Distracted by an idea, Moi? 🤣
Always better when an idea gets out of your head, on to paper and then into fabric !
I’m using my favourite back basted appliqué method rather than piecing, and can definitely see some potential for this in my future 🤓. Any ideas that you have in your head that you need to get to fabric? #patchwork #handapplique #needleturnappliqué #carolynforster

So you might have seen that this year I’ve been on a bit of a theme ☺️🧵🪡. With my 1930s Quilts due out soon, you will have seen that it sits nicely with the Chicken scratch embroidery book from earlier in the year.
The embroidery was a rabbit hole that I fell willing down when I was researching the quilt book.
So I think they will sit nicely on your book shelf together 😉.
Look out for posts about the quilt book and its launch or sign up to my newsletter to be first to see what I’m up to! .link in bio on my website.
@searchpress_na
@searchpress
And if you swipe you can see what I’m using my pocket (did you know I’d sewn a pocket? )for… book signing pens, always a new batch for a new book!
#quiltbook #1930squilts #patchwork #carolynforster #quiltingonthego

Took some time out to stitch a Wishes house. I’d signed up to the wonderful @zenstitching virtual retreat earlier this month and this class with @thread.yarn.paper caught my attention. I love the thoughts she has behind the stitching and I do like a little bit of hand stitching ☺️🧵🪡.
I adapted it a little by adding a lining and surprised myself with my attempt at a little flower garden along house front. I’d always steered away from this sort of embroidery convinced I’d make a mess of it 😂. It’s surprising what you can create when you just get on and do it! And in the words of Ted Lasso, ‘stay curious’. #handstitching #handstitched #zenstitching

Things I dabbled with this week, because I seem to need a project for every mood and occasion 😂🧵🪡

So if you’ve loved the patchwork tulips we hand pieced last week in Madeira and want to stitch some too, then the pattern is in my Hand Stitched Quilt book from Search Press, along with loads more blocks with templates to hand stitch! Or if you would like to hand stitch with me this year, there are places on my trip to India and closer to home on my retreat weekend at Blunsdon Park, just pop over to @stitchtopiauk and follow the links!
As you can see I’ve had some fun here with the basic block by taking it one stage further with its setting 🤓🧵🪡
#handpiecing #handstitchedpatchwork #handpiecedpatchwork #quiltingonthego #carolynforster

So tell me this isn’t the best block to use every last scrap of a precious favourite fabric ?
You can use Stitch and Flip stitching, but if you don’t want to waste even a snippet, use a specialist HST cutting ruler for the triangles and only cut the background away when doing the S and F. 🤓🧵
#patchwork #wastenotwantnot #quiltingonthego #carolynforster #quiltblock

So many inspiring sights and colours on our trip to Madeira flower festival in Funchal with @stitchtopiauk . This was part of the children’s parade the day before the main event on Sunday. All this and stitching too 😂🌷🌷#stitchtopiauk #madeiraflowerfestival #stitchinginspiration #quiltingonthego #carolynforster

Some lovely patchwork inspiration from one of our many amazing stops on our island tour of Madeira today @stitchtopiauk #madeiraisland #stitchtopiauk #patchworkinspiration

A packed first day on our visit to Madeira with @stitchtopiauk 🤓🌷. Lovely gardens and church visits and an inspiring workshop of the local embroidery. After trying our hand at the embroidery we had nothing but admiration for the skilled stitchers 😊. I loved seeing the whole process and the wonderful archives too. #stitchtopiauk #madiera #madeiraembroidery #bordalmadeira

Fell down a bit of a rabbit hole with these blocks at the weekend. No harm in going completely off piste from the plan of action 🤣🤣. Looks to be a popular pattern in the 1930s and then the 1970s , and I’m going with Checkerboard from the Perfect Patchwork Primer by Beth Gutcheon, a classic! #patchwork #quiltblock #carolynforster #quiltingonthego

Having a think about stitching while I travel and I’m often coming back to these 😃🪡🧵. I put projects using thread savers from your sewing machine in my String Quilts book with @searchpress_na @searchpress .
I save all the fabric strips that I use as my leaders and Enders when I sew on the machine, and these turn into little foundations for some simple embroidery play!
In the book I’ve mounted them on hand made paper and use them as note cards and gift tags ! #wastenotwantnot #reusereducerecycle♻️ #usewhatyouhave #fabricscraps #carolynforster