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Hi All,
I finally decided to join the 2015 Finish Along. I recognized that I need some motivation to help me complete my unfinished projects and there is definitely merit in holding yourself accountable to the quilting world. The FAL is to the way to go. Thank you Adrianne On the Windy Side for hosting this years Finish A Long.
1. Grandma’s Star – finish hand quilting and binding.
2. Triple Irish Chain – complete top, quilt and bind
3. Emma Mary Quilt – complete quilt top for Q1 ( I will be working on this quilt through the year setting goals over the year).
4. Triple Star quilt – complete top, quilt and bind.
5. Low Volume Quilt for Special Birthday.
Linking up to Adrianne on the Windy Side for the 2015 Finish Along. Are you playing along?
Also linking up with WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced
Also if you joined the Ho Ho Ho and On We Sew linky party before Christmas check out Fiona @ The Celtic Stitches to see the winners!
Have a wonderful week everyone……………..Marie xxx
It’s a Reindeer Holiday Season…….
I’ts the holiday season and I will be using my Reindeer Table Runner for the celebrations. I have loved making this runner for the Ho Ho Ho And On We Sew sponsored by Fiona @ Celtic Thistle Stitches and Paula @ Mud, Pies and Pins . If you have made a fun project for the festive season link up your project for the chance to win two great giveaway prizes: a copy of Katy Jones’s “25 Patchwork Quilts” book sponsored by Fiona at Celtic Thistle Stitches and a AU$30 voucher to spend at Amitie Textiles courtesy of Quilts with Personality. Check it out here
The Runner measure 16″ x 42″. I used raw edge applique to adhere the reindeers, trees etc. I chose raw edge applique to keep the runner flat so I could sit dishes on it easily. I hand quilted the runner using perle 8 cotton with vertical and horizontal wavy lines. The quilting definitely gives the illusion that snow is falling and the spotty fabrics certainly add to this. It was a lot of fun designing and writing the tutorial and it certainly pushed my design skills
Following are some close up pics of the runner.
I love the Kaffe Fassett reindeer fabric. It just looks like the reindeers are in a snow storm! The tree fabric was fabulous, I just had to cut around the outline of the material and let the fabric do the work. It gives such a 3D effect.
I absolutely love the house. It reminds me of a Swiss Chalet or a true Ginger Bread House. The use of the polka dots on the house and the stripes enhance snow effect and the stripes almost create a step at the front door. The front door is a real favorite – a Liberty Lifestyle print.
If you have made something for the holiday season that you would like to share please click here and link up for your chance to win one of the lovely prizes for the Ho Ho Ho And On We Sew!
I am linking up this post with NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, TGIFF @ Things I Make , Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Stop by these wonderful blogs to check out all the fabulous projects.
Well that’s it from me for this year. Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season and a safe and healthy fun filled New Year.
Marie xxx
Ho Ho Ho And On We Sew
Welcome to Quilts with Personality and thank you for stopping by for the December Ho Ho And On We Sew Link Up Party sponsored by Fiona @ The Celtic Thistle and Paula @ Mud Pies and Pins If you have made a fun project for the festive season link up your project for the chance to win two great giveaway prizes: a copy of Katy Jones’s “25 Patchwork Quilts” book sponsored by Fiona at Celtic Thistle Stitches and a AU$30 voucher to spend at Amitie Textiles courtesy of Quilts with Personality. Link button at the bottom of the post.
I was thrilled when Fiona asked me to contribute to this party and I am delighted to share my Reindeer Christmas Runner tutorial with you. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I have!
1. Material Requirements
1.1 12″/ 30cm (WOF) Grey spot fabric, 8″/ 20cm/ (WOF) White base fabric, 1 Fat Quarter of Tree Fabric, 1 Fat Quarter of Reindeer Fabric, 1 Fat 16th House Fabric, Scraps for House Roof and Candy Cane Sticks. 26″/ 66cm (WOF) Backing Fabric and Batting and 10″/ 25cm (WOF) Binding
Vliesofix Adhesive Paper for Applique, Applique mat, Sewing Machine, cotton thread for Applique, perle 8 Cotton for hand quilting, Frixion pen and general sewing supplies.
2. Background Preparation.
2.1 Cut 12″ (WOF) Grey spot fabric, 8″ (WOF) White base fabric
2.2 Draw a wavy line on the spotted grey fabric near the base using a Frixion pen ( removeable with hot iron).
2.3 Trim the fabric a quarter inch from drawn line.
2.4 Press the quarter inch seam to wrong side to obtain a wavy line. Where the curve bends (convex) snip with scissors to ensure the fabric sits flat on the base fabric. The top fabric is appliqued to the base fabric.
2.5 Pin the top fabric to the base fabric ( right side facing up both fabrics) and slip stitch in place. Stitch as if you were sewing the binding of your quilt using a matching coloured thread.
3. Applique Preparation
3.1 Draw the all applique shapes on the paper side of the Vliesofix and cut out shapes a quarter inch from the drawn line. Click here for Applique components.
3.4 Iron the cut out shapes onto the wrong side of the fabric. Cut out the fabric shapes on the drawn lines. There are a number of Vliesofix type fabrics please ensure you us the manufacturers directions. Shapes for runner can be found here! Please note that the applique shapes should be printed at 100% . Also make sure that the box on the sheet measures 1inch to obtain the correct size.
3.5 Place the applique shapes, fabric side up, on the base fabric to achieve the desired look. You may use the finished runner photo as a guide. Alternatively you may choose to change the placement of the shapes. When you are happy with the placement take a photo as a reference to ensure the shapes are adhered in the desired sequence. Lift the applique shape and mark eg # 1 on the background fabric, in a place that will not be seen, and # 1 on the paper side of the applique shape. I recommend using the frixion pen as it is easily removed with a warm iron incase you change your mind. Repeat the numbering process until all shapes are referenced on the background fabric with corresponding number of the shapes.
4. Machine Applique
4.1 Assemble the components of the House, applique mat and house drawing. Place the attached house drawing under the applique mat. Remove the Vliesofix paper from the applique and place on the mat using the drawing as a placement reference. Then repeat for the roof and door components. Once you are happy with the placement, press the applique with a hot iron ( no steam). The house component will be fused together and can then be removed (when cool) from the mat onto the background fabric
4.2 Press the house onto the back ground fabric. Repeat the above process for the assembly of the Trees. The Reindeers and Candy Canes can be place directly onto the background fabric and pressed in place.
4.2 Now we are ready to machine applique. I chose to use Blanket Stitch to secure my applique shapes. I like blanket stitch because I don’t need to use a stabliser. I recommend that you practice your raw edge applique blanket stitch before stitching the runner. This will allow you to play with machine settings and also practice reducing stitch size to accommodate narrow applique shapes.
4.3 Applique the shapes in place using blanket stitch. It is important that you follow your sewing machine settings for this type of stitch and applique. You may choose another stitch such as satin stitch if you do not have a blanket stitch. Alternatively you may needle turn applique by adding a turn under allowance.
5. Basting
5.1 Place the 26″ WOF backing fabric on a flat surface. Press with hands to ensure fabric is flat smooth with no wrinkles. Place the 26″ x 44″ batting on top of the backing fabric and smooth out. Then place the appliqued top and smooth out to remove any crinkles. Pin the basted runner together ensuring pins are no more than a hand width apart.
6. Hand Quilting
Now that the basting is complete you can commence hand quilting. I like to quilt with a hoop and perle 8 cotton.
6.1 Hand quilt approximately a quarter inch around each shape to provide definition.
6.2 Draw out your quilting pattern on the runner top using the Frixion pen. I marked the grey spot fabric with wavy vertical lines to represent snow following. I then marked horizontal wavy lines on the white fabric to represent the snow.
6.3 Trim the runner to the desired size. I trimmed to 16″ x 42″. I like a thin binding. If you like a thicker binding the cut to your desired size.
7. Binding
7.1 Calculate the binding requirements and cut binding material 21/4″ and sew the long ends together . Press seams open . Then fold over at one end to press the raw edge in. Binding requirements 42 +16 + 42 + 16 = 116″
7.2 Then fold the strips in half length wise and press with a steam iron.
8. Finish
8.1 Sew the raw edge of binding to the raw edge of front of runner a quarter of an inch in. Mitre the corners and then fold fabric to wrong side and hand stitch in place. Alternately you may choose to machine sew the binding. Voila – one Christmas Runner!
Prizes for this month link party are:
This fabulous Book sponsored by Fiona @ The Celtic Thistle
Amitie Gift Voucher for $30 AUD sponsored by Quilts with Personality
Now its your turn to link up what you have been working on for the Ho Ho Ho And of We Sew party. Remember to visit other blogs that have linked up and leave some comment love.
A HUGE THANK YOU to Fiona @ The Celtic Thistle and Paula @ Mud Pies and Pins for sponsoring the Link party all year. Also the wonderful sponsors listed below who provided prizes through out the year and make the party even more fun. Linking this post up with Crazy Mom Quilts!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you All!
Marie xxx
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Wrapped Up in Love…………..
As many of you know, I went back to the UK for a family wedding and I got to spend sometime with my beautiful Mum. My Mum had a stroke a few years ago and she is paralysed down the right hand side which limits her movement and her ability to do things for herself. Unfortunately, she is not able to sew, knit or crochet; all the things she loved to do. So now she sits in her chair and prays for everyone. I decided to make a lap quilt for her with a little touch of the divine to keep her company and wrap her up in Love! It had to be bright and happy to keep her spirits up and keep her warm.
Apologies for the quality of the photo. It was a very windy day and the photographer (meeee!!) wasn’t too good! I think you get the idea. I used Alexander Henry La Virgencita Folkloric feature fabric supplied by the lovely Angie @gnomeangel. Then I used a happy Brandon Mably Lazy Daisy print for the outer borders. The bright colours were broken up with a beautiful stripe and conflower blue sashing to frame the feature fabric. The dotty fabric is a Yuwa. I backed the quilt with a coral voile which will be soft and warm on cold days. I purchased the remaining fabric from Amitie Textiles.
In this close up you can see the “La Virgencita” surrounded by Cherubs, Angels, birds and beautiful flowers. I hand quilted around the lady and cherubs using a pink perle 8 cotton. I straight line quilted around the sashing.
Here is a picture of my beautiful Mum sitting in her chair with her Happy Quilt, wrapped up in Love. I hope it gives her much joy in the days ahead.
I am linking up this post with NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and , TGIFF @ Devoted Quilter Finish it Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Stop by these wonderful blogs to check out all the fabulous projects.
Til next time, have a fun filled, fabulous weekend……………..Marie xxx
WIP Wednesday….
In order to keep my blogging more frequent I will focus on the pics and a little less on the words. As you can imagine, I have lots of WIPs but thought I’d share a some of the blocks I have made for the Aussie Modern Instabee hosted by the lovely Lisa Chambers. I absolutely love this bee and I have been enjoying making the blocks for my bee friends.
Blue Bells Cabin – this was a fabulous block to make and I love the bright and bold fabrics. My Bee friend liked it too!
Stacked Windmills – this block was more challenging but I was happy with the way it turned out! Thirty six half square triangles was an effort but it was worth it for my lovely Bee friend.
Triple Star – I love this block and this is the block I chose also. I made this one for another Bee Friend. The brief was to use your favorite fabrics. The aqua spots and the pink floral has been a favorite fabric combo for quite sometime now!
Each Bee member chose their fabric combinations whether it was favorite fabrics, white back ground and /or specific colours. I opted for a low volume background I am really pleased with the way my blocks have turned out. I will share more next time.
I am linking this post up with WIP Wednesday @Freshly Pieced and Lets Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts.
Wishing you all a happy fun filled week !
Til next time ……………………Marie xxx
Well it has been a while…………..
It’s been a while since I last posted on my blog!
There have been lots of exciting things happening in my life which has kept me away from my blog! However, I am still active on Instagram @quiltswithersonality if you want to see what I have been up to! I have been on holidays with my family staying in Dubai then on to the UK to attend a family wedding and spend time visiting my Mum! The wedding was Black Tie. I had the dress and I just needed to make a bag. I made a “Dilly Bag” designed by the urber-talented Judy Newman.
Dilly Bag using Liberty, Yuwa and Anna Maria Horner Fabrics
I used lots of Liberty Yuwa and Anna Maria Horner Fabrics. I lined the bag with AMH fabrics too! It is so nice to fussy cut hexies and make the best of feature prints to add a point of difference. The string was black velvet and I so love the little liberty pink hexies – courtesy of Judy! Following are some close ups……
…..And …..the Dilly Bag making its debut!
I absolutely love this bag and it is so much fun to make! If you are interested in making this bag, patterns are available from Amitie Textiles or contact Judy directly @ A Very Fine House for stockists.
When I went back to Northern Ireland to visit my beautiful Mum I had the chance to catch up with very lovely Judith @Just Jude.
Judith was one of the people who inspired me to blog and join the on-line quilting community. She is an amazing teacher and an all round beautiful person! Thanks Judith for all your inspiration!
Well that’s it from me til next time. I am linking up this post with NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Stop by these wonderful blogs to check out all the fabulous projects.
Have a fabulous weekend! Here is hoping that it is filled with fun and laughter.
Marie xxx
French Market Medallion
Some time ago I posted about Judy Newman’s new pattern release ” French Market Medallion” You can read about it here! I have had this quilt on my to do list and I am delighted to say that I have started to make it.
I have completed the center medallion and first border using lots of Liberty and Yuwa fabrics. The fabrics are a blend of traditional and modern; an old meets new kind of approach!
I absolutely love applique and I am so pleased with the centre medallion! The first border is a Liberty fabric appliqued to a grey strip. Judy suggested that I use the vase fabric for this border and I am so glad she did. It certainly has WOW factor and there is a myriad of colours in this fabric that allows me to make scrappy circle borders.
I love that the corner of the borders are appliqued with cute little birds which blend so beautifully in the quilt. The second circle from the bottom, of the photo above, is a Yuwa fabric. It depicts little children walking and two girls standing on the opposite side. I put them in because it reminds me of my family and my two beautiful sisters. Funny how fabric resonates in strange ways.
It’s a delight to make this quilt and I am certainly enjoying the challenge and loving every step of the process. If you are interested in the pattern contact Judy at A Very Fine House
Whilst I haven’t fully completed my top yet, I wanted to share the journey with you! I am celebrating the finish of the centre medallion and border one! I am linking up this post with NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Stop by these wonderful blogs to check out all the fabulous projects.
Have a fabulous weekend! Here is hoping that it is filled with fun and laughter.
Marie xxx
I’m a Little Tea Pot……..
Happy Friday to everyone! I am absolutely delighted to be back on the blog again. I am sorry to say that I have had lots of computer problems and temporarily lost all my files! I almost cried at the thought of loosing my family photos. Now that I have them back, I am delighted. Backing up my files will certainly take on a higher priority in future!!!
I have been working on lots of quilty goodness but not alot has been finished. I did however make the most adorable pin cushion that I can share with you!
I chose to applique a little teapot on my pin cushion using some of my favourite fabrics and a linen background. The sides are in a lime green numerical Japanese fabric and linen for the base.
I tried to embroider a flower in the middle of the teapot and I outlined the teapot using my favourite perle 8 cotton. I used “Three Dolls Pincushion Party” pattern designed by the gorgeous Louise Pappas. The pattern provides lots of applique designs for various pin cushion sizes. It also provides lots of opportunities to embroider, if you choose. The pattern is available at Amitie Textiles .
My pin cushion finished at 6″ diameter 3″ high. I will definitely be making some more – they are lots of fun
I am linking up this post with NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Stop by these wonderful blogs to check out all the fabulous projects.
Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are in the world.
Marie xxx
Little quilts for little people….
It’s Friday and I love when I have a finish to share with you! I have made a baby Star Quilt using Jeni Baker’s In Color Order Vintage Star tutorial which I love! I have modified the pattern to reduce the block to 11″ and the quilt 44″ square. It is a good size for a baby quilt and I am very delighted with the result!!!
I chose to make the eight point star using solids which is not my normal go to fabric. The solids are “A Day in the Country” and background is “Nani Iro” double gauze cotton! It is two thin cotton layers of material. It is very soft to touch and beautiful to use! Prior to using the gauze, I did a little research on its suitability for quilting. There were positive views and I decided to have a go. I also machine washed the quilt on a gentle cycle, to test the durability of the gauze and it came up beautifully!
For the backing I chose the ever faithful IKEA 100% cotton fabric. It is bright and cheery with lots of colour to keep a little person happy.
The quilt was long arm quilted using hearts and circles and I was absolutely delighted. My longarm quilting friend Kylie did a wonderful job! Kylie said” that double guaze was fabulous to quilt with.”
I absolutely love black and white bindings. It makes colours dance whilst giving a modern edge! One more quilt finished and I am very happy!
I am linking this post up with NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, TGIFF @ Quokka Quilts, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Stop by these wonderful blogs to see the amazing projects and support the linky parties!
As always, thank you for stopping by and wherever you are in the world have a fabulous weekend.
Sew Happy………….Marie xxx
2014 Finish A Long
I participated in the Finish A Long last year and I really enjoyed having a little motivation to complete some of my many Work In Progress projects. So it’s the Quarter 2 of the 2014 Finish A Long and I am signing up the following projects with Katy @ The Littlest Thistle.
1. Grandma’s Star.
I hand pieced this top last year and I now need to finish hand quilting this 1930s reproduction quilt and put on some binding. I am hoping to finish it off this quarter.
2. Triple Irish Chain
I would like to complete the pieced borders, baste and then hand quilt. If I finish the top by Q2 and then hand quilting in Q3 I will be very happy. If I spread some of the activities across two quarters at least I will be making progress!
3. Green Tea & Sweet Beans
I would also like to work on my Green Tea & Sweet Beans quilt and I am definitely hoping to make a few more blocks this quarter:
These projects are mostly hand pieced, appliqued and/or hand quilted and entering them in the Finish A Long helps to keep me focused and motivated. Many thanks Katy for hosting the 2014 Finish A Long @ The Littlest Thistle! Stop by Katy’s blog and check out all the fabulous projects.
I am linking this post up with Fabric Tuesday @Quilt Story, So Cute Tuesday @Blossom Heart Quilts, Lets Bee Social @Sew Fresh Quilts and WIP Wednesday @Freshly pieced, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts Stop by these wonderful blogs to see amazing project and support the linky parties.
Wishing you a fabulous week and happy sewing……………Marie xxx
Quilts with Personality 