Blocks 1 & 2 of The Splendid Sampler

Block 1 - Hearts Aflutter - By Pat Sloan
The first block was a breeze, so much fun to make!

Block 2 - Wings - By Jane Davidson – Quiltjane

was just as frustrating as the first one was fun *lol*

It's 1 1/2" squares just refused to cooperate and no matter how I twisted and turned they ended up in the wrong order. Much seam ripping later, this was the result. And it really doesn't look this wonky in person I promise =)

Anyway, I'm having so much fun! I'm so glad I joined, the community on Facebook is fantastic, so very supportive! <3 Join up you too! It's not to late =D

The Splendid Sampler!

So I've been agonising for a while now, not knowing if I had the time to do it, but so badly wanting to... So in the end, I decided today that I just had to do it I really wanted some varied and fun, but relaxing sewing on the side - where I don't have to think, just follow a pattern and enjoy myself!

It's been way to long since I made a quilt and I really miss it! And I'm so excited about this one, so many fantastic designers in it that I just LOVE and I'm so insanely happy I'm doing it!

So I'm doing The Splendid Sampler! I'm starting a little late I know but I'll play catch-up now =)

I'll be working with Bonnie & Camilles Ruby line matched with some solids, and I might also buy some Little Ruby later to match it with as I have a few to few FQ's according to the requirements. My solid grey isn't a perfect match which bugs me a little so I might purchase another to make a better match...

I'm also proud I'll be working from stash, so that's a big plus for me as our tiny flat is really quickly being overrun by my growing stash. I'm honestly just about to buy another IKEA wardrobe to keep it in XD

However, I'm crazily excited and I can't wait to start so I'm getting off the computer now! =)

The Mackie Sleeve Pattern is here!

I made a pretty pink laptop case for myself a while back and I've had some inquiries about a pattern - so I naturally had to make one =) It's both quick and fun to make and it contains instructions to adjust it to fit most laptops - no matter the size! And you can play around with this design endlessly!

Pattern is available here in English and here in Swedish.

It has no zipper closure (to not risk scratching your laptop) but is just a slide in sleeve, and you close it with the device of your choice to not risk it slipping out. Instructions for a button and elastic closure is included.

Love the extra touch of class the little corner covers give <3

Here you see the difference in look you get depending on how much you close your zipper in Step 2. 

I'd like to thank my wonderful pattern testers, whom made som lovely versions of their own!

By Jennifer MacWilliams - You can find her on Instagram: @thisgirlissewdestructive and on Facebook. The big patterned fabric really makes the zipper design pop! Lovely, tiny 10" version!

By Eva Halvarsson - my mother of Borlänge Sycentrum made a very classy striped version!

By Anne Verberckmoes, a tiny version as well with pretty text fabric version with a big "peek a boo" opening.

Stockholm Bag - Pattern Release!

Happy to say that the Stockholm Bag pattern now has been tested by my fantastic pattern testers and is now available on Craftsy!

Pattern available here in English, and here in Swedish.

This bag came to be as I needed a bag to use as carry on when flying to Stockholm, and as it's for use in Stockholm, it had to be big enough to fit both my laptop, an extra sweater and everything else I need while travelling or for a full day on the town. This bag is perfect for both!

The stylish, nordic inspired no fuss design with a simple big exterior pocket and a zippered pocket at the back is perfect for the advanced beginner all the way up to the advanced bagmaker who potentially could spice it up in numerous ways!

It has a zippered pocket in the lining and some open lining pockets for cellphones and other little things.

I want to give a big shout out to my wonderful pattern testers! They did amazing work, corrected issues, helped me with spelling and grammar, and made fantastic versions of the bag. Please enjoy these beauties!

Margareth Tai - Bags by Mags you can find here on Instagram. Made this gorgeous denim version that I just love! Such lovely fabric combinations and choices!

Eva Halvarsson - my mother of Borlänge Sycentrum Made a lovely linnen version! Love the quilting and the happy Tula Pink fabric combined with the sombre linnen. Classy but fun!

Anna Van Berlo - Whom you can find here on Instagram, made this adorable burgundy suede version, the little flower is such a great addition! Love it!

Cate Sjöman - of C. SjömanDesigns Made a pretty black version to which she added white contrasting piping, such a great idea!

The Stockholm Bag - Pattern Testers Wanted!

I'm so in love with this bag! It turned out exactly how I had envisioned it. Which actually is highly unusual, normally most of my original ideas develop a lot during the creation process, and turn into something differing more or less from the original plan as I move along. However, Stockholm was such a good baggy and stayed it's course to the end <3

The beautiful focus fabric is from the Moonshine line by Tula Pink, the print is called "Lantern". The fake leather is "pre quilted" and comes from Ohlssons Tyger & Stuvar in Sweden, but Fabric.com has similar ones if you're curious =)

Backside, simple with just a small zippered pocket. Please pardon the stains on the left, I'd just put on lotion when I took these photos but didn't realise it left a residue until I saw them big now *lol*

I don't have any great inside pictures yet but it's simple, with a zippered pocket in the lining and a couple of open pockets on the other side. More photos will come! =) The turquoise lining fabric is a Bella Solid, however, I can't recall the exact name, I'm sorry.

Size comparison with the Daytona Bag =)

Pattern Testers Wanted! Edit: - Pattern tested and finished, available here.

Now I'm looking for a couple of more pattern testers to add to my awesome group of lovely testers, it's fun and easy to make, a fancy beginners pattern really =)

If you're interested in test sewing this pattern for me, make sure it contains no inaccuracies, check my spelling and grammar (as English isn't my first language ;) )  and let me know if anything is unclear or hard to understand? I would like a few testers for both the English version and the Swedish version.

If you would like to test the pattern, I would like to ask you that you have time to make, comment on the pattern and photograph the bag before February 16th. I'm very sorry about the short timeframe, however, I need it tested before it goes to the printer on the 17th =)

The english pattern is ready for testing on Sunday, the Swedish one should hopefully be done Monday, Tuesday at the latest. As soon as it's finished, I'll email it to you so if you're interested in testing the pattern, you should have sewing and preferably some bag making experience. Please email me at maria@pinkponydesign.com with a short description of your sewing experience or link to your blog or photo sharing site if you have one (or just attach a photo of some things you've sewn in the email). You if you're approved, you'll be added to my pattern tester group on Facebook where we can discuss the testing progress and share photos with other testers =)

All pattern testers will of course get the finished pattern for free, as well as my eternal gratitude and two of my other patterns of their choice as a thank you. <3

And I'm so ridiculously excited, the one and only, Tula Pink herself shared my bag on Instagram! <3 If I have any non-quilters reading, that's like having the queen praise your work =)

Without a doubt the coolest thing ever in my sewing career! =D Look at all those likes and her super sweet comments! How insanely cool isn't that!?! 

This is also my first finish for the 2016 Finish Along! Here's my first post about it: A new bag in the works.

The much requested: Fancy Folded Star Pillow Pattern!

If there's one question I've been sent more emails about than anything else, it's if I could possibly make a pillow version of the Fancy Folded Star Potholder tutorial. And I've been meaning to do so for ages, but you know how it goes, other things get in the way and boom! Suddenly 4 years have passed! ;D

But better late then never right? So here it is! It's available on Craftsy here!

This pillow is so much fun to make! And it's the perfect gift for the person who has "everything" =)

Linking up with awesome Lorna over at SewFreshQuilts for Let's Bee Social! =)

A Facebook Page!

I'm super excited to invite you to my brand new Facebook Page! 

I realise not everyone is a fan of Instagram, or maybe you like both, either way, you can now find Pink Pony Design on Facebook too! =D

I will share what's going on over there too, so you can now easily follow what's happening here, both behind the scenes and on it =)

On another note, my Stockholm Bag is coming along very nicely! Love the whimsical Tula Pink print with the stylish black! <3 And that metal "handmade" sign is really just perfect! Love it!

Bought the sign over at U-Handbag, who managed to get my order to me from the UK to Malta in 3 days, super impressive!

A New Bag in the Works!

Sometimes you just need an extra kick in the butt to get working on a project right? I found the 2016 Finish-A-Long to be the perfect such kick, or, should we call it inspiration? ;) I decided on two projects for this, which hopefully should be doable.

I've been sketching on a new bag, namely a bag I can use when going to Stockholm. I needed a bigger bag with room for a sweater or a thick scarf, while still not too big to lug around all day while out on the town =) So the working name will be the "Stockholm Bag".

This is the sketch I settled on, a simple but stylish design with big pockets and not too much fuss, as us Scandinavians as you know, usually like the stripped down, simple but stylish, and that is just how I wanted this bag to be.

I've been pulling fabrics for nearly a week now, going back and forth, changing my mind a million times and more, but now I've finally decided on this pre-quilted fake leather and some Tula Pink, you can't go wrong with Tula right? ;D

The turquoise is actually a perfect match with the turquoise in the Tula print, however, it did really not photograph like that for some reason... I was actually inspired by my pattern tester for the Daytona Bag, Cate Sjöman to use the pre-quilted fabric =)

I also have another project in the works, one that has been a WIP turned UFO since 2014 to my great shame!

I got this adorable tiny charm pack by my mother, here. And it never got further due to my strong dislike for hand sewing... But now I decided that it will be done before Valentines day and I started working on it again. It'll be a table runner.

So, both of these projects are on my list for the 2016 Finish-A-Long! 

So much fun this! Can't wait to see everyones finishes! =D

There's still a 13 hours left to join if you haven't already! 

A Pink Pony Zipper Card Pouch!

I made myself a card holder from some of the lovely Tula Pink scraps I got from the super sweet @sewtiffany on Instagram, in the #getyourquiltywishesgranted event <3

I chose to combine my Nightshade scraps around the Pink Pony Design fabric I ordered of Spoonflower a while back, and it matched beautifully! So did the Michael Miller Cotton Couture solid. The pattern is from Craft Passion. I'm not 100% happy with this, the corner was darn near impossible to get nice (I only managed "acceptable"), the instructions where at times a little unclear and hard to follow, and I had to really zoom in on the photos to try to understand what I was supposed to do. As I actually tried to follow the pattern this once *lol*

The bulky visible seams takes up a lot of space. Also, the little fold that allows the bag to open up, tends to catch in the zipper when opening it. However, they have posted a new version of the pattern which shouldn't have these issues, but it involved a lot of hand sewing - so it wasn't for me ;)

Front:

The back, lovely big Nightshade scrap <3

The Craftsy Mystery Bundles

Some of you have contacted me about the Craftsy Mystery bundles I purchased before Christmas, and I'm finally back in Malta and have unpacked them =)

They where as I suspected not many "feature prints" or "focus prints" or what we should call them (you know what I mean, the pretty racoon print in Tula's Acacia line for example) but more of the fillers and blenders, which are absolutely great to have! But greedy me would have loved one or two more focus prints, and more pink, always more pink ;)

The Joel Dewberry Bundle!

The Tula Pink Bundle!

They came pre-packed from Freespirit actually to my surprise.

I was overall happy with my bundles, and I'm sure I'll make good use of them =)

On a side note, I took my newest pair of boots (oh how I love after christmas sales!) out for a spin for lunch today in the sun. And my original Bring The Basics Bag was just begging to be matched with them, so as I didn't need to bring a lot, it got to come along =)

Please forgive the poor photo quality, cellphone photo.