T.G.I.F.F. - Wonky Star Cot Quilt

The Purple, Silver and Green quilt has been finished!  I shared with you on Wednesday that I had a few concerns about this one, but all concerns were squashed as this beauty came together.  I saw the intended recipient yesterday - who is due to give birth any day now - so it gave me a push (pardon the pun!) to finish it up.  I completed the quilt top yesterday, and managed to baste, quilt and bind it today!  Finishing up at 5pm.......right on cue for the rain to begin!  So without further ado, here it is - being photographed wonky style on the decking, out of the rain!

 

When deciding which pattern I would use, all I knew was that it had to be gender neutral, and I wanted to incorporate stars.  I went to my trusty Wombat Stew gals and asked for ideas (because my brain was mush and lacking any!), and the lovely Lara suggested the Reverse Hopscotch, which funnily enough is by the designer at V & Co!  I jumped at the idea and went ahead and bought the pattern HERE.  Unfortunately, although Vanessa has based the Reverse Hopscotch on this pattern, it took a bit of mathematics for me to figure it out!  Not only for making the blocks, but also for making the cot size version.  Remarkably - I did not fail!  It's basically a 9 patch block mixed with a wonky star block.  Easy peasy.

 

The fabrics are a custom bundle put together by Julie at The Intrepid Thread.  The request for green, purple and silver threw me a bit - but Julie made it work!  There are a few prints from the V & Co "Simply Style" range.  And lots of other gorgeous lines mixed in.

 

I think the stars would have stood out much more with a different colour to silver!

 

I used this gorgeous grey chevron print from Spotlight to back it.  Love it.

 

 

Very simple straight line quilting, echoing the inside of each star, and then on both sides of each 5" square.  I used Aurifil 50wt #2024 white for the stars and Aurifil 50wt #2605 silver/grey everywhere else.  I've also started lengthening my straight stitch to 3.0 when quilting, and am loving the look of it.  A couple of ladies at our quilt gathering on Sunday asked me why Aurifil was so special?  Well, I like how shiny and smooth it is.  The colour range is spectacular and best of all - my sewing machine LOVES it!  If you haven't tried it, you should.

And that's a wrap!  Would you believe that is quilt number 14 for 2013?  CRAZY!!!!!  I love this quilting thing......

I'm linking up with T.G.I.F.F. being hosted by Pippa's Patch - You can too!

W.I.P. Wednesday - Green, Purple and Silver

This W.I.P. Wednesday is brought to you by the colours Green, Purple and Silver!  It's also accompanied by some Doubt, Anxiety and a sprinkling of Trust.  I've thrown in some hope and Faith for good measure!

Doubt that the three colours would go together well.  Anxiety over my choice of design.  Trusting my instincts would be correct.  Hoping that when I've finished all the blocks it will look amazing, and faith that the recipient will love it!

So far......so good!

I'm linking up with W.I.P. Wednesday - You can too!

In Real Life

Yesterday was a big day for me.  I met quilters.  In real life.  Not through a computer screen.  True!

Some time last year, my dear friend Gemma directed me to a Facebook group called "Quilt Club Australia" aka QCA.  It has been through this group that I have had possibly 100's of my quilting questions answered.  Where I have been able to show others interested obsessed with quilting, my progress - no matter how shaky, how hilarious or how triumphant my progress may have been!  I have been cheered on, encouraged and enabled to stretch my learning and grow my ability.  I have thoroughly enjoyed every single day, being part of such a wonderful group of women and men!  And yesterday, 14 Melbourne members got together to chat, swap ideas, gain inspiration and gather knowledge.  And about an hour in to our gathering - we partook in Show and Tell.

It is with much pleasure and jaw-dropping delight that I share just SOME of the amazing quilts that were brought along......

Christine and her paper pieced dragon wall hanging.

Lisa and her Great Barrier Reef quilt - created around souvenir tea towels from her visit to the iconic Australia destination.

Jodie and her memory quilt - Jodie has only been quilting for four weeks!

Sue's amazing quilt!!!  

I loved this quilt by Carol (who is hiding behind it!).  The brilliant prints just pop with the black background.

Norma's block of the month quilt.  Lots of appliqué!

Judith's beautiful Cathedral Windows.

Ummmm......this would be me.  I think I was pointing out my dodgy appliqué on the back of my Bloom Bloom Pow quilt!  

And this lovely lady?  This is my MUM!  Meg is a prolific machine embroidery freak!
If you stick around, I will be doing a whole blog post, very soon, about my Mum and her quilts :)

Moira's gorgeous jelly roll quilt.  Love the V & Co range!

Shirley and one of her many Convergence quilts.

Sarina and one of her stunning, bright quilts!

And our hostest with the mostest - Sharryn.  Such a gorgeous Owl quilt!  Thanks so much for opening up your home to us Sharryn!

I could have put up all 50 odd photos I took from yesterday, but I would have been here for days!  As beautiful as the photos are, they really just do not capture how much love and devotion has been put in to each and every creation that was shared.

The best thing that came from yesterday?  Well, I now have real life quilty friends!  Don't get me wrong - I LOVE all of my online quilty friends!  In fact, there are a bunch out there who know more about me than you would believe.  But to actually sit with a group of women, and be able to touch and look at their quilts, and ask them questions was really great.  We also learnt more about one another, about our families and where we come from.  I guess we can now put a story to the face we see on the computer screen.

I gather you can tell it was a fabulous day?  Lots of laughs, ooh'ing and ahh'ing.  And exchanging of gifts.  I ensured my gift did not get taken from me in the hilarious "kris kringle".  Apparently licking the back of a charm pack and then rubbing it on your behind kind of puts others off wanting it??  Remember that one!

So tell me - do you gather with quilty friends?

Sunday Stash - In Pictures

I shared with you last week how I was spending some of my tax return.  Well, the UPS and postman both came to the party during the past week, and my stash got a ridiculous boost in numbers.  I'm now on a fabric fast.  For a long short time anyway....

The Intrepid Thread never fails to excite me! 

Some Sarah Jane deliciousness from Fabric.com

I finally bought some Ghastlies after months of procrastinating.

Nordika......yum yum.

Waterfront park......sigh.

Interesting colour combo for a cot quilt.

David Butler Parson Gray fabric for a boy's quilt.

Heather Ross......these prints are seriously divine.

Randomness.......two are for binding for quilts in the making, the fairy tales for my Chloe and I just like the bugs, pinwheels and zig-zags!

Soooooooo.........what do you think?  Did I spend my money wisely?

I'm linking up with Sunday Stash being hosted by Fabric Mutt this week - You can too!

T.G.I.F.F. - No seriously - Thank God This Week is Over!

Things have been awfully quiet here in my home this week.  My sewing machine has been sitting dormant, there have been no loose threads attacking everyone's clothing and nobody has stepped on a pin.  You see, I spent the first few days of the week either sitting in our local Emergency Department, or in a hospital ward wondering what on earth was going on with my insides!  To cut a long story short - I had a pretty impressive pain in my abdomen from last Friday, and when I finally went to the GP on Monday afternoon, she sent me off to see if it was appendicitis.  Hmmmm.......  Ultimately, after spending one night in the ED and another night on the ward - it turns out they really couldn't figure it out, and didn't want to go exploring.  Which suited me just fine!  We shall now refer to those couple of days as "forced rest".  On the plus side - I started The Hunger Games series of books, and had plenty of time to read!

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, and I really needed to sew.  Nothing too big, just something to keep my hands busy.  So I got on to this month's Wombat Stew Bee Blocks.

The lovely Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts designed her own Kimono paper pieced blocks, and asked us to choose either the front or back.  I chose the front......

It came together sooooo quickly and was a wonderfully easy pattern to follow!  So...... I decided I'd also make a back.....

Another very quick pattern to whip up!

And that my friends, is all I sewed this week!  Well, I did just finish a dress tonight, but will save that for another day!

I'm linking up with T.G.I.F.F. being hosted by Sewing By Moonlight

AND

Paper Piecing Party at Quietplay

Sunday Stash - The "I got my tax return" Edition!

I'm very happy to be hosting Sunday Stash today, thanks Fiona for leaving it in my sometimes incapable hands!

Until I started quilting, I looked at fabric purchases a completely different way.  I would choose entire fabric collections, yards of each print, and then make little dresses and outfits from them.  NOW, I look at my purchases from a different perspective.  Fat quarter bundles have become a staple in my fabric diet, because I have come to appreciate just how far one fat quarter will go when it comes to quilting!  Give me a whole bundle of fat quarters and well, the options are huge!

Today I'm sharing with you (some of) what's on its way to me.  You see, I got my tax return a few weeks ago, and I also got paid for my Flying By The Seat Of My Pants quilt, which a lovely customer bought from me!  Sooooo, after much window shopping (read: online fabric shopping), I finally decided on a couple of purchases.

There are sooo many beautiful fabrics being brought out every. single. day.  And it makes it increasingly difficult for me to decided how I am going to spend my money!  Given that the Australian dollar is not as strong as it used to be, I have to really think long and hard about said purchases, because it's not as cheap!  I have email subscriptions to quite a number of online fabric stores, namely The Intrepid Thread, Fabric.com, Westwood Acres, Pink Castle Fabrics and Hawthorne Threads (the list is huge, but these are my favourites).  Being kept up to date with these stores means I'm more likely to know when they are having sales or specials - and that makes me a very happy fabric loving girl!

So how does one choose?  Well, I think about any upcoming projects I need fabric for and I also look through the Sales sections to see which past collections I have drooled over may be up for grabs!  There are also times when I NEED to purchase fabric that I just HAVE to have!

Have I dragged this out long enough?  Want to see what I have coming?  OK, here goes:

Nordika in Frost Valley

Waterfront Park in Breeze

World Tour

Briar Rose - I bought a few of the prints from the range, including this one!

Custom Bundle - Julie from The Intrepid Thread is incredibly helpful and put this bundle together for me after a special colour request from a friend for a quilt.  They are mostly made up of a range by V and Co.

I also grabbed a bunch of gorgeous prints that were in the sales section of The Intrepid Thread.  Half yards of gorgeousness that I know will come in handy!  I will be sure to show you all of this loveliness when in lands here in person!

I may have made another late night order from another online store, but that will have to wait for another edition of Sunday Stash!

So - have you made any purchases this week?  Want to show us your stash, delve in to the depths of your fabric and notions?  Go on - I dare you!  Linky below!

An InLinkz Link-up

T.G.I.F.F. - The Gift Edition

This week's sewing has been all about gifts!  I posted about a couple I got finished on Tuesday, and over the past two days, I've managed to get the rest done too!  That calls for a big old HOORAH!  Without further ado.......

 

First cab off the rank is this gorgeous cushion (yes, another cushion!) that will be gifted tomorrow to a very special little girl who LOVES One Direction!  When I asked her Mum what colours her birthday was, she told me her doona (duvet) cover is a red, white and blue 1D cover!  So I went with that - paper piecing a capital "T" for her name and making the rest up as I went along!  You can find Quiet Play's Alphabet pattern HERE, along with loads of other awesome patterns!

 

I was thrilled to find the most beautiful Union Jack fabric in Spotlight.  It is actually a cotton drill, so a bit more hard wearing than regular cotton.  It's made for a stunning cushion back and binding.  Isn't it gorgeous?

I free motion quilted the cushion front using the very last of my white Aurifil (insert sad face).  When you have used Aurifil for quilting and then go back to using regular non-Aurifil cotton, you really can notice the difference.  I feel another overseas order coming......Aurifil anyone?

 

This morning I set myself the challenge of getting five dresses cut out, and at least two finished by day's end.  Given that I woke up feeling like crap and had a spanner thrown in the works in the afternoon, I am pretty damn impressed with myself - because I got all five cut out - and four of them finished!  This first Mermaid Pinny was a special request from my Ms Chloe.  She is OBSESSED with mermaids, and I bought this fabric, ummmmmmm, quite some time ago for her.  She was beyond excited when I showed her the finished product.  And she begged for snap finishes instead of buttons?!?!!?  Ok, done!

 

Next up is a little size two pinny for a friend's daughter, whose birthday is coming up fast!  I thought whilst I was on a dressmaking marathon, I may as well add this one to the production line!  This Fly A Kite fabric is one of my all time favourites!  I bought quite a few yards early this year, and love sewing with it!

And last but certainly not least are these two divine Little Red Riding Hood pinnies.  They are size 3-6 months, and teeny little twin girls, whom I shall be meeting for the first time tomorrow!  This is another favourite print(s) of mine, which my Tokyo best friend picked up for me in the Napori Fabric Town.  I will be sad when it runs out!  Or maybe I will be happy - because that will mean I'll have to send her out fabric shopping in Tokyo for me again?

And now?  I'm tired!

I'm linking up with Quiet Play's Paper Piecing Party and T.G.I.F.F. being hosted over at Amy's Craft Shenanigans - You can too!