T.G.I.F.F. - Wee Wander In The House!

Last year during Quilt Market, I saw for the very first time, Sarah Jane's new fabric range - Wee Wander.  I instantly fell in love, and knew when it was released I had to get some!  Well, that time came last week, when my little parcel of love arrived from Westwood Acres!  Let me tell you - it is even more beautiful in real life.  24 hours later, I had two gorgeous cushion covers made up ready for an upcoming showcase!

Aren't they fabulous?

The blue/green range is so soothing.  I made one of my favourite nine patches, using 6.5" squares.  Each square has an individual free motion design on it, except for the three diagonally through the centre.  They just need to sing by themselves.

I used Aurifil #1100 hot pink to contrast with the blue/greens, and just followed the seams, but then also free motioned using #2024.

I chose cushions, because the fat quarter of this divine print is just big enough for the backing!

And this little darling in pink and orange is to die for.  Another nine patch, but 4.5" size, with a spotted border.  This fabric range is a fussy cutter's delight!

Aurifil #2810 was my contrasting thread on this one and the white for some pretty little free motioned daisies around the border.

Sigh.  I'm so in love.  These two babies will be up for sale on the 26th of February at the Harley Barley Designs - Wee Wander Showcase.  Make sure you tune in!

I'm linking up with T.G.I.F.F. over at Quilt Matters - You can too!

Another Australian Bite!

Although I'm starting to feel like a Tourism Blog, when I share photos of our little corner of the world - You all love it!  So here I am again, after the most divine weekend spent down on The Great Ocean Road.  Lorne to be specific.  I'd only ever driven through this town, so was interested to see what was so special that my brother-in-law and his now wife decided to hold their wedding there - two and a half hours drive from home?

Let's see......

Could it be the coastline?  Well, yes!  The Great Ocean Road is one of the most iconic travelling routes in Victoria, and it is certainly worth the trip.  We arrived the day before the wedding and stayed in a gorgeous big house overlooking the ocean with some of my husband's family.

 

And on the big day, it was all systems GO to get this crowd sorted!  I had two flower girls hairstyles to sort, as well as my mother-in-law's make up and hair - and my own.  Was quite the effort!

In what was the most gorgeous setting imaginable, we were thrilled to witness the "I do's" and the kids had a ball being a part of the wedding party.

 

My littlest man did a fabulous job not losing the rings!

 

But found the whole thing exhausting!

 

And these two beauties did a great job too!

 

This big kid?  Well, he was in charge of the music and was freaking out about stuffing it up - but he too got through unscathed.  When do they stop growing????

 

I think it's fair to say we were glad we booked the house a couple of extra days after the wedding.  This was the amazing view from the balcony.  It was very easy to relax.  And just over the road and down the hill was where the wedding ceremony was!

 

The boys got to fit in some fishing off the spectacular pier....

 

Whilst us girls watched (and I took a million photos), before I took them down to the beach for a swim. If you are ever travelling to Victoria, pencil in a few days to travel down this way, it truly is beautiful.

And last but not least - I finally got to hand over this quilt!  I was all "secret squirrel" about the intended recipients, because it was for the newly married couple!  Happy days!

Have no fear - I'll be back to my usual schedule tomorrow - with some DIVINE Wee Wander cushions I whipped up today!  

The Hard to Part with Gift!

Do you ever make something for someone, a gift, and once you've finished look at it and think "I can't give it away"?!?!!?  Yep, thought so.  I KNOW I'm not alone.  I KNOW that we've all done it.  Which makes me feel somewhat normal.

So yesterday I needed to make a gift for one of my nieces.  I stood in front of my fabric shelves and tried to decide which ones to use.  The gorgeous Ruby turned 10 yesterday!  10!!  It's that age where girls start moving towards being a little more grown up.  A little less cutesy.  A little more - well, older.  So I wanted to make something that would grow with her and she would still hopefully love in to her teens and twenties.  I spotted a little pile of charm size squares.  They had been sitting on said shelf for probably a good 12 months, waiting for the right project.  This was it!  I've been wracking my brain since then, trying to recall who gifted these beautiful squares to me, but still can't remember.

Anyway, they were perfect.  PERFECT.  There were 15 squares, so when I found the perfect print for the back, I cut out a square of that to add to the front.  This type of cushion is THE EASIEST kind.  Literally 16 x 5" squares, all sewn together with batting and some backing pinned together, and then quilted through.  Easy peasy.  The lovely Ros asked me a couple of weeks ago for some tips when it comes to lining up the seams on charm squares.  I can't remember exactly what I imparted, but here's what I do - I don't pin.  I sew with my needle down to stop and start.  When I start with two squares together, I sew about half an inch, then stop and match up my seams together just using my fingers, and with the seams going in opposite directions.  I hold the seams together until it goes under the needle.  The majority of the time, I end up with near perfect seam intersections :)

I adore this print.  The text is full of beautiful positive messages.

I think I need to head back to Spotlight where I bought it from and get me some more.  Don't you think it's perfect for a girl heading in to the double digits?

The colours burst from the fabric, so I chose the beautiful Aurifil #1100 hot pink to straight line quilt my way across the squares.

This delightful cushion took me just over an hour to make.  Another reason why it's so easy!  The difficult part came this morning when I had to wrap it up and send it off!  If anyone out there reading this recognises the fabric range/s, please feel free to share with me!  I think some of the prints look a little AMH, but I'm not sure!

I'm linking up - You can too!

Sweet Pouch Swap Finale!

I returned home yesterday from four days away to a lovely email from my new friend Barbara in Germany.  She received her Sweet Pouch Swap package!  So now, I can show you what was made and sent....

 

I took quite some time deciding what I would actually make for Barbara.  I realllllllly wanted to use one of my decorative zips, but was struggling to work out how.  In the end, I just pulled a Tim Gunn and "made it work"!  I opened up my beloved scrap bag of Notting Hill and got to work....

 

I wanted to incorporate quilting in some way, seeing as though it is what I most love to do.  So I made a teeny tiny little disappearing nine patch.  I think the finished dimensions of the patch was around three inches!  I finished off this side with Aurifil #1100 with some straight lines echoing the patch.

 

And of course there had to be paper piecing too!  I used another of Kristy's Quiet Play patterns to piece together a "B" and then whacked the free motion foot on and wrote the recipient's name.  I love how the Aurifil #1100 hot pink shimmers against the denim!  To finish, I used #2810 to do some wavey lines across, with a little loop randomly placed.

 

Then once it was ready to send off, I filled it as much as possible with some iconic Australian chocolate and lollies!  Tim tams, Furry Friends, Fizz Wizz and Natural Confectionary Company!  Yummo!

Not long after drafting this blog post, there was a ring at my doorbell - and my package arrived from Barbara!

 

I absolutely love the zippered pouch she made for me, and the embroidered quote is just perfect.  She also included two of my favourite Terrain prints - how divine!  I've already started on the chocolate.....

 

I LOVE her tags!

And this is the first linen to ever enter my home - can you believe?  It may just have kicked off a new obsession.....uh-ohhhh......  You can visit Barbara's blog HERE to get the low-down on how and why she put my package together - so utterly thoughtful xxx

Aurifil Designer Block Of The Month - February

I managed to whip up February's block from the Aurifil Designer block of the month series.  And I love it!  It helps that I adore the fabric I've chosen to use.  Love love love!

 

You can find the February post, and an interview with designer Amy Gibson HERE.

And this is how January and February look together.  You like?  I love!  If you're on Pinterest, I've started a board where I'll add each month's tutorials and my versions HERE.  Come join me!

Are you doing any block of the months in 2014?

W.I.P. Wednesday - Star Crossed

I'd like to put "lovers" after the star crossed, but that really wouldn't make sense!  Anyway, I'd love to share with you my almost finished Waterfront Park quilt top!  I finished the 20th and final block for it a few days ago, but have been busy with orders, so didn't get around to putting it together.  Until today...

** Warning - ordinary photos from my iPhone due to major laziness **

I am completely and utterly in love with this......and am so glad that I didn't take the easy way out like I was contemplating, and stuck with my original plan.

 

The plan that looked somewhat like this.  You know when you know what you want to do, but really have no idea how to make it happen?  Well, you do, but your lack of mathematical skills get in your way?  Yeh, that.  Lucky for me, after an hour of trying to work out those little crosses, I threw my hands up in the air (and no, I did not wave them around like I just don't care), and sent out an SOS to my Wombat Stew gals.  Alyce the maths genius came to the rescue and told me exactly what to do and how to do it.

And these little 3.5" babies were born.

It all went rather smoothly-ish, until the last row was being sewn together.  Which I won't show you because I'm still trying to work out whether I can be bothered unpicking the row, then the little block and then trying to make it work better.  But let's just say my intersections aren't matched up in two spots, and it will more than likely annoy the shit out of me when I next pull it out, and will more than likely be fixed.  Or not.  Who knows?

Sooooooo, this bad boy will have to wait until next week for more progress - for we are off to Lorne tomorrow until Sunday!  My brother-in-law and his lovely fiance are getting married on Friday, so we're making a lonnnnnnng weekend of it!  I. Can't. Wait.

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

Sew Cute Tuesday - Literally!

Today I finished what I think is possibly THE CUTEST cushion EVER!  I gave you a hint the other night, to expect woodland creatures, but MANNNNNNNN!  Here......look!!

This is a custom order for a lovely customer of mine, who wanted something special for her little man's first birthday.  When she said her son's bedroom was decorated in a woodland theme, I knew exactly which pattern to go for!  I showed her the link to the hedgehog pattern by Quiet Play, and she came back telling me she wanted the squirrel and badger too!

I lightly wrote his name and date of birth on the fabric and then free motioned over the top quite densely using Aurifil #2024.  I think it was rather effective!  I also did a meandering trail around the animals using a perfectly co-ordinated Aurifil #2810 turquoise blue.

Mr Hedgehog!  I love his felt face!

And Mr Badger....

And Mr Squirrel......seriously cute!

And delightful chevron for the back.

And whilst I was on a roll, I cut out and sewed up my next couple of orders.  I must say, being on long service leave for two weeks is going to be super productive!

I love a little frock.....

Or two.....

I'm linking up - You can too!