Wednesday 22 October 2014

10 minute block

I saw this block on a forum and was intrigued, and yes it does take 10minutes to sew, however the, basting backing and quilting is a whole other matter, especially as I free motion quilt on my trusty old Janome.

todays sample quilt

This is my version of a sampler quilt, using a different block and quilting each block differently. This was from someof the batik left from my circles quilt and I love the contrast of black with colours. I found a black and purple batik in Florida which I thought made the perfect backing for this quilt.

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Morning peeps, not been on for a while, I have been busy making quilt tops ready for my trip to the USA in four weeks so I can buy my backing fabric over there as its much cheaper and more quilting supplies.
Here is a little patchwork bag I made with a matching make up bag, I also attached a tab in the seam with a clip to attach my keys to which makes them easy to find in my bag. Will attach my quilt tops later.

Thursday 27 March 2014

Spring has sprung, and have finisheded my quilt that I have called 'day of horrors'. I started this a while back, I had purchased a batik jelly role whilst in Florida last year and then realised it was only a half jelly roll. I sewed all the strips together in the the jelly race format, cut out semi circles and appliqued them to white squares, I quilted as you go using a zig sag stitch and variagated thread to highlight the circles on the white squares. I finally found a batik fabric at The Peacock and the Tortoise in Perth which is a great shop with a fabulous selevtion of fabrics, to use as backing. My Day of Horrors then started when I attached my borders and my backings, my machine was throwing wobblies, I was making stupid mistakes.

Its finally finished and washed and here it is all my own design, stitched and quilted by me.

Tuesday 25 February 2014

not quite quilting but?

I downloaded a pattern from allpeoplequilt.com for a grab bag, which takes 1/2 yard of fabric. Being me, I had to be different and I cut up an old leather jkt and used some silk I had laying around for the lining, very quick and easy to make up, I'm now making one in white leather I have from a skirt I had in the 80's or 90's, no I am not a hoarder lol.



Tuesday 11 February 2014

Forgot to say I have been making lots of mug rugs, for the unititiated this is a little quilted mat which is larger than a coaster as you have room for your chosen beverage and also a sweet treat, here is one I have made for my frend Kate who has an incredibly sweet tooth and cannot have  a coffee without a biscuit.



 
Afternoon peeps, here we are in the middle of February and we have had 4 seasons in one day today, suns out at the mometn, but we've had snow, wind, rain, hail you name it.
Today I'm posting a pic of my steppings tones quilt, this is a pattern from MODA bake shop, using a layer cake ( 42 x10" x 10" squares for anyone not in the know) and a jelly roll (2.5" by 42" WOF-width of fabric) strips you cut two strips from one piece of a  jelly roll  strip 10" the length of one of the layer cake pieces, sew these on opposite sides of your square.Then you cut two pieces from the same strip which are 14.5 and sew these on opposite sides to create a border. Then take another stirp and you cut two pieces which are 14.5" sew these on opposite sides and then you take two 18.5" strips attach to oppoiste sides which now creates two borders around your original square.Finish all of your 42 blocks the same way and then cut into quarters. Now comes the fun part rearrangeing all the quarter blocks resweing into large blocks and then rows and voila you quilt top, which you sandwich with batting(wadding) and backing fabric and then quilt by your chosen method, I free motion quilt on a plain old ordinary Janome machine. My DH does not understand why you take a piece of fabric cut it up and resew it, well what can I say he is a man, thanks for looking

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Well that's January nearly a gonner, think its going to be another quick year. I brought a half jelly rolly of batik fabric back from Florida last year and hadn't a clue what to do with it, for the unitiated that is a a bundle of strips of fabric which are  2 1/2 inches wide and width of fabric long which is usually around 43-43 inches.
I eventually decided to sew them together long wise and then keep going until I had a panel. I then cut 9 in semi circles which i appliqued onto white 12 1/2 squares and then fancy stitched using variagated thread and using the quilt as you go method.I am please with the results as this is my first 'modern' quilt designed by me. I still need to find a tonign fabric for borders and for the backing, at the moment it measures 72 x 72 inches and when its finished will fit a king size bed.

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Quilting board has a project of the month for January which is little quilted boxes made from quilted squares, these are so easy and so useful. Here is a couple that I have made they take very little time and can be used for sweets or toiletries. I have a couple on my desk that I use for pens and scissors.

Monday 13 January 2014

Morning and a belated happy 2014, I haven't blogged for a while, but my resolution for 2014 was to get back into the groove. Apart from Chistmas cards and a few orders mostly I have been sewing and quilting for the past while. I've become totally addicted to patchwork. My first love was always sewing but I was a dressmaker specialising in wedding dresses and got away from that.

Here is a picture of a wall hanging from a Jenny Rayment class I took in November Jenny is an aboslute star and is the doyen of fabric twiddling. Its kind of like origami with fabric and it was totally facinating.
Hopefully I'll be able to post more pictures and keep you updated on my quiltng progress soon, hugs and kisses Norma