Purples - discuss

Plum, violet, maroon, burgundy, lavander, lilac, amethyst, mauve, magenta and (my personal favourite) Cadbury. What do you think of as the colour purple?

But why are nice purple fabrics so hard to find? Any blog you read, even in the US, where quilters go through their stash the one colour they all are missing is purple in any significant quantity.

Unfortunately for me our bedroom is just such a colour so I need to do a super king size quilt with what I could scrape together to match. Do you think I've got it right?

The big flower in the upper left corner is the same as our painted walls. It's a hard colour to describe but is kind of a pinky white. I managed to get a solid the exact match in my local quilt shop! This is only amazing because they only stock about 20 solids. You can see it in the bottom of the picture.

This fabric is from the curtains and blinds. I had wanted to go with that really dark purple in it rather than the reddish pink

But since I had to buy off the internet, you can see the colours vary greatly. Purple seems to be very much a matter of opinion. I took out this Alexander Henry. It just kept sticking out. What do you think? Have I got it right? Any others you would take out?

I also bought a lot of fabric designs that are just so-so. Not my favourites which is a shame as it will be one of the few quilts I will keep.



So instead of showcasing the fabrics I thought I would choose a big impact design. This was one of the first quilt patterns that I saw and printed off when I started to quilt. Now I will actually get to use it. It's called Java Stars from the Moda Bake Shop website. I will just have to super size it up to super king and maybe leave off the boarder.

I hope it will all come together when all the purples are cut up and mixed together. So what do you think?

Sign up now for Modern Sewing Class

To sign up just email me at: IckleTomatoHandmade@hotmail.co.uk

Date: 5 April 2014

Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm

Cost: £15

Location: Belfast
Making: Cushions

What you need to be able to do

As this is a beginner’s class, I do not expect any particular level of sewing ability. However if you can familiarise yourself with your machine, that would be great. If you can sew a straight line, that would be better. If you’re fairly confident at sewing for the home, but have never done patchwork, you will learn lots. In other words, whatever your ability, come along, have fun, you can learn from scratch or learn better tips and tricks. Please let me know what level you think you are when you apply so I can tailor the class accordingly.

What will be covered

·         What makes patchwork modern

·         Fabric selection

·         Cutting out

·         ¼” seam

·         Proper pressing

·         Half Square Triangles

·         Finishing a cushion cover

What you need to bring

·         Sewing machine (if at all possible – I have access to 3/4 machines but it is so much better if you have your own). Also bring the instruction manual if you still have it.

·         100% cotton thread in white or neutral with bobbin (not polyester)

·         Scissors

If you can, bring

·         ¼” sewing foot

·         Rotary cutter

·         Cutting mat

What will be provided

·         All supplies including fabric (choices available), cushion filler, pattern, instructions

·         Tea, coffee and buns!