Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty, Gorgeous Kits of Fabric...

Tis the week of kits for my lovely sponsors!

Christa Quilts is starting a brand new quilt along featuring Pearl Bracelets by Lizzy House! This is her sixth! in a series of complete quilt alongs on her blog. String of Pearls will launch Wednesday, June 5th on her blog. Christa will have a limited number of kits available with 10% off any kit purchase through 6/30. Just use the coupon code CQA2013 at checkout. For complete details along with the quilt along schedule, visit the quilt along page.

Sew Lux Fabric has this adorable mug rug kit and pattern for just $10.50. It's perfect to cheer up someone if winter is slowly creeping upon them, or for adding a splash of summer if you're a Northerner! The kits include everything you need for the top, backing and binding and it will measure 9.5" x 9.5" when you're done. 

The Fat Quarter Shop has pages and pages of quilt kits available too, but I want to remind you to hurry up and get yourself signed up for the 2013 Designer Mystery Block Of The Month! It starts next month, so if you had been umm-ing and ahh-ing, now's the time to do it. The first month's block will come with a mini-charm pack of Avalon, and each month they send you much more fabric than you actually need! And this is also serving as a reminder to me to hurry up and finish the last 4 blocks for the 2012 one... oops.

The Totoro Baby Quilt

Last year I released my Totoro pattern - a paper piecing design that creates a 15" Totoro panel that can then be used for whatever you like! I used it to make a nappy/diaper wallet that is still in use today! Although he could do with a wash... And this year I need to sew another Totoro, except this time, he's going big! I will be sewing a baby quilt-sized Totoro.

My sister-in-law is pregnant, due November, and they are also big Totoro fans. When we holidayed in Japan 3 years ago, we brought back a range of goodies for them. When they stayed with us in December, they stocked up on more Totoro goods. When discussing what colours/etc she would like for a baby quilt, she mentioned they're going to do a Totoro nursery, seeing as they have lots of decorations for it already and have easy access to more supplies *cough-us-cough* So for Mothers' Day, we sent her a Totoro print, and I've planned a scrappy Totoro that will be done in time to send back with my in-laws when they're visiting in October.

This Totoro quilt is made up of a range of 2" finished squares, half rectangle triangles, and half square triangles. The tree and grass will be scrappy and Totoro and the sky will be one print or textured solid. The token cherry blossoms will be the same print, hopefully the Simply Color one I used in the sketch-up if I have enough left! One possibility is to make Totoro out of a grey flannel for some texture, or maybe just his belly, I'm not sure yet. I will also embroider the eye detail on, so don't stress about the zombie eyes in the picture!

I have very few browns in my stash at all. It's just one of those colours I don't instinctively buy! I picked these up from @jennaappleton for $5 to fill up an envelope, and she got it spot on! I wasn't wanting rich, chocolatey browns, I was wanting softer, lighter browns. Hard to convey via Instagram, but she did it! I have also ordered some more blenders for the quilt, but they were sent to my Australian address. That's what happens when it's too hard to get a Japanese PayPal account to bother for such a temporary situation and the shop doesn't get the message to ignore my PayPal address and to please send it to Japan instead... But, hopefully that will be on it's way to me soon.

They are going to be finding out the gender, unlike some sisters I know, so I'm planning on adding in some gender-specific items like bibs or burp cloths, or maybe even a wet bag as they're going cloth!

Linking up to Freshly Pieced!

Around The Web

There's a few things going on around the web I just want to share with you so that you can join in too!

Over at And Sew We Craft, we're hosting a fat quarter swap - an open 4 fat quarter swap so you can communicate with your partner what you like, and easily stalk them! Sign ups close this Friday, so go do it now while you remember! 

The beautiful Ros at Sew Delicious (hostess of the earlier Sweet Pouch Swap) is hosting a great quilt along perfect for beginners. She will teach you every step to make a quilted mat - perfect for using under your sewing machine, as a placemat, a table topper...

Kristy is starting up a paper piecing linky! Each Saturday, you can link up any paper piecing you have done during the week, and one lucky linker-upper-er each will win their choice of pattern from her Craftsy store. Neat!

And finally just a little self-promotion to remind you that this month's Japanese Bundle Club theme is Children! Six adorable fat quarters or fat eighths featuring a variety of kids' prints. You've got 11 more days to order it!