Sunday, November 24, 2013

Patterns on sale!

Several patterns have been reduced for Xmas in my etsy shop here. They are all on sale at $10 each til Xmas. See if there's something you like.
Below is WINBOURNE.
The pattern makes up to a 56" square sofa quilt.
Appliqued octagons in the final border complete the design.

There are foundation pieced flying geese around a fussy cut centre medallion surrounded by four patch borders.

The pattern intermediate level and is machine pieced.
 
 Maybe try ORIENTIQUE
Makes up to single bed size - 63" x 72".
1/4 circles are hand or machine appliqued to simple square blocks with a large print centre square.

 I used lots of vintage kimono pieces in the blocks and the borders but would the design would look great in any colourway. 
Quick to assemble - rated intermediate.
 
Next is NOUGHTS AND CROSSES - a great scrap buster.
Double bed size - 66" square quilt.
Machine pieced World's Fair blocks arranged in a medallion setting.

Great scrap buster project - easy rating.

 
And there's PRETTY IN PURPLE

Pattern makes up to a lap size quilt - 54" square.
Machine sewn triangle borders with a chance to use a large floral in the final border.
Lovely centre applique surrounded by several borders. Just add more for a bigger quilt.
Will look great in any colourway.


Lastly comes DEAUVILLE
Makes up to 71" square double bed quilt.


Foundation pieced border around the centre blocks then show off a large print for the final border. 

Appliqued dresden plate and oak leaf reel blocks in a medallion setting. Great scrap quilt.
Intermediate  level.
 
So if you're looking for a bargain and some holiday sewing check them out!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Birdhouse Quilters

I recently spent two days in a workshop with the Birdhouse Quilters in downtown Bomaderry. Great venue - thanks Narelle and lovely girls.
A couple were making a start on a new quilt - Asian Strings.

... here's a centre a two blocks completed.

 They sewed up quickly and used lots of strips from the stash.

 Another table was making Friendship Ring from a layer cake and using the 10deg wedge ruler.
Some were to be quilts and some were to be table toppers.



This was a rare sunny moment on day two. It rained nearly the whole time I was away.


And the majority of the group started on New York Beauties. What a great combination of colours and designs they were pumping out! This is one of my favourite workshops and it never fails to amaze me at all the variety from the block.
I have started another of these quilts - 12" block and 19 different versions. It's so much fun to see the end result. More on that later!
What do you think of this beauty! It's a tin I found at the op-shop.
Would make a fantastic quilt wouldn't it.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

New patterns!

I've just listed two new patterns in my etsy shop - check them out!
This is Asian Strings, a foundation pieced string quilt and a real scrap  buster.
It makes up to 72" square.

The blocks are big - 20"- so make up to a  big quilt quickly. This is the centre block which features hand or machine appliqued scallops around a string pieced centre circle.

There are four star blocks where you can have fun playing with fabric combinations for all the strings.

The border is scrappy too - large triangles 8" wide. You can see in the pic where I've substituted background fabric cause I didn't have enough. Looks like it was meant to be.

The other new pattern is Scrappy Windmills, my version of our Springwood Quilt Show raffle quilt.
Taken from an English quilt made in the 1820s but mine is certainly more modern than that!

Nine big blocks 21" square mean you'll have a quilt that measures 76" in no time at all.

The sashing features appliqued hexagons as a homage to the original.

It's great way to use up some scraps and the windmills can be hand or machine pieced then machine pieced into the background square.

Both quilts were a lot of fun to make and imagine the dent you'll make in that scrap pile!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

NYBs and others

Last Friday I managed to get to Friday Showcase at the NSW Quilters Guild office to see the beautiful quilts of Leanne Harvey. And boy were they amazing. I was in the wrong spot to take any pics but you can see her work here. Among other things Leanne told us about her recent health scare which resulted in her losing an eye! Can you imagine what that would mean. And this girl was and still is an amazing long-arm quilter. What a woman!
Following on from the Guild workshop last week two girls brought their blocks along to show me their progress. This is Lyn's above and Sandra's below. Don't their fabric choices look great.


Here's Leanne and you can't see in the pic but the whole time she was talking there was a guy behind her cleaning the windows outside - we were on the 5th floor and he was suspended on ropes!
Here's a sample of her quilting - so good.
 
At The Home Patch in Bathurst on Saturday Maree showed me some variations on the NYB blocks she's been working on. I'd shown her a few examples and she's taken it from there. Clever girl. Why didn't I think of that!



Sooooooooo when I got home I started some more of my own. These are 12" blocks and so much fun. Wonder where this will lead!