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Nicola

Present and correct...


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 ;-)

cakestand quilts nicola dodd mock turtle block happy wanderer bag

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!

cakestand quilts nicola dodd mock turtle block happy wanderer bag

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.

cakestand quilts nicola dodd mock turtle block happy wanderer bag

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.

cakestand quilts nicola dodd petit four mock turtle block happy wanderer bag

Mock Turtle block

cakestand quilts nicola dodd oetit four mock turtle block happy wanderer bag

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

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