Bloggers Quilt Festival: Half-Hearted Mini

Made for the Modern Quilt Guild mini swap earlier this year, this little quilt finishes at around 23 x 25 inches.

I downsized the original (free) pattern from around 6 ½ inch height finished to 4 ½. That makes it reduced by 69% on the photocopier. I’m a big fan of foundation paper piecing so I used the paper copies to stitch the blocks up.

This is quilted using a serpentine stitch and the texture is great although it did send the edges wavy.

The original post is here. I guarantee I’ll be making another one of these sometime for myself.

Linking up with Amy from Amy’s Creative Side for Bloggers Quilt Festival.

February Block Round-up

February’s queen in my Stash Bee hive was Jen (@jentexas06; Fat as Butter). She asked for a Crosses and Losses block in blue or green. The original tutorial (at Fresh Lemons Quilts) uses 8" blocks and Jen has written a tutorial for a 16" finished block. This is my version. You can see a finished quilt using this block in a rainbow of colours here.

These are my Garden Snails Quilt blocks (pattern by Pen + Paper Patterns) posted this month on Instagram. I’ve started putting them together into mini quilts now and they are looking super cute.

My current WIP is a mini quilt for Jen and Jan’s Mini Blog Hop and Quilt Along. Details are available here. This looks like it could be bigger than Ben Hur - Janice said she had 28 participants at last count. Jen has designed the pattern and it’s available FREE here. This is my mini quilt which hangs from the washing line in the design – so CUTE!!!

Now for a Not My Work segment.

I’m getting a lot of happy mail at the moment, since I was queen this month at Bee Inspired. There have been a pile of blocks posted over on the blog and I’m so thrilled with the way this is working out! These two blocks have arrived from Velda at GRANNYcanQUILT (left) and (right) Irene from Patchwork and Pastry. I can’t wait to see them all together!

And my MQG swap partner’s quilt arrived from Cathy in Melbourne (@cathtakespoland). She covered everything on my list of likes – negative space, solids and I said my favourite colour was blue (well, that day anyway). I could hardly wait to open the package when I saw it in the letterbox and did a little dance of joy with it once I had!

Linking up to Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, and Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Half-Hearted Mini – A Finish!

Finally, I can show you the mini I made for the Modern Quilt Guild mini swap. Gorgeous isn’t it? Did I want to keep it? You bet!

This was my first ever swap and while I was expecting it to be a challenge to pick a project it was made doubly difficult by anxiety and nervousness. My partner, Deb from Brisbane (@sewologist) listed as her likes Liberty, linen and Bonnie & Camille fabrics and her favourite designers as being Sedef Imer and Amy Sinibaldi amongst others. My first thought was for Amy’s half-hearted pattern (it’s free!) but of course, I went looking for other options before finally arriving back at my original pick.

I downsized the original pattern, picked out all my best pink fabrics, and sewed it up.

The finished size of this quilt is around 23 x 25 inches (from memory) and is quilted using a serpentine stitch.

Luckily Deb says she loves it, so I’m relieved and happy to have been part of it.

This is one of my Finish-Along projects so I will be linking this post up for that.

And while I’ve got your attention and you’re thinking about how much you’d like to join in the on-line quilting community here’s a reminder that the sign up for the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers hop is now open.

I was part of this group last year and it was the best thing! I met some great ladies from all over the world who have been generous and supportive and who I now count as friends. There have been opportunities through it, the Bee Inspired group for one, and it was a real confidence builder for me.

If you meet the criteria and are still thinking about it make the move NOW! Sign-ups close on the 28^th… read all about it here.

Linking up to Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication, Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, and Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Paying It Forward - a giveaway with strings attached

This week the lovely Abigail from Cut & Alter sent me a Pay it Forward Craft gift in the mail. Back in June my name was picked as being the lucky recipient and Abigail promised me something in the mail before Christmas, so it was something of a surprise when it arrived.

Now it’s my turn to Pay it Forward. I need to pick 3 people to send a little (postage costs from Australia being what they are) something to. If you would like to be the recipient and are willing to then pay it forward to 3 other people in your turn leave a comment below. Make sure I can contact you. If you are a no-reply commenter please add your Instagram handle or email address.

I’ll be giving other opportunities over on Instagram as well so if you’d like to give yourself extra chances leave a comment over there as well.

I’ll randomly pick the winners next Friday lunchtime Perth time and I’ll be in touch. Good luck!

Linking up with Fabric Frenzy Friday at Fort Worth Fabric Studio.

Five Things Friday #5

It’s been a really good week this week!

First up, I went to the rose nursery and bought some more roses. So, I had 109 and with these new ones the count is now up to 114. Here’s one of them, the absolutely divine Julia’s Rose.

There’s nothing better than coming home from work and finding some happy mail on the doorstep. This is the giveaway I won from This Mom Quilts a few weeks back. It’s a lovely haul of low volume fabric (including some blueberry park that I’ve been drooling over); some ribbon to bring my gift styling up another notch; a pencil case; some hexie templates and a needle keeper. Thanks Amanda, too generous!

I signed up for the Modern Quilt Guild mini swap and received an email with my partner info on Wednesday. 

One of the suggestions was to make a collage for inspiration for our swap mate. This is mine, clockwise from top left the makers are Libs Elliott, Cynthia from Ahhh Quilting, Wendy from Quiltamour and Svetlana from sotak handmade.

Don’t you just love the way plants will grow in any crack available. This is the lovely delicate looking Australian Native Violet.

Linking up with Amanda at Gypsy Moon Quilt Co for Five Things Friday.

Have a great weekend!