quilting robots

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I recently quilted this children’s quilt for Alison on my long-arm machine.
alison2
She didn’t want lots of quilting on it, just mainly around the borders and sashing, leaving the appliqued robots free.
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I echo-quilted around the robots and gave them some little antennae…
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and quilted a graphic, straight-line pattern in the borders which I thought suited the theme.
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I like to free-hand quilt, and didn’t use any patterns or drawn lines on this one. It’s nice and bright for some lucky grandchild!

some new things

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We’ve just had a long weekend here, which is so great because I got an extra day sewing! Yay! I’m also linking up to a Blog Hop for newish Bloggers: it’s called the Let’s Get Acquainted Blog Hop. Over the next two months a number of blogs are highlighted each week, with the idea that we all visit each other, and hopefully find some new blogs, new readers to our own blogs and lots of helpful advice. It is being supported by Beth at Plum and June. I have a blog button over at the side which you can click on to go to her site. I’m listed for Friday July 19 and on that day I will be giving a general introduction to myself and the quilting I like to do.
When you have some time, visit some of the blogs listed at the bottom of this post. If you want to “follow” me, you can click on the Networked Blogs link, also over in the right sidebar.

What have I been up to this weekend- well, I have finished the last block of the “My Favourite Block” quiltalong, which was the Broken Squares block.
This one had lots of little pieces for the 6 1/2″ block, and as I decided to do it in the scrappy colourway, I had to choose quite a few fabrics.
broken_sq1
I also had to change how I made it too, as I was using separate fabrics, instead of just the one contrast fabric for the 9-patches and flying geese.But that’s okay, all worked out. Here’s the final block:
broken_sq2

So, seeing as it was the last block I put it up on the design wall with all the others just to have a look at them all together.
qal_all
They are not sewn together yet, and the arrangement will no doubt change between now and then, but it’s good just to see how they turned out. Lots of colours and text fabrics as my ‘neutrals’. Do you think they all basically will work together? I’ve had some second thoughts about the mix of the white-based text and the cream-based texts, but maybe with careful placement, and choice of sashing perhaps?, it should be alright.

And the other thing I did over the weekend is look at this completed spiderweb quilt top to work out how I might quilt it.
spiderweb1
Sorry these photos aren’t good- the light wasn’t the best. It has lots of seams in the middle of those blocks so I’ll try to avoid them if possible. I’m still looking and thinking!
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Let’s Get Acquainted Blog Hop
Friday, June 7th
Nancy @ Owen’s Olivia
Amy @ 13 Spools
Ashley @ Wasnt quilt in a day
Casey @ The Studiolo
Nanette @ Yeah, I Made That
Ange @ Heart Of Charnwood
Kim @ Robot Mom Sews
Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting

Friday, June 14
Julie @ Jolie Maxtin
Melissa @ Melia Mae Quilting
Adrianne @ On The Windy Side
Molli @ Molli Sparkles
Laura @ Little And Lots
Sarah @ Duck Egg Threads
Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
Cari @ There’s A Thread
Valerie @ Between Quilts

Friday, June 21
Leigh Anne @ Ella’s Cottage
Stacy @ The Tilted Quilt
Sarah @ Quilt Candy
Jackie @ NW Patchwork
Liz @ Beadqueene’s Bits And Baubles
Erica @ Happy Fabric
Stephanie @ Simple Sewendipity
Lauren @ Seraphym
Amy @ Cloud CouCou Crafts

Friday, June 28
Green @ So Sew Green
Gwendellyn @ The Rainbow Revolts
Jessica @ Stitched In Thyme
Amira @ Little Mushroom Cap
Kathy @ Kayak Quilting
Michelle @ Factotum Of Arts
Paula @ The Sassy Quilter
Kris @ Sew Sunshine
Camilla @ Faffling

Friday, July 5
Christa @ Christa Quilts!
Alyce @ Wonderland By Alyce
Anna @ The Crooked Banana
Rachel @ Sew Happily EverAfter
Stephanie @ Quarter Incher
Kristy & Shayla @ Sassafras Lane Designs
Caroline @ Carolines Craftiness
Lisa @ Hilltop House Creative Works

Friday, July 12
Leona @ Leona’s Quilting Adventure
Karen @ Karen, {Novice} Quilter
Anne @ PlayCrafts
Rachel @ Let’s Begin Sewing…
Jan @ Sew And Sow Farm
Anna @ Quilting Along The Grain
Cath @ Wombat Quilts
Sarah @ {No} Hats In The House

Friday, July 19
Karen @ Little Birdie Quilting Studio
Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures
Katie @ Snuggle Up With A Dish From Karma
Alison @ Making Happyness
Sarah @ Sowing Stitches
Ella and Nesta @ Ella & Nesta’s Little Room
Adrienne @ Chezzetcook Modern Quilts
Nicole @ Modern Handcraft
Aylin @ AyliN-Nilya

Friday, July 26
Vicki @ A Quilter’s Mission
RobinSue @ RobinSue Quilts
Elisa Lea @ Lovelea Designs
Elizabeth @ In The Boondocks
Jenny @ A Note To Follow Sew
Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
Sonia @ Fabric & Flowers
Emily @ Sew E.T.
Em @ Sewing By Moonlight

colouring in 5 ways

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Want a little colour in your weekend? Here (south east Queensland) it is an overcast day, with lots of grey clouds threatening rain. So, I felt like playing with some colour. Have you seen this web site where you can create your own colour palettes: Palette Builder You just load one of your own photos and it instantly creates a colour palette for you of the colours contained in that photo.
I was prompted by this pretty photo I took yesterday of these roses:
DSCF2010
I have always thought that deep red roses were my favourite, but I have to say the colour combinations we sometimes get from our rose garden often make me rethink that.
This is the colour palette from that photo:
DSCF2010_palette
Another couple I tried: a garden shot
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and some tea leaves:
stockholm_tea_palette
There are so many ways you could use this application, e.g. to determine what colours are in a fabric or quilt you like if you are looking for others to complement it:
DSCF0411_palette
And then I played around with some of the effects you can use in the photo-editing software I use (PhotoScape), which I’m sure is probably the same in most programs.
This shows that original photo with blurring around the edges:
DSCF2010-blurred
this is called “crystallised”:
DSCF2010-crystallised
Has potential for designing a quilt from it?
Have fun and see what you can come up with!

rusty puzzles

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Well, what have I been working on? A little bit here and there, trying to keep everything progressing along. The Favourite Block Quiltalong, you can click on the button in my side-bar to go to Persimmon Dreams which is hosting it, has come to a close. That is, the last block has been posted and finished quilt tops have been displayed. I haven’t got all my blocks finished yet but I am still sewing along and will be there soon!
This week I made the Yankee Puzzle Block:
puzzleblock
It was also a quickly pieced block, which I did in a scrappy colour-way.

And, I have made a start on the next fabric journal page challenge for my local quilt group. The theme this month is ‘rust’, so I have this piece of fabric gifted by Meryl,…
rust1
and these little tea-bag papers. I think they have a rusty look about them- don’t you think?
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What the end-product will be is anyone’s guess at this stage!
Linking up also to the Work In progres post on Freshly Pieced.

photos for May

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A sample of my photos for the past month of May:

May 2 The theme was “what is in my cup”: this little cup is one given to me years ago by my Mum. It has a broken handle but still gives service on my shelf above my sewing machine:
#fmsphotoaday may4 {in my cup}

May 8 The theme was “shape”: this little box is handy with lots of compartments to keep bits and pieces of all shapes and sizes…
#fmsphotoaday may8 {shape}

May 10 “Stars” – wasn’t hard to find a star….
#fmsphotoaday may10 {star} #quilt #quilting #star

May 18 “Want” When we moved into our new house, I told my husband I wanted a rose garden: aren’t I lucky!
#fmsphotoaday may18 {want} I wanted a rose garden and I got it!

May 28 “What you are doing right now”.. at long last we set up this little flame given to me by my son for “Mothers Day”, so I was sitting and becoming mesmerised…
#fmsphotoaday may28 {what I'm doing right now} watching my Mother's Day gift

(all photos taken via Instagram)

how to do circles – circles are different..

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In my last post I talked about the method I use for applique. I use that method for most shapes but when doing circles, I use another method to get the seam allowance turned under without any of those little pleats or tucks around the edges. And these lollipop trees have lots of circles!
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First of all, you need a plastic circle shape. I either make my own by cutting out template plastic. Or even better, is to use little plastic shapes that are made specially for this purpose- they come in sets of varying sizes and are usually found in your local quilt shop. They are also heat-proof, which the template plastic isn’t.
I’ve tried two different methods- one using alfoil, which I’ve seen a few well-known quilters use, as well as the more traditional method with a gathering thread. Personally, I think the gathering thread actually gets smoother edges and is less likely to have little puckers than the alfoil. Try it yourself and see what you think.
First of all, place the shape on the wrong side of the fabric, trace around the plastic and then cut a circle with about a 1/4″ allowance. This doesn’t have to be exact- it just gets turned under anyway.
Alfoil method: take a square piece of alfoil, layer the fabric, right side down and then the circle shape.
circle1
Press the alfoil around, pinching the alfoil tightly around the edges and smoothing to avoid little pleats at the edge.
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After you have it as smooth as possible, just scrunch the alfoil together at its opening and then press with a hot iron on both sides.
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Put it aside to cool down a little. If using a plastic shape, don’t press for too long or it will melt!
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When cool, take the alfoil off, remove the plastic shape and you have a fabric circle with its edges turned under, ready to applique.

Gathering thread method: after cutting out the fabric circle, run a line of large stitches around the edge and leave the ends with a long tail- don’t backstitch at the start or end.
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Place the plastic shape in the middle of the circle, and pull the ends of the thread so it gathers the fabric around the circle. It will naturally pull the fabric in tight without any pleats along the edge- I find this more successful than when using the alfoil.
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Press the fabric circle with the iron, just around the edges. You could also use starch if you want, to give a bit more crispness on the edge.
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When you are ready to applique, just remove the plastic shape and tuck the loose thread ends under. You don’t remove the gathering thread. It can just stay there because it won’t be seen.
circle8

how to… use freezer paper for applique

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I mentioned on a previous post recently that I had tried lots of different methods for applique- this was mainly to just trial them and see which I prefer. While doing blocks for my ‘Lollipop Tree’ quilt, I’ve had ample opportunity to try them out! I finished another block this weekend…
lollypop_tree_10
..so thought I would show the method that I like the best, using freezer paper. First of all, I trace the pattern pieces onto the freezer paper and then cut them out right on the line.
sunday1
I will be ironing those pattern pieces onto the wrong-side of the chosen fabric. You therefore need to remember, when tracing the pieces, to use a mirror-reverse of the design if appropriate: this pattern I’m doing is symmetrical, meaning that the left side of the block is the reverse-image of the right, so I have two of every piece each at reverse angle to the other and then it doesn’t matter how I place them on the wrong side of the fabric.
sunday2
You then cut out each piece, allowing for a quarter inch seam allowance all around. I’m showing below the last piece I usually put on each block which is the tree trunk. You can free-hand cut it out- you don’t need to mark it all first. The seam allowance just gets turned under so it doesn’t have to be exact.
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I take a can of spray starch, spray some into the can lid, and then dip into it with an old paintbrush.
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Dab with the brush onto the seam allowance all around the piece. While it is still damp, press the seam allowance over with a hot iron.
You can use the tip of the iron to flip over the edge as you move it along, and use a stiletto to aid you.
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Press all the edges down. Going around curves can be a little touchy but I have a trick to ensure you don’t get any tucks or pleats: when pressing the allowance over, press with the tip of the iron only along the very edge of the shape, like only a millimetre or two, so that the iron is just pressing along the very edge and not the whole seam allowance. Once you have gone around the edge of the curve, without any pleats, you can then press the whole 1/4″ seam allowance- it doesn’t matter if the allowance gets a tuck or looks a little frilly as long as the very edge is smooth. Just press all that down afterwards. It gets hidden underneath when you stitch it down anyway. You only need to worry about what the edge looks like from the right side.

clockwise: pressing curves

clockwise: pressing curves


Now the piece is ready to applique down. Peel off the piece of freezer paper and the pressed edges will stay in place and it will have nice crisp edges to stitch down.
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gatton quilters

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The recent meeting of Gatton Quilters was another good get together, with new and completed projects to show off, news to catch up on and more planning of future events.
There was this Show and Tell:

Jan M- a double-sided doona cover

Jan M- a double-sided doona cover


From our Art Quilt sub-group, Dana finished her Fractured Picture which was part of our Art Quilt Challenge from last year: we are planning to get all these completed pictures together for a little mini display at our anniversary dinner later this year.
fracturedpic
Dana also showed her textile journal pages for the themes ‘Doors’ and utilising plastic mesh:
dana-doors,mesh
Jan M had her fantastic page finished for the Doors theme:
JanM-doors
Shirley showed her ‘Childhood memory’-themed page in which she recreated the Mother Shipton’s Cave at Highbridge in Knaresborough
shirley-childmemory
and Meryl’s childhood memory was the swimming hole at Helidon Spa:
meryl-childmemory
The Gatton Quilters group meets once a month on the third Saturday, and those who can make it also have a sewing get together on Tuesday mornings. New members are always welcome!

the bloggers quilt festival

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I’m joining in the ‘Bloggers Quilt Festival’ where by we have to include a blog post about a quilt we have finished this year. You can click on the link and go to look at the online quilt show, and in a few days you then vote for the quilts you like the best.
I’m entering my ‘Bordered Diamonds’ quilt: here’s another look at it:
diamonds1
We can choose two categories to enter, so I think I’ll choose the Bed Quilt and ROYGBIV (aka lots of colour!) categories.
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Here are its details:
~Pieced by me, from a Kaffe Fassett pattern.
~Fabrics used were a mixture of Kaffe Fassett and other bright coloured prints
~Made in 2012/13- finished April 2013.
~Measures: 55″ by 80″
~Quilted: by myself on a long-arm quilting machine, in a free-hand pattern.
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I get a smile whenever I look at it!
diamonds10

a childhood memory

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With ‘childhood memories’ as the theme, I set out to make the next fabric journal page in my local quilting group’s art group challenge. My sister reminded me of a beach shack we used to go to for our summer holidays when we were children. Our Dad used to rent it from a friend and we would head up to Moonta Bay, north of Adelaide, to stay in this little rough-and-ready shack for a couple of days. There wasn’t much at Moonta Bay in those days, and our weeks would be spent on the beach.
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I wanted to make this in a style of using all hand-stitching, scrap fabrics and imprecise seams.
I started out with the background, adding border strips with a black backstitch so the stitches would peek through from the front.
memories2memories3
The I had to go through my scraps and work out what bits and pieces I would need.
memories4

I cut out all the little shapes and stitched them on with backstitch, leaving the raw edges to roughen up.
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The cheesecloth that I added for the sky was a piece that was the perfect colour, graduating from sandy to blue.

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And then embellished with more handstitching.
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Amanda can even remember the milk can which would be filled with our daily milk order.
I then turned under the edges of the border and attached it to a pievce of natural linen.

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I did this piece in the style of the quilter Janet Bolton- check out her work.
I’m linking up here to Nina-Marie Sayre’s blog “Off the Wall Friday“- have a look at what some creative people can do!