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Posted by  Q in Craftie Craft, Quilting on  April 1, 2012, at 11:53 am
I love participating in swaps, but I definitely still consider myself an enthusiastic beginner when it comes to sewing. Most things scare me and I make lots of mistakes. My options for Block Swap Adventure for March from my swap partner were a log cabin block or a postage stamp block with 1inch blocks.
I’m not sure if you know, but my very first attempt at a quilt (after doing a beginners quilting class quite a while ago now I’m thinking more than 3 years ago) was an attempt to do an Amish Barn Raising quilt in rainbow colours (log cabin blocks). It’s still partially quilted and folded in the cupboard somewhere.
 Log Cabin UFO, When the top was completed So anyway… I wasn’t too keen on doing a log cabin. (my apologies to log cabin blocks everywhere)
Then I thought about 144 pieces in the postage stamp block and I was a little perturbed, until I found this tutorial at Elizabeth Hartman’s Blog Oh Fransson!. So I decided to give things a go, with this kind of cheat method. I used very thin stayflex for my interfacing and charms from Sugar Pop by Liz Scott for Moda.
 Postage Stamp Block Layout Pieces Ironed on to the Interfacing To start off with you layout all your 1.5inch blocks on interfacing (mine is a different size to Elizabeth’s because I needed a 12.5 inch unfinished block). Then when the pieces are secured to your interfacing you start sewing along the vertical lines.
 Postage Stamp Block Rows Stitched Together in One Direction Then there’s a whole lot of cutting and ironing of seams and you do the same in the opposite direction. It’s a method I would do again, though I am not sure how patient I would be if I had to do lots of blocks. This took me a few hours I’d say 2 on one night and one the next. I don’t know how painful it is to do the same block the ‘traditional’ way because I haven’t tried it that way, but I definitely don’t think my usual sewing skills would have this many points meeting nicely. Overall I was quite happy with the block, only one corner was a bit off the measure, so hopefully my block swap partner (Jen in PA) is happy with it!
 Postage Stamp Block Completed A few posts ago, I showed you sneak peeks of blocks I made for my December swap partner Natasha in Canada and my January Swap Partner Jody in CO, I think they should have those blocks by now, so here are the final blocks.
 December Block Completed for Natasha in Canada (Fancy Stripes) This block is the Fancy Stripes Block from Marcia Hohn’s Quilter’s Cache
 January Block for Jody in CO (Pinwheel Block 1 from PS I Quilt) This is block one from the Pinwheel Sampler Quiltalong by Rachel Griffin at PS I Quilt
Goodnight Stitchers, Where ever you are!
Posted by Q in Craftie Craft, Polymer Clay on March 25, 2012, at 6:22 pm
Comments on This Post are now closed! Thank you for entering and giving me your feedback 
I will be selecting a winner and posting the outcome when I get home from work tonight (2nd April 2012)
As promised since I reached my 100 post mark (yay!), and it was my birthday and I feel like sharing, I am hosting a giveaway.
I have lots of reasons in my life to celebrate:
it’s nearly a year since I met my lovely partner, who makes me smile everyday
I’m going to have a new niece (number 2!) in August
I have a new camera (still on charging for the first time – Samsung NX11)
Life in general is pretty damn good
So I’ll give someone out there a reason to celebrate too! 
I’m not a company, I’m not sponsored by anyone, I am doing this out of my own generosity, so my rules apply. Anyone who comments on this post will go in the running, you can tell your friends and you don’t have to be following my blog. I will chose a winner at random on Monday 2nd April at some point (Australian time).
You have a choice of the following 2 prizes (I don’t have them I will be ordering them when I find out who the winner is) – No other choices are available, I won’t give you cash instead of the prize and I won’t be expediting shipping if you live overseas.
Option A – 1 copy of Fresh Fabric Treats by Moda
 Fresh Fabric Treats by Moda Option B – 1 copy of Miniature Food Masterclass by Angie Scarr
 Miniature Food Masterclass by Angie Scarr So comment on this post and let me know the following:
1 – which book you would like to win AND
2- let me know your opinion on blogging about more than one interest (example – I am now also trying to work on my doll collection and building room boxes for the dolls, which do not have a lot to do with sewing, as a reader do you prefer the idea of seperate blogs for separate interests or one blog with both?) – I think I am doing one blog anyway, but I am curious about your opinion.
Giveaway Closes Midnight Sunday April 1st Australian Time.
Posted by Q in Craftie Craft, Quilting, Sewing, Softies - sewing on March 17, 2012, at 6:42 amSo this is my 100th blog post isn’t that exciting? I did allude to a giveaway a few posts ago and I am going to have one, but I am not quite organised just yet, so bear with me for a couple of posts and there will be a little partay where you could get something for free. Woo Hoo!
I forgot last post that I had made a friend of mine a softie and I hadn’t shown it to you yet. I didn’t want to post about it before, because I was worried that she might inadvertently see it here and then the surprise would be ruined. So here is the little dollie I made using the gorgeous pattern by Jhoanna Monte Aranez of One Red Robin, my copy was published in the magazine Dazzling Dolls by Express Publications.
 Babushka Beauty from Pattern by One Red Robin It was the first time I used some of the decorative stitches on my Brother Innovis 600, other than to try them out on some scraps! And incidentally also the first time I have machine stitched applique bits (the face and hood), I can be quite useless with curves and all that jazz. The blue floral fabric is Flowers in Sky from Dazzle by Melissa Averinos, the other two fabrics are from It’s a Hoot by Momo for Moda, Trims I picked up at Spotlight and an Op shop and the rest is felt.
I also have two sneak peeks I haven’t shown you from my Block Swap Adventures last month. These are ones that I sent to my swap partners, not sure if they have them yet, so I won’t post the full pictures until I am sure they have.
 December Sneak Peek sent to Natasha in Canada  January Sneak Peek sent to Jodi in CO, USA Today I will be working on my block for Jen in PA, but no sneak peeks just yet… as I haven’t started.
It’s 7:39 am here, I have had a horrendous cold for nearly a week now and have not slept that well, which is why I am up early writing this, rather than sleeping on a Saturday Morning!
Good Night Stitchers
Wherever you Are!
Posted by Q in Craftie Craft, Quilting, Sewing on March 31, 2011, at 7:36 pm
For some reason I want to add a mouse ran up to my knee… to the end of that. Why? I don’t know…
I’ve mentioned that I am participating in Swaps yes?! The first one I participated in is at Block Swap Adventure 12.5inch blocks are swapped each month, and you can sign up any time and will be included in the swap for the following month. I did that one last month and will continue to participate. This month I am going to make (as per my partner’s request) a single colour themed block that will eventually be part of a rainbow quilt. I like that idea and am looking forward to contributing something toward it.
The first one I actually signed up too, but the second one I participated in is being hosted by Cheryll at Gone Stitchin’. I completed my hot pad last night and posted it today, so it’s on it’s way to my mystery swap partner! This was different, because I don’t know who will be sending me a hot pad, and my partner doesn’t know that I have completed one for her. Here is a (bad) sneak peek of what I made. I quickly snapped a couple of photos this morning before I left for work, but didn’t inspect them properly and they were quite blurry…
 Pot Holder Sneak Peek for Lets Exchange Swap at Cheryll's Unfortunately the pot holder is not much better than the photo  ! I realised how dreadfully amateur my sewing is after looking around my mystery swap partner’s blog. I hope she doesn’t mind too much. I know I will get better as I go along… [Have you seen Finding Nemo?! there's a scene where they all sing... just keep swimming... just keep swimming... well I will just keep sewing] Cheryll is hosting another swap that will be posted about on her blog tomorrow, so go check it out, if you are looking to participate in one.
So after being a bit traumatised at the post office today about sending this gift away, what did I do? I signed up for another swap Nothing like shocking my fear into submission! But I really like little zippy pouches and purses and this swap is for that! So I couldn’t resist and went ahead and signed up for it. Sandy from Cookies and Cream Crafts is hosting this one and you can sign up for it until the 12th April.
 Zippy Purse Swap Hosted by Sandy at Cookies and Cream Craft I also added a scrappy border onto my Endless Summer Le Petite Project ( just in the nick of time!) The parade will be on the 1st April (US time) at Sinta and Sheri’s blogs. I really love how this turned out using the Sugar Pop Fabrics by Liz Scott for Moda, and I had a bit of scraps left over that were a similar width to the inner border requirements so I just stitched them together and used that for the inner border. I like the size of it now, so will not be adding a wider border.
 Endless Summer Centre Block  Endless Summer With Scrappy Border Added Take 1  Endless Summer With Scrappy Border Added Take 2 I am thinking of making the backing for this from something water proof so that I can use it as a picnic rug. Maybe all the colours will distract the ants for a while.
Realising that my blog should come with a warning (and I will be expanding on this, I have decided to put up some permanent signage). If you are not from Australia, these signs are of constant amusement to tourists in fact you can buy them as fridge magnets, tea towels, oven mitts, mouse mats almost anything in souvenir shops and even places locals shop.
 Koalas Next X Kilometres  Roos Next X Kilometres  Wombats Next X Kilometres My personal favourite is the little wombat. Actually, not so little and if you make them angry you had better watch out. I think they are cute anyhow. So there are similar signs that people stick in their car windows. I think it’s supposed to help us drive better when we realise that there is a little person in their car. It’s supposed to be a warning to hooligans.
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 Baby on Board Warning Sign So you get the idea right, it’s shaped like a road sign, and it warns people.
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I thought I needn’t go all scary with the yellow and black, it’s only a blog right? but I do think you need to be warned so here is mine…
 Dummy Quilter on Blog I will be adding a page, explaining and warning others not to do the dummy quilting things I do!
So I don’t (well I have once or twice, but I didn’t last night) do Friday night sew ins, because unlike most of you, I need to be in bed and sleeping by some early hour I won’t mention, because I am embarrassed about having no energy to even sew. I did get some stitching done today though.
First up, I would like to show you (well I actually did do this on Friday night … part of it anyway) my very first hexagon flower! I know, I know… not another person doing hexies! Well I wanted to try and when I read about using the new Sewline Glue Pen (in Vignette Issue 2) instead of tacking, I grabbed my Sewline pen and my Hexagon pieces and gave it a go. My first attempt failed didn’t succeed as well as I would have liked. I had some directional pieces as the petal hexagons and when I was done sewing, they made no sense, so I unpicked 3 of them last night and restitched them, so they do make sense.
 My First 1inch Hexie Paper Pieced Flower This morning I followed the well written instructions in the Endless Summer pattern and completed sewing block 1 (or star 1).
 Endless Summer Star Block 1 using Sugar Pop Charm Squares by Liz Scott for Moda I continued chain piecing the rest , I just did the first one step by step to make sure I got it. Later in the day I felt like I needed a break and heard my brother and his wife talk about going to a national park close by, so I chucked some stitching into a bag and headed off with them to the national park. My parents and the family puppy Peppa joined us. I stitched a bit lying on the grass, it was a really nice Autumn day, not to hot and perfect in the shade. Wouldn’t you like to be sitting on the grass stitching, right here?
 Tall Gum Tree at Picnic Spot in Belair National Park In addition there was my favourite person in the whole world.
 Charlotte at Belair National Park I know one pic of her, is just not enough, so here are two more.
 Charlotte  Charlotte And did I mention the family puppy?! Peppa is an English Staffordshire Terrier and is about 3 years old ( I think). My parents adopted her from a breeder, she was a breeding mummy, but had problems after her first litter. My parents got her soon after their last dog passed away. Sindy was the first Staffie we had had and after her, can’t even think about other breeds. They are both the kindest gentlest doggies ever. Peppa is a bit easier to photograph, Sindy was petrified of cameras, so it’s fun to be able to take nice photos of Peppa. She is very attached to my dad so didn’t hang out with me for too long but I snapped this while she was sitting with me.
 Peppa She looks like she could be mean, but she is the biggest softie you could meet.
That was the break I needed from my machine and when I got back home I went straight back to getting Endless Summer sorted out. Whilst ironing the blocks after completion, I noticed one error and then went on with my life… only to pick it up again and consider unpicking it and re-stitching the block. I ironed a couple more blocks and decided that because I had the patience and wasn’t feeling too uptight about my mistake I would re-stitch it.
So I took it apart and then started to re-position only to realise that the block I had just unpicked, was in actual fact not wrong but right… I had picked up the wrong block to unpick. (Hence my dummy quilter on blog warning sign) So I unpicked the right wrong block (I had to write that sorry  ) and stitched them both back together (correctly)
 The Correct Endless Summer Block, Accidentally Unpicked doh! I finished all the nine star blocks, and have now started to add the sashing, but because the Dummy Quilter on Blog idea was going around in my head, I had to play on the puter a bit first. Here are the blocks, in pattern order sans sashing. I think I should finish the top tomorrow, which gives me just over a week to quilt it for the parade. The last 2 months I just sent pics of the top, but I would like to have this quilted before I send my photo to Sherri and Sinta.
 Endless Summer Blocks Laid Out in Pattern Order So an awesome Saturday stitching and playing. Hope yours was awesome too!
Posted by Q in Craftie Craft, Generic Ramblings, Quilting on March 17, 2011, at 8:24 pm
I received my Endless Summer pattern on Tuesday from Quilt Taffy which was marvellous, since it gives me plenty of time to get this month’s Le Petite project completed. It was my birthday on Friday last week [unfortunately the day of the Earthquake ], it was also a public holiday on Monday here in South Australia, so I had a long weekend. I pretty much got sent to craft heaven for my birthday. My mum had ordered, (and I already received), the Lecien Basics Fat Quarters I need for the Vignette Mystery Quilt, she also ordered the Sweet Broderie Fat Quarters and the Cosmo threads, they were posted on the 10th March and should arrive in Australia soon from the States.
 Lecien Basics for Vignette A close family friend got me a voucher at Spotlight (my local craft department store), which I got the supplies I needed for the Sleepy Sheep Cot Quilt I am going to make for my niece, some stash fabric, a container to store embroidery floss and a yoyo maker. My cousin and his wife slipped some cash into a card, which went toward a free motion quilting class I am attending in June with Rachel Denneny at Patchwork by Sea (my local patchwork store). My brother ordered this for me from Quilt Fabric Delights (another local quilt store)
 Pieces of Me by Janelle Wind He also ordered 5-10-15+ Fat Quarters by Leanne Stauffer and Elisa Sims Albury and The Practical Guide to Patchwork: New Basics for the Modern Quiltmaker by Elizabeth Hartman, they will be delivered later as were ordered from sellers abroad; and he got me a gift voucher for The Fat Quarter Shop which will also be delivered later. I was waiting to get paid (today) so that I could take advantage of the 20% off offer at the Fat Quarter Shop detailed in this post (also still time for you to sign up for a giveaway!) at Spun Sugar Quilts, but then I got an email about a sale at Pink Chalk Fabrics last night, with some crazy specials on fabric I adore, so I got myself 7 yards in total, including 10 Fat Quarters from Chrysalis, 2 yards of 2 different Sweet Broderie Fabrics and half yards on some other yummies.
So soon Mr Postman, will be bringing me 2 new books, 7 yards of fabric and a gift voucher so I can buy even more fabric! It will feel like my birthday for ages
Erm, so yeah I was supposed to be talking about Endless Summer?! after getting the pattern on Tuesday I decided that I would use my Sugar Pop charm packs (I was saving them for a Moda Bakeshop project, but will buy some others for that project instead.) and cut them out. I had to have some medical tests done on Tuesday, the line to get them done was horrendous and I wandered over to my local Janome dealer centre I had never been in there and didn’t even realise that they sold fabrics! My little niece (who is 20 months old) loves Spot and reads Spot books before bedtime most nights with either her mum or dad. She knows all the books by heart already but isn’t able to say Spot properly, so in our house his name is Fot. So when I saw this Fot’s Favourite Colours Panel in the Janome store I just had to buy it!
 "Fot's" Favourite Colours(sic) Panel I will be cutting it up and making a little fabric book.
Oh yeah.. Endless Summer, so I cut all the bits out, I am always surprised at how teeny the piles of pieces look for Le Petite Projects, it never looks enough for a project even at a small size. Here are the pieces cut out (without the background and sashing fabric)
 Sugar Pop Charm Squares by Liz Scott for Moda cut for Endless Summer pattern by Pam Buda I assumed I would start piecing when I got home from work on Wednesday but I was again a bit flat and spent the night in front of the telly in bed (I did make my very first hexie flower but I am going to unpick part of it, so will show and tell about that another day). Instead I started sewing Endless Summer tonight. I did all the half square triangles and started on my first star block, then I ran out of bobbin thread (and patience) after realising that I was going to need a bit more brain power than I have left in reserve for the day to continue. So I put it aside and will continue over the weekend, when I have all my faculties at my disposal.
 Bits of the first Endless Summer Star Block waiting to be put together
Posted by Q in Craftie Craft, Quilting on March 12, 2011, at 11:22 am
I didn’t get a chance to post this last week about sewing achievements, but I did actually achieve something. I think I mentioned that I had basted and pinned Mon Ami on Monday night and started the quilting. Well I didn’t finish it on Monday as anticipated I was just so tired when I got home from work, that sewing was not going to be part of my evening.
 Mon Ami Schnibble Quilt using Plume by Tula Pink for Moda Basted I did quite a lot of quilting on Tuesday night, but didn’t quite get to finishing it all. Wednesday night, I got it all quilted. I stitched around the stars, did a serpentine stitch on the inner background border , stitched around the peaks and valleys on the half square triangles and straight line stitched about 5/8th of an inch apart on the outer borders.
I then made some pretty pink binding using my 1inch Clover Bias maker and bound it by machine. I wasn’t up to doing it by hand and I could nearly taste the satisfaction of completing it. I attached the binding to the back first, then folded to the front and used a decorative stitch to attach to the front. I am admittedly not very good at this, but I will only get better the more I do it, so I am quite happy with it.
Some problems with my quilting.
- I still find my tension a bit strange and inconsistent at times and am not sure what to do about that
- my machine has a handy quilting guide attachment for equidistant straight line quilting, but it doesn’t attach when the walking foot is on, only the standard foot. So the straight line quilting kind of bunched a little at the end of the lines
So this is the second quilt top I got finished so far this month!
 Mon Ami Schnibble Quilt using Plume by Tula Pink for Moda Backed and Bound  Mon Ami Schnibble Quilt using Plume by Tula Pink for Moda Hanging Up  Mon Ami Schnibble Quilt using Plume by Tula Pink for Moda draped I gifted this one to my mum as well.
Quilt Details:
Pattern – Mon Ami Schnibble designed by Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosies Quilt Co
Completed as part of Le Petite for January 2011 – Hosted by Sinta Renee at Pink Pincushion and Sherri at A Quilting Life
Parade of other completed Quilts for Le Petite Here and Here, I highly recommend having a look, it’s so wonderful to see the same pattern in so many different colour, fabric and even size variations!
Posted by Q in Craftie Craft, Quilting on March 5, 2011, at 7:10 pm
I decided that this month, I needed to actually do some quilting and binding as opposed to piecing tops and declaring them completed. I also quite often decide things and then unbeknowst to me my evil twin takes over and undecides said things for me.
Instead of buying stash fabrics this pay for pretty piecing and cutting up into smaller pieces, to make blocks or toys, I bought larger pieces of uncut fabrics, pretty no doubt but meant for backings and bindings instead. The first quilting project I attempted after my 18month hiatus from quilting class and first quilt top being kinda sorta pieced, I think, was this one.
It’s a beautiful project on a teeny scale and the tutorial is available at Moda Bake Shop , as of course are a lot of projects I do or am interested in doing. The little squares are 1inch but Sheryl Johnson of Temecula Quilt Co, who wrote the tutorial has some ingenious little methods of working with slightly larger pieces than that most of the time. You can read about how I did with the beginning stuff here .
I had stitched the quilt top together ( a total disaster by the way) how can you go wrong with 9 patches Q? Well I did… almost none of it is square, it’s more like a 9 patch parallelogram or maybe a crazy 9 patch? I dunno, it’s terrible, I hated it and didn’t want to touch it ever again. But then I also would not be able to tick it off the list would I? It would be a UFO forever…
I thought I would feel better if I took the plunge again and tried to finish it.
I had started hand quilting (oh yeah, I had basted it at some point…) 3 of the larger rectangular bits (there are 4) and then stopped there. Today I completed machine quilting and the rest of the hand quilting – you can’t really see it though (Note – if you spend time killing your poor little finger and sticking a little needle through layers of fabric and batting and sometimes the skin on said finger – make it so you can see it?! )
and then I used my new fangled Clover bias binder maker 25mm to make binding (not bias though straight grain), and I attached it entirely by machine, blasphemy you say? Well I mentioned my poor little finger right? and the rest of it sucked so how bad could it be with machine attached binding.
So here is the front: I used Symphony Fabric Collection designed by Sentimental Studios for Moda ( a charm pack) and some plain cream or beige homespun. The backing is something from my stash I don’t have an identification for and the binding fabric is from Art Gallery Fabrics, but I forget the name.
 1800s Vintage Doll Quilt Completed I wasn’t going to show this, but since part of what I am doing is learning as I go, you get to see all the horrors too. (boo hiss!)
And this is the back.
 1800s Vintage Doll Quilt Quilt Rear Now… before I change my mind and delete this post, I am going to run away.
Or maybe even inside out
I chain pieced the second background squares to my flying geese units for the next 2 blocks in my Amy Butler High Flying Geese Project, and realised when I turned on the iron and got ready to press them open, that I stitched them on the wrong side. Yes chain pieced… 16 of them.
So I spent last night (when I would rather be making) unmaking… and to spare myself I decided to draw diagonal lines on some more of the loads of background squares I have left to stitch to other flying geese units.
 Unpicked Flying Geese Units Those are the squares that I _have_ drawn stitching lines on, still have some to go. At least I didn’t get that wrong!
Anyway to lighten up this post, here is my last fabric purchase at an awesome price of $7AUD/metre actually in Australia (and Suth Australia yay for me!) from Patchwork Online in McLaren Flat. I also grabbed some freezer paper and a pattern.
 Freebird Collection by Momo for Moda I think I have a bit of a Momo crush actually – see my previous posts with the Dresden Plate project using It’s a Hoot.
Posted by Q in Craftie Craft, Quilting on February 18, 2011, at 6:02 pm
I am so happy with how this project turned out!
Kim provide excellented instructions and the Fabrics are just awesome!, It’s going to hang like this against my book shelf, but I couldn’t take a picture there because it’s in an akward spot in my room. Now it needs to be quilted and bound and will be done
 Its a Hoot Fabric in Dresden Table Runner Top
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Blurbie Thing Hi, I'm Quanita, Q for short and this is my space... Qspace
30-something - IT Geek - totally neurotic - In an wonderful relationship with a cool cable guy - Aunty to Charlotte Rose (and another niece coming in August 2012!) - introverted extrovert - Gen X - Arty Crafty
Welcome and enjoy your stay!
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