A Blog Giveaway

This blog is quiet - mainly because I have started another one.  My I Spy Quilt blog is giving away free fat quarters, so you better hurry over and leave a comment!

http://ispyquilts.blogspot.com/2011/11/time-for-give-away.html

Dinosaur Uproar

I made this quilt top last weekend while I was waiting for my new walking foot to arrive. I used the last of my Moda Dinosaur Uproar fabric and added some green with a leafy print .... in case the dinosaurs got hungry. The pattern is a nice easy one called Baby Bali.

Green and White Randoms Quilt

Playing Games with Random Orphans

I've been unhappy with the amount of random orphan blocks in my sewing
room. My stash is under control, especially now that I don't buy
backing fabric but use ugly fat quarters instead. But it seems as if
every container I open there are more blocks that don't belong to any
project. Sometimes I think, so that's where they are; but more often
it's, what was I thinking when I made those?

I have been rounding these randoms up into a big box labeled Coulda
Beens. Every now and then I tip them out but there doesn't seem to be
anyway to get them to cooperate.

I decided just to start somewhere. I had a stack of 9 patch blocks from
an online swap with a food theme. I added some Cobblestone 9 patch blocks
from another swap and a few other blocks that all finished as 6 inch.
Then I googled 'settings for 9 patch blocks' and found a picture that
used flying geese sashing strips. Green was in most of the randoms, so
I found some ugly green in my stash from an abandoned mystery quilt and
a off white end of bolt special. I was on my way.

My only working sewing machine in the last twelve months was my 1950s
Singer featherweight so I decide to use Quilt As You Go so I could make
the whole quilt on my little machine. Found more (ugly) greens for the
back and made the back chequerboard. QAYG was really good, so nice to
finish the top and have the whole quilt done.

It was quite hard to give this one away but it went to the ABC radio winter blanket appeal.
I hope all the randoms are happy at their new home.

Queensland Flood Auction Quilt

I Spy a Baby Quilt

from Two Bits Patches

This I Spy baby quilt is being auctioned on behalf of the Queensland Flood Appeal. The quilt measures 63 x 85 cm (25 x 32 inches) so it's just right for baby's cot or in the pram on chilly mornings. The 100% cotton fabric features lots of animals - cats and cows, fish and frogs, kangaroos and cockatoos. The quilt is machine pieced and quilted, and machine washable. Retail value is $80.

Here's how the auction works: The bidding starts at $A10. Leave a comment on the blog with the amount of your bid. It makes sense to bid higher than the previous post. You'll need to leave an email address so you can be contacted, too.

The auction finishes on Monday 24th January at midnight Australian Eastern Daylight time. The highest bidder is the winner.

The winner then sends the amount of their winning bid to the Premier's Flood Appeal. Email me with your receipt number and I will post the quilt straight to your home. I will pay postage to anyware in Australia; if posting overseas I will get a quote for postage and we'll split the amount 50/50.

There are many, many more auctions: you can find the whole list here.

I Spy The Talking Quilt

I bought a stack of old quilt magazines at a secondhand book sale a few weeks ago. I was browsing through 'Country Quilts - Fall 1995' when I came across an article on 'The Talking Quilt'. It was an I Spy quilt made with 98 different novelty print charm squares. The author made square in a square blocks with each charm square, sashed with navy blue, and put the blocks on point with a wide border. It looked very nice, but the best part of the article was two pages of ideas for using charm squares. Eureka, I said, just what I need for the market stall this week; I'll photocopy the pages and give them to customers when they buy a pack of charm squares.

Then I thought a little more; instead of photocopying the pages, I'll make the blocks and add them to my display. I used 6.5 inch charm squares that I sell at Two Bits Patches and made them up to 12 inch blocks. Here's the six blocks that I made - and I haven't used up all the suggestions yet.

Cobblestones / 9 patch

Log Cabin / Pieced Star

Square in a Square / Antique Tile.

Do you have a favourite pattern for a child's quilt? I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Two Bits Goes Live

I've been selling fabric online for nearly 5 years now. I started on eBay and moved to the Australian Oztion site. Two and a half years ago I took the plunge and launched my own website designed by Christine Abela from Gecko Gully. I enjoy selling almost as much as sewing; I get to buy heaps of fabric, sort it by colour and design and post it all over Australia. It's still just a hobby but I hope that my baby business will grow and help to keep me in retirement.

Up until now my online commerce and my real life quilting companions have existed in parallel universes. Only one friend in my patchwork group knows I have an online shop. I'm not too sure why I have kept quiet about my online presence, but that's how it is.

However, that will all change on Thursday week. I have applied to have a stall at the Sale Country Women's Association Craft Exhibition and Two Bits Patches will be coming out of the (fabric) closet.

I'm excited about my first market but also a little nervous. Will I have enough stock to make a good display? Will I have too much? Will I sell anything? Will I bring the things that people want to buy? Will my friends laugh at me? Of course not, but you never know...

I have been told by the CWA organisers that every one is looking forward to seeing what I bring. Wish me luck!

Hawaiian Applique 101

I'm actually learning something new. I've always wanted to try needle turn applique but was convinced that it would be too hard and the end result would be a disappointment. However I bravely enrolled myself in Quilt University's Hawaiian applique course to see if I could get the basics.

So far so good. As you can see I've cut out the breadfruit pattern and it is now basted to the background. Next week is the needleturn, the tutor says that's easy too, I certainly hope so!