And the winner is...

This month's winner is:

Number 14 is Steph Blair who made a precious hand pieced wall hanging for her friend and has won a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

Remember that the next theme will be posted on 15th January 2014 and we will see you then.

Season's Greetings to you all!

Le Challenge #8 Precious

Here are our entries...

We are celebrating over at Made in Home

Things didn't go to plan at Charm About You

Remember there's no new challenge as we have a winter break but we will be announcing the next theme on 15th January so be sure to join us then. We have lots of fun things planned for the new year!

If you are new to le challenge, find more information here.

For a chance to win a $25 Fat Quarter Shop gift certificate make sure you link up your finished projects and please remember to include the button or a link to Le Challenge in your blog post or Flickr description.

How did precious inspire you? 

In (desperate) need for inspiration | PRECIOUS

I was very organised last month, this month not so much. I have three potential projects for 'precious' but have started none of them. And I am now thinking none of these projects can actually be made on time. This has nothing to do with the theme - and everything to do with me not being able to sit down and actually make it. 

Anyway, instead of making something for this theme, I decided to spend some time on Pinterest and see what came up if one typed precious... 

Yep, it nearly made me cry it was so cute!

I think I will be most likely to make something for Baby MiH this time round - and you can find my knitting list here, and they may be something from there that will appear next week..  

I have also a thing for metallic thread... And this pillow is quite inspiring - sashiko in metallic thread... 

Or these tutorials could bring even more inspiration..

1. (on the left) DIY Gold mug: 2. (top right) Gold dip pear placemats;
3. (bottom right) geometric laptop sleeve

Or these precious stars...  

DIY From Pepper + Buttons

So how far are you got to with your projects? 

See you here on 15th for the last le Challenge for this year, and a chance to win a voucher from the Fat Quarter Shop! 

If you are new to le Challenge, you can find more information here. 

Precious fabric inspiration

How are you all getting on with your precious makes? With the holiday season drawing close I'm sure you must be working on something that will fit the theme but if you're struggling here's some fabric inspiration to get you thinking...

Diamonds in the rough

other gemstones - emerald, ruby, sapphire

precious metals - Sayomi Cypress and gold, Winter Wishes, Mirror Ball Dots

Precious in Pink Quilt Kit

something dear to your heart

precious treasure (ok this is getting tenuous but I was going for the gifts the three kings bring - plus any excuse for Peanuts!)

a precious letter - dear Santa perhaps?

Remember to come and show us your precious makes and link up on December 15th for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

If you're new to Le Challenge you can find out all about it here - check out our new page tabs to see previous links too :)

And the winner is...

This month's winner is ...

Kristy, who made the cutest dress ever for her daughter! Congrats Kristy you won the Fat Quarter Shop voucher as well as Jess' pattern!

Next up

Next up...

The next theme is PRECIOUS. And this will be the last le challenge for 2013, we give you a month off (the next le challenge will be set on 15th January)

I am thinking gold leaves and chocolate brown (my colour scheme for Christmas decorations)... or something for Baby MiH - he is precious after all and it is his birthday on 14th December (and I have not made anything yet!)

We will see you on the 15th December with your finished projects and your chance to win a $25 gift certificate for the Fat Quarter Shop :)

Le Challenge #7 Stripes

Stripey Stripes... Here are our entries for this month's le challenge

You can find more about this 1st birthday present at Made in Home

To see my stripes and dots clutch go to Charm About You

And as a little surprise this month we have Jess from The Elven Garden...

I really love stripes. I know a lot of people have a thing for dots, but I find myself being drawn to stripes a lot more than dots. I love the movement striped fabric can give quilt blocks - and how different they can look depending on whether they are cut on the bias, or along the grain. I also love that stripes are really great masculine fabrics. 

Last year, I decided to make my eight year old son a quilt, and in talking to him about what he'd like he mentioned that he loves stripes. A bit of playing with Touchdraw, and the design for my Giant Chevron quilt was born.

 My son chose his five favorite colours for the stripes, and I pulled the least feminine fabrics from my stash in those colours and made his quilt. He really loves it - and is especially proud of the fact that his quilt has been in a magazine (the pattern was published in the July issue of Quilters Companion.) Over the last few months I've had some fabulous quilty friends testing the pattern for me, and it's now available from my Etsy and Craftsy stores. I'd also like to offer a copy for this month's Le Challenge linky party :o)

Thanks Jess! We both enjoyed testing the pattern and you can see ours and other versions of the quilt here.

Check back tomorrow for the next theme!

If you are new to le challenge, find more information here.

For a chance to win a $25 Fat Quarter Shop gift certificate and a copy of the Giant Chevron Quilt pattern make sure you link up your finished projects and please remember to include the button or a link to Le Challenge in your blog post or Flickr description.

How did stripes inspire you? 

Stripey Stripes {In Search of Inspiration}

I am a big fan of stripes. You may remember my entry for the maritime le challenge – yes stripes. It is such a graphic statement, so simple and so elegant.

Pictures found on Pinterest

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin

Moroccan interiors

 Stripes on linen for a vintage feel

Or you are more a colourful stripes kind of person

1. Print from Showler and Showler (I have one in Baby MiH’s room and there are amazing); 

2. Milk jugs from Hanne Rysgaard Ceramics; 

3. Striped Cushions from Sweet Home London; 

4. Tribal Arrowhead Necklace from Lucie Ellen

So what have you been up to? I have finished mine (I still cannot believe it) – and here is a sneak peek…

Link up your STRIPES projects on 15th November for a chance to win a 

$25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

Stripes of inspiration

Stripes seem kind of obvious. We all know the parallel bands of colour and when you start looking there seems to be stripes everywhere! Here is some fabric inspiration and a couple of other ways to see stripes...

Fabulous big, bold stripes

Racing stripes

Stripey bags

Stars and Stripes

Stripes don't have to be lines, how about dotted stripes?

or scalloped stripes?

Christmas stripes look beautiful.

I love the idea of patterns as stripes and have just been reminded of this great quilt pattern that I would love to make one day!


Quilty Fun by Lori Holt



Link up your STRIPES projects on 15th November for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

So how are you all getting on? Any stripey ideas yet?

And the winner is...

Maria and her Ghastlies purse (I do love that print!). Congratulations!

next up...

The next theme is STRIPES.


I'm already thinking candy canes and snuggly stripey scarves but who knows what we will come up with.

Maybe you can combine the theme with a Christmas make or surprise us by thinking outside the (stripey) box?!

We will see you on the 15th November with your finished projects and your chance to win a $25 gift certificate for the Fat Quarter Shop :)

Le Challenge #6 - Thriller

ooohhhhhhhh it's thriller time!

Here's what we've been up to:

See more about this lampshade at Charm About You

More on the mittens and a chance to win them on Made in Home

Check back tomorrow for the next theme!

If you are new to le challenge, find more information here. 

For a chance to win a $25 Fat Quarter Shop gift certificate make sure you link up your finished projects and please remember to include the button or a link to Le Challenge in your blog post or Flickr description.

Go ahead and thrill us with your finishes...

Thrilling thrillers - some last minute inspiration

How are you all getting on with your entries? I have finally started mine, whoohoo! Which means that I may not have to take pictures an hour before presenting my entry - I am so organised! Anyway Lu and I had a chat today, and we are thinking that thriller was way too easy...

I had two very very different projects in mind for this theme, and in the end it came down to time (of course if I had started before...). The first idea came from what I am actually reading..

Oh yes, a thriller just there... Not sure you would be impressed if my entry is me presenting the book I had just finished - it is impressive as I have not read much since Baby MiH arrived, but still.. What other thrillers could inspire me? Nothing like a bit of 007...

So I thought I could make another book clutch using this cover... if only I had a lot of time... So no, but probably one more project on my to-do-list for another day...

And these films, all thrillers people, right there...

or this poster...

I cannot paper piece (well I can but badly), please please someone make an entry based on this Thriller poster..

Amazing inspiration, well I think it is, so my entry is going to look like this:

If you want to see a bit more about my entry, check my blog

I did mention my two ideas were very different.

Cannot wait to see your entries on 15th! You still have a bit of time to start and finish your project, big or small and have a chance to win a $25 voucher at the Fat Quarter Shop.

If you are new to le challenge, find more information here. 

More inspiration from Kristen

We have a guest post from the fabulous Kristen of Bobbypin Bandit today to share her spooky stitchings with us...


Thank you so much to Lucy and Nat for inviting me to be a part of the THRILLER theme here at Le Challenge. I decided to focus on a Halloween inspired version of the Thriller theme with embroidery and sewing projects that reflect my version of the thrill that the season brings.  I have a profound obsession with Halloween, so you can imagine how thrilled (mwuahahaha... pun intended) I was to be a part of this month's theme. 

Once I had calmed down from the excitement and stopped doing the shoulder pop from Michael Jackson's "Thriller," I sat down to spend some time with my projects.

When it comes to all things thrilling about Halloween, I think that there is a range from gory to somewhat sweet. I stitched up this vampire, which I thought could be gripping, but then I framed him with some ghost and bat print fabric that toned down the sensation completely.

I wanted this vampire to go along with a witch pattern I stitched up last year. I am still deciding whether to turn them into a table runner and place each piece at either end, or into side-by-side wall hangings. 

As soon as I decide on how to complete these two pieces, I think they will THRILL anyone who stops by for a Halloween visit.

Thanks again to Lucy and Nat for inviting me to share my projects here. Can't wait to see what you all share as part of the THRILLER theme!

If you are interested in the embroidery patterns I used, they are available as a free download from here.

Thanks so much Kristen!
Come back and join us on October 15th to link up your makes based on the theme THRILLER and you have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!