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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
Category Archives: Quilts
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
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
Happy Friday….. Happy Finish!!!
Happy Friday everyone! Friday is a fabulous day and even more exciting when you have a finish. I am so delighted to have completed my hand quilting for my beautiful Sister’s quilt! I took a few pics quickly before it was packed into the suitcase to be delivered . Unfortunately too early in the morning for a good outside photo. When I started the quilt I posted about it here! I chose an autumn colour pallette to fit in with her décor. The large scale log cabin pattern showcases the fabrics beautifully!
The pattern and fabrics are from Amitie Textiles and consist of Yuwa, Liberty Tana Lawn, Linen, Wool. The block finishes 15″. I wanted to make it a bit bigger so added some borders to frame it! A light blue 1″ stripe fabric followed by the beautiful Orange Yuwa circle fabric. The quilt finished 60″ x 74″. I chose to hand quilt the log cabins with orange perle 8 cotton following the square and rectangular shapes and then proceeded to use a circular pattern for the outer border!
Close up of the rectangular hand quilting!
Close up of the circular quilting.
For the backing I chose a Kei Geo Style fabric that fitted well with the large scale prints on the quilt top! I hope she loves this quilt as much as I loved making it for her!
I am supporting the linky parties – NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, TGIFF @ Mila + Cuatro, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict , Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts and Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts. Stop by these wonderful blogs to check out all the lovely projects and/or link up and support them!!
As always, thank you so much for stopping by. Wherever you are in the world have a fabulous weekend.
Sew Happy…………………………Marie xxx
Tessellated Pinwheels
It has been a while since I have posted on the blog; family commitments and holidays have kept me busy! In my efforts to regain some blogging normality I thought I would share with you a quilt that I made sometime ago. It’s a Tessellated Pinwheel quilt that I made for my daughter Amy!
Making this quilt was certainly an experience and a great learning curve for me! This was my first machine pieced quilt! I had hand sewn five quilts previously and hand quilted three of them! I knew I had to improve my machine piecing skills and this was my time! I generally love bold and colourful fabrics but my daughter wanted a soft quilt with a little navy! It was a struggle at the start to make the quilt because the colour choices were out of my normal scope. As it turned out I absolutely love this quilt! Now it would be so much in vogue because of the low volume feel!
This pic shows a close up of the pinwheels! The fabrics are a mix of tone on tone creams and beige with a splash of navy! The similarity of the colours does not define the tessellations easily but it does add to the softness of the quilt. The navy pinwheels certainly play an important role in adding depth to the quilt.
I love the borders on this quilt! On point squares, in tone on tone fabrics, frame the pinwheels followed with a navy strip and a navy chevron border. The final border is cream pinwheels on a beige back ground. In this instance, the borders are definitely important to frame the quilt and break up the tessellated pinwheels. This pic also shows the long arm quilting of circles and love hearts!
She chose a French themed backing because she just returned from Paris where she was living for six months.
I finished the quilt with a beautiful navy binding. I do love a spotty binding. It faithfully rests on Amy’s bed and it gets used and loved. It is a beautiful feeling when your hand made labours are really appreciated. What more could I ask for!
As you will know I am a great supporter of linky parties. They help us find out the creative delights that are happening around the globe and they also help us to make new friends. I would like to highlight the monthly linky party that Fiona @ Celtic Thistle is hosting with Paula @ Mud, Pies and Pins! The focus of this linky is to promote making gifts for the holiday season through out the year! Check out the February Ho Ho Ho & On We Sew here!
I am supporting the weekly linky parties NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict , TGIFF @ Amy’s Crafty Shenanigans and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts!
As always, many thanks for stopping by and wherever you in the world have a fabulous weekend!!
Sew Happy……………Marie xxx
I love Star Quilts
I absolutely love Star Quilts! There is just something about them that makes me happy! Perhaps it is the association with Stars in the sky….they are always watching over us! My very good friend lost her Father recently and I chose to make her a Giant Star quilt so that she could be wrapped up in love and know that her Dad will always be watching over her!! I chose the Giant Star Quilt tutorial by Jeni Baker @ In Color Order! Thank you Jeni for a wonderful tutorial and pattern!
I chose a beige linen back ground with red and black text fabrics and a few red, navy and black and white spots! The color pallet fits very well with my friend’s sense of style and taste! The fabrics were from my stash !
The quilt was long arm quilted with swirling hearts in the background fabric and lines in the star points. I love this pic because it shows up the quilting really well.
I absolutely love this backing fabric! It is so soft and definitely nice to cuddle up in! The backing fabric is Spring Carnival Cotton Candy by Max New!
For the binding, I chose a navy and white spot! It worked beautifully with the linen fabric! I think it is hard to beat a spot fabric for binding! The quilt finished 60″ square which is a lovely size and it is now residing in my friends home in New Zealand. I loved making this quilt it was so nice to be able to give it to her and at very sad time! I have no doubt it will wrap her up in love for many years to come.
I am supporting the linky parties Lets Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts, NTT @ My Quilt Infatuation, Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict , TGIFF @ Quilt Matters and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts!
As always, many thanks for stopping by and wherever you are in the world have a fabulous weekend…………….Marie x
Scrappy Trip Along!
Hi everyone, I trust this post finds you all well and enjoying the things in life that make you happy. I have been busy sewing my blocks for the Scrappy Trip Along Swap hosted by Julie @ 627handworks ! Swaps are a great way to improve your sewing skills! This swap has certainly provided me with the opportunity to use fabric choices and colour combinations that I would not normally use. It has also helped improve my sewing accuracy. I am really happy with the outcomes. Just hope my swap buddies are happy with their blocks!!! Following is a pic of the block and the criteria supplied by my swap buddies!
Block 1 Bright & Happy!
Block 2 Colours of the Rainbow!
Block 3 Orange, Navy, Turquoise/Aqua
( added a little grey & mixed strip to balance out)
Block 4 Solids only!! ( first time working completely with solids)
Block 5 ( no colour choice specified)
This swap has certainly provided me with learning opportunities! The lessons I have learnt are as follows:
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Be prepared to test out the block first! This allows you to check 1/4inch seams, seam alignment and ensure the block size is accurate! With this particular block a very very scant quarter inch is required and pin pin pin to match up seams!
- Make a concerted effort to match the participant requirements!
- Sew to the very best of your ability and give a block that you would be happy to receive!
- Enjoy the block arriving at your door step and love the fabrics that are not in your stash!
- Every swap is an opportunity to improve our skills and make new friends!
I am linking up this post with Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story, WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced and NTT Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation! Stop by these wonderful sites and check out all the projects!
As always thank you so much for stopping by and wherever you are in the world have a fabulous day!
Happy sewing ……………..Marie xxx
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and A Fabulous New Year
As the year comes to a close, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Fabulous New Year. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, sharing your comments and kindness along the way. It is a an absolute joy to see the random acts of kindness that occur amongst the world wide quilting community! Thank you for allowing me to be part of the community
I can finish up the year with the completion of my baby quilt for a beautiful baby girl named Eva! It has been fun to make and I hope it brings her much joy!
I used Sarah Fielke’s From Little things fabric with a little bit of Liberty! It has been long arm quilted with circles/ hearts and binded in the purple/ pink polka dot fabric!
For those of you who visit often, you will know that I love hand quilting. The centre hexagon wasn’t long arm quilted; it allowed me to embroider the babie’s name and surround it with love hearts. I hand quilted with various colours of perle cotton 8! I think it personalizes the quilt a little more!
For the backing I used a fun fabric that I purchased at Ikea some time ago! I think she will enjoy the bright colours and playing with the birds and frogs. Well that’s it from me for this year. I look forward to seeing you all in 2014.
I would like to acknowledge the kindness of the linky party hosts who allow us to share our work and enjoy the creativity of others. I am linking up with Whoop Whoop @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict , TGIFF @ Gingersnaps Quilts and Finish It Up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts!
Best wishes to you and your families over the festive season! May 2014 bring you good health, much love, happiness and all that is good!
Till next year………………Marie xxx
Quilts with Personality 
