-
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
Quotes
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
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
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
Soft Velvety Bags
It is an overcast, cooler day in Melbourne! I am sitting in the garden writing this post for my lovely new sewing bag! It is so nice to be outside to enjoy the garden!
I absolutely love this bag it is soft and velvety!!! I bought the Anna Marie Horner (AMH) Loulouthi velveteen at Amitie Textiles a while ago and, as with all good intentions, the fabric sat in my stash patiently waiting to be sewed. The bag is based on a pattern by Lisa Chandler @ Chandlers Cottage. I modified the pattern to exclude the 3D embellishments as this fabric says it all! The bag has lots of room to hold sewing fabrics and large pockets to store sewing notions.
The bag is lined with Michael Miller “Skinny Stripe” from the Poppy Collection and I love the AMH fabric at the base! It just adds a point of difference and makes it even nicer!
For the handles I used AMH fabric on the outside and lining fabric on the inside. I attached interfacing to the lining fabric to give a little more support. I top stitched down each side handles and the top of the bag for additional reinforcement. I chose not to use any batting for the velveteen as I wanted to keep the bag soft and light! The bag measure 20″ by 15″ ! I am looking forward to using it on my next sewing day……
I am supporting the linky parties and I am linking this post to 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 check out all the lovely projects and/or link up and support them!!
As always, many thanks for stopping by and wherever you are in the world have a fabulous weekend.
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
Quilts with Personality 
