Bloggers Quilt Festival - Fall 2010

It's Bloggers Quilt Festival time!!!!

I've been so looking forward to the festival and getting to see everyone's lovely quilts and reading about them.

My entry is called Summer Bubbles. Maybe I should have something a little more autumnal for the festival but it's spring here in Australia and I finished this quilt about this time last year so it's a nice way to celebrate its 1st anniversary.

I used a pattern called Ginger Spice by Hugs n Kisses. The original pattern is a baby quilt but I up sized mine to make a queen size quilt. Instead of a jelly roll I used 4 inch strips of Amy Butlers Midwest Modern range and I enlarged the curves and circle sizes as well to keep it all in proportion.

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This was such a fun quilt to make. It would be super quick to make if you attached the ric rac by machine and raw edge appliqued the circles. I did both by hand but back then I had more time to enjoy hand sewing in quiet moments.

I finished the top but somehow got it into my head that the circles looked too flat. In the end I decided to stuff them which consisted of cutting in behind each circle and adding some extra batting then sewing up the hole again. It was a lot of extra work but definitely worthwhile. The circles look so much better and it's so nice to run your hands over them.

The border fabric was some fabric I found in a bargain bin years ago before I was a quilter and bought thinking it'd be perfect for a skirt. I never got around to making the skirt luckily because the colours and circular flowers matched the rest of the quilt perfectly.

I hand quilted in perle 8 cotton in lots and lots of different sized circles in different colours. I didn't mark the quilt but just pinned paper circles to the quilt and stitched around them. Some are a little crooked and look more like potatoes than circles but it adds character. Quilting with perle cotton seems so much faster than quilting cotton. I guess it's the bigger stitches. I really like the obvious hand sewing look of it and the way the colour of thread really shows up.
If I had the time I'd hand quilt all my quilts, I find it so relaxing, my mind drifts away. I guess it's like meditation for me.
This is one of the quilts I entered in the Springwood Community Quilt Show. It's such a nervous but wonderful feeling to see something you've made being displayed in public. It received some lovely comments which is always encouraging. I now sometimes refer to this quilt as my Show Quilt. It's really earning it's title now!

Before this quilt I'd made a few quilts in a row as gifts for family and friends. This quilt I made especially for me, and I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

Thanks again to Amy for bringing everyone together for the Bloggers Quilt Festival and 3 cheers to all the wonderful sponsors!! It's going to be a fun week , I'm going to try to visit everyone who is posting a quilt!!

Cheerio

Sis Boom Love

I recently received a selection of gorgeous Sis Boom fabrics. I just love the rich colours and exotic and oh so pretty patterns. I couldn't resist getting my camera out and taking a few photos...

These fabrics are from past ranges.. So St Croix, Poodle, Dance With Me, Pretty Please - What fun names!! Jennifer Paganelli's new range Queen Street will be out any day now. I'm in love with the Queen Street Quilt showcasing the new fabrics. It's so vibrant and different. My kind've colours!!!

Winning ways

A huge Thank You to every one who entered my giveaway. In fact Thank You to everyone who has ever left me a comment, and even those who just visit but are too shy to comment, Thank You to you too!

The winner of the give-away was Penelope who makes the most amazing sock monkeys!! See them on her blog, Highland Monkeys. They'll make you smile! She's just finished her first patchwork quilt. Maybe Friendship Circle will be her next one.

Our class at The Vintage Patch is making Dahlia quilts. I'd spent the couple of weeks since our last class umming and ahhing over what colour combo to use, then yesterday morning half an hour before I was to leave for the class I grabbed this combo... starting with a few gorgeous Sis Boom fabrics, then added some Anna Marie Horner from her Good Folks range and a bit of Kaffe.

I guess sometimes choosing colours is about how you feel on the day. It's been a grey rainy day outside today so playing with these jewel tones has been just the thing brighten up my day. Along with some fun, up tempo Afro Beat music.

I haven't sewn all the pieces together yet but promised my friend Lorraine from the class I would post a photo. Hi Lorraine!! What do you thnk?

One more thank you before I sign off today... A super big Thank-You to GBF for doing all the cooking, grocery shopping, making me cups of tea all day so I could do my sewing. I know I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have a special guy like you in my life.

Yippee Yay! Give-aways Here,There and Everywhere!!

Another give-away!!! This time it's over at Chris's blog She's celebrating 10,000 visitors to her blog, Patchwork Fundamentals. Add to the numbers, visit her blog , leave a comment and this gorgeous cushion could be yours.

My give-away has a few more days... leave a comment by Friday on the give-away post.

Yippee! It's a give-away part-ay!! Yay!!

Cheers,

Rachael

The Evolution Of A Quilt.

My Romantic Dancers Quilt continued...

I left you all wondering what I was going to do with the dresden patches... I must admit I had a little hiccup in my plans.

I planned to use them in half circles on the red toile around the edge of the center square like the Friendship Circle pattern. I thought that the beige and creams would be enough of a contrast and would stand out against the toile even though the pictures on the toile were a similar colour. When I tried it, it just looked messy.

A cup of tea and a rummage through my cupboard and I came up with this tonal red. Another French General fabric from their wonderful Rouenneries range.
I still wanted to include my gorgeous red toile so I used it for the middle of the borders. It suits the fabrics better this way. The toile looks more "framed" by the other more subtle fabric.

Then I started to wonder about the centers of the dresdens... another cup of tea.

I had a circle that I had rejected from the center. I held it up against the dresdens and the decision was made. I think they really add oomph to the quilt!

I fussy cut the dancing scene from the toile for the four corners. It's a funny thing, I listen to all sorts of music while I sew, modern, pop, dance, 60s bollywood, but while I was making this quilt I had a craving to listen to opera!! I wonder if it was the oldy looking fabric? the dancers? anyway I downloaded the Magic Flute by Mozart and it suited the mood perfectly.
Big bold borders sure help get a quilt finished quickly!

Before I knew it my quilt top was finished! It's 80 x 80 inches square so a perfect size for our bed. As for the name I'm tossing up " May I Have This Dance?" and "Whirlwind Romance". Any opinions?

Now I just have to decide how to quilt it...hmmm?...I think I'll have a cup of tea.

If you like this pattern pop over to my give away post for a chance to win a copy. Yippee Yay! A give away!!

Cheerio

My First Ever Giveaway!!

I've had such a great response to my Romantic Dancers quilt, (thanks everyone), so I've decided to have a Give Away!! It's my first give away so I'm a bit excited about it. The pattern is by Chris Jurd and has the beautiful name of Friendship Circle. I really, really love that name. It makes me want to sew one for all my friends, or do fabric swaps with friends to make these.

This is the quilt that started it all. I love the three dimensional feel that Chris has created with her colours. She used bits and pieces from her stash but the circle and dresdens can all be made with one layer cake! Just add a 10 degree wedge ruler or The Wedgie as I like to call it and you can make magic!!

The name also resonates with me because I started mine with my sewing friends at a Quilt Camp that Chris Jurd and Anne Murray organised. Here's just a few of the stunners that were made...

It makes you dizzy to see so many different combinations!!

That's Pam in the middle looking lovely in her quilted jacket.

I also like that the pattern has room for variations. Mine's a little different because I cut the strips thinner than the pattern (oops!!) which made it harder to line up the segments, but somehow the haphazard look works just fine. Here's Alice's quilt top, she had some leftover pieced wedges that she's used in her dresden plates.

Okay, enough chatter! Now to the giveaway... drum roll...

I've got a copy of the Friendship Circle pattern to give away and some ten inch squares from my magic cupboard that I'll choose especially for you based upon your answer. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what layer cake, colours or theme you would make your Frienship Circle quilt in. Easy! I'll pick a winner randomly in a week from today, so that's Fri 22nd Oct. I'll post anywhere in the world, even Mars should any martians wish to enter.

I can highly recommend making a cup of tea and settling in to have a look at Chris's blog, Patchwork Fundamentals. She posts photos of not just her own quilts but those of her students as well. Guaranteed eye candy!! Leave her a comment and say hi from me. If you get inspired to make any of her patterns they're available online in her SewnSell shop. There are about 10 on there I want to make!

Talking of making quilts I'm off to work on my Friendship Circle.

Cheerio!!

Hello, This giveaway is now closed.. Thanks for stopping by for a look at all the lovely Friendship Circles.

Delightful Dogwood and Quilts in the Barn

I nearly drove onto the footpath the other day when I saw this stunning tree laden with blossoms.

Dogwood or Cornus florida, An absolute favourite of mine.

The flowers almost look like a bunch of butterflies. Hmm I wonder what IS the collective noun for butterflies?.. wait a minute while I look it up... Okay, there's a few options - rabble, swarm, flight and kaleidoscope. There you go, You learn a new thing every day!

Talking of beautiful things, If you happen to be in Melbourne this coming weekend there'll be lots of amazing quilts to see at the Quilts in the Barn Quilt Exhibition. Believe me if I could zip down I would!!I'd love to see some of Di Ford's quilt's. You can see some on the Threadbare website. If you do have a look check out the one called The Phebe Quilt, it's just amazing! Pop over and have a look at Linda's of Quilts in the Barn blog and you'll get a taste of the stunning quilts that will be on show.

The Secret Sewing Sisterhood and a sausage sizzle!! It all sounds so stupendously super!! Seriously!!

Another photo of Dogwood. So what is catching your eye in gardens at the moment?

Colourful Endings and Romantic Dancers

The quilt officially known as Stash Mish Mash is now finished!! Unofficially I'll probably always refer to it as my Fat Quarterly Quilt Along Quilt.

For the binding I chose Amy Butler's Full Moon Polka dots in Tangerine. This is one of those iconic fabrics along with greats like American Jane's Pez and Sis Boom's Nuala Toile. (Sometimes GBF calls me the Nuala Koala because I love that fabric so much!)

I'm really happy with the result.

The backing also has a citrus feel. I pulled out a few lime fabrics followed by some bright splashes. All out of my cupboard.
Isn't it the nicest feeling sleeping under a freshly made quilt? I just know we're going such to have bright colourful dreams sleeping under this. I'll probably be dreaming of my next project...
... which is one that I started at Chris and Anne's Quilt Camp. It's not as colourful but French General's Lumiere De Noel range is a dream to work with.
I'm a huge fan of toiles so it was impossible to resist this red one. Choosing the dancing couple for the center gives this quilt a romantic feel, don't you think?

These half Dresden Plates will be used in the border. The center (excluding the dancers) and these were all made using just 1 Layer Cake! It was the first time I'd used a Layer Cake and I was amazed at how far the fabric goes. Such a great way of playing with a whole range.
From colourful and bright to dreamy, from modern squares to more traditional rounds. Isn't quilting simply the best!!

Ps. I had such a fun day with all my wonderful quilty buddies at Chris Jurd's class at The Vintage Patch in Springwood. If quilting is the best then quilting buddies are the cherries on top!!

Cheerio.