Craftsy – 3and3quarters

TUTORIAL: FPP Union Jack Block!

Over the past few months, I’ve had a numerous amount of interest and requests to make a video tutorial showing how I make the Union Jack block…

The first time I made this block I had just learnt how to Foundation Paper-Piece and was absolutely daunted by all of the different pieces and angles I had to sew! Oh. My. Gosh. So, I took a deep breath, studied the pattern and instructions and then took one step at a time. So then of course I proceeded to make countless mistakes, under and over judged fabric lengths and widths AND importantly learnt that keeping to a quarter-inch seam was critical for the pattern to come together, crisp and evenly at the end! What’s that saying? Through our mistakes, we become stronger… Well, maybe…

Since then I’ve gone on to make a lot of versions of this block, almost to the point where I could do it with my eyes closed! (Well, no. Not really. That would be a terrible idea!!) I had high hopes (and still do, actually) of piecing my many blocks together to make one of those big Britannia type quilts.

A sample of the Union Jacks I've made... — A small sample of the Union Jacks I’ve made…

I’ve written about it before in other blog posts and it was on my New Year Quilting Resolutions of 2014 list to make during that year. (An idea that failed miserably! None of those quilts got made! My bad.) But hope is not lost! It will get made… one day… soonish…next year, maybe…

But, alas! I have had the chance to incorporate this block into quilt! I was commissioned by a work colleague to make a quilt for our department manger who was leaving to pursue another job. The biggest love in her life was bunnies as well as sharing the same admiration for all things British, like me. So I made her this quilt as a farewell gift!

It still is one of the most favourite quilts I’ve ever made.

I originally found this block in the book Modern Blocks, compiled by Susanne Woods as I was casually flicking through it when visiting my favourite bookstore in Sydney, Kinokuniya. As soon as I saw this block pattern in the book, I immediately made the decision to buy it without even looking at what other blocks were in the book! That’s how keen I was to make it! However, it wasn’t until I got home that I realised the block was made entirely using the foundation paper-piecing method… A technique, at the time, I didn’t know anything about! With my excitement and high hopes of being able to make an inspiring Union Jack Quilt squashed, I placed the book on my shelf and forgot about it.

My little library! — My Quilting Book Library

A few months later, I signed up to do the online Craftsy Block of the Month with Amy Gibson… [And just on a side note: If you’re new to quilting and want to learn lots of new techniques and be wholly inspired by everything patchwork, I recommend highly to watch these video tutorials! It’s 100% free to watch and join. Honestly, without watching these tutorials, I wouldn’t be the quilter I am today! So go! Do it now! Watch. Learn. And grow!] …and in one of the months she taught me how to foundation paper-piece. Here I was, thinking it would be this weird, strange, ancient technique that I thought I would never enjoy. How very wrong I was. In a matter of minutes, I was in awe of just how easy and simple the technique was. I just couldn’t believe how straight, clean and crisp I could get my seams and how many new and awesome modern block designs that were now open for me to make! And then…Lightbulb! I now had the power to make that Union Jack block!! Huzzah!!

The block in question, called Just Jack, was designed by Lynne Goldsworthy. (A quilt-block designer I seem to keep running across over the past few months…spooky!) The block that I make is a little bit different to the one in the book. I’ve made it smaller (165% as opposed to the suggested 200%) and have eliminated the two pieced strips from the top and bottom so that it’s just a Union Jack.

Now I must admit, this block is pretty tricky (and a little bit daunting!) if you’re new to foundation paper-piecing but I still want to encourage you to give it a go! Don’t worry if you make mistakes – I did and I learnt from them! Be brave, dive in and see what happens! (Oh man, I should take on some of my own advice inother parts of my life! Jeez!)

If you are new to foundation paper- piecing, you’re more than welcome to check out this tutorial I made last year that goes through all of the basic tools and steps to understand the technique.

One of the things I absolutely love about this block is that it allows you to be as free and creative as you wish! You can use fabrics that are rich in print and colour, ones that clash horribly but still look good or just stick to the classic side of things using solid colours to bring the block to life!

Now, the final size of this block will all depend on how big you choose to enlarge this pattern. At 165%, my finished block measured 26.5cmx17.5cm (10&3/8″x7″).

If you don’t have this book or unable to purchase it, here are a few other Union Jack patterns I’ve found on the net that are similar to the one I’ve made.

‘Union Jack Block & Bag Pattern’ by Amy Smart (Diary of a Quilter)
‘Union Jack Quilt Block’ by traceyjay on Craftsy (FREE PATTERN!)

And lastly, here’s a list of the tools and notions I like to use when I’m doing any foundation paper-piecing…

– Brother Innovis 200QE sewing machine
– Brother 1/4″ sewing foot
– Gutermann polyester thread
– Fiskars Rotary Blade and Cutting Mat
– Sew Easy Rulers
– UHU Glue Stick
– Triumph Craft Scissors
– Birch Non-Melt Flower Head Quilting Pins
– Clover Thread Snips
– Clover Serrated Tracing Wheel
– Clover Finger Presser

Of course, let me know if you’re going to make this block (or already have!). Send me a photo of your finished block, or a project with the UJ in it or your fabric selections for your planned block! I absolutely love it when you share your creations and ideas with me!

The ways in which you can share with me…

Instagram & Twitter: @3and3quarters

Email: 3and3quarters@gmail.com

Facebook

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, I send you a big virtual HIGH-FIVE for getting through all of my rambling back story!

You’re a true super star!

Happy Sewing Friends!!

Inspiration & Where I Find It…

I’ve been asked this question quite a lot recently, so I thought I’d write a post listing all the wonderful places I find/get my inspiration from!

Let’s begin here…

{ #ONE – PINTEREST }

Over the last few years, it’s safe to say I’ve browsed on Pinterest at least [at least!!!] once a day.

Too much?

Boarder lining on crazy?

Yeh, sometimes I think so but without this wonderful [and addictive] online resource, there are a lot of projects that may not have come to fruition.

For example, I was inspired to make my ‘Happy Quilt’ by

a quilt I saw on Pinterest.

This quilt has gone on to become one of my ultimate favourites aaaand has just won me a coveted Sydney Royal Easter Show Ribbon!! Whoo!

If you’re the creative type and are not on Pinterest, may I take this opportunity to encourage you to create your own boards and get pinning!!

There are some crazy, helpful, outstanding, mesmerizing and uber-creative ideas on there that I’m sure will knock your socks off!

{ #TWO – YOUTUBE }

There are so many wonderful patchwork/quilting/sewing resources on YouTube that it can sometimes be a little overwhelming to know where to start.

So I’m just going to list the channels that I’m subscribed to and you can check them out in your own time.

Missouri Quilt Company

Fons & Porter (Quilty with Mary Fons)

[And of course, there’s my channel!!]

Amanda Rolfe

Do you know of any other good quilting related YouTube channels? Let me know in the comment section below – I would love to check them out!

{ #THREE – CRAFTSY }

Oh, where would we all be without Craftsy!?

I have learnt a great, great, GREAT deal from Craftsy: hexies, foundation paper piecing, general block construction, fabric cutting, ironing techniques – you name it, I’ve learnt it from Craftsy!

Another one of my most successful [and favouritist] quilts came from a Craftsy class and that is my ‘Jacob’s Ladder Quilt’.

For ages I was looking for the perfect project to use my beautiful DSQuilts fabrics with and along came the Jacob’s Ladder Block episode in the Magical Jelly Roll Quilts class.

And, whaalaah – what I produced was a beautiful, scrap-happy, two-tonal quilt that everyone seems to have fallen in love with!!

{ #FOUR – INSTAGRAM }

I’ve been on Instagram for a good few years now, but only recently have I used it as a form of inspiration.

Instagram has given me the access to follow the accounts of some of my most favouritist quilters, thus allowing me to see what they’re currently working on, where they’re getting their inspiration from as well as take a glimpse into the glamorous [and sometimes not so glamorous] side of a quilters life.

Instagrammers I follow... — Just some of the Instagrammers I follow…

It has also given me the chance to network with other quilters and creative minds from all over the world, sharing in each other’s current creative pursuits!

I’ve also found that Instagram, like Pinterest, is a great resource to see what is currently in ‘vogue’ within the quilting world – i.e. what fabric lines, shades, tones and prints are in, what forms of quilting others are using to finish their quilts, what shapes and designs of blocks are being made etc.

Plus, it’s a great little resource that’s nice and handy on my phone! SCORE!!

{ #FIVE – BLOGGERS }

I love reading other quilting blogs – it’s where people can be completely honest about their work.

Blogs give us the opportunity to share passionately about where we find our inspirations, what we hope and dream for in the future and how we somehow manage to find sprinklings of time to indulge in our love for patchwork and quilting. We use this platform to share our life-loves, our families, our struggles, and our successes, our obsessions and adventures!

Apart from my long list of wonderful WordPress blogs that are tiered up in my Reader, here are just a few other creative blogs that I love to ponder…

Stitchery Dickory Dock

Diary of a Quilter

Oh, Fransson!

Pink Chalk Studio

Tallgrass Prairie Studio

Tell me some of your favourite bloggers!!

{ #SIX – BOOKS }

This seems like a bit of a medieval notion doesn’t it!? Getting inspiration from books when we have a wealth of knowledge at a finger tips on the web!?

You may not know this, but I’m on of those ‘self-taught quilters’ who learnt the fundamental basic of patchwork and quilting from books!

My first patchwork/quilting book! — My first ever patchwork/quilting book!

If I was stuck on a particular element of quilt making, I would search and search for the answer in a book before I would ever think about consulting the Internet.

I’m proud of my little library of patchwork/quilting books. I admit, it is growing ever so slowly…some of those good quality quilting books can be a tad pricey!

Have you got any favourite patchwork/quilting books that you love? Please, do tell!!

So, my encyclopedia of inspiration has come to an end. Although, I will never rule out including more in the future!

Honestly, after all that writing, I simply find inspiration for my work from everything around me – nature, movement, colour, shapes, mood, space, texture, people, experience – the list is endless!

I find that the resources that I’ve listed in this post allow me to harness the ideas that are raging through my head into do-able realistic projects. Otherwise, they’d still be up there, Dub-Stepping and Flash Dancing away in my brain!

So, til next time –

Cheerio

Happy Sewing!!

2014 Quilting New Year Resolutions

I’m not normally one of those resolution-kind-of-setting people making plans at the beginning of each New Year and then failing two weeks later…

So when I made up my mind to set out some quilting resolutions for 2014, I made sure I would choose goals that I knew I would happily follow through on.

(I may regret this!)

I start so many new projects each year, each month, each week, each day that it’s absolutely ridiculous!

Worse yet, three quarters of these projects don’t get finished or are ever seen again!

This year, that changes!

I have a total of six quilts that I’ve ‘started’, all at different stages of the quilt-making adventure, that I resolute to FINISH over the course of this year.

I may even go to the point of saying that I need to get all these finished before I start a(nother) new project! (Oh no! Can I take that back??)

So, there are four quilt tops that are ready to be sandwiched and basted ready for quilting and two stacks of completed blocks that need to be pieced together.

Some of these quilt tops may seem familiar…

From top left to bottom right –

This is a small lap quilt or baby quilt I began two years ago using the Rail Fence block along with some sweet polka-dot fabrics that I was madly in love with at the time. I’m thinking, once I’ve finished it, I’ll put it up for sale in my madeit store. Watch this space!
The next one is my Scrap-Happy String Quilt! I accidently made this quilt a whole lot bigger than I originally intended to last year after ‘trying’ to demolish the never-ending growth of my scrap fabric! I freely admit that the size put me off from ever wanting to get it finish. And yet, I know that when I do get around to finishing it, it’s going to be B-E-A-utiful!
Two years ago, I tried the endless struggle to not let my fabric scraps overwhelm me! (See previous quilt top!) So when I discovered an awesomely scrappy-kinda-quilt PDF pattern by Anna Maria Horner, I sung out loud the Hallelujah Chorus and pressed print! I have no idea why I didn’t get the chance to finish this little gem: the size is like a lovely cozy lap quilt and I simple adore the crazy mix-match of the prints together! (Hmm, that’s a head scratcher!) But the ball has been set into motion again and this little sweetie will be finished!
This would have to be the BIGGEST quilt I have pieced together! Seriously this quilt will be a beast when it’s finished! I remember I found the pattern to this quilt when I had a craving to tackle a quilt featuring curved piecing as well as one where I could only use block colours. Bingo! This quilt was perfect! The original design for this quilt came from Jen Carlton Bailey and her quilt 5-HTP Squared. I started this quilt (named Colourplay) this time last year (January 2013) and I distinctly remember that as it got to the part where I needed to baste and proceed onto quilting, the harsh Australian Summer decided to get even. In that week alone we suffered through 40-45C+ heat. Every. Single. Day. Because of this, I was put-off from quilting it (which I was also internally dreading because of it’s size!) and conveniently forgot all about it until a few weeks ago when I decided to commit to some silly New Year resolutions lark! I know completing this quilt will challenge me. I know that I’ll need to be as strong as an ox to quilt it. And I know that I’ll need to be so much more patient than I already am to reach that moment of completion! I say: bring it on!

And now onto the quilt blocks that are ready to be pieced!

At the top is my stack of Craftsy’s 2012 Block of the Month blocks that have, so unfortunately, been sitting on my sewing table over the past year, yearning out to be finished! This was and still is my very first Sampler slash Block of the Month type of quilt. It symbolises a lot of new skills that I learnt along with some simply wicked modern fabrics that I do and will always love!
Although I identify myself as an Australian, I’m also a self-obsessed Anglophile and absolutely adore the thought of quintessential British living! If given the opportunity to live in another country apart from Australia, I would choose England hands-down! From Sydney to London is my ultimate dream. Full. Stop. Thank you very much! So to help immerse myself into that dream, I started to make some Union Jack paper-pieced blocks with the intention to make a tip-top Britishy quilt all for me! Yeah…obviously that hasn’t happened yet. My quilt in progress was inspired by this quilt made by Amy Smart at Diary of a Quilter.

Alternatively (833 words later!), you can watch me display and chat about each of these quilts here…

Other Quilting-related New Year Resolutions I’ve got in the bag include –

Entering local quilt shows, in particularly the Sydney Royal Easter Show (application form submitted this morning!!) in April and the Sydney Quilt Show in June.
Challenging my quilting skills by attempting block patterns that force me into a spinning vortex of stress and anxiety!! *Falls into a foetal position*

Sooo, watch this space for these WIPs or ‘Works-In-Progress’!

I’m pumped and ready to get going!

Have I inspired you to get your unfinished quilts and projects out and onto the road of completion? Let me know and we can discuss our progresses together!

Happy Sewing Friends!! xx

PS. Happy New Year!

Hello Neglecterino!

Aww, my poor neglected blog! It’s almost been a whole month since I last posted! Whoopsie-daisy!

I believe there has been quite a considerable and understanding reason why I’ve been so neglectful. I’m four weeks into my uni studies and I’m finally beginning to feel like I’m back on my feet, knowing where I’m going and settling into a comfortable routine.

However, it’s hardly given me any time to devote my self to my sewing machine.

Last week I purposely took off a few afternoons to complete my September Craftsy BOM. I admit, even now, I’m procrastinating from finishing an essay that’s due this coming Monday, but I’m aiming to get that finished by tomorrow night – which will be quite a simple thing to do! (Knock on wood!)

This months Crafty BOM were focusing on curved piecing, something that I’ve never-ever attempted before – mainly because I had no idea how to as well as feeling a bit hesitant in my sewing skills.

Although being quite a fiddly and time-consuming technique, I generally like the concept and end result of curved piecing. I’m not sure whether I’d like to do a whole quilt using this technique!

Last week I received in the mail a very happy surprise: a copy of the magazine I used to work for with one of my projects on the front cover along with a charity article I wrote while I was there.

My project is the cushion on the front – Stacked Coins

While the article I wrote was about Pillowcases for Oncology Kids, a charity run by a wonderful teenager (a cancer patient herself) giving the gift of handmade pillowcases to children suffering from cancer and related illnesses in hospital.

The magazine is on sale until mid October (I think?) so go buy a copy and be inspired by such a wonderful young lady!

In news unrelated to sewing, it was my 25th birthday this Monday just past and I wanted to share with you the birthday cupcakes I made, in which I’m very proud of. Apologies: there’s none left!

There’s more big news to come, but I won’t spill the beans yet as even I don’t know the finished outcome of said news! All will be revealed early next week!

Stay tuned!

Happy Sewing! xx

Unexpected Starts

It’s gone. Posted. Ready to be hung and judged by strangers….

It’s actually quite a nice feeling to finally sit back and not have to worry about getting it finished before the cut off date. Ah, relief!

However, this does not mean I haven’t been doing anything. On the contrary I’ve started, unexpectedly, another new quilt as well as completed my August Craftsy BOM.

I’m currently taking another class on Craftsy called Magical Jelly Roll Quilts. Although I’m not using jellyrolls, charm packs or layer cakes, I’ve been able to finally find the perfect project to break into my luscious Denyse Schmidt fabrics. The first project is making a Jacob’s Ladder Quilt. This is what the block looks like…

It’s made of five four-patch units and four half-triangle units. It’s quite an easy block to make up but is time consuming to put together (cutting, sewing and pressing). Here are the stats for this quilt:

320 (2.5inch) squares
64 half-square triangles
80 four-patch units
16 blocks
1 quilt

I am happy with how it’s coming together. It’s looking very scrappy, which I intended it to be, and have only four more blocks to make to complete the quilt top. I’m thinking of adding a flying-geese border with the left over 2.5inch squares to frame the main quilt design – I think that might look good. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it when it’s finished; I might stash it away and enter it into a quilt competition some time down the track.

[CLICK HERE] To see my Jacob’s Ladder Quilt Finished!

[CLICK HERE] To see my Jacob’s Ladder Block video tutorial!

It’s August! (Winter’s almost over! Huzzah!) Which means I had two new Craftsy BOM to make. Stars are this month’s theme and I learnt how to make the Ohio Star Block and a Double Star Block.

I like the Ohio Star Block best (the top one), it’s simple yet has character.

Any-who, I’ve got four more Jacob’s Ladder blocks to make up and then some much needed crashing-on-the-couch-and-watching-mind-numbing-tv to do….

Happy Sewing! xx

My Manic Month of May

After such a busy and hectic month of May (new job, farewell parties, congratulation parties, birthday parties, and long awaited trips into the City) I finally got around to making my Craftsy’s May BOMs (with three days to spare until the end of the month!). I vowed to let my sewing machine sing again this past weekend and I did to my much satisfied delight!

Based on the Log-Cabin block design, these little babies have that modern scrappy twist which I’m all in to! One is more traditional in design, yet modern and the other is known as a crazy Log-Cabin block design – you sew in any and all degrees with stripy bits of fabric.

I really enjoyed sewing these blocks up as it involved a completely spontaneous method in how they were constructed – which in turn is always a nice change from having to measure and cut pieces out exactly while making sure you sew a ¼ inch seam allowance etc. I was so giddy with excitement and happiness when I had them complete, I was dancing around the lounge room with a smile ear-to-ear!

This weekend I’m hoping to visit the Regeneration Contemporary Quilt Textiles Exhibition at Manly Art Gallery and Museum (the last weekend it’s on!).Hopefully it’s a nice day as it’s a ferry ride from Circular Quay to Manly and they’re never fun trips when the weather’s rainy and yuck (maybe yes, when the harbour is choppy and the boat is bobbing up and down, back and forth like it’s nobody’s business!)

But visiting Manly is a highlight in anyone’s day whatever it is that you’ll be doing there – swimming, shopping, browsing, picnicking or (like me) for the ferry ride!! The shops along the Corso sell the best fish and chips, pizzas and award winning ice cream!

I also hope to check out the weekend Markets at The Rocks, something I’ve wanted to visit in a very long time! Plus, there’s this awesome button shop where the walls are packed with 1000’s of different buttons! A crafter’s heaven!! I always spend way too much money in that store – as one does! There are so many other crafty stores there like: Craft NSW Store, The Ken Done Shop, Parkers – Sydney Fine Arts Supplies and lots of little boutique art and textile stores as well as fashion, food and souvenir stores.

Gosh, I love visiting The Rocks!

Over the weekend I bought a new quilting book – Modern Blocks, compiled by Susanne Woods with well known quilter’s contributing their extrordinary talents in sharing new and modern quilt blocks. There are some really great designs in here that I can’t wait to get stuck into!

I particularly like this Union Jack one – Just Jack – as it satisfies my current obsession with all things British. I think it’s the whole Queen’s Diamond Jubilee fever that’s in the air, along with the Olympics as well as the fact I’m now saving to travel over there! Plus I have extended family in the UK who I’m dying to meet!!

This block is made with the paper-piecing technique – something that I’ll have to learn before I tackle this little jem. I can image a beautiful ‘Ode to Britain’ quilt being constructed with this block; maybe with a Pop Art colour palette or more subdued traditional colours. Hmm…the mind ticks over!!

Happy Sewing! xx

Just.Keep.Quilting.

It’s time again to share my next two blocks from my Craftsy’s Block of the Month! Yay!! This month was foundation piecing, which I had never done before, and I created the String block and the Broken Spider Web block. These blocks were quite simple and fun to make, especially having the opportunity to to rummage through my fabric scraps tub! An afternoon of sheer delight finding old scraps of some of my favourite fabrics!

During the week I started quilting my Zigzag quilt and I love the progress so far! I’m thinking of doing a few things differently than I had first planned; I was originally going to quilt the whole top following the zigzag line but now I’ve decided to leave calculated spaces quilt free enhancing the lines I’ve created with the zigzag line quilting. (Does that makes sense?!) If not, once I’ve finished I’ll post a picture and explain it again!

Although I haven’t quite finished my Zigzag quilt, I’m onto yet another new project! I just can’t help myself!! This one is for a friend who has a new baby due in June! I love, love, love making cot quilts; beautifully sweet prints and colour pallettes, endless creativity and cuteness all around! Here’s a quick sneaky peek of what’s to come….

There are those spots again! I just can’t seemed to get enough of spotty fabrics!

So that’s it at the moment! I hope to sit down for a few afternoons after Art School this week and Just.Keep.Quilting. until finished and ready to bind! Hurrah! Oh and maybe do some more of my new cot quilt project!

Happy Sewing xx

Fast Days & Sleepless Nights…

Tired. So very tired.

Had a near sleepless night last night, thanks to a happy little frog in our backyard croaking away until 4.30am. If only I could’ve caught it and made it go ‘POP in the microwave’!

TAFE (Art School) started last week and it has been full on, hectic, challenging and fun. The days are flying by! Tomorrow in painting class where making our own canvas’ from scratch – yay! *Insert sarcasm* For printmaking we’re focusing on black and white relief/lino prints with the theme of ‘self-portrait’. I’m basing mine on a patchwork block self portrait by using real fabrics (spots and florals) ‘sewn’ in with a picture of yours truely! Easy to say, I’m very excited about where this idea could end up and the potential result at the end.

Amongst all the fast busy days and sleepless nights, I’ve obviously found the time to do some sewing! Putting the right priorities ahead of my Art School homework, I’ve completed my next two blocks (February) for my Craftsy’s Block of the Month and I LOVE them!!

It was a little bit tricky getting the triangles around the right way according to the pattern guide, but I succeded and would definately make them again in another quilt!

A few blogs ago, I wrote about my love for embroidery stitcheries and I posted a-just-started project of a gorgeous little lion, that I sourced from Urban Threads. Well….here’s the finished little guy – isn’t he the sweetest!?

I really enjoyed stitiching this little guy – especially around his tight geometric mane curls and moustache like whiskers….so sweet!

And last, but not least, I’ve almost finished my Cherry Retro quilt my BFF; quilted in one day and now awaiting for red and white spot binding and a loving ‘Made by Me Just for You’ label on the back….will attempt to do this on the weekend 😀

Oh, and one last thing, I recieved some beautiful Charm Square packs from Fabric Patch in the mail last week all ready for the next project. I bought ‘Half Moon Modern’, ‘Ruby’ and ‘Bella Solids’ all By Moda. There’s a few ideas rolling around in my mind – the only issue is choosing which one to explore first!

Happy Sewing! xx

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