Moore Patchwork & Quilting

Nine Patch Dolly quilt

It's a wet weekend here so we've been staying at home which isn't a bad thing because it meant that I've had some time to do some sewing. 

When I first started making quilts, I was really influenced by Little Quilts.  I bought their books and made a lot of their projects.  Their instructions were clear and they gave lots of little hints like colour choices,  along the way.

One of their tips was to cut up your scraps into small pieces so they are ready to be used for other projects.  I've done that ever since. I experimented with different sizes and lengths but in the end found that 2.5" squares were the most useful for me.

Whenever I'm cutting out fabric and I have small pieces left, I always cut them into 2.5" sqaures and toss them into this basket. With all the scrap busting happening here over summer, my basket is now quite full.  I decided that it's time I used some of it up.

Dolly quilt...

2.5" squares are perfect for a dolly quilt so I looked to Kathleen Tracy for some inspiration and found a pattern for a Nine-Patch doll quilt from her on-line group.

Her nine-patch blocks are made with only 3 fabrics - a centre square, 4 x dark prints and 4 x light prints - but because I want to use up my scraps, my blocks will have 9 different fabrics.

From my basket of scraps I selected 20 light/medium fabrics and 25 medium/dark fabrics. The blocks use 2" rather than 2.5" squares, so after I had chosen the fabrics, I just cut mine back to 2". I've also chosen a shirting fabric for the plain blocks.

I'll do my usual practice and put them next to my sewing machine and piece them in between other sewing. 

Until next time

Lyn

 

Winner and a Passion for Quilting

Thanks for all your comments - I now have some tv programs to start watching!

I have spun the random number generator and the winner is number 2 - that's you Anne.  Congratulations.  The pattern will be in your inbox shortly.

A Passion for Quilting....

One of my favourite magazines is Mollie Makes.  When it first came out (12 months ago) I wasn't sure if it was for me and besides that it is very difficult to get here.  My local newsagent doesn't stock it and the newsagents that do stock it are on the other side of town from me.  But then I started to get it electronically on my Ipad and now look forward to each new edition.  It's full of inspirational people, creative ideas and cute projects.  It also gives information on new products including books.

I saw this book reviewed a couple of issues ago and found it at Mary Ryan's book store.  I'm always looking for quick and easy projects that I can make up especially on the weekends and this book is full of them! The projects are colourful and the instructions are clear.  I think that it would be a really nice gift for a 'beginner' as well. 

Included are bags (including a lovely hexagon one), quilts, and cushions. One of the quilt projects is a Retro Crib Quilt made with retro print fabrics, trimmed with a bobble trim and tied rather than quilted. I think it's a great idea for a gift.

I love craft books and even if I don't make any of the projects from them, find just looking through them very inspirational.

Until next time

Lyn

I Love Hexagons

I have finished the quilting on my I Love Hexagons quilt.  I machine quilted around the stitchery design and in the borders and then I tied the hexagons with Perle 8 thread.

I wasn't sure how that would turn out but I really like the look of it so decided to keep it.  I tried a few different coloured Perle 8 threads and in the end settled on a light blue.

I'm pleased that I changed the borders.  I know that I would never have been happy with my original choices so it was well worth the unpicking.

Finished size is 18" x 23" and I already know where I'm going to hang it - on our bedroom wall.  There's a space waiting for it.

The pattern is available on my website

 

 

 

Giveaway....

I love to watch a good tv show and once I get hooked on something - I'm hooked. West Wing, Spooks and Deadwood are good examples. I started watching Dexter last year (after Aaron loaned me his dvds after assuring me that I would love it) and once I got used to the idea of actually 'cheering' for a serial killer, became a fan.  Anyway, what's your favourite tv show?  Just leave a comment between now and Friday morning and you will go in the draw to win a pdf version of the I Love Hexagons pattern. If you don't have a favourite tv show, please leave a comment too.

Until then

Lyn

More Knitting

I finished knitting the Blossom Bolero on the weekend.

Isn't it cute?  I actually made mine a bit longer than a bolero, so it's really a Blossom Cardigan.

The Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece knitted up beautifully and the pattern was easy to follow. The only seam to stitch was a little tiny bit under each arm.

Our knitted baby's items will be going to a Women's Shelter in Tasmania.  I feel really blessed that I could make these items for someone's little girl. 

Beanies and Scarves...

As it's almost the end of May, we have decided to stop knitting baby's things and start our June knitting.  For June, we've chosen an organisation that works with homeless people.  They require beanies and scarves and so I spent some time looking for beanie patterns on Ravelry.

I found this Stashy Hat pattern by Baby Cocktails.  It has a simple texture pattern which will add a bit of interest and I'm going to use the yarn leftover from my Harvest Moon cardigan.

It's been a while since I knit a beanie and I can tell you, knitting on a circular needle makes it very easy.  I'm pretty sure the last time I knit a beanie I had a seam to sew but not this time.

I started it last night and have already finished the band and have started the pattern.  I'm not sure that the pattern will actually show up very well with this yarn but at least it keeps me interested.

Until next time

Lyn

 

I love Hexagons

On Thursday I added the borders to my I Love Hexagons designs and as much as I loved the fabrics I had chosen, they just didn't look right to me.  There seemed to be too much happening.

I left the little quilt on my work table over night and on Friday morning I decided that the borders definitely needed changing.

A quick trip to the quilt shop and I came back with a small red check for the inside border.  I used the blue floral that was originally going to be the inside border on the outside and now I'm much happier with it.

I have it pinned up ready for quilting.

I was inspired by a little quilt that Amy from nanacompany made for her daughter.  She tied her little quilt rather than quilting it and I'm thinking I might do the same thing. I will machine quilt in the borders and then tie the hexagons.  Think I will try it out and see how it goes.

Vintage Modern...

On my 'quick' trip to the quilt shop, I spied this layer cake from the Vintage Modern range.

I've had my eye on this fabric ever since I saw it on the Fat Quarter Shop.  I love the fresh colours - just like their Ruby range.  I also couldn't resist the green spot which is from the range, and the sold green fabric which is from Bella Solids.

I'm not sure what I will make with it yet, but I'm thinking a quilt might be a good idea.  One for me.  I could imagine sitting on my couch with a quilt made from these lovely fabrics on my lap. 

Until next time

Lyn

I love Hexagons

I've finished making the hexagons for my I Love Hexagons design.

In fact I've sewn them all together, finished the stitchery (you can see a bit of it in the bottom right hand corner) and am about to put it together.

When I started the project I wasn't really sure what I was going to make but in the end I decided to turn it into a small quilt.  I bought  fat quarters of  the blue and pink floral fabrics for the borders - the blue one is for the inside border and the  pink  will be the outside border. 

I'm hoping it will look very pretty.

Go the Maroons....

Well it's State of Origin time again (Rugby League).  The first exciting game was last night and guess what? We won!  Yeah - go the Maroons.  It was a very close game and at one stage I had all but given up hope of a victory but I've learned from years and years of watching these matches that you never write off the Maroons until the final whistle blows. Two more matches to go. In the meantime - Paradise is celebrating today. 

Until next time

Lyn

Stitch at Home

The postie just delivered this lovely new book by Mandy Shaw.

I really loved her other book, Stitch with Love, so when I saw that she had a new book out, I knew that I would like that too.

This one has both stitchery and applique designs all based on a 'home' theme.  One of my favourite projects is an applique quilt called Village.  It has different homes including a treehouse, caravan (my favourite), doghouse, and a bunny hutch.  It's really nice 

Another cute project is a Cottage Sewing Case made from felt and fabric.  Really clever. There are also cushions, a dog bed, a bag and some bunting.  All very handy.

A nice addition to my library.

 

Until next time

Lyn

 

Sewing and Knitting

On the work table in my studio are lots of hexagons.

A little while ago, I bought a pack of 5" charm squares in the 30's Playtime range to make hexagons but as it sometimes happens, I was sidetracked and used the fabric for my Made with Love project.  The other day I was looking at the charm squares that were still left and thought I would go back to my original plan and make some hexagons.

I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to make with these hexagons - a small quilt or a tablerunner - but I know I'm going to add some stitchery.  I'm going to call the project I love Hexagons because as it turns out - I do!

Baby knitting....

In the meantime, I've started my next Knit4Charity project. 

I found this pattern on Ravelry as well.  It's called Blossom Bolero and  it's for ages up to 18months.  The pattern includes a couple of different edgings for the bottom and sleeves and I've chosen a lace edging.

I'm making mine from Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece yarn that was in my stash. For some reason the colour didn't photograph well because it's actually purple! The size is 3-6months and it is so quick to knit up.  I've already made the body and am now knitting on the bands.  I will then be able to start on the edging.

I can see myself making a few of these.

Until next time

Lyn

Postcard Swap

The theme for May's postcard swap is Jigsaw.  Now that might sound harmless enough but for me it turned out to be a bit of a challenge.  I tossed around all sorts of ideas in my mind and thought "It's a puzzle."

This lead me onto thinking that life is a bit of a puzzle - it's difficult to fit all the peices together.  Just when you think you've got something worked out something happens to mess it all up again. I've come to realise that I won't see the full picture until I stand before the Lord and until then will be content knowing that he has it all worked out! (so glad someone does)

I traced my jigsaw shapes onto vliesofix from an actual jigsaw puzzle. The fabric is left over from my Made with Love project - 30's playtime by Chloe's Closet - and the background is linen.  I blanket stitch appliqued around the shapes by hand and there it is. Ready to be posted tomorrow - a week early!

Now the next big challenge - next month's theme is Bubbles. My mind is totally blank!

Until next time

Lyn

Secret Garden

I've been cutting out some fabric scraps to make up another quilt.

I found this pattern in an old edition of Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  It's called Secret Garden because of the trellis effect.

The blocks are made with 5" squares for the main fabric and 2.5" squares of light background fabric. I worked out that I needed 100 squares of 'main' fabric and managed to use a different fabric for each square. I'm using reproduction fabrics - like the sample.  I'm not going to add a border again and my quilt will measure approx. 45" square. It's going to be one of those sewing maching projects that I will make in between other projects.

Washing Machine woes...

On Tuesday my trusty Simpson washing machine that has been faithfully serving us for 25 years suddenly decided that enough was enough. Our laundry is downstairs and fortunately I happened to be downstairs as well at the time of its demise or otherwise I would have had a lot of water to clean up. The poor old thing could not be revived but has been taken away to wherever washing machines go when they no longer work.  In the meantime a lovely new Fisher and Paykel machine has taken its place.  One advantage of the old machine was its noise.  From anywhere in the house I always knew when the washing was finished.  But now the new machine is so quiet I almost forgot to hang the washing out this morning. That's a small hurdle I'm sure I can overcome!

Until next time

Lyn