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Tuesday 4 April 2017

Secret Sewing

I can finally reveal the first of my secret sewing.  I have been doing a swap,  with the lovely Janice from Color, Creating and Quilting.  Janice started blogging just a month or so after me and we met soon after, it has been lovely sharing this journey together and learning from each other.  If you haven't read any of Janice's posts before I suggest you take a look at her blog, she has a wicked sense of humour at times, check the link at the end of the post to find out just how bad she can be!

We decided on this swap before Christmas but with one thing and another it got delayed a couple of times.  The way I look at it is if you are doing a swap with a friend it is meant to be fun right?  So if you feel pressurised of finish it by a certain date it takes the fun out of it, so no hassle, we just went with the flow and enjoyed the journey until we were both ready to swap.

I thought and thought about what Janice likes and her interests.  Janice seems to like traditional quilts and gives them her own modern touch, she loves colour, pattern, and bright fabrics.   Based on that I made her..................


Home to Roost.  I have to tell you now it took a long time to think of the name, the words houses, home and street came to mind, but nothing seemed appropriate.  Could I get inspiration from the fabrics? Not really, although the centre one reminds me of fried eggs in tomato sauce.  THEN I read Janice's post and the inspiration struck.

I used lots of fabrics, lots of colour, just like our friendship.  It is a variation of a swoon block from the Swoon Quilt by Camille Roskelley,  but a 16 inch version instead of 24 inch.  I found it at Blue Mountain Daisy on the post Making Little Swoon Houses.  Perfect for Janice I think.

The design was chosen because Janice going through a period of moving house, an interim stay at her in laws, her new for now home, and now she is moving again, temporarily, and possibly twice, before her forever home in a few months.

I delved deep into my fabric stash, I needed small print fabrics for all the small pieces.  I saw the perfect sky fabric at my local quilt shop and splashed out, but apart from that everything else was from scraps.


I quilted it in the ditch, I think anything else would have detracted from the design, and the back is a piece fabric which I was given by a friend, thank you again Jan.


I even made a label.

So, what did she make me?  I tell you you will just HAVE to read it for yourself, I was doubled up laughing and rolling about on the floor.  The clue is in the name of the quilt, Chicken Poop, no I am not joking, she made me a quilt  and wrote I wanted to do something that reminds me of our friendship and called it Chicken Poop, can you believe it?  I suggest you head on over HERE and read it!  While I wipe the tears (of laughter) from my eyes.  It's wild and wacky just like the Janice I have got to know and love, it is such fun being her friend.

Join me next time and I will show you my second secret sewing project. until then,

With Smiles from,
Kate x

Linking up with:

25 comments:

  1. I just saw the one Janice made for you, Chicken Poop!!!!!!! Right away, when I saw the one you made her, it reminded me of her and Jen's Laundry Day house block. Nice job Kate!!

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  2. nice job, really good work - I bet she loves it

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  3. Kate, I absolutely LOVE it! I have a thing for houses, as you know, and what you didn't know is that I have bought the swoon pattern as a "want to make someday" project! I love that one of the little houses is using the same fabric that you used in Quilter's Laundry Day. IT IS PERFECT!! I can't wait to get it! THANK YOU, my friend. :)

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  4. Kate this is perfect! The friendship that you and Janice share absolutely warms my heart and it has been wonderful to watch it blossom and bloom. I don't think either one of you could have made a more perfect mini for the other.

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  5. Oh my goodness, so adorable! I haven't seen that block used in the way! The addition of the houses if fantastic! I know Janice is thrilled!

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  6. What a great quilt! This so much looks like something Janice would make, a little bit country with plenty of brights. I love this pattern!

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  7. It's a lovely quilt Kate and I enjoyed reading about your inspiration ! Difficult to keep the secret when you write a blog, isn't it ? ;-)

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  8. This is so cute! I'll bet she was thrilled!

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  9. What a great project this is. I love it and I of course want to make one now and guess what, My table is in at the shop and I should have it soon!

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  10. So very cute! I loved reading all about your inspiration, and I'm sure she will love it.

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  11. I find your quilt so beautiful, both the pattern and the colors you've used.

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  12. Wow!! I love your version of my Swoon Town!!! It's lovely to read about all the friendship you have stitched into your quilt.

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  13. What a very fun mini! I love the name, it's perfect. Did you know the name of your mini when you named this one? It's funny that both could be construed to reference chickens (well her's does more than reference the chickens). It's been fun to read about both projects.

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  14. Home to Roost matches Chicken Poop perfectly. And fried eggs in tomato sauce sounds pretty tasty to me :-) Quilty friends are the best.

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  15. Where would we be without a sense of humor? Both quilts are such fun. I love it when our personalities come out in our quilting. And quilty friendships are the best!

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  16. This is absolutely delightful!

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  17. what a great quilt! Adorable houses and your fried eggs ties in nicely with the chicken poop! matching quilts....

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  18. Home to Roost is such a neat quilt. Neat idea using the basis of the Swoon block.Chicken Poop and it's story is cute as well. Thanks for linking up with this week's TGIFF.

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  19. gorgeous. i love swaps and gifts to and from quilty friends... sometimes it motivates us to do our best work. xo

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  20. visiting from Can I get a Whoop Whoop. This is amazing. I love love that it has houses on it.

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  21. I haven't seen Janice's yet, but will be going right over to check it out! Yours is FABULOUS Kate! Love the symbolism, but that the houses are readily apparent, and then they evolve and THEN I see their roofs make the sky between the star points--!! Great job, lovely fabrics.

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  22. Don't know how I missed this post, Kate, but being 'on the road' always throws me off kilter! This was a delightful read, as your posts always are. Home to Roost is a gorgeous piece and I was so pleased that you included the link! Some people are just so clever. You made me laugh with your story about trying to attach the binding. I'd have given up long before you did. You girls certainly had fun with this swap, and now I'm off to read Janice's swap post. Enjoy your day! XO

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  23. Eeeek! Can I join the Numpty club!!!!!!
    I went to see the quilt Janice made you ....... and didn't get back to comment on yours for Janice.
    As soon as I saw "Home to Roost" it made me think of the Quilters Laundry Day QAL. I love all the fabrics you used ..... it's such a lively quiltlet!
    Both "Home to Roost" and "Chicken Poop" are gorgeous fun quilts! Loved the story too!
    Well done both of you!
    Barbara x

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  24. Kate, I've seen this block before and it is adorable! Such a great variation of Swoon. Your name is perfect and I'm sure Janice will love it. Jumping over to learn more about the quilt she made you.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave a comment, it helps me grow as a quilter and as a blogger. It also makes me very happy :)
I try to respond to all comments by email, but if I don't reply within a few days it may be because you are a no reply blogger

With smiles from,
Kate