A “Design Roll” or “Jelly Roll” is collection of fabrics each precut into 2.5″ strips by the width of fabric, and rolled up into a neat little package.  They are useful for so many projects, not least making “Jelly Roll” quilt.

This brand new design roll contains 26 strips of Amy Butler fabric from her “Love” collection, cut in to 2.5″ strips and 44″ long.  It’s available from our shop for £21.

Amy Butler Design Roll from her Love Collection

If you’ve not made a quilt before but fancy trying it, then using a jelly roll would be a great way to start. Here are a couple of examples from a book called Jelly Roll Quilts: The Perfect Guide to Making the Most of the Latest Strip Rolls by Pam and Nicky Lintott.

Bars of Gold from Pam and Nicky Lintott’s Jelly Roll book

Sparkling Gem Stones

This week we received our delivery of Amy Butler yarn to go with Amy’s knitting pattern book, Midwest Modern Knits.  Amy’s yarn, called Belle Organic is available in both DK and Aran weights and is a 50/50 blend of organic wool and organic cotton.

There is a huge range of colours and it’s a dream to knit with.

I haven’t been able to get any official photos, so took my own today:

Amy Butler Belle Organic Aran

Amy Butler Belle Organic DK

I need to scan in the shade card so you can see the beautiful colours available.

Amy Butler’s knitting pattern book, Midwest Modern Knits, arrived in the shop today!

Amy Butler's Midwest Modern Knits

The designs in Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern Knits offer a unique mix of fashion, accessories and homeware that are fresh, modern and approachable. The garments range from romantic to retro with flowing, soft fitted shapes and subtle textural details taken from natural elements.

Amy Butler Midwest Modern Knits

Rowan released some photos today of just a few of the designs which will be featured in Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern Knits.  Thought you might like a peek!

Fans of Amy Butler fabrics and sewing patterns will be very interested to know that Amy Butler is launching a range of DK and Aran yarns, in collaboration with Rowan.

Called “Belle Organic“, the yarn will be a organic wool and cotton mix.  You can see Amy Butler’s DK yarn and Amy Butler’s Aran yarn on our website.

To accompany the yarn, Amy has also written a book called “Midwest Modern Knits“: a collection of fashion, accessory and home knits.

Amy Butler Midwest Modern Knits

My rep will be showing me the yarns next week and they will be available in April.  More details will follow as soon as I have more to share!

Thought I’d just show you a cushion that Mum has just finished making.  It’s like the St Ives Cushion from Little Luxury Knits that I did recently, just in different colours.

It’s made with just three balls of Rowan kidsilk haze: pink, yellow and green.  You knit with two strands at a time and by doing so you can use one strand in one colour, and the second strand in a different colour to achieve a blend or colour wash effect.  In this case Mum blended the yellow and green.

The back is a 50cm piece of Amy Butler fabric – this one’s called Happy Dots.

These cushions are so easy to make and are a lovely addition to any room.  Why not have a go yourself?

I think the warm, sunny, Spring time weather that we’ve had recently is what has given me an urge to do some sewing. I’m fairly new to sewing so I started with something simple – an A-line skirt. I used Amy Butler’s barcelona skirt pattern and some of Amy Butler’s fabric which I think is perfect for summer.

The instructions that come with the pattern are clear and the pattern pack also includes the instructions for making a layered skirt and an apron.  I might well try the layered skirt next as I’ll need to do some sewing again soon, in order that I don’t forget how to do it!  Perhaps I should have taken step-by-step photos to remind myself of what I did at each stage?

Even for a beginner, it was quick to make – I did it in a weekend.  If I’d really gone at it I could have made it in a day, but I didn’t want to rush it.

Here I am modelling my skirt:

My Amy Butler skirt