Archive of ‘Roundup’ category
Welcome to I Quilt at Pretty Bobbins! The last week has been a flurry of activity in the studio as I finished off a heap of quilts and have been getting ready to submit them to a quilt show 
Entry is due by tomorrow, but if you’re interested you can check it out here.
First up I finished binding “Dream in Colour”. You may remember it from way back last year… On second thought I may not have shared it before… It is pieced using scraps from a beautiful plus quilt (still haven’t finished that one…) and is meant to hang in my studio to remind me to take my vivid, colourful dreams and make them real and tangible.
Made with scraps and quilted with dense, wonky, SLQ
Then I bound my improv, self-reflective, arty-farty piece. I wrote about this quilt a few weeks back, it breaks all of the “rules” and I will be interested to hear feedback from the judges and people who visit the show.
Not the best photo I’m afraid..
I’m also entering the quilt that doesn’t have a name that I recently had in a local show. It mixes hand quilting, longarm quilting, improv piecing, needle-turn applique and goodness knows what else! 
I’ve filled out entry forms for a couple of minis but then I remembered the Blessings Quilt and my lovely friend agreed that she was happy for me to enter it.
All in all I’ve entered seven quilts and I’ll be stitching on a heap of hanging sleeves if they’re all accepted! Which is a nice segway to my topic of this week; hanging sleeves. Do you have a favorite hanging sleeve method or tutorial? I used the directions from the Canberra Quilter’s recently, but I know many shows provide specific dimensions. If I am making a small wall quilt for my house, I generally just do a pocket in each corner and hang it with a piece of dowel. This method has the added bonus of avoiding handstitching
Next time I attach a hanging sleeve I am going to go with a D shape, similar to this tutorial by Tallgrass Prairie Studio.
I haven’t featured a quilter this week as I haven’t had the time to seek permission and my Dad arrived today and I really need to get out of the studio and spend some time with him Please add your link below and don’t forget to add the linky button or a link to my blog in your post or side bar. To those of you celebrating, have a lovely Easter and to those of you who aren’t, have a great weekend xx
An InLinkz Link-up
Have you missed me? Did you notice my absence? Are you also melting in this crazy heatwave that Australia is currently enduring? What a homecoming!
I often describe myself as overly optimistic. I truly thought that I would continue blogging during our move. Um… that didn’t quite work out! But I’m back and I’m itching to get back to designing, piecing and quilting. The weekly I Quilt linky party will restart from next Thursday 23rd January, I hope you join me But first up, let’s recap.
Last sunrise in Nouméa
Leaving Nouméa was emotional. Like any move it was chaotic, but those three years were more challenging and less enjoyable than many others that I’ve experienced and I really had to face it all as I left. I do dearly miss my friends in Nouméa and oh how I mourn the blue of the lagoon! I’ve swapped our tropical vista for the bush in Canberra (known as ‘Australia’s bush capital’ for a good reason!) and I am loving it.
Sunset from our house in Canberra <3
I feel relaxed, happy, relieved. All those things that don’t usually closely follow an international move. Of course I am very lucky that both my husband and I are on leave and are able to spend the summer holidays with the children and setting up the house. I LOVE our house. Many times a day I gaze lovingly into my husband’s eyes and tell him how much I love this house It feels so right for us. It features classic 1970s mission brown and bright white paint, cathedral ceilings and mostly original fixtures. I am on a serious mid-century modern furniture bender at the moment (my budget being the only thing stopping me from refurnishing the entire house) and am eyeing off second hand sales and thrift stores. Do other people furnish their homes this brightly?
Excuse the shutters and blinds, we’re in the middle of a heatwave…
Whilst I am eternally frustrated that the house isn’t perfectly organised right NOW!! I am happy with the progress that we’re slowly making. Our ‘dumping ground’ (ie. the rumpus room that we put all the stuff in that we didn’t initially know what to do with) has transformed into a guest room quilt show room.
But I know what you’re really wondering about… Yes, I have a longarm!!!! I won’t bore you with the setup hiccups that we had but I will tell you that’s she’s beautiful, clever, sexy and powerful. She also needs a name… Any suggestions?
I’ve been having fun practicing and working on some charity quilts.
I am open for business but the quilting website is still a work in progress. If you are so inclined you can check it out here Here I am in my studio with my lovely girl (and just for the record, I cannot bring myself to use the term ‘lady cave’, think about it people… ‘man cave’ works, ‘lady cave’ sounds a bit erm… Well, let’s just say I enjoy my STUDIO)
And yes, I make my own clothes so I can blend in with my stash LOL Apparently it’s known as “quilter’s camo”
Thank you for all the lovely messages and support during our move. I have lots of quilts to share that I made just before we left Nouméa but blogging really had to take a backseat whilst we focussed on family. Now that normality is starting to return, expect to see me back to blogging and quilting <3
Big love and happy new year to all you lovely, marvelous quilty folk. Oh, and if you’re in Canberra, give me a hoi! I’m looking forward to joining the modern and local quilt guilds Keep an eye out for me, I’m much more shy in real life
I blinked and November disappeared! I missed making a collage last month as I was too busy but here for your viewing pleasure (and so I can feel like I achieved something) is my November round-up
Clockwise from top: side two of Bee Quilt, Butterfly quilt (2m square!!), side one of Bee Quilt, quilted table runner, Pirate quilt (over 2m square!!)
I did manage to make three large quilts, and in addition to the above there were a number of cushions and quilted minis that were made and distributed too quickly to photograph! It was that kind of month… I don’t think I’ve blogged any of the above yet *sigh*
I’m linking up to Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts.
Eeek! It’s already the 4th of October and I haven’t done my round up for September yet! This week I have been completely preoccupied with sorting out my long arm purchase. Will you excuse my tardiness if I told you I have been doing such fun things as reading a 68 page tax document? Yep, that’s how much I want this dream
Clockwise from left: Cascading Quilt, Quilted 214 Tote, QAYG cushion front and back
As usual I pieced, quilted and was merry in September.
This is me as a show pony L-R: Tova dress, Tova top, halterneck dress (drafted from store bought dress)
I had a whole heap of fun participating in Selfish Sewing Week and made myself three items of clothing!
I’m linking up very late to Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts I hope to see you there! And big love to those of you who have linked up to my quilting linky party or plan to I really appreciate the support and am super excited! There are some really great posts linked up, you can find them here.
Not only is August over but it’s already the 4th of September here in Nouméa! August was a big month for me which ended with a double birthday party for two of my children. I know I probably shouldn’t reinforce gender stereotypes but I must say that I really enjoyed making a princess cake and seeing all the little girls dressed up as princesses. I wouldn’t be lying if I said I put my own princess dress on LOL Of course my biggest finish for August was my daughter’s princess quilt. You can read more about it here
Princess Quilt
I can’t forget the Celebration Quilt that I made with my Wombat Stew bee blocks. LOVE!!! And it made the perfect backdrop at the party
Celebrate Quilt
As always there were lots of cushions completed in August. I seriously have a thing for quilted cushion covers. Fun!!
Clockwise from top left: Mr 5′s birthday cushion, two quilted cushions (not blogged yet), Curvy Quilted Cushion Cover, Victoire’s birthday cushion, Gaéton’s birthday cushion, sweet pouch swap (not yet blogged).
I am linking up rather late to Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts. Did you have a super productive August? I’m hoping the productivity will continue in September despite packing up the house… Wishful thinking LOL
Yay June is over and my sinusitis is gone! July is going to be awesome!! June did have some good bits, I made some really special quilts.
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Clockwise from top left: Wombat Stew Bee Block, South Pacific Dreaming, Elements, Color Therapy Cushion,
Custom Pillow Cases, She Travels.
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The set of three quilts above, South Pacific Dreaming were a real highlight of the month. Can you spot the family portrait? It’s easier to see from the back
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Back of Elements
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I also finished a lap sized quilt, Starry Skies, which was promptly claimed by my daughter (who I CANNOT believe will be 3 in August! Although she has the attitude of a 14 year old *sigh*).
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Starry Skies Quilt
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It was an extra thrill to have this quilt featured by Jeni of In Color Order in her Friday Favourites. I really love the quilting on this quilt, it took me awhile to figure out a design but I love it so much I think I’ll do it again sometime
Did you have a busy June? Fresh Sewing Day is one of my favourite linkys. Even if you don’t link up it’s worth popping over and checking out the quilt candy I’m linking up with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts.
What a month May was! We ended the month with twenty-four hours of no gas which means no hot water or stove. I’m very happy to say that we’ve started June with hot showers, yippee! I have very little sewing to show for May, although I felt like I was sewing a lot.
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The Birds and The Bees quilt, Avion cushion front and back, Super Hero cushion front and back.
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I released another Paper Pieced Pattern, Gyoza Dumplings.
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Gyoza Paper Pieced Pattern available for purchase on Craftsy, blogged here.
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I have two major WIPs that I spent a lot of May working on
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Wonky Stars quilt top in progress, custom wall hangings (set of three) in progress
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Did you get much sewing done in May? Do you get as much satisfaction from progressing a project as you do from finishing it? Nothing beats snuggling with a freshly finished quilt, but I also enjoy the process of turning an idea into a quilt
I’m linking up with Fresh Sewing Day over at Lily’s Quilts.
It would appear that I got a lot done in April
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Clockwise from top left: Rainbow I Spy quilt (front), Rainbow I Spy Quilt (back), And Sew On BOM block, Bee block, Paper Pieced TV pattern testing, Wombat Stew Bee Block, Retro TV cushion, Paper Piecing Tutorial, Equation mini for Mr Husband, Tea or Coffee? Mini.
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Significantly I FINALLY finished Mr 6′s Rainbow I Spy quilt (finished in April, blogged in May). Yippee!
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Mr 6′s Rainbow I Spy quilt, Miss 2′s baby quilt, Mr 4′s Kitchen Window quilt.
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Another significant finish for me was getting my first few paper pieced patterns out for sale (the teapot is for free download)
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| Coffee machine, Tiered Teacups, Teapot, Retro TV available here on Craftsy. |
Not to be one to do things by halves I did a paper piecing tutorial to accompany the release of my patterns (you can find it here) and a few tutorials on how I spruced up my blog here, here and here.
I almost forgot! I also did a tutorial on replacing a block in a quilt.
All of this sewing and a family mini-break to the countryside. It was a busy month!
I got some bad news a couple of days ago so totally forgot about Fresh Sewing Day. But it’s one of my favourite linkys so linking up late
Did you have a fun, busy, fulfilling April? Whether or not you got much sewing in I hope you got lots of cuddles with your loved ones.
PS. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a fantastic FMQ book, it closes tomorrow. It’s open worldwide GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED
I’m linking up with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts.
It really is true, the older you get the faster time passes! I can’t believe March is already over! I managed a few finishes and some new tops are in progress
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Lucky Stars BOM February block, Lucky Stars BOM March block, And Sew On BOM March block, Fractured vintage kitchen scales, Paper Pieced scales pattern, Create quilt top, Blessings Quilt, Robot Baby quilt
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At the beginning of March I made my favourite quilt to date which was sent off to very good friends as a Baptism gift for their daughter. The received it recently and love it which was great to hear
The back shows the quilting a little better, I love this quilt and think I might have to recreate it for my family
Did you get much sewing in during March? Are the months speeding by for you too? I’m linking up to Fresh Sewing Day at Lily’s Quilts.
February felt like a real summer holiday with my Dad spending a week with us. We were at the beach everyday and almost no sewing happened during that time (other than his gift, the quilted canvas seen below). It was a great break even though we stayed at home I did get a few projects done in February
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Colour Wheel Quilted, Polaroid Bee Block, Back of Colour Wheel Quilted, Washi dress, Quilt bag, Pencilcases for school, Sew On BOM block, Quilted Canvas, Sewing lesson for Mr 4, Pieced Pillowcases, PP happiness pattern testing.
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I’m linking up with Fresh Sewing Day over at Lily’s Quilts. Did you get much done in February? I always wish I was more productive!
