Today I’m so happy to be finally uploading the next step in my HST Sampler Quilt Along! Yay!
Now that all nine blocks have been made, it’s time to sash them together and then add a border around each of the edges to complete the quilt top!
Before we get into it, I just want to let you know that this particular tutorial is pretty heavy in the information department! I do go through lots of different steps quite quickly, so if you have any issues keeping up, pause it when you need to, catch up in your own sewing/understanding, check out the diagram on the pattern sheet and then continue on your way until you’ve finished piecing everything together.
As always, if you click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post, you’ll be able to find a full list of all of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece the quilt top together!
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So with our quilt tops now pieced and looking grand, we’ll be getting into basting and quilting it in the next instalment of the Quilt Along! Whoo! So in that video I’ll show you how to baste your quilt, I’ll chat about backing and batting and then show you how to quilt it on your sewing machine! It should be great!
Also, don’t forget to keep sharing your finished blocks and quilt tops with me! You know I love to see everything that you make!
I hope you all have a splendid weekend!
Happy Sewing, Friends!
xx
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
As I sit here, thinking of something fun and witty to write to begin this post, all I can think of is the scary thought of just how quick this year has flown by! Sure, we say it every year, but this time it feels slightly different for me… Perhaps it’s simply because I’ve had so much fun this year blogging and making stuff that time has simply slipped by without me noticing… Or maybe it’s due to my young-adult mind developing and maturing and taking more of a notice to these things… Ooo, I’m going a bit too deep in the thought process here… let’s rewind and get back onto the fun ‘It’s almost Christmas!’ bandwagon!
You know, I love this time of the year. (Minus the sweaty, humid heat! Yuck! Give me jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of weather any day, thanks!) I love planning and making and wrapping and celebrating and eating and decorating and singing and eating and worshipping and shopping and eating and giving and being happy and being thankful and eating! Everything about it I love!!
As you may’ve already guessed, I live in Australia. And in Australia, Christmas equals Summer! It’s hot and dry, humid and sticky, windy and stormy, and the sun sets late into the night. So I thought that because the majority of people who read my blog live in the Northern Hemisphere where Christmas equals Winter, I would give you an insight into what an Australian Christmas is like in a thing I like to call my December Diary! Unlike what I did in September where I wrote a post everyday during the month, this time I would write a post every few days or so with all things Christmas, lifestyle, family, friends, tutorials and crafts and anything else that makes December in Australia a happy one!
Like many of us, December is a very busy month with lots of things happening: social events, family catch-ups, carol services, birthdays (three in my family alone!), crafting and sewing sessions (#HandmadeChristmas) and of course lots of afternoon swimming pool sessions! So as your December gets a bit crazy, a bit manic and a bit stressful, by all means take some time to chill and relax and perhaps use the time to catch-up on what’s happening on the other side of the world with me and my Aussie Christmas!
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So getting the ball rolling, so to speak, here’s my first bit of Christmas sewing to share with you!
This year on Instagram, I’ve signed up to be apart of an #AussieChristmasSwap where quilters, sewers and makers from all over Australia make or buy something special for their Aussie partner and send it off to them in the first week of December.
Amongst the other things I have to give, I made this sweet little Christmas Robin wallhanging/mini quilt using a foundation paper pieced pattern by Kristy from Quiet Play. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it – it’s so adorable!! And when I found out that my partner likes a lot of the Cotton+Steel ranges, I knew I had to use some of their Tinsel Christmas range that I recently received from Dayview Textiles! So with both of those elements combined along with a few matching spotties from my stash, this little beauty was made…
I quilted it in my usual vertical straight-line way but this time with the lines slightly closer together almost borderlining on matchstick quilting. Then once the binding was sewn into place, I stitched on a little button for the Robin’s eye which simply brought the whole thing to life! The hanger in the picture above isn’t the final one I’ll send it away with, I’ll buy a better looking one over the next day or so!
The final measurement of this gorgeous little mini is: 10&1/4″x10&1/4″! Super cute!!
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I’m so excited to get into and share with you all of my Christmas-y crafts and ideas that have been brewing in my mind over the past few weeks! And as we wrap up the final elements in my HST Sampler Quilt Along both here and on my YouTube channel, I’ll also be uploading all of my fun Christmas videos too! Yay!!
Sing with me now: ‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!!
Whew! Summer sure has landed in Sydney today! My suburb reached over 41+ degrees in the shade today, accompanied by an uncomfortably warm wind blowing through the house! The remedy for such hot and steamy weather: a cooling afternoon swim in the pool! Ahh, it was bliss!
But now that the day is cooling down, it’s time to get back to work and get the last block in our Quilt-Along uploaded and ready for you to make! The 9th and final block that we’ll be piecing together is the Wind Blown Square. I’ve never made this block before and I have to say, I absolutely love it! Although a few of my points are a little shaky and not quite perfect, I’m still really happy with how it turned out!
TIP: When making your block, try your best to use two contrasting fabrics for the HSTs in the centre and around the edges. This will really help to make the centre HSTs stand out and add to the movement that they bring to the block. 🙂
For all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together and a diagram of the block layout, click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.
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So now that all nine blocks in the series have been made, it’s time to move on to sashing them all together and getting the quilt top bordered up and finished ready for basting and quilting! I’m so excited to see how all of your blocks come together and what your final quilt tops look like!! Yay!
So that tutorial will either be out on Wednesday or Friday… I have one last dental appointment on Monday to remove the last of my wisdom teeth (plus a filling), so it just depends on how I’m feeing after all of that! 🙂
Like I mention in the video, don’t forget to share a photo with me featuring all of your completed blocks together! I would love to see your progress so far! Here are mine:
Until next week, have fun making your block and I hope you all have a splendid weekend!!
Happy Sewing, Friends!!
xx
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
A big thank you to all of you for your patience in waiting for me to get this tutorial up and running! I’ve been scrambling the past two days to get everything edited, written and finalised ready for todays block! And speaking of blocks, the eighth one in the series is a fun and beautiful variation of the Open Window block!
You may remember me doing this block quite recently for this quilt(accompanied with this tutorial). The block we’re making this time has a few elements that are different in comparison to the last. For starters, this version is made completely using HSTs (16 to exact!) and has a slight twist in the design layout. Either way you make this block, it’s still a little beauty and can be used for all sorts!
As always you’ll be able to find all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together as well as a diagram of the block layout, in the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.
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So the final block that we’ll be making for this quilt will be coming out this Friday! It’s a block that I’ve never made before but have been seeing it everywhere lately and think that it’s just simply devine! The block is called Wind Blown Square that features another full design of HSTs placed all in different angles, achieving a ‘wind blown’ type movement to it! I’m so excited to get piecing it – I think it’s the perfect block to ‘finish’ with!
Don’t forget to keep sharing your blocks with me! If you’re sharing on Instagram don’t forget to tag me: @3and3quarters or #3and3quarters!
Can’t wait for Friday!!
Happy Sewing, Friends!
xx
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
Welcome to week four (!!!) in my HST Sampler Quilt Along series! This week we’re starting a little later than usual thanks to the few days I had off to recover from my dental work on Monday.
So block no.7 in the series is a fun little variation of the Churn Dash block! The only thing that’s different with our block compared to that of the original is that the rectangle elements in each row have been replaced with squares. Thus resulting on our block looking more like a doughnut than a wrench-type looking thing.
Just like a few of the other blocks we’ve made so far, this one is pieced together as a simple 9-patch block. (Our very last one in this series! The last two blocks after this are both 16-patch!)
As always you’ll be able to find all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together as well as a diagram of the block layout, in the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.
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Thank you to everyone who wished me luck and sent me get well soon messages concerning my dental appointment on Monday! You guys are so sweet and so lovely to me! 🙂
As I mentioned in the video, block eight (Open Window) will be out in the next few days (I’ve penciled in for Sunday to be my deadline!) as I’m running a few days behind schedule due to Mondays adventures!
The variation of the Open Window block we’ll be making is somewhat different to the one I’ve shown before – this one involves more colours and a slightly different layout that could get confusing when piecing together our HSTs. But all will be revealed very soon!
Happy Sewing, Friends!
xx
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
Last week, on the 4th November, my darling little blog celebrated it’s 4th anniversary!
You know, there really are times when I can’t believe it’s been four years since I begun writing and sharing all of my quilty adventures! So much has happened between then and now (naturally) and in no way did I think that my blog would ever be as rewarding as is it today!
So as I’ve done previously in my past yearly anniversary posts, we’re gonna take a look and recap all of the highlights from the past year – starting with the birth of my niece last year…
With the news of my first niece due to be born in early December, I got cracking immediately onto making a quilt to give to her and the family at her Baby Shower. I opted for a block that I had previously made very early on in my patchwork-y venture, the Bear Paw block(one of the first blocks I ever made HSTs for!). The vision I had for this quilt was traditional-meets-modern (which is pretty much my approach for all of the quilts I make) and wanted to have the quilt top be a concentrate of richly deep solid fabric colours; grey and pink.
I added a beautifully matching modern floral print as the backing and made a one-of-a-kind embroidered label with her name and best wishes from her Auntie. And now with her 1st birthday rapidly approaching, this little gorgeous little girl is one of the most sweetest and cheekiest little things who loves blowing raspberries and is ready to get exploring on all fours! Such a darling!
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In February, I had a lovely break away from reality and went on a cruise holiday to Fiji and New Caledonia, sailing on Princess Cruises. It was a holiday I was very much in need for and I enjoyed every minute of it! If you like to re-experience the places we visited, you can read the post I wrote or watch the vlog I made!
Dravuni Island, Fiji
And while sailing around the big blue Pacific Ocean, I also had the chance to chill out and stitch up this fun tree embroidery pattern that I had purchased from Urban Threads.
Delicate Tree (2015)
Admittedly, I haven’t done as many embroidery projects as I would’ve liked to this year, but this one turned out so lovely that I’m quite content with it being the only one I’ve made so far!
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Okay, so let’s get into some of the quilts I’ve made over this past year! Happily, I’ve made more quilts this year than I did last year which really is wonderful! I had made a secret new year resolution to myself to make more quilts this year and the amount that I’ve made has made me quite happy!
The first two that shine like little gems in my mind are the commissioned baby quilts I made for a friend back in July. The brief was that both mums-to-be didn’t know the genders of their babies so each quilt needed to be gender-neutral and super cute!
And these are what I ended up with! Words really can’t describe how lovely they equally turned out. Everything about each one I was so happy about: the quilting, the fabrics, the binding, the neutral-pastel tones, the sizes and their sheer cuteness! From what I’ve been told, both mummies loved their little quilts and each bundle-of-joy arrived safely and happily!
The next quilt that I’m equally thrilled about making was Donna’s 50th Birthday Quilt using the Diamond Square block! Although gifted a few weeks after the big day, she thankfully loved it!
Donna’s 50th Birthday Quilt (2015)
Knowing that her favourite colour was blue, I raided my sash and pulled out a number of contrasting blue prints that I knew would look really effective against each other. After cutting and piecing over 120 HSTs into this all-over quilt top design, I chose to quilt it with a design I’d been seeing everywhere on Pinterest but had never actually tried. It’s where you quilt a line on either side of the seams, creating this super effective spaced-out grid type pattern. I absolutely love it! It was so quick to do and really suited the over-all feel of the quilt.
The amount of support and love I received from all you in regards to the series and the finished quilt is something that I will cherish for a very long time to come! And because of that wonderful participation and encouragement, you gave me the guts to start another Quilt-Along! Although we’re only half-way through, the HST Sampler Quilt Along is going great-guns and I couldn’t be more happier with the amount of people who are giving it a go and who are learning and growing in their patchwork skills!
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Two very exciting opportunities that happened over the past year was the chance to join in on two very special Blog Hops! Both opportunities were so much fun to be involved in and I’m so grateful to have been invited and put my two-cents into the ring!
The first one I was invited to join was the RJR Supreme Cotton Fabrics Blog Hop! For this one I made my darling Crown of Thorns Mini Quilt using some of their deliciously bright and rich solid fabrics.
Crown of Thorns Mini Quilt (2015)
What I loved about this one was the beautiful harmony between traditional and modern. The Crown of Thorns block is very traditional in nature and is known by many other names. With this mini quilt, I simply turned the block onto a point, added some richly modern colours to the mix and voila, a thoroughly modern little mini!
Paired with a white solid fabric and matching red binding, I cut and pieced each Jolly Bar into 12 Open Window blocks resulting in this warming quilt! (And this quilt has a very happy ending: It now lives in America with a family who will cherish and love it for years to come!)
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Ooo, we gotta touch on some of the darling little mini quilts I’ve made this year! I have a huge love, appreciation and possible obsession when it come to mini quilts! What can I say, they’re just so darn fun and quick to make!
The highlights from the year have to be these three little darlings!
So now, because of my mini quilt obsession, the walls in our house are overloaded with precious pictorial mini quilts greeting people as they walk through the house. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?
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And lastly, the one other thing I want to reflect on and share with you is the wonderful support and growth of my YouTube channel. It’s crazy to think that there are so many people out there who share the exact love and passion that I have for patchwork and quilting! (For a while there I thought I was the only one!) It’s been so lovely to be able to reach out and chat to other like-minded people whom I can share my exciting successes with and swoon together over delightful fabrics and fun new patterns!
The reason why I chose to start a YouTube channel was to simply have another avenue to create content for my blog. I was ready to venture out and challenge my creativity with a new medium to share and teach my love and skills in patchwork, quilting, crafting and baking. It was also an opportunity I took to strengthen my self-confidence in speaking out-loud and to grow and challenge my teaching skills. And I can happily say today that in each of these things I have grown tremendously and have gained a few thousand new friends along way!
So a big THANK YOU to each and everyone of you who watches, comments, likes and supports everything that I do both on here on my blog and my channel (and Instagram!). You’re all such wonderful people and I’m so glad to call you all my friends! Yay! 😀
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If you would like to take a squizz at the past three yearly recaps I’ve written, here are the links for you to follow:
So here’s to another successful and fun year of making quilts, making mistakes, saying Yes! to every opportunity that comes my way, making new friends and strengthening the bond with old ones!
Happy Sewing, Friends!
xx
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2015 Blogging is dedicated to my darling Lucy. A beautiful soul that I miss dearly everyday.
First of all, a big thank you to everyone for your patience in waiting for this block to come out. The past few days have been a bit rough and I didn’t quite find the time to get edits and things done. But not to worry, block six is finally here and it’s the one that I warned you about that could be a bit tricky for some to piece. (Don’t worry, I was one of those ‘some’!) So my advice when piecing this block together is to have the pattern sheet close by so that you can keep referring to it as a guide if you get a bit confused with HST placements etc.
So this variation of the Mill Wheel Block is pieced together completely out of HST – 16 to be exact – and are laid out in a way that it should, if you squint your eyes, have a pinwheel type design flowing through it. I think you’ll only really see this if you use two contrasting fabrics/colours in your HSTs. (This theory has been untested.) If you don’t want to use contrasting colours then that’s cool, you’ll just end up with a really pretty block that has a lovely X type design to it! 🙂
For all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together and a diagram of the block layout, click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.
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As I mention in the video, my fingers are crossed that I’ll be able to get next weeks blocks out to you on time. A big dentist appointment waits for me on Monday to remove the one wisdom tooth in my mouth that chose not to sprout out in the proper way. (Think horizontal and causing havoc with the molar in front of it! Ouch!) So I’m trying to do as much prep over the weekend as I can, but we’ll see what happens over the next few days!
Keep on sharing your blocks with me! Big apologies if I don’t see them straight away. Time zones and missing notifications can sometimes be to blame! You’re all doing such a fantastic job with your blocks and your talents and skills just blow me away!!
I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!!
Happy Sewing, Friends!!
xx
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
So another Wednesday has rolled around and we’re now up to block five in our HST Sampler Quilt Along! I really can’t quite get over how quickly the past few weeks have flown by as block five marks our (almost) halfway point! But I don’t want to think about it all ending just yet, I’m having way too much fun making these blocks and sharing them all with you!!
The fifth block in the series is the fun and uber-simple Shoo-fly block! Packed full of traditional charm and elements, this block will be pieced and finished before you can say, ‘wow, I love it!’ 😀
As always, if you click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post, you’ll be able to find a full list of all of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together! If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here: June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.
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Keep on sharing those blocks with me, it truly makes my day seeing them and knowing you’re having fun and growing in your skills!!
Coming up on Friday is block six: the Mill Wheel. It is a bit of a tricky one to layout and piece, but totally worth all of the brain-power once finished! I hope you’re ready for it!
Until then,
Happy Sewing, Friends!!
xx
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
Let’s end the week on a high with Block Four in my Quilt Along series – the Friendship Star!
I absolutely love this block! I have done since I made this quilt top using this fun little block! I’ve had a few issues with the quilting on this one and it’s currently in the process of having all of the quilted stitches unpicked by hand because I hated the FMQ job I did on it! I’m sure one day I’ll get around to re-quilting it and placing it on a bed or on the back of lounge so that it be used for cuddling under!
If you click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post, you’ll be able to find a full list of all of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together! If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here: June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.
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I wish you all the most loveliest of weekends, wherever you are in the world! I hope you all enjoy making the blocks from this week and are ready to discover two more HST delights next week!
Keep sharing your blocks! I love seeing them!
Share here:
Instagram: @3and3quarters(PS. If your account is private, I won’t be able to see your block/s!)
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
Continuing on with my HST Sampler Quilt Along, here is the third block in the series for you to make! This one is called the Contrary Wife Block!
To be honest with you, I struggled to find some decent historical information on this one to include in the pattern sheet. Bummer! I’m sure there is a fascinating story behind it! If you know any fun little facts about this block, please comment below – I would love to know more!!
All of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together are in the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post! If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here: June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.
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Block four in the series will be ready for you on Friday (hopefully on time – I have a long awaited appointment to see the Dentist on Friday afternoon! Wisdom teeth suck!) The block that we will be making is a fun little favourite and is very appropriate for our little community that we have going on here! And that block is the Friendship Star!
Don’t forget to share all of your blocks with me and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask at any time! 🙂
See ya on Friday, Friends!
xx
*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!
3and3quarters 