Christmas Gift Ideas??

What is everyone making for Christmas Gifts???

This year i really want to make some handmade Christmas Gifts for the Girls in my life....

Mums, Grandmas, Aunts, Sisters, Friends....

BUT, I have been really struggling with what to make?? I have been searching blog land..for some inspiration... and i thought i would share with you...some of the great tutorials i found....

Ruffled Tote Bag

 

Gathered Clutch

 

Hair Straightener Travel Pouch

 

Kitchen Hot Pads

 

Best Friends Gift Bag

 

Quilted Pot holders/Oven mitts

 

Mini Make-up Roll

 

Coasters

Alfresco Bowl Covers

 

Reversible Beach Bag Tutorial 

Garden Gloves  - Heather Ross 

 Glasses Case

 or  

This one...

There are lots of websites for Crafty Handmade Gifts....

Sew Mama Sew

 

Let me know what your making this year for Christmas....... and i spose if i cant decide... there is always an apron or a Quilt!! xx

Too Quilt or not to Quilt???

Quilting, can sometimes be a little bit of a dilemma! DO you Quilt it yourself? Do you take it to someone to be professionally Quilted? If you choose to do it yourself ?or send it off?...What design do you do? Do you Straight line Quilt it? Stipple? Other Free Motion designs? Thread Col? How long is it going to take? Is it going to make the quilt too stiff ? Will it be enough? Your skill level? Do you try something new??

(Click on the picture to enlarge to give you a better view on stippling)

  For this quilt i wondered back and forth...and decided to I was going to bite the bullet...Quilt it myself and try stippling.....

and you know what?? I Loved it!! It was my first time stippling... so i was very nervous... on my Bernina 440..i have a Stitch regulator..which i think made it easier for me to get it even. I have found, when you have a large solid coloured background...an overall design works best. My seam lines disappeared..and although this was a machine pieced design, the flowers bulk up and look like they have been appliqued on.

 

It was quite quick too... I have taken it safe many times before, and straight line quilted a fair few of my quilts. But for a quilt this big... Stippling was really quick.. Only took a couple hours! Well maybe 3!....Once the centre was done.. the outside borders needed something.. I straight line Quilted 1/4" Inch from the seam on the white border....

 

I am a little undecided how to Quilt the flowers....I have hand Quilted one... but not sure if its worth the effort..I'm thinking maybe i will do the same design, but on the machine??? Any advice?

The next Question?? What is it going to look like on the back?? For this quilt i didn't want the quilting to show up on the back....and I'm pleased...

It Doesn't! Now all is left is the binding...and writing up the Pattern!

...i Hope everyone loved the Quilt Festival as much as I did!! There is soo much amazing talent and inspiration out there! xx

P.S. Sorry the pictures are a bit dark,...its been raining here and dark for days...and this was as bright as i could get them on photoshop! Ill have some better pics when its ALL finished!! xx

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Curlicue Crush - My New Quilt and Pattern

I have been so excited to show this quilt to you!! And Thanks to Amy, I'm thrilled to be able to enter it in my first Blogger's Quilt Festival!

My New Quilt 'Curlicue Crush' - is made from Anna Maria Horner's latest fabric range - Innocent Crush. I fell in LOVE with her new range (like everyone else!!!) and wanted to design a quilt that would showcase her amazing fabric instead of chopping it up into small little pieces...

This quilt uses the traditional technique of corner to corner curved piecing... But just revamped into a funky retro design. I have loved experimenting lately with curves... there are so many amazing designs that you can create...

The Story behind this quilt?? Well, its really a story behind Quilting.....I have had a difficult year this year...In March this year I lost a child. My little baby boy, just two days old...Our family has had a hard time and Quilting has provided me with an escape. Something positive to think about. To keep my mind active... A couple months ago I started designing patterns and selling them from stores and from my blog and have been overwhelmed by the response. I feel relaxed and at peace when i sew....

So for this Quilt, I quilted it all by hand...As much as I LOVE the designing process.... Hand quilting would have to be my all time favourite. I LOVE being able to sit with my kids and family and sew... there is something therapeutic about hand sewing. I quilted in the ditch of the main bauble curlicue shapes and then emphasised this curlicue shape in the centre of each one.

My family love it and have put in their orders for this Quilt Pattern in a Christmas range...We think it looks like Hanging Christmas Baubles!!

This Quilt Pattern is available now from my shop.

Thanks so much for stopping by.... Have fun checking out all the other great Quilts from the festival....

I know I will !! xxx

Finished Quilts

One of my favourite things to do when i come across a new blog, is to check out their finished quilts.. I have found as i have been searching blog land...its a great way to get a feel of their creativity and style and a HUGE source of inspiration..
So for those of you who are new to my blog.... Here is a collection of my finished quilts..(and a couple quilt tops). For those of you who have been following over the last few months since the start...here's a recap. I'm also planning on making a new title at the top... Finished quilts..

'Eden's Garden' Quilt

Quilt Pattern Available Soon

'Sand Castles' Quilt

Quilt Pattern Available here

'Star Jewels' Quilt

Quilt Pattern Available here

'Rolling Meadows' Quilt

Quilt Pattern Available here

'Diamond Bouquet' Quilt

Quilt Pattern Available here

'Birds Of Paradise' Quilt

 

 Quilt Pattern Available Soon

 'Hungry Caterpillar' Quilt

 

 Baby Quilt

'Dick and Jane' Quilt

   

'Brown Bear' Quilt

I have a NEW Quilt to show you... the sneak peek from last post - It will be my quilt for the Blogger's Quilt Festival..... Is your Quilt Ready??? Begins Friday!!! xx

Quilt Story and a Sneak Peek!

Today is a bit exciting..... 

......and ......

I thought I would show you a sneak peek of my latest project! 

ill show you more.... next post! xx

Busy Busy...

We have all been Really Busy in the Johnson household..

Were Selling Our House!! 

So, as you can imagine i have been busy cleaning out cupboards, tidying shelves, reorganising, staining, resealing, painting.... and getting it all ready for people to come look!...  So i thought i would take you on a tour ....

(and hopefully you will forgive me for having 7 days gaps in between the last two blog posts!!)

Our House

   

   Lounge/Dining Room

 Kitchen

 

Enclosed Deck/Entertaining Area

Formal Lounge/ Hubbies Office

My bedroom and Ensuite

 

One of the Kids Rooms - Indi's Room

 (If you look close you will see quite a few quilts scattered through out the house... But i didn't make this one in Indi's Room....That's a bought one before my quilting days)

Kids Bathroom

 Despite my busy schedule I have managed to still squeeze in precious sewing time...which has left ABSOLUTELY no time for blogging!.. I do have a new quilt top to show you soon though and lots of  little projects will be popping up here and there...Quilt Story, Ucreate Tutorial, a couple New Patterns... So don't give up on me just yet!! xx

New Quilt and (soon to be) New Pattern - Eden's Garden!

Spring is Here!!.....Spring would probably be my favourite season. I LOVE the warmer weather..i LOVE flowers, i LOVE getting out in the garden...so i thought what better way to celebrate Spring.... than with a New Floral Quilt!

I have a thing for flowers... and i love floral fabric.. i fell in love with this 'newish' range from Patricia Bravo called Paradise. You can purchase it here... and This fabric is amazingly soft. It is a Premium Cotton with slogan "feel the difference" and....you really can! Its just beautiful to touch.

My new Quilt uses the two different colourways in the 'Paradise' range...It measures 69 x 84"...and is named after my pretty little sister Eden.

I have always wanted to make a quilt with big flowers randomly placed on it... but I'm not really one for applique..so of course... these flowers are

all machine pieced 

together!

I've decided to hand quilt big loops coming out from the centre of the flower...out to each petal... in either lemon or pink....probably both! And hand quilt a few flowers on the Kona snow background.

 

This is the backing fabric I'm using with a pretty lemon solid for the binding..

 

'

This New Pattern 'Eden's Garden' should be ready for purchase from my shop in a couple weeks....xx

and

if your up for a Giveaway??...pop on over to Ali's Blog.. she has some Anna Maria Horner Fabric up for grabs.