one in there (top left corner), so took it out.  What do you think?

 Our very kind cat helped mix it all up.

Now I need to decide on the batting, the backing and the binding.

Green ..

... with envy is how anyone with a vintage linen fetish will feel when they see these photos.  I'm visiting my parents at the moment, not a lot of crafting going on but quite a bit of thrifting.  The local Red Cross shop had 'fill a bag for $3' sale happening today.  I filled a bag to the brim.  Many of them are pairs of sheets.

And the holy grail of vintage linen - something for the boys.  Although not sure one could actually call this vintage. 

I may just have to have a giveaway.