Blogger's Quilt Festival

This quilt is called Bubble and Squeak and I made it a couple of years ago when I was into a clean up my scrap pile stage.

If you look closely at the individual blocks you will see that they appear to be crazy patchwork style but this is not correct.  In actual fact the blocks are made using an improvised four patch technique which I have been utilising quite a bit lately as it is perfect for when I feel like doing brainless sewing and when I want to use up scraps. 


If only I could throw out unwanted fabric it would make life so much easier.  

The leftover scraps were randomly sewn together  to form large pieces of fabric which was then cut into the squares and rectangles.  Unfortunately I was a bit brain dead at the time that I started to cut and didn't allow correctly for seam allowances which is why most blocks have a double border on two sides.. never throw out an error when you have a chance to experiment as they say.  It is one of my favourite quilts. 

If you want to try the technique I have used it in two projects which are being featured in Australian Patchwork and Quilting. The first was in last month and the project was called Dusting Crumbs and the other will be in a few months in a project called Starry Cabins. Dusting Crumbs uses a few different improvisational techniques whereas Starry Cabins only uses two.

If you would like to see more entries in the latest Blogger's Quilt Festival just click on this link and it will take you to the central blog with all of the links.. great way to spend a few hours surfing :)

Caring for your Quilt

Found a great site today with information on quilt care and storage.  Check it out.

Link for 100 Blocks Blog Tour

November 8 -12 is the Quiltmakers blog tour.  This is a great opportunity to check out many of the blogs of numerous international and new to the international stage designers.  While cruising on the tour... it's free by the way and can be completed totally from the comfort of your own home... you will have many opportunities to win your own copy of the latest Quiltmaker 100 Blocks magazine.


I am still waiting to find out which of my blocks made it into the magazine so am looking forward to this as much as everyone else.  If you click the link above each day during the tour it will take you to a list of all of the day's highlighted blogs.  when you go the blogs you will have the chance to win a copy of the magazine.... no idea how or anything else at this stage but hopefully things are clearer by then


If you click the link today you will see the marvellous cover of the magazine and a selection of some of the blocks from inside the cover... mine is not there but it is inside somewhere... I am excited!

Friday Flaunt - Lost?

Late last year Paul and I went on a trip to the US.  Great trip and saw lots of wonderful things but that isn't the point of this post.  

After returning home I went out in my car one day and when I looked in the back seat of my car I was quite surprised to find this large lap sized quilt... almost big enough for a single bed. 


So why was I surprised to find a quilt there you may ask?  Well the thing was I couldn't remember ever seeing the quilt before.  Now I know I am forgetful but I was positive I didn't make it so I took it with me to all of the various quilt groups which I meet with but no one owned up to having either seen it or made it. 

So there I was with this dilemma... new quilt and no  owner.  I was trying to clean up my place and organise which quilts would go to charity and which ones would go for gifts and which quilts would go elsewhere.  In the midst of this DUQ did a call for quilts for a few themes and I thought let's give it a try.  Sent off the picture and surprise, surprise... they liked it.  

 
So if you would like to make this starry quilt for someone the instructions will be in this month's edition of DUQ (number 144).  

If you don't get around to making it and you would like to buy a ticket in a raffle to win it let me know. Tickets will be $2 each and the funds will go to sponsoring hearing impaired primary aged children to attend camp.  For many of the children this is the only opportunity they have to meet other hearing impaired children and discover that they are not alone.  

We have a different quilt,  Summer Whispers, for this year's raffle, along with three other prizes for accommodation at various places around the Goulburn area. 

Spring Explosions will be next year's raffle quilt and I will remind anyone who comments that they would like a reminder.

Free Project - Key Chain holder

Found this cute little key chain holder while killing time today.  

Instructions and patterns are provided here if you are interested in making it.  

Seems simple enough.

Friday Flaunt - Shirt Quilt

Earlier this year I attended a retreat where the challenge was to make a quilt using only recycled flannel shirts.  A friend of mine donated a pile of unwanted flannel shirts to the project and from twelve of these I made this beauty?  

It was a lot of fun  and quite a quick quilt.  I could have made it as a QAYG but when I started it I had no idea what I would do ..initially it was to be a square in a square but i found this too boring after adding just four or five pieces.  Also I didn't want it to be a project that I needed to stress over.  So although the principal is square in a square the process is nowhere near as accurate.

The separate blocks were quilted and then it was put together using a second hand pair of men's pyjamas for the sashing in a QAYG method.  I am really enjoying the freedom and ease that the QAYG process allows and am actually improving.  My latest quilt you can't even tell it was QAYG as there is no sashing on the front nor the back.

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks

Well it has gone to the printers!!!  What you might ask? 

Well the second issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks from Today's Top Designers.... check out the cover here!  None of those beaut blocks on the cover are mine but they show you some of the variety that will be inside.

Yes I know it sounds like a brag but I am just so thrilled to actually be in the magazine that I had to tell someone.  Lucky you? I submitted two blocks for the magazine and don't know which one will be in the magazine so can't wai.

The magazine is due out  early November and at that time there will be a blog tour where you can win copies of the magazine, so be sure to check back here.  I don't know yet what the requirements will be to win but it won't be too hard.

Raconteur

Well I have been busy sewing and have almost finished all 287 hexagons for my next quilt.. only ten to  go and then replacements for any which I don't like the fabrics.  

So hopefully all of the individual blocks will be finished by the end of the month.

Then I need to make the  half blocks for filling the side gaps and then work out what to do on the borders.  

I hope the finished product comes together. Should be interesting if/when I work out what to do:)