Baby Lock Melody

Baby Lock Melody.  YES PLEASE!

Picture borrowed from Amy's Creative Side

Over at Amy's Creative Side Blogger's Quilt Festival there is a giveaway for a Baby Lock Melody.  You see, I probably won't win as there are already a ton of entries by more deserving people but I thought I would test my luck regardless (and provide some free advertising for Baby Lock right??).

Mr Toyota, my usually trusty little (ancient) sewing machine is on his last legs.  No matter what I have done for him he continues to have issues.  My current nightmare is that the stitch on the bottom is straight and can be pulled out just like that without a seam ripper - bad bad bad.  The stitches are all raised when I do paper piecing - not good.  This is why I need to win!  I would have to buy a transformer to convert the USA power to UK power but it would be worth it!

Pick me pick me Baby Lock!  This looks like a lovely, user-friendly sewing machine and it makes me think of Dirty Dancing "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" and I PROMISE I wouldn't put this baby in the corner!!!

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Hand Quilted

I have decided to enter my Aurifil Mini Quilt in to the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side in the hand quilted category.  Here is my initial (and very basic) sketch which started my improv journey to make this wall hanging.

As many of you already know, green is my favourite colour so I made a variegated spool of 'Aurifil' thread!!  Here I am posing with Mr Aurifil at Fat Quarterly Retreat with my quilt!

I hand quilted circles in a light grey cotton so each circle went through four of the low volume squares - I show a picture below of how it looks on the back.  I learned a lot about burying the knots so they didn't show.  However, I learned that new skill 3/4 of the way in!!  I am still happy with my efforts though!

Aurifil spool as inspiration!

Here you can see my quilted circles more clearly, again, on the back of the wall hanging/mini quilt.

For my circles, I traced around a drinking glass using a water soluble marker and stitched.  I used Kona, Oakshott and a variety of quilting cottons in greens and low volumes to make this quilt and used Aurifil and Gutermann threads to piece and quilt.

Aurifil Spool Mini stats:
Size: approx 24" x 30"
Over 30 different low volume fabrics used!
Hand quilted by ME

Check out all of the other entries in the Hand Quilted group.

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Professionally Quilted

It's time for the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side.  This is a twice a year online quilt festival {a delicious feast-for-the-eyes}and coincides with the Spring and Fall Quilt Markets.  It is a great chance to see some amazing quilts all in one place.  So. Much. Inspiration.

I have only entered once before so I thought it was time to enter again!  Why not right?  I am entering my "King Kong Wonky" quilt.  This is a super-huge bed quilt that was started at a wonky log cabin class with Quilt Dad!   

Debbie Holland quilted my quilt for me.  There was just no way that I could fit this humongous quilt on Mr Toyota (my ancient sewing machine).  This is my first and only quilt quilted by someone else so I asked for a simple square grid design, on point.  I figured the wonky log cabins would still be the focus of the quilt.  The grid is about 3".

You can really see the grid on the back - before washing!

Here is an indoor picture showing a little more realistic purple colour!

King Kong Wonky quilt stats:
Size: 96" x 96"
Quilted by:  Debbie Holland
Blocks made by:  me, Bee Europa 2012-2013 and FQR Kinky Bee girls
Wadding:  80/20
Binding: I machine bound this quilt

Check out all the other Professionally Quilted quilts entered in this year!

Making Christmas -- to-do list

I have been resisting but I couldn't hold out any longer!  "Making Christmas" is in Week 3 already so I am finally making my own "Making Christmas" list:

Christmas 2013 TO-MAKE list:

1.  Tissue holders
2.  Hanging tea towels
3.  Drawstring bag
4.  Pom pom snowman ornament
5.  Paper pieced robin
6.  Felt ornaments (I've made one set of three already - I want to make another set)
7.  And Sew On blocks into project(s)
8.  Robin in Wreath paper piecing project
9.  Infinity scarf in voile
10.  Christmas wine bag

Janine of Rainbow Hare and Rebecca of Making Rebecca Lynne came up with a great idea to have a linky party of lists!  The aim is to help us get (and stay) accountable for our Christmas and end of year projects.  I love making lists so all I had to do is write a list of what I want/NEED to get done before the end of the year and then link it up! 

Linking to Quiet Play this week.

Jax: my best friend

Jax is our little (not so little - he weighs 18kg) dachshund/beagle dog.  Apparently this mix of breads can be called 'Doxle'.  Cool eh?  He is the light of my life! Just look at him - so gorgeous!

Jax is just over 7 years old and is such a hound!  He follows a trail just like a beagle and rolls in fox do-do to disguise his scent just as dachshunds do.  He can howl like nobody's business and can bark like a yappy dachsie!  When he sleeps he looks so precious and I gaze at him in awe!

He loves to sit on the couch and surf the 'net'!  Just joking - though I did find him propped up like this one day!  This is not a staged picture - it really is how I found him!  Silly dog!

One of his favourite places in the cottage is the edge of the bed so he can look out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of a fox, the local naughty cat and the men who cut the grass outside the window.  This means I (try to) protect my bedding from his hair and muddy paws with my very robust and utilitarian shaggy edge plaid quilt.

And because he is a dachshund, he definitely likes to be covered up to sleep.  Here he is emerging from another of the plaid quilts!

We were lucky to get Jax when he was 15 weeks old.  We are his third set of owners.  He has lived in four different houses since becoming our little 4-legged friend.  He is an outstanding runner and can run like the dickens!!  Rain doesn't bother him (nor does snow!) and his internal food-clock makes him wake me up on a Saturday morning at 6:30am for his breakfast!   

He buries bones in my vegetable patch in our garden and eats the carrots and peas I grow!  Jax is crazy - happy - funny - gorgeous. 

I. Love. My. Dog. Jax.

 “This post is an entry into the Tots100/Swell UK  competition.”

Details

Daily Craft TV class GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

WINNER #12 - Lisa (In the Boon Docks)



 

Last month I was lucky to win a giveaway on Rhonda's (Quilter in the Gap) blog for a Fons & Porter's Daily Craft TV class.  After looking at some of the free clips to help me choose, I decided on the "Yes! You can Piece Curves: Curved piecing two ways" class. I definitely need to learn how to piece curves because I am craving a circle quilt!!


And guess what?  They have offered to give a class to one of my followers!  All you have to do enter is go to DailyCraftTV and pick out the class you would choose if you win, let me know which class that is in a comment at the end of this post!  Easy peasy right?  One entry per person please and this giveaway is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!  Winner will be drawn by Random Number Generator or similar and notified by email and on this blog post next Friday night 25th October.


Good luck!!

Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow HONEYCOMB in GRASS

Favourite Fabric Link up!

Making Rebecca Lynn is hosting a "Favourite Fabric Swap" link up.  I am to list the fabric that I lust after and hopefully someone will have it and want to swap for something with me.

I have lusted over Joel Dewberry's 'Modern Meadow' line ever since I bought a tiny piece of the Herringbone in Grass from Ebay a while back!  Over time, I managed to purchase several of the fabrics from the line from shops and Etsy sellers but I don't have all of the ones I want/lust after/need!!!  The "ONE" I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY want need is:

HONEYCOMB in Grass

Here is a mosaic of the other ones I do not have and would love too [and I am sorry that I didn't stick the the rule of 4 alternates to my favourite but I couldn't decide which four!!]:

Aren't they yummy?  I am planning on a Swoon quilt with the fabrics I already have from this line but I would like some more variety and will no doubt need more fabric than I think it will need.  So.  If you have any of the Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow line fabrics in the Grass, Lake or Berry colourways as shown above, do let me know and we can chat about what I can swap with you!



Thank you to the Joel Dewberry site for these images - I 'borrowed' them!

Awww...

All I can say is "awwwwww - so cute"!

Here is my first FINISHED Christmas ornament for the Trim the Tree Handmade Ornament Swap.  One down - three more to go!  I hope one of my secret partners likes this tiny polar bear!

This little guy is only 3x2.5 inches!  I put an Aurifil spool beside him to show you the scale.  He is from the book Pretty in Patchwork: Holidays [by Quilt Dad!] and is meant to be a full size cushion... but I like making small things and small itty-bitty paper piecing is soothing to me!  Nothing better than working on something cute AND soothing on a blustery, rainy Friday night!

Sorry for the late-night photos - the red is really a deep yummy red.
Linking up with Finish it Friday and Paper Piecing Party.

4th Quarter GOALS - I have 84 days

An embarrassingly ginormous list - a list of ALL the things I really really really want to complete before the bell tolls at midnight on the last day of 2013.  Some of these things are from early 2012.  Yikes - I owe it to myself to clear the decks of these started-but-quickly-abandoned projects!!  I have 84 days to work on my list.  I will also be working on bee blocks and swap items PLUS any spur of the moment whimsy/creativity and spontaneous Christmas presents that are yet to be planned and sewn (oh dear) - or listed!!

Ok, here goes:

1.  Marcelle Medallion - get over my fear of 60* triangles and do the border and the rest and make into a quilt top flimsy.  I can't wait!!

2.  Arrow quilt - make a back, baste, quilt, bind (does it need another border or just some nice red binding as it is????)

3.  Shaggy Edge' boy' quilt - cutting is all done, need to sew the 3 layers together for each square then figure out the layout and sew it all together, wash and dry, wash and dry, and wash and dry again!
DONE

4.  Union Jack pillow case paper piecing project from Fat Quarterly Retreat TWO summers ago - I need to finally finish it!!

5.  Scrappy Trip quilt - complete the remaining 30 blocks and sew into a HUGE quilt flimsy.  I hope to send it to a long-arm person as I am planning this to a big a** quilt and Mr Toyota can't cope with big a** quilts!  Nor can my poorly shoulder for that matter!

6.  X Factor pillow - cut, sew and submit.  I have the stack of low volume prints already (but I have to keep the rest of the fabric a secret) and I have the pattern - just have to make it now!

7.  "Winter" themed mini quilt - design, sew and submit.

8.  "I love London" Noodlehead Divided Basket - finish this project as it has been cut out waiting for me to sew it for far too long.

9.  Door Stop and tutorial - Annie I PROMISE to get this done for you in 2013!!

10.  EPP Christmas project of Katy's Carnival pattern - only a dozen or so more shapes to sew together so I can stitch it into a cushion or table topper maybe.

11.  "And Sew On" block of the month project - complete last two blocks and sew into something.

12.  Mod Sampler quilt - FINALLY quilt and bind this bad boy!

13.  Amy Butler Happy Hour quilt - stitch more blocks to make a full size flimsy

14.  "4 Things" quilt - make a back, baste, quilt, bind, label

15.  Girl on a Swing embroidery - finish and then make into a pillow or journal cover or something!!

16.  Great Granny - finish making blocks for this quilt, sash and drool on flimsy!

17. Drawing in Stitches - make something out of these two blocks

18.  Union Jack blocks for a quilt flimsy for Mr Crafty Shenanigans' birthday from TWO YEARS AGO!!!  (oooops)

19.  Polaroid blocks - make something with these puppies!

20.  Lucky Stars Block of the Month - catch up on the blocks!!!  I've only made four so far - oops.

21.  Wonky Stars bee quilt - another quilt to sew blocks together, make a back, quilt it, bind it - or just settle for a flimsy!

22.  Wonkyville!!  Sew this village together into a flimsy :)

23.  A STACK [and I mean a HUGE STACK] of orphan blocks including R2D2, a butterfly, some red mugs, loads of log cabins, solids blocks and these double wonky churns.

24.  Trim the Tree Ornaments - complete four ornaments

1# DONE, #2 half done, #3, #4, #5 (I was a Swap Angel)

25.  HST quilt - add another border(??) and finish this sucker!  It is too small as it is so I want to make it bigger somehow.

 

____________________________________________________

Eeeeeyikes - should I hire someone to help me!!!???  I appear to be a magpie when it comes to projects - and I have even left out the Impromptu Quilt and the St Louis 16 patch quilts plus a few other things like my Oakshott wonky plus sign mini, Skirt Bag and hanging tea towels (because I have to be realistic, right?). Houston - I think I have a problem!!! ;)

Linking up to to Leanne of She Can Quilt for the 4th Quarter Finish A Long linky.  Here's to some major sewing between now and the end of December folks!!!