Monday, October 13, 2014

Envelope Cover Tutorial

Hi all,

Sorry I have been absent for so long. I just popped in to add the Tutorial for the Envelope tablet cover to the Tutorial page.


If you go to the Tutorial Page and click on the picture it will open the tutorial as a PDF.

Please let me know if you have any problems. I would love to see pictures of your project too!

BTW - the cover is approximately 10" x 8" finished. So check the measurements of your tablet and adjust size to suit!

Bye for now, Jess

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Indelible Datura Blouse

Hi all,

This week, inbetween many other things, I managed to make another Datura Blouse.

I used the gorgeous Indelible range, and I didn't prewash the fabric...I hope it doesn't come back and bite me!

I have a little stash of premade bias and used this cute black with white polka dots for the hem. And I found three of the dark teal buttons in my stash too. So this blouse was made completely from my stash! Winning!

In other news my Clowns Choice quilt is in the 2015 Quilters Companion diary, yay! When I get one I will share a pic.

Bye for now, Jess

 

Friday, August 8, 2014

Catch up

Hi all,

I guess it has been a few weeks since I did my last blog post. So what have I been up to?

Well I made a couple of coats for my boys. I used black corduroy and lined them with a really cool tech print patchwork fabric.

I used the Spring Showers Jacket pattern by Elegance and Elephants. They went together really easily, the only issue I had was with the length of the zip but I fixed that by using a piece of ribbon to cover the cut edges at the top. I made a feature of it and used different colours on each jacket.

Then I got horribly sick with pneumonia and didn't do anything for about a week and a half. But when my sewjo came back it was back with a bang!

I played around with the Hex-n-more ruler and came up with this quilt. I love it! It does have Y seams but they really aren't that scary anymore.

And last weekend mum and I got together and made Sew Together Bags. I had a great time!

I went a little crazy with my fabrics and used a different fabric for everything but I love it!

Right now I am working on the Gypsy Wife quilt and I have some dress fabrics washed and ready to go...so stay tuned!

Bye for now, Jess

 

Monday, July 21, 2014

Determined

Hi all,

I am determined not to let my problems with my blog stop me from blogging any longer!

Scrappy n happy
Spring Showers Jacket

A few weeks ago I was looking at my google + account and freaked out that my photos setting was public. So I changed to the setting to private and like magic all my photos from the last 6 months of blogging have disappeared.

Scrappy n Happy
My first piece of Cotton + Steel

I have figured out that I need to setting to be public do that I can share the photos myself. So I have put the setting back but that hasn't restored all the photos that went walk about. I will gradually work my way through uploading them over the next few weeks.

Scrappy n Happy
Another Afternoon Delight block

I was so annoyed when I realised what had happened that I was ready to give up. But my blog is like my diary, even if no one else reads it I can still look back and see what I have done.

I have included some photos because it's not a post without them :) I will do another post about the jacket soon, I am making a second one now so both my boys will have one.

Bye for now, Jess :)

 

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Social tote fun!

Hi all,

Last weekend Lorena came up to Brisbane and did a couple of workshops teaching the Social Tote. I went to the Sunday workshop at Mt Ommaney.

A few weeks before Lorena sent us the pattern and kit so we could do some prep work...without this we would have needed two days I think.

It is amazing how involved these little sewing caddies are. Quite a few pieces, 3 different interfacings and lots of components!

The way the lining for the tote goes together is really mind bending, 3d sewing really. It was quite a bit to get my head around to start with! It would have been really difficult to make this first tote without Lorena's guidance so I am really grateful and happy that I got the chance to go to the workshop.

I had a great time from start to finish and really loved cutting into my Tula Pink stash! Although it was a bit scary fussy cutting the raccoons ;) my fav part is the pin cushion!

I am really keen to make another one but need to source the interfacings first..

Well, we are nearly half way through our winter school holidays here so my next post might be about what we have been getting up to :)

Bye for now, Jess

 

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Time flys!

Hi all,

Wow, where is the month going? Over halfway through June already, one more week of school and the. Holidays again...I can't believe it!

I have so much to share again. My Friday schedule has gone out the window, I need to get back on track with that because it was good the be a bit more regular.

I finished the quilt that my cousin and his wife commissioned for their little girl...it took 6 months. The quilting really stumped me, I mooned over so many awesome free motion quilting designs and ended up not knowing what to do so eventually I decided to quilt it in a stipple because it is for a little girl and will get lots of use and plenty of washes. I have found all over quilting to hold up really well on all my quilts that get lots of use.

 

I used a Riley Blake wide width fabric for the backing. It is 60" x 90" in size and I quilted both of the quilts with Aurifil #2415. I kept the label fairly simple but included a card which had all the care details in it.

 

I also played with some left overs and made a matching mini. Which is soooo cute!

 

And for the backing I used some left over 10" squares.

 

While I had the quilting machine set up I thought I would finish a quilt from my UFO list...yay! Another top finally quilted!

 

I pieced this top 2 years ago on retreat and it has sat in my cupboard ever since. It is a great feeling to have it finished!

I also tried out the Jaybird Quilts Hex n More ruler.....I love it! And I made up the pattern Candy Dishes.

 

I am getting the other rulers and some more patterns to try now as I loved it so much!

 

I used part of a Noteworthy charm pack and Bella Grey for the front. On the back I used some Sunkissed fabric. Can you tell I love Sweetwater fabrics?! And these were pieced and quilted with Aurifil #2600. Actually the owl quilt above was quilted with Auriful too, another product I am really loving!

 

Well I think that is enough for now!

Talk soon, Jess :)

 

 

Saturday, May 31, 2014

A few things!

Hi all,

I have a few things to share since I haven't blogged for a few weeks (not counting the Bloggers Quilt Festival posts).

First up is my Embroidery Club project from my local PWS. Last month the project was a needle case. I used a font and simple design that was already in my machine for the front.

The inside has little pockets and patches of wadding for used needles to be stored so you can find them later.

I am really enjoying these little projects that Cath comes up with every month!

I am doing some procraftinating at the moment, I really should be working on sewing some clothes but I keep finding other things to do! I used some leftover triangles to make a little quilt....I am only giving sneak peeks because it is supposed to be a surprise.

And a look at the quilting. I am hoping to quilt it's much bigger friend, my V is for Violet quilt, tomorrow on the quilting machine - unless my sore throat gets worse, but at the moment I feel better than I did last night.

I pulled out a handbag that has been a WIP for a long time and did some work on it.

Still not finished as it is getting quite tricky now so I am just looking at it while I work on other things. Like putting together this little bundle for a block I drew up on EQ7 and am having a play with...do you think I need to add another colour? I have changed some of the low volumes so it is not so matchy matchy.

Oh, and lastly I finished another block for the Afternoon Delight quilt.

Bye for now,

Jess :)

 

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Bloggers quilt festival entry no. 2

Hi all,

This is my second entry in the quilt festival....if you missed my first quilt you can check it out here.

Amy is hosting this awesome event again and the quilts are so inspiring I thought I would enter a couple as well! This one is going in the small quilts category as it is 38" square. And it is square with straight edges, the ground is just bumpy!

This is my convergence quilt made from Ricky Tim's book called Convergence Quilts, surprise! Lol

I used a garden path panel for one corner and used coordinating fabrics for the other corners. This is another one of my quilts that has taken a long time from start to finish, a couple of years. I had trouble quilting it and ended up putting it away a for a while.

I free motion quilted it and even did some feathers in the border, they are hard to see which might be good since they are the first feathers I have ever done! I fell in love with this quilt again when the quilting was finally done and I could stand back and admire it!

Thank you for visiting me!

Bye for now, Jess

 

Bloggers quilt festival entry no. 1

Hi all,

I have been admiring all the quilts that are already participating in the bloggers quilt festival and felt inspired to enter a couple of my latest finishes. If you are a follower of my blog you have probably already seen these quilts so I hope you don't mind seeing them again :-)

I am entering my American Beauty in the large quilts category. She is a huge king size quilt and was quite hard to photograph. As you can see my clothes line would not go high enough!

I made this as a Marti Michell block of the month in a monthly class at my local patchwork shop. It was a slow burn project for me, never rushed, not in a hurry to finish. I just enjoyed the ride that lasted about 2 years!

She now lives on my bed and hangs over the sides a lot which eliminates any quilt tug of wars during the night! ;-)

Thanks for visiting me!

Bye for now, Jess

 

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Lunch bags

Hi all,

I missed my Friday blog post day...I was actually going to try and wait until I knew the lunch bags had been recieved but I just can't help myself! I have to blog ;)

I found out via Instagram that some close friends of ours had their anniversary a couple of weeks ago and I was disappointed that I didn't know. So I got stuck into making something that had been admired last time they visited us...Ayumi's lunch bags! My most fav lunch bag ever!

I used some of the enchino fabric that I won a while ago. It is so beautiful to sew with! Because I only have fat eighths I had to do different front and backs but I really love how they look. I used a layer of fusible pellon and insulbright. For the lining I used this food grade fabric called Procare that I got from the US.

I really love the hexi print in this range! I really have a soft spot for hexies!

Bye for now, Jess :)