Fresh off the press and ripe for viewing is a new YouTube video made 100% by me! Yaaay!!
Watch as I bring this beautifully sweet and simple embroidery pattern to life!
This video seems to simply fit into what life is all about at the moment in Australia – spring, flowers, colour, fragrance, good music and an abundance of wicked creativeness!
As previously mentioned in my last post, I purchased the pattern from Urban Threads (for a buck may I just add!) as a PDF download.
If you’re in need for some awesomely modern inspiration and/or embroidery patterns, check these guys out!
It’s been a slow week on the sewing front, but I did manage to finally finish my Double Wrench Mini Block Quilt top! Yay!
Completed | Double Wrench Mini Block Quilt – top only
The final measurements are approx.: 118cm x 133cm (46½” x 52½”).
I’m currently productively procrastinating (a big juxtaposition if I’ve ever heard one!) from completing a pieced back for the quilt and am instead concentrating on an embroidery project/idea I’ve been meaning to do for ages!
I spent this morning stitching in the glorious Spring sunshine, amongst the buzzing bees and twittering birds, anxious to get this mission finished!
Embroidering in the Spring sun upon my Small Plates Lap Quilt
This project involves stop-motion photography and a looming YouTube video and I’m pretty excited to get it finished, as all the stills so far are looking really great!
This is where I’m up to so far as I wait for my camera battery to re-charge!
…And off I go again, making some more mini Double Wrench blocks on this glorious Spring morning!
This setup looks familiar…
If I didn’t think making 42 mini blocks was enough, I finally made my mind up to add another 14 blocks to the mix; totalling the block count to a grand total of 56! (That’s a whole lotta little 1.5″ squares!)
Lots of little squares…
I really didn’t plan on making this quilt bigger than what it is now slowly becoming…
…Oh well.
It has been a while since I’ve actually pieced and finished a big quilt – the last one being my Jacob’s Ladder Quilt, which I completed in December last year! (Ohhh, I justlove that quilt!)
So the iron’s ready to go, my blocks are lined up ready to be pieced and a great playlist of songs are ready to be (badly) sung along with…
One of the many reasons why I began writing a quilt blog was to simply INSPIRE others in the art of modern quilt making.
After publishing my first few posts back in November 2011, I’ve received so many lovely comments, both online and face-to-face, at how much I have inspired others to get creative!
(And I take this moment to simply say: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!)
So now allow me to get out my metaphorical ‘Things To Accomplish On My Blog’ list and place a big TICK!! next to: Inspire Others! TICK!!
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop!
Pfft, no way!!
I live and thrive off inspiration, whether it be from others (friends, craft/quilt blogs) or things in my environment, in books and magazines, on TV or Pinterest!
{ And speaking of Pinterest, I dare you to click here to see what’s inspiring me in my quilty journey! }
So I hope that I can continue inspiring whoever chooses to read this little blog and find the courage to make something beautiful! (Preferably a quilt!) 😀
I had a wonderful time teaching, chatting, eating (and sewing!) with a lovely group of ladies.
I showed them how to make four classic quilt blocks paired with some yummy and fresh modern fabrics.
Four Classic Quilt Blocks
The big block winners of the day would have to of been the colour-blocked Log Cabin…
and the Lone Star block (my personal favourite!)
A Pretty Lone Star!
With the Lone Star block, I’m planning to make a sweet lap quilt out of it – stay tuned for that idea to hopefully come to life!
The other blocks we tackled were a Flying Geese variation and the-always-easier-than-it-looks Dresden Plate.
Patiently Machine Appliquéing the Dresden Plate
There were a few other projects that had been planned but time got away from us and they went undone…*insert sad frowny face*
The view of my very messy work space! Oh dear…
It was a great day all around and I was definitely warn out by the time I got home! (It was a rare early night into bed for me!)
This coming week I’ll be working on a side commission for the BFF and then I’ll get back into piecing together my Mini Double Wrench Block Quilt as well as the many other numerous things that need to be planned and done!
Here in Australia, we’re well and truly into our spring season (YES! *fist pump*) with temps reaching up to 30+ degrees already! I love it but can only imagine what summer will be like! (I’ll be living in the pool!)
But moving on from my random weather update ramble thing…ahem..my days have been so jammed packed of doing so much stuff!
And of course the most important stuff would be sewing – duh!
Over the last four days I’ve been prepping, prepping and prepping some more (phew!) all to be ready for the Spotlight Quilting Expo on the weekend.
And if you can believe it, after all that prepping there’s still more to do! (Will it ever end!!)
Prepping the fabrics before ironing, cutting and piecing.
But there’s no need to panic just yet…I’ll leave that until Saturday morning as I’m rushing out the door! eek!
Amongst all my prepping for prepping (huh??), I squeezed in some time to make some little mini quilts for a warms-the-depths-of-your-heart kind of cause.
These mini quilts have been specially made as part of a donation drive at my local Spotlight for the Neo-Natal and Maternity wards in one of our local hospitals. These little quilts will help brighten up the wards and add a homey touch to what can be a very stale and clinical environment. I think it’s such a wonderful idea and these hospital wards are always so thankful for donation drives such as this!
*Oh, I’m getting all emoch*
So, I shall continue on my way, prepping for Saturday and keeping the rising panic at bay while I inhale an unnatural amount of Raspberry M&M’s!
‘How can you be so strangely addictive and yummy at the same time?!’
Diet starts Monday! (Maybe…possibly not…no it won’t.)
3and3quarters 