Playing with Fabric #1

I love the 2 1/2' stripe that arrive from Always the Season range a few weeks ago and it seem you like it too, with it being the biggest seller out of 5 that arrived. This stripe is calling to be fussy cut. So I took a break and had a play, to see what blocks I could make just by the way I cut the stripe. I started by cutting some 2 1/2' strips diagonally to create some half square triangle blocks. A few skinny rectangle offcuts were left over, not sure if I can use them or not. We will see what happens, if they are still hanging around at the end of the project they may go in the bin.

 From the other end of the piece of fabric I cut some plain 2 1/2' squares and some 21/2' square to create 2 rectangles.
All these block  are sewn together as four patch blocks or nine patch blocks, except for the flying geese block which is a six patch block. These blocks are all 2 1/2' squares, no extra seams in the piecing of any of the blocks. This reduce the bulk when seam meet, it can build up when you are using multiply fabrics. Here are the blocks so far, I am sure there is more.

As you can see I haven't sewn any of these blocks yet but I will create a table runner from this experiment once I decide which blocks I want to use. I am thinking of using the friendship star block as this is a Christmas range and you need stars at Christmas.
This stripe from Always the Season fabric range is available in my shop  here  in the fabric category with 4 other fabrics from this range if you are tempted to create your own blocks.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching 

Cynthia

New Stock on the Shop.

I thought I would share today what is new in the web shop. There is Farm Girl Vintage by Lori Holt now in stock at a special introduction price of $49.95 for a short time.

There is 2 new patterns from Melly & Me Black Sheep, White Sheep and Dee Dee the dolphin both are $16.50 each. I have selected Dee Dee to make up in a shop sample using some Tula Pink's Elizabeth fabrics I have in stock. I will share a post on that when I make it.

Also in stock Riley Blake Designs Cotton Blender Fat Quarter bundle and it is $140.00 for 31 Fat Quarters.

Plus you will notice a new Category under the Patterns tab called Cynthia's Ark Downloadable Pattern I am updating some of my printed patterns into PDF file so you will be able to order them  and receive them in your inbox once your order has been processed or can also access your download patterns via the webshop when you log in to the shop you will see a download tab under the My Account tab on the right hand side of the shop. Currently there is 2 free patterns available plus my Scrappy Roads pattern $10 with more on the way. All new patterns will come in both formats and I will update the more popular ones to PDF along the way.
Plus you should see what is coming. Lots of new stock including new friends for Larry & Oliver, 10' Stacker packs and new fabrics on the bolt. I look forward to sharing them as they arrive.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Stash Building Fabric Club

Have you checked out our newest fabric club starting in June. 

Here are the details just in case you have missed it.

Each month you will receive a pack of themed fabrics (5 x 30cm width of the fabric per pack). Plus you will receive exclusive discount offers for our web shop www.cynthiasark.com.au . This is the perfect way to increase your stash or start your fabric stash.   Plus there will be a bonus surprise in July, October, January and April mail outs. (eg patterns, notions, threads, gifts)  Only $38 plus postage each month. 

This will be an ongoing club so you can join at any time.   You can sign up now at www.cynthiasark.com.au  it is featured on the home page under new products.       

Please join us.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

PS Any questions please ask via the comment box or email me at sales@cynthiasark.com.au 

What has been Happening?

What has been happening around here? I can tell you not a lot of sewing that is for sure and because of that I haven't got much to blog about. Lots of boring behind the scenes stuff has kept me busy, most of it on the computer and that is effecting my creative side. I need to do something creative. So last night I cut my next block for Pat Sloan's Vacation Time block of the Month just so I could play with some fabric for me. Maybe I will get to sew it today but I won't hold my breath on that. There is a lot of photos to be taken and the weather is terrible here so I will have to take them inside. Editorial to write and submit, new products to be add to the shop and orders to be cut and packed for this afternoon mail run.
I thought I would share a few new fabrics that have come in and the latest quilt kit in our Kids Strip Quilt range.Too Cute Strip Quilt Kit. Just perfect for a little girl.

Some new fabrics that have arrived are from  Penny Rose's Civil War Times and 19th Century Shirting ranges. All will be add to the shop shortly.

Plus we have receive new stock of the Tiger panel plus a couple new coordinates that increases our stock to 5 from this range. http://www.cynthiasark.com.au/cs/tiger-panel.html

It is time to get back to it.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching ( I'll try to do some stitching)

Cynthia

I need more TIME.

Where did the week go? I don't feel I achieve as much as I would of liked but isn't that always the way. April will be here next week and I am not ready. It will be flat out so I better get the schedule sorted or I may be running around like a crazy woman. My LSH (long suffering Husband) thinks I run around like a crazy woman most of the time now lol.
I have the Angaston Craft Fair on at the Angaston Town Hall on the 4th April followed by the Laura Folk Fair on the 11th-12th April in Laura. They are listed on the events page if you want more details. I need to finish a number of jobs this weekend so I am ready.
 If you saw my last post on the strip quilts I have been working on, I can happily say the tractor and the fairy quilts are completed with my new Cynthia's Ark quilt label on them. Let me tell you I love them.
 The Furry Friends quilt has been quilted and I just have to finish the binding. So I think they are under control.

I have been working on a little strip pieced table mat design to go with some little 2 1/2 inch strip packs I am putting together so I need to sew that together. I have written the pattern so that is good for me. Normally I do it the other way around. Doing it this way may mean I don't drag my feet on getting it completed, hopefully. Fingers crossed. I will share some pictures once I start sewing.
Plus a new shipment of fabric has arrived. I must say I am a little disappointed that I didn't get all the Tula Pink Elizabeth fabrics I ordered so I will chase them up with the supplier on Monday.

Also I got some of the Spice Palette by The Quilted Crow. They are a lovely ranges of neutrals and  you can never have enough neutrals in your stash.

Finally the last thing in the shipment was some new fabrics to make a new Kids Strip Quilt for our ongoing range of Kids Strip Quilt Kits. This is a little girls one.  So I need to sew up the sample pretty quickly in time for the fairs.

You will find these fabrics in the Cynthia's Ark webshop shortly. Now I better get my act together and get stuck in to it.

Until Next Time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

What has been happening?

No sewing happening here this week. I'm have spent a lot of time on the computer add new products to the webshop and re aligning some of the categories on the shop so they are easier to find. Patterns and Pre cut Bundles now have their own categories on the main page instead of being inside the patchwork and fabric categories. New fabrics and patterns have been uploaded this week with Melly and Me patterns arriving new week still to be added. The new products are featured in the new Product section on the homepage of the shop if you want to have a look what is new.

With all this computer work happening I have manage a little fabric time in the sense of fabric cutting bundles and kits. I revamped some of my kit packaging so I hope they will be more enticing to the customers. I have cut some Furry Friends Baby Strip Quilt Kits from the Furry Friends range of fabric. Limited stock so be quick if you want one. Our Kids Strip Quilts have been really popular over the last 12 months so there is a few more new ones in the works.

Hopefully today is the day I get behind the sewing machine and do some sewing. I have a number of projects in hold mode that I need to catch up on.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Fabric Giveaway at Cynthia's Ark

For the next seven days we are going to giveaway 5 metres of fabric (10 x 50cm pieces) each day to the first 10 customers who place a $40 order at Cynthia's Ark. Each morning I will post on Facebook and Goggle  + what the fabric will be for that day. So if you haven't liked our Facebook page or our Goggle + page go and do it now, that way you will know what the daily giveaway fabric is. We all love free fabric.

Today's fabric is from the A French Courtyard range.

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

What I am working on

This is what I have been playing with, the Home for the Holiday fabrics that are currently in stock. This is an easy afternoon project. Great for dressing up your Christmas table or if you use other fabric dressing up any table for any time of the year. Shall I write up a tutorial for this project? Let me know and if there is some interest I will write one up to share.

I made a ceramic christmas tree lamp a few years back and I am wondering if it the right size to fit under it. Not long before the Christmas decorations come out. So we will soon see if it fits. I am sure I could make a larger one if needed.

Until Next Time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Look What's New in the Shop.

I just thought I would do a quick post sharing the latest fabrics that have arrived in the web shop. The shop tab is at the top of my blog.

We have received some fabrics from the Unforgettable range of fabric by Jen Allyson for Riley Blake Designs. They are featured on the homepage for easy reference and the price is $21.00 a metre.

 Just remember the shop works in 10cm increments so if you want to order 40cm, you order 4 x10cm and you will receive a 40cm piece.

I can see me using these fabrics in an upcoming project. 

Until next time

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

The Adelaide Sewing, Stitching and Handcraft Show

We have had a busy two days and still one more to go. There is lots to see and do with two events on at the same time so come down to the Adelaide Showgrounds Wayville South Australia. We still have plenty of bargains to be brought so visit stall 134.

Lost! Where has the time gone.

We are halfway through July and I am wondering where the last 6 weeks has gone. I just don't seem to be getting anywhere fast. I am falling behind in most of my projects and the pile is building as I have now found another UFO in a box that I started God know when. Does this happen to anyone else? or is it just me who finds forgotten projects.

There are a number of these blocks in two colourways, I have English Paper pieced these blocks. At least there is some extra fabric, papers and instructions all together in a ziplock bag. Not like my star quilt which is now ready for some quilting when I am free. I think I was going to make a lap quilt with these blocks but I am thinking I might make a table runner instead. 

Until next time

Keep Stitching 

Cynthia

Triangle Quilt Along #1

Yes it is true if you heard the rumour I have started another new project. The Triangle Quilt Along started on the 21st March on The Sassy Quilter's Blog, with sign up and fabric selection to get us started. A triangle quilt has been on my must do list list for quite awhile so this was the perfect project to tackle it. Here is my fabric selection, 10 prints and 3 solids.

 I have picked these out of the new shipment of batik fabric that arrive for our shop Cynthia's Ark I love getting to work with the new fabrics that arrive and often I don't get the chance. So I am glad to have a project to use some of them. 

There is still time to join us and have a look at what others have selected for their project.

http://www.sassyquilter.com/triangle-quilt-along-fabric/

Until next time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

Worldwide Quilting Day

To celebrate Worldwide Quilting Day on the 15th March we are having a giveaway at www.cynthiasark.com.au  Just place an order between now and the 17th March and enter WQ DAY in the discount coupon box to receive your free gift. How easy is that.

These are the new batik fabrics that have arrived. I will posted some close up soon.

Until next time 

Keep Stitching

Cynthia

What is going on?

What is wrong with me? I can't believe it. Once again I am sewing away on the last section of the Wish Along BOM this time. I lay out the 4 sections ready to sew,  and then I spot it. I have sewn the last quarter together wrong. Out comes the seam ripper and I unpick it. I keep doing this, nearly finished and I stuff it up. This has been happening a lot lately. Why do I keep do this? Ok I'm the first one to admit I'm not perfect. It will happen from time to time, but at the moment it is happening every week and on all different projects. None of my current projects are technically challenging, so you would think I should be able to complete simply piecing without too much trouble. So in the end I just unpick the latest block stuff up and stopped for the day. Though I had only been at the machine under a hour and was hoping for a couple of blissful hours at the machine to complete some blocks for a couple of projects. Oh well maybe  I have a couple of screws loose in my head that need tightening before I sit down at the machine next time. LOL

See the mistakes simply twisted the pieces the wrong way when I sewed them together and yesterday's mistake was unpick before I could think to take  a unhappy snap of it. I did go back and fix it so it is now completed.

Until next time

Keep stitching

Cynthia

It is my birthday this week.

To celebrate my birthday on the 28th February our webshop is going to be giving away presents all week. All you have to do is place an order at www.cynthiasark.com.au and you will automatically be entered into the daily draw to win your own birthday present. I have put together some lovely fabric bundles for presents and I know we all love getting fabric presents.

Some of the fabric presents ready for me to wrap. I just thought I would give everyone a sneak peak of what they could get in their order.

So pop over and have a browse. There is a shop tab at the top of the page that will take you to the shop.

Until next time keep stitching

Cynthia

 

Globtrotting Block of the Month #1

This is a block of the month quilt created by Pat Sloan called Globtrotting. Pat has stitched it in two colour way  and fabric suggestions are available in the material list but on Facebook there is a wide variety of colour ways from others participating in this BOM to enjoy. I have gone with a blue theme. I'm love blue so I couldn't help myself when I saw the blue version from Pat. So here is my fabric selection for this project.

Block 1 Washington DC instructions were released and off we went cutting and sewing the first block which is the centre of our quilt. Of course we have been sharing our progress with each other on Facebook.

Here is my first block all together.

You can still join in at http://www.freequiltpatterns.info/block-one---washington-dc.htm

This is a free BOM.

 

Until next time keep stitching

Cynthia

 

 

2013 In Review

Before I can make up my to do list for 2014  What did I achieve in 2013.  In 2013 I wanted to finish some on going projects and there was some new projects to tackle. The list wasn't long but the unfinished projects was at 9. I needed to get this part down of the list down, 5 just needed quilting and binding.  A red, blue and cream quilt that half the blocks were completed but I decided the quilt was too big and put it to one side.  A pile of log cabin blocks that I had foundation pieced just sitting there. My first Inklingo project The Secret Garden quilt and the pink star quilt which I had the fabrics and created the pattern but had not started.
So where did I end up by the 31st December 2013. I started with 5 quilts that only needed quilting and binding 3 got done on the machine but I am still hand quilting my Pies & Tarts quilt and a hexagon quilt that  I haven't touched.
 Next was my first Inklingo quilt. This one was a new technique that I wanted to try that I started.  I was hand piecing this one as I needed a portable project while we were on holiday. This was completed, all hand pieced, machine quilted and including binding.

 

The red, blue and cream one I managed to resize some of the blocks as the ones I had completed were in 3 different sizes and created a new layout.  So this one gets added  to my 2014 To complete List with the other 2.

Next was the Pink Star quilt, I had to get this one done as it was for someone else and I was dragging my feet. Why I don't know but I tackled it and got it completed and delivered it before Christmas.

 

Finally my log cabin blocks, I made more blocks and after trying many different layouts.  I made my decision and started to sew 4 single blocks together into 1 so now I have a pile of larger blocks.

The size of the quilt has been set at 42 blocks (6 across and 7 down) and I only have 4 large blocks to complete before I can start sewing the rows together. It won't take long to finish.

 

 

Plus there was a number of baby quilts made for sale, 4 new baby quilt kits created and samples completed during the year, so there is 3 projects that make the 2014 To Complete List with my Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt, my Farmers Wife sampler and my Double Wedding Ring quilt I only started in October. So that is a total of 6 projects on this list to complete in 2014.

Now I need to work out what goes on my What I want to Try in 2014 list.

Until Next time keep stitching

Cynthia