Quilting design board, chain piecing & more

Another quilt is in progress. When I got all my vintage sheets FQ's and started to cut them all up I decided I needed a quilting design board. I have read about this and seen it on other blogs so...

I digged out an old flannel baby crib sheet and put it up on my wall and VOILA!, design board ready to use. It is really cool. The fabric pieces stick on to the flannel and you can move them around until you get your desired result. Lots of fun. My daughter Nelly helped me to lay out this new doll quilt (I am still not confident enough to make big quilts, it will come...). We had lots of fun moving pieces, stepping back and squinting, naaah lets move this piece over here, stepping back... You get it.

And after laying out the design for my new doll quilt I tried out another interesting quilt trick. Chain piecing. These pictures are not great as they are taken at night but you will get it. You sew your two pieces together and when you reach the end you just continue to sew for a few stitches before you sew your next two pieces together. This way you dont't have to cut off long threads all the time and restart the piecing process a hundred times.

You save time and thread and in between your pieces you end up having small chains that you just cut off when you are done. What a time saver. Brilliant.

Next step is to align my squares. I'll keep you updated on my struggle to align my squares and make perfect centers... Not easy.

I have seen that there are many MANY give aways in the blog world right now. I never win but if you don't join in I guess you don't even have  a chance. So I usually sign up for fun. This is my latest try to win something pretty. There is a give away over at NÅNI by Smillas Design. This Swedish creative girl from the far north of our long stretched country is celebrating her new blog name and all the fun she is having creating (crocheting and sewing mostly) and updating her blog with goodies. I am of course hoping to win the little charm pack of Sweet Baby Jane by Me & My Sister Designs. Her handmade mittens looks cozy too, don't you think? Join the give away you too.  

And then it was this. Couldn't resist this adorable tin tea set at a local market. For 5 dollars! I can see my self serving tea with this in the garden next summer. Together with some homemade cinnamon buns. Yum! So cute. Heart you all.

Ciao!