Collaborate For A Cause 2013 - A Handmade Love Fest!

A few weeks ago, I shared a work in progress with you all, and mentioned Collaborate For A Cause.  Well, the time is almost here for the biggest Facebook auction of the year to start!  If you haven't heard of C4AC before, then here's a very quick intro - The wonderful Jen Kennedy from Ainslee Fox Handmade started it three years ago, pulling together the handmade community, to collaborate with one another and raise money for charity!  Last year over $40,000 was raised!  You can learn more about C4AC HERE.

Tonight, I'm sharing with you my finished collaboration with Danielle over at Cottonberry Kids!

 

I had never actually heard of Cottonberry before, but put my hand up looking for someone to collaborate with, and Danielle was brave enough to approach me (I don't know about you, but approaching people I don't know is hard, for fear of rejection!) and of course I said a big YES!  We got to brainstorming about what we wanted to create, and a few days later I received The Intrepid Thread newsletter via email and the Riley Blake "Hipster" range jumped out at me!  I messaged Danielle and suggested the range - and it all went from there!  Julie from The Intrepid Thread kindly gave us a discount on the fabric when she found out it was for charity - so thanks Julie!!!

For my half of the collaboration I used THIS pattern/tutorial for a little pinwheel doll's quilt.  I made a few little changes, just by adding extra borders, and the finished size is 19.5".  And the backing fabric is a gorgeous Riley Blake polka dot in the same bold colours!

I sent the little quilt over to Danielle, and she did a fabulous job photographing it - especially considering the horrible weather she had to deal with!  Her beautiful doll - named Rylee-Kate - is so utterly divine and just screams Happiness!

Our collaboration is raising money for Red Kite - a national cancer charity that offers support to children, young people and their families while they undergo their cancer journey.

If you love Rylee-Kate, her quilt and little pillow, you can bid on them from the 26th of July, at 8pm HERE.  The auction finishes on the 28th of July at 8pm.  There are HUNDREDS of collaborations in the album - and they are all absolutely, positively AMAZING!  You NEED to check it out, and you NEED to tell everyone you know about it!  There is something there for everyone - and it's a great time to grab some awesome handmade goods to put aside for Christmas!

So go on - what are you waiting for?


PS - Last chance to enter my GIVEAWAY tonight! Free fabric anyone? xx

W.I.P. Wednesday #11 - Catching Up!

A few months ago, I decided I would join in the Riley Blake Mystery Block of The Month.  Yes, I've made a Pinterest board to store them! And now it's March!  Today brought an unexpected day off work, due to another mystery - the tiles smashed off Chloe's creche's roof on Monday, for no apparent reason - so creche was closed today!  Day off work = catching up on planned projects.

I started with February, as you do.  It is a paper pieced heart.  This set my heart racing.  I have seen so many beautiful and amazing paper pieced projects, that I never thought I would be able to do it.  But it seems I sort of can......

Trying to wrap my head around how this all worked literally gave me a headache!

All pieced together - with a couple of added bits here and there due to - ahemmmm - someone stuffing up.  Note to self - do not take the paper off the back until the end!  Whoops!

All trimmed up!  It's still not finished, as I have to work out how I am going to applique it on to the backing piece?  I'm wondering if I should do it as I did the Dresden?  Any suggestions would be welcomed!

I then moved on to January's block.  Which entailed HST's.  Remember when I said I would be happy to never see them again?  Well, today reminded me why.  I must say - the trimming was made much easier with that little square ruler there ^^^^^^

All laid out ready to put together!

I'm using the Willow range by Riley Blake, which I bought from Pink Castle Fabrics last month.  Once the nine blocks are made up, I think it will be beautiful!

So, that's what I'm working on at present.  You?

I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced.

Progress is being made....

Ooh, ooh!  Just wanted to share......with anyone who could care.....I have been attempting to make my first ever quilt!  It is for a very special little newborn girl in London - Ms Sadie.  Her Mummy told me she loved greens and pinks - so I searched and came up with Riley Blake's Sugar & Spice!  And I have just sewn all of the HAND CUT (nope, no rotary cutter in this house - yet!) 12cm squares all sewn together!  I'm quite proud of myself, as it seems to be quite "square".  Only one mistake so far - one little square the wrong way around....oh well!

I've got some lovely white flannelette for the backing as well as some beautiful cotton batting!  I'm not really sure what I should be doing next, so will have to refer to Google!  Or if any of you lovely readers are crafty/quilters, feel free to share!