Patchwork & Quilting – Page 6

May 12th: My Sewing Room Playlist!

I don’t know about you but I find that when I’m in a sewing mood and groove, I gotta have some good music playing in the background! Whether it be soothe and sultry sounds of a bluesy jazz track or a raging hook from an alternative rock band! Whatever it is, music plays a huge roll in how I work. It inspires, it pumps me up, mellows me out, calms my nerves when something isn’t going right and just simply makes my happy space an even happier one!

So today, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite albums and artists that I love listening to when I’m sewing! To be be completely honest with you, my music mood changes daily! Hourly even! One minute I might be loving the futuristic tones of some fun electronic-pop then do a complete 180 and be craving some sweet ol’ crooning jazz!

The Current Faves!

James Bay/Chaos and the Calm: I’ve had this album for a couple of months now and have never really taken the time to listen and subsequently fall in love with it! It’s a really lovely, laid back type sound with a few catchy songs that get stuck in my head way too easily! Favourite songs include: Craving, Hold Back the River, Let it Go and Move Together.

The Japanese House/Clean EP: I shared this EP with you in a post from last month where I proceeded to tell you just how down-to-earth and insanely relaxing I find their sound! I heard them by chance on a radio station I listen to at home and in the car called Triple J and made sure to remember their name so that I could listen to more of their music! Favourite songs include: Letter by the Water and Pools to Bathe In.

The All-Time Faves!

Coldplay/A Rush of Blood to the Head: This is my favourite Coldplay album ever! My memories of it are popping the disc in into my DiscMan at night and listening to it as I fell asleep all the way back when I was in high school! It’s such a great album to chill out to and reminisce about all of the good times that high school brought! Favourite songs include: All of them! 😀

Crowded House/The Very Very Best of Crowded House: Crowded House are so awesomely quirky and fun that my spirits are lifted every time I press play on this album! They were the first band I ever saw in concert in 2007 and will always hold a special place in my heart because of it! Favourite songs include: Distant Sun, When You Come, Fingers of Love, Weather With You, Locked Out, Four Seasons in One Day and Recurring Dream.

John Mayer/Continuum: I’m a huge fan of John Mayer (just his music that is!). If you listen closely, the stuff he writes and makes is so insanely fabulous it makes me swoon every time! One of my all-time favourite songs is on this album… When Gravity comes on it just instantly relaxes me and reminds me all is well with the world. I’m not really too sure why this song has such an affect on me… I think it has to do with that bluesy guitar rift that opens the song that gets me every time! Favourite songs include: All of them! 😀

Passenger/All the Little Lights: Passenger is my ultimate singer/songwriter! The guy is just so incredibly passionate about what he does that it’s soul-wrenching! Watching him play live is a whole other experience too! Simply brilliant! This is just one of eight albums of his that I love listening to! Favourite songs include: Feather on the Clyde, All the Little Lights and Patient Love.

The Mainstream Faves!

Ed Sheeran/X: I love this album as well as his ‘+’ one. It’s one of those albums that you can have on in the background and easily sing-along to in most parts (except for when he does that fast singing/rap type thing!). Favourite songs include: Bloodstream, Tenerife Sea, Thinking Out Loud, Afire Love, Shirtsleeves and I See Fire.

Taylor Swift/1989: Gee this girl sure is taking over the world! And no wonder why, this album is so much fun! It’s great for one of those long sewing sessions you crave every time Monday morning rolls around! Favourite songs include: All of them! 😀

The Jazz Faves!

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong/Ella & Louis: Ooo, I love a good bit of jazz blasting in the sewing room! And this is the album I always go for! These two are my favourite jazz musicians both separately as well as when they come together! The reason why I love to listen to jazz (and not just because it sounds beautiful and makes my heart sing with happiness!) is because it always reminds me of my Dad who also loves listening to jazz. It’s a daddy/daughter connection that I cherish deeply! Favourite songs include: All of them!! 😀

John Coltrane/Coltrane for Lovers: This is another one of those newbie albums I’ve been listening to recently and that has instantly made it onto my (almost ultimate) favourites list! It’s bluesy, soulful, lazy and relaxing. It’s a Sunday afternoon kind of album, where the light is slowly dimming and you have a cup of tea next to your sewing machine and a whole load of chain-stitching to do! Ahh, heaven! Favourite songs include: There’s just one at the moment that really sticks out and that is My Little Brown Book.

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I do have a fair few other albums and artists I love to listen to when I’m sewing but these are just the ones I tend to go to the most! I also have some favourite playlist I like to press play on when I can’t make up my mind on what I want to listen to! I usually put these playlists on shuffle and hope for the best!

Now I know that not everyone likes to listen to music when they sew. Podcasts, TV shows and movies are all popular choices for quilters to have on as white noise when sewing. What do you like to listen to or watch when you’re sewing? Do you stick to the same type of music every time or do you like a nice quiet environment where you can concentrate and not be distracted?! I would love to know!

See you tomorrow!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

May 11th: Sewing Room Organisation & Storage Tips!

Now, I’m possibly not the best person to be chatting about sewing room organisation and storage! One glance into my currently messy sewing room and you’d get it! My organisation skills are chaotic, simplistically naive and (perhaps) a little non-existent! While my storage areas are overflowing, out of order and oddly colour-coded!

However, I think there are a few things here and there that I can share and inspire you with! And I’ve also been researching on how one or two other quilters have organised and stored things which I’ll share with you as well!

Firstly, let’s get into a few of the ways I organise and store things in my sewing room! I’m one of those people that like to re-use as much as possible and keep things quite simple. So I have lots of bits sticking out of glass jars and broken mugs (rotary blades, pencils, scissors, buttons and paint brushes!), items secured in pretty but battered tins, fabrics roughly folded and stuffed backed onto their shelves as well as a tonne of those handy plastic containers you can get at the $2 shop! 😀

Tins:

You may’ve caught me mentioning in my recent Sewing Room Tour video that I love to use tins to store and organise lots of stuff! From pins to threads to hexies to notions. Pretty decorative tins are everywhere and I love it! I’ve been lucky in the fact that my Dad is a keen collector of Arnott’s Biscuits tins as he worked for them for nearly 30 years! So very happily we have lots to spare so that I can store all of my sewing knick-knacks in them! I’ve also sourced a lot of my smaller tins online from little indie companies such as Belle & Boo, Emma Bridgewater and Lark.

Fat Quarter Drawer

A little while ago I purchased this hard-plastic type drawer from Spotlight made especially for storing fat quarters. It’s about 50cm (20″) long and can hold well up to 20-30 FQs. I’ve found it so handy to quickly place new FQs into it and then be able to pull the draw out and easily rummage through what’s in there.

Fabric

I’m quite boring when it comes to organising and storing my fabrics. I don’t really have any fancy folding or hanging system. I have a main bookshelf next to my sewing table that has all of my favourite or most used fabrics in a very relaxed colour-coded system: Whites, creams, yellows, browns and oranges on the top shelf, pinks and reds on the next two shelves, green and blue hues on the two after that and then right down the bottom I have my purples, greys and blacks. The majority of these fabrics are all half-metre (or half-yard) pieces or less. I tend to store all of my larger cuts of fabrics in the plastic containers I have under my sewing table. They’re quite easy to slide out and to have a quick little rummage through when I need to. These aren’t colour or range coordinated. Just folded up nicely and stacked one on top of the other.

Very conveniently, one of the crafty YouTubers I watch, Melanie Ham just recently uploaded this video showing how she organises her fabrics in her sewing room! I think if I had the time (and cupboard space!), this would be such a great idea to follow! I hope it inspires you just as much as it has me! 🙂

Another YouTube video I found that was all about sewing room organisation was this one by Stephanie De Pasquale Soebbing from Quilt Addicts Anonymous. I found that she had a fab idea for storing your ironing board, jelly rolls and pre-cuts as well as another neat and lovely way to store and organise fabrics.

Tools:

I tend to try and keep all of the tools I’ll need when cutting and sewing dotted around my cutting mat as this is like my central space in my sewing room. So here I have my rotary blades and quilting rulers close to hand along with my pins, thread snips, lead pencils, essential paper-piecing tools as well as threads and binding clips. These items are either stored in glass jars, pretty tins or placed in an easy to reach spot on my pink IKEA shelf.

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So as I sit here and look around at all of the different areas in my sewing room, there are still so many little things to do with the way I store and organise stuff that I could share with you… Like the way I’ve organised all of my craft stickers and die-cuts, to how and where I have my coat-hangers ready to hang a finished block or quilt, to the way I organise and store all of my patterns and paper-trail as well as the way I’ve organised my books based on how much I love them!

But unfortunately, I just don’t have the time to get into every nook and cranny that cleverly hides away a WIP or stray crafting notion! Today I just wanted to stick to the major areas that most people tend to struggle on finding a solution for… I hope I’ve helped in some little way!

Though in honesty, all of us quilters have our own unique way on how we like to organise our sewing spaces and store all of our wonderful fabrics and notions. I don’t think anyway is the wrong way. As long as whatever system you use works for you and the limits of your sewing room than that’s all that matters!

Have you got any fab ideas on how you organise or store things in your sewing room? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

May 10th: My Sewing Space Set Up

For a while now, I’ve been trying to come up with a way of showing you how I have my sewing space set up as well as how I move in and around it when I’m sewing. I’d considered doing a video about it on my YouTube channel but realised quickly that the software I use to edit my videos wasn’t quite good enough to get the vision I had in my head onto the screen!

So we’re going old-school and doing a blog post about it instead!

So this is a birds-eye view of my sewing room.

I set it out in a way where I would be able to work as efficiently and hassle free as possible.

When I’m cutting my fabrics I stand along the left side of the sewing table in front of where my quilting rulers hang from a hook. Close at hand on and around that pink IKEA shelf I have my rotary blades, pencils, thread snips and pins ready to go as I cut and piece blocks together.

Then I have my sewing machine set up as close to the window as possible so that I’m working in natural light. (FUN FACT: I do a lot of my sewing standing up! I find I work so much more efficiently and quicker when I do. I’m able to do this as the table is quite tall and is at the perfect height for me to easily sew while standing. The only time I sit and sew is when I’m quilting and sewing on the binding!) The ironing board permanently stands in the corner and in front of the window ready to press units and blocks as soon as they come out of the machine.

Along the back of the room, I have my design wall. It’s nothing fancy. Just odd pieces of white cotton batting simply pinned onto the wall using thumb tacks! It spans about 60″x65″ (1.5mx1.6m) along the wall and can easily accommodate most of the quilt top designs I make. I find having a design wall such a help! Sometimes you can get so engrossed in what you’re doing close up that you forget to step back and see what the bigger picture looks like. With a design wall, I can place all of my blocks up, step back and see what (if anything) needs to changed, swapped or binned!

Another big area in my room that I had to plan cleverly was the placement of my computer and desk. I wanted it to be in a position where it would be central to me when I’m sewing so that I can listen and change music, read and follow a tutorial or pattern, find inspiration easily as well as to document my sewing adventures and knowledge on my blog and on my YouTube channel.

In terms of storage, I have a few book shelves here and there where I lazily (yet strategically) stack my fabrics, craft accessories and books. I also have a few huge plastic containers of fabric meterage under my sewing table as well as tubs full of scraps, strips, leftover batting and lots of WIPs!

So that’s the basic layout of my room and I how I find it best to work within it. When I am working on a project, like anything, it does take me a while to get into a rhythm or flow with how I move about and get things done efficiently and safely! I usually do all of my cutting first (whether that be for just one block or a for good chunk of quilt I’ve got going on), then lay out all of the cut pieces in the order I need to sew them, I pin, piece and press and then pop it up onto my design wall. Then repeat until I flop! 😀

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Look out for tomorrow’s post where I’ll be delving deeper into a few ideas and ways you can organise your fabrics, notions and general everyday-ness in your own sewing room or space! Hopefully a few things might inspire you (and myself to be honest) to get your sewing space in tip-top organisational heaven!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

May 9th: Sewing Room Tour!

Hello and welcome to week two in my Everyday May series!

I thought for this week, I would dedicate it to writing more about my sewing room and addressing a few of the requests from you guys about organisation, how to set up or layout your work space as well as a few other fun things I think might be helpful!

So first off for today I wanted to share with you a simple tour of my sewing room.

A few of you might’ve already seen this, but I uploaded this video onto my YouTube channel a few weeks ago showing you some of my most favourite nooks and crannies and bits and bobs that make this room a happy and inspiring one for me and for my quilting!

To be honest, there really isn’t much more to add to what I say and show you in the above tour… In it, I just really wanted to try to capture the essence and those little things that matter the most. Such things include my ever-watchful Buzz who guards the room so diligently, some of my favourite pieces of stationary, the way I like to store my embroidery threads in colour order, the cherished photo of me with my parents along with the sewing machine that helps me bring my thoughts, designs, dreams and passion into something brilliantly tactile and real!

I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to have this space at all! (You can read a little about the back story here!) And never a day goes by where I don’t spend a good couple of hours in here! It’s like my safe haven, my hub, my happy place. 🙂

No matter where you plan, design, cut, sew and work I hope that you enjoy the space you occupy when creating! Tell me about it in the comments section – I would love to know!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!!

May 8th: Happy Mother’s Day!

Today in Australia we celebrated Mother’s Day!

I treated my mum to a lovely bunch of red roses that we bought when visiting the flower markets yesterday morning as well as a fun little wooden trinket sign that reminds me perfectly of her!

We (my family and I) spent a really nice, relaxing day together by taking a lovely afternoon drive around Colo Heights and Ebenezer which are ‘country’ like areas north west of Sydney, close to the Blue Mountain ranges.

I only got out of the car once (not only was it raining but there’s been a lot of smoke hanging around in the area due to back burning) when we stopped at a beautiful old church in Ebenezer which happens to be the very first Presbyterian church in Australia!

It was a beautiful building to step into. Very little and quaint. It even had a fab Ohio Star tile design in the front foyer!

The church itself is surrounded by an ageing yet very locally historic cemetery with families buried together dating from the mid 1800s+. There were even a few young ones who died in battle in WWI. It was fascinating yet very sombre. It was such a sweet place to visit.

Then after driving up and down through some very winding roads and navigating our way though the thick smoke trapped in the mountain ranges, we arrived home late in the afternoon to have delicious chicken burgers with a fresh salad and then a slice of cake! (What’s a Mother’s Day without a decadent sponge cake! Yum!)

And that was mum’s day made!

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Wishing all of you Mothers who read my blog a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Lots of love!

May 6th: Simple Cross Block Tutorial

As the weekend greets us on this fine Friday afternoon, I thought I’d share with you a lovely and simply modern block that you can easily whip up in under half an hour as you unwind from the working week!

I’m calling it the Simple Cross block. It’s basically just a modified version of the X Plus Block but without the ‘X’ bits in each corner. They’ve been replaced with four 4.5″ squares.

So here’s a guide on how to make to it!

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First, using two contrasting or matching fabrics, cut the following measurements from each one.

SCMeasurements — *Grey = background / Blue = main print

Next, pair up the two 2.5″ blue squares with two of the 2.5″ grey squares. (Image 1)

Flip and pin each pair together and then sew a 1/4″ seam down the side that’s pinned. (Image 2)

Then press the seam on each duo towards the darker side of fabric with a medium steamy iron. (Image 3)

Next, take the rectangle piece and the two left over 2.5″ grey squares and sew each one to either end. Press the seams outwards towards the darker side of fabric. (Images 4/5/6)

After that, take two of the 4.5″ grey squares and place one of the blue/grey duo rectangles in between them. (Image 7)

Flip and pin the duo to one of the sides of either square and then sew a 1/4″ seam along it. Press the seam outwards towards the 4.5″ corner square. (Images 8/9)

Then, sew the other 4.5″ grey square to the other side of the blue/grey duo. Make another row with the left over pieces, resulting in two identical rows. (Image 10)

Next, sandwich the row with the blue rectangle in between the top and bottom and rows. (Image 11)

Pin the centre row evenly to the top edge of the bottom one and then sew them together using a 1/4″ seam. Neatly press the seam inwards towards the centre row. (Images 12/13)

Lastly, pin the top row to the top edge of the centre row and sew them together. (Image 14)

Press the seam inwards again to finish the block.

The finished size of the block is: 10.5″x10.5″ (26.5cmx26.5cm).

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Share your finished blocks with me on Instagram or on my Facebook page!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

Inspiration: 500 Quilt Blocks by Lynne Goldsworthy & Kerry Green

May 5th: Future Quilt-Along Ideas!

After the success of my last two Quilt-Along series on my YouTube channel, I’ve had lots of requests and enquires for when I’ll be doing another one!

QALQuilts — Left: *Geo Dreams* QAL / Right: *HST Sampler QAL*

I think for starters, I’m still so blown away by how much support and involvement I had from all of you in each of the past series! The possibility of another one being so successful is both very exciting and extremely daunting!

Now, I don’t want to get you too excited just yet! Unfortunately, there won’t be another QAL for a good couple of months… Once I finish up my Floristry course in June, I’ll be sure to get the ball rolling as soon as possible!

But in the meantime, let’s brainstorm some ideas together so that I can gauge your interest in what kind of quilt you would like to make!

Last year I came very close to doing a Christmas theme one with some festive appliques and colour combinations! Another suggestion I’ve had is to do a Mini Quilt Blocks sampler due to all of the fun little mini blocks I’ve shared and love! I also like the idea of perhaps doing another sampler with blocks that have star themes eg. Ohio Star, Diamond Star, Lemoyne Star, Lone Star etc.

So what I thought, to help me see what you guys think, WordPress have a fancy application where I can add a Poll to my post that will allow you to take a vote on what you like best! So I’m gonna give it a go and see if it’s a successful tool for me to see what you guys are most interested in!

The poll closes in a week’s time (12th May 2016), so cast you vote or add another suggestion that you would love to do and we’ll see what happens!

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So that’s it for today my Friends. Join in on the poll whether or not you’re likely to join in on the fun when it rolls into action, I don’t mind! Any feedback is good feedback in my opinion!

Happy Polling, Friends!

PS. Also, comment below with any fabric ranges or lines from your favourite Fabric Houses (eg. Moda, Tula Pink, RJR Fabrics, Riley Blake, FQS etc.) that you would like me to make with next! I would love to be able to use fabrics that everyone where ever you are in the world has some type of access to buy and use along with me.

Ooo, such exciting times ahead!

May 4th: Sewing & Craft Books Haul!

The other day I naively walked into my local Spotlight and stumbled upon the biggest bargain in my life!

And that was a wonderful selection of beautifully published sewing and craft books by Stash Books on sale for $2.99 each! Each!! Oh. Em. Gee!

I just simply couldn’t believe it!

So like any sane quilter, I had a good rummage through the titles and piled up each one that took my fancy!

So let’s have a look at what I got…

PillowPopBook — *Pillow Pop*, compiled by Heather Bostic (2013)

So the title of the first one pretty much explains everything! It’s a gorgeous little book full of 25 quick and easy pillow patterns and ideas by some of the leading makers in the modern quilting movement. As I flick through it, my eye keeps catching on some super basic but very effective patterns and designs. Some of these include autumnal chevrons, fresh drunken path blocks, darling little Union Jacks (a must make!!) as well as rainbow flying geese and sunburst dresden plates! So if you’re crazy for making gorgeous pillows and cushions for the home, this book is a must for any quilter’s library!

ScandinavianStitchesBook — *Scandinavian Stitches*, by Kajsa Wikman (2010)

So with this book, I did what we all shouldn’t do and judged the book by it’s cover and said, YES! I mean, how adorable are some of the darling crafty things on this cover?!! Ohh! So homey and fun! Once I had a quick flick through it at home, I knew I had made a good choice! There are some super fun and aesthetically pleasing projects in this book ranging from patchwork pincushions featuring beautifully free-motioned embroidered words: Sew me! The lovely house and clothesline framed design is a pattern in the book along with the sweet little stuffed houses (or garden sheds!). If you have kids in your life, I think this is a great book to use as inspiration when the next birthday rolls around!

LibertyLoveBook — *Liberty Love*, by Alexia Marcelle Abegg (2013)

I absolutely love Liberty print fabrics!! They feature so many beautifully delicate floral patterns, colours, forms and proportions. I swoon every time I see them! When I get the chance to visit London, Liberty will be one of the first places I’ll go where I’ll make a beeline straight for the fabrics and haberdashery department! Ooo, I can’t wait!! Anyway, back to reality and this lovely book at hand! This one features a great handful of different type of sewing and quilting projects like a Classic Thread Spools Quilt, a modern Medallion Quilt, a fun little dog collar and fabric rosettes, a few easy to construct bags and totes as well as some dressmaking designs like a t-shirt and tunic dress. The photos and over-all layout of the book is just simply darling and sooo Liberty! It’s definitely my kind of sewing book!

SweetwatersSimpleHomeBook — *Sweetwater’s Simple Home*, by Lisa Burnett, Karla Eisenach & Susan Kendrick (2011)

Another title that pretty much sums up the theme of the book – lots of simple projects that can be made for the home! Patterns include a sweet but very modern frilly apron, pot holders, a few fun little quilts, office based projects such as journal covers and lamp shades and then a few things for the kids such big round floor cushions, a checkers board mat and a birthday board made from fabric! There are so many great ideas in here it’s so hard not to just list them all down!

UrbanScandinavianSewingBook — *Urban Scandinavian Sewing*, by Kirstyn Cogan (2015)

I have to be honest with you again… The only reason why I bought this book (a part from the fact I love the Scandinavian aesthetic!) was for that jolly little Santa softie sitting proudly and oh-so sweetly! What a little legend! But apart from him, there are some really great ideas in this one! Not only is it full of homey sewing projects but it has some delicious Scandinavian recipes, beverages and traditions! There are some fab things to make the kids like the Santa softie, a fabric fish mobile and lovely appliquéd strip quilt! Then there are some great makes for the kitchen as well as a few simple bags and totes. Four words to describe this book – Simple. Fresh. Modern. Humble.

ThePracticalGuidetoPatchworkBook — *The Practical Guide to Patchwork*, by Elizabeth Hartman (2010)

And last but not least, I was able to pick up another copy of one of my all-time favourite quilting books! I will always recommend this one as a great first quilting book to have in your stash. All of the designs are modern and fresh, easy to follow and photographed beautifully. Like all quilting books, right at the beginning there is a dedicated chapter to showing and explaining all of the basic (and more advanced) techniques, tools and materials you will need to know and have to begin patchwork and quilting. In this book, this info is explained in plain english, no fancy-pants words or misleading instructions. It’s straight to the point and super helpful! Some of the projects include blocks such as the square-in-a-square, four-patch and nine-patch as well as plenty of other modern and traditional block forms. Perfect!

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Whew! Book haul over!

Now I just have to find a place to put them all! 😀

What’s your favourite quilting/sewing/craft book? I would love to know!

Happy Reading, Friends!

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PS. Happy Star Wars Day!

May 1st: Welcome to ‘Everyday May’!

Hello friends!

Welcome to the first post in my Everyday May blog series!

The goal: to write and publish a new post every single day during the month of May!

It’s gonna be a real challenge, but I’m totally up for it!

I have lots of great things planned to write about and share with you over the next 31 days! Topics include lots of sewing room related chat, insider floristry know-how (a flower-crown tutorial is well over due me thinks!), some fun and oh-so delicious baking recipes as well as general day-to-day life living and shizz.

(And…there may also be a cheeky little giveaway closer to the end of month! 🙂 Shh!!)

But I still have a few days here and there where I don’t have anything dedicated to it! (Ahh!!) So if there is anything you would like me to write about, whether it be about sewing/quilting, floristry, life and family, other hobbies, baking – anything! – comment below with your suggestions and I’ll do my best to pencil them in!

So cheers to the first day of May and for a fun blogging month ahead!

Yay!

Happy Sunday, Friends! I’ll see ya tomorrow!

Tuesday Afternoon Procrastinating…

It’s a sunny Tuesday afternoon and I just simply felt like writing a blog post…

About nothing really… I have no clear objective of what I want to write or share with you.

Just procrastinate really.

Who knows what I write about in the next few paragraphs will actually be worth reading! 🙂

Hmm… So what can I write about…?

…….

Oh, I know! My new tutorial that came out over the weekend!

The X Plus Block!

Ooo, what a goodie of a block! Super simple. Quick. Brilliantly effective!

I had never made this block before doing this tutorial. I wish I had because it was so much easier to piece together than I though it would be. True that looks can be deceiving!

If you’re keen on making it, here’s how to it!

MEASUREMENT & CUTTING INFO:
From one main fabric cut,
x4: 4.5″ squares (mint)

From a background fabric cut,
x8: 2.5″ squares (white)

From a second main fabric cut,
x1: 2.5″x6.5″ rectangle (blue spot)
x2: 2.5″ squares (blue spot)

From a contrasting fabric cut,
x4: 2.5″ squares (mustard)

FINAL BLOCK SIZE: 10.5″ x10.5″ square

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Another thing.

I’m planning for the month of May to do the same type of thing I did in September last year where I wrote/published a blog post everyday.

I’m calling it: Everyday May!

Over the past few months it’s really been weighing on my mind how much I’ve neglected my blog this year! (I think I can literally count on two hands how many posts I’ve written this year! Eek!) I have so much respect and love for my little space here… It’s where I first found the guts to share my quilting (My life. My inner thoughts. My dreams. My passions.) and to venture out of my little bubble and connect with other like-minded people!

So I really want to try again and dedicate my time and efforts in May to making my blog a loved and cherished one again!

Now, a shout out to you guys: Is there anything you would like me to write about, share, teach – anything! – with you during May? Let me know your thoughts, requests and/or ideas in the comments section below and I’ll get brainstorming on how to incorporate them into my daily posts!

TBH, I am a little worried I might be taking on too much… What with my Floristry course (you’d be surprised at just how much paper work is involved in a practical/hands-on course! Gah!!), getting content made for my YouTube channel (I always love that challenge!!) and then living my usual quiet life in-between! Oh, why am I complaining…? Life is good at the moment and I’m so grateful for what I have no matter how busy or crazy or intense or stressful it all seems to be! 🙂

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Ooo, and another thing!

Here are a few things that I’ve been loving recently!

(Think of it as a mid-month favourites video but in writing!)

Music: The Japanese House

Oh lordy are these EPs beautiful to listen to! So relaxing. Down to earth. Calming alternative.

I was listening to these guys all throughout editing my recent Sewing Room Tour video as well as the tutorial above.

This one is my favourite to listen to – I always put it on play first! It’s called ‘Letter by the Water’.

Geek: Disney Tsum Tsums!

I can’t help but simply do one of those inner squeals when I see these little guys! They’re just too stinkin’ cute! (I’m such a sucker for these types of things!)

I bought a few of the mini plushies from Target (Australia doesn’t have a Disney Store! Boo!) and of course Buzz had to be the first one in my collection! Since then I’ve begun collecting the little lucky-dip keyring packs they sell (similar concept to the LEGO mini figurine packs) as well as become terribly addicted to this app! Oh dear!

TV: Bargain Hunt!

Now this show has been a staple in our house for a good few years now! I find it so entertaining and I absolutely love the charisma of the host, Tim Wonnacott! (Although I’ve read that he’s only recently left the show! Oh no!)

It’s on every night at 6.30pm and like the granny I am, I get comfy on the lounge with a quilt, a hot cup of tea and a keen eagerness to see some bargain hunting!

I also just love seeing all the beautiful shots of the English country side and dreaming of the day I get to experience it all my self! (If you didn’t know, I’m a true Anglophile at heart!)

Surely I’m not the only one who loves watching…??

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Gold star to you if you got this far in reading this post! I really wasn’t all that sure if what I was to write about was worth reading at all! 😀

But alas, I think I’ve procrastinated enough for the afternoon.

Thanks for your company!

The Current Faves!

The All-Time Faves!

The Mainstream Faves!

The Jazz Faves!

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(And…there may also be a cheeky little giveaway closer to the end of month! 🙂 Shh!!)

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Music: The Japanese House

Geek: Disney Tsum Tsums!

TV: Bargain Hunt!

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