A little Red and White

Last year I went to the Sydney Quilt show and they had a really spectacular Red and White exhibition.  I had planned on an entry, but never quite got it all together.  However, the idea never left me.

I am always looking for ideas for workshops/classes, but I only want to make things to teach that I really like.  It was September last year when I showed the first couple of blocks HERE.  The designs are based on the German paper cutting craft Scherenschnitte.  You really have to work on your applique skills with this one.  You get to do inner and outer curves, inner and outer points, and cut outs.

So it all came to a head this last week when I had to get some project ideas ready for the Victorian Quilters Guild.  I have been invited to go to Melbourne in August to speak at their AGM, and do a workshop the next day.  Ok, time to get cracking on this one!  The border??  I woke up around 5am one day thinking I would do a machine piece zig zag border.  Got the books out for ideas, but changed my mind.  No it had to be appliqued.......and following in the paper cutting idea.

I cut a strip of paper as long as the borders, and folded in in half, and quarters and kept folding until it looked ok.  Then I marked points and made the cuts.  Folding it out, I had the right look.

I had added 4"white borders, and used the paper to draw lines on the back of them.

I put the red strips onto the right side of the borders, and from the back, I stitch on the machine, on the lines.  Here you can see the lines on the right side.  This is exactly the same as doing the "back basting"preparation by hand, but takes a fraction of the time.  Set your stitch length about 4 to make it easier.

I did two opposites at a time, then joined them in the corners with a neat stitch overlapping.

When you start with the applique, it is exactly the same technique used if you had tacked by hand.  You clip the machined stitches, then turn them under, and hand stitch in place.  However, there is a huge bonus in using the machine to tack (apart from the time saved)

Can you see the lines left when you take out the stitches?  They are really easy to see, and work as your guide to turn under.  You can use the machine to tack on any of the applique projects, but it works best of all of course, on the straight lines rather than the curves.  If you are more skilled than I am at manipulating the sewing machine, then you could use it on the curved applique as well.

Add the final 2 opposite sides and your done.  I had this done in two days and ready to photograph and send off to the Vic Quilters for the workshop.  I have to get it quilted now, but I can work on that later.

If you are a member of the Vic Quilters Guild I will be there in August and hope to meet some of you.

Lily block

Did you notice that I am a little early this month?  I am trying to get ahead.  Next month I am going to be away for a great chunk of it,  and I have not yet worked out how to do these block posts on the Samsung Tablet!  So, May's block may be as early as the 5th or 6th.

I was a bit worried with the Red and Green blocks, that they were starting to have another "theme"and that was the "crossing" kind of style.  That was not intention, it is just that I like them.  So, I thought I had better change it a bit in case you got bored. The LILY is a little more complex with overlapping petals and very fine stems.

To do this block well, start with the yellow petals, just appliqueing the outer parts in place, then overlapping with the red petals.  That will make the flowers nice and flat.  Then do the leaves, the stems, and finally the base of the flowers.

Hope you like the block.  You can print it off free of charge by clicking on the image at the top tight hand side of this page.

The block should print off at 8".  If you want it smaller or larger, then perhaps you can adjust your printer.  For the 8" size do no adjusting, just print of  100%.  My intentions with these is to have them print on one page of paper.  Hopefully I have got it right.

Happy stitching!

Tulip Cross Block

Thanks for being so patient.  The Red and Green block is on the right hand side of the page, ready to be downloaded (if you have not already found it!)..

I had it all ready, but had forgot to put it up, until a very kind person asked me about it, and that is when I realised that we were way past the 20th!  Lets hope that it all runs smoothly now.

The month of March was quite hectic towards the end.  Some of you may know that I am the Australian distributor for Karen Kay Buckley products.  I sent a newsletter out to our wholesale customers asking that they might get orders in early if planning to take their shops to the Australasian Quilt Convention held in Melbourne, 14th April.  Dutifully they did so, and I then had to get Karen to send all the goodies to me, so that I had them mid March to fill orders.

This is just part of the 8 boxes that arrived.  I had to take over the spare bedroom, as my workroom was already crowded.  So, over Easter I packed, and organised freight and generally had stuff all over the house in one area or another.  That is my main excuse for being late with the block, I was so otherwise occupied.

Should you be going to the Convention please call into see Punch with Judy, and Sewn and Quilted who are both now stocking Karen's latest Perfect Adjustable Rulers

They come in 6"wide and 3"wide, and can be made up to 24"in length.  Perfect for travelling to retreats and conventions.

On the sewing side.....what am I doing?  Still working on the hand quilting of the Birdie quilt.

All the echo quilting in the centre is complete now, and I am working on the final border.  My goal is to have it completed by the end of April, and I feel like that is now in sight.

Other big news, next April - that is 2017  -  I will be teaching on a craft cruise!  It is run by Needlework Tours and Cruises.  You can get the link HERE.   If you click on "Brows and Book Projects" you will find me listed way down the bottom....it is alphabetical.  The cruise goes from Sydney, around the south Island of New Zealand for 10 days.  There are 5 days of classes and 5 days of leisure activities.


Very exciting for me, and I hope my classes get booked out fast.  More on that one as the time gets closer.

I forgot to add the photos!!