9 years ago Today...

We were married for time and all eternity...

 I love you honey, Thank you for being perfectly you... xxx 

BQF- My New Quilt and NEW Pattern!!!

I LOVE Bloggers Quilt festival!

 I think Amy is genius!! For those of you who are following my class and are new to Bloggers Quilt festival.. Sit back, put your feet up, chuck a sickie at work... and spend time visiting ALL the amazing quilts out there. Amy has a master list of all the Quilts on her blog..

This year... I want to show you my NEW Kaleidoscope Quilt and

 NEW Quilt Pattern.

 My Kaleidoscope Quilt was made using the fabrics from Pat Bravo's range Bazaar style. I love Pat's fabrics. I have a thing for florals, vibrant colours, lace, doilies, anything vintage and Pat captures all that. I chose 12 fat Quarters for each of the 12 blocks. For the background fabric and binding I used fabric from her lace elements range.

 Hand Quilting is probably one of my favourite parts of the Quilting process. I love sitting with my family and sewing, although for this quilt, I decided to give it something I couldn't. I had it quilted professionally in an all over floral paisley design. The quilting turned out amazing.

Since designing my quilt for the last festival.. I have had curves buzzing around in my head. I love em. There are just so many designs you can do. This little corner to corner curved piece.. opens up a whole new world to quilting.

 If your a bit scared to try curved piecing... I have a tutorial HERE where I explain how to sew it. Don't be shy.. Its easy.. Really! You just need a few little tips.

My NEW Kaleidoscope Quilt pattern

 is Available NOW from my shop.

I love sewing, I love quilting. I love fabric and designing new quilts. It has become such a passion. So, for those of you who may be interested... I'm teaching a FREE online Quilt Class 101. Its a 12 week course that covers everything for making a quilt from start to finish and more. There is also a great line up of my favourite featured bloggers with little projects in between. You can follow along and read all about it HERE!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the festival..AND now that Blogger is working again.... I'm off to enjoy some "R and R"......and R.... "Rest and Recreation and...... Reading blogs!"

Thanks Amy xx

Too Much Excitement!!.....

How are all your Quilt Tops coming along???

There is too much excitement happening in blog land over the next two weeks.. I have decided to give you all two week break from Quilt Class 101...So you can join in in the festivities...

Here's Whats Happening..

Firstly, Bloggers Quilt Festival... If you are new to blogs and blogging.. you HAVE to be ready to check this out. It starts THIS Friday..  Everyone in blog land that wants to participate, makes a quilt. Amy on Friday will post the festival. If you are participating... You jump over and link up your Quilt, If your visiting... Be ready to sit back, take time off, put your feet up and scroll through the hundreds of amazing and beautiful Quilts. Its a blast. You can see the previous years lists.. HERE and if you want to know more.. You can read more about it HERE. This is the second time I am participating.. You can see my Bloggers Quilt festival Quilt from last year HERE Here's a little sneak peak of my Quilt for this Festival.

Next, This Friday also, Is the beginning of International Quilt Market. This year it is held in the Beautiful Salt Lake City Utah. I'm so jealous of all of you that live close and can attend. Its a trade show only.. So for those of you like me, who either live too far away.. of cant get in.. We get to sit and relive the excitement through blogs of those who are going!!

There are a whole lot of sneak peaks going on in blog land...

 Have you seen these???

Tula Pink's Upcoming Collection Prince Charming

Joel Dewberry's Upcoming line, Heirloom

Anna Maria Horner's Upcoming Line

Patty Young Upcoming Line Grand Bazaar

Heather Ross' FFAIII

Annela Hoey's Upcoming Line "Little Apples"

AND to cap off a Busy Busy week...

On the 20th May I will be having another Giveaway/Promotion of my favourite shops/sponsors

  You can learn more about each of them, see all the latest fabrics, where to buy, whats available and a Giveaway to join in with the

 Massive Sew Mama Sew Giveaway DAY!!

Phew, I'm tired and excited all at once!

So to Recap..

 Bloggers Quilt festival runs 13th May - 20th May

International Quilt Market is on 13th May - 19th May

Giveaway begins 20th May running through til 25th May

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day 23rd May - 25th May

Quilt Class resumes with Week 6 on the 25th May

So for those of you that are up to date with our class... You get two weeks off to join in the blog land hype... and for those of you who are catching up... You have two more weeks up your sleeve so you can blog and sew at the same time!

Enjoy your break!! See you Friday for the festival xx

Pop Flower Coaster Tutorial with Jess

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day.

 I got spoiled with brekky in bed, hand picked pressies from the kids, and fabric gift vouchers from my hubby. And even though Mother's Day has become bitter sweet, I had a lovely day spending time with those I love.

Another thing I Love about Mother's day is handmade cards and gifts... When Jess from Twin Fibers sent me through her Raw Edge Applique tutorial for today.. I was so disappointed I didnt get it to make some a week ago!! They are just so gorgeous!! Thank You Jess! xx

Would you like to make these cute coasters with me?

Today I'm going to show you how! These are a great little project for introducing you to raw edge applique.

Let's get started:

First you're going to need some supplies.
For each coaster you will need:
some fabric scraps for the flower and leaves
a 5.5" square each of a solid fabric for the front and a backing fabric
a 5" square of batting (not pictured)
and a double sided fusible web product (I'm using Lite Steam-a-Seam). There are several fusible webbing products on the market, just make sure to read the directions on the package if you are using something different.
You'll also need to print off the templates below or draw your own.

1. Trace your pattern pieces onto a sheet of the Steam-a-Seam. Trace onto the paper that seems more stuck to the fusible web. (One side of the paper on the webbing wants to come off easily and the other side is stuck on more.) Also, make sure you are tracing the reverse image of what you want cut out (not important with this project, but it is if you want to cut out letters from the alphabet). 

Roughly cut your shapes out.

2. Remove the paper from the Steam-a-Seam that you don't have your shape drawn on. Press your shape onto the backside of your fabric scraps.

Cut your shapes out along the pattern lines.

3. Place your pattern pieces onto your 5.5" square of fabric for the front. When you like your arrangement, peel of the piece of paper on the backing and stick it to the base fabric. Then you can iron the shapes down.

4. Now, you're going to start stitching around each of your shapes. I like to use a decorative stitch that's programmed into my machine, but you can use a small zig-zag too.

5. Here you can see where I've stitched around all the shapes with a coordinating thread color.

6. We're done with the applique part and now we're going to finish making the coaster. Take your backing fabric and place it right sides together with the appliqued front.

7. Stitch around the square leaving an opening on one side. Clip the corners as shown.

8. Cut a piece of batting a bit smaller that your stitching lines. I found it really helpful to spray baste this piece of batting onto the back side of the backing fabric before you turn it right side out.

9. Turn your coaster right side out and press.

10. Stitch around the outer edge, closing the opening for turning.

11. Add some hand quilting around the flowers and leaves to hold everything in place.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing this project and give it a try sometime!
This type of raw edge applique can be so much fun and can be done with almost any shape. These flower shapes came from a wall hanging that I made for a swap. I really loved the screen that I saw here and translated that into a wall hanging and now into these coasters.
Thanks so much to Rebecca for letting me share these with you today!
Happy Sewing!

~Jessica

English Paper Piecing with Saffron Craig

Your in for a treat today...

I wanted to take a little break while were piecing our quilts together..

 to introduce you to one of my favourite friends...  

The Lovely Saffron Craig...

Saffron is sharing with us her English Paper piecing technique, another quilting technique you can try. 

 She also has a copy of the template for you to download...

 AND

She is offering us.. (Chasing Cottons readers) a

 20% Discount code to use in her shop Amazing HEY!!!

Saffron is so so talented. She is an Australian fabric designer based on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Her new contemporary fabric designs are inspired by the Australia she loves. It's the spirited, natural surroundings that come through in her dreamy fabrics. She runs an online shop and wholesales nationally and internationally and her blog is full of great products and projects... I am delighted she has stopped by to share her paper pieced owl with us.. xxx Thank you Saffron xxx 

The first quilting technique my mother in law taught me was the English Paper piecing technique. When I heard of Bec's generous offer to teach you all to sew I thought I should share this technique with you.

English paper piecing is often used in the making of hexagon, diamond, baby-block, and star patterns. Each piece in the quilt is pinned to its own paper pattern piece. The paper serves as a guide for sewing and as a support for the pieces. I often use shapes I have drawn in my sketch book to create large applique blocks, I like to use this technique particularly for circles, leaves and so on. I really enjoy using this quilting technique, often for appliqueing designs onto quilt blocks. I like the lovely turned seams it creates.

First, I trace the design with freeze paper or photo copy paper. Freeze paper is a bit easier as you can iron it onto your fabric and you will not need pins. You can download your copy of the Template HERE..

2. Cut out the traced freeze paper shapes and iron to the fabric, or pin if using paper, making sure if you are using printed fabrics to be fussy where you cut.

3. Leave a generous seam allowance, usually 1cm, and cut out the shape.

 4 . Use a gathering stitch around the circular paper shapes to gradually pull in the fabric to make a circle.

5. Iron.
6. Now pull the paper out from the shape you have sewn, being careful not to loose your lovely shape. You may need to press again.

7. For more detailed shapes you might need to stitch through the paper as I have done with the Owl. Use a large tacking stitch in a thread that is easily seen so it can be removed.

8. Position your shapes

Then, very neatly stitch the shapes in place. I often use silk thread as it is very strong, fine and nearly invisible.

9. For the shapes that have been stitched through the paper (owl and branch) you remove the paper once they have been positioned and sewn. Do this by pulling the tacking thread out, cutting a hole in the back of the fabric and gently pick the paper out.

Then Iron.

10. Sew the other layering pieces on. Eyes, wings, beak and the leaves.

Press your Owl....and Your Done!

I have made many quilts using this technique.
This Owl pattern is available as a free PDF from my website HERE

Thank you Saffron!! Your owl is gorgeous!...

Pop on over to Saffron's shop... She is offering us a 20% discount code.. Simply put the code

cc2011

at checkout, and 20% will be deducted from your order!

Happy Shopping xx