I love making Christmas gifts but the secrecy required nearly kills me, so it’s really good to finally share what I was making in December...and it all began last Easter...
In April Mark, the boys and I spent an idyllic couple of weeks in Anguilla and Antigua with Mark’s family. I took my Pennine Star quilt with me to make a start on the hand quilting and it will forever remind me of lazy days sitting under the veranda, gazing out over Barnes Bay as I stitched. There may have been a cocktail at my side ;-)
There was plenty of time for sketching too. Inspired by the beautiful setting, I designed a few blocks with a tropical theme, which I shared with my nieces and on Instagram when we got home. The favourite - by a beach mile - was the turtle!
Shared on Instagram as part of a Moda Fabrics sew-a-long
So when it came to choosing Christmas gifts for the girls I thought it would be fun to create a fabric reminder of those lovely weeks.
I made little knapsacks for the younger girls then adapted the pattern to make a useful travel bag for my eldest niece, who has just started university. Having thoroughly tested the pattern - I made five altogether - I will have a pattern for both the Mock Turtle block and the Happy Wanderer drawstring bag in the shop next week. The bag is fully lined - there are no raw edges inside, so it can be washed - and the pattern will include directions for making the knapsack or travel bag.
Mock Turtle block
Happy Wanderer drawstring bag
Both are Petit Four friendly and can be combined with other blocks and patterns in the series. So you can pair a Wise Owl block with the Happy Wanderer bag for your favourite birdwatcher’s binoculars or a Mock Turtle block with the Festival Cushion for your deckchair this summer. It’s so important to be comfy when you’re quilting on the beach...
EDIT: Both patterns are now available in the shop.
Nicola xx