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From my sketchbook: Beach Days
EDIT: You can now buy this pattern as a PDF here or as a Paper Pattern here. You may remember me contributing a block to the Moda...
Nicola
Sep 2, 2020


Summer in the Country
A warm, summery welcome if you're joining me from the Moda Bakeshop website today. This summer the Bakeshop chefs have been sharing...
Nicola
Aug 3, 2020


Introducing the Jardin de Lavande...
Andrea from the Willow Cottage Quilt Company and I are absolutely thrilled to announce our new Block of the Month programme, so without...
Nicola
Jul 14, 2020


Carnation Cushion
At last year's Festival of Quilts I was lucky enough to spend some time in quiet (and, frankly, awestruck) contemplation of a selection...
Nicola
Jul 9, 2020


From my sketchbook: Tulips from Amsterdam
EDIT: You can now buy this pattern as a PDF here or as a Paper Pattern here. I first visited Amsterdam as an architectural student and...
Nicola
Jul 8, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler Finishing Tutorial
Welcome to my latest Petit Four tutorial: finishing instructions for the Midsummer Sampler quilt. As before, the tutorial is for those of...
Nicola
Jun 14, 2020


Five Things...
1. CakeStand Quilts is FIVE years old. Back in June 2015 I opened my online shop with just one pattern, Jolly Brollies. Five years later...
Nicola
Jun 8, 2020


Wild Strawberries
One of the delights of putting together the Midsummer Sampler block of the month programme was dreaming up all the little extras to...
Nicola
Jun 7, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 8
It's the first day of June and we have reached the last stop on our summery stroll: the Rose Garden. My favourite place to be at this...
Nicola
Jun 1, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 7
After some light refreshment from our last block, its time to continue to the penultimate destination on our Midsummer stroll... the...
Nicola
May 30, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 6
My inspiration for this block also fuelled it's creation: tea! the Teapot block Although tea has been drunk in China for two thousand...
Nicola
May 27, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 5
Last time we took a quick break in the Shepherd's Hut and now it's time to head back into the garden and pick some strawberries. I wonder...
Nicola
May 24, 2020


Podcastination...
Do you listen to anything when you're sewing? Music, audio books, radio? I'm a devoted BBC Radio 4 listener and have it on in the...
Nicola
May 24, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 4
Last time we took our leave of Orchard Cottage to travel along the country lanes to meet our hard-working friend, the Shepherd. the...
Nicola
May 21, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 3
This was the December instalment of our block of the month and we briefly imagined our summer setting in the bleak midwinter... the...
Nicola
May 19, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 2
This is the second in my posts introducing the Midsummer Sampler blocks and today we are are walking off our cake by exploring the...
Nicola
May 16, 2020


The Midsummer Sampler: block 1
How are you? I hope you and your loved ones are feeling safe and well. I introduced this project to you almost exactly a year ago and it...
Nicola
May 13, 2020


Keep Calm & Hop Along...
Good morning! A very warm welcome to CakeStand Quilts for day four of the #KeepCalmBritHop. If this is your first time visiting, I'm...
Nicola
Mar 31, 2020


Uncharted Waters...
Well, we never thought we'd be here did we? The Covid 19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down in such a short time that we are all...
Nicola
Mar 27, 2020


From my sketchbook: Paradise Found
EDIT: You can now buy this pattern as a PDF here or as a Paper Pattern here. One of my favourite aspects of quilting is the way that...
Nicola
Mar 16, 2020


Block of the Month progress report...
This week I sent out the February Midsummer Sampler block of the month parcels. We are now over halfway through our programme, so I...
Nicola
Feb 11, 2020


From my sketchbook: Lenten Rose...
EDIT: You can now buy this pattern as a PDF here or as a Paper Pattern here. There are truly lovely moments when I'm designing a new...
Nicola
Jan 22, 2020


Happy New Decade...
This is my hundredth blog post and, by total chance, it's my first post of 2020. I'll try not to be too wistful, but this New Year does...
Nicola
Jan 5, 2020


Do not adjust your sets...
I hand-delivered a new project to the Today's Quilter office in Bristol a couple of weeks ago and while I was there I met my lovely...
Nicola
Dec 29, 2019
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