"... simple designs to sew in no time." I LOVE those kinds of projects!! So, I've got a new book to talk about this week and it's called "Weekend Quilting" by Jemima Flendt.
Jemima ~ I'm happy to say ~ is a friend of mine. And she's just as lovely and sweet as she looks, but with a bonus: She's fun!! (She's Australian so what do ya expect?) :) We've been able to hang out a few times at quilty events, and what has impressed me about Jemima is that she has a truly generous spirit ~ she loves to teach others about sewing and quilting. So writing a book was a natural next step for her.
In her debut book, she teaches quilt making in ten chapters that introduce all the fundamental elements: the 9-patch, half-square triangle, flying geese, the pinwheel, equilateral triangles, english paper piecing, appliqué, and foundation paper piecing. It's a fantastic beginner book and especially handy for those quilters looking to widen their repertoire and try new techniques (that pretty much covers everyone, right?) See that "Duck, Duck, Goose" mini quilt above? I absolutely love this design and want to make one with my Charleston fabrics. (insert the heart-eyes emoji here.)
The "Sparkles" mini quilt (a foundation paper pieced pattern) is actually one that I made in Playground fabrics for my Quilt Market booth last year...
With a shortage of time as I prepared for Market that season, I'd made my mini a bit smaller and turned it into a cushion. And I love how it turned out. But for my turn on this Weekend Quilting Book Showcase, I wanted to sew something new.
So, I cut into my yardage of Little Town fabrics :) I'm in love with the modern simplicity of Jemima's "Kite Tails" mini quilt.
But I kinda botched my project. (I know, this is strike two.) I thought it would be "cool" to blend in snippets and one big stripe of my starry critters. I finished my quilt at 2 am and headed to bed. BUT, when I woke up the next morning and looked at it in broad daylight, I could see that those critters don't blend in to the white background like my (apparently) awful studio lighting lead me to believe. No! They stand out like a sore thumb!!! Omigosh.
The brilliance of Jemima's simple design is ruined by that one stripe, but I invite you to place a finger over that stripe and enjoy the beauty of my quilt that way. Haha. Seriously! Choose a pic and cover up those critters with a finger and it'll look awesome, promise!
I'm just sitting here shaking my head. It's a do-over. Luckily I own Jemima's book and I can try it again any time I want. But with absolutely no added stripes! :)
To sew your own version of this fresh design, find Weekend Quilting at shops and online now. All the best to you and your beautiful book, dear Jemima!
To see all the inspiring stops along the Weekend Quilting Book Showcase, click the links below:
Mon May 29 ~ Lisa Cox - A Spoonful of Sugar Designs
Tues May 30 ~ Robyn Shapiro - The Strawberry Thief
Wed May 31 ~ Melissa LeRay - Oh How Sweet
Thur June 1 ~ Emily Dennis - Quilty Love
Fri June 2 ~ Samantha Dorn - Aqua Paisley Studio
Mon June 5 ~ Nadra Ridgeway - Ellis and Higgs
Tues June 6 ~ Peta Peace - She Quilts Alot
Wed June 7 ~ Stacy Olson - Stacy Olson Design
Thur June 8 ~ Sedef Imer - Down Grapevine Lane
Fri June 9 ~ Elizabeth Chappell - Quilters Candy Box
Mon June 12 ~ Suzy Williams - Suzy Quilts
Tues June 13 ~ Rachel Howard - Family Ever After
Wed June 14 ~ Amy Sinibaldi - nanaCompany
Thur June 15 ~ Jodie Carleton - Ric Rac
Fri June 16 ~ Ange Hamilton - A Little Patchwork
Mon June 19 ~ Heather Andrus - Quilt Story
Tues June 20 ~ Elea Lutz - Elea Lutz Design
Wed June 21 ~ Lauren Wright - Molly and Mama
Thur June 22 ~ Claire Turpin - Claire Turpin Design
Fri June 23 ~ Jennie Pickett - Clover and Violet
Mon June 26 ~ Fat Quarter Shop
Tues June 27 ~ Alisha Orlando - Ministry of Fabric
Wed June 28 ~ Minki Kim - Minki Kim Sewing Illustration
Thur June 29 ~ Jemima Flendt - Tied with a Ribbon
xo amy