Art Supplies Backpack Tutorial

Giveaway is now closed!

My September tutorial for Fabric Yard is one all budding artists will love!

These simple backpacks are made using 2 half metres of fabric, some cord and eyelets.

You can get all the necessary art equipment in these for a fun day out!  And check out this cool 'Colour Me Fabric' by Michael Millar - nothing to colour in?  Then why not decorate your backpack!

The full tutorial is here!

And here's an extra treat for you!

Fabric Yard are kindly giving away 1m of 'Colour Me Fabric', a pack of fabric pens, and I'm throwing in the latest Issue of Quilt Now.

For a chance to win these goodies, just leave me a comment ('no reply comment bloggers' will not be entered unless you leave your email address in addition to your comment).

Giveaway closes Friday 18th September, international entries welcome.

Jude xo

Framed Purses & A Giveaway!

These 2.5" x 6" framed purses have been made using gorgeous deco weight fabrics from Zazzle! (tweed, linings and frames are my own).

Zazzle are an online store, where you can not only buy the querkiest custom gifts, but they also sell a fabulous range of cotton, poplin and linen fabrics, suitable for crafts, handbags, purses, cushions, dressmaking and much more!

I made these framed purses using Zazzle's cotton range, and if you hop on over to their blog, you can get my tutorial on how to make them.

And here's even more great news!

The generous peeps at Zazzle are offering a £50 voucher to a lucky reader of my blog!

So here's how you can win:

1. Have a good browse around the Zazzle shop (it might take a while!!), especially their fabrics, and come back here and tell me what you would spend your voucher on.
2. For a 2nd chance to win, like their Facebook page.

I will announce the winner on Wednesday 17th June.

Happy crafting!!

Jude xo

Discounted Fabrics & Giveaway!

We all love a bargain, right?

Well I'm delighted to tell you that I've listed some bargain quality fabrics in my Etsy shop!

All are 100% quality quilters cotton, from £5 per metre - yes you heard right!!  Michael Miller, Riley Blake, Tilda, Amy Butler and even Denyse Schmidt, all at silly prices!!

Plus Essex Yarn dyed linen, Flax (£10 pm) and Kona Solids (£5pm).

I am adding fabrics to the shop on a regular basis, at these permanently discounted prices, so keep your eye out.

This is shop stock leftover from my classes last year, so when it's gone, it's gone!!

At this stage I'm only delivering to UK, but my Rainbow Charm packs are available Internationally.

And to celebrate this Mad March Event, I'm giving away this fat quarter mixed bundle PLUS 1m of a fabric of your choice!

All you have to do is pop over to my shop and tell me which fabric you like the most! If you win, you will get 1m of that fabric (stock permitted) together with the fat quarter bundle above!

If you are a 'no comment blogger' then I have no means of contacting you, so please leave your email address in your comment otherwise you won't be considered in the draw.

The giveaway is available to all, UK and international readers alike, and I will announce the winner on Sunday 29th March.

Have fun!

*** THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED****

Jude xo

Giveaway Time!

Well I promised a giveaway to celebrate reaching 300 blog followers!

And here it is:

5 Fat Quarters of yummy Michael Miller fabrics! I have to say, my favourites are the elephants!

I hope you like them.  And the giveaway this time is open to all my friends living across the water!  Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my wittering's and ramblings!  I love reading all your comments!

To win, alll you have to do is leave me a comment by Friday 17th January when me and Mr RNG will draw the winning entry! 

Remember, if you are a 'No Reply Comment Blogger' (if you don't get a reply from me then you are one!) then you need to add your email address to your comment.

And if you are local and don't manage to win this time around, you can still get your hands on more of these lovelies!  They are for sale at my classes!

Have a great start to the new week!

Jxo

Phew! My Hair is Still Straight!

Well, I put my big girl pants on this morning, and drill in hand, I went for it!

It took some effort to get a deep enough hole for the rawl plug (how impressed are you that I even know what these things are called!) and screw, but I was laser focussed and wasn't going to be beaten!

I'm chuffed to bits with how my very special Brit Bee Giant Linen Star quilt looks above my bed!  (Please ignore the 'too long' metal rod sticking out the bottom of the quilt!  I'm waiting on a hack saw!!)

I've been keen to get this quilt up in my room, because of it's symbolism and significance to me.  I may now be alone in my bed at night, but I have the reminder of a community of close quilty friends right above my head! 

And before I go, check out this awesome blogiversary giveaway that Reene and Yvonne are hosting!  It's a cracker!

Jxo

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

I'm delighted to be able to 'share the fabric love' with you by hosting a Valentine's Day giveaway, courtesy of  the lovely Alice from Fabric Yard!

Check out this bundle of yumminess!

10 Fat Quarters of Nursery Versery by Heather Ross!  Swoon!

 

How adorable are those cute wee mice!

So wipe away that drool and pay attention to the next bit - how to get your mitts on these lovelies!

Follow Fabric Yard via Twitter or Facebook (T & FB links are on the shop website), or register on the website. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you've done that.

And because Alice is such a nice lady, she is offering a 10% discount off anything from the Kokka range to all those who read my blog, up until the end of this giveaway.  Just enter the code  justjudevalentine  when you are making your purchase.  And don't forget, P&P is only £1 in the UK.

The giveaway is open to UK & Ireland readers only (apologies lovely overseas peeps!), and I will announce the lucky winner on Thursday 21st February.

*Remember: if you are a 'No reply comment blogger' I have no way of getting in contact with you should you win.  So, leave your email address in your comment.*

Best of luck everyone!

1 Year Blogiversary!

It's exactly one year ago today that I wrote my first blog post.

My amazingly talented friend, Sarah, started blogging a few days before, and suggested I do the same!  I went from never being the least bit interested in computers to needing a 'fix' every day! 

It has been a wonderful year of learning, growing, being inspired by the astounding creativity out there in blogland and of course, making some wonderful new friends.

I would like to say a special 'thank you' to those of you who take the time and interest to pop over and read my nonsensical ramblings.  I never would have expected anyone to be interested in this creative venture, let alone hang in there week after week.  You rock!

To celebrate this special milestone I would like to make something bespoke for one of my regular readers, so I'm not doing a generic giveaway.

I would love it if you could tell me 1. your favourite colour in fabric, and also 2. choose one of the following handbags which I would be delighted to gift to you.  One comment will do for both & I'll find some means of randomly selecting the winner (Archie could you please teach Poppy how to select winners?).

Martha May

Modern Maud

Boxy Bag

Thank you for celebrating with me, and I look forward to another year of blogging with you! 

Judith xo

Zippity Bees!

Well I'm thrilled to say I've received my long awaited orange zips!  

Zipit didn't disappoint and after these were posted from the States on 22nd November I received them this morning!  Just in time for me to get the rest of the makeup bags finished before they are whisked off down to my sister's on Tuesday.

This afternoon, the sofas were pushed back & the dog banished for another gathering of Bee Blessed.  The man quilt was wrestled to the kitchen floor and basted to within an inch of its life!

See how it's sucking in Marion's hand! Naughty quilt!

And the production line of 9 ladies churned out log cabin blocks.

We now have over 30 made and donated log cabin blocks (& I know more are still to come)!  Thanks again wonderful bloggy & Bee folks!  These are going to be wonderfully warm and snuggly quilts for elderly folks this winter.

And before I clock off for the evening, just enough time to tell you about the lovely Laura's giveaway, celebrating 200 followers.  Check out the gorgeous charm packs she is giving away and leave a comment (or a joke!) to be in with a chance of winning.

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Judith xo

P.s. So sorry (again) about the rubbish quality pics.  I'm hoping to switch to a new phone soon with a better camera (of course it's absolutely nothing to do with the incompetent user!).

Project 51 Revealed!

At last I can tell you all about the elusive Project 51!!

I'm in a group of 12 ladies called the Brit Bee.  We were born out of the flickr group Brit Quilt, and were the first 12 people to sign up in April.  Starting out as a group of strangers we have got to know each other well and have lots of giggles and laughs each month as we try to make blocks for each other.

Sadly, a few months ago, one of our members experienced a very stressful time in her life, culminating in a diagnosis which no-one ever wants to hear.

Being the scheming, conniving group that we are (!!), the rest of us decided to make our friend (let's call her 'T') a secret quilt, in some of her favourite colours, to let her know how much we are thinking of her at this time.

After months of planning, piecing, sniggering and quilting, yesterday T received her quilt!  I don't think there was a dry eye anywhere near where the 12 of us are!  

That is a king-size bed!  The design is based on Moda's Starry Eyed Quilt.

T has been through the mill. She came home yesterday from a hospital appointment to find our parcel waiting for her to open!  Talk about perfect timing!  

The flickr discussion threads have been full of 'virtual' tears, laughter and more than one rude 'cupcake' joke!  But the most important thing is that T loved her quilt and it brought her a wee bit of comfort and some quilty hugs from far away friends.

I am in awe of T's strength, courage and humour in what has been a hellish few months for her & her family.  She has an amazing outlook on life and gutsy determination to take on this illness and fight it.  It has been a privilege to be part of this Project and indeed the Brit Bee group - what an amazing group of caring & talented people.

A special thank-you goes to Laura-Jane (our Brit Bee mama) for organising us so well, for piecing all our Project 51 blocks together, and to Trudi, for the amazing quilt back she pieced, quilting on her long-arm, and binding and posting this huge quilt off to T.  You are 2 in a million!!

The back, with all our individual messages & well wishes to T.

Close up of Trudi's wonderful quilting.

I love being part of this virtual quilting community!

Finally, the lovely Laura is hosting a blogiversary giveaway today.  Hop on over for your chance to win some beautiful fabrics.

And I'll have my v.own giveaway here v.soon!

SUCKER!!

Yes, I've fallen for it again.

I've signed up for a swap AND another QAL (Quilt-a-Long)!  What am I like!  I need therapy!

I could renege all responsibility and blame it on my other blogger friends, who have signed up too!

Let me justify my actions (well one of them anyway!).

My new friend, Sarah of Fairy Face Designs, is a fellow (& v.talented) Irish woman who is jointly hosting a QAL with Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts called Across the Sea.

I like the simplicity of this pattern, I like Sarah, I have a cot quilt to make for a friend - is that justification enough?

Here are my chosen 'boy' fabrics.

Signing up for Fluffy Sheep's Goodies Swap was a purely impulsive 'because I like making small things and giving them away' justification (I'm so weak!).

We will only have to make 2 items for 2 people - a mugrug each (love making these cuties) and one other small item each.  I'm sure I can manage that on time (famous last words!).

Anyway, I have lots of ideas from recent small makes that I could draw on for this swap.

Hope you are joining in too!

Before I finish, just time to tell you about a giveaway my friend Karen is doing.  Check out her fab stash of Creative Grids equipment she's giving away - some really useful stuff in there!

Blue Skies & Colourful Post!

2 reasons to smile today:

1. BLUE SKIES - YIPPEE!

2. Mr Postie brought yummies!

I entered Jo's (Bearpaw) giveaway in May and out of over 1200 entries, my number was picked!

And what a generous giveaway at that - thank you Jo so much, I love every single item.

The cutest wee needle case & pincushion

And all this fabric .....

I know these pictures are too bright to appeciate the colours & patterns, but I'm not complaining - it was so lovely opening this packet in my sunny garden.

Thanks again Jo, I will spend many hours stroking and druleing over these before actually putting them to use  - bliss!

P.s. Jo is also in the Brit Quilt Mini Swap, which I am in, and I am secretly (well not that secretly!) coveting her kaleidoscope quilt - check it out here!

Giveaways!

First Giveaway:

My namesake (Judith) & Brit Bee Calendar Gal (Miss July) is hosting a giveaway of FQs from the full range of Denyse Schmidt's Picnic & Fairground.

So hop on over to Needles & Lemons for a chance to win some gorgeous fabrics.

2nd Giveaway:

My friend from N.Ireland, Karen of Lisnaweary Quilts is hosting a giveaway too!

Gorgeous purples!

Dusky Blues

So take a visit to Karen's blog for another chance to win!

3rd Giveaway:

Rhonda from Quilter in the Gap is hosting a special giveaway to celebrate the launch of her first Quilting Podcast, where she interviews Lynne from Lily's Quilts.

One of the giveaways!

2nd giveaway - 10 x 1/2 yd cuts of Sunkissed!

So pop over to Rhonda's for another chance to win.