It's a weekly wrap! Whoop Whoop!

Happy Friday all and everyone!

A massive thank you to all of you wonderful people who have started following my blog and for joining with me with my Block of the Month this year! #WDBOM2016

If you haven't read about it Please do here, we are having lots of fun

Now since I announce the block of the month, parts of our country have been going through terrible bushfires and many have lost their homes.  One kind soul has started making little quilts and she is using the 9 patch blocks that we are doing this month,  so many of the people doing my BOM are enjoying it so much they are making a few extra blocks for fun and sending them to Shari.  If you would like to help here is the link to A hug from a stranger there is also a need for backings and wadding and thread for quilting so if you can help with only support it would be greatly appreciated.

Firstly I am on the final stretch of this quilt which has been in the workings for a bit over a year!  

Sorry only a sneak peak until it can be finally revealed.  But let's put it this way I'm doing a happy dance! I am loving the finishing stages!

Today I spent helping my mum make this cute little tote.  My mum is 89 and one of her GrandDaughters gave her a little stitchery which was to be made into a tiny cushion but we decided a cute bag for mum was in order.  I have just got back from entering this and some other things of mums and mine in our local show for tomorrow.

We will go for a visit to see lots of lovely arts and crafts and to catch up with several people.  

Looking forward to having a good time there.  

Oh and a little weird selfie of my new glasses, it's great to be able to see properly again!  Doing a Whoop Whoop for them! And they are lovely cool glasses not boring and conservative like I normally take.  

And this little baby quilt is for the  Very snuggly quilt program . Ido the machine quilting on some of the smaller ones to practice and become better at my machine quilting.  Oh and did I mention it's lots of fun!

And look at these lovely charms that are on their way to me from my friend Kathi, you might like to check out her Blog and all the wonders she has been doing   I can't wait to see these in person and be able to start my fun project with them!  Stay tuned to see how they are going to be used!  It will be heaps of fun to be sure.

So I hope you have had a wonderful week like me, and until the next post. Have fun quilting or creating and be sure to go over and read about all the Whoop whoop at confessions of a fabric addict! And also A quilted passion  I love linking with her when I get the time!

all the very best for today and the weekend,

Wendy

January - Block of the Month is here!

Its Here!

Let me firstly explain why I have chosen the 8th to release this BOM first block to you all.  

On this day in 1919 my father was born, he left this world nearly 11 years ago.  Whilst I miss him daily, I look around and smile at all of the little anecdotes and quips he has left me with and it makes me remember all the times we had with great fondness.

So now lets get to the BOM!

I have decided to do one of the most traditional blocks known and one that everyone can achieve great results and on its own it makes a wonderful quilt.  I am talking about the 9 patch block.  I was traditionally made with 5 dark colours and 4 light colours or vice versa.  

This block was made as it was portable, quick and made up into wonderful quilts for the people moving west.  Talking about moving, I thought we would take a journey with this block as see what we can create keeping this block in mind.  The 9 patch is the common link in this BOM but we will look at lots that have derived from it and make them.  For this the first one you may wish to make one  keeping it neutral so that later on we can add appliqué on it saying BOM 2016.

So lets look at what we need.  Now you know your block you can decide on the fabrics you will use.  You can also decide to do this on machine or by hand.  I have done both.  I have made the blocks 12" finish so after they are sewn here they will measure 12.5" leaving the .5" for the seam allowance when sewing into a quilt.

both machine and hand pieced blocks

final layout for machine pieced

layout for hand piecing block

For your block you will need to cut out 9 pieces each at 4.5"  decide if you want to use only two or three colours.  You can play with the colours as I have done to see what you like best.  If you want to test your lights and darks change your photos to black and white mode.

 -firstly lets look at the machine pieced block:-

  

layout your block and take to the machine this way you know which pieces need to be sewn to what, do each row

1/4" foot fitted and ready

make the stitch length a bit smaller

quarter inch being sewn

see the quarter inch seam

chain piecing

one row sewn

Press your seams to the dark side read to sew the rows together

making sure you nest your seams

Then sew the rows together taking care to nest the seams

how nested seams should look

final block

wrong side of block 

now for the hand piecing block.  I have used my rotary cutter to cut the 4.5" blocks and I have use the perfect piecer by Jinny Beyer to mark dots for my quarter inch seam allowance, you might like to make a template or even just use a 1/4 ruler to mark you sewing line

I only drew on five of the block unit pieces

Marked ready for sewing

ready for sewing

Pin pieces 

start sewing at the first dot or the intersection of your lines

do a running stitch along the 1/4'

progressing along

one seam sewn

two seams sewn

sewing the rows together

coming to  the junction of the seams

sewing through the seams

completed block unpressed

Remember to check that your block measures 12.5'   this will help later if it is out your quarter inch is either out or your cutting.  

Now let the fun begin, please if I have left anything out just ask, and be sure to post this on the Wehago Designs Quilting Community Facebook group or on Instagram with a #WDBOM2016,  I look forward to doing all of the variations of this block with you and building on the skills you have.  I am so excited to see everyones creations.  Remember if you do not want to make a whole quilt of them just make a placemat or a bag, even a table runner.   All I suggest is we have fun and create together.

Ok everyone, lets go and have some quilt stash fun!

Waiting on you blocks,

Wendy.

Good bye 2015! Hello 2016!

Good bye 2015! Hello 2016!

I would like to say I have had an amazing year with lots of finishes and with only a few not quite finished tops.  Most are not far from being finished.

But my most exciting this is my Bom quilt along!  I plan on taking you on a little journey to make a quilt with me.  I am using the fabrics above and may add the occasional solid as I go.  I plan on showing you one block with lots of variations and we will have a chance of embellishing with applique or embroidery or just leave them as they are.  

 

Thes are the fabrics I have chosen to work with for the first month!  I also plan to show you how to piece this either by hand or by machine whichever your preferred method is or if you would like to try another way.

I plan to release the blog post to give you all the details of the first block on a very special day in my life! It will be the 8th of January.  During this post I will let you all know why it is a special day to me and why I want to share this day with you all.  So you have a week to gather four fabrics as you do not need all of them yet and you can even use up your scrap heap, I love scrap heap challenges!

If you missed the first announcement of my Bom here It is

During the last week or so hubby has been on holidays and has been keeping my energy up by serving me coffees and special Brunsli biscuits.

So I would also like to invite you to come to join my group on Facebook Wehago designs quilting community  to share in lots of fun or follow me on  Instagram or even share on a Pinterest board I will create for the BOM 2016 once we start!  I look forward to seeing everyone's creations and having lots of fun with you all.

So until we all start, please have a safe and fun end to 2015 and all the very best for a wonderful 2016

Until then keep quilting and creating

Wendy.

Fun coasters

I had lots of fun this morning making these coasters!

So much fun in fact I thought it only fair to share how I made them, so here are my notes:-

Firstly I cut out six cirlces from my cream Kona solid and six cirlces of my fun print.  I also cut six circles from a thin wadding.  The circles were 5.5".  I then used a gathering stitch and gathered the edge of the circle to pull the raw edges inward.  I placed the batting within the bottom circle and pressed it flat.  

I then did the same gathering on the plain Kona fabric and then placed it over the bottom so a small amount of the base was showing.  I then pinned the centre.

After this I used 12wt Aurifil mako thread and did some fun big stitch quilting in the shap of a flower after I had stitched all around the circle.

Just like this

And here are my finished coasters which I have posted to my swap buddy.  I have some coasters on the way to me and they should be here next week, I can't wait to receive them. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Please leave a comment on how your Wonderful Wednesday I would love to hear!

Until then, have a fun day

Wendy