KEEPING UP................THE BLOG !

PORT MACQUARIE
RAINFOREST CAFE

Hello there!

Yes, it's me ......  really!     Gee whizz! I last blogged in January.....where did February,March,April and May go???

Let's get up to date......

FMQ ing ON MY
SWEET SIXTEEN

STITCHING IN THE DITCH
ON MY PQ1500

My current project is the Teddy Bears Picnic quilt.... I'm up to the machine FMQing, having already stitched in the ditch on my Brother PQ1500...  The pattern "The Teddy Bears Picnic" is by Toni Alexander of The Red Boot Quilt Company. I've changed the sashing - I love using partial pieced sashing as you can cut it all the same length.  I cut the sashing for this quilt on my GO CUTTER using the 2-1/2" strip die... I had a layer cake of bright plain fabrics so my sashing is 2-1/2" wide and 10" long.  I cut the applique blocks back to 8" square.  The formula for partial piecing is block size (8") plus width of sashing (2-1/2") less 1/2".

 I'm playing with a new gadget too! I bought the VersaTool ruler  and I'm using it to go around the applique shapes.... so far so good!

By Air By Rail By Sea
Pattern by Heathers Designs
Patchwork at the Bay Window

At long last I finished my By Air By Rail By Sea quilt!  I've been doing the machine blanket stitch on this project since 2014!!!!!

Fun backing

My Brother Rob and I gifted the quilt to Amos when the family were visiting recently.   Smiles all round!  I quilted this one on my Sweet Sixteen with Aurifil 80wt thread.  This required altering the top tension to almost zero! but once I worked that out the quilting went well,  I even had a go at doing artistic shapes!   I put two planes in the sky on the by rail row and seagulls in the by sea row.  Lots of clouds all over and some trees on the rail row.  Lots of fun and a good way to learn more about my Sweet Sixteen. 

Hubby was overseas on holidays during April so I went to visit my sister in Port Macquarie..  I had made her this quilt but did not get it finished in time to take it with me but just today I've posted the parcel!  I loved making this one..... I collected shirts from Op Shops - small print cottons and I backed it with a vintage sheet. Pattern is Fat Quarter Slide   Vintage sheets and shirts make such lovely and soft quilts.  I learnt a lot making this one... for instance I've never been successful in adding the pieced border, in this case the tumbler border.  I've finally worked it out!  you construct the pieced border first, then measure it and then that is the figure you need to work out the size of the filler border between the quilt top and the pieced border!

Fat Quarter Slide

Once the Air, Rail, Sea quilt came off the sewing machine, I decided to try another machine applique pattern - this one is Citrus Sizzler.  I'm using zig zag stitch with Konfetti thread in needle and bottom line in bobbin.

        

Another current project
Citrus Sizzler

Zoe Zebra is finished!  I took the finished quilt to show my friends in "Frame Quilters" group and ask about how to quilt the four cornerstones and also if the quilt needed any further quilting.   They suggested a flower like the one in the quilt top for the cornerstones so I copied the flower and reduced it by 50% and then made a freezer paper template to use for the FMQing.   They suggested the purple flowers needed something so I did more quilting in those too.  I need to get a better photo of the finished quilt.

 

I bought a new gadget for my vintage sewing machine...... a Pinker! it attaches to the sewing machine where the foot screws on.  You either remove or unthread the needle.  To have a play I pinked the edges of the join on the backing of the Air Rail Sea quilt. Click here to see the gadget in action on the Featherweight Schoolhouse site.  What fun!!!  Takes me back to when mum made little fabric covers for jam jars !  we always pinked the edges!

Quite a few years ago I bought the Curve Master foot, so lately I've been having a play.  I attached it to my Featherweight. 

The Car Quilt I'm making for my ODIBAG stash is waiting for backing and quilting. 

We visited Esk for another Antiques Fair and on the way we stopped at Wivenhoe Dam for coffee, just lovely!

I've been playing with curved piecing too!

My car quilt almost finished
this one for my ODIBAG stash

During hubby's holiday I was in charge of feeding the Kookaburras!
This is what I woke up to one morning!!

Another Siggy for my collection

Wivenhoe Dam

Enjoyed a few days of r & r at our
Unit on the Gold Coast

New Easter shirts

The view from our balcony on the Gold Coast

CurveMaster Foot ... TRUE TO ITS NAME!

BLOCK # 33   INDIANA PUZZLE

You know how you go to Craft Shows and buy lots of gadgets and stuff???   Well, last year (or maybe it was the one before!) I purchased the CurveMaster Foot.  The box has sat in my sewing machine drawer ever since.  In playing catch up with my Civil War blocks, I was very happy to find Block # 33 required curved piecing.  So, I said to myself "better have a go at that new foot!!"  and so I did:-)     I made two test blocks first and I must admit I found the foot very easy to use (I did go online to the website for the CurveMaster Foot and followed the directions given).  Once you get used to how to hold the top layer of fabric and allow yourself to trust the foot, the pieces go together very quickly.  You need the tweezers that come with the foot too otherwise you can't hold the last 1/2" or so .... honestly, it was quite easy!!  The pieces I made all came out the exact size and the block pieced up to a perfect 8-1/2" square.  I used the CurveMaster Foot for the curved piecing and switched to my walking foot for joining the quarters together.  I used a scant 1/4" seam when using my walking foot.  The CurveMaster Foot sews with a scant 1/4" seam allowance.  I could have stayed with the CurveMaster Foot when I joined the quarter sections together, but I find I prefer to use my walking foot and my fork pins when joining sections.

Another little trick I used today.....   I printed the templates for the Block onto Freezer Paper, then ironed them onto my fabric for rotary cutting -   too easy!     How did I print onto the Freezer Paper????   It is quite simple...

I cut my freezer paper the same size as a regular piece of printer paper for my printer, then I placed the freezer paper shiny sound down onto the regular paper & ran my iron across the top (iron about a 1/2" down).  Place the joined papers into the printer paper tray (all printers vary, but in mine I placed the joined papers in with the regular paper on top, ironed section leading in) and click print!  I had downloaded the templates from the Civil War site.  The freezer paper templates can be used over and over!

I can see more curved piecing in my future!!  I have the GO CUTTER die for the Apple Core block - I can't wait to try that out now!!!

Happy Sewing!!

WEDDING DRESS BLUE IS HAVING A GIVE-A-WAY!!

Hop on over to..... http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/ and check out the give-a-way for a Curve Master foot!!! You know you all want one!! Me too!!!!

Thank you Wedding Dress Blue for hosting this fantastic give-a-way!! and thank you to the sponsor of the prize:----- Sandy Chandler at Just Curves, Home of the Curve Master Presser Foot

Right now I am cleaning up my sewing room, ..... yes -- AGAIN!! I'll be back later to show pics of my latest bits of sewing,

Now go and enter to win yourself a Curve Master foot!!!

Looks like I'll have to just go and buy my own Curve Master foot, as I didn't win this one!