Marta's Quilt..... is taking shape!

Well, after a few weeks of cutting and piecing, Marta's quilt is beginning to take shape.

Marta and Orlando have a whopping size bed (i think it's even bigger than a king size!), so this is going to be an equally large quilt. Yikes!! I've cut 100, 10.5 x 10.5 inch squares, and have managed to piece together the shades of pink squares with their green crosses.

I have found that i've need to be super accurate with cutting and with my 1/4 inch seam so that when i square up the block, i don't cut too much off and also so that the crosses will meet neatly with the next blocks. Even so, there are still some blocks that are less than ideal. But overall, i'm pretty happy with how they are turning out so far. It should look even better when i make up the green shaded blocks with pink crosses.

I also made the online-purchase mistake of ordering fabric in mid/heavy weight, which despite being absolutely lovely and matching the colours perfectly, is a bit too thick, so today i headed off to Addicted2Fabric to get some Michael Miller solid in pink......and it's perfect! Perhaps the heavier drill fabric will be ideal for some pillows to match?

Please help! Quilting ideas and suggestions?

So i figure, i'm a bit over half way through the piecing ....waahoooo! I'm starting to wonder about what the best way to quilt it will be. I'm pretty confident that its going to be waaaay too whoppingly large (think....2.4 x 2.8m) for me to quilt on my home machine, so i'm thinking of asking a long-armer to quilt it for me. But, i have no idea about what pattern or design? Should i go for an overall type pattern of swirls or perhaps accentuate the cross pattern with some straight lines? I'd sure love to hear your ideas and suggestions. Here is a picture of the original quilt by Ann D. Hansen called 'x-tra ordinary' (p.28 of her book 'make it Modern Quilts') which gives you an idea of how the blocks will look when they're pieced together.

Linking up with Lorna for Lets Bee Social and Lee for WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Spring Picnic

It's winter here in Canberra. The nights are cold and it's difficult to get out of bed in the morning. I'm a summer-loving type girl and i'm already longing for the change of season. In preparation for some spring picnics in the mountains and weekends away camping, i'm planning on making a picnic quilt and i know just the inspiration.

p. 122 of Malka Dubrawsky's Fresh*Quilting; Fearless Color, Design & Inspiration

Last year i saw a beautiful picnic quilt made by Malka Dubrawsky (p. 122 of her book Fresh*Quilting; Fearless Color, Design & Inspiration), and i've been wanting to make something like it ever since. Using mostly shades of green in solids and prints, i found it so fresh and when i see it, it makes me want to seek out some blue skies and leafy trees to picnic under. I love it's simplicity and focus on colours.

So, here are some of the Kona Solids i've selected in a recent fabric purchase. I like the colours, they make me happy and i think they'll work well with some of the prints i already have in my stash. For now though, we still have a few more months of winter to enjoy which are perfect quilting conditions (also good for hot chocolates, movies, snuggling under favourite quilts, sipping tea, baking bikkies, reading and playing in the sunshine that typifies Canberra winters).

Cheers to a few winter months... the perfect preparation time for a spring picnic quilt.

It's also week 2 of the Plum and June 2014 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop, so if you'd like to see some more, new and inspirational quilting blogs, here is just a selection...

Jill @ Pie Lady Quilts

Chelsea @ Patch The Giraffe (http://patchthegiraffe. blogspot.com/)

Daisy @ Ants To Sugar

Rachael @ The Floral Suitcase 

Elizabeth @ And Pins

Jennifer @ Never Just Jennifer 

Alice @ Blossom Quilts

Megan @ Sew Stitching Cute

Stephanie @ Late Night Quilter

Kelsey @ Lovely And Enough

Linking up with Gemma for I Quilt Thursdays at Pretty Bobbins and Molli Sparkes for Sunday Stash

Who's at the Bower Bird Patch?

Jen and her helper in her sewing room/ dining room/ lounge room

The Bower Bird Story

So, what's a bower bird and what's it got to do with patchwork and quilting? Well, Satin Bower Birds (Ptilonorhynchus violates) are common where i'm from on the east coast of Australia and they're gorgeous birds.

But mostly they're known because of the way the boys will decorate their intricate stick nests (aka bower) with all sorts of blue materials in order to woo girls (more info here).

Like the bower bird girls, i'm super attracted to all things blue, and you'll probably notice that in the fabrics that i'll pick out and the quilts that i make. That said, i am really attracted to colourful quilts at the moment too and my eyes are always drawn to pretty colours and i will often notice the pattern afterwards.

Jens sewing journey

My Mum is a great quilter and source of inspiration. She taught me to quilt over a decade ago and since then, quilting has become a passion, a treat, a therapy and something to share with my Mum. I've loved creating the best homemade and one-of-a-kind gifts for friends and family as well as welcoming babes to the world with something special. Of course, there's always a favourite quilt on my bed and it's super nice to be able to have our visitors sleep under my quilt creations too!

Of course, as the journey meanders, my tastes and inspirations have changed with the years, as have my commitments and thus the time I'm able to spend quilting.

My favourite quilts

At the moment, these are the quilts i'm most proud of;

Dreaming of Jacarandas

I made this quilt for my mother and father in law Rosa Maria and Ze Carlos. Here, it is pictured on the granite pillars that are typical in the Minho region where they live in northern Portugal.

String Playmat

I made this playmat for my little boy back in the day when he was less of The Hurricane. It has been washed and washed so many times, but the colours still make me happy.

Seaside

I made this queen size quilt-as-you-go pattern (by Monica Poole) because i was simply in love with the colours. It's currently on our bed and after a few years, i'm still in love with the colours.

A Placemat for Sylvia

This placemat was made especially for my Aunt Sylvia in Portugal. It was my first real attempt to sew with curves and i'm happy with how they turned out.

2014 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop

I'm new to the blogging world, but since putting my own blog together in March, i've learnt a whole lot (i was a 'no reply blogger' for a couple of weeks...ouch!), and i've been super inspired by the talent of quilters far and wide. Quilting is very personal and everybody has such different tastes (i don't know about you, but i never seem to be able to pick the winners or peoples' choice at quilt shows!). I reckon quilt blogging helps me to find my own style by admiring the various colours, techniques and patterns of others, plus, it's a whole lotta fun making new friends that share a common quilting passion!

Today marks the first official day of the 2014 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop and i'm very excited to be part of it. There has been much work behind the scenes and there's a whole bundle of beautiful new blogs to visit and check out. I've listed just a handful here so please go and check them out, i think you'll be inspired;

• Michelle @ Michelle Bartholomew
• Jana @ Jana Machado
• Karin @ Leigh Laurel Studios
• Kim @ Ties That Bind Quilting
• Yvonne @ Quilting Jet Girl
• Katie @ Good Golly Ginger
• Cheryl @ Meadow Mist Designs
• Sarah @ Smiles Too Loudly
• Vera @ Negligent Style

And so the journey continues......

Blogging tip:   don't be afraid to just be yourself, it's your blog after all!

Quilting tip:    make the things that please you most and give you the greatest enjoyment

Question for readers:      quilting with silks? any advice will be greatly appreciated (see my post about the kimono silk challenge)

Jens favourites:         Love Actually, Jane Austin, peppermint chocolate, travel, photography, gardening, Wangerin's The Bible as a Novel, Ningaloo Reef, Lord Howe Island, south-west Western Australia, the Pacific North-West, home-made, The Hurricane, blue skies, prescribed fire, Portugal, the Matterhorn and quilting.

Cheers

Jen

Butterflies and Bees Cot Quilt

My Mum has sewn so many things for our family. As a little girl, i can remember Mum making me some terrific dress up outfits and clothes for my teddy. Although she mostly made necessities; things like our clothes and their repairs and hand-me-down modifications from my brother and sisters clothes and school uniforms.

When i learnt to do my first patchwork pillow as a Brownie (young girl guide or scout), she encouraged me and loaned me the sewing gear i needed (i think she may have also helped me finish it when my enthusiasm wained!).

Recently, when my little boy (aka the hurricane) was due to be born, she made him this terrific Butterflies and Bees Cot quilt. We love it terribly and as i write, the hurricane is fast asleep underneath it. He loves pointing out the butterflies and bees that Mum has appliqued onto it but i love the blue and green colours (of course!) and the xanthorhoea grass tree spikes that remind me of our home in the Blue Mountains, Australia.

So this post goes out to my Mum.... cheers for making such a fun and gorgeous cot quilt for our boy Mum! We love you very, very much!

You can check out more of Mum's quilts on Mums Gallery page.

Linking up with AmandaJean for Finish it up Friday

Kimono silk challenge

It's been over a decade since i first saw the most gorgeous piece of kimono silk i've ever seen. It was one of those situations where i knew i must buy it, and work out what to do with it later (bet i'm not the only one to have hand one of those moments!). It was special too, because it reminded me on my Nana and the colours that she liked.

At the time, there wasn't much kimono silk being used in quilting, and i ignorantly thought id be able to get my hands on similar coloured and patterned silks. In the last 10 years, I've certainly found some stash additions of pretty silks and certainly some to co-ordinate a quilt with, but nothing quite so pretty to me.

So far, this is what I've been able to get my hands on. While i wish i had some more turquoises and pretty pastel blues, i'm thinking it's time i should plan and commence my 'kimono silk challenge'......And it certainly will be a challenge for me because;

1. I've never sewed using silks before and know they can be slippery and hard to work with.
2. Some of the pieces are so precious, i don't want to ruin them.
3. I'm not really that into some of the more typical Japanese style quilts, but do want to make something in keeping with the kimono silks and where they've come from.
4. I'm unsure of what type of backing and wadding to use....for example should i use a cotton backing to try to stabilise the quilt a bit more or something softer to keep the quilt all soft and silky?

If you have any tips from your experience working with silks or similar, or ideas to share, please let me know and i'd sure love to hear from you.

I recently saw an inspirational quilt by Cassandra Ellis called 'Because You Love The Fabric Quilt' (p.62 of her book 'Quilt Love') and i like it so much i think i'll attempt something along those lines for my own silk quilt.

It's kinda improv piecing and i believe it will let me keep the silks fairly intact (i don't want to go cutting them up too much!), especially the piece that started this silk journey which i reckon i'll try keep cutting to a minimum with!

Please, if you have any tips or can point me in the direction of some tutorials, please let me know, i'd sure love to hear from you!

Linking up with Lorna for Lets Bee Social, Gemma for I Quilt: Thursday at Pretty Bobbins and Molli Sparkles for Sunday Stash

Marta's quilt fabics

I've been wanting to make a quilt for my sister and brother in law, Marta and Orlando, for a while now. Marta is coming to visit us later this year in September, so my thoughts have turned to making her a quilt. That gives me around 3-4 months to make and quilt this gift, so not a whole stack of time, but hopefully enough.

I saw a beautiful quilt by Ann D. Hansen called 'x-tra ordinary' (p.28 of her book 'make it Modern Quilts') and fell in love with it straight away. I reckon it looks pretty fancy but achievable in the time frame i have....

x-tra ordinary 2; p.32 make it Modern Quilts by Ann D. Hansen

So while my husband was recently in the U.S. i asked him to pick me up some Amy Butler Soul Blossoms fabrics from Hawthawn Threads. I haven't used any fabrics from this range before but wasn't disappointed when they arrived home with my husband yesterday. The colours are so pretty and together with some coordinating solids and a bit of Jennifer Paganelli, Beauty Queen, should suit the x-tra ordinary pattern well.

Now my next quilt making adventure can begin.....now i just need my 'little hurricane' to sleep well so i can get some sewing time in....

Linking up with Molli Sparkles for Sunday Stash

happy birthday dad!

Well, after a looooong haul back to Australia, we are finally home and over jetlag. It took 9 days (or should I say nights!) for our toddler (aka the hurricane) to switch to local EST. We are missing our Portuguese family already but it's good to be back in the Great South Land again.

Since coming home, sewing progress has been delayed, but with my Dads 75th birthday to celebrate last weekend, I couldn't resist setting aside my next quilting project to make him some 'happy birthday' bunting to celebrate the occasion.

I used a template to cut out two triangles from each fabric. I drew the letters by hand onto some stiff interfacing, then ironed it onto some coordinating fabric. I simply cut around each letter before sewing them onto the coordinating triangle with some simple machine stitching. I then sewed each triangle, wrong sides together before turning them the right way.  I used some homemade binding to string them all together allowing enough on each end to be able to tie the bunting into hanging position.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Linking up with Lorna for Lets Bee Social, Gemma for I Quilt: Thursday at Pretty Bobbins and AmandaJean for Finish it up Friday