Flowers for Alison Block 1 available now

Block 1 is ready to download.  Same rules as last year the block will be available for 1 month (you get a bit longer this month as I am ready early.  Officially Start date is 1 July, this block will be available until 1 August where it will be replace by Block 2 and then you will be able to purchase the block as a download from my etsy shop.

You can purchase the pattern for month 1 here   (if you want to machine appliqué) and the background cutting instructions.

Requirements to get you started on on the BOM Page here.

I hope to do some youtube video's in the future for my needle turn method.  If you have any questions  email me or leave a comment.  I hope you enjoy.

Month 1 is finished check out instagram or my Facebook page for a look.

Should have instructions ready to download soon.

Back to Normal Transmission

We return to normal transmission this week.  No trips to other states and a long weekend helped me get over the effects of the travel and lack of sleep.

Tuesday was the beginnings of my skill builder class.   I really love teaching this class and pushing my beginners to learn a few new skills.  We start out with quite a complicated block for them to get their head around because the piecing isn't quite straight forward but they are all amazed with the end result which never fails (unless of course you can't sew a ¼" seam).  We also look at contrast in this class and they can see how picking light, medium and changing their position can change the look of a block.

I have finished the appliqué part of month one of the BOM and I am starting on the border blocks.   All the half square triangles are done just have to trim and put them together.

I used my Karen Kay Buckley Adjustable Square to square up the appliqué block and the plastic pieces went together a lot easier this time.  With the Adjustable Square I was able to make a 20 ½" square and could centre the vase quite easily before trimming the 4 sides it is a great tool for bigger blocks.

My scanner has arrived but I haven't played with it yet I've just loaded the software on the computer.  I think I'll finish the piecing before I get bogged down in pattern writing and playing with the images.

It won't be long and the first block will be posted for you to get started on your version.

Flowers for Alison - Free Appliqué BOM

As you can see Block 1 is coming together quite nicely.  I've worked out the cutting instructions for the background for the whole quilt and you can get them on the BOM page.  These instruction are if you want all your backgrounds for the appliqué to be from the same fabric.  I plan to make mine all different so I don't really care about fabric requirements my stash is overflowing I'm sure I will find fabric to make the quilt 10 times over.  

I plan for the release day of the first pattern to be 1 July if it all comes together earlier then you will get it earlier, but I think I'll make the pattern change over the 1st of the month to make it easy for everyone to remember.  

I'm thinking flower centres are going to be optional for this block, i'll supply them but I don't think i will use many as I've managed to fussy cut some of the pieces and I think they look fine without them.  

Hope you will join me.  Stay tuned on Instagram and my Facebook page for more pics

OMG I'm glad that week's over

I'm really glad I don't travel for work a lot, i'm still not over it, ended up falling in a heap yesterday, with a sinus/migraine head ache.  I'm still pretty groggy as I needed some tablets to stop nausea and that makes me even more tired.  The other thing is that work doesn't get put on hold when you are interstate either, and there were a couple of disasters waiting for me on Wednesday to try and fix.  Today I managed to start getting a little ahead but I am still way behind where I need to be.

I'm so so glad its the weekend, and it is a long weekend and there is no tennis tomorrow morning and there is a chance I can sleep in.

At least I managed a bit of stitching while i was not sleeping and I'm hoping to prepare the rest of the templates to stitch tonight and if I feel up to it I will do some more stitching.  The first block is coming together beautifully.  I had the fabric all spread out over my hotel bed and trying to pick which piece of fabric would be good for each flower.   I use freezer paper on top of the fabric so it is a bit of a surprise when its all stitched and the finished flower is revealed.

I've tried other methods of needle turn but I get a better finish by using the freezer paper to mark the edge and turn the seam allowance under... it works for me and I'm sticking to it.

This afternoon I've ordered a scanner so that I can can the finished templates for the blocks.  The drafting was all done in EQ7 but it doesn't allow you to save the documents as PDF, they need to be scanned in and then edited because EQ's finished placement image usually needs a lot of tweaking to get it usable and I have to edit the labelling on the templates themselves.

I have purchased an Epson Perfection V39 which has a few features that I think will be useful for my pattern making, one is that you can remove the lid if you want to scan and book or journal (thinking mixed media here). The other is that it will scan larger pieces of paper than a4 and software will seamlessly join the image, which I'm hoping down the track will make it easier for me to make bigger patterns if I want to sell them in bricks and mortar shops.  It also has great colour fixing software for old photo's which I have a heap of and will probably come in handy at some point.  It also can be powered by the USB plugged into the computer no need for another power cord which is really handy as I don't have a spare power cord next to any of the computers.

The Skill Builder Class starts next week which I am looking forward to so I will be looking through and changing some of my notes to make them perfect.

I'll leave you with a picture of the night sky from my Hotel Room, apart from that I didn't really see much of Brissie at all just the view from the taxi's mostly in the dark, the office then the hotel.  
 

Quilt off to a new home

I rarely give quilts away as gifts, I usually just make them to satisfy a creative urge and not for a specific purpose.  I also need to know that they would be appreciated so I think long and hard before I make for a non quilter, but a took a leap this time and made one for someone I don't know.  It was for my Boss' daughter as she just had a baby.

I do have strong feelings about quilts for kid, they are more than just a bed covering.  My daughter still uses her baby quilt, it has been something to snuggle under in front of the TV, hidden under with the dog, made tents and forts with the dinning room table.  It has been well loved and well worn over the years, some of the stitching hasn't survived the tug of war with the dog, but that doesn't matter because it has been appreciated and most of all used.  So it isn't any wonder that most of the quilts I have given away are for babies.

It went with a message, not to use it on the bed until the baby is 12 months old but it can be used for floor time and all the things I mentioned above and with care instructions and it was well received.  The photo isn't all that great, the sun was coming down over the fence hence the flare.

I'm heading to a warmer climate on Sunday for work for a couple of days and plan to pack my sewing gear in the check in luggage so I can sew at night in the hotel.  Hoping to finish block one of the new BOM.  If I make any progress I'll post pictures on Instagram and the Facebook page.
I have a couple of quilting books for the  plane trip that I plan to read cover to cover.  I saw the forecast for Brisbane on Sunday and it is going to be 27 so I am looking forward to being warm for a couple of days.

Free BOM - A few more details

A few details of the next free BOM is on the Free BOM page it is coming soon but I hope to start the stitching on the first appliqué block this weekend so keep an eye on instagram.

I have also changed the listing for last years sampler in my Esty shop it is now available in one listing should you wish to purchase the pattern.