Hexies

2018: Year in Review

Thinking back on last year, I immediately frown and wonder just what it was I actually did during the year that could hold some significance for me.

At first I was all like, ‘nahh. Nothing happened that could really hold up in a blog post, detailing my life in and around my sewing room!’

But then a simple scroll through my Instagram and all of a suddenly I have a hurried, messy scribble of a list detailing all of the wonderful events and creative pursuits I managed to fit into the year!

So, listing in chronological order, let’s review the year that was 2018!

January

I always like starting the year off with a bang! This usually means a big holiday/cruise somewhere warm and exotic! This way, during those times in the year where I feel a little worn down, crushed by societal expectations and it’s noisiness I can reflect on the one thing that bought joy and happiness to my life and I can remember what it’s like to be happy and carefree once more…

Was that a little bit too deep and depressing for a beginning paragraph? Oops! My bad!

Anyway…

What I was trying to say before going off on a weird tangent, four days into 2018 my parents, some family friends and I sailed away to visit New Zealand! Although it was my second time visiting, I loved every. Single. Minute!

We visited all of the major city/towns along the east coast of the country and even got the opportunity to visit Hobbiton! It was the best day ever.

I did a vlog series on my YouTube channel, filming and documenting the highlights of our trip. I recently watched it back and had totally forgotten just how awesome and fun our holiday together was!

I can’t wait to go back!

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While on our cruise to The Long White Cloud, another little Rolfe entered our family! Zayne Paul arrived on the 6^th, healthy, happy and endlessly squishy and sweet!

We celebrated his 1^st Birthday two days ago. (Seriously, where has the time gone!)

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The end of January saw me finally piece together my mammoth Pixelated Rose Quilt top. I made it a priority to get it finished by months end to then begin quilting it. As of today, this quilt is half basted, roughly folded and hung loveless over a chair in our living room.

HOWEVER!! This sad outcome will change very soon! Plans are in motion for this darling to be completed this year – and very soon too! (Fingers crossed!)

February

I got a new sewing machine, baby!! Whoo!

I spent a ridiculous amount of money on a new gadget that I knew would become one of my most beloved and treasured items that I own!

It’s taken us a little while to bond and get used to each other but I think we’ve got there. We’re in tune with what needs to get done, how to get it done and with what force, strength and/or delicacy the project at hand needs.

The machine I bought is a Brother PQ1500SL.

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On the 1^st of February, I finished piecing together an old-ish WIP I had piled in a sad and dusty corner of my sewing room. And so my Simple Cross Quilt was born! I went on to finish this about a week later, with it being the first quilt I ever quilted with my new sewing machine.

I love this quilt so much. The pops and clashes of colour and print, the fun and whimsical cat print on the back to the classic gingham binding I wrapped the quilt in.

Ohmph!! 😍

It’s simplistic yet busy nature makes my heart sing and my face smile every time I see it!

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In late February I began Swooning around! Te-he! 😜

I became more serious and put more focus into making Swoon blocks just because, you know!

It was a block I’ve also wanted to make and piece into a quilt so I took the opportunity by the… well you know what, and just cut, pieced, pressed and repeat until I had nine beautiful blocks. (These were pieced together in May and the quilt top is stilling waiting for attention from me!)

May

Cracking on to May, while a Swoon Quilt top lay in the shadows waiting for me to find it again, I started a new Quilt Along series on my YouTube channel!

We delved into the world of mini blocks. A concept that I’ve introduced a few times on my channel in various block tutorials but never as a complete set to be then pieced together into a quilt/wallhanging.

All nine block tutorials have been made and published and now everyone is just waiting for me to get off my behind and publish the finishing steps in the QAL! (It’s coming, I promise!!)

June

This month saw me finish another WIP that had been lying unloved somewhere in a deep recess of our house!

I’ve always loved this Friendship Star Quilt. The colourful geometric triangle print, the bold white square centers and then a richly dark and comforting navy background tying all of the elements together!

This quilt has been a real labour of love over the year, having been quilted once and then having all of the stitches ripped out because I hated my terrible attempt at FMQ!

The quilt has been scarred from this. At times you can see a faint messy snail trail, a ghost of where past stitches have been. I love that these lines add a history and a story to its journey of finally being finished!

The finishing touches to this quilt are perfect! The backing is spot on with the colours in the print in the blocks and the binding I used was the exact same fabric I initially was going to use when I first starting making plans for this quilt. The label is pretty perfect too if I may say!!

July

And then came July. A month where I cut off all of my thick, long and wavy hair and opted for a shorter and swishy bob cut that I’ve thankfully loved over the past 6 months!

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And can you believe it?! I finished piecing together another very old WIP!

I think the very first FPP Union Jack blocks I made were back in 2012?!?! And here it is, 2018 and I finally sashed and pieced them into a beauty of a quilt top! I had completely forgot how many I had actually made and couldn’t believe all of the different and fun prints I matched together.

Again, this quilt top is still hanging by (literally) for me to remember it and eventually finish it! I think I have cause for enthusiasm to finish it this year as in (quickly checks the calendar…) 7 and a half months, I’ll be on a big jet plane rocketing towards the UK!! Eeeeee!!! London baby!! 🇬🇧

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I cheekily started a new quilt top also. I began, quite out of the blue, making Lucky Star blocks. Inspired by my Simple Cross Quilt, I wanted to make another where the solid background fabrics where different in each one, with the colours clashing on either side of the blocks and creating distinctive squares and patterns.

So far, I’ve made five, with another two ready to be cut and pieced. I’m hoping to make nine blocks all up which I think will make a pretty decent sized quilt.

August

I became addicted to making colourful Hexie Flower blocks. I would sit for hours basting 2.5” hexies and then stitching them into funky flower templates.

I also found a love for glue basting in lieu of using chunky and time-consuming applique paper. Don’t get me wrong, I love how great HeatnBond is for applique etc, but when it comes to wanting a quick fix, so to speak, fabric basting glue is the best! 👌🏻

December

The months before December all went by with a blur, with nothing too exciting really happening. (The true narrative of my life.)

With December, however, comes Vlogmas! And Vlogmas very quickly turns into a month that is fast, chaotic, stressful, oh-so Christmassy and is jammed packed full of birthdays for our family!

As much as it stresses me out, I strangely and truly love doing Vlogmas. It gently and very quickly forces me to be productive, creative, savvy in my time management skills and gives me an odd sense of purpose and contentment. How people daily vlog all year round, I got no idea! My head isn’t big enough to feel all of those emotions all day everyday!

During Vlogmas, I got so many things made and finished! Two projects I’ve always wanted to make were finally ticked off the list! An Advent Calendar and a Christmas Tree Skirt!

Both projects were a labour of love but so much fun to make!!

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And that’s kinda it…

I literally haven’t sewn a thing since last year!

I’ve had a much needed break away from everything, re-assessed what I want to achieve and accomplish this year and have set the wheels in motion with a new blog theme, a new 3and3quarters logo and a set of goals that I’ll be sharing in my next post!

Bring on 2019!

An Update From My Sewing Room… #7

Oh boy, it sure has been a while since I last did one of these posts! I couldn’t even remember what number edition I’m up to! 😂
But there’s lots to catch up on so let’s dive right in!

So, I know I’ve possibly over-shared this with you already but I made a quilt! A beautiful baby quilt for nephew no. 5 due just after Christmas! Visiting an all-time favourite pattern by Denyse Schmidt, I made this sweet Tribute Star Baby Quilt in a darling navy and turquoise blue colour-way paired with a light grey solid background. And I think it’s just perfect!

Making baby quilts for my nephews and nieces to-be have always been my most favourite to make! They’re made with pure love and excitement at the prospect of a new little life coming into our family. The thought process, the labour (pun not intended!) and then the end result is always the best. ❤️

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Polar-opposite to the start of the year, the last few months of 2017 have seen me do so much more sewing than I have in a long time! And I’m not complaining either – it’s been such a lovely respite from the hectic year I’ve had.
A part from my nephews baby quilt and my QAL quilt, another project I’ve been working on is my Pixelated Rose Quilt by Riley Blake Designs.

My, my, my, is this quilt gonna be epic!! I’m currently just over half way into piecing the quilt top together. Out of 30 blocks, I’ve just completed no. 21. It looks a bit messy here on my design wall, but once all blocks have been pieced together it’s gonna look real schmick!

I’ve found that this quilt is so big that I’ve had to piece, lay-up on my design wall and then take down the first half of the quilt top to accompany the next half on my design wall. I’m dreading the day when I have to quilt it! My ‘patience pants’ are gonna have to be on tight that day! 😂
Once this quilt is finished, I’ll hopefully do another post chatting through the process I did to successfully make it.

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November for my blog is a significant one because it’s our anniversary! Yep, six years ago on the 4th November, I wrote and published my very first blog post.
I always try and do a little hark back around this time reflecting on where I’ve started and how much everything has grown and evolved…

I’m gonna be honest with you, these past few years I’ve carried around so much guilt (completely placed on me by me and nobody else!!) that I haven’t been able to give my all and more to my blog and YouTube channel like I have in the past. I’m completely aware of how busy life is for all us and that’s just how it is. And because of that, things have had to be put into perspective of what is most important to keep my head above water… ie. heading back to work for a bit of much needed income!
Both my blog and YouTube channel are really important things for me. They’re like my little personal spot in the Quilting World where I can share my knowledge and love for quilting, sewing, craft as well as reaching out and connecting with other like-minded Quilty people all over the world.

I’m not really sure where I’m going with all of this but…

I think what I’m trying to say is that I’m actively planning on spending more time and effort on my ‘sites’ next year because it’s what I want to do. It’s what I love to do. And it’s what I want to put all my energy and passion into.

So heading into my 7th year of 3and3quarters, let’s cheers to a productive and successful year that I can look back on and be proud of!!

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Touching on YouTubes and things, are you caught up on the last few quilty videos I’ve put up?
The first being the one where I chatted though 10 of my favourite quilting tools.

I was inspired by another video I did a few years ago where I shared 5 quilting tools that I couldn’t live without. (It’s a bit of a cringe to watch – it was like the fourth video I ever filmed and uploaded on my channel!) This new one though is a bit more of an update of tools that I’ve found to be really helpful in almost any patchwork situation. I thought it was just a little bit of fun and I’ve loved that some of you have shared with me a few of your favourite quilting tools. I love how we all have our own different gadgets that we find we cannot live without when we’re sewing. It’s so fascinating!

The other tutorial is my most recent – a Hexie Flower Quilt Label!

I had quite a few request for this tutorial when I posted on my Instagram page the label for my Star Sampler Quilt (and Tribute Star Baby Quilt).

And I was more than happy to do one!
It was about time that I revisited a how-to video on making English Paper Pieced hexies and how to stitch them together. It again feels like a life time when I filmed my first Hexie How-To with my young pudgy face chatting you through the intro and ending. Another cringe watch!! 😑
But I will always love making Hexie Flowers as quilt labels. It’s a great opportunity to use up scraps and bring a bit of the front of the quilt to the back. It’s just so patchwork!

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Whether it be a curse or a blessing, my hours at work have been significantly cut. 😦 This could change from week to week, but at the moment, it is what it is. It’s business, not personal…
So!!!! Christmas tutorial planning is a go! Yay!!!

A modified Tribute Star quilt block (Christmas Edition) is in the works along with a patchwork-type Advent Calendar! (The latter is still in the very early stages of planning – measurements and other things have been sketched out, I just gotta do a trial run to iron out any wrinkles – HA! – and then I’ll be set to get filming it. It’s one that ideally should be finished before December 1st! Fingers crossed!)
I’ve also got a few other Christmassy ideas up my sleeve but I’m keeping mum on them for dramatic purposes! 😜

I’m also considering doing a thing called Vlogmas. It’s where I vlog everyday(-ish) during the month of December right up to Christmas Eve or in my case, I’ll include Christmas Day (and possibly Boxing Day too as it’s my middle brothers birthday and it’s usually a pretty busy and fun day). I thought it would be a great opportunity to show those of you in other countries how we celebrate Christmas in Australia during Summer!
No promises. But it is a possibility…

And that’s all I’ve got to share with you at the moment!

I hope you’re all finding some time to complete some of your own Christmas crafts and are gearing up for a busy holiday season ahead!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

Falling In Love With Sewing Again

It’s no secret, this year has freakishly flown by, eating up time like it’s no bodies business. And my poor sewing machine has suffered as a consequence.

Also, not gonna lie, my motivation to sew and be creative has taken a bit of a hit too. So with all of that combined, not a whole lot of movement has been had in my sewing room this year.

But recently a few projects have come to hand to make me dust off the sewing machine, dig out my rulers and cutters and get sewing again.

In my last post, I shared with you my finished Star Sampler Quilt (sans quilt label!)…

It felt like it took me for ages to get this quilt (and YouTube series) finished. But I’m so happy with the end result.

I currently have it hanging in my sewing room and I find myself just staring at it at times, admiring it’s beautiful tactile quilted surface, it’s perfectly pieced and nested points as well as the monochromatic tones clashing with the pops of colours dotted here and there.

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When I was quilting this quilt, I took a gamble and used a new tool that I’ve been told is a must-have to use when quilting… Quilting Gloves!! OMG!! How did I ever get through quilting a quilt without these bad boys all of my quilting life?! They’re ah-maz-ing! Although I felt a little bit clumsy and resembled a bad Mickey Mouse look-a-like, the grip the gloves gave me was 10-fold compared to just using my bare hands!

Although the series has now come to an end, I only just finished the final touches to the quilt today… The quilt label!

And as tradition stands, I made the quilt label a Hexie Flower using some of the fabrics featured throughout the blocks in the quilt. Love it, love it, love it!

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Over the past few months, I’ve been sharing a new quilt that I very excitedly started after wanting to do it for ages and ages! The pattern is called Pixelated Rose by Riley Blake Designs and it sings to my yearning Florist inside of me!

So far I’ve loved every stage of getting this quilt underway. Choosing the harmonious solid colours was a breeze, the measuring and cutting was a slow but very meditative experience (I think I must be one of the very few quilters out there who loves the cutting process!) and then the precise piecing has kept me on my toes! Because of it I’ve been able to settle into an easy pressing and nesting routine that each block needs to be able to fit together in the end. Not gonna lie, the whole process (for me anyway) has been quite slow and lengthy. But I already knew this and I took on this project as one of those slow burners that you keep coming to over a set period of time until it’s finished, either months or years after you started!

I’ve been posting pics here and there on Instagram of the progress so far…

Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any further than the last photo in the right hand corner. The past month has been jammed packed full and this project has been pushed to the side, collated into block order and hung outta mind, outta sight. Although, I do have some free time tonight… Hmm… 🙂

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Now, I must also confess that there has been a spectacular fail in the sewing room too.

That being a terrible attempt at making a pretty gathered A-Line skirt for my birthday a few weeks ago.

Despite being quite time poor during the weeks leading up to my birthday, I knew it would be a pretty big stretch to be able to cut, make and finish a skirt when dressmaking really isn’t a strong skill of mine. Although, in saying that, I did successfully stitch a side pocket for the first time as well as sew in a zipper next to another side pocket! Yeah!

However, things began to fall a part when I had to attach the waistband and match up dots and seams and things that I didn’t know I had to match up… So with time pressing on me and my interest and patience waining, I gave it up and allowed in the realisation that I’m no good at dressmaking one bit. (I’m sharing no photos of my sad attempt of a skirt!) Perhaps with a bit more practice and a bit more patience, I may become a superstar seamstress yet!

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I hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse back into my sewing room.

I feel like I’ve really fallen back in love with sewing again… Just the raw, basic and fundamental steps in this creative skill I’ve been blessed with. Over the past year or so, I’ve felt slightly distant from my sewing bubble that I’m so used to be being in. But I think I’m finding it again and it feels great!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

‘Quilt-Along-With-Me! Part Six: Quilt Label & Finish!

GET THE FULL PATTERN: QAWM – ‘Geo Dreams’ Quilt Pattern

What a wonderful day! You wanna know why? Cos it’s the final step in finishing our quilt!! Yay!!

In part six, we find out how to make and attach a quilt label so that we can officially say that our quilt is finished!

I think it’s super important to take time at the end and document all of the crucial details of the quilt in a label. It’ll serve as a great reminder of when the quilt was made, by whom it was made, for who it was made for as well as documenting the name of the quilt!

And the official name I’ve called this quilt is: Geo Dreams!

If you want to know a little bit more about quilt labels, how to make them, what to write on them along with the best ways to attach them to a quilt, I made this video and wrote this blog post about it!

As always I encourage you to make and attach your quilt label in the way that you know best and using a method that you find the easiest and/or most successful. You are always more than welcome to use my way as guide or for inspiration! If you would like to make your label as a hexie flower the same as mine but don’t know how to make them, here are two super-early videos I made showing you how to make hexies and then sewing them into a flower…

HOW TO MAKE HEXIES PART 1

HOW TO MAKE HEXIES PART 2

Because this is the final part in my QAWM series, the full pattern is now available for you to download, print and share with your quilty friends! Yeah!! The link to this at the top of this post… (PS.Let me know if there are any typos or mistakes – it’s always best to get a second opinion about these things!)

Thank you so much to all of you for participating and supporting me in this series! Your words of encouragement and excitement has made all of the hard work I put in totally worth it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Although the series is at an end, please keep sharing with me your photos of your finished blocks, quilt tops, quilts or any of the stages you’re up to! Feel free to tag me on Instagram or Twitter at @3and3quarters, send me an email or share them on my Facebook page!

I’m going to leave you with a few of my favourite photos of the finished quilt I took in our backyard a few days ago…

Happy Sewing, Friends!

April Favourites!

In Australia, the onset of April brings cool chilly mornings, darken afternoons and a whole load of rainy days!

Winter is coming!

LOLs 😀

So with that, here are the things I loved during the month of April…

Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color – 06 Deep Red

From the very first stroke in application, I knew that this had to be included on my favourites list!
It was the first time I had ever used a gel nail polish and I immediately noticed a huge difference between the consistency and smooth application compared to that of a ‘normal’ nail polish. I was super impressed with how quick it dried and the fact that I only had to apply one coat – score!

For a while now I’ve been looking for a beautiful intense red like this one that I would be happy to add to my collection as one of those ‘classic’ type colours… And after using this one a few times, I can definitely see myself reaching for it quite often in the future!

Sukin Facial Moisturiser

I’ve shared with you before a few other of my favourite products from the Sukin range and when the time came around to finding a new face cream, I knew I had to try this one out!

Things I love about Sukin and this facial moisturiser…

1. It’s Australian owned and made

2. It’s made using natural products: no nasty parabens, 100% vegan, 100% carbon neutral and are against animal testing.

3. It’s ‘skincare that doesn’t cost the earth’.

4. Natural ingredients like aloe vera and nettle hydrate and soothe my skin. While rose hip, wheat germ and avocado oils renew and promote healthy skin.

5. When I lather this cream all over my face after getting out of the shower, it feels cool, refreshing and luxuriously healing!

6. I love the way that it absorbs quickly into my skin without leaving a sticky or greasy feeling, allowing me to simply get on with my day!

When I sew, there are times when I crave a good sewing session on my machine or I have a strange urge to just simply measure and cut up some fabric!

Then there are other times when I just want to relax, go slow and concentrate on some comforting repetitive sewing. And for me, that’s making hexies!

Throughout April, I felt my brain was so full of emotion and information that I found myself craving for those moments where I could whip my hexies out and get lost in the repetition of stitching…

I couldn’t quite tell you how many hexies I made during April or how many ‘flowers’ I formed them into, but this simple, traditional form of hand sewing saved my sanity and soothed my anxieties in so many ways. It brought to me a comforting happiness that no words could ever describe.

Twinings English Breakfast with Honey & Vanilla

Oh, tea! Where would we be without your warming amber liquid, filling us up with hope, comfort and the feeling of home! *sigh*

It’s with thanks to my parents that I’ve become a slave to the delicious taste and allure of tea! I’ve watched them drink it all my life, at every meal and every occasion we’ve celebrated!

However, I always like to take it a little bit further and explore those types of teas that have something a little different to them!

I’m a big lover of herbal teas. One of my favourites to drink is Twinings Green Tea with Lemon – usually a breakfast favourite! (With the other favourite being Black Tea with Madagascan Vanilla from T2! Delish!)

So when I saw this new flavour of tea from one of my favourite tea companies, (Twinings, that is!) I knew I had to try it!

The promises of Honey and Vanilla swirled among the rich taste of black tea…oh…my knees went all jelly-like in the aisle as I imagined the taste!

And believe me, it tastes beautiful! The aroma that radiates off it is so delectably sweet and hypnotic that I almost wish it was a perfume! ‘Cos I’d wear it! Everyday!

Game of Thrones – Season One

As usual with anything that’s huge in the Pop Culture world, I’m late to the party!

The phenomenon that is ‘Game of Thrones’, started years ago but it’s only now that I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what the fuss was all about!

And the ‘fuss’ was right! (As usual!) The series is fantastic! The story line is dramatic! It weaves in and out, too and throw between all of the characters. Each episode builds upon the last and there’s no room for slacking – if you miss a slight detail or need to leave the room for a loo break, you instantly fall behind with what’s happening and it can be hard to catch up!

What I love about the series are the intricate bits of information that eventually explode into a major theme that will ultimately impact everyone in Westeros!

OMG, it’s just so good!!

Passenger – Whispers II

If I could name just one artist who soothes my soul, ignites my passion, takes away my anxieties and just makes me simply happy when I listen to their music…

I would have to say it’s this guy – Passenger – aka Mike Rosenberg.

Be it the lyrics, the catchy rhythm of his songs or the sheer heartfelt passion that he radiates when he sings… All of it captures me and takes me to a place where I’m safe, happy and on fire for life!

Whispers II is the follow up album from his last, called Whispers. And what makes me love this guy even more is that all of the profits he makes from Whispers II is going towards UNICEF to help fight against child malnutrition in Liberia. Geez, what a guy!

See, making music for him isn’t all about the profit, the glory or the fame or achieving no. 1 statuses on songs and albums sales. It’s about making music that feels, gives, loves, transforms and changes others for the better.

That kind of music and intent behind is always the best!

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So as always, these Favourite posts come with a YT video where I’ve chatted a little bit more about my favourites! If you would like to check that out, click here and you’ll be taken straight to it!

Happy Favouriting, friends!

PS. Let me know of anything you loved during April! Or perhaps you share a love for one of the things I mentioned above…?!

Two Years Later…

Two years ago, on this very day, I found the guts to start writing a blog.

I was nervous, unsure and a little bit scared at the thought of writing and publishing my own quilty work on the internet.

But I was looking for a challenge, an expressive medium and a chance to reach out to other creatives around the world!

And two years later, here we are! Still writing. Still making. Still challenged!

I thought for today’s post I would look down memory lane of the past year – reflecting on the good (and plain-right exciting!!) things that have happened over the past 12 months!

Main picture: Me with my Minimalist: 101 quilt at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Show – my first ever entry into this show!

From bottom left to top right –

1. Hexie Cushion, detail. (I looove hexies!!)

2. London Phone Booth Embroidery, detail. (I wanna go to London so bad!!)

3. Mini Cot Quilt – hospital donation.

4. Painted Flowers Embroidery. (Click here to watch it come to life!)

5. Double Wrench Mini Blocks, quilt top only (ATM!!)

From left to right –

1. Olfa Rotating Cutting Mat – featured in my 5 Quilting Tools I Couldn’t Live Without post & video.

2. Small Plates Lap Quilt – This quilt featured in my Fast Forward Quilting video!

3. Scrumptious Double Wrench Mini Block units ready to be ironed. (Simply delightful!)

4. Coloured Hexie Stack. (I looove colour!)

5. A snapshot of my Fiskars Rotary Blade – featured in my #instagramjunkie post.

From left to right –

1. An array of fabrics used for Quilt Expo 2013 at Spotlight

2. Xavier’s Baby Quilt – read the post here.

3. Hexie Pincushion (Click here for the video tutorial!)

4. Lovely fabrics used in the Double Wrench Mini Blocks

From left to right –

1. I Heart Colour wallhanging – machine paper pieced wonky log cabin blocks designed by yours truly! Quilt made from 100% scraps – nothing new was bought to make this baby!!

2. Sewing Notions – from the post #instagramjunkie

3. Tape Measure – from the post #instagramjunkie

4. Scissors Embroidery – made specially for my new sewing room door.

5. Scrap-Happy String quilt, detail.

This also happened during the year…

And this is what happened in my life behind the blog…

Main picture: I became an Auntie again!! My fourth nephew, Xavier, was born in August! (Isn’t he just the cutest!!)

From left to right –

1. I decided to grow my hair out long – I’ve always had it really short (think, pixie/short-bob style for 6 years!) and decided a change was in need! (Change is a good thing, right?)

2. I took my ‘challenge’ mantra to the next level and started making YouTube videos featuring quilty stuff, life stuff and lots of other stuff. (I think of it as a cleansing [and confronting at times] way of finding my self-confidence…). Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re there – it’ll help boost my self-confidence even more!! 😀

3. I drank a lot of tea!

So…wow!

It’s definitely been a busy year!

And I’m thankful it’s been a busy one, otherwise I would’ve just gone insane! Literally…

Thanks to everyone who has ever read my little blog and has left messages of encouragement and support! It really does mean a WHOLE LOT!

I’m terribly excited to see what the next 12 months will bring!!

*whoop-whoop*

Happy Sewing Friends! xx

Oh! And one last thing…

This happened during the year too –

My own precious sewing space!!

My place.

My hub.

My den.

My heaven.

Busily Quietly Quilting

Uh-Oh!

It’s been so long since I last blogged!

Well, just a little under two weeks to be exact but there’s like being a tad over dramatic about these things!.

But I do promise that I’ve been working very hard over the last couple weeks.

For starters, I’ve made another video! (Yay, go me and my evolution with modern technology!)

This one is a tutorial of sorts where I show you the method of how I make hexies! (Oh gosh, I just looove making hexies!)

Apart from that, I’ve been busily getting ready to take part in this years Quilting Expo at my local Spotlight store!

There I’ll be demonstrating to the masses (!) how to cut, piece and sew up some classic quilt blocks as well as some quick and simple crafty/sewing projects.

I’ve chosen some really sweet fabrics to work with and if I get the ok, I’ll post up some pics from the day!

A few other projects are currently along the way, but I’m not quite ready to share them with you just yet…

Oh, ok! I’ll share!

But only just a little glimpse!

Ohh, a mystery quilt!! — Ohh, mystery quilt!!

Happy Sewing! xx

University: Killer of Creative Dreams!

This is the reality of my life…

When I much rather be doing this…

Or this…

Or even just this…

Unfortunately, the on slaughter of mid semester essays and assessments have all but killed my creative dreams and mojo and instead have turned me into a Microsoft Word zombie!

Last Tuesday night I was able to break free from the chains of monotonous textbook readings and spend a few glorious hours quilting away on my sewing machine! Our glorious reunion was met with happy rumblings from the sky as a fascinating thunderstorm rolled through the autumn night sky!

**One of my favourite things to do is to sew while it’s raining, even better when it’s a thunderstorm; who knows why I enjoy this so much!**

Therefore, I was in my element! I was able to get some much needed quilting done on my Minimalist:101 quilt, slowly getting finished for (hopefully) exhibition at the Sydney Quilt Show in June. (There’s nothing like a looming deadline to get you going in a hurry!) Here’s where I’m up to with my quilting…

Almost Finished - Yay! — Almost Finished – Yay!

I’m happy. I’m pleased. I’m slightly nervous. And slightly panicking about getting it finished on time along with everything else happening in life!

Whaa! I need a holiday!

Happy Sewing!

Quilty Textures & Giant Hexies!

Wow, it’s been a while since I last posted!

Life just seems to pull you in all different directions and it’s usually in the opposite direction to where you want to go!

I’ve been half procrastinating and half actively quilting the quilt I intend to enter the Sydney Quilt Show with. I’ve sent off my forms and have my fingers crossed that my quilt will be accepted into the show.

Here’s where I’m up to…

I just adore the texture that the dense quilted lines have given the quilt and I constantly catch myself running my hand over them, daydreaming of the end result.

I also really like the effect of how the different directions of quilted line interact and stop at each other.

The name of the quilt is Minimalist: 101, mainly because of the clean and simple design of the quilt. And yet, there’s nothing minimalist about the amount of quilting that’s being put into! I supposed the quilt name is a slight play on words – whatever angle you come from…

I’ve also been playing around with some giant hexies – we’ll not really giant-giant hexies but ones that are slightly bigger than the size I usually use.

These ‘giant’ hexies were the perfect size to use with my Charm Pack of the Ruby range from Moda, designed by Bonnie and Camille.

This is what I’ve got up to so far…

I’ll add a wider white sashing around all the edges, quilt it and then bind it with the same red as that of the sashing. I’m intending to sell this quilt once it’s finished in my madeit store…

Remember this little quilt…???

Well it’s for sale with FREE shipping!! It’s the perfect size for a snuggly lap quilt or as a jumbo cot quilt or for a small single bed….the list is endless! Check it out here. <<—

And just quickly – over the weekend I’ve been watching and absorbing the wonderful lectures given at QuiltCon 2013 on Craftsy…

It’s free to enrol and watch and I encourage all quilters to have a look at these lectures – they’re wonderfully inspiring and also make me feel slightly jealous for missing out on the fun that would’ve been QuiltCon!

Happy Sewing! xx

Love Affairs

I love Hexies. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by this year that I haven’t made one; I’ve either been tracing and cutting out cardboard templates, raiding my scrap fabric boxes for usable sized fabrics or scrupulously sewing a little hexie to another, creating yet another project to soothe my hand sewing lust.

And so, for no reason at all, I’ve made this Hexie Pillow…

Maybe it was my subconscious telling me to add something new to my bedroom décor, because it seems to fit in perfectly with my other pillows that adorn my bed…

Ahhh…so tactile and pretty. That’s the way I like it!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I love London. Although I’ve never been there (and am quite desperate to go!) I seem to have built an odd obsession for this ancient town. (See my Pinterest board for proof!) I think it’s a mixture of its offbeat and quirky history, inspiring landmarks, the creative diversity of its people as well as the endless possibilities the city seems to hum that attracts me. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong country – missing out on true creative opportunities that would allow myself to grow as an artist. (PS. I’m a true whinger at heart and often take for granted what a beautiful and lucky country that I do actually live in!)

So to soothe my achy-breaky-London-heart I stitched this very appropriate embroidery…

And so I leave you with this thought that presently plagues my mind!

http://pinterest.com/pin/31384528625298548/

Happy Sewing!

January

February

May

June

July

August

December

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GET THE FULL PATTERN: QAWM – ‘Geo Dreams’ Quilt Pattern

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Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color – 06 Deep Red

Sukin Facial Moisturiser

Hexies

Twinings English Breakfast with Honey & Vanilla

Game of Thrones – Season One

Passenger – Whispers II

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