Aunt - 1930s Farmers Wife Sampler

The 1930s Farmers Wife Sampler quilt sew-alongs are well under way. I've decided to make blocks as and when I can, and not try to keep up with anything. There is so much else that must take priority. So, here is block 8 from the book - Aunt - all fussy cut except the rectangles.

I'm using old clothes that I've kept in a bag in my sewing room for several years now, meaning to use them for a hexagon quilt I started. Well, there are plenty of clothes in that bag, so I'm using them for this sampler quilt too. They're all worn out or torn beyond repair, and are oh-so-soft from all the use. This quilt will look and feel well used from the moment it's finished.

The old clothes do present a few challenges. One must find the parts that are still sturdy, try to deal with the warping that wear brings, and the softness is also a bit challenging. I could starch them, but have decided against it. I like that soft feeling, and my first block turned out well.

Not all the blocks in the book appeal to me, so I won't make all 99. I'm thinking enough for a lap quilt will be fine. We'll see how I go!

Are you joining in the sew-along too?

Bye for now x

Farmer's Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt

Have you heard about the quilt-alongs happening soon for The Farmer's Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt? There are two that I'm aware of, and I'm having trouble deciding which one to do - and wondering if I should really do either.

The first one I heard about is being run by Angie of Gnomeangel.

This one starts on 28 September and will be making two blocks per week. The blocks won't be made in numerical order, but in order of difficulty.

The other one is being run by Kerry of verykerryberry. 

This one will also be two blocks per week, but they will be made in the order they're presented in the book - which I think I prefer. It starts on 14 September. 

Being in one does not preclude me from being in the other, but how does one do that without making four blocks per week? 

What makes me wonder about how wise it is to participate at all is the fact that I've still got lots of blocks from the first Farmer's Wife Sampler book to get through. 

There was a time I didn't mind sewing whatever took my fancy, but I'm trying very hard to get my WIPs and UFOs down to a more reasonable (to me) number. I feel like they're wasted just sitting in the cupboard, and want to get them finished and in use! Then there are all the quilts I want to make and write patterns for... Is there time for everything? 

Will you be participating in one of the quilt-alongs? Which one? 

Millennium Star - Bloggers Quilt Festival

Greetings! I'm so pleased to be participating in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival for the first time this year, run by Amy at Amy's Creative Side. I'm entering this quilt into the Home Machine Quilted Category. If you click on over, you will find lots of great quilts to look at. You can also head HERE to nominate your favourites, and then check back on 22 May to vote.

I made this quilt for a swap run on Instagram. (Click on any of the photos for a larger view.) The centre of the quilt is a paper foundation piecing pattern by Peggy Martin called Millennium Star. I changed the orientation to have the point at the top so that I'd have lots of room in the corners for the spiders, and the webs I had planned for the quilting.

The skull and spider are pieced into the quilt, both taken from a piece of fabric from the Nevermore collection by Gillian Fullard. The little spiders running up from the bottom right are also pieced in from the same fabric.

My first step for the quilting was to stitch in the ditch of the star seams, and roughly a quarter inch away from the seams in the purple section. Then, I marked the spines of the feathers with chalk and proceeded to quilt them, followed by the outlining of the centre piece, and then the spider webs. Last of all came the pebbling. All that black-on-black was very hard on the eyes, but so worth it for the texture.

I ended up adding the straight lines in the purple section right at the end, as it was a little loose and puffy there for my liking, and I wanted it to be flatter to allow the star to pop out even more.

Finishing the quilt with a flanged binding was a must as far as I was concerned, and I'm really pleased with how it frames the quilt.

The quilt finishes at a touch under 25" square. The quilting is mostly done with Aurifil 50wt thread and all done on my Brother NX-200 sewing machine. The black quilting took a LOT of thread - I went through over four bobbins! I also went through rather a lot of purple thread for the feathers.

I used white cotton batting behind the star, and black batting of a cotton-polyester blend for the quilt as a whole. I pre-washed all the batting.

I admit to being rather proud of this quilt, and completely smitten. Parting with it was hard, but the fact that it has gone to a fellow patchwork quilter is, I think, wonderful, and I'm happy to report that she loved the quilt.

Thanks for stopping by to see my quilt. Don't forget to head over and nominate your favourites and then check back again to vote on 22 May. You can also enter to win some prizes by commenting on the main Festival Post.

Bye for now,

Hope x

Christmas Reflections - Runner and Mini Quilt

Hello! Just a quick post to show you a festive table runner I've made. If you want to see some pretty close-ups of the quilting, head on over to my post here where I go into a bit more detail.

Of course I've made a pattern for the runner, which also includes a pattern for a mini quilt at no extra charge. :) It's available in my Etsy store, here. 

Swallow

Hello! I sewed another Farmer's Wife Sampler block on Monday night. This is block 93, Swallow:

It was a nice quick one to put together. I used the templates to cut all the triangles, and for the rest I just used my ruler and rotary cutter.

I always have such fun making these, and really want to step up the production a bit... maybe try for a couple a month. So many projects, so little time... I bet a lot of people can relate to that!

Bye for now

Hope x

Wander Through the Woods

Just thought I'd mention I have a brand new pattern available, called Wander Through the Woods. It's available now here.

It's so easy to make, and really quite quick. The pattern is full of extras, a total of 8 different quilts to make if you wanted to, including a mini quilt just 12.5 inches square. :)

If you'd like to know more, head on over to my other blog, here.

Bye for now x

New Mini Block Pattern and a New Blog

Greetings! I am just popping in to let you know that I have a new blog, hopesquiltdesigns.blogspot.com. It will focus on patchwork and quilting, and maybe a bit of other sewing. This blog will now include more of the other things I like to do - sewing, papercraft, drawing... whatever takes my fancy, just like it says up there in the header. ;)

I've posted about a new FREE mini block pattern over on my other blog (Autumn Tints, shown above), and that's where I'll tell you about all the new mini block patterns as I get them ready, as well as other patterns I design. If you'd like to visit me there, I'd love to have you, so please do stop by and say hello.

Bye for now, Hope

Homemaker

Goodness, what a lot of time has passed since I blogged. I've been super busy, but have managed to do another Farmer's Wife Sampler block. It's block 47, Homemaker:

This block has inset seams, or 'Y' seams... Now this doesn't normally worry me. The first quilt I ever made had inset seams, by my own design too. I must admit to having some trouble with this block though. I started sewing it as per the directions in the book (as I understood them), but that wasn't working for me, so I unpicked it and did it differently. 

I left the corner units assembled, but without the blue floral triangles attached. I attached those to the centre square first, then attached the corner units. It worked beautifully and the block lies perfectly flat. You can see how I ironed the seams below:  

I will tidy up all those threads before I put the quilt together :)

Something I like to try to do when sewing quilt blocks is have the fabric grain running in the same direction for each piece, or at least at right-angles. I drew the grain-line on the templates before cutting the pieces out so I could line them up appropriately.

One thing I didn't do though is sew my usual scant quarter inch, so it's a teensy bit smaller than it should be. Not enough to worry about though thank goodness, I'll just take it into account when I assemble the quilt.

As for what's been keeping me busy... I'm doing a course in Small Business Management. It's very full-on, with a recommended 60 hours for each module, one module a week! Assessments at the end of each week too... It's all going well though and I only have a few weeks left. Then, there will be a LOT more sewing happening. ;)

Bye for now x 

Rainblow Flowers Mini Block -Free Pattern

I finally got to testing my Rainbow Flowers mini block pattern yesterday, and am pleased to say that it all works and is now available for free download at my Payhip Pattern Store. 

For my test piece I sorted through my Bonnie & Camille scrap jar, which is full of Marmalade offcuts from my ZigZag Love quilt, as well as a few pieces of Ruby from another project.

I love the way the finished block looks with the stripes and spots. Actually, this has me wanting to make a whole mini quit in just spots and stripes. Wouldn't that be cute?

I hope you'll have a look at the pattern and give it a go. It really is a fun little block!

Happy Sewing x

Evening Star

Good afternoon, and happy Tuesday to you. I'm back to share another Farmer's Wife Sampler block. This time it's block 31, Evening Star.

This block went together so nicely. I used the templates provided on the CD for the triangles, and cut the squares using my quilting ruler and rotary cutter. That's my usual way of doing these blocks, unless the squares will be funny sizes like 1.7 inches or something - then I use the templates for the lot.

I was very organised last night and printed off three pages of templates. I find that if I don't have the right template printed it will put me off sewing these Farmer's Wife blocks. When I want to sew I just can't be bothered with turning the computer on, finding the right template, printing, etc... Now, I will have no excuse not to dive right in to the cutting!

Bye for now x

Hovering Hawks

Hello, and Happy New Year! Once again I've been absent from my blog for a long time... Things get busy and I forget about my blog. Maybe I can make more of an effort in 2014, make it one of those dreaded 'new year's resolutions'. :)

I made a Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt block today, my first one in a long time. It's called Hovering Hawks:

My Farmer's Wife quilt is another thing I've been neglecting. I have done a total of 46 blocks now, out of the 111 in the book. I would love to get it finished in 2014. I'm not yet certain what size I'm going for, but will probably aim to make all the blocks regardless. They're fun!

I have a new mini pattern just about ready for the 1.5 inch Rainbow Flowers block. I just need to proof read it and then I'll put it up on Craftsy for free download. Soon!

Have a lovely day, bye for now. x

Mini Blocks - and a Free Pattern

Hello! Though things have not been as active on the sewing front around here lately as I would like, I have had the chance to do a little sewing - and I do mean little. Two little miniaturised Farmers Wife Sampler blocks actually. Each one is two inches square and will finish at 1.5 inches.

Here we have Block 80 - Single Wedding Star (also known as Rolling Stone):

And this is Block 73 - Rainbow Flowers: 

I find these so much fun to make, and they're so quick compared with their bigger cousins. Having given away the mini sampler I made with my first mini blocks (you can see that here) I thought I'd make myself one. No rush, just the odd block now and then.

After posting my first mini sampler last year I was asked for a tutorial on some mini blocks, so I thought I'd do up a free instruction sheet for each of these, and for more as I make them. If you're interested, the Rolling Stone Mini Block pattern is now available for (free) download at my Payhip Pattern Store. :) There are step-by-step instructions and diagrams, as well as a few "Tips for Success". It only takes the smallest of scraps to make these blocks, so why not have a go? There's nothing to lose really :)

Bye for now, and happy sewing!

Hope x

Pattern Sale!

Sale now over. Thank you :)

Hello! Long time no see. I've just looked at the calendar and realised it's only 6 weeks till Christmas, thereabouts. So, just because, I thought I'd have a little pattern sale. For a limited time both my patterns will be $6 instead of the usual $8 - that's 25% off. Sale ends Sunday 24 November 2013.

Thats ZigZag Love:

And Zigzag Run:

Both patterns are available through my Payhip Pattern Store or through hopesquiltdesigns.com.

It's the perfect time to buy and start making some Christmas presents, don't you think? Or either one would look great in Christmas fabrics... :)

Happy sewing!

Bye for now x

Zigzag Run - a New Pattern

Hello, and Happy Wednesday! I have a little sewing project to share with you today, something that started as a sketch in my journal and ended up a touchable, usable item - love that. And another thing to love: it's also my newest pattern! I've called it Zigzag Run.

I have written the pattern with beginners in mind, including lots of diagrams and detailed step-by-step instructions. I am always available if you have any questions - the email address is in the pattern. This would be a great project for more experienced sewers too, the scope for colour play and the smaller pieces keep it interesting. :)

The pattern neatly uses a 42 piece charm pack, but I had a definite colour scheme in mind for this table runner so used charms from a few different ranges as well as a few fabrics from my stash. I love the bold colours and the way they look in our dining room. See the aqua/blue colour in there? That's pretty much the colour of our dining room walls. 

The greens are mostly Hello Luscious by Basic Grey for Moda. There is a lot of Domestic Bliss in there, and the blacks are from Half Moon - both also from Moda. I also used a couple of purple solids left over from the first quilt I ever made. 

The backing and the binding are both from my local quilt shop. The binding fabric is one I'm using for a lot of my Farmers Wife Sampler quilt blocks. I should probably get more actually, just in case I use it all up before I finish the sampler. ;)

I've listed the Zigzag Run pattern for sale at my pattern store at hopesquiltdesigns.com, or for EU members, on Etsy or my Pattern Store. You'll be able to download the pattern after payment at either site.

So, what do you think? Could you see yourself making your own Zigzag Run? I would love to see one in fresh Spring colours, or a graduating rainbow of colours marching from one end of the runner to the other. Alternating dark and light fabrics would be fun too... so many options.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Bye for now x 

A Card for Dad

It's Fathers' Day tomorrow here in Australia, and last night and today I got busy with my coloured pencils and made Dad a card. I sometimes find it tricky to make cards for males, mainly because most of the stamps and so forth I have are not very masculine. So, with cards for Dad I usually try to think outside the box and do something a little different to my usual.

I did most of the 'Dad' and the green last night. I was so into it that eventually my hubby had to tell me "pencils down" in a school examiner's voice to make me stop and go to bed...

Today I finished off the green and did the background. I was going for a wood grain effect... I do hope that's stating the obvious? All up I used about four different browns, two greens, dark blue and black.

I had a bit of trouble getting the colour right in the photos. It's probably somewhere between the first and second photo.

On the back of the card I did this quick little heart:

I think it's safe to assume that Dad will like it. He likes the colour green, he loves wood and working with wood, and he likes that "Old English" style of writing. Plus he's my Dad and as such he will love it because it's made with love - I'm sure that's what's most important to him. 

Thanks for visiting me here. I hope you and the dads in your life have a wonderful day tomorrow.  

Bye for now x

Nature's Chorus

Hello! Goodness time flies, doesn't it? I knew I'd been away from my blog for a while (again) but hadn't realised just how long. Well, I thought it high time I shared a quilt that has been finished since my birthday at the end of April:

This fabric is Nature's Chorus by April Cornell for Moda. The brown is something I bought from my local fabric shop that I thought went rather nicely with the fabrics.

The quilting is all free-motion, even the straight 'in-the-ditch' quilting. I wobbled off course now and then but I would have to search to find where. I quilted it with a few different designs. This on the centre section:

This on the borders (you can see where I wobbled off course into the brown slightly here):

And this flower design on the corners:

As you can see, I decided on a pale binding, and I really like how it looks.

So, there you have it. I am so pleased with the quilting, even with those wobbles. I think the texture is lovely and so different to the straight line quilting I've mainly used in the past. I am dying to quilt another quilt, so I guess I should get on with some WIPs and get something ready to go!

Bye for now x

Back Again - with Star Gardener

I'm back! Back after an extended period of no blogging and no sewing. I had a hand operation in May, a month earlier than I was scheduled to have it, on my right (dominant) hand. Consequently I had to resist using it for a long while. It is almost back to normal - well, almost almost - so I am happily back into my sewing.

Among other things, I've sewn a Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt block. This is block 87, Star Gardener.

I have mainly been sewing rectangles to rectangles lately, so it was really fun to do something a bit more intricate. The cutting took me a long time, but the block went together quite quickly. There are a couple of points I'm itching to re-do, but I'm letting it sit for a bit to see how I feel about it later.

I was planning to do the centre square in the same fabric as the star points, but I cut it too small and didn't have enough left to re-cut. So, after trialling a few different options, I ended up with a rose centre.

Of course, having done this block I'm dying to more. They will have to wait for another weekend though.

Bye for now x

It's a card!

I started this blog, way back when, to share the cards I was making with my family (mainly Mum) who lived 4 hours drive away. Now, I have ended up sharing mainly fabric items because, well, that's what gets made these days. Today though, I've got a card to share! :)

I made this card for a friend's birthday last month, and it is the first one I've made in quite some time. The bird is a stamp from October Afternoon, part of an alphabet set called Rosie's Diner.

The pretty background paper is from K&Company.

After making the card I thought the bird would go nicely on the gift wrapping too, along with some washi tape.

It was good to get back to a bit of paper crafting. Patchwork and quilting takes over sometimes - most times - and the paper and other goodies I have in my cupboard just sit there, neglected. I'm glad the birthday gave me a push to make something papery again, I enjoyed it. 

Bye for now x 

Claiming my blog...

...with Bloglovin.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Back soon. :)

A Little Online Shop

I have just finished setting up a little online store where I will be selling my patterns. The address is hopesquiltdesigns.bigcartel.com 

At the moment there is just the one pattern, ZigZag Love, but as I do more patterns they will be added.

I decided to do this because it seems you have to create or sign in to your PayPal account when buying patterns through Craftsy. I have had someone let me know that this is not ideal for them, and thought it might also be inconvenient for others. With this new bigcartel site, you should be able to pay by credit card without having to have or create a PayPal account.

Bye for now x