Chasing Cottons

Sewing Lessons Learned...

2012-02-01T21:28:00.000+11:00

Is something wrong with this picture???

I was so excited that I had finished my very first topsy turvy Wee wonderfuls doll ... I ran to show my hubby... and his first response....

"She either needs a TRIM? or a WAX!!!!"

AHHHHHHHHHHH....... so true!!!!!!!!!!... Sometimes ~~nearly always~~ we try and add our own little flair to a project to later find out there was a reason the original doll was supposed to have buns in her hair!

After a little thought... i decided it was a MUST to attach her pigtails to her head for fear of someone thinking the unthinkable!

Lesson Learned: Sometimes you really SHOULD follow the pattern.

#2.... Why did i choose dark brown hair?? The pattern specifically called for a light coloured wool. But no... i wanted brown didn't I... Well what do you get??

Greys!! Wiry Grey Hairs on my sweet little doll.

Lesson Learned... Stick to lighter coloured wool when making hair for your dolly.

#3.. In the Wee Wonderful Book she says to stuff the body firm. So i really did stuff her firm. I'm actually surprised the seams haven't popped! But there is a difference between firm and rock hard.

Well, mine is rock hard and now that she is made... some of the stuffing imperfections have become a little obvious!... Poor darling. She has a bad case of the double chin...

Lesson Learned.. Stuff Firm but not too much and check the visible spots, like the face for imperfections before you have finished!

Good thing our children are so little and innocent. Indi never even noticed anything wrong with her dolly.

Lucky for me... She thinks shes just perfect...... PHEW!!

I was thinking too, if i was going to make another one of these dolls, I think I would make the doll the same girl. But, one side make her sleeping... and the other side make her awake?? The awake dolly can have play clothes and the sleeping dolly have PJ's?? .......maybe one day!

Its funny how we venture out and make something totally new every once in a while. Come to think of it... We really learn little sewing lessons with each project we make. My first quilt is full of em!! Mistakes that is and I'm still learning..... You would think after making this little sunshine I would stick to quilts...??
Nah.. I'm off to tackle an Amy Butler bag next. I have NEVER made a bag before... so wish me luck!!

I Love Fashionable Fabrics!!

2012-01-25T22:02:00.000+11:00

I told you the other day that I am super keen to get started on making some boyish projects. I have been flicking through some of my fav books for ideas and have written a list....

Have To Make Projects!!

A couple Baby Quilts (of course)

Some simple two sided blankets..Flannel and Cotton

Bibs and booties

A sleeping sack velcro pouch thing

An Amy Butler Cosmo Bag made out of Anna Maria Horner's Velveteen... bit excited!

Maybe some baby clothes, toys, bunting, change mat etc etc.

AND,

For all these New Projects... I needed to go Shopping.....

At...

Normally when I buy fabric, I buy a Co ordinating Fabric bundle that i just have to have and then I usually try to stock up on a few basics like Kona Solids, Dots, and Stripes. I rarely, in fact, i dont know if i have ever bought a yard or so of a cute print just because i liked it. So this was a fun shopping spree for me. A little out of my comfort zone. Hunting for a few cute prints that i could have as my feature fabric and then find fabric from my stash to compliment.

I fell in love with each of these...

Left to Right

Boys will be Boys Toss on Red by David Walker

Zoology in Sea by Michael Miller Fabrics

Pooches and Pickups Small Trucks in Summer by Laurie Wisbrun

Boys will be Boys Toss by David Walker

Half Moon Modern Chevron in Steel by Moda

Meet the Gang in Bird Lattice on red by Andover Fabrics

Outfoxed Tufts in Outwitted yellow by Lizzy House

Outfoxed Hedgehogs in Outwitted yellow by Lizzy House

If I was really organised I would of had a good look through my stash and tried to find feature fabrics that would match... but, where is the fun in that??? I just found what i liked and hoped for the best... and had some luck!!

These Lizzy House fabrics matched really well with some Konas I had... and... the Michael Miller Dumb Dot. I'm thinking of making this bundle into a Baby Chevron Quilt... Kinda Like my Quilt Class Quilt, only i dont think i'll seperate the colours with white this time....?

I really liked these little birds (Meet the Gang).. and the Metro Living Circles I have in Pewter and Grey work well I think.

I'm not normally a zoo animal type person but i think for a baby... you cant go wrong with at least one fabric that has animals to point to.

This one i think im going to use for the Baby Sleeping bag pouch thingy...

Maybe these for a reversable wrap?

Oh, and i had to add in a Little Apples charm pack by Annela Hoey!!

So, thats my plan for now....

But I'm good at changing my mind half way through and doing something totally different. So, we'll see!

AND.... If you come across any Great New Boy Fabric that you love??.... Let me know... Im still on the hunt!!
Bec xx

Eye Candy!!

2012-01-17T22:25:00.000+11:00

A little while ago, I went to the Sydney Quilt and Craft market and I came across this.............. pile of loveliness!!!

Every now and then you find a shop that just speaks your name. And for me...this is it!!

Miss Rose Sister Violet.

I first discovered her store a few months back and have been in love ever since. Lucky for us she has a blog and an online shop coming soon!!! You can find her shop HERE and her Blog HERE.

I had of course been on the lookout for more Quilt fabric..

but i just couldn't resist the lace, and Diamond buttons...

the Velvet ribbons,

and trims..

Gorgeous pin cushions,

the wall holding thingy, and flowers...

You may remember... i used some of this to make my laptop sleeve...??

and... i have recently made a Sewing machine cover that ill share with you soon...

Hope you have been busy sewing!! I have!! I have been working on one quilt...however, most of my time has been spent hemming my Sisters Wedding Dress....Yikes!! She gets married on the

11th of February..

and we couldn't be more excited!

It's going to be AMAZING!! And Of course you will have a front row seats via pictures!... I cant wait!! xx

FFA3 Finished Quilt

2012-01-07T10:01:00.000+11:00

....I'm BACK!!!

The last few months i have had absolutely no desire to do anything....and sewing was definitely at the end of the list. I was a bit nervous that this feeling was the new me? When it came to sewing.. I would sit at the machine and wonder... What did i find so enjoyable about this?? Why do i like cutting up fabric and sewing it back together? Writing Patterns...Yuck!? But with a New Year here, my health is 80% back...(no spewing thankfully, just tired) i am sooo pleased to say that the horrible feeling is GONE.... and I'm ready to go.

New Projects??

Yep!! I have a massively long list. I have spent the last few days scouring the net trying to find out whats new? Can you believe i haven't even been interested in fabric? I had no idea what was getting released and what was coming soon... But thanks to my Fav Shops/Sponsors and their "new arrivals" and "coming soon" sections... I'm totally up to date. I've got my orders written and ready to go.

Before I share what my new projects are going to be... I had this little gem waiting to show you... My FFA3 Quilt for Baby Coco.

As you know, Its no secret that i Love Heather Ross. I love her cute designs and her choice of colours.. they are instantly recognisable as hers. But i think my favourite thing about her fabric is the actual cloth that she prints on. Weird?? i know!! She doesn't print on the standard Quilting Cotton. Its always slightly different. It has a texture, a natural colour...not a bleached white. Sometimes its a cotton/canvas fabric. Sometimes like a linen. This range was listed as a quilting cotton but some of the fabrics were like a really light weight linen. They were just beautiful.

So this was a really fun, quick baby quilt to sew.

Even though i don't make many strip quilts, i really have a thing for them. I think they showcase the fabrics perfectly. They're modern. They're easy. They don't waste fabric. They comes together really fast. They're perfect for straight line quilting, i really should make more!

For this quilt I couldn't cut up the pictures so i decided to make a feature of them.. I wanted them to kinda look like kids building blocks stacked on top of each other.

For the backing fabric i used this Essex Linen/Cotton fabric

One thing I'm hoping to do this year is find some cute labels. I really want a satin type label that you cut up and fold over and i can sew it into the binding.. I just want it just to say 'Chasing Cottons' so if any of you out there know of a good label place... Please send me some details.. I'm left either not labelling.. or doing this..

So needless to say.. I'm back. I'm feeling great and I'm excited about the year ahead.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday with your families and

Happy New Year!!

xx Love Bec xx

Christmas Festivities....

2011-12-23T21:18:00.000+11:00

Its been a fun month here in the Johnson house...

We LOVE Christmas in this house!!!

We love Christmas Baking, Christmas Sewing, Christmas lights, Christmas Decorating, Christmas Pressies, Christmas Shopping, Christmas Parties, and at the moment.. I LOVE Christmas RESTS!! I've been really tired but slowly able to keep up and pretend i feel 100%.

It was fun to make these little treats for our friends and teachers... They are super cute, super easy... little pudding look a likes...I saw a few pop up around the place over the net and the kids and I had to give em a go.
(Arnotts Royals Biscuits, White choc melts, Red M&M's and some chopped mint leaves... EASY!)

I had a little time for some Christmas Sewing..... A pressie for Trav's Nan....

The only thing is... now that its all finished... I wish i was keeping it....

It's all about the 'GIVING'....Right??!!

AND this year we snuck out to the Hunter Valley Garden Christmas Lights. Yes, we are all rugged up.... I cant believe we live in Hot Australia and its been 18 Degrees and raining almost everyday....

Most people hope and pray for Snow at Christmas... Well, we would like a little sunshine! Bring back the 38 degree days... PLEASE!!

I hope you have been able to enjoy this amazing season and are looking forward to the coming days and festivities ahead.
Thank you for being some of my closest and understanding friends. Thank you for all of your well wishes for my coming arrival... and for all of you dying to know what flavour??.... its a Blue one! We're really excited to welcome baby number 4 into our family... Still have a little while to go yet though! Which is good.. I've got lots of Baby Sewing to do.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and take a little time to remember the birth of our Saviour and what he did for us...

Have a Very Merry Christmas Everyone....

Much love,

Be the first in the world to......

2011-11-23T21:01:00.000+11:00

.........get your hands on this AMAZING FABRIC!!!!

Saffron Craig is having a GIVEAWAY on her blog HERE, You can enter and win THIS!!

Saffron Craig's new Magical Lands is on it's way to Australia, The range consists of six designs and it's a mix of her favourite fabrics including a new version of her Dandelions, delicate but still with a bold natural feeling to it.
The amazing pinks and oranges with a touch of yellow in the Magical Lands are so festive yet so much fun and definitely a bit different from what else is out there.
Saffron is offering a generous giveaway but you only have until Friday night to enter. You could be the first in the world to win this bundle of fabric.
I cant wait for it to arrive it has got my creative juices flowing.

Quick, Pop over to Saffron's blog HERE to enter.

Wanna Buy A Quilt???

2011-11-17T21:02:00.000+11:00

WOW!!! DO i ever feel like i was sucked into a black hole time warp. According to me... It still feels like the beginning of September, not approaching DECEMBER!! I am SOOOO glad though, that the time has passed and I'm slowly emerging out of my bed and having a couple hours a day feeling nearly normal.

Our Baby number four is on its way. And as horrible as the last few months have been, it has actually eased a few months earlier this time. Thankfully!! And Thankfully i have such wonderful blog friends..... Thank you ALL so much for all your supportive emails and words of strength and encouragement. It was so nice hearing from each of you as i had just enough strength to read emails from my phone.

SO,... What has everyone been up to?? I have missed you!!

I hope your busy into your Christmas making!! I still haven't got the strength to sit up at my sewing machine just yet... but i have saved lots of pictures and written my To Do list for when I'm ready!!

I have an early Christmas surprise for you... I have decided to sell some of my favourite Quilts! As much as i love having them displayed in my sewing room... I am hoping they can go to a new home to be cherished and loved. I am selling four of my Quilts...First up...

Birds Of Paradise Quilt

You can find the Etsy listing and Quilt Details

HERE

Next,

Eden's Garden Quilt

Etsy Listing and Quilt Details

HERE

Third, the famous.....

Quilt Class Quilt

Etsy Listing and Quilt Details

HERE

and fourth, a Favourite I've been hoarding... A baby/kids Quilt

Brown Bear, Brown Bear...What do you see??

Etsy Listing and Quilt Details

HERE

Thank you again for all your support, love and kindness over this past year of blogging!! I don't know what i would do without you!! xx

2011-10-18T23:20:00.000+11:00

Hello Quilt & Sewing Addicts,

I guess from the introduction you can tell this blog post is not from Bec..... Hi its her husband Trav and I've decided without her knowledge to do a blog post for her as she has been unable to herself and is consistently worried about neglecting her online friends.

As you may or may not know Becci is 8 weeks pregnant and we are full of excitement, trepidation, gratitude and faith. It is for this very reason that she has not been able to blog as she has been very ill with morning sickness. Now traditionally most women suffer from some form of nausea during pregnancy. So when someone says to me " How's Bec?" and I say "She's pretty sick with morning sickness" I always get a response like:

"Oh yeah I remember what that was like for me, I used to feel sick in the mornings when I was on my way to work, or the gym, out at the shops or doing the washing it was so annoying."

Well I thought I'd take the opportunity to set the record straight and whinge on Bec's behalf. This is no normal morning sickness. I would imagine that maybe only 10% of women who get pregnant actually feel this sick. And I like to think since this is the fourth time around I'm a bit of an expert in determining the difference between morning sickness and what I call:

"24/7 - 24 week - Throw up Marathon"

If you can answer yes to the following 11 questions you might graduate for this exclusive club:

1. Does your nausea last all day and no matter what you take it can never be suppressed??
2. During the night is your nausea and the need to throw up waiting for as soon as you wake up like a stalker who's been watching you sleep??
3. Do you throw up at least once every hour while you're awake??
4. Do you continually crave Carbs even though the natropath you're trying this time around forbids you from eating them and prescribes everything that makes you gag to be a part of your daily diet??
5. Does motion of any kind ( Even rolling from one side to the other in bed or on the lounge because you're numb ) intensify your nausea 10 fold.
6. Have you ever answered a knock at the door to a dear friend and found yourself Standing, leaning, sliding down the door frame and then laying on the floor to keep the nausea at bay while you talk because otherwise you'll throw up on the front door mat??
7. A Continuation of question 6...... Does having your body at an angle greater than 45 degrees cause you to throw up??
8. Do you have to eat at exact the right time to appease the ravenous crazy beast that is your stomach otherwise it turns on you and no matter what you eat after you've missed your window of opportunity is literally thrown back immediately??
9. Has the only exercise you've had over a period of three weeks been walking to the shower once a day??
10. Have you ever been stuck at home for a period longer than 3 weeks??
11. When someone says to you 4 year old daughter "What did mummy do today?" Did she respond in this manner?? "Mummy just lays really still all day and moans: I'M SOOO SICK!!

If you were able to answer these questions affirmatively then you qualify ..........
YOU POOR WOMAN!!!

Basically the real distinction between morning sickness and what Bec gets is that if you can manage to do all the things you'd normally do and just feel a little off then it's morning sickness.
If you find yourself completely debilitated and your life as you know it ceases for a period of nearly 6 months like a cruel time warp..... Then you'll know how Becci feels.

Seriously though hang in there for her. After the first month hits like a ton of bricks she can normally adjust and muster up the strength to get back to some of the things she loves.

Ahhhh.......The natural process of pregnancy and child birth.......

Not long now girls....... I'm sure you'll hear from her soon.

PS..... On a side note. I've attempted in my new role as temporary mum to keep the house as well kept and orderly as it normally is........ the work NEVER stops!!!!!
I've been constantly cooking and cleaning and washing amidst working and then I wake up and it's all dirty again and everyone's hungry again. I have a HUGE appreciation for the work that mothers do. Any husband who thinks he makes up more than the 50% of the workload in his marriage should do there job for a week......... It'll set him straight.

Trav

Circle of Geese Block tutorial....

2011-10-05T21:18:00.000+11:00

Hey Everyone!! I have missed you... I have been FLAT out this week! Literally...!! Ill explain later...

But for today... I am so excited to Introduce Cara to you!! She is a super Mum! She has put an amazing Tute together for us... The Circle of Geese Block.. I have absolutely NO IDEA how to make this block so i jumped up and down when she said she would share this with us..... Thanks Cara... xx

Hello Chasing Cotton readers! I'm Cara from Me? A Mom? and I'm so honored Bec asked me to come over and teach you all a block.

Today I'm going to show you how to successfully sew a Circle of Geese block without hurling your scissors across the room or pulling out your hair. This is one of those blocks that can intimidate many but trust me when I say if I can do it, you can do it.

This is a paper-pieced block which means you stitch your fabric onto a piece of paper following the lines that are pre-printed on the paper. And it really is that easy once you get the knack of it. This block is a lot like learning how to ride a bike. It might be hard at first but, once you learn it, you wonder how you ever struggled.

The trickiest part of assembling this block, in my opinion, is that it involves lots of turning and flipping and folding back of fabric and paper pieces. It's easy to get confused and make mistakes so this tutorial has a ton of pictures.

This tutorial also involves some extra steps to help you avoid issues. As you get more comfortable with how to assemble the block, you can cut out some of the extra steps. Or you can throw caution to the wind and just skip them all together from the get go.

Okay, so let's get started.

First you need the template. I like to use this one. (Note: sometimes that link doesn't work for whatever reason. If that's the case for you, go to http://www.piecebynumber.com/and go to the freebie tab. Look under geometric and you'll see the circle of geese block.) When you print it out, make sure it's printing full scale and not being scaled down. I had to decrease my margins to get it to properly fit on one page. You'll need four copies for each block. Print out a few extras to have on hand.

Next, cut it out ALONG the dotted line. This will be the finished size of your block section and you'll use the edge of the paper as your trim line when you are finished, so cut it out neatly and accurately.

As you'll see, the sections of this template are numbered. Throughout this tutorial, I'll be referencing these pieces by their number (#1, #2, #3, etc).

Because you will eventually be tearing the paper off from the fabric, I highly recommend perforating the lines on the paper before you begin sewing. To do this, simply stitch along all the inside lines without thread in your needle. IMPORTANT: set your stitch length to the smallest setting so that your stitches -- or in this case, the holes -- are close together.

The other nice thing about perforating the lines in advance is that it's handy for when you need to fold back the paper along the lines. And in this tutorial, you'll be doing that a lot.

Okay, next step.

Cut out fabric for your background pieces and fabric for your goose triangle pieces. I find 3" x 5" is a good size; you can go smaller as you get more comfortable but I like to give myself room for error. The first few times you assemble this block, it's helpful to start with larger cuts of fabric. Most of my early mistakes involved using a piece that I swore was big enough but after sewing and turning it, it would be too short. Trust me when I say you'd rather have some fabric waste than the frustration of having to unpick a section because it ended up being a few millimeters short.

For my goose triangles.

If fabric waste is a concern, a 19" x 6" piece will fit all six background pieces.

Alright, now grab your paper template. You will use the numbers on the paper template as your guide for where to start and where to go next. We'll work in numerical order, so your first stitched line will be the line between #1 (goose triangle) and #2 (bkgd).
Take the fabric piece for your first goose triangle and lay it with the wrong side facing up (right side facing down). Place your template on top of the fabric with the words facing up.

Fold the paper template together at the line between #1 and #2 and -- using the edge created by the fold as a guide, trim the fabric to leave what will be a 1/2" seam allowance. (As you get better at this block and need less room for error, you can trim it to 1/4" instead.)

Now you are ready to position the fabric for #2. I know, I know, when are we going to start stitching, right? Hang with me. Place the background fabric (#2) right side facing up under the #1 fabric. Line them up as noted on the photo below and pin.

Let's stitch! Fold your paper flat again and stitch along the line between #1 and #2.

After you are finished stitching, fold the paper back again at the line between #1 and #2 and use the edge of the paper to trim the fabric to 1/4 inch seam allowance. Like I said, you can skip this step obviously if you initially trimmed to 1/4 inch seam allowance in the previous step.

Now turn the paper over and press your fabrics open.

Okay, now from here on out on this tutorial, my photos are going to show the pieces labeled so that you don't get confused. You don't have to do this at home, though I do find it helpful to write the numbers on the back of the paper.

Okay, now you're ready to move onto #3, a background piece. Place your sewn pieces right side down and fold your paper along the line between #3 and #1-#2. Go ahead and trim (leaving either 1/4" or 1/2").

Now you're ready to place and sew piece #3.

You can either slip piece #3 under the #1, #2 pieces or flip the block over and place piece #3 on top of pieces #1 and #2 (like in the picture below). Which ever way you pick, just be sure your fabrics are right sides together.

Stitch along the line between #3 and #1-#2. Turn paper over and press fabrics open.

Next you'll turn your paper over so the fabric is right side down. Fold back the paper along the line between #3 and #4. Continue to repeat the same previous steps of trimming, lining up the next fabric piece, pinning, folding the paper flat, stitching, and ironing the fabric open.

Are you getting the hang of it? Go ahead and finish up #5, #6, #7, #8 and #9 following the same steps as above. Just remember to go in sequential order.

Almost done! Time to trim. Use the paper as your guide and trim to the paper. If you are trimming paper off, you are trimming too much. (Sorry, I forgot to get a shot of what the block looks like on the back before trimming.)

When you are ready, carefully remove the paper. I find that it helps to start with removing #9 and working backwards (#8, #7, #6, etc.).

Once you have four sections completed, you are ready to arrange them and sew them together.Sew A to B and set aside. Sew C to D and set aside. Then sew AB to CD and you're done!

Ta-da! Aren't you fancy!!

Hopefully, I've been able to demystified the Circle of Geese block for you and you're not cursing my name right now. Happy sewing!! Feel free to come over to my blog and say hello!

Thanks sooooooooooooooooooo Much Cara!!! xx Mystery solved!! xx I hope you enjoyed her Tute... I did! xx

Quilt Class 101 - the Log Cabin

2011-09-29T08:13:00.000+10:00

Hey all! How are you doing? I'm Kaye from Miss Print and I'm here today with a little tutorial for her Quilt Class 101 series. I'm creating a traditional log cabin block - according to Bec I am the queen of log cabins...who knew?! Today we will be creating a 12" log cabin block (12.5" when unfinished) that has three ; I hope you guys all like this tutorial!

What you'll need:
3.5x3.5" piece of fabric for centre square - go ahead and fussy cut something really cute for this!
Scraps of fabric each 2" in width

All seams are 1/4"

Here are your strip measurements - remember each strip is 2" wide:
For inner ring (i.e. right next to the centre square): one 3.5", two 5", one 6.5"
For middle ring: one 6.5", two 8", one 9.5"
For outer ring: one 9.5", two 11", one 12.5"

The Inner Ring:

Starting with your 3.5" strip sew, rights sides together, to the top of the centre square. Press your seams open. I like to press my seams open when sewing log cabins because of the multitude of seams and intersections.

Next sew a 5" strip, right sides together to the right side, of your centre square. Press.

Sew the second 5" strip, right sides together, to the bottom of the centre square. Press.

Sew the 6.5" strips, right sides together, to the left side of the centre square. Press.

The Middle Ring:

Continue adding the strips for your middle ring, as above, working in a clockwise direction beginning with the top strip - this would be a 6.5" strip, then an 8" strip, then the second 8" strip, and finally the 9.5" strip. Remember to press after adding each strip.

The Outer Ring:

Just as with the previous step, continue to add the strips for your outer ring moving in a clockwise fashion beginning with the top strip - this would be the 9.5" strip, then the 11" strip, then the other 11" strip, and finally the 12.5" strip. Remember to press after adding each strip.

Look at that - you're done! If you like continue making more log cabins - 36 blocks sewn together in 6x6 block grid will form a 72x72" quilt which is just perfect for snuggling under!

Thanks so much to Bec for inviting me over today and to all of you for reading along here. I really hope that y'all enjoyed my tutorial and don't be afraid to stop on over to my blog and say hi!

Thanks so much Kaye.. She is the Queen of the log cabin!! I just LOVE her blog and her inspiration! She has made a couple cute tutorial variations of the log cabin HERE ..

and

for more Quilt Block Tutorials or Tutorials on How To Make A Quilt... You can Find them HERE...

I hope your enjoying the class!! xx

What am I working on...?

2011-09-24T17:26:00.001+10:00

........... Another Quilt Of course!!!

Using up my lovely little bundle of Heather Ross' FFAIII collection.

Quilt Class 101 - Friendship Star Block Tutorial

2011-09-21T15:26:00.000+10:00

First of all thanks to Bec for sharing her readers with us today! We love her creativity and we're excited to be a part of her great Quilt Class 101!!

Let me tell you a little about us. We are sisters, Heather and Megan, together we design quilt patterns and run our blog! In our patterns, found HERE, we like to use traditional piecing with modern fabrics and twists! We've also got a thing for applique :) We are constantly designing new patterns...we both admit that more nights than not it's how we fall asleep. Such is the life of fabric lovers, right??
Our blog is Quilt Story. About three times a week we feature YOU! That's right, we feature other blogger's finished quilts and the stories behind them. See HERE to learn more about being featured. We featured Bec's Sand Castle Quilt a while back :) Also every Tuesday we have a linky party called Fabric Tuesday, it is tons of fun where you can link your own fabric projects and see what other's are up to. Not to mention that Megan and I share our own projects on the site too!!!
We've got a block tutorial to share with you today, Friendship Star:

Cutting requirements

see image below

Solid background: two 4.25" x 4.25" squares for HST and four 3.5" x 3.5"

Contrasting pinwheel: two 4.25" x 4.25" squares for HST

Center: one 3.5" x 3.5"

HST (half-square triangle)

Draw a line from corner to corner on both solid background pieces.

Sew 1/4 inch on each side of the pencil line, then cut down the pencil line.

Square the HST's to 3.5"

Piece together in rows first, always using 1/4" seams

Then sew rows together!

Voila! One 9.5" x 9.5" finished block

Thanks for letting us share with you today!! Make sure to stop by and see us at Quilt Story. We've got more block tutorials and quilt tutorials to share!

Thanks so much Girls... I'm envying your fabric choices! I LOVE LOVE LOVE those bikes... and great Dots!! On a side note, Have any of you been following Madame Samm's Extravaganza over at Sew WE Quilt?? She is running a massive Wantobe Quilter Campaign and this Wednesday...(USA time not Aussie Time) I'm being featured! Pop over HERE and check it out... Make sure you enter the giveaways... she has a HUGE list of Amazing Giveaways!! xx

Sewing with Kids

2011-09-17T08:40:00.001+10:00

Making a Softie...
I have had this really cute Softie sitting in my cupboard waiting to make. I had told Indi it would be a project that 'she' could make.. so this week when we had a free day, she remembered and said she wanted to do some sewing... How could i say no to that!

As simple as they are... I have never made one before. I watched a Quick how to vid on Saffron's Blog, You can see it HERE... I took photos for you, of our progress so you will know in the future how to make one.. and.... I also like cute photos of Indi's pudgy hands.
Super easy and really fun with kids.

How to make a Softie...?

Cut out your softie panel on the dotted line.

With right sides together... Pin all around the edge.. Make sure they are lined up properly.

Sew on the outline of your softie, remember to leave an opening. As per Saffron instructions, we left the opening on the neck. Indi sat on my lap as we sewed this part. I did the pedal and she lifted the foot, turned the puppy and put the foot down. Got her hands in place and guided the puppy through..

She did a pretty good job.. Maybe we have a quilter in the family!!
Clip on the drawn lines around the legs.

Turn your puppy in the right way and stuff!

We added a bell in ours!

Sew up your opening!

All the

way to

the bottom

finish it off..

Now... Pose!

and Your DONE!!

It was really fun.
I was surprised how good she did.. I think I've found her new day job..... sewing bindings!! I'm not the first to do child labour right??

It probably took us an hour and a half. If you were doing it yourself maybe 20 Mins? Saffron has some really cute Softies.. Dogs, Cats....

Owls and Koalas!

They are great for pressies or as holiday projects. You can buy them HERE....

Enjoy your Weekend! We're off to a Soccer Party! xx

Quilt Class 101 - Hexies - Part 2....

2011-09-14T18:38:00.000+10:00

Are you Ready to get your Hexie on?

1. new bag!!!, 2. Pillow Talk { Swap }...???, 3. a hexagon potholder, 4. hexagon pillow 2, 5. STUD 5 favs for leah (rydersmama)..., 6. Pretty Little Pouch - round 2

To Make a 1" sided Hexagon Flower

There are so many methods of preparing, cutting and basting EPP shapes. Today I will make a flower using paper templates and a simple basting method.

The 1" sided hexagons are a great starter size. The only require 2.5" strips for the fabric requirement. Great project to use with a Jelly Roll

1. Select the fabric
I have chosen fabrics that have an easy repeat to cut.

2. Cutting the fabric
Position the template over the design you wish to repeat. I have added registration markers on the template so I can position it accuracy for every cut. Remember to make the focal area in the centre of the hexagon. Trace around the inside and outside of the hexagon template and cut each one out.

Make one for the centre and six for the petals.

3. Basting the paper templates
I have laid out my hexies and allocated 7 with pre-cut card templates.

Lay the pre-cut card templates with in the guidelines of the fabric hexagon, fold down the top side and attach clip. Fold down the opposite side and attach another clip. This will hold the paper in place.

We are now ready to baste our hexagon. A tip when threading cotton - always thread the needle when the cotton is still on the spool. This will guarantee that you threaded from the correct end of the thread. if you thread the needle from the spool end you will get piling and breakages.

Fold down the fabric over the paper template to make a mitred corner. Start the basting by making a knot. This will secure your first stitch. Make a little tacking stitch in the first corner.

From the tacking stitch fold down the next corner to form a mitre and then make another tacking stitch. Keep the stitching firm but not too tight or you will distort the shape.
Some people like to go through all layers but I prefer to only sew through the fabric at the back.

Keep folding the corners and making a tacking stitch until the hexagon is complete. I like to tack about 1/8 " down from the edge. Do one more small tacking stitch at the end to secure the thread. It should look like this from the back.

And this from the front.

This is an example of a piece that has been basted through all layers. It's easier through light weight papers but it is a preference rather than a necessity. Basting through one layer will hold your hexagon securely.

Continue basting all 6 petals and single centre hexagon. Lay your flower out and start by taking one petal and the centre. There are many ways you can attach the petals to the centre. I prefer to sew all petals to the centre piece and then sew the petals to each other.

Choose a thread that is quite fine - 50-60wt so the threads are buried and the joins lay flat. Don't make your thread piece too long or it will break and get tangled as you sew.

Place the two hexagons right sides together. Make a knot at one end right where the two corners meet. I like to tie on and tie off ( knot ) each segment so if the cotton wears over the years and breaks, you only have to mend a small section.

Begin making very small stitches by grabbing a few threads from each piece - whipstitch. Continue to the next corner and tie off by making a knot.

Continue to add pieces and sew them to the centre.

Continue sewing all the petals together remembering to always match the corner points and tie on and off.

Now you have a pretty little flower for your garden.

To get one lucky blogger started ...

Jane is giving away one 1" Hexaculture pack.

The pack includes:

one spool Bottom Line thread
Three packs of 50wt cotton threads on the bobbins
A fabulous sample pack from Joanne at PbPatch with freezer paper, card and paper templates
one fussy cut template from my little shop
and 2.5" strips of gorgeous fabric from the Innocent Crush collection.

Pop over to Jane's Blog HERE to enter.....

To see more beautiful hexagons flowers visit the Inchy Hexagon Swap blog and Flickr Groups HERE and HERE...

Thank you so much Jane for sharing some Hexie Love.... I'm off to sift through some scraps to make a 'little' project! xx

Quilt Class 101 - English Paper Piecing - Part 1

2011-09-13T20:50:00.001+10:00

Quilt Class 101

Wanna Make some Hexies??

1. Hexies from Badskirt Amy!, 2. Hexagon Charm Throw Progress 4/14/10, 3. little hexies!, 4. I Spy Hexies, 5. I Spy Planet Hexy Quilt Top, 6. red and aqua hexies, 7. Handsome Hexies swap Received, 8. 1/2" Hexie Fever, 9. Hexie Swap goodies from Jill, madeonmainstreet, 10. munki hexies, 11. 394 One Inch Hexagons, 12. sneak peek 1

Jane (Inchy Hexagon Gal), from Quiltjane is here with today, To teach us all about Paper Piecing these lovely Hexies!!!

Today... Part 1 - All about Paper Piecing..

Tomorrow?? Part 2 - A Paper Piecing Tutorial!

Welcome, I am Jane (aka Quiltjane) from Want it, Need it, Quilt. Rebecca has invited me here today to participate in her 101 quilting series to present English Paper Piecing (EPP).

There is so much to tell you about EPP that I could not possibly place it in one post so, I will start with the basics.

What is EPP?

EPP is a technique where the fabric is basted over precisely cut shapes. Then, using tiny whipstitches the shapes are sewn together.

Why is it useful?

EPP has been a technique used since the late 18th Century. Tiny scraps of unstable fabrics, such as silks, could be managed easily using this technique to produce intricate designs.

The EPP technique promotes accuracy. The paper template provides:

an accurate finished measurement for every piece made
takes the worry out of where to start and stop your seam intersections and
negates the errors in maintaining a perfect 1/4" seam allowance when sewing.

Tools
EPP is a technique that requires no special equipment. The basic tools for EPP are:

Papers
Template
Scissors / Un-picker
Needle, Thread, Thimble
Fabric
2 Small Paper Clips
Pencil

Papers

Templates are traditionally made from paper. The cheapest and most accessible method. You can use copy paper, copy paper wrapping, magazines, junk mail flyers, light weight cardboard.

Although these days there are a few more alternatives to paper. Two I have used are:

Freezer Paper
Floriani Stitch N Wash

Both are cut to the finished size of the piece and pressed to the back of the cut fabric. It removes one step from the overall process by taking away the requirement to pin the template before basting.

Another alternative is the mylar plastic hexagon templates. They are durable and can be reused over and over. They are made from heat resistant mylar plastic with a hole punched into the centre for ease of removal.

Scissors

A nice sharp pair of scissors and an un-picker (yes, sometimes they are needed) for cutting threads and fabric.

Needle

I use a big eye between needle 10, 11. I find these needles assist me in getting a really small stitches. If you find holding the smaller needles gives you pain, try the 11 milliners needles.

Thread

Two types of thread are used in EPP. The first thread type is used for basting the fabric to the paper template. This thread can be any colour and any type ( Cotton or Polyester ). You will find that a heavier weight thread will be stronger for basting through many layers of fabric and paper.

The second thread type will be used for whip stitching the pieces together. The finer the thread, the less obvious the stitches. I use a matching thread in 50wt Masterpiece cotton. Another alternative is the 60wt Bottom Line polyester thread. Very fine and easy to use. (If you use bottom line, do not place a really hot iron on it for extended periods of time. It can soften the thread). Matching threads can be an expensive option. If the thread is very fine, you can get away with the basic neutrals of white, ivory, light grey, dark grey and a dull gold colour. They should blend with most fabrics. Always use white with white and black with black. If you like matching colours, Superior Threads have released the MasterPiece frosted Donuts with a bobbin full of a rainbow of colours.

Glueing the fabric to the papers is now becoming a trend. I user this quick method often. The most important thing to remember when using glue is that it is a fabric glue, water soluble and non staining. Don't steam your finished pieces until you are ready to remove papers. Heat and steam will soften the glue and the fabric will lift. There is a short tutorial here using this method.

If you do glue your papers and fabric, staining can occur if stored for a long period of time. Manufacturers cannot test their products on every fabric type, chemical in different fabrics, effects of light etc. I would recommend only using glue for short term projects and then washing the finished piece. I would never use glue or any other chemical on a show or heirloom quilt.

Fabric

This is the fun part. While you can use silks and linens for some texture, I always love working with cotton fabric. You can choose solids, small prints, large prints, stripes or dots. When you choose a fabric, look for its potential for how it will look in the finished block.

I love fussy cutting the fabric to produce repetitive and interesting designs for the hexagon petals. Lay your clear acrylic template over the fabric and imagine the possibilities that can be achieved by using different repeats in the fabric.

Here is an example from Melody from the House on the Side of the Hill blog, who has fussy cut fabrics from French General and 3-Sisters fabric. Magnificent.

Joanne from PbPatch blog has used the same repeat in the fabric to make a Kaleidoscope affect ( 6 piece hexagon )

and these beautiful flowers...

The good thing about EPP pieces they can all be different colours and fabrics to give it that real scrappy look.

Templates

If you cut your own papers, then you will require an acrylic template for that purpose and another one to cut the correct size for the fabric. There are many acrylic templates on the market. Some come in two parts: Others are single templates ( with or without seam allowance ):

Printed hexagons by the page can be downloaded from many sites. All you need to do it cut them out. Make sure you print at 100% with no scaling and do not fit to page.

When cutting papers or fabric, always make sure it is done consistently. Accuracy is important. Place silicon strips or sandpaper dots under the templates so they don't slip. Use a very sharp pencil when tracing.

Emerging on the market are affordable Die Cutters that provide a way to mass produce your own papers and cut fabrics. If that is not an option, there are many sites that provide pre-cut fabric in packages. Here in Australia I use Joanne from Pbpatch for my papers. I was excited to learn Joanne has just released pre-cut hexies in designer collections.

Portability

The wonderful thing about this technique is you can take it anywhere and leave the papers in for as long as you like for stability and storage.
It is also a very flexible technique. Unlike making a block by machine where the pieces and rows have to be added in sequence, EPP can be more forgiving and allow pieces to be slotted in afterwards. The best thing about EPP is that you never have to be afraid of Y-seams.

So........ Are you ready to try???

Pop back tomorrow for your step by step guide!!

Thanks so much Jane... xx

Have you ever seen anything THIS amazing??

2011-09-09T19:08:00.001+10:00

OK, We're off with a BANG!!! Quilt Class 101 Part 2 Starts Tonight!!...

What is Quilt Class Part 2??

Well, just as Quilt Class 101 Part 1 taught you the steps you needed to know about making a quilt start to finish... You can see the list of Tutorials HERE....

Quilt class Part 2 is going to teach you a few Quilt Blocks and different techniques some of you may not have tried before... New Quilter or an Oldie... I hope this second part will expose you to something new!

AND starting this first week... I'm definitely learning something new!!

The amazingly talented Nova from A Cuppa and a Catch up is kicking our class off with a little Embroidery.....

Thanks Nova!!!

How to Turn a Favourite Object into an Embroidery Design

By Nova Flitter

Over the months, as I was documenting the blocks I was making for my redwork quilt via my blog & flickr, I was often asked “where do you get your designs from?” or “how did you get that design onto the fabric to embroider?”

The answer :: I either drew, traced or used this super quick and simple way to create a design to embroider. An example of this technique is my favourite walking boots…

I’m not a great drawer - I can get by on the most basic of shapes etc but I knew I needed to work out a way to translate my fav objects into simple designs that I could then embroider, without the frustration of trying to draw them & not being happy with the result.

If you have a favourite object or item around the house that you would like to translate into a design that you can stitch up, then grab your camera, take a snapshot and follow these easy steps to transfer a photographed object into a fun & unique stitchery.

Once you see how easy it is, the embroidery design world is your oyster, from everyday objects like scissors, camera, kitchen utensils, tools, shoes, child’s toy, to yourself & your family (take a snapshot of your profiles and embroider around), to your car, a piece of furniture, your house, a boat or caravan, your pet… From simple to more detailed designs, if you can take a photo, draw an outline & trace, you are set :)

I’ve chosen an easy object, a key, to show you how I do it & to give you the basics. I am sure there are better ways and probably easier ways but by sharing with you how I did it at least you can tweak and adjust and find shortcuts to suit your way (and if you do, please share with the rest of us ;)!) I am rubbish at any type of computer graphics, nor do I own a light box - so if I can do it, you can do it!

What you'll need

A favourite thing that you would like to turn into an embroidery
Digital camera, computer & printer
Tracing paper
Window
Heat transfer pencil (available at quilting stores & Spotlight etc)
Fabric
Iron
Embroidery supplies ( hoop, thread, scissors etc)

Step 1
Photograph your object. If possible it’s a good idea to shoot it against a solid background so you don’t have any distractions.

Take a few pics, try different angles etc. It’s better to have too many than too few and have to go back and re take.
Step 2
Transfer your images to your computer and select the one you want.
As I already mentioned, I am next to useless when it comes to graphics programs (like photoshop etc) so I rely solely on the free to use Picnik . You can get a few more bells & whistles for a small fee but quite honestly the free version is just fine.
Upload your selected image to Picnik.
Flip your image. To do this go to the ‘Rotate’ tab in the editing section and hit the vertical flip button

Your image magically appears as a mirror image of the original.

It’s important to flip if you want your image to come out the ‘right way’(ie the way it was photographed and not a mirror image) when you come to transfer it to your fabric, particularly if your design includes any words, numbers or logos.
Step 3
Strip your image down to the basics with the Pencil Sketch tool. You will find this in the ‘Create’ tab, under ‘Effects’

You can play with the radius, strength and fade (this is a drop down menu that appears when you select the pencil sketch tool) until you are happy with the ‘look’. You are aiming for a strongish outline and an idea of where the shaded areas are. It’s not an exact science so don’t get hung up on this bit, it really is just to strip your image down to outline and shading to make it easier to trace and translate to an embroidery. It might save a bit of printer ink too :)

Save & print to desired size.

Step 4
To assist in the tracing stage, I grab a black pen and draw over the outline. This just makes the parts you want in your design stand out clearer through the tracing paper in the next stage. It doesn’t look very pretty at this point but don’t worry about that too much.

Place a piece of tracing paper over the print out and tape in place (please note:: oops! I took the following pics before I drew around the design as shown in above image but to save retaking the images you get the drift...;))

Go to a window and using a heat transfer pencil, trace over your design.

I tend not to go into too much detail as I keep the print out image of the design beside me when I am stitching and add in shading etc by eye from the image. You might prefer to shade the areas you need to stitch at this stage and I am sure that will work just fine too.

Using an artistic license is fully encouraged! We’re aiming for a ‘hand drawn’ look so wobbles & a sketchy feel are all part of it ;) Just relax and enjoy the process, it’s all about creating a unique piece that has ‘you’ stamped all over it :)
Step 5
Remove the tape that is holding the tracing paper to the printed design. You now have a transfer design ready to iron on to your fabric.

Take your transfer and your fabric

Place the transfer right side down (the side you traced the design on) onto right side of fabric.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions for your heat transfer pencil, iron over the tracing paper pressing firmly. I have my iron on the ‘cotton’ heat setting & I don’t use steam. I iron the fabric first before placing the design on so that the fabric is warm to receive the transfer. I’m not sure if it makes a difference but it’s just the way I’ve always done it.

Be sure to hold the tracing paper in position with your free hand (keeping your fingers away from the hot iron!) so it doesn’t move while you’re ironing or you will have a smudged or ‘double vision’ design when you remove the tracing paper.

I like to have a little peek under a corner of the tracing paper to make sure the design has transferred to the fabric before I remove it entirely as it would be almost impossible to reposition it exactly if you missed a bit.

The harder you press with the heat transfer pencil when you are tracing the design, the stronger your design will be when you iron it on to the fabric. I pressed quite softly; hence my design came through quite light, which for this simple design without much detail is fine.

Step 6
Add embroidery hoop, needle & thread of choice and get stitching! I usually use a simple back stitch, not very even or overly neat either I might add! I think my technique is best described as 'doodling' with needle & thread, ( aka 'scribble stitches') adding in shade and shadows as I go.

When your stitching is complete, you have a personal & unique embroidery to add to a quilt, a cushion, a pillow, a bag, purse, pouch, clothing, table runner, place mat, frame it, use it as a quilt label... the possibilities are endless!

The end result - an (almost) life size stitchery of an old key that looks like it’s been hand drawn and stitched over.

Thanks so much Rebecca for inviting me to share this little tutorial with you today x

Have fun with it & happy stitching :)x

*Please note that there are other ways to transfer your design to your fabric, eg:: trace directly to fabric with pencil or fading ink or water soluble ink fabric pens etc, but for the purposes of this tute I’m just sticking to the heat transfer pencil method I used in my redwork designs.

HOW COOL is that??!!! Thanks so much NOVA...

Twins - 2 Finished Quilts!

2011-09-05T12:13:00.002+10:00

I have always really wanted twins... I think for the fact that i get REALLY sick when I'm pregnant.. SO, two babies for the price of one pregnancy sounds delightful.

I'm also madly in love with babies.. so the thought of getting two at once... is like a dream come true. I'm sure its not all roses juggling them both once they're here.. So, I'm equally excited that my friend Kylie is having twins.. I get the best of both worlds. I get to play with two babies! I don't have to go through the months of vomiting or survive those sleepless nights....

and you all know you cant have babies without a quilt or two... Last week for me.. was spent sewing up a storm. Two Quilts for Two identical baby Girls!

I sneakily grabbed a paint swatch so i could match the fabrics to her babies room. And being as though I'm a 'pink' girl... these were a lot of fun to sew, once i got in the groove.

Just as I'm sure twins can bring their added amount of stress... these quilts came with their fair share. First of all I was so worried about making just the perfect quilt for her. I was trying to create something to suit their rooms, something plain, not too quilty, something modern, something with a babushka, something that matched her colours.. something quick as i had to make two... and i got myself in a HUGE mess! I had sewed two quilt tops together.. and HATED them!! I let them sit and torment me for a week and as the days counted down... It was Monday and i wanted to have them both done for the baby shower on Saturday. No pressure or anything!

I decided to cut them both up and start again. Lucky i had a bit more fabric.

I decided to just sew something that I loved and it would all turn out OK.. And it did. I LOVE them!

My Lesson learnt.... Don't try and sew something that isn't you. People love gifts that are apart of you. Gifts that have your stamp of love and style.

These two both measure around 40" x 50"AND bonus.. I really like the new design, I'm going to make it up into pattern for you. Its a simple Quick fun quilt to put together. I think the pattern will make up a larger throw size version.

For Quilting, I decided to stipple both Quilts....

I wanted them to have that aged antique look..

Before they were all packaged up and ready to deliver....

I chucked em in the wash and dryer.. I love how crinkly they turned out.

Oh... and Lesson number 2 learnt... REST!!

After a super busy week of sewing, kids, sports, dinners, the usual groceries, cleaning, washing, PLUS roadshow, late nights, my new exercise routine, baby showers, Fathers day and festivities,... i need to REST!

I had a nice early night planned for my hubby and I in front of the TV but instead i was lucky enough to spend the night in Hospital!

Yep, i spent the night in hospital with a kidney stone. Not fun! Doctors orders..Hubby's orders.. to take it easy for this week. SO i might just spend a few days in bed....

Hooray for Fabric Stashing!

2011-08-30T21:06:00.002+10:00

I have been in desperate need of some basics to add to my stash... SO, I had a little splurge..

Shopping Spot number 1... A Stack of Kona Cottons from Marmalade fabrics.. Tammy has such a great range..140 Kona Cottons and counting!!

I also couldn't resist the new Heather Ross... and I found this cute Peach Dot from HERE that matches perfectly!

I was actually surprised how soft and light weight the fabric is. I had imagined it in the same basket as her Far Far Away II collection. But its not at all... Its more of a quilting weight cotton.

and my shipping box wasn't quite full... just enough room to squeeze in a little Fat Quarter from Melody Miller's new range.

Next shopping spot... Skye Reve Fabrics.. She has a great range of Dots.. and I'm waiting on another parcel..... I'll share those fabrics with you when it arrives...

Shopping Spot number 3.... from Fabricworm.. I had been waiting for this fabric to be released... I bought two Fat Quarter Bundles in Joel Dewberry's new line Heirloom.
Fabricworm also have them on sale at the moment!! You can buy yours HERE

I have cut mine up into little pieces for a new Quilt for a Magazine.. Hopefully I can show you before i send it off...

Well,......... these should keep me busy for a little while!

or at least another week or so ;)

I'm off to finish a couple new quilts I've been working on.. I'll show you pics soon.... xx

Do you dabble in this?

2011-08-25T12:04:00.003+10:00

I have a thing for little girls clothes. I see so many cute ones popping up around the place but i cant stop making quilts long enough to try something new..

A close friend of mine who used to Quilt, has started an online business selling her cute dresses for little girls. I thought I would introduce her to you!!

Hi!! My name is Lorraine, and i'm excited to share my dresses with you today!
I am a wife, and mother of 5, and Nanny to 10 adorable children. I started Primrose Lane Creations around 4 months ago. I love dramatic fabrics, some shout Pick Me!! and some whisper You Know You Want Me!! Some you know straight away what to do with and some will sit on the shelf until one day you go AHA....

I love to make Unique clothing for Unique little girls. One of my Favourites is the Kimono dress.

It is dramatic in any fabric. I have made it ultra modern or Shabby Chic, and i only ever use a fabric combination once..

I make sizes 1-10 and some styles to size 16.

I'm selling my dresses through Facebook.. You can find me HERE

If you see anything you like, just comment on the photo page. I can also do custom orders for you!

...Pop over and check out her shop!! She adds new dresses all the time!
Thanks Lorraine! xx

Finished Quilt and Winner Winner...

2011-08-21T09:26:00.002+10:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the Go Baby Giveaway...

The winning comment was

Congratulations Teje from Crete, Greek Islands... Blogland is a very BIG place!

Check your inbox, I have sent you an email..

I hope you enjoy your Go baby and 3 Dies!

For everyone else who missed out.. you can check out Accuquilt on Facebook. They often have bloggers like me post on their wall when they are hosting smilar giveaways... You can have another crack at winning!

I got to do a little sewing this week.. I finished off this Quilt

and

I also started on this one...

Im going to start selling a few baby Quilts.. Watch my Facebook page for the sales album!

Giveaway - Win a Go Baby and your choice of Three Dies...

2011-08-15T15:35:00.005+10:00

Want to WIN an

AccuQuilt Baby Go Fabric Cutter

AND

your choice of THREE DIES???

I Chose the Birds Cutting Die and the Branches/Stems Cutting Die... and made this Quilted Bird and Branch Wall hanging, You can see my Tutorial HERE

and I'm excited to make some christmas stockings to try out my other Die, the Holiday Medley..

If you WIN... you can choose any three dies you would like!

Pretty Cool hey! and its around $300 in value!

To win a Baby Go... Just leave a Comment on this Post..

and

for those of you who follow Chasing Cottons on Facebook and

'Like' my Chasing Cottons Facebook page.. Leave another comment on this post for an extra entry...xx

Goodluck!

Giveaway will close Thursday night Aussie time and Winner will be Drawn Randomly.
Also, If you would like 22 Free Quilt Patterns.. Click Below

Saffron Craig..

2011-08-12T09:47:00.001+10:00

FAT QUARTER SALE!!!

Saffron is having a Fat Quarter Sale.. Grab a bargain HERE

For all of us Aussies, she is still offering FREE POSTAGE!

AND

My gorgeous Silk Scarf arrived in the mail this week... Have you seen these??

I have had the flu, so i have spend most of the week in trackies (sweats) and in bed, i wasn't glam enough to take a picture of me wearing it... So, i stole a picture of Saffron modelling ;) Thanks Saffron!

It is so beautiful....

It's 100% silk and sized at 185 x 50cm, perfect to wear it in many different ways.

You can spoil yourself with one HERE

Enjoy your weekend....Giveaway up next!!

New Baby Quilt..and info on Commission Quilts?

2011-08-09T10:15:00.000+10:00

A close friend of mine just had a sweet baby girl.. Her name is Setita and she is the cutest thing. She is Half Aussie and Half Tongan.. So I have started making her this quilt...

Just a few progress pictures to share with you....

My inspiration came from Kate and all her amazing Stack and Slash Quilts..

I'm just finishing off the binding and I will show you full pictures when I'm done...

Hey it has got me thinking though... Would anyone be interested in Commission Quilts?? Would any body like me to make a quilt for you?? I'm not sure how it would all work yet.. If anyone has had any experience with Commission Quilts I would love some insight..

Thanks everyone.. xx

Quilted Bird wall art Tutorial.....Go baby!!

2011-08-05T19:57:00.003+10:00

Ever since I made this bird wall art, I have wanted to make a quilted version. But the thought of cutting individual branches, individual leaves and all the little birds seemed too much work so I decided to put that idea on the shelf until i could be bothered.

Then the lovely Carolyn from Accuquilt contacted me to see if I would be interested in a Go baby Fabric cutter. I had seen a few around in blog land but never quite taken the next step about actually looking into what they do. So when i received the email from Carolyn I excitedly jumped on their website, to check out and choose 3 of their cutting dies. I tell you what, It was a hard choice. Although I think the square/strip cutting dies could be faster and quite useful, I wanted to try the cutting dies that I would never sit and cut out by hand and or are basically impossible with a rotary cutter.

And..... Guess what I found??? My branches, leaves and BIRDS!! Perfect! oh and I had to grab a Christmas snowflake one while i was there..

They worked great!
So... Wanna make one???
If you don't have a Go baby cutter.. You can cut them individually or pop back soon.. I'll be having a Giveaway to win one!!

You need:-

Fabric scraps... around 6" x 4".
Brown fabric for leaves and branches
1m or 1yard of fusible webbing
Background fabric I used linen and it was 34" x 22"
Small black beads for eyes
Pearle 8 Quilting Cotton - Different colours
Binding, Backing fabric and batting.

Take your pieces and iron them all on to your fusible webbing. Cut each scrap out, so each scrap has the fusible webbing attached. I took a few of these pictures after I had made my wall hanging...( I was too excited as i made it to remember to take photos along the way) .. But its the same steps..
Lay your piece of fabric or cute pieces on your die.

Lay the cutting mat over the top. Stick it into the Go Baby cutter. Take one hand and push down firmly on the cutter and with your other hand turn the lever.

Take it out from the cutter and lift off your cutting mat. The cutter cuts up to 8 layers of fabric so it has no problem if you want to layer a couple in to save time. If i didn't push down hard enough I did need to snip the shape away from the outer fabric in a couple places.

Lift off your fabric and your birds will be cut nice, neat and the perfect shape.

I cut 16 birds. Next cut your branches... I cut 4 branch dies, and joined some together...

Lay them all out how you think you would like them to go.

Peel off your fusible webbing paper and iron the branches and leaves on to your back ground fabric.
I then stitched a straight line down each branch in brown thread..

and stitched around each leaf to give a bit of dimension.

Next lay out all your birds.. I put mine sitting a little above the branches so i could later sew legs on them.

Again, peel off the fusible paper and iron them onto your branches in place.

Baste your three layers together. Your backing fabric, batting and top.

Using Peale 8 Cotton I hand quilted around each bird and each wing.

I used some little black beads for eyes and I taught myself how to chain stitch on YouTube HERE for the legs...

Then you bind your little wall hanging/quilt and your DONE!! xx

What do you think???

It was fast... easy... And like I said before, you could cut each little bird/ branch/leaf out if you wanted... OR you can enter my giveaway (details soon) to win one.

Also, with AccuQuilt... they are giving away 22 Free Patterns!!

Click to redeem your free patterns..

I hope i see a few little wall hangings popping up around the place and keep your eye out for the Giveaway coming soon xx

DIY Upholstery....

2011-08-02T18:10:00.001+10:00

Since Quilt Class is finished (for the moment), I have had a second to breathe and do a few things I don't normally do. My mum had this old arm chair she was throwing away and asked if I'd like to try Upholstering it. I have never, i repeat NEVER Re Upholstered anything before.. Not even a little stool..?? But i thought if it was going to get thrown away, I may as well give it a go...

I went to a local discount fabric warehouse and found a roll of this fabric. Like i said, having NO IDEA how to recover or how much to buy... I bought 12 meters.. (what was left on the roll). I figure, if I'm lucky I might have some left over to make a couple cushions.

The next part...

I sat for a few hours one day watching You Tube video's on Reupholstering chairs.. I couldn't find one great video that teaches you everything.. But i did watch a few different ones to pick up a few tips and tricks here and there... You can see a good one that i watched HERE

As I started taking off each fabric piece layer by layer... I took heaps of photos so i could figure out how on earth I was going to put this chair back together! I was amazing at how little 'sewing' was actually needed. The whole thing is just stapled together.

I recon this chair had about 1000 staples. It took me around 8 hours to get the staples out. With each layer you uncovered, you found another 100+ staples. Guess what we did one night instead of going on a date???

Tools needed??

Electric staple gun. Definitely Electric!

Box of 1000 staples

Hammer and screw driver to help remove old staples.

Cardboard and metal strips I saw from this You Tube video. (I needed 2 x metal and 4 x Cardboard)

When i went to a local re upholstery shop to see if they would sell me the cardboard and metal strips i needed the man was full of confidence.. and as i was leaving, he happily said..

Bye,.... Ill see you next week after you have stuffed it up!

So, with my I'll show you attitude.. I started and the first part to cover was the bottom seat part. I pulled the it off, unpicked the previous fabric, and I just reused the black piece.

The order of my chair to put back together was....

Front/bottom piece, Side curved arms, Back middle section, Under side arms, back piece, base cover and front panelling...and cushions.

TIP:- With the side curved arms and the middle back piece, your fabric needs to go around the frame of the chair. This was probably the hardest part... You need to make a clip in your piece so you can tuck it in under and around the sides. You will understand what i mean as you take your fabric off...

I used the old fabric as my pattern piece to cut my New piece.

When cutting your fabric... Cut a generous 2-3 inches all around your pattern piece. My fabric torn and old, so it stretches, warps, and shrinks...So just give yourself some extra.

For the front, sides and back, In order to get a nice neat fold... You staple the fabric to hold in position, lay the cardboard strip on and staple it firmly.

Then fold the fabric back down and secure it at the bottom and sides..

I'm now working on my back piece

I'm nearly done!!!

I Can't wait til its finished... Its been so fun!!

I'm already stalking the streets for pick up days and second hand stores for my next project!

Quilt Class 101 - The BIG REVEAL!!!!

2011-07-27T23:14:00.001+10:00

The Big Reveal... We have FINISHED!!!....

It has been a whole lot of fun!!

I hope you have enjoyed the class over these past few months...

Are you ready for more Quilt Class 101???

Starting September 7th.... Quilt Class 101 will continue.

Now that you have all made your first quilts or have brushed up on a few of your techniques... We are on to the next part...

Quilt Blocks and Techniques.

We will have the same weekly Classes.. Every Wednesday there will be a tutorial to teach you a new Quilt block, or a new technique such as paper piecing or applique. I have a great list of Favourite bloggers jumping on board such as

Retro Mummy, A cuppa and a catchup, Quilt Story, Me a Mom?, Miss Print, Quilt Jane, Sew Jess, Ellison Lane Quilts....and many more!!

If YOU would like to take part and teach a tutorial here on Quilt Class 101... Just contact me HERE. Send me through the Quilt Block or technique you would like to teach us and perhaps you can be one of our teachers....?? Sound fun??

Now for our Big REVEAL...

I received a couple emails this week of YOUR finished Quilts. And i must say... I really am so impressed with your very first Quilt!! They are all, WAY better than MY first Quilt!!!

Congratulations... You should all be so proud of yourselves. I really love each and every one of them..

Donna from Serenity in Stamping...

Sasha from Falling in Love with Colour

Kelly from Irene Design - I love your design Kelly... Maybe Patterns one day?

Roslyn made these two gorgeous Quilts

(front)

(back)

and this one

Front and Back

Lainie made this beautiful bright Quilt..

and Julie-anne decided she couldn't just stop at one either...

You can also add your 101 Quilts to the

Chasing Cottons Flickr Group

and Thank you so much to each of you for sharing your Quilt process with me... It has been so touching hearing from each of you along the way. I'm so glad that we were all able to help you get there and create your first, of many Quilts... Beware it is a little (OK maybe ALOT) Addictive!!

TOFW

2011-07-24T21:51:00.000+10:00

I spent the most amazing day yesterday at

I wish I could go again next week...I just cannot wait for the next one.

Time Out for Women is an inspirational event for women. Attendees are treated to messages of inspiration from respected authors and music artists. TOFW offers a day of learning, laughing, and lifting of spirits. It's a great opportunity for women everywhere to gather and get recharged through motivational messages and music.

It's the TIME OUT FOR WOMEN 2011 TOUR.... CHOOSE TO BECOME just a little closer to the woman you were meant to be - through your testimony, through your relationships, and through your personal improvement.

We had some outstanding Presenters.

My mind is buzzing..so much info to take in and things to contemplate over... My job for this week is to sit and read through my notes and write a few lists... and I have a few Quotes to put up on my mirror, in my kitchen cupboard and on the fridge!

I thought I would share them with you for some food for thought...

To Become what we want to be, We need to be what we want to become.

Your thoughts make you who you are. If you think negative thoughts..you will be a negative person. If you think positive thoughts you will be a positive person. How many Positive/Negative thoughts are you thinking each day...Hilary Weeks shares more on her blog HERE

Be kind, Everyone you meet is facing something difficult. Sister Hinkley

Enlarge your perspective..

Don't you dare be the one thing standing in your way.

Beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing.

Don't give up...Finish the race.

Prioritize and cut out the distractions.

God is more interested in the offerer than the offering.

Be more interested in the long after than the brief present.

'Sometimes we act as though we are going to stay here, we aren't, we can't and we wont'. Elder Holland

For me, I felt uplifted and inspired. It made me remember to cherish the important things. Remember why we are here and where we are going. To not get caught up in the little things. To focus on an Eternal perspective. To sit, cuddle, love and teach my children.. as they wont be children for long. Instead of wondering when the storm is going to pass... I need to 'dance' in the rain.

We were also able to give service.....As a part of the CHOOSE TO BECOME TOUR we were able to be involved in donating items and assembling POSSIBILITY PACKS. These are similar to a "hygiene" kit, but will include items specialized to give women the opportunity they need to get back on their feet and BECOME their BEST selves. We were able to donate over 400 packs to NSW Womens Refuge.

Time out for Women also have a website , facebook and you can sign up for their newsletter HERE...

It was such a wonderful event. It gave me the strength I needed and Inspired me to become better.

Do you Label your Quilts???

2011-07-20T22:22:00.000+10:00

Have you nearly finished???

I hope it has all been smooth sailing up until this point... If you have struggled over some point during the class, don't be disheartened! I still learn something new (and something I shouldn't do ) each quilt I make, and we all know over time with a little practise our quilts get better and better...

If you have followed along with the class and made a quilt I would love to see it...

Next Wednesday 27th will be the Big Reveal!!

If you could email me through a picture of your finished quilt, or maybe your project where you tried something new from what you learnt... I would love to see them and share them here in the main post... AND if you have a blog, email me your details and I can link them up to you... I will also have a Linky at the bottom so you can link up more pictures of your finished Projects!

I hope you have enjoyed the class over these last weeks/months. It has been alot of fun sharing what I know with each of you.. and I have loved the emails back and forth asking for HELP!!. For those of you wondering...

Quilt Class 101 will continue...

over the next few months and next post I will share more info and how YOU can be apart of the next segment!!!

Now, To add the finishing touch to our Quilt....

1. Mini Quilt Label , 2. dqs10 label received from Where The Orchids Grow, 3. Spoonflower Quilt Labels, 4. Tula Can Quilt label, 5. PQS4 Back of the Label for my partner, jgmehlin, 6. Wave quilt - label, 7. Quilt label, 8. DQS9 Label Done for ?, 9. Wesley's quilt: label, 10. Beehive quilt - label, 11. Geo Go Go Tag, 12. Behind the Quilt

We all need to add a label....

Krista from the great Poppyprint Blog has shared her wisdom with us...

Hello all! Thanks Rebecca for letting me sing the "Label your work" gospel here at Quilting 101 headquarters.

How many times have you read blog posts about incredible antique quilts that end with "if only I could remember who made this...it might have been my grandmother, or possibly her sister, actually now that I think of it, my husband's sister's mother-in-law's great aunt also quilted, so maybe it came from her?" We make quilts because we love them. We share quilts with our family and friends because we love them more. So why not provide your signature and a date so that they can sing your praises and honor your work for years to come?

On a quilt for my daughter

Professional quilt appraisers recommend attaching a label to the bottom left corner of your quilt backing PRIOR to quilting your quilt. That way, the label is 'built right in' with quilting stitches and less likely to come loose with washing. It also guards against quilt theft or loss, which is unexpected, but sadly can happen to quilts sent internationally for shows and competitions, or for gifts. NOTE: Another advantage of attaching your label at this point is that you can sew it onto your quilt back by machine!

Hand written label, machine appliqued prior to sandwiching/quilting.

Labels can be super basic. A piece of muslin written on with a permanent fine tip marker (my preferred is a black Identi-pen, which is double ended with a fine and medium tip). You can also achieve lovely writing on fabric with a Micron pen, which come in myriad colours for added fun.

A simple, hand-written muslin label

Labels can be more intricate, too. Try mimicking a design element from the front of your quilt, like I did (below) using folded bias edges for the back of my Mystic Star quilt.

This label mimics design elements on the quilt front and credits the pattern designer.

You can print photos and text onto treated fabric through your home printer. You can also embroider the details and secure the edges of your label with a lovely hand blanket stitch, (as below).

This quilt was a baby gift for a friend's daughter.

How about busting out those machine alphabet stitches (like I did for the first time on this project)?

Labels should include the quilt maker's name and the date the quilt was completed at a minimum. Other pieces of information to consider include: your hometown, the recipient's name, the quilt's name (if it has one), the occasion or event commemorated by the quilt, a meaningful quote or passage, a list of contributor's names if it is a group project, a credit to the pattern designer, or anything else that is relevant to you, the quilt maker!

A label on a cancer comfort quilt made by quilters who had each signed their block on the front.

My favourite method of attaching a label is outlined in this tutorial, illustrated through a series of photos in a flickr set. If you don't have access to lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing, you can achieve the same result with a used dryer sheet, except that you'll have to pin or glue-baste your label to the quilt back instead of fusing it. This is such a convenient way to secure your label's seam allowance for easy applique.

I'll be the first to admit that quilts intended for my own home sometimes go unlabeled. I'd never sell or give away a quilt without a label, though. It takes many hours of labour and love to create a quilt and I am proud to attach my name to my work! I hope you will, too. That way, when your great, great granddaughter pulls your quilt out of her hope chest to share with a friend, she can proudly tell her exactly who made it and when.

Thank you so much Krista, I have to admit... I sadly have never labelled a quilt!! Shame on me!! I also remember seeing this great label tutorial from Jaybird Quilts...They looked great.

If you have a label or labelling idea you would like to share... Link up below!!

Fusible Thread Tutorial - Featured Blogger Amelia

2011-07-17T20:37:00.001+10:00

Has anyone heard of fusible thread??

Up until a few weeks ago.. I hadn't! Nor had I any idea what to use it for... Lucky for me there are so many people out there WAY smarter than me that can help us along....
So, I'm excited to Introduce you to another Featured blogger... Amelia from Stitch 'n' bits. She has a tutorial for us, using Fusible thread with binding...

and a GIVEAWAY to win a spool of fusible thread to try....

Amelia you have my full attention!

Hi, I'm Amelia and I'm really happy to be here on Bec's blog (which I absolutely love) to share a little tutorial about fusible thread and machine binding.

My favourite part of making a quilt is picking out the fabrics and piecing the top, closely followed by binding the quilt. The reason that I like the binding stage so much is that I can see that the quilt is so close to becoming a beautiful and functional item. It means I'm nearly finished and I'll soon get to see the look on the face of the person that I'm giving the quilt to!! I love it :)

The good thing about the method I'm about to show you is that it gives me a sturdy binding and is quicker too. I have tried all sorts of methods and still love to hand bind, but this just gives you one more option.

Here's the quilt that I'm going to bind. It's 20 inches square and I'm making it into a cushion cover:

First up, you make the binding and attach it to the front of the quilt as you usually would. I make my binding using 2.25 inch wide strips because I love a snug fit on the quilt, but if you like a wider binding or looser fit on the quilt, use 2.5 inches or whatever you normally use. Bec has a fantastic tutorial on binding that will get you started.

Fusible Thread ....

I've only tried Benz Fuse but there are many different brands out there. If you google "fusible thread" you should find a brand that you can purchase near you.

I have seen many uses for fusible thread online (applique, hemming and binding just to mention a few) and many different ways to use it when binding too. I'm not saying that this is the only way or the proper way, this is just the way I do it. So feel free to have a play and see what works for you!

So let's get started ........

1. WIND BOBBIN: First up, wind the fusible thread onto the bobbin. Do not thread the machine with fusible thread!!!

2. ZIG ZAG: Working from the top side of your quilt, along one side of the seam allowance of your binding stitch a small to medium zigzag stitch. The zigzag allows the fusible thread to cover a larger surface area than a straight stitch. It's important to stay inside the seam allowance!! Stop just before the next corner mitre.

Repeat with the other 3 sides of your quilt.

3. PRESS: I place baking paper under the binding to stop the fusible thread from potentially melting onto the ironing board (you could also use an ironing cloth instead of baking paper too).

Then on the front side of the quilt "press" (please don't "iron" back and forth) the binding out over the edges so it can be wrapped around the side of your quilt. Once again I use the baking paper under the binding to stop any loose threads sticking to my iron. Do this to all four sides.

Turn your quilt over and from the back side press down the binding, mitring the corners as you go (baking paper on top this time). I press each section for approx a count of 10, but read your manufacturer's instructions to check the recommendation for your fusible thread.

It's important that you make sure that the binding on the back covers where the binding is stitched down from the front.

(Back)

(Front)

One of the good things about fusible thread is that it holds the binding down firmly so you don't need any pins or clips. You should still be able to lift any sections that aren't quite right and re-press them if you require though.

4. STITCH: I don't have a preference between hand stitching or machine stitching the binding down. I use both methods depending on the quilt and it's use. E.g. I'd probably hand stitch for an heirloom quilt or something where I don't want the stitches visible on the back side of the quilt, but I'd machine bind a quilt that is going to be robustly used and frequently washed. So the choice is yours, if you would like to hand stitch the binding, feel free to do so and once again you can follow Bec's fabulous binding tutorial to complete your quilt.

If you choose to try machine binding , please follow along with the rest of this tutorial ...

Part way down one side of your quilt, start stitching in the ditch along the seam where you attached your binding.

Once you've sewn a few inches, take a glance at the back of the quilt and make sure that you are catching the binding on the back as you sew (you might want to check this a few times as you sew around the entire quilt).

Slow down as you get to the corners, this will help you be more accurate with catching the binding fabric on the back of the corners. Sometimes I pin the corner mitres before I start stitching and remove them as I get to each pin.

When you get to a corner, stop, pivot and continue down the next side.

Repeat for all four sides of the quilt. Overlap the beginning and end stitches slightly. Clip your threads.

The stitches should be nearly invisible on the front.

Turn your quilt over to check that the binding is stitched down fully on the back of your quilt. I like the stitches to be a few millimetres (approx 1/8 inch) away from the edge but they might be a bit further away if you've chosen to use a wider binding to start with.

If you've missed a couple of little spots on the back, please don't freak out! You can either restitch that small area by machine from the front or catch it with hand stitching from the back.

AND YOU'RE DONE!! Use & enjoy :)

Thanks Bec once again for having me. I think your Quilt Class 101 is fantastic and I can't wait to see all the finished quilts!!

What do you think??? I want to try it. Thank you for Sharing that with us...

AND

If you would like to WIN a spool of fusible thread to try??? Amelia is having a GIVEAWAY on her blog HERE right now...

Thanks Amelia!! xx

Quilt Class 101 - Week 12 - Binding

2011-07-13T21:31:00.000+10:00

OK.. are you ready?

First Step, is to find out how much fabric do you need?... Get out your calculators...

Do this by adding 2 x width and 2 x length. So, My Quilt Top measures

2 x 50" + 2 x 58" = 216"

then divide 216 by 44" (width of fabric) = 4.9

So, you need 4.9 or 5 Strips to get you all the way around. I always add an extra just in case... So 6 Strips.

Your strips need to be 2.5" wide, so you need 6 x 2.5" = 15" of fabric

Still following?? You can work it out quickly in your head once you get the hang of it.
Cut your 6 strips, 2.5" wide.

With a 1/4" seam allowance, join them them all end to end, so you have one long continuous strip. You can do a diagonal seam to reduce bulk, but i don't usually.

Press seams open.

Next, with wrong sides together, press your strip in half length ways...

I always start at the bottom of my quilt. Lay your binding strip on with the raw edge of your binding along the raw edge of your quilt top. Leave around 6 inches and place a pin to hold in place.

Start in front of the pin you just put in,With a 1/4" seam allowance and your walking foot, sew down a few stitches and reverse to secure. Continue sewing along, 1/4" in from the edge, until you reach your first corner.

When you are 1/4" away from your first bottom edge ( or next side ), put your needle down. Lift your presser foot .

Swivel your Quilt and instead of continuing to sew down the next side.. you are going to sew backwards off your quilt top

Secure with a few reverse stitches. Pull your top out of your machine and cut your threads.

Take your binding strip and fold it up 45 degrees... See below.

Then fold it back down on itself. This will give you a neat mitre corner.

Now, Continue to sew down this next side. Remember to do a couple reverse stitches again in the begging to secure.

Sew all around your quilt, mitring your corners as you come to them. When you get close to where you started... Stop about 8-10 inches away and Reverse to secure.

Take your quilt top out of your machine and lay on a flat surface. Take your ruler and measure the distance between your two spots. Another formula for you..

Mine was 8 inches, So,

8 inches + .5 inch(seam allowance) = 8.5"

Divide by 2 = 4.25 inches.

Next, Measure and cut each binding end... Mine needed to be cut 4.25 inches long. You will cut yours differently depending on your measurements.

With right sides together, pin to hold.

With 1/4" seam allowance sew these two binding ends together.

Fold out and lay flat and

sew this down onto your quilt... You have now finished the machine sewing part. Almost done!

Take your scissors

Cut off the extra batting all around the edge of your quilt. Take care cutting around your corners.. you don't want to cut a hole in your binding.

Iron your binding out flat

Fold your binding back over to the back of your quilt.

I always fold mine just over the sewing line so you cant see it.

With a slip stitch... Sew in place.

When you get to the corners, the side you were sewing goes under first and the next side folds neatly over top...

Continue all around your edge and your done!!!! A BIG CONGRATS to you!!!!

and Congrats to all of you who read ALL the way down to the bottom of this post!!!
If you have a binding tutorial you would like to link up... you can link up below...

Living in the past...

2011-07-12T12:47:00.000+10:00

I know The Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair was a couple weeks ago.. But I'm only getting around to getting out my fabrics, dreaming about what im going to make and sharing them with you...
At the craft show I came across this gorgeous new fabric called 'Hot Air' and 'Partridge'.

Elissa from Kelani and Tara from Tara Davy Textiles have teamed up and created this gorgeous hand printed fabrics that are available printed on all different basecloths, 100% Linen, 100% Cotton and Australian made 100% Organic Jersey.

These fabrics are even more beautiful in the flesh....

You can buy them from Kelani HERE.

Here are some other Stands i just LOVED....

I had a BLAST working with Saffron on the Saturday...

Toni was famous at her Demonstration

I'm a big fan of Nicole's Blog You Sew Girl and her Great Stand..

My absolute obsession for vintage supplies.. Pitt Trading. I bought a couple metres of Black Velet. I'm going to attempt to add some into my next Quilt.

Kelani's Stand is always a MUST!

Another favourite Miss Rose, Sister Violet. I love their lace and pretty things. I made this last time I shopped there..

Material Obsession is always so inspirational and fun. Thanks Kathy!

Kate, Baby Grace, Toni and Me

We had such a fun day... You can see why i'm reliving it!!

Quilt Class 101 is on again tomorrow with binding!! xx

I'm Now on.......

2011-07-09T01:39:00.000+10:00

Pop over and visit me HERE and say Hi...

Will someone be the first to

Me???

AND let me know any great recommendations and favourite pages you have, so I can "like" them TOO!!

I'm Not Ready to Bind my Quilt...

2011-07-06T20:36:00.002+10:00

I'm

having

too

much

fun

Hand Quilting!

Binding Tutorial coming soon....

Awesome Fabric Storage Solution!!

2011-07-03T21:27:00.001+10:00

I know we are always searching for the perfect way to store our fabric scraps and craft supplies... Well, Lucky for you (and me) I have found it!!! These Benjiboxes are Awesome!!

Until now, my fabric storage system was an old cardboard box that I keep tucked up in the cupboard. All my scraps go into the deep black hole of the box and never get used.

It has always been too painful to search for scraps, so they just sit there and compile and are basically useless.
The lovely Penny from BenjiBox sent me a pack of 5 Clear plastic Boxes to try...and I can tell you they are Perfect!... They come mailed to you, packed flat. They are super easy to assemble, it took me about 10 mins to put them all together.

They were originally developed for storing your shoes. But hey, as much as we love our shoes, I think we love fabric more.. Why else would we keep piles and piles of fabric scraps that we just cant bare to throw away.

I know in my case, out of sight, out of mind. As i sat there and sorted my fabric scraps into colours I had so many ideas and uses for them. I had forgotten even the large pieces of fabric that I had shoved into my box. Now that i have sorted them into colours, I can incorporate some of my scraps in my projects.. These boxes are an incredibly versatile and user friendly storage system that keeps everything in clear view and easily accessible.

They also feature an easy clear pull-out drawer for each box. They will protect your fabric or craft supplies from dust and dirt whilst making sure you can still see everything inside.

Each box is 300mmx185mmx95mm. They come with clear rubber pads to put on the bottom of each box to stack securely.

With the pads, the boxes stack so neatly and firmly and don't slide all over. You can pull out a draw and they stay in place.

These Benjiboxes are Available HERE. They can ship internationally and can email sales@benjibox.com.au for a quote.

Penny also set up a Coupon Code especially for you. By entering the code

chasingcottons

at checkout, you can purchase a starter 5pack of clear boxes at half price ($24.88 instead of $49.75). It’s a limit of one 5 pack per customer at this special price. You can also buy other sized packs that are currently on special. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard or Paypal, or email sales@benjibox.com.au for direct deposit.

I just love em! I have 5, and I'm going to pop over and order more.

One can NEVER have enough storage!! xx

New Projects and 3 Winners

2011-07-01T14:14:00.000+10:00

My Blogiversary was a Blast! I really enjoyed reading all about each of you.. I really didn't get much done the last few days as I sat and read all your comments. I tried to respond to all of you and I'm sorry if your comment slipped through the cracks without a reply....

I'm not sure if you really know how much your comments of love, support and kindness mean to me. Blogging for me is like sharing what you have made with a bunch of friends who 'get' sewing. I don't think I would blog or share what I have made if I felt like no one was out there. Thank you Thank you for being apart of this last year and making it so fun!

I'm looking forward to this next year in Blog land. I have a list of projects, tutorials, linky's, patterns buzzing around in my head. If only i could sew all day.. Here are some pictures of some of these projects coming up shortly.

A New Quilt and New Quilt Pattern..

Stash Builders - Dot bundle from Pink Chalk Fabrics

A Project

A New Project - Pixie fabric bundle from Fabricworm

New Project with Saffron's Fabrics and her New Wall Decals

A Tutorial coming for you..

Picnic and Fairgrounds From Spotlight and JoAnn Fabrics

An Embroidery Project - Anna Maria Horner

A Wee Wonderfuls Doll

And last but not least...

Congratulations to the winners from the Blogiversary Giveaway...

1st Prize.. $100 Gift Voucher to The Fat Quarter Shop

Amorette said... 87 i wish i was a great singer!

2nd Prize $50 Gift Voucher to The Fat Quarter Shop

Kristie said.. 5

I am a follower...of course!! :-)

3rd Prize $25 Gift Voucher to The Fat Quarter Shop

Jennifer W. said... 126

Happy anniversary! Something random about me? It's my birthday soon and all I want is a set of Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi fat quarters... Love your blog, thanks for the inspiration!

Congrats to the winners and a big Thank you to all my Blog friends !!

Quilt Class 101 - Week 11 - Hand Quilting

2011-06-30T14:03:00.003+10:00

Thank you for all your lovely comments regarding my Blogiversary!! There were some Great Random facts about each of you.. very funny! Thank you for sharing them with us... xx Winners will be announced shortly...

Its Quilt Class time again.. These weeks come round so fast!! I swear they keep getting shorter and shorter.
I have a disclaimer before we start. You will have to excuse the pictures a bit. Some are a little wonky, some a little out of focus, I cropped some because the centre was WAY off!! I had both hands needed for the tutorial.. and so, I needed the help of my little assistant in taking the pictures. She just turned four and not a master of the camera just yet. The only complaint SHE had was that I was interrupting her watching High School Musical.. She would only take a few quick snaps and that HAD TO DO!! Now that I have excused my crazy pictures... I have a tutorial for you...

Hand Quilting

First off... Tools. For Hand Quilting Cotton, I use a ball of Pearle 8 Cotton. It comes in a large variety of colours. It is the perfect thickness. I mostly use the DMC brand but i do have a couple other brands i have come across that seem great too. I also use a leather thimble. It has a small metal plate that protects your finger. I wear it on my right hand, middle finger, as this is the finger that does most of the work. The metal plate is just in the perfect spot to help you push the needle through. I have tried the open metal one (below) that you can see but I find I like the flexibility and grip of the leather. Needles are a hard one. These are my favourite so far. Embroidery Needles size 9. A pair of scissors, and a little zip purse to keep it all in.

Hand Quilting is one of my favourite parts of making a quilt. Its nice to just sit somewhere and sew. Its relaxing, therapeutic, i just love it. It also adds a 'handmade' touch to your quilt. It gives a nice soft texture and your quilt drapes beautifully.

OK, Cut a length of cotton. I think text book teaches you about 18 inches or so.. But i always like to do more like 36 inches, so I'm not stopping and starting as much.

Take your length of cotton and tie a single knot in the end.

I don't like to use a hoop, I tried once and couldn't get it to sit just right. When I hand quilt, I sit on a couch with my knees tucked up and the quilt drapes over them.

For this quilt I'm going to hand quilt 1/4" from the seam. You can mark your quilt top, sometimes you can see a shadow of the seam underneath to follow, or you can just guess. I usually just guess. Hold the fabric flat in your left hand and the needle in your right. (opposite if your Left handed). I hold the needle between my Thumb and middle finger and guide with my pointer finger. Push your needle down through the three layers, back up, down, then up...

Pull your thread through till your knot is at the end.

Give a slight tug and your knot will slip inside and get lodged in your batting.

Take your needle again and push down through all three layers and back up, down and back up. Try and get your hand in a rocking motion.

I try and get two or three parts on my needle before i push the needle and thread all the way through.

Use the metal plate in the thimble to push the needle through.

Pull the thread all the way through

Continue your hand quilting and your rocking motion as far as you need to or until you get close to the end of your thread.

Once you get near the end of your thread,

Make a loop and thread your needle through the loop to create a knot.

I like to position the knot about 1/2" away from my finishing point.

Next, put your needle in where your next stitch would go, ONLY through the Top and batting layer. Angle it so it comes up about an inch away from where you are quilting.

Pull it through and your knot will sit out.

Give another slight tug, so your knot slips under the top and gets caught in the batting. Cut off the thread remaining.

To continue on, get another length of thread and start again. This time your starting in the middle of the Quilt top. Tie a knot at the end of your thread, start about an inch away from where your previous stitches were. Put your needle in through your top two layers, be careful not to go all the way through to the back. Bring your needle up right where your next stitch needs to go.

Pull your thread through.

Like before, give a slight tug so your knot slips under again...

And your ready to continue right where you left off....

Try and keep your stitches as even as you can. I usually snip all my threads once im all finished. Hand quilting can be a little slow to start with, but with practise you will get alot faster. When you flip your quilt over.. You will have the same stitches come through the back.

Continue along...... and your done!

I have decided to do quite a lot of hand quilting on this quilt. Lucky I enjoy it so much!

I hope that helped you. Kate from Kate Conklin Designs has a great Hand Quilting tutorial on her blog. She holds her needle slightly different to me and uses a different type of thimble. You may like to pop over and have a read of hers and see which way suits you best.

Do you have a Hand Quilting Tutorial you would like to Share with us???

Giveaway and Pattern Sale

2011-06-26T11:40:00.005+10:00

Happy Blogiversary to Me,

Happy Blogiversary to Me......

Happy Blogiversary to Me!!!

I can't believe it. It somehow feels like I've been blogging forever but yet not really that long at all.

When I first started my blog 12 months ago, I had no idea how much fun it would be....

Getting to know each of you

Share my Projects

Write Tutorials

Hold Giveaways

Sell my Patterns

Teach an Online Quilt Class

Have Featured Bloggers and

Be featured.

Blog land is such a great and inspiring place to be apart of.

So, Lets celebrate!!

A Pattern Sale and a Giveaway...
**Now Closed**

For the next 48 hrs.. Buy a Pattern, get one FREE...

If you Buy a Downloadable pattern from my shop, send me an email and tell me which pattern you would like for FREE , and I'll send it to you!!

You can Buy my Patterns HERE

Now, for the Giveaway!!!

Kimberly, from the Fat Quarter Shop wants to celebrate with us. She has offered 3 Gift Vouchers for the Giveaway. Three winners will be Drawn Random, Tues Night 28th June.

How to enter...

* Leave me a comment and tell me something Random about you that I don't know...

* For all of my lovely followers you can leave another comment! You have helped make this last year a blast! I am forever grateful for all your comments, encouragement, love, and support along the way.

To get you in the spirit..

Here's 15 things about me you may not have known..

My husband proposed to me by having flowers and chocolates delivered to my door. In the box of chocolates, the middle chocolate was missing and was replaced with a ring. He hid outside the door for a few hours that day, waiting for the delivery man, and waiting to hear my reaction, before he knocked and got down on one knee... Of course I said YES.
The last 12 months I finally kicked the disgusting habit of biting my fingernails.. I think I've been too busy sewing instead.
I haven't watched a news program since my son died.
I LOVE Linen, flowers, gardening, magazines and decorating my home.
I'm obsessed with all things lace, vintage or french..I would love to go to France one day.
No matter how hard I try, I am always 10 min's Late... Everywhere.
I wish I could sing.
Believe it or not, I'm actually really really shy. My ideal world would be staying at home being a hermit.
I love being a mum its all I've ever wanted.
I hate being sick, but for some reason never take medicine. Maybe I procrastinate, maybe I'm just lazy, maybe I think if I let my body fight it, I'll get better.
When I go to a restaurant I always order the same thing for fear of ordering something different and being disappointed.
I get angry when I'm cold.
I am hopeless at parking my car. I have had a few accidents and rolled my jeep.. but I'm a good driver!!!
I once wrote a mother profile on Creating a Childhood HERE
My hubby calls me a SEWLEBRITY!

Thanks for a Fun year!

How I'm Quilting my QC Quilt.

2011-06-24T10:15:00.000+10:00

LOTS happening this week....

*I had such a great time at the Craft Fair on Wednesday.. I bought a few bits and pieces and the makings for my next quilt and pattern. I'll tell you all about it and show you some pictures soon.
* I'm headed back to the Show tomorrow to be with Saffron on her stand, so if you will be there, come visit us and say hi!!
* Drum roll.............Its my Blogiversary THIS WEEKEND!!! Can you believe it?? Its been 12 months! Time has flown by in blog land. I have a great Giveaway and Pattern Sale kicking off tomorrow, so pop back so you don't miss out!

But for today, I'm ready to Quilt my QC Quilt. If you missed last class on Machine Quilting, you can read about it HERE and if you want to catch up with a few of the classes, you can follow along HERE.

OK, I was a little undecided on what design I should actually go for. I have really enjoy straight line quilting, 1/4" off the seam allowance and was going to go for that. But, i really felt the quilt needed the Zig Zags to remain the focus and not have crossing lines intersecting them... SO... I decided to follow the Zig Zag and quilt in between them like this...

Are you ready to Quilt?? and wanna know how to start???

Step 1, I mark my Quilt if i need to. For this Quilting design, I needed to.
I use a water soluble quilting marker/pen and put a small Dot in the centre of the seam. If you look closely you can see them.

Next, I take my ruler and draw a faint line to connect the dots.

Continue to mark all the way across your quilt. I then marked each white Zig Zag from top to bottom, the same.

Step 2. Load up your machine. I swap my needle to a 90/14 needle, and change your normal sewing foot to a walking foot. A walking foot really is a must. It cleverly grabs your quilt sandwich evenly and feeds it through your machine together and at the same speed. If you don't use a walking foot, your quilt top and backing get fed through your machine at different speeds and you will get slipping, bunching and pulling on your quilt back. Not good!

Step 3, Start your Quilting at the centre and always work right. You only ever want to have 1/2 your Quilt rolled up under your machine at any time. The majority of your quilt should be on the left of your centre and you work of the right side of your Quilt. To understand this better, I'll show you how to I do mine.

For this quilt I'm working horizontally. I find the centre of the quilt top on the Left side. This is my starting point. In between the orange and the blue zigzag is the centre, so this is the one I sew first. When you start in the centre, the first couple quilt lines are the hardest. This is because while your quilting your working to fit 1/2 your quilt under the throat of your machine. I find this easier to manage if I roll up the right side of the quilt to allow it to fit through. So,

Lay your quilt down flat, roll up the right side of my Quilt till you reach the part your sewing. Put your Quilt sandwich under your walking foot.
Just before your first dot, do a few little reverse/back stitches to secure. When you get to your dot, put your needle in the down position.

Lift up your walking foot and turn your quilt so your diagonal line is straight. Sew down until you reach the next dot.

Put your needle in the down position, Lift your presser foot and swivel your quilt to sew down the other side.

As you sew, I place both my hands lightly on the quilt, to guide the fabric through and make sure its nice and flat. You can see my rolled section near my right hand.

Remove any pins you need to as you continue across the quilt til you reach the other side. And you have your first line quilted!!!... It will look like this!!

For this quilt, I'm worked from Left to Right across the quilt. The next line I will do will be in between the orange and pink left to right, then in between pink and pink and continue each row until I have reached the top. (working on the right side of your centre)
The next step is to work on the bottom section. Turn your quilt upside down so the pink section you have just quilted is at the bottom and the blue section that needs to be Quilted is at the top. You repeat your quilting the same as the above step.. By working across your quilt again and still working on the right side of your centre. Does that all make sense??

Well, I'm off to finish Quilting the rest of mine... I hope this has helped you and email me or leave a comment if you have any questions!!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to celebrate with me!!

Quilt Class 101 - Week 10 - Machine Quilting

2011-06-21T22:20:00.000+10:00

Quilt Class has come a day early this week, cause I'm off to the Craft Fair tomorrow!! I'm so so excited!! I will also be helping Saffron at her stand on Saturday, So if your able to pop in... come say HI!! There is lots happening this week... Something exciting on the 24th June???... mmm I'll leave it with you.. see if you can guess? xx

Quilt Class 101 - Quilting By Machine

If your following along and you have your quilt top to this stage, and have it all basted like this, you are now ready to Quilt!! How are you all doing?? Still hanging in there???

There are a couple tools you really need for Machine Quilting your quilt. Firstly, a walking foot (the big one on the left) for straight line quilting. The one on the right is a free motion Quilting foot if you want to draw your designs.

You should also try and grab yourself a pair of gloves. These Ansell ones you can buy from your grocery store for about $5, or you can get proper machine quilting gloves called Machingers.. I also change my needle to a size 90/14. A longer heavier needle works better for getting through the three layers.

Now, the FUN part... Choosing a design...
If your a beginner I would stick with your walking foot and try doing straight line quilting at first. The easiest straight line quilting is when you quilt, a 1/4" off your seam line. I did that for this quilt.

I find it fast and easy and hides mistakes if your needle wanders a bit.

For my very first quilt, I thought the only way was to stitch in the ditch. Stitching in the ditch is where you sew exactly on the seam line. You have to go slow and it can look untidy if your a bit off. I found it alot harder than they say.

Stitching 1/4" off the seam line also gives it a nice look on the back.

Red Pepper Quilts straight line quilts 1/4" off the seam, for ALOT of her quilts. Check Here and Here for some inspiration.
The next thing you can try is Free Motion Quilting

I am NO expert when it comes to free motion quilting. I took a great class taught by Deborah Louie. She is amazing. She taught us some great techniques and got us thinking outside the square of stippling and trying something new.

Its a bit tricky and takes LOTS of practise. Its fun though... So if you have some time, set up a few small quilt sandwiches and have a play...

Its also great to practise your skills on a few coasters, place mats, hot pads, or bibs you might make..

Next, If your not game to do it yourself, you can hand it over to one of your trusty Professional Quilters. They have hundreds of beautiful designs you can choose from.

Well, I'm going to leave you to browse through Flickr HERE and HERE and think about how your going to Quilt your QC Quilt. I will show you shortly how to Quilt your Quilt and what design I'm going do for mine.
If you would like to share some of your quilts you have quilted either straight line, or free motion, it would be great to see them Linked up Below!

Spray Basting Tutorial with Kristie

2011-06-18T09:30:00.001+10:00

There are a few ways to baste your quilts, and lots of variations. I couldn't pass by Basting week in Quilt Class without sharing a tutorial on Spray Basting. Petra jumped in last class with a linky, so you can see how she bastes her quilts.. Thanks Petra! And for this week's featured blogger... I'm thrilled to introduce you to another favourite of mine.. The lovely Kristie from

OCD: Obsessive Crafting Disorder!

Her blog is the bomb!! She is always making something cool that you just HAVE to make! I love these and they are definitely on my to do list!

So, Thank you Kristie, for sharing with us YOUR way!

Spray Basting with Dumbbells (not a reference to your intelligence!)

Hi There! I'm Kristie from ocd: obsessive crafting disorder. Nice to meet you! Feel free to stop by my blog and say hello! I started this quilting business myself a year ago, and have learned so much along the way! It is great to share some of my knowledge and mishaps with some more new quilters here at Quilting Class 101. I am here with Bec at Chasing Cottons today to chat with you about the most dreaded step for most quilters....basting!

What is Basting, exactly?

Basting is the process of temporarily adhering your quilt top and back with a batting layer in the center- this combination is sometimes called the "quilt sandwich." While this step is undoubtedly dull, it is critical to secure the 3 layers that will become your final quilt to prevent puckering due to shifting of layers during the top stitching or "quilting" process that joins it all together.

So, here is what you need to make yourself a quilt sandwich.

-First off, make yourself a gorgeous quilt top out of some drool-worthy fabric
-Make a quilt back that coordinates with the top and is about 6 inches BIGGER than the quilt top in both length and width. This leaves you about 3 inches of overhang around all of the quilt top edges. Why? This gives some extra wiggle room so that if the top and back are not perfectly lined up, you are not left with exposed batting showing.
-Lastly, cut a piece of batting that is approximately the same size as the quilt back.

Now that you have all your sandwich components, basting can begin.

There are several different methods to baste a quilt:
1. Using thread and needle, and hand stitching large stitches across the sandwich that are later removed.
2. Using safety pins, placed at regular intervals over the quilt sandwich, that are removed as you approach them during the quilting process... Bec's Way!!
3. Using basting spray.
I am going to discuss the method I use, which is a spray basting method. I started out using the safety pin method, and while many do this very successfully, I found that I spent too much time removing pins and readjusting my layers during quilting, and still would get the odd pucker in the fabric. Since switching to basting spray (cue sunbeams and angels singing), I have not had a single pucker, and have cut my basting time in half! For me, the extra money to buy the spray baste is well worth the savings at the Bank of Frustration!

I have only used one basting spray- it is called 505, and I have seen it marketed in two different cans, like these:
I have no affiliation with this company, and I am sure there are many baste-worthy sprays out there, but this is the only one I use and can attest to. It sticks well, is repositionable, and does not seep through or stain your quilt, nor does it gum up your machine needle. In Canada it retails for about $17 (Cdn/US/Aus $ are all pretty similar right now) for the small can, and $32 for the large can (they are labelled differently, but it looks more than double the size). I can do about 5 baby quilts or 2+ lap quilts from a small can. The can mentions to spray in a well ventilated space, and I have seen some quilters go so far as to use gas masks, but I can tell you that I just use it right in my kitchen, and during Canadian winters, I don't even open a window. Gasp! And, it SEEMS I still have the majority of my brain cells intact (you be the judge). Please choose your spray basting site with the precautions that make you feel comfortable.

Here are the steps I use to successfully spray baste my quilts:

1. Find a floor space in your home that is large enough for your quilt to lay flat and give a few feet to maneuver all around. Give that space a sweep or vacuum to remove debris (who wants cereal bits forever inside your quilt?).

2. Take your batting layer and lay it flat on the floor. Here is where those dumbbells come in- place one on one corner, then smooth the batting flat and place on the next, and so on, until all 4 corners are secure. Do not stretch the batting, but smooth and pull taunt.

Why dumbbells? Well, for one, my husband was sick of holding corners for me. I had tried painters tape, too, but found it let go while I would smooth or apply pressure, and I certainly can't see that sticking for those doing this on carpet. A nice 20-30 lb dumbbell will sit still, quietly, as long as you need it. And might as well use them for something, right?
3. Take your quilt top and center it on the secured batting. Smooth out wrinkles and adjust as needed to center.
4. Grab your spray. Sit on your knees in the center of your quilt top, and peel one side back towards you.
Pile it on your lap. This way you are working from the center outward. Position the can about 30 cm/12 inches from the batting, and spray in a circular motion- I only use a light layer.
Pick up your quilt top from your lap, hold it up high with one hand and use your second hand to smooth the top against the sprayed portion of the batting to remove wrinkles. Continue until you have gotten all the way to the edge and have the first half complete.
Then, go back to the center of your quilt top, peel back the opposite (unsprayed) side, and repeat going in the other direction until the entire quilt top is secured to the batting.

What happens if there is a wrinkle in the top at this point? The spray baste is repositionable, which means you can lift the fabric from the batting and smooth the wrinkled area, moving to the outside edge of the quilt, until it is removed. No worries!

5. Next, you are going to use some safety pins to mark the perimeters of your quilt top to help you to align the back. I put pins at each of the 4 corners to form an "L" shape, and again at the measured center of each side. Lastly, I use 2 pins to mark an "X" at the exact center of my quilt top. Make sure all of these pins go through both the top and batting layers so you will be able to see them on the other side.
Center X:

Side center pins:
Corner L (as seen from batting side):
6. Roll the dumbbells off your corners and flip over so the quilt top is now facing down, and the batting is facing up. Give it a quick look over to make sure the batting is not bunched anywhere- if so, you may have to go back and reposition your quilt top to smooth out as above. Once it all looks right, secure the corners with the dumbbells again like you did at the beginning.

7. Grab your quilt back and find the exact center. You can do this by using measuring tape or by simply folding it in half and in half again- the middle corner is the center. Make an "X" here with safety pins as you did for the top/batting. Now take this pinned area, unfasten one of the pins and use it to pin to the X showing through the batting, marking the center of the top. It is kind of hard to see your top through the batting, right? This makes sure they are lined up and the centers stay stuck together as you smooth. For larger quilts, twin sized and up, you may also want to pin down the side centers to further ensure that there is no rotation of the quilt back relative to the front.
8. Smooth the back flat along the batting. Check that the edges of the back are parallel to the pin guides showing the edge of the top through the batting. For a plain back, this is all you need to do. Sometimes, for more intricate pieced quilt back designs that require even more precision to line up front and back, I use more pins at this stage by poking them through the design on the back and then checking where the pins emerge at the front and adjusting accordingly.

For example: In this quilt I wanted the angle of the pinwheels on the back to line up with the half square triangles on the front. So, I stuck a pin in one corner of the pinwheel:
Checked where it came out in the front- too far from seam!
Adjusted back until the pin lined up on the seam in front as shown:

Repeated for series of pinwheels:

And voila! Final quilting lines were perfectly parallel!
9. Once satisfied with alignment, kneel in the center and peel back one half of the back and spray baste, moving to the outer edges, as you did for the quilt top. Repeat with second side to complete. If needed, take time to confirm alignment with pins as mentioned in step 9. Then, remove all of your pins.

10. Admire :-)
Ta da! You have a basted quilt! Good job! Now, you can advance confidently into the home stretch- quilting and binding. Have fun!! Thanks for listening to my ramblings today, I hope it was of help, and thanks to Bec for inviting me to share my 2 cents :-) If you have any questions on spray basting, feel free to email me at:

obsessivecraftingdisorder@yahoo.ca

Happy quilting!

Thanks Kristie for sharing with us today! xx Its a gorgeous Quilt! xx