RJR Fabrics – Page 2 – 3and3quarters

INTRODUCING: A Star Sampler Quilt Along!

I’m not sure why I’ve just titled this post as ‘Introducing’ as most of you already knew that this Quilt Along was happening! But I thought, if any newbies come by looking for something different this title just might catch their eye!

(If you are that newbie, welcome! I’m so glad you’ve popped by!)

But yes! Finally I can announce that my next Quilt Along series is ready to begin!! Yay!!!! We’re only just a few months behind schedule, but nonetheless we’re ready to go!

So let’s first go through a few of the important details about this Quilt Along…

+ After a world-wide vote on a past post, the majority of you wanted to do a 12 block Star Sampler Quilt. So that’s what we’re doing!

+ The fabric range that I’m using is called Print Shop by Alexia Marcelle Abegg for Cotton+Steel. I’ve based the design of the blocks/quilt using the black and white version of the range (as requested by all of you!), with sprinkles of the bright colour way that’s also a part of the range, along with a few staple favourites from the Cotton+Steel Basics range. (You can see the full range of the fabrics I’ve hand-picked further down in this post.)

+ Although I’m using yardage/meterage, most* of the blocks can be made using either charm packs, layer cakes and/or fat quarters (*just be aware that there are a few blocks that have 6″-6.5″ unit pieces). However, you will need extra fabric for the sashing and border pieces, for the backing and the binding. (A full list of measurements are listed further down in this post.)

+ For the batting, I’m using a beautiful 100% Cotton batting from a company called Bosal. I’ve never used this particular type batting before so I’m really interested to see how easy it is to work with. I’ll go into more detail about it when the time comes for basting and quilting!

+ All depending on my work schedule/roster, I’m hoping to have each block tutorial up on my YouTube channel as well as here on my blog every week… Okay, now that currently might be a bit of a stretch to promise when I don’t know what my working hours are each week! So just be aware that every now and again there may be more than a week between tutorials! At the moment I’m thinking my upload/release day will possibly be a Thursday as I don’t usually work that day. (Weekends are no good as I work most of them!) I hope that this works for you – at least then you’ll have the weekends to make each block as we go along!

+ Now, if you’re new to the way my block tutorials/Quilt Along series go, in each tutorial I let you know all of the measurements and cutting info as well as what fabrics I’m using for that block. Then I take you through step-by-step on how to piece that block together. And just like with my HST Quilt Along, a beautifully coloured information sheet for each block will be available for you to print off and follow along with at home! (These will be available to download from my blog.)

+ Interested in what Star blocks we’ll be making?? Well here they are in the order that we will be making them!

Block One: Eccentric Star / Block Two: Star X / Block Three: Kansas Star / Block Four: Janet’s Star / Block Five: Maple Star / Block Six: Amish Star / Block Seven: Indian Star / Block Eight: Crystal Star / Block Nine: Missouri Star / Block Ten: Martha Washington Star / Block Eleven: Star + Square / Block Twelve: Aunt Eliza’s Star

Each will finish at 12.5″ squared and range in different levels of difficulty. However, I believe what ever level of quilting you’re up to, you’ll definitely be able to make each and every one of these blocks listed!

+ Just like with my last Quilt Along, I’ve been so lucky to have it sponsored again by Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer, Dayview Textiles. If you’re in Australia and are keen on using the same fabrics as me, pop over to their website to find the nearest quilt store to you that they distribute fabrics to!

+ And now on to all of the fabric deets!! Like I previous mentioned, all of these fabrics have been handpicked from the range to individually suit each of the blocks I’ll be making for my quilt. So because of that you’ll notice that not all of the fabrics in the Print Shop range are here.

The black and white fabrics in the range I’m classing as my ‘main’ fabric. Each block features one of these key fabrics which has then been paired with either a coloured print from the range or with a C+S Basic print.

The fabrics are:

1. ‘Meadow’ in the colour Midnight

2. ‘This + That’ in the colour Linen

3. ‘This + That’ in the colour Black

4. ‘Bricka’ in the colour Black

5. ‘Grid’ in the colour Dark Charcoal (This one reminds me of little British flags! Do you see them too?)

6. ‘Point’ in the colour Charcoal

7. ‘Hello’ in the colour Grey (Those little animal heads are a-dor-a-ble!!)

These are the coloured prints from the Print Shop range I’ll be using… Along with the C+S Basics, these will add a delightful pop of colour next to the black and white prints!

1. ‘Meadow’ in the colour Citrus

2. ‘Starry’ in the colour Seashell

3. ‘Hello’ in the colour Seaglass

4. ‘Moons’ in the colour Grass

5. ‘Grid’ in the colour Peach

And lastly, these are the C+S Basics and other fabrics I’ll be using:

1. ‘XOXO: #2 Pencil’

2. ‘XOXO: Lightning’ (This one is insanely bright and fluro-like! It’s absolutely gorgeous!)

3. ‘XOXO: Thistle’

4. ‘Sprinkle: Peacock’

5. ‘Netorious: Black Cat’

6. ‘Sprinkle: Petal’

7. ‘Netorious: Cloud (Metallic)

8. ‘Dottie: Rosewater’ (This is the fabric I’m using for my binding.)

9. Cotton Supreme Solid in the colour Kerchief (This is my main background fabric that will used in my blocks, sashing and borders.)

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+ If you would like to use fabric yardage/meterage like me, here is a list of the measurements you’ll need… (Apologies for how I write out the yardage measurements – they’re very foreign to me!)

Of each print:

Meterage: half to three quarters of a metre (50cm-75cm) – these are the lengths I’ll be working with

Yardage: 0.60-0.85 of a yard (22″-31″)

(PS. You will have fabric left over – I just want to make sure you’ll have enough and won’t run out!)

Background & Backing fabrics:

Meterage: 3 metres for each

Yardage: 3.3 yards for each

Binding:

Meterage: three quarters of a metre (75cm)

Yardage: 0.85 of a yard (31″)

Batting: (estimate)

Meterage: 1.5 metres x 220cm+ width

Yardage: 1.7 yards x 2.4+ yard width (61″x87″)

I’ve planned for the finished quilt to roughly measure around 50″x65″ (127cmx165cm)

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Now I think that’s everything that is important to know right now… If you think there’s any important details I’ve missed or have any questions about this Quilt Along, please feel free to let me know in the comment section below!

Ooo! One very important thing I haven’t mentioned yet is when we’re starting! I’ve penciled in for Thursday the 22nd of September to have the first block tutorial in the series up on my channel and blog!

I can’t wait to get started and to see all of your beautiful Star Blocks come to life into a beautiful Sampler Quilt!

Happy Planning, Friends!

TUTORIAL: RJR Fabrics ‘In The Kitchen’ FPP Coffee Cups Wallhanging

Hello and Happy Friday!!

(Yay!!)

In today’s post I’m combining both part one and part two in my most recent project uploaded onto my YouTube channel featuring the new RJR Fabrics collection, ‘In the Kitchen’ by Patrick Lose. And that of course is my Foundation Paper Pieced (FPP) Coffee Cups Wallhanging!

So I thought, instead of doing two separate posts, why not join them together in a lovely huge blog post for you to come back to and have all of the info you need in one neat little package!

So let’s get into the nitty-gritty stuff and start making!

First of all you’ll need the pattern to make those cute-as-a-button coffee mugs! And here it is!

—>> FPPCoffeeCupsPattern <<—

Download it and print it off as many times as you wish! (Although for this project you’ll only need three copies!)

Next is the video tutorial where I show you how to piece them together… You’ll find that right under this video, there’s a full list of all of the fabrics you’ll need, how much to cut for each section (all of the guess work has been taken care of!) as well as a few of the tools and notions I use when I’m FPP.

MEASUREMENTS & CUTTING INFO:
Cut these amounts for each section in the template. (These amounts are to make one Coffee Cup block.)

TEMPLATE A –
A1: x1 4.5″x5″ rectangle
A2 & A3: x2 1.5″x1.5″ squares
A4 & A6: x2 1″x5″ rectangles
A5: x1 1.5″x5″ rectangle
A7: x1 2″x5″ rectangle

TEMPLATE B –
B1: x1 2″x2″ square
B2 & B3: x2 1.5″x1.5″ squares
B4 & B5: x2 1.5″ x2″ rectangles
B6: x1 1.5″ x3″ rectangle
B7 & B8: x2 1.5″x1.5″ squares
B9: x1 2.5″ x3″ rectangle
B10: x1 2″ x2.5″ rectangle
B11: 2″x6.5″ rectangle

PLUS for the opposite side of the cups and diagonal sashings, cut –
x3: 2¼”x5.5″ rectangles and
x4: 2¼”x8¾” rectangles from your background fabric.

FABRICS I USED FOR EACH CUP:
Top Coffee Cup block
– Main print: Coffee Cups Calico in Paprika
– Line detail: Silhouettes in Butter
– Background: Quilted Grid in Salt

Middle Coffee Cup block
– Main print: Kitchenware in Fresca
– Line detail: Tile in Multi
– Background: Quilted Grid in Salt

Bottom Coffee Cup block
– Main print: Utensils in Chocolate
– Line detail: Silhouettes in Fresca
– Background: Quilted Grid in Salt

NOTIONS & SUPPLIES I USED:
– Brother Innovis 200QE sewing machine
– Brother ¼” piecing foot
– Fiskars Rotary Blade (28mm) & thread snips
– Sew Easy Rulers
– Clover Serrated Tracing Wheel
– Clover Finger Presser

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Moving onto part two in the project, I show you how you can finish your wallhanging with two lovely borders that frame the coffee cup trio and then how to simply sew it all up and quickly quilt it to completion!

Again, there’s a full list of all the measuring and cutting info for this part directly underneath for you to take a squizz at!

FABRICS, MEASUREMENTS & CUTTING INFO:

First Border –
FABRIC: ‘Silhouettes’ in the colour Butter
CUT: x2: 1½”x23″ strips and x2: 1½”x10¾” rectangles

Second Border –
FABRIC: ‘Kitchenware’ in the colour Eggshell
CUT: x2: 2¼”x25″ strips and x2: 2¼”x14″ rectangles

Batting –
FABRIC: Legacy Bamboo/Cotton Blend Batting
CUT: x1: 15″x29″ rectangle

Backing –
FABRIC: ‘In the Kitchen’ in the colour Multi
CUT: x1: 15″x29″ rectangle

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And now it’s time for a GIVEAWAY**!! Whoo!!!

I have one delightful little Fat Quarter Bundle with 16 prints from the range that I would love to give away to somebody! If you want that to be you, then simply comment below answering this question:

What do you love most making in the kitchen and why?

The winner will be announced/contacted next Friday, 5th February 2016.

Best of luck!!

(PS. World-wide entries are welcomed!)

**NB: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!!

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Now if you’re just as smitten with this range as I am, here are a few places online where you can get the ‘In The Kitchen’ collection!

Patrick Lose Studios

Missouri Quilt Company

Again, I would like to say a huge thank you to RJR Fabrics for giving me the opportunity to play, make and create with this fun new range!

Wishing you all a very lovely weekend ahead!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

PS. Don’t forget to check out this Pieced Apron tutorial I made using the ‘In the Kitchen’ range too!

TUTORIAL: RJR Fabrics ‘In The Kitchen’ Pieced Apron

Hello Friends!

It’s time to dive straight back into the swing of things and get cracking on a new sewing tutorial!

And the first one of the New Year is a fun little Pieced Apron made using a new fabric range from RJR Fabrics called, ‘In The Kitchen’ by Patrick Lose!

As soon as I saw this range, I knew I had to get my hands on some and get creating! I think the range has some of the fun-est kitchen-y prints that I’ve seen in a long time and some of the colour names are simply spot-on perfect! They include – Butter, Paprika, Chocolate, Cocoa, Salt and Saffron! Ooo, so delicious!!

But back to the tutorial at hand… I called this project a ‘Pieced Apron’ as it’s made in three sections or stages that are then all sewn together to create our apron! Easy!

**Behind the scenes trivia**
If you look closely, the design of this pattern was inspired and loosely designed off the apron featured in a few of the prints in the range! What do you think??

So everything you’ll need to know on how to make this apron is in the video as well as listed below it. There I’ve written out all of the measurement and cutting instructions along with the name and colour of the fabrics I’ve used for each piece. TIP: Take your time as you watch and follow along in the video, pausing and catching up at any stage that you feel necessary. 🙂

FABRICS, MEASUREMENTS & CUTTING INFO:

Top half of the apron:
– For the front cut: x1: 10”x12” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Kitchenware’ in the colour Butter.
– For the top trim cut: x1: 1¾”x12” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Silhouettes’ in the colour Fresca.
– For the neck loop cut: x1: 3”x26” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Utensils’
in the colour Eggshell.
– For the lining cut: x1: 11¼”x12” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Tile’ in the colour Multi.

Apron pocket:
– For the front cut: x1: 6”x12” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Hot Pads’ in the colour Fresca.
– For the top trim cut: x1: 1¾”x12” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Silhouettes’ in the colour Fresca.
– For the lining cut: x1: 7¼”x12” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Tile’ in the colour Multi.

Bottom half of the apron:
– For the front cut: x1: 20”x30” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Silhouettes’ in the colour Paprika.
– For the top trim cut: x1: 1¾”x30” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Silhouettes’ in the colour Fresca.
– For the apron ties cut: x2: 3”xWOF strips from the fabric: ‘Utensils’
in the colour Eggshell.
– For the lining cut: x1: 21¼”x30” rectangle from the fabric: ‘Tile’ in the colour Multi.

Also, here’s a list of all of the NOTIONS & TOOLS I used in this tutorial:

– Brother Innovis 200QE sewing machine
– Brother ¼” piecing foot
– Gutermann polyester thread (white)
– OLFA Cutting Mat
– Fiskars Rotary Blade (28mm) & thread snips
– Sew Easy Rulers
– Birch Non-Melt Flower Head Quilting Pins
– Philips Azur Steam Iron
– Mundial 9½” Fabric Scissors
– 300cm (120″) tape measure
– Plastic Chopstick (or pointing tool)
– 7″ saucer/plate
– Lead Pencil

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If you’re just as smitten with this range as I am, here are a few places online where you can get the ‘In The Kitchen’ collection!

Patrick Lose Studios

Missouri Quilt Company

So next week I’ll be doing one more project featuring this collection… It’ll be a two parter (videos will be up on Wednesday and Friday) and will feature a fun Foundation Paper Piecing pattern designed by me that will then be sewn into a sweet wallhanging!

Annnddd there’s gonna be a giveaway!! Whee!!! 😀

Happy Sewing, Friends!

An Update From My Sewing Room… #5

Hello Friends!!

I’m back from a brief little hiatus from all things YouTube-y, blog-y and responsibility-riddled! Basically, I just needed a break where I could just relax, recharge, plan, think, dream, play, laugh, swim, eat, game, sew and just enjoy the seasonal atmosphere around me! To be perfectly honest with you, the last few weeks before and after Christmas just seemed to fizzle and crumble around me – I lost concentration, motivation, fun, enjoyment and drive. I found it so hard to dedicate time to my blog while trying my best to get the last of my QAL videos out – the stress almost broke me!! (Plus our crappy Internet decided to die just before Christmas, preventing me from doing anything!! A big con when you work online!) So the break away from everything was very much needed!!

So it’s now a brand new year, lots of fun and exciting things will be happening and I’m ready to face them head-on!!

But first, let’s catchup on some news!

FYI: Because I’ve had a little bit of blackout from my ‘public’ social media places, I’ve been slowly catching up on replying back to all of the messages, comments and emails you’ve sent me over the past few weeks! So I just want to let you know I’m doing my very best to write you back over the next coming days!

Christmas!! I had a lovely quiet and simple day celebrating with family and friends. Boxing day on the other hand, is quite the opposite in our household as it’s my brothers birthday and all the extended family come round and celebrate! The house is crammed full of people, chairs, food, chatter, drinks, tales of the day before, birthday cake, very full bellies and numerous plates and bowls full of leftovers! This year, with the release of the new Star Wars movie (which was brilliant by the way!!) and my brother being a fan, we did a bit of a theme for his birthday lunch! We dived into the crazy merchandise race and bought Star Wars party cups, plates, napkins, balloons, masks and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign to hang up. I also treated my brother to Gold Class Cinema tickets to see the movie together that night as we hadn’t seen it yet! Happy to say he had a great day!

New Year!! I’m quite boring when it comes to celebrating on New Years Eve. We stay home and watch the Sydney fireworks on TV. (A simple night for a simple person!) For the second year running, we took part in our annual Monopoly (Sydney Edition!) game where again, I came last and a parent came first! (No surprise!) Then once the fireworks were over, I was in bed sound asleep by 1am. I party hard! Whoo!!

During my little break away from life, I began a new project! (Like I don’t need another one!!) I woke up one day with this ravenous craving to start sewing a new quilt! I just needed one of those days where you just completely shut yourself off from everything and everyone and loose yourself in your sewing. I knew I wanted to do something with my fabrics scraps and I knew that a technique where I didn’t have to think about it was what I needed, hence the reason why I wanted to use my scraps! I also wanted an element of tradition in the quilt layout. So I poured through all of my block books and found nothing that really screamed at me… Until I came across this quilt…

It’s called ‘Ocean Waves’ from the book Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! (Second Edition) by Diana McClun & Laura Nownes and was perfect for what I had in mind! (I had a tonne of little scrappy bits that I was terribly hoarding and didn’t want to let go of!) So sewing 3″ little triangles together was spot-on for what I wanted to be doing that day! Although the triangles in the original pattern have been sewn with a dark and light colour next to each other, I chose to ignore that with my piecing and blissfully started sewing random triangle to random triangle to random triangle and so on… So the update on this quilt-to-be: I’ve sewn about 20 triangle units together (each block takes 12 units!) and have a great pile of freshly cut 3″ triangles to piece together to make more. I’m quite certain that this will be one of those projects that I’ll keep coming back to over the next year or so when I’ve got nothing else to sew (HA!! As if!!). I’ll just keep casually adding more and more pieced triangle units to the pile until I have enough to construct the many blocks that make up the quilt! I’ll try to keep you updated…

Next, let’s dive into some YouTube news!

Over the break, my channel very excitedly reached the 10,000+ subscribers mark! Yay! (Our little YT community is now just over 11k! So hello to all of you who are new to these parts!) Seriously, I couldn’t be anymore astounded at how many people have chosen to subscribe and watch the videos I upload onto my little channel! The support, encouragement and beautiful words of friendship you leave me make my day, everyday! THANK YOU!!!

So, what’s coming up on the channel you may be thinking… We’ll a few exciting things actually! First of all, this week I’ll be chatting about and showing you my own personal quilt collection! This has been a highly requested video and I thought it would be a wonderfully motivating and quilty way to start off the new year! (I’ll try my best to honour the video requests you all send through to me this year! No promises though, I do get a lot of requests and sometimes things just aren’t possible due to my lack of resources, space, time, people-power and skills!)

Then next week, I’ll be doing two very exciting tutorials featuring a brand new fabric collection from RJR Fabrics called ‘In The Kitchen’ by Patrick Lose. It’s such a fun and vibrant range with some of the sweetest kitchen-y prints that I’ve seen in a long time! And I’ll give you a three-word hint to what one of the projects we’ll be making involves… Foundation Paper Piecing! OooOOoo!!

Now, in regards to my HST Sampler Quilt Along, I will be writing up a wrap-up type blog post in the next couple of days, chatting about the basting and quilting process as well as how to bind and label your quilt. It was something that I wanted to publish last year when the series came to an end but it just didn’t happen, simple as that. And, I also have to show you my finished quilt, which I’ve only really shared in the last video of the series! It turned out to be a beautiful quilt and I’m tremendously happy with the end result! A lot of you who joined in have been sending and tagging me in pictures of your finished quilts and I couldn’t be anymore proud of what you’ve all achieved!! Your quilts are beautiful!!

So a big thanks to everyone who have been keeping in contact with me and who have been sharing their quilts, their blocks, their projects, their skills – their everything! – it’s always wonderful to see what you’ve been getting up to!

And although it’s a bit late, I wish each and everyone of you a very happy, safe and creative New Year!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

HST Sampler Quilt | Sashing & Borders

PATTERN SHEET: HST Sampler Quilt – Sashing & Borders

Happy Friday, Friends!!

Today I’m so happy to be finally uploading the next step in my HST Sampler Quilt Along! Yay!

Now that all nine blocks have been made, it’s time to sash them together and then add a border around each of the edges to complete the quilt top!

Before we get into it, I just want to let you know that this particular tutorial is pretty heavy in the information department! I do go through lots of different steps quite quickly, so if you have any issues keeping up, pause it when you need to, catch up in your own sewing/understanding, check out the diagram on the pattern sheet and then continue on your way until you’ve finished piecing everything together.

As always, if you click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post, you’ll be able to find a full list of all of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece the quilt top together!

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So with our quilt tops now pieced and looking grand, we’ll be getting into basting and quilting it in the next instalment of the Quilt Along! Whoo! So in that video I’ll show you how to baste your quilt, I’ll chat about backing and batting and then show you how to quilt it on your sewing machine! It should be great!

Also, don’t forget to keep sharing your finished blocks and quilt tops with me! You know I love to see everything that you make!

I hope you all have a splendid weekend!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!

HST Sampler Quilt | Block #9: Wind Blown Square

PATTERN SHEET: HST Sampler Quilt -BLOCK9

Hello & Good Afternoon!

Whew! Summer sure has landed in Sydney today! My suburb reached over 41+ degrees in the shade today, accompanied by an uncomfortably warm wind blowing through the house! The remedy for such hot and steamy weather: a cooling afternoon swim in the pool! Ahh, it was bliss!

But now that the day is cooling down, it’s time to get back to work and get the last block in our Quilt-Along uploaded and ready for you to make! The 9th and final block that we’ll be piecing together is the Wind Blown Square. I’ve never made this block before and I have to say, I absolutely love it! Although a few of my points are a little shaky and not quite perfect, I’m still really happy with how it turned out!

TIP: When making your block, try your best to use two contrasting fabrics for the HSTs in the centre and around the edges. This will really help to make the centre HSTs stand out and add to the movement that they bring to the block. 🙂

For all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together and a diagram of the block layout, click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

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So now that all nine blocks in the series have been made, it’s time to move on to sashing them all together and getting the quilt top bordered up and finished ready for basting and quilting! I’m so excited to see how all of your blocks come together and what your final quilt tops look like!! Yay!

So that tutorial will either be out on Wednesday or Friday… I have one last dental appointment on Monday to remove the last of my wisdom teeth (plus a filling), so it just depends on how I’m feeing after all of that! 🙂

Like I mention in the video, don’t forget to share a photo with me featuring all of your completed blocks together! I would love to see your progress so far! Here are mine:

Until next week, have fun making your block and I hope you all have a splendid weekend!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!!

HST Sampler Quilt | Block #8: Open Window (variation)

PATTERN SHEET: HST Sampler Quilt – BLOCK8

Hello Friends!

A big thank you to all of you for your patience in waiting for me to get this tutorial up and running! I’ve been scrambling the past two days to get everything edited, written and finalised ready for todays block! And speaking of blocks, the eighth one in the series is a fun and beautiful variation of the Open Window block!

You may remember me doing this block quite recently for this quilt (accompanied with this tutorial). The block we’re making this time has a few elements that are different in comparison to the last. For starters, this version is made completely using HSTs (16 to exact!) and has a slight twist in the design layout. Either way you make this block, it’s still a little beauty and can be used for all sorts!

As always you’ll be able to find all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together as well as a diagram of the block layout, in the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

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So the final block that we’ll be making for this quilt will be coming out this Friday! It’s a block that I’ve never made before but have been seeing it everywhere lately and think that it’s just simply devine! The block is called Wind Blown Square that features another full design of HSTs placed all in different angles, achieving a ‘wind blown’ type movement to it! I’m so excited to get piecing it – I think it’s the perfect block to ‘finish’ with!

Don’t forget to keep sharing your blocks with me! If you’re sharing on Instagram don’t forget to tag me: @3and3quarters or #3and3quarters!

Can’t wait for Friday!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

HST Sampler Quilt | Block #7: Churn Dash (variation)

PATTERN SHEET: HST Sampler Quilt – BLOCK7

Welcome to week four (!!!) in my HST Sampler Quilt Along series! This week we’re starting a little later than usual thanks to the few days I had off to recover from my dental work on Monday.

So block no.7 in the series is a fun little variation of the Churn Dash block! The only thing that’s different with our block compared to that of the original is that the rectangle elements in each row have been replaced with squares. Thus resulting on our block looking more like a doughnut than a wrench-type looking thing.

Just like a few of the other blocks we’ve made so far, this one is pieced together as a simple 9-patch block. (Our very last one in this series! The last two blocks after this are both 16-patch!)

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Thank you to everyone who wished me luck and sent me get well soon messages concerning my dental appointment on Monday! You guys are so sweet and so lovely to me! 🙂

As I mentioned in the video, block eight (Open Window) will be out in the next few days (I’ve penciled in for Sunday to be my deadline!) as I’m running a few days behind schedule due to Mondays adventures!

The variation of the Open Window block we’ll be making is somewhat different to the one I’ve shown before – this one involves more colours and a slightly different layout that could get confusing when piecing together our HSTs. But all will be revealed very soon!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

Celebrating 4 years of 3and3quarters!

Last week, on the 4th November, my darling little blog celebrated it’s 4th anniversary!

You know, there really are times when I can’t believe it’s been four years since I begun writing and sharing all of my quilty adventures! So much has happened between then and now (naturally) and in no way did I think that my blog would ever be as rewarding as is it today!

So as I’ve done previously in my past yearly anniversary posts, we’re gonna take a look and recap all of the highlights from the past year – starting with the birth of my niece last year…

With the news of my first niece due to be born in early December, I got cracking immediately onto making a quilt to give to her and the family at her Baby Shower. I opted for a block that I had previously made very early on in my patchwork-y venture, the Bear Paw block (one of the first blocks I ever made HSTs for!). The vision I had for this quilt was traditional-meets-modern (which is pretty much my approach for all of the quilts I make) and wanted to have the quilt top be a concentrate of richly deep solid fabric colours; grey and pink.

Amelia's Baby Quilt (2014) — Amelia’s Baby Quilt (2014)

Amelia's Baby Quilt Label — Amelia’s Baby Quilt Label

I added a beautifully matching modern floral print as the backing and made a one-of-a-kind embroidered label with her name and best wishes from her Auntie. And now with her 1st birthday rapidly approaching, this little gorgeous little girl is one of the most sweetest and cheekiest little things who loves blowing raspberries and is ready to get exploring on all fours! Such a darling!

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In February, I had a lovely break away from reality and went on a cruise holiday to Fiji and New Caledonia, sailing on Princess Cruises. It was a holiday I was very much in need for and I enjoyed every minute of it! If you like to re-experience the places we visited, you can read the post I wrote or watch the vlog I made!

And while sailing around the big blue Pacific Ocean, I also had the chance to chill out and stitch up this fun tree embroidery pattern that I had purchased from Urban Threads.

Admittedly, I haven’t done as many embroidery projects as I would’ve liked to this year, but this one turned out so lovely that I’m quite content with it being the only one I’ve made so far!

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Okay, so let’s get into some of the quilts I’ve made over this past year! Happily, I’ve made more quilts this year than I did last year which really is wonderful! I had made a secret new year resolution to myself to make more quilts this year and the amount that I’ve made has made me quite happy!

The first two that shine like little gems in my mind are the commissioned baby quilts I made for a friend back in July. The brief was that both mums-to-be didn’t know the genders of their babies so each quilt needed to be gender-neutral and super cute!

TwoLittleBabyQuilts — Granny Squares Baby Quilt & Pinwheel Baby Quilt (2015)

And these are what I ended up with! Words really can’t describe how lovely they equally turned out. Everything about each one I was so happy about: the quilting, the fabrics, the binding, the neutral-pastel tones, the sizes and their sheer cuteness! From what I’ve been told, both mummies loved their little quilts and each bundle-of-joy arrived safely and happily!

The next quilt that I’m equally thrilled about making was Donna’s 50th Birthday Quilt using the Diamond Square block! Although gifted a few weeks after the big day, she thankfully loved it!

Donna's 50th Quilt (2015) — Donna’s 50th Birthday Quilt (2015)

Knowing that her favourite colour was blue, I raided my sash and pulled out a number of contrasting blue prints that I knew would look really effective against each other. After cutting and piecing over 120 HSTs into this all-over quilt top design, I chose to quilt it with a design I’d been seeing everywhere on Pinterest but had never actually tried. It’s where you quilt a line on either side of the seams, creating this super effective spaced-out grid type pattern. I absolutely love it! It was so quick to do and really suited the over-all feel of the quilt.

The next quilt is Geo Dreams. This one holds a lot of sentimental feelings and emotions as it was the first quilt made in my first ever Quilt-Along series on my YouTube channel.

The amount of support and love I received from all you in regards to the series and the finished quilt is something that I will cherish for a very long time to come! And because of that wonderful participation and encouragement, you gave me the guts to start another Quilt-Along! Although we’re only half-way through, the HST Sampler Quilt Along is going great-guns and I couldn’t be more happier with the amount of people who are giving it a go and who are learning and growing in their patchwork skills!

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Two very exciting opportunities that happened over the past year was the chance to join in on two very special Blog Hops! Both opportunities were so much fun to be involved in and I’m so grateful to have been invited and put my two-cents into the ring!

The first one I was invited to join was the RJR Supreme Cotton Fabrics Blog Hop! For this one I made my darling Crown of Thorns Mini Quilt using some of their deliciously bright and rich solid fabrics.

What I loved about this one was the beautiful harmony between traditional and modern. The Crown of Thorns block is very traditional in nature and is known by many other names. With this mini quilt, I simply turned the block onto a point, added some richly modern colours to the mix and voila, a thoroughly modern little mini!

The second Blog Hop that I was invited to join in on was one hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop celebrating the versatility of their Jolly Bars pre-cuts! The range I was given to play with was the Polka Dots & Paisleys by Minick & Simpson for Moda Fabrics.

Paired with a white solid fabric and matching red binding, I cut and pieced each Jolly Bar into 12 Open Window blocks resulting in this warming quilt! (And this quilt has a very happy ending: It now lives in America with a family who will cherish and love it for years to come!)

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Ooo, we gotta touch on some of the darling little mini quilts I’ve made this year! I have a huge love, appreciation and possible obsession when it come to mini quilts! What can I say, they’re just so darn fun and quick to make!

The highlights from the year have to be these three little darlings!

So now, because of my mini quilt obsession, the walls in our house are overloaded with precious pictorial mini quilts greeting people as they walk through the house. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?

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And lastly, the one other thing I want to reflect on and share with you is the wonderful support and growth of my YouTube channel. It’s crazy to think that there are so many people out there who share the exact love and passion that I have for patchwork and quilting! (For a while there I thought I was the only one!) It’s been so lovely to be able to reach out and chat to other like-minded people whom I can share my exciting successes with and swoon together over delightful fabrics and fun new patterns!

The reason why I chose to start a YouTube channel was to simply have another avenue to create content for my blog. I was ready to venture out and challenge my creativity with a new medium to share and teach my love and skills in patchwork, quilting, crafting and baking. It was also an opportunity I took to strengthen my self-confidence in speaking out-loud and to grow and challenge my teaching skills. And I can happily say today that in each of these things I have grown tremendously and have gained a few thousand new friends along way!

So a big THANK YOU to each and everyone of you who watches, comments, likes and supports everything that I do both on here on my blog and my channel (and Instagram!). You’re all such wonderful people and I’m so glad to call you all my friends! Yay! 😀

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If you would like to take a squizz at the past three yearly recaps I’ve written, here are the links for you to follow:

Year One: One Year Down…

Year Two: Two Years Later…

Year Three: Three Years Down!

So here’s to another successful and fun year of making quilts, making mistakes, saying Yes! to every opportunity that comes my way, making new friends and strengthening the bond with old ones!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

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2015 Blogging is dedicated to my darling Lucy. A beautiful soul that I miss dearly everyday.

Rescued: 4th July 2004/Passed: 14th April 2015

HST Sampler Quilt | Block #6: Mill Wheel

PATTERN SHEET: HST Sampler Quilt – BLOCK6

First of all, a big thank you to everyone for your patience in waiting for this block to come out. The past few days have been a bit rough and I didn’t quite find the time to get edits and things done. But not to worry, block six is finally here and it’s the one that I warned you about that could be a bit tricky for some to piece. (Don’t worry, I was one of those ‘some’!) So my advice when piecing this block together is to have the pattern sheet close by so that you can keep referring to it as a guide if you get a bit confused with HST placements etc.

So this variation of the Mill Wheel Block is pieced together completely out of HST – 16 to be exact – and are laid out in a way that it should, if you squint your eyes, have a pinwheel type design flowing through it. I think you’ll only really see this if you use two contrasting fabrics/colours in your HSTs. (This theory has been untested.) If you don’t want to use contrasting colours then that’s cool, you’ll just end up with a really pretty block that has a lovely X type design to it! 🙂

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As I mention in the video, my fingers are crossed that I’ll be able to get next weeks blocks out to you on time. A big dentist appointment waits for me on Monday to remove the one wisdom tooth in my mouth that chose not to sprout out in the proper way. (Think horizontal and causing havoc with the molar in front of it! Ouch!) So I’m trying to do as much prep over the weekend as I can, but we’ll see what happens over the next few days!

Keep on sharing your blocks with me! Big apologies if I don’t see them straight away. Time zones and missing notifications can sometimes be to blame! You’re all doing such a fantastic job with your blocks and your talents and skills just blow me away!!

I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!!

Of each print:

Background & Backing fabrics:

Binding:

Batting: (estimate)

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