Make Modern Magazine & My Pavement Puddles

Today is my day on the Make Modern Blog Hop.  I know I've spruiked about the magazine and my contribution when it first came out, but today I get to tell you how my Pavement Puddles quilt came about!

 I went through varying stages of ideas and designs for ideas before I finally got to my submission.  There was talk of a laptop cover - which I got 3/4 of the way through before stuffing it up and having a meltdown.  Then I was going to do a giant floor cushion cover - before I changed my mind again and, you guessed it,  cue the meltdown.  Eventually, it was me not getting through to the Sewvivor top 16 that cemented my quilt submission!  You see, Pavement Puddles began in the upstairs of GJ's in Brunswick - where I spent a Saturday sewing with some blogging friends.  I'd finished the paper piecing I had taken with me, and decided to pull out my Horizon jelly roll. I had earmarked a hexie project in the hope that I would make it in to Sewvivor and would need a hexie project!

Anyway, I wandered downstairs to the shop floor and found the Peppered cotton by Studio E, bought myself a metre and went on my way.  After constructing my first few hexies, I knew it was a winner!  I marched straight back downstairs and bought the last two metres of the peppered cotton, and took it all home and put it on the shelf....

Fast forward a few days later, and finding out I was a not going to need the hexie project, I took this little old photo and sent it through to the MM gals.....

And asked if this hexie quilt idea would be one they'd like for their magazine?  Then fell over with relief when the answer was Yes!

Anyway, I guess the moral of that story is - Missing out on being a Sewvivor contestant really was the best thing to happen to me at that very time!  Because as they say - the rest is history!

Pavement Puddles came together as a quilt remarkably fast.  For some remarkable reason, my lack of mathematical ability flew out the door, and all of my measurements worked out! But as usual, I decided I needed to throw a spanner in the works, and emailed Kate & Pete Spain to see whether they could help me source some yardage for the backing.  They were incredibly generous and helpful, and a week later, I had backing fabric in my hot little hands.  Needless to say, I got the quilt finished and submitted in the nick of time!

 

I named it "Pavement Puddles" because it reminds me of the colourful puddles left on the pavement after a sun shower.

Sooooooo, that's how my first ever submission for publishing rolled.  It was a giant learning process for me, and the ladies at MM were the best cheerleaders around!  

Now, if you haven't already subscribed to Make Modern, or bought yourself the first copy - you can pop over and sort that out right now!!

And if you want some background tales from the other contributors, you can check them out here:

Full Blog Tour Roster:

1^st September                   Make Modern

3^rd September                   Kristy @ Quiet Play

5^th September                   Where Jane Creates

7^th September                   Gina @ Party of Eight: Our Story

9^th September                   Molli Sparkles

11^th September                 Juliet @ The Tartan Kiwi

13^th September                 cat&vee

15^th September                 Ruth @ Ben and Charly’s corner

17^th September                 Kelly @ Kelliotmagic

19^th September                 Alyce @ Blossom Heart Quilts

21^st September                 Serena @ Sew Giving

23^rd September                 Melissa @ Ms Midge

25^th September                 Anne @ Hudson Valley Quilts

And if you haven't read the first issue, then I guess you wouldn't know that I'm also writing a little old column each issue!  That's right - I am now to be referred to as the "Domestic Quilting Goddess"...... I'm still laughing.  Each issue, I will be giving a little bit of my own basic quilting advice from my own experience, quilting on my little Bernina.

Thanks for having me Make Modern! x