Thanks & Show and Tell....

Who missed me?  he he

I have been a bit absent, had a lot of 'stuff' going on - particularly job hunting. After full days of writing applications the last thing I felt like doing is writing a blog post. That combined with nothing much happening meant a gap between posts. Anyway, hope you have all been well...and getting some sewing done if you are one of my quilting friends.

Quick update - Wilfred is happy and well and we are loving Geocaching at the moment!

You all know I have had lots of stressful 'things' happen in my life over the last couple of years.....one after the other. There comes a time when it just gets too much and you have to ask for some help, which happily I have now done and my journey is moving forward (YAY). The support network around me has been amazing and I encourage any of you that are doing it tough to just ask...look around your local area, ask friends and family, community associations and professionals in your area. Help is out there and oh wow does it make a difference.

Where is this leading you ask? It is leading to BIG thanks to Shane from Kyabra, a community association just near where I live. He has been amazing and a big part of why I am moving forward and not where I could have been. So Shane...thank you so much for your help and support and referring me on when neccessary.

I also want to say a BIG congratulations to Simon (best Lawyer ever, click here for earlier post) who has now started his own Law Firm - PATTISON LAW. Simon is an amazing lawyer and a good friend and definitely one of the good guys.....down to earth, honest, efficient and professional and is soooo good to me! If you happen to need a Lawyer for any purpose, give him a call on (07) 3166 9295 or click here for the website - don't forget to tell him I sent you!

Onto some show and tell.....I have been doing something while not writing blog posts!

First up, a quilt for my little cousin Briannah. The fabrics were chosen by Tracy (her mother) and the design is mine - after seeing the top together, we should combine more often! It will be hand quilted over the next few weeks.

If you would like a personalised quilt like this - leave me a comment or email me!

 I would love to create a beautiful quilt for your child!

I also finished this top - it is called Geometric stack and slash and is a quick and easy quilt to make from a Fat 1/4 bundle. This bundle is a range called Little Apples and the pattern can be found in my Craftsy Store...click here to go there now.

Finally, finished these three cushions which have been on the go for a while. Who doesn't love Dr Seuss? I LOVE LOVE LOVE him - the books, the quotes, the fabric, the movies!

These cushions are big floor cushions - at 24" or 60cm square they are awesome for the rumpus room and trust me, every child will LOVE them!

 The back...how cool is that spot?

There is red, yellow and green! (sorry pic of the green one was fuzzy!)

Click here to buy these from my Etsy Store - but I suggest you hurry as they will go quick!

On that note - I will leave you with a quote from Dr Seuss himself....

Have a great week - more applications for me so wish me luck!

Bye for Now

Kylie xoxo

Project Life...

Hope you all had an awesome weekend, weather is very wet again here - it was lovely lying in bed last night listening to the rain pour down.

I thought I would share with you my pages completed so far for Becky Higgins Project Life. I am loving the concept and the fact that my photos are getting used, life documented and I can just record 'random' stuff that may not mean anything to anyone else, but is important to me. Mine is becoming a bit of a 'journey album' for the year, and I am totally fine with that.

Quickly before I launch into PL - I have just reduced this quilt to half price, my machine needs some repairs so this is a good way to get them done AND someone will get a bargain in the meantime. It is a sutnning quilt and perfect for a girl or boy. It has about 2000 pieces in it (approximately) and is currently being quilted so will be ready for dispatch within a week.

It is King Size and listed at $975. Click here to my Etsy Store.

Onto Project Life....these pages are from the week Wilfred spent with me in January, so happy with these and the times he is with me is definitely easier to put together!

Monday we spent a day out at Southbank with our cousins..awesome day and love the photos!

First up - the APT7 exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art...

Then we met up with cousins and went to the Dinosaur Exhibit a the Museum...so cool!

We did lots of things later in the week and some of them are captured here..... sleepover with a friend, ear ache, Wilfred working on his own project life and a day at the beach.

I am really getting good (well I think so anyway!) with Photoshop and love being able to add captions and little bits and pieces to photos to tell the story.

Did you have a game like mine in the bottom left hand corner? I found it recently and Wilfred thought it was hilarious!  Movie tickets, catching up with friends and funny things Wilfred said all combine to make this awesome page.

This is one of favourite techniques - big photo cut into small pieces, mosaiced so to speak! Love it!

Recording the smaller details....where we live.... 

Onto week 4....odds and ends fill the pages....a quote I love, a tag from a parcel I received and some photoshop before and after pics!

Week 5....First day of school. I love Subway Art - just saying!

 How cool is my new ironing board cover? Yes, it is the subway art pic..he he. These two pages need a bit of finishing.

This week I have tried something one of the PL Masters use - restricting myself trying to use just a couple of colours in the week. This week bule and green, the photos were taken after the rain so those colours were perfect...love the look and I will be trying this all the time now.

And that is where my printer ran out of ink....so I have come to a screaming halt for now! 

Have a great day.

Kylie xo xo

Things you have to make...

Hi All...I am recovering from surgery at the moment so thought I would share with you some things I have found 'surfing the net' that you may like to try out. I had my gall bladder removed and was recovering well but have picked up a chesty thing which hurts everytime I cough....so my plan to get back to a little hand sewing today has gone out the window.

Some are quick and easy to whip up...others take more time but are still fun!

First up...this recipe for Lemony Lemon Brownies I found last night and want! Doesn't it just look yum? I will be trying this recipe out as soon as I am up to it.

Image Courtesy of Betty Charms & Co

Click here to go to the recipe....

(and make sure you send me some please!)

Next....a tutorial from Lori Holt over at Bee in my Bonnet to make a Mini Design Board. I made one as a Christmas gift for a new quilter, unfortunately I didn't see her so I have adopted it and LOVE it (sorry Ann, I will make you another he he). I need to make another couple as I am forever moving one project off it to put a different one on. Lori also has a really cute Row Along going at the moment, and I love reading her blog!

Photo courtesy of Bee in my Bonnet.

 Click here to go to the tutorial.

Being laid up means I have had time to read a good book again...Emilie Richards is one of my favourite authors who writes some 'quilting related' novels and many others. Wedding Ring is the first I read and probably my favourite - however I also love (and am re-reading) the Happiness Key series.

Click here to see all of Emilie's books on Amazon.

This site I have discovered recently..lots and lots of FREE patterns! Need to spend a couple of hours looking through them all. The photo is their Cupcakes, IceCream and Birthdays section.

Click here to go to Quilt Inspiration

Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville has lots of free patterns and an awesome blog...it is one of the few I read every day so I don't miss anything.

Image Courtesy of Quiltville.com

Click here to go to Quiltville

And finally one I just have to show you for a stunning Hexagon Quilt....I have bought some fabric to get started but will be buying the paper hexagon templates for this one as it needs 12 000! The instructions are in parts on her blog, who is up for a challenge?

Image Courtesy of Grit's Life

Click here to go to the Grit's Life Blog.

That should keep you all busy for a while! 

Have a great day.

Kylie xo

7 Day Special

Hi All

Special in my Etsy Store - 30% off everything for 7 days only!

You will need to enter the code: FRIENDS on checkout - great time to get a beautiful quilt at a discount price! Lots more being loaded tomorrow.

Click here to go there now!

Have a great day everyone!

Kylie

On a Roll...

Very quick post today, I am on a roll working on lots of new listings on Etsy. 

Perhaps the most exciting news (for me anyway) is I will now be stocking Warm and Natural Wadding. I love this product and have used it whenever possible in my quilts. It is warm, durable, easy to work with, doesn't bleed through your fabrics and washes in the machine. Love it!

It is traditionally the most expensive also...however here is your chance to buy it at reduced rates!

Queen Size:  $65

King Size:  $85

By the Metre:  $22.50

If you are in Brisbane and would like to buy it by the roll, I can give you a great price. Email me!

Jump on over to my Etsy store and check out all the new items....wadding, bags, pincushions and quilts. Lots more to come tonight!

Have a great day!

Kylie

A FREEBIE for you!

Need a super quick gift for your quilting buddies?

How about a Cathedral Windows Pincushion??

This is a quick little project you can whip up in a few hours…makes a fantastic gift for any quilting friends, or anyone that sews. You only need a few scraps of fabric and some stuffing and away you go.

What you need:

First of all - chose some fabric, you only need a little bit so no need to go out shopping, I am sure you can find something at home if you really try?

I suggest you chose a feature fabric first, a print or floral or even a small panel, then just chose two colours that go with it, one for the background and one for the frame.

In this pic the Frog is the feature Fabric, Red is the Frame, Green is the Background and there is a bigger square of the frog fabric on the back.

When choosing the frame fabric, keep in mind only a small amount shows so don't use a big print - homespun or a tone-on-tone works well here . I am using the green for the frame, the paisley is the feature and the back and the red is the background. The white piece shown is pellon - lightweight and iron on! You only need a 3" square of it...and if you don't have iron-on just use non-iron on or thin wadding, whatever you have on hand. 

 The cutting:

·         1 @ 3" square of feature fabric

·         1 @ 3" square of iron on pellon - thin is best  (you can use thin wadding or non-iron on if you don't have any of the iron on pellon)

·         4 @ 3" squares of frame fabric

·         4 @ 3 1/2" squares for the background

·         1 @ 6 1/2" square for the back of the pincushion

My pieces all cut:

Construction:

1.  Iron your frame squares in half diagonally right sides out.

2.  Place a frame square (which is now a triangle) over one corner of a background square lining up the raw edges and tack in place - I do this by hand, it is a nice relaxing job if you have a whole pile of them prepared. You can just sit and stitch over a cup of coffee.

NOTE: Make sure your taking line is NO MORE then 1/4" from the

edges of the fabric, otherwise it will show on your pincushion. 

3.  Repeat for the other 3 frame and background squares and then iron them to ensure they are sitting nice and flat.

4.  Place your squares together to make a bigger square, with the frame fabrics forming a 'square on point' in the middle.

5.  Using your sewing machine and a 1/4" seam, join them together into a square by joining in pairs first and then into one big square. Iron the seams open.

  

6.  Iron the pellon onto the reverse of your feature fabric square. Do this by placing your pellon onto the ironing board, glue side up (the glue side has the dots), and then placing the feature fabric square onto the pellon, right side up. Iron from the fabric side - otherwise the glue will seep through the pellon and onto your iron...YUKKY!

7.  Place this square over the middle of the big square you prepared earlier, carefully fold the edges of the frame fabric triangle over the feature square and pin in place. I find this best to do with your thumbs holding the feature square in place so it stays centred.

NOTE: Be quite forceful when folding over the edge…the edge of the feature fabric square should also fold a little.

  

8.  Blind hem stitch the frame fabric into place on the feature square. I use hand quilting thread in a colour that matches your frame fabric. Hand quilting thread is stronger than ordinary thread and you can therefore pull it tighter making it more invisible.

The corners should just overlap with one over the top of the other.

9.  Iron the piece, ensuring it is sitting nice and flat.

10.           Place this square right sides together with the 6 1/2" square for the back of your pincushion. Stitch around the outside edges using a 3/8” seam leaving a small gap or turning - about 1 1/2" is usually enough. I like to use a wider seam for this – as it means it is less likely the seams of your pincushion will burst when stuffing or with use.

11.           Turn your pincushion right side out, push out the corners nicely with a point turner tool or similar.

12.           Stuff your pincushion. When stuffing - take your time, use small pieces starting with a really small piece poked into each corner first to make sure they are nicely filled. I stuff with pieces of stuffing about the size of a large marble at a time. It is worth taking the time to stuff it properly so the pincushion is not lumpy.

Did you know if you use Lamb's wool stuffing it keeps your pins from

rusting because of the Lanolin in it?

13.           Hand stitch the opening closed using a blind hem or ladder stitch.

Ta Da....you now have a finished pincushion...... Well done!

I would also like to show you some other projects I have designed using Cathedral Windows (the easy way!) – cushions, table runners and wall hangings. You can also make quilts, and I have plans to make one with Liberty Prints and white frames and background, however they are not as durable as ‘normal piecing’ or appliqué quilts and they are very heavy because of the layers of fabric.

First up – Christmas Tablerunner. One of my favourite patterns ever!

 Cathedral Wallhangings:

Cushions:

Click here for the PDF version of these instructions

There will be lots more freebies, tutorials, hints and tips coming....why not subsbribe so you don't miss anything? Go to the right hand side of this page and 'subscribe by email'!

I Hope you enjoyed this tutorial - if you try it out, I would love to see pics!

Bye for Now

Kylie  xoxo

Incorrigible....

Hope you have all had an awesome day...with a little of something you love in there!

I called in to Spotlight for black wool to keep going on my hexagons (see last nights post here!) - that is all I needed, two balls of black, my plan was to be in and out in under 5 minutes. That is where my plan came apart...empty shelf! Oh darn-it!

Then I hear something from the next shelf calling me...it was COLOUR and it was calling my name...LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!

So I did - that was my first mistake. he he

Isn't it just beautiful, and then the thought comes to mind - SOCKS! I have wanted to learn to knit socks for about 3 years. Basically since I saw Anja's beautiful creations (also in last night's post). I have a couple of pairs she knitted, but I want to make my own. And those colours..oh my...of course two balls came ome with me.

Again, one of my earliest memories is my Nan knitting socks - she knitted all Dad's work socks for years and years and years. Knitting was the second crafty thing I learnt...quilting came much later.

Part of the reason I have never knitted socks is because I can't use double ended or circular needles, I have tried a couple of time and CAN'T. Well pfffttt to that - you can do anything if you try. I so need to remember that before procrastinating for years because I think I can't.

So race home, hot coffee, find the needles (also my Nan's) and try, just perservere and try. Work through the awkward start, not sure where the needles should sit...but keep trying. And suddenly I am off and racing...ohhh so exciting.

I got up late today, so plan on knitting the night away - maybe half a sock if I am lucky. I will worry about them fitting when I get to that point. This pair is all about the learning.

This is the brand of the wool - they have lots of beautiful colours in it, I love variegated thread and wool as it is so exciting to see the colours come together as you work.

Have a nice night everyone!

Kylie xoxo