Tuesday Stack with a Nordic Twist

This week's Tuesday stack is a new range of coordinated fabrics from a new fabric company called the Copenhagen Print Factory based in Denmark.  Normally I would not use a coordinated range for the stack, as I like to mix things up, but I just love them all so much I could not help myself.

You can click on the fabrics individually if you wish, but they are all on the home page now as new products (along with a lot of others!)

From top to bottom:

Copenhagen Harlequin

Copenhagen Cross - Grey

Copenhagen Retro Flower - Berry

Copenhagen Cross - Lime

Copenhagen Retro Flower - Cool

Copenhagen Cross - Orange

And for the first time here they all in a collage.  I am not a techno whizz, so I liked finding a free tool that made this so easy - PicMonkey (and this is not  paid product endorsement):

Getting My Creative On - 4+ A Week

I have been feeling a bit down in the dumps recently about my own creativity.  What between working, mothering, taxi driving, laundress, wife and partner commitments there seems to be less and less time to commit to my own sewing and creativity.  I seem to get to the end of the day (which is often later in the evening) and instead of creating, I end up slumping in front of the TV feeling exhausted and brain dead - The Walking Dead is about as intellectual as I feel.

I need to get out of this rut and have been mulling over a number of options - less housework sounds like a brilliant idea!

So I am publicly (on my blog) making a commitment to craft for at least 1 hour 4 times per week for the next 6 weeks (I hope I can do more but this is the minimum).  I thought about 5 times per week, but I know my life and commitments mean that sometimes that may not be possible, so 4+ it is.  The 6 weeks is to try and make it a habit.

For me making for the shop does not count - this is new stuff.

I have a number of stalled projects on the go and I need a good boot up, the you know what, to get going on.

There is a half square triangle quilt  from the book Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe that needs just a few more blocks to be made and then put together.  (I am not pleased with the centre section - I want to use a larger variety of fabrics).

I have also attacked my scrap pile and have been cutting 3 inch squares to make a scrap quilt based on the quilt 3 is a Magic Number Quilt by Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts.  I have also started the Midnight at the Oasis Quilt by Jen Kingwell, which I need to get some traction on.

For Christmas I was given a kit for stamp carving and I want to give that a go.  So creativity is not limited to sewing.

You get the picture - there are lots of projects but little action at the moment and it needs to change.

As part of the commitment I will blog each Thursday on my progress - good and bad (if I fall off the wagon).  If anyone else is keen to get their creativity back in action you are welcome to join me.  If you have a blog I can link back to your blog each Thursday with what you have been up to for the week.

The first blog post will be next Thursday.  But my week starts today!

It's done, it's out there, I have started - wish me luck!

More Quilts from the Tokyo Quilt Show - Moomin Rules OK!

There was a special display of quilts inspired by the Moomins at the Tokyo Quilt Show.

Moomins were created by Swedish-Finn Tove Jansson. The gorgeous illustrated novels of "Moomin" were written from 1945 to 1970. The Japanese have obviously fallen in love with the Moomins.  There are Moomin Cafe's in Japan and a lot of Moomin goods to be bought (I managed to buy two Moomin bags).

They are pure fairy tale beings that resemble white hippos.

The quilts were amazing.  These photos only give a taste of how wonderful they were.  I am unsure of the quilter with this top quilt but the rest are by Yoko Saito.

There were so many people at the quilt show (and some of those very polite Japanese ladies have pointy elbows) so it was sometimes difficult and painful to get photos.

This is a close up of one of Yoko Saito's Moomin quilts.

Yoko's quilt which was used to market the show-

This was one of my favourites - 

Quilts from the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival - Bright and Modern

When they said free wifi at the hotel we stayed at in Tokyo, they meant patchy wifi in the lobby, not in your room.  It was not great for blog posts etc.
I would like to share some more of what we saw at the quilt show - it was amazing and inspirational.  There were so many quilts, too many to blog about, so I have decided to focus on just a few in each blog post.  The quilts in this post have a modern feel to them and are bright.
This quilt was in the original design category, it does not have a name in English characters, nor do I know the quilter. It involves several piecing and quilting techniques - it has courthouse steps, paper piecing, and appliqué.

The paper pieced elephant and seal was one of my favourite blocks in the quilt.

Here is a close up of the steps.  One of things we really noticed about the Japanese style, was the blocks had not been pressed into submission and as a result the quilt blocks had a 3D aspect to them.

Also adore the bird with the musical note in it's mouth.

And because I live in Wellington, I could not resist the quilt called An Optician's Shop by Pachiko Yoshida, with the reference to Wellington in it.  Made me wonder what the back history to it was.

This quilt had embroidery and appliqué.

And lastly for this post, Square Font.  I love text fabric and this quilt with all the pixelated letters by Kumiko Fujita was amazing.  Kumiko is a quilt artist, quilt book author and textile designer.  She designed the First of Infinity range for Lecien which I loved so much.

And a close up...I love the Alphabet Song fabric that has been included (I bought some while I was in Japan, shhhh don't tell).

Tuesday Stack - Red and Black for Christchurch

Today's stack is based on remembering the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011.  

I did not experience the earthquake first hand, but Christchurch is where I grew up and I still have strong links to the city through family, friends and my personal history.  Although the earthquake was three years ago the effects of it are still and well and truly going on.  Christchurch is a city re-building in many ways.

In our family there is a saying you can take the girl (or boy) out of Canterbury but you can't take Canterbury out of the girl (or boy).  That is why although Wellington is now home Mr Stitchbird and I still support the Crusaders and feel a strong link to our home town.

So it was only appropriate that we chose red and black this week...

Ditsy Floral Grey from Camelot Fabrics

Sketch Dot Grey from Timeless Treasures

Garden Pindot Red from Robert Kaufman

Stripe Black from Riley Blake

Jax Red from Kanvas

Just My Type Keys by Patty Young for Michael Miller

Modern Black by Robin Zingone for Robert Kaufman

Just My Type Crossgrain by Patty Young for Michael Miller

Kia Kaha Christchurch

Tuesday Stack - Stack 'em High

This week the Tuesday Stack is with a difference.  This is a stack of fabrics on special, they are 25 - 50% off and there are some great stash builders amongst them.  (But beware I do have stash issues!)  They can all be found here in the Sale section in the on line shop or next to the counter in store.

I have also have a few close ups.  There is 50% off these Prints Charming Fabrics:

Florals staring from $16 per metre.

These Lotta and friends starting from $18.

And some Echinos and others.

Tuesday Stack - The Pretty Pretties

In Japan there were a number of quilting styles and fabric combos, there was the beige on beige with some taupe thrown in for variety, what I call the Pretty Pretties and many other styles.  I like the Pretty Pretties and have based this week's Tuesday stack around this look.  

Sewing Notions Pink by Timeless Treasures

Bucket List by Moda

Modern Bliss by Andie Hanna for Moda, (a beautiful buttery yellow)

Giggles Blue By Me and My Sister for Moda

Pam Kitty Recipes by Holly Holderman for Lakehouse Dry Goods (I love text prints)

Pam Kitty Love by Holly Holderman for Lakehouse Dry Goods

Hex Bee by Heather Ross for Windham