April Bom - hand sewn block

Happy Tuesday to you all!

Today I have finally finished my hand sewn block for this months block of the month to be know as the bakers dozen!

I think you will remember this block from the previous post that I had cut it out but not sewn.

The following is a few photos of the block going together.

First I sewed the four patch units for the corners.

Don't they look fabulous?

Then I attached the top two corners to the centre rectangle to for the top row of the block

I then moved onto the lower part of the block, then to the nine patch which is our theme for this block of the month if you are new to my ramblings.   We are all having lots of fun discovering different nine patches and how we can use them in different settings.  

Once the nine patch centre block was done I attached the side rectangles and then proceeded to attach the bottom and the top to the block.

And Ta Da! Happy dance time!  Just a little note, I do not press my hand sewn blocks until I am about to sew them together, that way I can workout which way to press the seam.   So none of the blocks in this post have been pressed since cutting.   I hope this makes sense to you all.

I then decided it was time to have a looke at these blocks together!   I am loving how this is forming.  Please let me know how you are enjoying it!  This week has lots of big happenings in my life.  So tomorrow I will give you another little blog post with the next couple of quilts or quilt tops that I have made.

I am looking for your help and in return will have a little giveaway so please stay tuned for the announcement.

In the meantime I hope you have had a terrific Tuesday.  Be sure to leave a hello and don't be shy.  Would love to hear what has been coming your way!

Remember to take time and smell the roses and enjoy some creativity in your day.

Wendy

April BOM and it's no fools joke either!

Hello everyone!

Thank you for being so patient with me!  I would like to link up to Confessions of a fabric addict for Whoop Whoop it's Friday, be sure to check out all the other posts Here and also to A Quilted Passion for Whoomp there it is linky party! So let's party on and check outAll the blog action here

So onto the business for our Block of the month, this time you will need two fabrics

These are my selections for my blocks, remember I am doing one by hand and one my machine.

This month I have chosen to do the 7 Grid Chain.   It has a 9 patch in the centre and it has four patches and rectangles to make up the block.  This will make a wonderful quilt almost like an Irish chain if you only use the one block throughout a quilt.   

Now for Cutting Instructions:-

From these fabrics you will need to cut the following

From your background 4  (4" X 5.75") and 12 (2.25" squares)

From your main fabric you will need 13 (2.25" squares)

Now let's get to laying them out

This will be my hand pieced one and as I am a day late and have had a house full of illness all week I will update the blog in the next couple of days with this block.  

Firstly piece your four patches and nine patches together so it looks like this

Then we piece these units into rows and then the rows into a block to have it look like this

This is our finished block and the following photo is all of the machine pieced blocks so far.  I'm excited how these are coming together.   

Now I have been busy and piecing lots of things since I have hurt my wrist.   So next week is a week of pattern writing and the launching of my website!  I am so excited that I am doing the happy dance and able to use my wrist much much more.   I have even started doing my hand quilting again!

Now please tell me what are you happy about this week!  I love to hear from you all, so don't forget to leave a comment and I promise I will find time to do a couple more blog posts this week with all the exciting things I have been working on over the last three weeks.

So have a wonderful weekend and I hope you enjoy this block like I have.

Keep on smiling as you keep on creating,

Wendy.

Not just a slow Sunday but a slow week!

Hello to everyone!

I trust you are all as well as you can be and enjoying the weekend!

Last weekend I had a bit of a collision with one of our dogs and went down like a sack of potatoes and last Sunday ended up in ER and recieved a half cast with a diagnosis of soft tissue damage or. Scaphoid Fracture!  Argh!   Was my cry!

Not to be bored out of my brain I decided I could operate the sewing machine and I unearthed my 2.5" confetti squares.   Some I cut from my scraps some are from my swap group where we swap 49 in an. Envelope once a month during the year.   So I have started on this little top with black and whites and colours!   I have a red and an orange block done

Here is my container with them sorted into lights or low volume and darker and black and whites.

Not long after I started the above blocks hubby asked if I could make him a little quilt to put under some of his work to protect my floor and what he was working on!  So what do you do, stop the quilt top you're working on and start another!   

Here is the result.  I will quilt this up for him as soon as I can.

On Tuesday I went to my Doctor and he sent me off for a scan on my hand on the Wednesday and I went back to him on the Friday for my result!   He knew I was tired of the cast as it all felt wrong.   So to my relief on my return visit he gave me the all clear of the scaphoid fracture but told me I have ligament damage!   Oh no,  well I know it will take about 6 weeks before I am back to full strength but I do know I can do little bits here and there!

Enter the next confetti quilt, this will have a type of 3D effect with a chain like happening around and through it.

Now for today, I decided I would finsh a couple of quilt tops with borders!

This is a quilt I did with local quilters last year but realised I must get some of the green from Ella Blue to put the final border on!   So off to the quilt shop tomorrow!

Now to cut the border for my wonderful 49th birthday quilt from Kathi!  She found this wonderful quilt for me and gifted it! I am so thankful to her and I'm looking forward to quilting this later in the year!

Here it is!  I think this will be awesome and my mind is contemplating my quilting design now!

So as you can see I would love to be hand quilting but I can only do these sorts of things slowly with lots of breaks for my hand.  I can cut small amounts at the moment for a short time only!

I am so happy to be able to link with Slow stitching Sunday with Kathy take a look at all the eye Candy!

Now it's your turn, tell me how your week has been and what are you doing this weekend, I'm curious!

Until, a few days time, I hope you enjoy yourself and can be creative!

Take care and remember please say hello!

wendy

March and February BOM update

So I'm sure you have been waiting on an update.  Sorry things have been a bit busy but a few blog posts over this week will explain them all. Anyway above is the handpieced February block the uneven 9 patch. 

So then I started the hand pieced block for March and this was lots of fun.  The Dutch 9 patch, I started with the centre and to get it correct we had to use a generous seam rather than a scant seam.

Here is the centre finished.  Then I proceeded to join the other units to make rows to complete the block. 

Complete ready to go with the others.

   

Here is the three months of all the hand pieced blocks together. 

And look at this, all of the blocks I have completed, the machined blocks and the handpieced ones.  I am so looking forward to making both of these quilts, one by machine and one by hand!  

Over the weekend I had a little accident and fell.  I have my right wrist and arm in a half cast. I need a scan to determine if I have soft tissue damage or if I have a scaphoid fracture.  So whilst I can't cut I have found I can sew and I have a lot of 2.5" squares from leftover scraps and a wonderful group of swappers.  So this is what I have been doing to while away my boredom. 

So until tomorrow's catch up.  Tack care and have fun creating, I know I am.

 oh and don't forget to leave a comment, I love to here from you all.

Bye for now

Wendy

March BOM

Wow! Where has the last month gone!  

For this month you will two of your fabrics to make the Dutch 9 Patch.  I really love the look of this block once it is together.  I have fallen behind with my hand piecing but have been very busy with a few other projects my please be reassured I will be sharing these with you over the next couple of weeks.  So stay tuned and if you haven't signed up to get my blog to your email or on your bloglovin now might be the time.  

Now let's get on with the cutting!

From your back ground or lighter fabric cut four of each size 4.5" squares and 1 7/8" squares

From your highlight fabric cut four 4.5" squares and  five  x 1 7/8" squares

Look Below at the layout and piece the rows as follows

Firstly piece the centre nine patch in the manner of the first month

When pressing press the seams towards the dark side, then make sure you press the seams on the middle row outwards and the top and bottom rows press the seams inwards. 

Here is the machine sewn one in rows.

TA DA!

Here is my Dutch nine patch complete!

So until my next blog post in a couple of days have great fun making this great block!

Have lots of fun,

Wendy

February block of the month!

February Block of the Month is Here!

Today is a very special person in my life birthday so a big Happy Birthday to Margie Burke!

I hope you all are enjoying making this with me!   Today I chosen three fabrics from my bundle, and once again I will make one by machine and one by hand.  I will update this blog post with the one  hand pieced block later in the week.   I have been struggling to finish my quilt and have an ongoing minor health issue I am dealing with this week.

Ok, lets do this!  From our three fabrics I have chosen a dark, medium, and light fabric.  I have also fussy cut the centre a little bit of the hand pieced one you may like to do this if you have a print which would look better centred.  

cutting instructions:- 

Centre 1 x 6.5" square ,  Cornerstones 4 x 3.5" squares, and rails 4 x (3.5" x 6.5")

colours for each block

Cut and laid out ready for stitching

Cut and ready for marking before stitching

We stitch this the same way as our previous nine patch in the rows and then join the rows, taking care of nesting our seams.  Make sure you press your seams to the darker fabric.

top row being stitched

Centre being sewn

Top and Centre rows together

Complete Uneven 9 patch!

I look forward to seeing your blocks posted either in the Facebook page or on instagram!  If you missed last months Block of the month click here

So until next time have lots of fun,

Wendy

Marking your quilt with a Hera marker!

Well firstly I would love to thank Sew and Sow Farm for hosting this monthly link up with tips and tutorials.  I always say I should do them and find myself becoming busy, well this is making me try and do one a month for you.

Today I would like to talk to you about one method I have for marking my quilts.  One of the main ones is with a Hera Marker and because I am using it at the moment I thought it appropriate I show you how I do this.

Hera Marker with my template with my Aurifil 12 wt thread in background

A box hubby gave me and this makes this task possible whilst the quilt is on the frame

So how does this work, firstly I place my template where I want to draw the line

template in position

next I hold the wooden box on my knees under where I want to mark the line.  This gives a strong and hard surface for me to press the marker onto the quilt

drawing with the Hera Marker

a better angle for you to see

The Hera marker leaves creases in your fabric, no worries about getting marks out later.

creases in the top after marking

Sometimes you may need to adjust your light to get the shadowing effect to see the line but this is not a problem

Here is a few stitches on the needle

And here is a cool photo of a few blocks already quilted.  I love this marker and I am sure you will also.  I am really grateful that the fat quarter shop are on board with link which is being hosted by Sew and Sow Farm.  If you are interested in the Hera marker you can check out one here at the here at the fat quarter shop, and also a big thank you to Aurifil my favourite thread for sewing and quilting

few blocks quilted

This is a book I purchased a few years ago, it is invaluable to me.  This version is not available now but there is a newer version out which is just as good.  If you want ideas on quilting this is ideal, it is good for both hand and machine quilting.

a great book

I hope this has answered some of your questions regarding marking your quilts.

Be on the lookout for my Block of the Month post this week and I look forward to seeing all of your February blocks.  I will do a little post of your blocks also this week, it will be great to see them all together.

So until then, happy creating,

Wendy.

Bushman's city visits

Hello Everyone!

I seem to have been missing in action!  Unfortunately the last quilt I have just finished you will have to wait about three weeks before I can possibly show you.  All I can say is I am excited.

This week looks like it will be a binding week for my three finishes for this year!  Whoop whoop! and a Whoomp!

But lets see what the main concentration is on at the moment!  I am loving this range and it is Melba from Emma Jean Jansen!  If you do not know who she is, take a look at her website, Im sure you will agree she is a wonderful Australian designer and her fabric ranges are superb, just take a look!

Bushman City Visits Quilt

I have designed this pattern last year and it was using a flower range and I wanted to try it with some of our wonderful Australian flowers.  The block I designed I have named Rhonda's love, dedicated to a loving quilting friend who left this earth last year.
The Pattern for this quilt will be available as a PDF download or as a booklet later this month on my new and upcoming website!  I am so excited with the little things I will be offering to everyone

close up of the quilting design 

I decided that this quilt needed some curves added in so with a bit of a twist I opted for a spiral, in each block and it is giving the whole quilt a wonderful look.  I am using Aurifil 12 wt thread and a small Shashiko needle for the hand quilting.

here is the quilt after a few rows were completed.

another close up of the work with my trusty clover adjustable thimble

At this stage it looks like this quilt will be taken off the frame on Monday some stage.  The latest will be Tuesday.  I am then planning on binding these two and finishing some background quilting on another before binding.   My quilting area also needs a new tidy and reorganisation for the coming year.  I have found these really cool containers that fit perfectly in my shelves around my sewing table that hubby made.  So next week I will take before and after photos for you.   I will also reveal a few fabrics that will be cut up during the year and made into more quilt tops to come to life.

New fabric brings excitement

I am showing you my latest fabric to the stash.  It is this years Kona colour of the year called Highlight.  Its just an awesome yellow and I can't wait to start to put together the top with these lovely charm packs by Moda:- LOL by Me and My Sister Designs

                                                  Dot Dot Dash by Me and My Sister Designs

                                                  Sanibel by Gina Martin

                                                  Moxi by Studio M

This was a challenge from Molli Sparkles on his Sunday Stash Blog so I couldn't resist showing you all.

Please go and check out the following blogs and the other blogs linked to them for lots of eye candy.  I am linking with Molli Sparkles Sunday Stash
                            Sarah from Confessions from a Fabric Addict
                            Zenia Rene from A Quilted Passion

I would love to give a huge thank you to these bloggers for their time and their linky parties.  It is such fun to see what everyone else is doing.

Oh just a reminder that my Block of the Month no 2 will be out next week, and incase you missed no 1 have a look at it here.

Now until my next blog continue to have a wonderful quilty or creative time,

Wendy