Happy Easter weekend! (and Liberty give-away winners)

A quick post this weekend ahead of the Easter bank holiday, here's what has caught my eye this week...

• The Great British Sewing Bee starts next Tuesday on BBC 2. Read more about it here. I'm really excited that Tilly will be one of the contestants and we will be cheering her on in my house! I hope this program can do for sewing what the 'Great British Bake Off' did for baking.

• Look at this gorgeous quilt using the Piper fabric collection over on the Dear Stella blog. 

• What's on my sewing machine: making slow progress on my Medallion quilt. I have added another border, it has been approved by my in-house quilt inspectors, they have very exacting standards.

• As the cold weather continues, we have been stuck inside drawing this week. I recently bought 'Let's Draw Cute Animals' (the name alone was enough to push it into my virtual shopping basket). It is such a lovely book, perhaps a bit too advanced for my kids, but it has helped me no end when responding to random requests to draw animals. So far I have drawn; a raccoon, lion, cheetah, elephant, panda, hedgehog, to name but a few. There are so many animals in this book, and they are indeed very cute. It comes highly recommended, and I think I'll be getting other books in this series too.

Thank you to everyone who entered the 'Liberty Love' giveaway, the 2 winners are:

Jane who said: 'I have been promising to make myself a quilt for ages this book I'm sure would be a great inspiration for this and lots of other delicious projects!'

Kerry who said: 'The quilt pattern is so good, the whole book must be even better!'

Congratulations both - please get in touch and your prize will be with you soon.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!

Liberty Love give-away! - now closed

Last week I told you about the #medallionalong I am currently taking part in on Instagram. The medallion quilt pattern is from 'Libery Love' by Alexia Marcelie Abegg, published by Stash Books and out in the UK this week.

Stash Books have very kindly given me 2 e-copies to give away and if you would like to win one and join in the medallion-along then all you have to do is leave a comment below before Thursday 28th April 6pm GMT and I will randomly draw 2 winners - good luck!

New Collections

Piper by Dear Stella

and ... Constellations by Lizzy House

Happy Weekend!

A round up of life this week at M is for make:

Laurel dress pattern

• Did you see the huge competition at Colette Patterns to celebrate the launch of the new Laurel Pattern? you can get your pattern here).
• What's on my sewing machine: a Stamped cushion cover. I've had this cushion (on the left) so long that the fabric had worn through. So this week I re-covered it with this gorgeous Triangles fabric from the Stamped collection.

• A great post on how to grow your website using Google Analytics.
• Check out these cute downloadable embroidery patterns on the Martha Stewart website.

 

• I just finished reading 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin after seeing it referenced so many times in blogs I follow. Has anyone else read it? It's the type of book that makes me wish I was part of a book group to discuss it with as there were lots of interesting points that got me thinking. One thing I found really helpful was the 'One minute rule' - if any job can be done in one minute, then do it. It made me realise how many annoying niggling easy jobs taunt me daily.
• So many deliveries yesterday, including Comma by Zen Chic - you like?

• Easter is so early this year, I really need to get my skates on if I am going to make these cute bunny bags. They just won't work for Christmas.
• Loving this palette at the moment. 

• and love it or hate it: Twitter turns 7

Happy weekend everyone! 

Robson Coat pattern by Sewaholic now in stock!

Also just arrived: the new Robson Coat from Sewaholic patterns. Because every girl needs a great trench coat, right?

The new Laurel Dress pattern now in stock!

Just arrived: the new pattern from Colette Patterns: the Laurel dress.

There is a free ebooklet with nine more detail variations available on the Colette Patterns website here. It's such a versatile pattern, I think you are going to love it!

The Medallion sew along

As I mentioned last week, my (sewing) life is currently consumed by the Medallion-along happening on Instagram right now. You would be forgiven for asking me what on earth it is all about. Well, if you are not on Instagram, it is a photo sharing app and it is ace. You can tag photos with a particular word (in the case of the sew along it is #medallionalong or #marcellemedallion. As you post pictures of your quilt you can tag it and look at other photos from people making the same quilt who have also tagged their photos. Does that make sense? I hope so. Take a look here.

There have been many sew alongs on Instagram that I have observed and enjoyed. This one I had to join though because the quilt looks absolutely amazing. The pattern is from 'Liberty Love' by Alexia Marcelie Abegg (who is behind Green Bee patterns). The book is out at the end of the month, but it was also published in the first edition of 'Love Quilting and Patchwork' magazine that was extremely illusive, so Kerry very kindly sent me a copy that she had managed to find.

Anyway, back to the sewing. The pattern says it is not for the faint of heart. This is due to the incredible detail and many, many, tiny pieces that need cutting out and sewing together. I think that fundamental idea may have passed me by when I first set eyes on the finished quilt. It is by far the most complicated project I have undertaken, but entirely achievable. I love the fact that each border is different and so feels like a separate project, giving you a warm glow of success as each one is done.

It is a great quilt for using up scraps, bringing together all your favourite fabrics old and new, learning and practicing techniques and generally having fun with fabric. I'm loving it.

It's always at the back of my mind, waiting to be picked up again, waiting for colour choices to be made. I love looking at everyone elses progress on Instagram, appreciating the choices they have made in colour and deciding where I want to go. And the wonderful feedback from other medallion alongers. (The official collective term)

Are you tempted to join in? I would definitely recommend it if you are already a quilter on Instagram or even if you are not. It is a lovely community.

This is where I am now. It measures about 33" across, those flying geese were an epic task. Next I am cutting 92 rectangles for border 5, it will be purples and pinks mostly from Field Study which has proved an excellent source of fabrics for this quilt.

So, are you tempted? To tempt you a little more, I will have a Medallion-along themed give-away shortly...

Muddy Works by Tomotake

Also new in from Kokka is the beautiful 'Muddy Works' collection by Tomotake. If there was ever a mis-named collection, it is this one. The fabric belongs in mud-free areas, preferably wafting around a wild flower meadow with not a hint of mud in sight. It's far to pretty for mud.

It's really hard to do them justice in a photo, but believe me, if you say them in the flesh, you would 'ooh and ahhh' over their loveliness. This 'Currant in Citron' print is going to pull me out of my quilt making phase and back into a bit of dressmaking for summer.

These fabrics are few and far between so if you want them, snap them up now. Look at these two Dandelion prints...

please make me into a summer dress

I also have snapped up the last bolt of this now out of print Anna Maria Horner voile. So if you missed out first time, this may be your last chance...

Stamped!

Now in!

Stamped by Ellen Luckett Baker

Happy weekend!

A round up of life this week at M is for make:

• What's on my sewing machine this week: I am slowly making a medallion quilt from this book. More on that to follow.

• A great post on taking the best product photos for your Etsy shop. 

• This article over on the Huffington post really set me thinking. I am always the one behind the camera at my house, there are so few pictures of me and the kids together. It's something I have trying to remedy since reading this - but it's not easy as I really don't like having my photo taken! On the whole I look terrible in photos - it took a professional photographer 4 hours to get this one for Red Magazine in 2011!

• We had an unexpected snow day on Tuesday. Really, we only had 5cm of snow (cue laughing from my readers in colder climes) but this was enough to close our school, make our roads perilous and cause the dog to sprout a ridiculous snow beard.

snow beard

• Have you heard about the Great British Sewing Bee? All I can find is that it will be starting in March - so not long to go. It says applicants were asked to 'detail their experience in clothing, tailored items, accessories, home projects, embroidery/appliqué, quilting and customising'. A pretty broad set of skills for your average seamstress, but I suppose these will be above the average. It won't be quite the same without Mel and Sue presenting for me though.

• A really helpful round up of resources if you are thinking of making the Briar Top.

• I love this skirt made by Jenni from Tsuru 100 Cranes fabric for her son's christening, it's such a pretty print doesn't it look great in a skirt?

• And lastly, I was absolutely thrilled to be featured on the Guardian website this week in a review of best books, magazines and shops. (M is for make being the shop). Working for yourself and by yourself can be a funny old business sometimes with no one there to give you a cheer when something goes well or a disapproving look when it goes the other way. After I gave up my day job to focus on the shop this felt like somewhing of a defining moment for M is for make and one to celebrate.

Happy Weekend everyone!

Shuffle winner!

Thank you to everyone that entered the Shuffle give-away and for sharing all your potential projects. Welcome also to all my lovely new followers!

I have randomly picked the winner and it is ... Sarah who is going to use for the swaps she has signed up for at this years FQ Retreat. Well done Sarah, please send me an email with your details - and enjoy the Fat Quarterly Retreat - is anyone else planning to go?

Everyone else, don't fret, I have another give-away coming soon.

Win a bundle of Shuffle!

Would you like the chance to win this fat quarter bundle of the new Shuffle collection?

This give-away is open worldwide, all you have to do is leave a comment below letting me know what you would use it for before 13th March 8pm GMT to be entered. I will randomly pick a winner and let you know who the lucky person is next week - good luck!

Shuffle, Stitch Floral and Sketch

A huge order of fabric arrived yesterday with so much fabric goodness from Michael Miller, Riley Blake and Timeless Treasures.

First up is Sketch shown in these must have colours that would form the basis of any stash. It's the kind of fabric that is quiet and unassuming but you will find yourself reaching for over and over again as it's so useful.

Then some lovely small chevrons (not to be confused with the medium chevrons I already stock).

'Stitch Floral' from Michael Miller is a riot of bright colours and such a pretty print. This is also available as a fat 16th bundle of 7 pieces of stitch floral fabric in each colourway, each measuring 9" x 11".

And this gorgeous collection called 'Shuffle' from Riley Blake which I am really excited about, the colours, that print, I am going to be using it a lot. And to share my excitement, there will be a give-away, check back soon!