Can I have a happy fail?

Hi all,

I know my updates never line up with the official post by Jess @ The Elven Garden (I haven't figured out how to put in links yet), where I could link up and all but time just seems to not exist in my world at the moment. Maybe I'm not worried because I have been a bit naughty lately and I don't really feel bad about it!

I bought some Tula Pink fabric that is an older range and I wanted to snap some up while I hade the chance. I had been looking for the cream print a while ago and it is hard to find so I got as much as I could, which ended up being half the bolt as another lady wanted it too so we split it in half.

I bought some fat eights of Sweetwater fabric, also an older range, "Lucy's Crab Shack". Which was an absolute bargain....and there was text fabric! What more needs to be said!

And then yesterday I found out I won a charm pack through a giveaway on Instagram. Really one charm pack is not enough to make a good size quilt so I got them to throw in another one.

 

To top it all off I still have not finished anything off my WIP list....I actually started another quilt instead!

I have been working on the churn dash border of the Midnight at the Oasis quilt - 52 tiny blocks gets a little boring and then other things start getting done instead. Need to give myself a push to get these done.

I am slowly getting the quilting done on the cheaters Bargello quilt.

I found out a good friend is moving away so I am frantically making a quilt for her. She loves the beach so I pulled out my Lucy's Crab Shack stash.

And turned it into a quilt.

Needing flowers and final border

I plan on quilting this today using my sister in laws short arm quilting machine.

Bye for now, Jess :)

 

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This, that and a handbag!

Hi guys,

I have had an exciting week that has ended with me not being able to talk :( Shall I start at the beginning?

We have had a bit a of a cold go through our house and I thought I was over it, apart from a cough which always stays with me for a long time. So, on Friday Mum and I took a trip to Ikea. It was awesome! I have been once before but it was mums first time. Got some chairs and bits and pieces but I don’t have any photos to share yet.

Then we headed to DFO for a late lunch and a look around. The foodcourt has an open roof and we got frozen while we ate. Not the best for my chest!

Time for a picture?

The next day was Saturday. We had planned to go to the Mad Quilters Gathering and I had the opportunity to meet a couple of the Ausmod bee girls soooo I pushed myself and went. Maybe it was a bad decision but I was feeling okay apart from the voice packing it in and I really had a great time.

I couldn’t resist the loot that is in the above picture. The fat quarter pack is Cruiser Blvd from Riley Blake, such great boy fabric! Lucky I’m not on a fabric diet LOL

And I did get to met Catherine and Kirsten. It is fantastic when you get to met people that you know through blogging and bees! I was so happy to be able to meet both of you!

The other high-light was getting to play on a HQ Avanti 18” quilting machine. It was a dream to use, my stippling was so fine and I could even do flowers and leaves! I found out that you can hire the machine in the shop for a day and quilt your own quilt….I am really thinking about doing that!

Anyway, on the way home mum said that my voice was getting worse and by the next day I couldn’t talk at all. So I have been to the GP and he gave me antibiotics for a chest infection and I am feeling a bit better but still not able to talk much. But I did feel like doing a little bit of sewing today….

I made another one of the Tulip Bags. This time I used Simple Life and Red Riding Hood, they work together perfectly!

I love the button! I can never quite tell if the design is going to be centred or not, but I think this worked out beautifully!

And a cute little pocket on the inside! It is a gift for little girl so she should like it, hopefully.

Well, I have been a bit chatty today, thank you to anyone who has kept reading!

Good times

Hi all,

I feel like the excitement is back! I have had a really difficult 4 to 6 weeks with some family issues and it really made me sad, mad, stressed and tired. And it killed my enjoyment of sewing…I really didn’t do much at all.

But I really feel like the excitement is back! Yay! I am wanting to sew, to make new things and finish old things too. The pouches were the first things I have really wanted to make for a long time and it felt good to be able to run with that desire to create!

This arrived today, which definitely added to my joy. My bundle of 24 fat quarters of text fabric! This is from a swap I joined on Flickr. I love them! A great array of low volume prints and some great colourful ones in there too!

These are such happy little blocks – the last two blocks for month 1 of the Afternoon Delight quilt.

Technically this is block 1 – although it is my 4th applique block. I finished this one at sewing day on Saturday, it has taunted me for a couple of weeks so it is a relieve to have it made.

And the same story, this is block 2 although it was the 3rd applique block I made.

I am skipping around a bit but trying to do one month at a time, otherwise I will get completely confused!

Today was the meeting for the North Brisbane Modern Quilt Guild, it was lovely to sit and chat and I started one of the blocks from month 2.

I think being able to meet up with friends over the last few days has also really helped me to get back in the swing of things. To see other people being creative makes me want to create too!

Exciting Mail and Giveaway!

Hiya!

Guess what came today?!

And guess what is in it?!

That is my little creation! Yay, so excited!

It all started with this Ipad cover that I made for a friend. Who loved it and apparently other people liked it too.

The ‘other people’ asked me to make another one similar but different….and @ was born.

I have to admit that I love @ the most! With its cute little usb holder, a fabric envelope, which could also hold money or a tube of lip balm, whatever your heart desires.

I used some of the Riley Blake Chevrons to line this one.

So because this is such a huge first for me I am going to have a little giveaway!

I will give the winner a copy of the Quilters Companion magazine and the DVD that comes with it. And I will throw in some little extras too! The giveaway is for everyone, no matter where you live!

All you need to do is leave a comment, saying anything really….Followers of my blog or facebook page can leave a second comment.

I will draw the winner a week from today.

Well….

Hi all,

I don’t have a lot to say for myself at the moment….not a lot is happening, I have excuses but you don’t want to hear them do you LOL sick, sore back, blah de blah blah haha

If you follow my facebook page you probably have seen this picture, but for those of you who haven’t – this is 4 of the 6 blocks that make up Month One of the Afternoon Delight quilt. I am working on block 5 at the moment. You will get sick of hearing about this quilt!

I mentioned, I think, that I am making a Wedding Ring quilt this year. I would say this quilt would be on my ‘quilting bucket list’ if I had one!

These are the fabrics I am using for the ring parts….mostly Kate Spain’s Central Park (I think) with a few ring-ins. I have done some cutting at the last sewing night but nothing since and knowing me probably nothing until the next sewing night, but I am not rushing this one!

Honestly, I feel like playing with something even newer…

But I will resist until I have more time and feel better too.

BTW Angela Yosten has featured me, well particularly the Traffic Light quilt on her blog today! How awesome is that? Very exciting! You can go and check it out here.

Wednesday again!

Hi all,

I can’t believe it is that time of the week again! So what have I been working on? not much!

I made block 2 of the And Sew On BOM, it is called Seam Ripper for obvious reasons! I deliberately put one of the fabrics the wrong side up…that is for the unpicker to work on!

I mended the block that my little helper did some work on LOL I think once the quilt is together no one will notice my seam in the corner. To me will be a reminder of my little fella!

I have been enjoying getting little parcels every now and then with blocks for me. My turn in the QCA Bee 2 was January and a couple of blocks are still to come but this the ones I have so far.

Linking up to

Quilt Fair wrap up!

Hi Everyone,

I went with my mum to the Craft and Quilt Fair in Brisbane this week. It was a great day out, just the girls with no kids!

The Qld Quilt Show is always part of the Fair and it is nice to see what other quilters are making. There was really no ‘modern’ quilts on display, mostly traditional or contemporary – not that I am an expert! ;)

Here are some of my favourites….

This one got Best Use of Colour (I think). It is so realistic!

I have a crush on 1930’s fabric! I also love the pattern, I think I could make this pattern with the Marti Michell Double Wedding Ring template set.

I had to show you this one…It is a huge king size. And made by Joanne who is co-owner with her daughter of my local patchwork shop Sew This and That. It won 1st for professional pieced.

This one was our favourite from the Redland Quilt Show that I went to a month ago with my SIL. They are 4” blocks, maybe Dear Jane or Farmers something…my memory is terrible. And rather than binding it has prairie points all the way around which look awesome!

This one was probably the most ‘modern’ of the quilts. The picture doesn’t really do it justice, it is beautiful. And it has 2 ribbons so I am not the only one who liked it!

This is the centre piece for a large quilt made entirely from 1/2” hexies. This one was on display at a demonstration stand. I wonder if I can reproduce it using my brighter hexie flowers?!

This year there didn’t seem to be as many fabric/patchwork stalls, there were a lot of scrapbooking and beading stalls. There weren’t many bargains to be had either, there was only one stall selling fat 1/4’s for $3 each everyone else had them for $5.50…still I managed to get a few things!

I have a plan for the fruit fabrics and who can resist text! The ones on the right are from Voodoo Rabbit, some Tula Pink and actually the top fabric was $2 so that was a bargain!

I found a pretty pre-printed Sashiko panel and some thread and needles to give that a go. I picked up some bag hardware and the gorgeous piece of fabric at the front has a lovely purple tone that reminded me of Jacaranda flowers.

And lastly a couple of patterns and a roll of washi tape!

Now I just need an extra, say 4 hours, a day just to sew! Wouldn’t that be great?!

Good things!

Hi everyone!

I have done a couple of great swaps in the last couple of months…

I joined the X & + block swap for the 2nd round and this time it was hosted by Angie…who also ran a text and dot swap at the same time so I joined that one too.

Angie was so great to me – she cut my strips for the text and dot swap and then let me fill up the returning envelope with as much as I wanted!

This is the loot that arrived on Thursday!

The Flea Market Fancy goes perfectly with my collection of Ruby…love it!

Yesterday I felt like loading a quilt onto the machine…so I got mum to bring one of hers over.

This is as we are rolling it back of the rail…all finished!

The quilt is made from a layer cake and a jelly roll of Verna. It is a big quilt too, 90” x 80” approx. so it took me all afternoon to quilt. I just free motion stippled it as I am still learning and this quilt taught me a couple of new things!

Catching up…

Hi Everyone!

So not much sewing has been happening here for a few days. We have all been sick, really it has taken a few weeks to get around everyone with it starting off with TP – I think he picked it up from school….it just starts out as a cough, we don’t think it is Whooping cough because Hubby had that last year and this is different. Anyway the boys are now better, it is just us adults that it is hanging on too.

There has been some more great incoming goodness though!

This is some fat 1/4s from the Feather and Stitch range that I won over at The Elven Garden. Thanks heaps Jess they are awesome!

And I have been meaning to share some sewing that I did on our holiday. I didn’t take my sewing machine so I thought I would try some hand piecing….I actually really enjoyed the process!

These are my first attempts…and they haven’t been pressed yet, I just kept them in to book to flatten them. The book is Playful Patchwork by Suzuko Koseki and she gives great instructions for hand piecing.

Does anyone else have this book? I am thinking about trying to do one block a month – challenge myself! Do you want to sew along?