a special kind of feeling

that feeling that comes from finding the absolute perfect fabric? That special fabric that will finish off the quilt and make it just perfect? That happened to me today as I went to the mothership to find some backing and binding for my puzzle quilt. I really like a stripey binding, and I chanced upon a stripe that had all the shades of blue and green that were in my quilt.. Love it.

a bit of a sew and tell...

 Playing around with a design I saw in a tutorial at the Make it a wonderful life blog. It's a very simple idea, 5" square background and a circle cut using a CD as a template. Just need to quilt it now, and so it joins this queue:

 4 quilts to quilt.
The bottom three are being handquilted. Slowly. I am having too much fun starting new projects

- like this one:

 Kate Conklin's "Dandelion Windows" using Saffron Craig's "Fields" range of fabrics.



And then on top of the shelves are my PIG's - projects all bundled and ready to go. Handmade Christmas coming up!

So much fabric, so little time!

a daytrip

A little daytrip to Barrenjoey lighthouse...

puzzle solved - a new bedspread

yikes, has it been 2 weeks already? I have been busy at work with this quilt top (the angle of the photo makes it look elongated). A few years ago I stumbled across a pattern online called Jig Swatches Puzzle and I finally had the opportunity to make it. It was good fun to make and I got to perfect a technique for applique that I haven't used much before - freezerpaper and starch.

Looking at my finished quilts I can see an evolution of applique techniques. I started with Vliesofix and blanket stitch before I learned a method of tacking fabric onto a cardboard template and pressing into shape. Freezer paper entered my life and I learned needleturn using the freezer paper ironed onto the right side of the fabric. And now the freezerpaper has moved onto the reverse side of the fabric. It's so much fun always learning something new!

fluttering madly

........ and this is no 7.........

I have been stitching madly trying to complete the Butterfly Garden quilt. Partly I am so excited to be almost finished with it, and I can't wait to see what it will look like completed.

However....

Mostly it is because I am excited about my next applique project which I will not allow myself to start until I have Butterfly Garden. Self-discipline, see? (it's not a dominant trait in me as far as quilting is concerned, but I can always pretend)

Redwork quilt by Tita Leach

I have fabrics (red/ecru prints and ecru osnaberg) as well as embellishments ready to go.

My friend Adri and I will be stitching together on this one. Always good for motivation!

Imagine our surprise when in the pattern pack was discovered an extra border not in the photo (or on the original quilt displayed at the Craft Depot!).

By popular demand Tita added another border consisting of houses and trees made up of suffolk puffs - 320 in total. No, that is not a typo.....  320!

Good thing I'm such a dab hand with them after finishing Tita's Christmas Quilt.

check out this giveaway!!

Becky Johnson of Chasing Cottons has done it again and the "Rolling Meadows" pattern is now ready for purchase through her website. To celebrate, Becky is doing a giveaway - check out this bundle!!!!! A free copy of the pattern,a whole yard of the tree fabric (Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow) and assorted strips of other fabric.

All you have to do is visit her blog and leave a comment. For an added chance, follow her blog (which you'd want to do anyway, so that you can find out what this talented new quilter is up to!). For a third go at the prize, put Becky's blog in your sidebar or blog about it.

room to let

Looking for a new home?
A great opportunity has come up in this brand new single dwelling development.

We are offering a spacious 34 ltr modern home tastefully decorated with white, fine grain gravel flooring throughout. Decorations include a replica shipwreck.
Environmental issues have been addressed and we can guarantee a comfortable, stable room temperature and excellent ventilation.

Landscaping artists will be starting work on the planting of greenery later this week.

Services include food delivered regularly straight to your door.

Premises are suitable for a couple or a family. House share welcome. Premises are also suitable for a school.

Applications to Little Possum.

and the winners are.....

The quilt goes to Caroline of The Simple Things for $70.  Thank you!!

The highest bid for the pencil roll was by Fiona who bid a very generous $100, but didn't leave contact details. Thank you for your bid!!

Can both winners  please email me with your details -  mari.viertel@gmail.com

Thank you to those who bid, it was very generous of you, and I am happy to be able to use this money to contribute to a very worthy cause.


I will be starting another silent auction again in the next week, so watch this space!

presenting...... Gemstones!

The quilt top is now complete in all its glory. The original pattern is from "Jelly roll quilts" by Nicky Lintott.

The picture in the book also featured Kaffe Fassett prints and the fabrics were pieced in a random/scrappy way. This looked fun and cheerful, but as I started piecing my rectangles, I decided that I would make my gemstones by organising the prints by colour, and here is the result:

For the backing I had originally intended on using white homespun with a strip of leftover rectangles pieced into it. However, when I went to buy the homespun, I must've had a brainblip, and I miscalculated the amount I needed and I was short by 20 cm.

I considered my options - going back for more homespun, or going on to plan B,

a pieced backing.

Plan B feels very satisfying in a stashbusting way since I used KF yardages from my shelves.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to Adri I go :)

the table is set

Finished all the placemats. I made 8 in total.

Quite pleased with the result, especially when I added the candlestick made by my grandfather. He also made the mirror on the wall.

Just need some food to serve up now :)

84 down, 0 to go!

84 leaves, 84 yo-yo berries later and  I can say a big

Ta-Daaaah:

Yes...... the quilt top for "Twelve Days of Christmas" (designed by Tita Leach) is finally finished!

It's only 5 years ago that I started it.........

It's off to Adri tomorrow to be basted and then I will quilt and embellish. Joy!

quiet day

It's Monday. Dash-around-quickly-do-housework-then-quilt-day. Normally I would be alone today, but I have Doodlebug company today. He has been unwell since Friday, rallied himself to help out his teammates for the Soccer Gala Day on Saturday (which wiped him completely since they made it through 3 games to go to the final) before collapsing in a little heap yesterday. This morning I was trying to get him moving with not much luck. I found him sleeping in a little beanbag nest by the window, curled up in the morning sun like a cat.

Silent Auction for Medecins sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders

I know that you are all aware of the humanitarian disaster in Pakistan at the moment.

The sheer scale of it is hard to comprehend. The number of people made homeless is now estimated to be 4 million

 - the equivalent to the entire population of Norway or of New Zealand.

I want to make a contribution to MSF towards their efforts in Pakistan. These courageous aidworkers are helping to provide safe drinking water and healthcare to the flood victims.

This will be a drop in the bucket, but I hope to raise a little cash by auctioning of the following items:

A baby quilt, inexpertly pieced, lovingly appliqued and quilted by me.

Cotton fabrics, polycotton batting

Bids starting at $60 AUD

Pencil roll made from The Hungry Caterpillar prints. Pencils included.

Bids starting at $10 AUD

How to bid:

Submit your bid in a comment with your first and last name (or a nickname -- something you will know!). If you are the first bid, your bid must be higher than the minimum bid, and if you are not first, your bid must be higher than the previous commenter.

If you have a blog, please link to this post in order to spread the word!

Auction ends Friday 3rd September at 8pm AEST

Payment to be organised through PayPal

Also consider making a donation through other agencies such as

The Red Cross

Unicef

World Vision

Caritas

as well as a generous fast offering!

THIS AUCTION IS NOW ENDED!

Can you say a-d-d-i-c-t-i-o-n ?

My name is Mari and I'm a serial quilter :)

(click image to go to Cafepress for great quilting gifts)

I know I'm in good company out here in the quilt-blogging world when I stand up and confess my addiction to fabrics :)   Not just the fabrics themselves, but planning what to turn them into, and then of course the work itself. /happy sigh/

These are the bundles that somehow found their way into my house in the last week:

A lovely layer cake full of cheerfulness

Saffron Craig's "Fields" range with some extra homespuns to keep them company

This 'Fat Roll' from Wyndham Fabrics' Fiona range.

Fat rolls are new to me ( the fabric ones at least!) but this was an eBay bargain I couldn't let pass me by.

And when I didn't buy any bundles, I have grouped some of my stash into bundles for some planned projects:

These lovelies are for a redwork quilt I will be doing after a pattern by Tita Leach. I have to have something to satisfy my need for needleturn now that Butterfly Garden is coming to an end.

And last but not least this bundle that I am gathering for Doodlebug's bedspread:

These are the sketches I have been playing with. (I really want EQ 7..)

Jigsaw puzzle quilt (currently Doodlebug's favourite)

or "Garden Spikes" from here

Accuquilt Giveaway!

Have you seen one of these advertised? Have you wanted one? Badly?

Here is your chance of getting one for free!!!  The amazing Paulette of SweetP is hosting a Giveaway for the Accuquilt GO.  All you have to do is leave comment, and for an extra chance, blog about the giveaway. How easy is that?  I've had my go..... why don't you go try your luck as well.
As a bonus, there is also a tutorial showing how easy the machine is to use, and demonstrating how quickly you can turn your scraps and remnants into blocks once the cutting time is down.

diversional therapy

Today I needed some diversional therapy for a couple of reasons. I suspect I have a dental abscess, and the pain in my jaw is making me feel very bear'ish indeed. Time to retreat to my happy place :)

So I decided to play with my new Marti Mitchell "Strippers" templates and a Moda 'Fandango' jelly roll.

First I made this runner:

Instead of batting, I used a medium weight fusible interfacing. I backed it with a plain seeded homespun.

There was still plenty of homespun and I didn't use the whole jelly roll, so I thought I would make some placemats. There will be 8 in total, but I only managed to finish off 3 before I had to go make dinner.

well - I have to save some fun for later :)

controlled chaos

The Gemstones assembly line.... 

 No finishes this week, just the same WIP's going on. It'll be like the no 9 bus - wait forever for one and then three come along at once....

Does a mini design board count as a finish, though? I did make one of those as you can see behind the sewing machine. I love my staple gun.

gathering gemstones, a new toy and a Kaffe Fassett overload

I have decided that a design wall would make putting the blocks in place so much easier. Being able to stand back and look at the blocks from a distance must make creating a pleasing pattern easier.

In looking at the photo I took, I can see a couple of blocks I will be picking apart and reassembling as well.!!

My new toy arrived this week! A 60 degree ruler... Doesn't take much to make me happy :)

Having cut rectangles for my stashbusting Gemstones quilt using the Kaffe Fassett prints left over from making this quilt plus my other KF stash,  there is still a good amount of KF prints left.

This might possibly be because of the extra fabric I bought to help balance the colours/values etc.

 Funny how that goes......

I have a whole lot of strips now which were perfect for these blocks. I can see another KF prints quilt. How far can I take this? Possibly a scrap quilt as well?

PS - Add "The Big Bang Theory" on DVD and some Toblerone chocolate and it all made for a very happy scenario!

all puffed up

Only about another 60 or so hollyberry-suffolk puffs left to make. I find it curiously satisfying to make them, although I was so tempted to substitute them with buttons. I also find that I am getting the hang of making them and they are getting neater. Woohoo.

Split personality

For some time I have pondered my blog and its mixed bag of posts. Those of you who visit my blog regularly can be divided fairly clearly into 2 categories - friends/family and quilters. There is possibly a 3rd category - those who accidentally stumbled across my blog (Hello! I welcome you!)

With this in mind, I have decided to split my blog, or rather start a new one - over here . So, now you can choose where to visit - "Carpe Quiltem" for my quilting life or "Infinity and Beyond" for my family life. I can't promise there won't be a little cross-posting though!