Maestro Turns 18

My time fly's.  This picture is on our fridge.  His Nan made sure he was a crow's fan from a very early age.   

 These are my favourite photo's from when they were little this is from back in 2009.

Mo did some drawing in his card.

And here he is all grown up....oooh its scary but we've had a good day and he hasn't turned out too bad.  He's going with me to Mumford and Sons in January so hubby doesn't have to go with me.  

Row 2 Discounted in the Etsy Shop

I love this row.  I wanted the houses to look a bit quirky and a bit crooked.  Quilting is coming along but I've had a bit of a sore back so I can only do it in short bursts but all the background quilting is a about ¾ finished.

So head to the Etsy Shop to pick up Row 2 at $1 ($1.10 if in Aus because we have to add the GST 😒)

Hate September

September is our busiest month at work.  Pattern writing has taken a back seat.  I have continued to quilt the Row by Row quilt and there are 3 more big rows to do background stitching on and then I will be adding texture to the appliqué.

I was up to date on the Pretty Circle Game blocks until the next package arrived this week.  But I think I get brownie points for keeping pretty much up to date on this one.

I've also been hand quilting  my Spring Fever Quilt and I'm down to the last 3 blocks to quilt.  I've decided hand quilting is really not for me again.

The kids are off to Kangaroo Island next week for a School camp to use the Drones in the wild so for 4 days we will be teenagerless can't imagine what we will do with all that extra time that I don't have to be a Mum Taxi... Knowing my luck but my husband and I will be working late.

More Hand Stitching & Pattern Writing

The last couple of weeks I have been catching up with Pretty Circle Game.  I have finished 2 more blocks and have a 3rd cut ready to stitch and I will be up to date.  There is only 3 more months to go I think with 3 more blocks and then block surrounds and borders to go.  This is the first BOM (someone elses) in a long time that I have managed to keep up to date with.

Patterns for Rows 1, 2 and 3 are now for sale in my Esty shop.  Row 1 is discounted until 30 September, Row 2 is discounted from 1 October, and Row 3 from 1 November.

I'm currently quilting the quilt and testing out a new poly batting which I am finding very much to my liking.  It is Double Request Quilter Dream Poly.  It is very low loft and even with heavy machine quilting its drape is still soft.

The school year is zooming through, both the kids go on a school camp in a couple of weeks to Kangaroo Island as part of there Drone Project.  Maestro is unsure if he should go as a major assignment is due the same week and so far the teacher hasn't been very accomodating when he has needed time for the Drone project (even though we were promised that this would be the case when he signed up) so we are unsure if he can go.  But the work experience of flying a drone and doing actual tasks that drones are able to do in real life situations will be invaluable.

Pattern Writing and Pretty Circle Game

I hope to finish writing the Village row this weekend and post the pattern.  This will be discounted from 1 October.

I really enjoyed this row, lots of straight lines but the house are a bit quirky and probably wouldn't meet proper building standards.  The trees on the other hand are perfectly trimmed topiaries.

I'd like to thank those of you have purchased the first row.  It was a bit of a leap of faith when I offer the patterns for sale this year once again thank you.  I hope you enjoy making this fun quilt.

This week I have be trying to catch up on Pretty Circle Game.  

First Row by Row BOM is now available for download

The first row pattern is now available from my Etsy site.  I know it is no longer a free BOM but I hope that you still join the pattern will be discounted for the 1 month (a little longer for the first month to get the ball rolling.  The price for Row 1 is $1au ($1.10 if GST is applicable) on the 1st of October it will go up to $3au ($3.30 if GST is applicable).

I am hoping to get the rest of the row up for sale on my Esty site in the next few weeks.  These will be at the full price until it is their month.  

The BOM will run for 9 months with the final month including all the 3 pieced rows and final requirements for backing and binding.  

Fun Relaxing Workshop and Row by Row Finish

I haven't done a workshop for a while and a few months ago Hetties advertised Judy Newman so I thought I'd put my name down.  I hadn't done a class with her but my two co-conspirators had and had a couple of her patterns started.  

It was a lovely weekend of looking at quilts and learning tips to do with hand piecing.  Judy is a very easy going relaxed teacher, and I enjoyed the class even though she did insist on stitching a row of my block and choosing some of my fabrics.   I know a lot of students are happy for the teacher to stitch their block but I find it very hard to do that as I find that I learn better by doing.  

I ended up purchasing a few of her templates so that I could start stitching. I think I may do Mayfair first (block above) the blocks are quite large and there are only 16 in the quilt.  Although this block took me the better part of a day to stitch I think the rest won't take nearly as long.  

Yesterday I finished putting together the row by row.  I hope to have the first few patterns loaded by next week if possible.  It has turned out a bit larger than anticipated.  It fits comfortably on a king single with plenty of length to fold over the pillow.  If you don't want the extra length you could always remove 1 of the rows if you want to shorten it, or take out the pieced rows.  Next week I'll get batting and start quilting.

It is going to be wild and woolly this weekend so I am thinking it is going to be perfect weather to start pattern writing.