Nordic November! Danish Heart Quiltlet

Nordic November is well under way and thank you guys for welcoming it (and continuing it) with me! Yes it is purely my own invention but it just seemed right.

Big Christmas Mystery Giveaway!

There is a new giveaway starting this week too! To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave me a comment at the bottom of this postThat's all there is too it.

And what will you win? I have a nice bundle of Makower fabrics for you including a few huge advent calenders, over fifty 10" squares, some labels and a few other surprises - it is a mystery bundle after all. Here is a sneak peek....

Quite a lot in there and not all Christmas stuff so you can enjoy it all year!

Entries close 23rd December 2015 and I will announce the winner on Christmas Eve!

Right! Back to busniness.....This time, we are stopping over in beautiful Denmark and I have a pretty Danish heart for you which I  translated into a block last post. This is an icon in Scandinavia and it is found in many places. It is also an instantly recognisable image. But what in the name of all that is holy is a quiltlet??

I made it up - which is why Wikipedia is being spectacularly unhelpful. Sorry. I keep doing this. First Nordic November and now quiltlets. It's like the last days of the Roman empire around here! 

Don't worry, a quiltlet is quite simply a very small quilt. In this case, it is a little quilted hanging with a sentiment on it. I was thinking about cards one day and the fact that we send them and love getting them and I wondered how this concept would translate to fabric. And to something lasting that we can hang in our house. 

I know that you can make quilted and embroidered cards but this is more. This is a little quilt. made the same way as a super king sized one but around the size of a dinner plate. And it's round. All the things that I like.

I hope that you do to and it is a cute way to make use of the BOM for this month of Nordic November. Take a look....

Now I love round things - my Grandfather did too so maybe there is a genetic component...so I have decided that this little quiltlet will be round. Before we get into the whys and wherefores, what do we need for this week's make?

Gather these supplies:

-last week's Danish heart block

-scraps of red and white fabrics

-fat quarter 272 Thermolam wadding (Vilene) and you can find out about that here.

-black embroidery floss

-fat quarter of something for backing fabric

-something gorgeous to use as binding

-small ring (like a 10mm split ring) to hang

-red or grey bow

-water soluble marker

-thin card for a template

-your usual sewing needs

Here is your template. I have included the measurements for you to check when you print it out.

Print it out and then make a shape with your thin card. You can just trace around it onto the scraps and then cut them out - much easier!

Cut out 10 assorted red and white shapes and then sew them together to form a ring like this...

Iron the ring well, opening the seams. Lay your heart onto the fat quarter of wadding and then pin the ring over the top of the heart block, centring the heart perfectly....

Fold the inner edge of the patched ring under and stitch it with needle turn applique....

Don't worry, the outer ring will take care of itself. Folding the inner edges under like this opens up the circle a bit more and naturally gets rid of those pesky threads too. And you have done some of the quilting too. 

Time for the embroidery now. Thread a needle with one strand of the embroidery floss and make a herringbone stitch over the edge of the inner ring.

This is an easy stitch. You come up (see the black thread coming up through the fabric)...

Make a long stitch to the right and go down through the fabric and then up just to the left of it.

Make another long stitch to the right crossing over the other bit and come up again. Repeat around the circle. Once you get the hang of it, it is easy, there is a rhythm to it. And it really is sort of like an attractively distorted cross stitch.

Draw the words for your personal message around the heart with the water soluble marker. I haven't given a template for this for two reasons. One, I don't know what you want to write and secondly, it is better in your hand writing. More personal. Practise on a piece of paper and keep the message short. Don't clutter the space up too much. Embroider the words in a backstitch.

Here is what it looks like now

Time to finish that quilting off now. 

Lay the embroidered top onto the backing fabric and pin it. Quilt round the patched border in concentric circles like this....

I have machine quilted the circles but you can do them by hand if you prefer.

While you have your hand sewing thread handy, make a running stitch around the heart too...

Trim the three layers using the round top as a guide. Bind with your chosen bias binding

Now attach the hanging ring on the back 

and the bow to the front top

And there it is!

These make great and quick Christmas gifts. They are a wonderful alternative to a Christmas card (no trees wasted either) and they can be kept for generations. What's not to love there! 

Now don't forget the Christmas giveaway! I will look forward to seeing your comments and good luck!

Love and hugs

Debbie xxx

Nordic November Block of the Month - Danish Heart

It's BOM time and because it is Nordic November, it is also fitting that we use a block which has been inspired from that part of the world.

Enter the famous Danish Heart!

I am sure that you have seen these around but they don't occur too often as a quilt block. I have 'translated' this one and what I have come up with is very simple to make and super impactful (that is a thing I promise).....

So, what do we need?

-fat 8th of red fabric

-fat 8th of a second red/white fabric

-fat qu. of something for the background which will set the red and white off nicely. Grey is good as is white or linen. Have a look at the Essex yarn dyed linens around. A low volume white and grey or a text print would look fab too.

There is no template for this pattern, I will give you the measurements as we go along. There is an added dimension of applique this time too.

Begin by taking your two lots of red and red/white fabrics and cutting nine squares from them each square measuring 4.5cm x 4.5cm. You need five of one and four of the other. Sew them together to make a nine patch block....

Now make a circle template from thin card (like a cereal packet). the circle is 10cm diameter. Cut this template in half exactly. This shape forms the top sections of the heart. Cut one from each fabric...

You can see where this is going now!

Fold the half circle in half and crease it to get the centre mark and do the same on your nine patch. Line up the two creases and sew a semi circle to the top of two sides of your nine patch....

You will notice that you have a small gap each side of the heart top. This has to be there, it is the seam allowance for turning under....

This seam allowance is especially important where the two semi circles meet. The really important side for this is the left (it will become the middle); you can trim it off the outsides. My heart is now ready to applique...

The rest of this block is done with needle turn applique. Of course, you can use any sort of applique method you like - it might be quicker by machine if you are making a large quilt! Either way, mount it onto your grey or linen fabric. You will need about a 25cm piece.

Here it is again, all finished...

Just a heads up for next week's post, we are going to turn this into something round but you could also make a few of these blocks and use them in a larger project. They look cute as cushions too. Cannot wait to show you what I have dreamed up to make with this. I think that you will really love it. 'til next time then!

Oh, by the way....don't forget to check out my other blocks of the month in the drop down section (across the top of this page).

Love and hugs

Debbie xxx

Nordic November! Nordic light antler candle holder.

I am so in love with Scandinavia - isn't everyone I hear you chorus so I have decided to invent Nordic November to focus all things Scandi which is also quite relevant to the run up the Christmas.

Our northern neighbours always seem to be able to hit the style nail right on the head. They get it right and boy do I love grey, red and white together. If it involved antlers and winter imagery, I am sold!

Speaking of antlers....have you ever had a completely perfect day? Full of Danish Hygge? A week or so ago, Rob and I decided to spend the day at Snettisham Deer Park in North Norfolk. We rugged up because it is getting a little late in the year and we set out.

The view from our tractor during the safari

Well the sun was out, the fields were green and the deer were so friendly that they came up to us during our tractor safari and ate out of our hands! So worth the day if you find yourself in this part of the world. Of course, Snettisham is so much more than just the deer. It is a proper working farm and there are lambs, goats and so much more. The staff give demonstrations and children (of any age!) can join in.

I love deer so much! To me, they are the ultimate symbol of my part of Europe and everything that I love about living in the north.

Proud and beautiful!

The stag himself.  You can see how close we could get too!

You might notice something missing in the photo above....disappointingly, we had arrived a week after the rangers had removed the stag's magnificent antlers. I stupidly forgot to check so he was a bit diminished in his beauty. But you know what? It didn't actually detract from the day. Next year, I will ring first and check!

With his harem of ladies.

I can imagine how he would have looked with his crown still on. It is usual practise to remove the antlers during the rutting season and it doesn't hurt the deer at all. Far from it in fact. If they neglected to do this and left the deer alone, they would often come away with horrific injuries. Sometimes, nature doesn't know best!

After the safari, Rob and I had a lovely bite to eat in the cafe - a homemade meal of Cornish pasty and carrot soup with a perfect lemon drizzle cake for pudding. Then a long walk to help it all settle. All in all, a fab day and thank you to Trevor and his very friendly staff for making it happen for us. 

Well. Speaking of antlers, I am still determined to bring you a post this week using them. Forgive me for cheating but I will not be using red deer antlers for this one. I have a small fallow deer shed and it is just begging to be turned into a candle holder! What do you think....

It is simplicity itself and you will need the bare minimum of things.

-an antler 

-a small candle cup with a spike on the end

-DecoArt Americana Chalky finish paint - everlasting

-paint brush

-drill and a bit the same size as the spike on the candle cup

-beeswax sheet and a wick (we are going to make as much of this as possible!) You could use any candle but I love these ones.

Clean your antler if needed and polish it. You can paint them but it seems a shame unless you have lots. A bit of oil and a soft cloth to polish is a better idea and it brings out the natural colours a treat.

Next turn the antler upside down so that it sits nicely and decide where to drill the hole for the candle cup. You can put a couple of these on actually. I am using one because I am aiming for the simplicity which makes Nordic style well, Nordic style. Drill your hole and check that the cup fits...

Paint the candle cup with the paint next. Now it is important to point out here that this particular paint is not made for metal and it will scratch off if it is over-handled. You are probably not planning to over-handle a candle stick so it is fine. Paint the candle cup anyway and allow it to dry well. DecoArt have specific paints for metal and slick surfaces. I am lazy and I happened to have his paint nearby. Do check their website for better options though.

Aim for a rough effect when you paint. it should not look as though it had been powder coated. Rub some off here and there too for a more rough luxe look.

Place it in the hole next and add a bit of hot glue or similar to keep it there....

That is all there is to it actually. It is simple and lovely and it allows the natural sculptural quality of the antler to really shine.

Now how about that candle? Quite often, when you buy wax sheets, they come with wicks. Trim the wicking cord about 2cm longer than you will need. Lay your sheet out and place the wick on the short side closest to you....

Now begin rolling quite firmly - the more holes between the wax, the quicker it will burn down. Keep rolling until you have a candle which will fit into your holder without straining it....

By the way, if your house is a little cold, the wax will not roll. It can crack quite easily so employ a hair dryer to get it to cooperate.

Trim the excess wax off and squeeze the candle a little to seal it. Look at that! Practically ready to move RIGHT up north and live off grid! I've made a candle!

And it looks just peachy in its holder. 

This is something that I will use and use. Mealtimes are super important events at our house and the table is always set with cloth napkins and all the trimmings. Even on a Wednesday. This is just the centrepiece to make it all very special. It will match my antler cutlery too!

Best of all, the deer himself was not harmed to make this so my conscience is intact.

Thank you so much for stopping by. See you next time!

Love and hugs

Debbie xxx