WIP Wednesday - Santa sacks and a Quilt

I have been meaning to make my little peeps some Santa sacks for quite some time now and preferably before my kids are too old to be excited about the stuff that mummy makes.  I was so chuffed the other day when my 5 year old said that she 'wants to be a maker like mummy when she grows up'!

Anyway I decided to make some reindeer appliques and I think I am going to use a denim for the sack.  Will probably applique the kids names on too.

Another WIP that has been sitting around for a while are these:

Essentially twenty four 12 1/2" applique blocks which hopefully now that I have shown them will end up being a quilt for my daughter. They will be stitched using raw edge applique, with maybe a 1" wide sashing in between each block.  Then I will add lots of embellishing on the flowers.  That's the plan anyway.  The photo is a bit flashed out so the colours aren't true.

 

Linking up to W.i.P. Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

 

 

Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters

Since making Rocket to the Stars, I have to say I have had enough of the paisley pattern I used to quilt it!  In saying this I actually find the paisley free motion design one of the easier patterns to quilt but I am now sick to death of it.

I find stippling very difficult which is probably good as I don't really like the look of stippling anyway (probably because mine looks dreadful!).  Anyway I thought it was high time I tried something different.

I was browsing on Craftsy and noticed Angela Walters online class Machine Quilting Negative Space.  You may know her book Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters which I now need to buy as her online class is fantastic.  She makes free motion quilting look incredibly easy and once you practice some of the designs they aren't as difficult as you may think.  I highly recommend this class if you would like to learn about free motion quilting.

I had started a pink girly version of a rocket ship cushion at the craft and Quilt Fair and begun quilting it in paisley (of course) but after watching the class decided to change it up a bit and finish it off with a circle pattern and I think combining the patterns gives it a more interesting look (and it was definitely quicker to do).  I think circles are my new favourite quilting design!!

I love the texture it has given to the piece by using the two different designs.  Although if I had of taken this class before I started quilting this cushion I probably would have done it a bit differently so the paisley pattern didn't look like it was just plonked in the middle.

Angela seems to like combining different quilting designs and I think the effect is amazing.  I feel so inspired that I want to keep quilting but I don't have any tops ready to quilt and don't want to waste my abundance of excitement on a practice quilt sandwich so I had better get my you know what into gear and make something to quilt!

Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair 2012

So the Craft and Quilt fair went really well after a very nervous start.  It was lovely to meet and work with Robyn and Carolyn.
 
It was the strangest thing actually having people tell me they wanted to make my quilt.  Strange in a good way!  I spoke to one lovely lady on saturday who said she bought the magazine the day before and told me she had already begun making the spaceships.

Anyway in case you hadn't already guessed I had a really amazing time.  I would love to do it again so I guess I had better think up some more designs :)

My Rocket to the Stars quilt!! 

Searching for Seaglass quilt out in Modern Quilts in december. I absoluely love this quilt!

The cutest ever Snakes and Ladders Game by Carmel Morris of Solomon Sewing

Some more fabulous quilts that are going to be in a new magazine released in december called Modern Quilts.

Gorgeous little hedgehogs by Sarah Hanson of Dolls and Daydreams out in next month's issue of Homespun.

I also ran into some old friends whom I hadn't seen for 12 years from my hometown of Yeppoon and it was lovely to see Amanda again also.

Red Raspberry at the Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair

I am very excited to say I will be working on the Universal Magazines stand at the Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair which runs from October 17-21.  I will be there on the Saturday and Sunday.  My Rocket to the Stars quilt will be on display at the stand!

Rocket to the Stars before quilting.

I have been preparing some applique cushions in order to demonstrate raw edge applique technique and free motion quilting.  To say I am nervous would be the understatement of the year, so all you lovely people who have been quilting for years, please be gentle to a new quilter. ;)

I can't wait to meet fellow quilting and crafting enthusiasts!

My Rocket to the Stars quilt is in Australian Homepun magazine!

I am very excited to say that my second quilt 'Rocket to the Stars' is featured in Australian Homepun!

 

 

 

I actually forgot to take a photo of the quilt finished before i sent it into the magazine so the only pictures I have are straight out of the magazine.

If you would like to make your own Rocket to the Stars quilt you will find it in the Kid's Issue of Australian Homespun (No. 113 Vol. 13 No. 10) out now.

There are so many fabulous projects in this issue.  I especially love 'On Toadstoal Lane' by Jennifer Goldsmith of Frazzy Dazzles and The super cool Snakes and Ladders game designed by Carmel Morris of Solomon Sewing.  There is also a fabulous appliqued teepee by Claire Gee of Matching Pegs.  My daughter Lily has also requested that i make her the 'Lily' skirt by the incredibly talented patty Young of MODKID.

So go out and buy yourselves a copy.  You know you can never have too many magazines!