Whatever happened to May?

I wish I could say I have been SO busy Quilting that I haven't come up for air in a whole month - but actually - I keep getting distracted!


I started the month by Testing out the Scan-n-cut for some possible STENCIL projects.

Here I am using one of Esther Aliu's "Fantasy Flower" stencil patterns that I downloaded a while ago.

The clear line drawing scanned well with just a few tweaks needed to clean up some stray lines and text.

In a matter of minutes I had a precise Freezer Paper stencil cut - in both Negative and Positive.

Seeing it was a test, why not use both?

A word of warning - always adjust your blade depth to suit the thickness of what you are cutting or you may end up cutting a (repairable yet irritating) hole in your mat.

It took longer to find the Fabric Stencil Paint than it did to cut these out!

I think that this was a success and all up (shopping for paint excluded) it took a morning.

***

Once your pattern is saved you can cut out as many copies as needed for your project - enlarge or reduce the size of the Stencil without having to re-scan it!

AND - don't just stop at Stencils... Cut out some Applique too!

Esther's Oma

In a previous post I shared that I am currently 'brushing up' on my Appliqué skills by making Esther Aliu's latest BOM - Oma's Blues.

I haven't stuck exactly to the original pattern.
The most noticeable difference is my Quilt is not traditional Delft Blue and White.

Instead I am using the warmer pallet which include Greens, Orange, Red, Yellow and of course Blue and White.

The next section of Esther's quilt calls for a series of borders and appliquéd dishes in traditional Dutch Style, however for my quilt, I have chosen to showcase as much of Leesa Chandler's Dutch Cottage fabric as possible.

I have used two different sections of the same striped print for borders two and three and the small tiles from the feature panel in the Spice colour-way instead of making appliqué dishes.

My next challenge will be to incorporate these beautiful 9" feature plates into the design, without upsetting the balance of the Quilt.

* * * * *

Footnote:

Oma's Blues is a free BOM from Esther Aliu.

Oma lives in a Dutch Cottage

Oma's Blues is, as the Quilt title suggests, a Delft Inspired Blue and White Quilt.

www.delft-art-gallery.com

BUT -
Not all Delftware is just Blue
some have a Blue, Red, Yellow and Green palette.

So with this and similar images as my inspiration I searched for the right fabric.

 

I decided to use
Leesa Chandler's Dutch Cottage Range of fabric from my stash.

This fabric is now 'out of print', so finding extra yardage was a challenge.


As usual - I couldn't resist tweaking the pattern (a practice that is enthusiastically encouraged by the quilt's designer).

So here is the centre block for my version of Oma's Blues Quilt which I have (playfully) renamed

"Esther's Oma lives in Leesa's Dutch Cottage"

* * * * * *

Footnote:
Esther Aliu (the quilt's designer) and Leesa Chandler (fabric designer) both live in Melbourne Australia and will be at the Australian Quilt Convention at the wonderful Royal Exhibition Buildings from the 16th - 18th April.

Oma's Blues - The Vase

The focal point of Oma's Blues is the centre panel which depicts a large Delft Style platter with a vase of flowers. It will in time be surrounded by other plates and tiles as the quilt grows.

I read an email posted to Esther's Yahoo group recently which asked the question

"How did you make the Vase?"

In places the contrast stripes on the Vase are quite small and fiddly, so I decided to make them slightly differently. It is something that works for me and I hope that this tutorial may help someone.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I used the Freezer paper method.

Prepare and cut out the templates.

Marking which part of the piece sits under the next.

I have only made the Vase background.

Iron the Freezer paper to the FRONT of the fabric.

Cut out and Peel the fabric from the paper.

Place the paper sticky side UP on the BACK of the fabric.

Gently press the seam allowance OVER and ONTO the sticky side of the freezer paper.

For the Contrast down the vase -

Cut 3/4 inch BIAS strips

Fold and press lightly in HALF 

(do not stretch) .

Spritz the Bias tape lightly with spray starch. 

Working on a copy of the Vase and using a hot iron gently mould the bias along the pattern lines.

You will need to trim or lightly clip on a couple of tight curves.

At this point I pinned my contrast along the pattern at the SEAM line.

Placing my previously made Vase piece against the pins,  securing with some small dabs of glue baste.

I can now applique these two pieces together.

Continue this way with the rest of the pieces.

Place all the pieces together using the pattern as a template.

Applique using your chosen method of stitching.

Continue with the base of the Vase.

Note:  

This vase was constructed specifically for this tutorial, using Batik fabric and is not the one I will be using in my quilt.

Oma's Blues

I've got sidetracked....

I wasn't going to make this quilt....

But then - 

- the pattern book for my next big project, won't arrive until end of April.

And I need a rest from Foundation Paper Piecing.

So what has piqued my interest?

OMA'S BLUES

a new BOM by Esther Aliu

I haven't done any applique since I finished Heart's Desire, so I have had to reacquaint myself with the process.

After spending an unproductive day trying to remember how I did it, 

'googling' methods and watching videos 

I remembered .... 

I'd bought THE book!

I have it on good advice that this is THE BOOK on applique.

Don't get me wrong.... There are many good tutorials online, but nothing quite compares to sitting down with a good instruction manual in hand

 and actually using it!

How many of us persevere with 'make do' when we have the right tool for the job

 and have forgotten we bought it?

Quilt Showcase 2014

April 6, 2011

.... if this is your first attempt at appliqué I’m looking forward to seeing your appliqué quilts in shows in a few years time....

Little did I realise when the above comment was left on my Yahoo photo album that I would be writing this post.  
"A few years time" - that's a long way down the track and a lot of learning, maybe one or two more applique quilts into the future. 

The power of encouragement is AWESOME! 
Without it I would not have finished the quilt and without it I would not have entered it into a quilt show.

But here it is ... 

Quilt Showcase 2014 

(Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre) 

Heart's Desire 
(My Heart is Blue)

Thank you to EVERYONE

PS: - That is a "Highly Commended" Ribbon attached to it !

A closer look at my ribbon (It is the first I have ever won for anything!)

Thank you to the Award Sponsor :- PK Fabrics NSW (Aust)

for the prize of two Moda Fabric packs.

Harvest Moon Kansas Troubles Quilters Layer Cake

and

Get a Clue with Nancy Drew 22 pce pack

Launched - February 15th 2011

This week marks the third anniversary of the launch of Hearts Desire.  

It certainly has been a learning curve for me on so many levels. 

It was the reason I started this Blog, to share my progress on this Mystery Quilt. 

And now, I am pleased to say - it is finally finished.

I present to you

HEARTS DESIRE (My Heart is Blue)
Design by Esther Aliu
Beautifully quilted by Desley - Addicted to Quilts, Melbourne Australia.

Block 1 - Be Still My Heart

Block 3 - Sing Me a Song

Block 4 - Flowers for Me

Borders 1 & 2

Corner baskets and borders 2&3
with Binding and added accent

Hearts Desire - together at last.

Corner Baskets...

I seem to have achieved a fair bit on my Heart's Desire Quilt this week.

The first Flange border went on beautifully with no problems and the 10" Appliquéd borders I have been working on and off for about a year are attached.

Then came the task of working out what the best fabric choice for the baskets would be, and after auditioning several fabrics over the week I settled on this lovely 'Basket Weave' design by Robert Kaufman.

For the Heart design on the basket I used fabric from the inner border that surrounds the first block we were given in this Mystery Quilt, and I feel that it has helped tie the quilt together.  Then for the flowers I swapped the Dark Blue that I had used in previous Buds blocks for a brighter Red and I feel that these corners now have that "Pop" that the blue lacked.  Also I replaced the drawn on tendrils (I was never confident about doing them) with another Butterfly.

So it is all coming together and good to see it nearing completion..... And even Spike has decided it may be now to his liking, conceding to come down off his tower and cast a critical eye over the latest additions.

And the Fortune Cookie said . . .

I was about to stitch the last stem on the last disk on the last border - at last!
When my DS#2 walked into the kitchen, picked up a box that had been left behind by a Guest a week or so  ago, and handed me a foil wrapped Fortune Cookie.

Toying with the idea of whether to open it then, or wait until I had finished lasted all of about 30 seconds, and when I cracked open the crisp shell to reveal my 'fortune' this is what it said..

"You should be able to undertake and complete anything"

The timing could not have been better!

Must admit I did have a good chuckle over that!
Then it was back to the instructions to study up on what to do next!

Butterflies....

... for me Butterflies have come to signify New Beginnings, and so - as I  progressed along the journey that I have been travelling over the past 2 years -It seemed appropriate that I add some to my version of Heart's Desire.

I started last November by placing a ring of Fussy Cut Butterflies around my Centre Block.

And drawing from a lesson I learnt in Cake Decorating that also applies to Quilting...

If you  make a mistake...
.... Embellish it!
(Ok that's Craft-speak
for "Cover it up")

in this case I had a stem that had lost it's leaf.. and rather than remove it and unbalance the block - I balanced a Butterfly on it instead.

That reminded me that I was going to allow a few more of these beauties to alight where they pleased.

And just to let you in on my little secret....

I have been using this beautiful print called Kiyomi Butterflies from Red Rooster Fabrics.

I haven't finished with them yet,

and I'm not telling where I plan to place them next..

After all - this is a mystery quilt!

Together at Last.....

 I have placed the last stitches

 in the last leaf

on the last block,

 so at last

 I can say...

the Centre is done!

....now 

on to the borders!

Shake a Tail Feather....

Which is what I am going to have to do if I am going to get this Quilt finished in time for it's appointment with the Quilter!

Ever since I first started working on "Sing Me a Song" with my little 'Steampunk' style Bird, I just felt that he was missing something.

I set about asking, searching, drafting, photographing and googling in the search of a suitable 'rear end' for my bird.

Finally coming up with this wing and tail combination.

Don't worry --- I didn't destroy my block
I had a 'brilliant idea' !
(Well, I thought it was brilliant)
I photocopied the block,
Then cut out the pieces I wanted to alter - all without removing a single stitch.

I also copied the fabric that I wanted to use.

At 100% scale and in Colour, it gave me the advantage of "Having my fabric... and using it too!"

and what's more....
When I fussy cut out a piece and it didn't look right...
I just stuck it back into the page and cut out another one!

As you can see, my fabric would have been quite a mess in the quest to find the perfect Tail-Feathers.

Now I think That looks better!


And he can continue to sing to his little Heart's Desire!

I had a bright idea this morning......

I thought, seeing that I had a UFO challenge this month that I would pull out Hearts Desire and actually see how much more I had to do on it and whether it was ‘do-able’ to get it finished in a month.

So I laid it out on the carpet in the lounge room (away from The Quilters Cat – in training).  I stood back and admired how far I had gotten in just the last 2 days.  Then I placed the Flower heads (that I made while I was out of action last November with that broken ankle) into their positions on the remaining “Flowers for Me”- Block 4 b, c & d.

Enter Spike aka QC-IT... He normally decides that anything that is on the floor is his, but not this time.  This time he just sat on the edge of the mat and surveyed the blocks ..... as if he was trying to work out what was wrong.  Yeah OK there is no yellow or purple – but it was more than that.  He turned and left the quilt undisturbed and un-sat on.

And then I saw it --- 

“Why are all ....those small flower heads.... going ... the ... same ... way?????”

I have been SO careful not to make them all Left hand heads, that I managed to make them all RIGHT hand heads.  Oh drat! (I wonder if my OCD – DH will notice – Yep, he will).   BIG SIGH!

Determined not to let it bother me today, I decided that I had done enough to be able to sew a couple of the blocks together.  I picked up Love Entwined and its sashing border of little half circles in 2 shades of blue.  

Why don’t they fit?

OH YOU IDIOT!..... 

You set them in very neatly into the 16 ½” and have forgotten the seam allowances!!  Oh well, it could have been worse – I could have fused them to the back fabric and machine appliquéd them in place, 

............now - Where is the un-picker?

Still working....

Last June Esther posted the 4th Block in her Mystery Quilt "Heart's Desire".  And I am Still working on it....
This week I have been making the remaining flowers for the Flowers for Me.
Now that I have finished making all the flower heads I can now go into 'production mode' and get the remaining 3 of these blocks finished.

I really SHOULD have had them finished by now and ready to sew onto the blocks - but having a new addition to the family in the shape of a very fluffy cat - is a major distraction.

If you would like to meet 'Spike' see my last post!

I've been busy....

I know Wednesday comes around every week at exactly the same time - but - some weeks just seem a lot shorter than others!

I have finished my version of Mahal Magic.  It is slightly different to Leesa's in that I have rotated the feature blocks so that there is not 2 prints in any one column,  added another 2 feature strips - top and bottom - as well as making the border frame the quilt with mitred corner posts made from the feature stripe.

Once that was carefully folded and placed in the "How am I going to quilt this?" basket, it was back to Heart's Desire.

I have been trying to remember where I left off with the remaining 3 'Flowers for Me' blocks - especially the saw-tooth borders and also finding out that I have left off some of the thorns from 2 of the stems.... more unpicking!  I hope to be able to get these finished today so I can get on with assembling these 3 blocks and finishing off the centre of the quilt.

Also, you may notice I have a new button on my sidebar.  We finally have a name for the long awaited new Mystery BOM. "Forget Me Not" is about to be launched - just when is up to the designer.  Personally I am happy to wait as it gives me more time to work on Hearts Desire.