Thursday, April 29, 2010

My new Shabby Roses Quilt - a sneak peek...

Have you been taking advantage of the free Mothers Day Mania designs we Gum Tree Designers are sharing with you this week on our Gum Trees blog?
Yesterday it was my day for the freebies, and I shared patterns for these simple but pretty Mothers Day gifts...
Just visit our Gum Trees blog HERE to download all the designs shared this week. Today Joy has the sweetest coathanger covers!
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Yesterday I had no Home Ec sewing classes so I spent the entire day working on a couple of very special projects. 
It seems you have loved my two Shabby Roses themed quilts, ~Shabby Roses~ and ~Bouquet~, but did you know I was working on a third? Over the past month I have been stitching the blocks and piecing the quilt top, but yesterday it was time to baste and quilt! It's so exciting to see your 'baby' progress and I admit I got very emotional when the time came to quilt her. I'll share a sneak peek from the basting table...
~Shabby Roses - A Christmas Story~

The fabrics are Robyn Pandolph's 'Roses de Noel'.
This will not be a free BOM - sorry! I will have the paper patterns printed in a couple of weeks for purchase, but to help those on limited budgets I will also be sharing this as a 6 month pay-as-you go BOM (Pattern only) - more on that next month. 
I've finished the machine quilting now, just some hand quilting to do, then the binding and label...
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Another finish yesterday was this tea cosy!
It is part of a Breakfast set I've designed, but not quite finished yet. ~Morning Glory~ has the tea cosy, a french press wrap, table mat, and 'something else' yet to be completed. I'm making the pieces of this set in two different fabric ways so you can see how colours and fabric design change the finished appearance. For the tea cosy above (and the 'something else') I'm using fabrics from Rosalie Quinlan's 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' range (Lecien). This is the beginning of the 'something else'...
For the French Press (coffee plunger) cover and the table mat I have used a mix of Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom (for Michael Miller) and Roses de Noel (RJR) fabrics ....
Can you see how different fabrics can completely change the presentation of a design?
The tea cosy is fun, bright and homely, whereas the French Press cover has a more elegant touch.

When I first began to sew in 2005 I always made a project in the same colourways as the designer's original. I simply could not *see* it in any other colours! It took me a year or two to have the confidence to step outside that box and use colours of my own choosing. I was surprised at how liberating that decision was, and since then I have never looked at a design the same way. I see something I like and in my mind's eye I imagine it in my favourite fabrics or colours - and away I go! :-)
How about you? Are you confident to make something in your own colourway or do you tend to stick with a copy of the original as best you can?
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I have my sweet Grade 12 girls for sewing today, so I'd best pack my sewing kit and have a last coffee before class begins!
Have a wonderful day!!
Hugs
Jenny
xxx

19 comments:

Jess @ Scrappy n Happy said...

All your work looks lovely!
I nearly always do different colourways. My no.1 sons quilt is out of a magazine done in muddy dark fabrics and I did it in bright colourful fabrics, it works beautifully both ways!

Terry said...

Love your new Christmas quilt! It took me a while to realize I could do things differently from what a pattern called for. Now I just do my own thing and enjoy it! :0)

sophie said...

Can't wait to see the rest of the Breakfast Set!

trish said...

Your Christmas quilt is absolutely tugging at my heart!! Thank you for the sneak peek. :o)
Sincerely ~ Tricia

Unknown said...

Oh Boy, can I see things in different colorways....I saw only the first glimpse of the Shabby Roses Noel and I kn ew I'd found the pattern for the Moda, French General, Lumiere de Noel fabric that I bought last month at Lancaster. Love all your new patterns!

Sue from Cyprus said...

I just love your new Christmas quilt. Can we have another sneak? I am afraid that I don't have much confidence when it comes to choosing colours. I tend to use what I have in my stash and match the designers colours as best as I can. However I might just step out of the 'box'. Thank you for your wonderful ideas and BOM Bouquet. I love making it.

Theresa said...

Your Christmas BOM is gorgeous Jenny and I love the Morning Glory breakfast set sneak peaks - both look like 'must makes' to me and I can't wait to see more. Sometimes I change the colours of patterns and other times I go with the same or similar to the original if I like the colours - I wouldn't say that I am overly confident at choosing my own colours if I'm honest.

Sheila said...

Love your new Shabby Roses Christmas Quilt and rather hoping you might spill the beans (very soon) on how much fabric is needed for it.
Living in Spain (a stitching and sewing shop wilderness) it is sometimes too late to find the fabric online that a pattern originally uses.
For this one, I love the fabric you have used, and also the one that Sewlmate sister mentions ... the new French General Christmas one.

Jenny said...

I love all these designs Jenny!

KaHolly said...

I almost always change the colors because I can't afford new fabric very often and have to work with what I have in my stash. Thank goodness for stashes!! But I struggle with color. Looks as though your new BOM is another winner, Jenny!! And I absolutely adore the tea cozy, etc. You are hard to keep up with!! ~karen

Susan said...

Jenny - too many projects to tempt me with - ho can we choose jsut one?? I usually change colours - and even the patterns. I made a project from AP&Q - Country Garden Quilt in jewel tones - and rearranged the blocks - you would hardly recognize it!.
Thanks for keepimg up the great work!

Carrie P. said...

Oh, such beautiful things you are making. The manger is so sweet. I am getting better about not being so afraid of colors and fabrics.

Jeannie said...

That is really beautiful!
I love how you pick your fabrics and I can do that with some things but if I like what I'm looking at then I want it like that.hehee..e
Can't wait to see the rest.

Patricia said...

que cosa mas bellas felicitaciones
besos

Lina said...

O-o-o-h! Breathtaking. I want that pattern... and those fabrics. are you sure you won't kit it up?

Crowing Moon said...

Wow You have some beautiful designs there. All of them are stunning

Allie said...

*THUD* Oh Jenny - what a GORGEOUS new BOM!!!!! And oh my gosh your breakfast set is simply stunning! I am so humbled by your talent sweetie - everything you put your hand to is simply golden. You are amazing!

Bluebell said...

Hi Jenny, glad you got my parcel and I hope you liked the material it will go with your other Tilda fabric. Love Jillxx

alice said...

As usual, your work is gorgeous. I can't wait until the breakfast set is available. I sometimes buy a pattern just because I fall in love with the colors, but mostly I do my own thing. More fun that way!! L,A-