Roundabout Pattern Release!

It has taken me a very long time to finally get this pattern ready for release - I had an amazing group of testers work through the pattern a few months ago and actually taught a class using this pattern back in July - but it is finally available to purchase in my Craftsy shop!

My original 60" x 60" version appeared in Quilters Companion earlier this year, and I have added a 20" x 20" mini quilt or cushion version to the pattern as well. It is a foundation paper pieced patterns, suitable for intermediate quilters, and comes complete with full diagrams, a colouring sheet and the templates needed for creating the blocks. You can find it in my Craftsy shop, where it will be available for half-price for the first two weeks of release.

This pattern is a block based quilt, using a variation on the traditional Schoenrock Cross block. I asked my testers just to make a few blocks, or the mini quilt sized project - but there is always one over achiever. My lovely friend Carly of Citric Sugar managed to put together a whole quilt top (in a week!?!), and it is SO GOOD!

Nicolette of Dutch Comfort made this fabulous version. I love everything Nicolette makes, and this cushion is no different. Her use of colour is amazing as always, and her piecing is just perfection!

Hannah (who blog as Sewing and Slinging) made this beautiful version - I adore the 'odd' block in there, it gives it so much interest!

My lovely friend Ella (who has become a regular pattern tester because she is awesome) made this stunning version for a swap partner - and even hand quilted it. I adore her colour choices. 

And finally Elisabeth (who blogs at Sharks Dinner) made this super pretty version. 

A massive thanks to all my pattern testers for doing such an amazing job with my pattern - each of these ladies will be hosting a giveaway for the pattern in the very near future, so head over and check out their blogs this week for your chance to win a copy. 

xx Jess

Tasmanian Modern Quilt Guild!

For the past month or so, a group of wonderful ladies and myself have been working behind the scenes on something I've been dreaming of for a few years - a Tasmanian chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild. As much as I love the online quilting community, I have been craving a group where we could meet face to face, share our quilts and ideas and build friendships. The online quilting community will always be a huge part of my quilting life, but it just isn't the same as a local quilt guild. When I started teaching (and now working!!) at Frangipani Fabrics earlier this year, one of the most common topics of discussion that came up was our shared desire for a modern quilt group in Tasmania. 

It was just an oftthought idea up until a few months ago when I entered my local quilt show, in which the choice of categories was Traditional or Non-Traditional. I actually entered four quilts (those scattered through this post), two of which I nominated for the Non-Traditional category (more because of how I'd quilted them than the design), but the convener chose (with my agreement) to change the category of all four to Traditional, because they were all block based quilts set in a traditional way. Now I personally don't consider myself a traditional quilter - yes I do use traditional blocks in a traditional setting most of the time. But I don't consider my fabric choices, or quilting style to be traditional at all. I understood why they were placed in the Traditional category (because they didn't fit the criteria of Non-Traditional) but I don't believe they are really traditional quilts.

I've been struggling with whether or not to write about this on my blog, but it is kind of catalytic in why we are forming a local MQG. So I'm putting on my big girl pants and talking about it. First up, I do want to be honest - I didn't enter the show expecting to win prizes. None of the quilts I entered where made to be 'show' quilts, and had various flaws - the main one being that I never tie off my quilting threads, I just do a few stitches on the same spot and snip my threads (terrible, I know ;o) ). I entered to support our local quilt show and to see my quilts hanging in a real show (which was very exciting, especially when you hear people talking about your quilts. Not that I stalked them, promise :o) ). I didn't win any prizes, and this is the part I've been struggling with whether or not to share - I was quietly told that one of my quilts was considered prize worthy, but that because I'd left some sections un-quilted, it wasn't able to win a prize. Obviously I'm a bit disappointed about this, but also thrilled that my skills are good enough to almost win a prize. And it isn't going to make me change how I quilt my quilts - I more often than not leave areas of my quilts un-quilted as a deliberate design element. Unfortunately that is all the feedback I got - they don't give out the judges comment sheets for our local show, which is disappointing as that was another reason I wanted to enter. I'd like to hear feedback on where I can improve my quilts from a judges point of view.

Probably the best thing that came out of my quilts hanging in the show was that it has kindled a lot of interest in forming a local modern quilt guild, and possibly having a modern category in our quilt show next year. I met recently with a group of wonderful local quilters to discuss starting the Tasmanian MQG, and things have started moving really quickly. Thankfully we have had the most amazing support and interest, from both the Tasmanian Quilt Guild and from local quilters. I am beyond excited that my little dream of a local MQG has actually become reality :oD

If you do live in Tasmania, we are holding our first meeting next Wednesday (3rd September). We have a Facebook page if you'd like to keep up to date with events, meetings, workshops and sewing days - and all the details of the first meeting are available there. I'm starting to put together a blog as well, so I'll share all the information about that soon :o) 

xx Jess

Free Motion QAL Update

I need to make a huge apology to those of you who are Free Motion Quilting-Along. I was supposed to post last week about stitching in the ditch, hoping to get on to the free motion aspect of the QAL next week - but I'm afraid it isn't going to happen quite that fast. I have spent the last week panic-sewing a (very exciting but secret) commission quilt on top of the normal day to day happenings with a young family, and have had zero time to even think about blogging, let alone get my QAL posts organised.

I'll be back next week to talk about stitching in the ditch, and then get started on the free motion tutorials two weeks after that. All my deadline stuff is out of the way now, so I'm back on track to actually be organised with this QAL and I promise I will keep to schedule from now on. Thanks for bearing with me on this - I hate not meeting my blogging commitments, but it has just been unavoidable this time around.

xx Jess

Random housekeeping

Blogging has taken a bit of a back seat for me over the last few months, with everything else going on. Thanks so much to all of the emails and messages you've sent wishing my partner luck with his surgery and checking how I'm going - it means the world to me that I have so much support from my quilty friends. The surgery went really well and he's back home recuperating, which is a massive relief for all of us. And I'm finally getting my sewing mojo back which is awesome!

I need to announce some winners! Mr Random chose Jess, Jen and Alyce for the Pay It Forward winners - I will email you ladies soon and get your address details, and you'll recieve a surprise parcel from me in the next twelve months. The winner of the Block Flower pattern is Karen (aka Capitola Quilter). A massive thanks to all of you who have bought my pattern so far - it is still half price for another week too :o)

I have a few bits of sponsor news to share with you too. Polkadottea Fabrics announced the first round of their Liberty Club last month (which filled up within the first week!) and have just started taking sign ups for round two - head over to PolkaDotTea for all the details. I signed up for the first round, and am absolutely delighted with my first parcel of Liberty beauties - these ladies have fabulous taste in fabric. There are quite a few of us who intend on making a Farmers Wife sampler quilt with these beauties, so there may be an unofficial QAL happening at some stage soon. I'm intending on finally cutting into my Oakshott colour box combined with my Liberty stash to make some kind of sampler quilt (when I get a chance to start!)

One of my other sponsors - Sew Fresh Fabrics - are having a huge sale until this weekend - 30% off store-wide if you use the coupon code summer2014. Peg has loads of awesome fabric in stock, so it's a great opportunity to grab some serious bargains!

xx Jess

Free Motion QAL - My Slacker Basting Method

Welcome to the third week in the Free Motion QAL! Today I'll be talking about how I baste my quilts (which is nothing special, but it's quick and it works), and pointing you to some other really great basting tutorials. There is a linky at the end of the post if you would like to share your progress so far (fabric choices or part made quilt tops are totally fine!)

I must apologise for the dodgy photos in this post - the space I use for basting is really poorly lit so they are pretty bad, but hopefully it will be enough to convey my basting method (if you can call it that). I am a pin baster - so all the tips I'll be giving you relate to pin basting rather than using an adhesive spray. 

To pin baste your quilt, the first thing you need is a flat, hard surface. All the areas in our house that are big enough for basting a quilt are carpeted - so to get around that, I use a couple of really big sheets of MDF board that I place on the floor. They were really inexpensive from our local hardware store (plus my geeky man plays Warhammer fantasy battle, so they double as gaming tables - hence the rivers drawn on here!) If you have kids, they are perfect for zooming cars around on too! And yes, we have exquisite salmon coloured carpet in our rumpus room...

Once I've pieced my quilt back, I place it straight onto the boards, lining one of the edges up with the edge of the boards so I know it is straight - and as you can see I don't iron my back especially well (see, lazy!) This has honestly never been a problem for me though - I very rarely get folds in my quilt backs.

It's a little hard to see the tape here, but I tape down that edge of the fabric that is aligned with the edge of the board, smoothing it as I go.

Then, by gently tugging the far edge, I pull the fabric so it is really flat. As you can see from the photo below, all those little bumps from the first photo have disappeared. If I have space I will tape that far edge down as well, but more often than not I don't bother.

Then it is simply a matter of layering the batting on top. I buy batting on large rolls, so initially I roll the batting over the backing fabric and cut it to size. I start in the centre of the quilt back and use large sweeping motions with my hands to smooth the batting across. If I feel any bumps of backing fabric as I go, I gently tug the backing fabric so the bumps disappear, and keep smoothing the batting down. I normally cut my batting so it is about an inch bigger than the backing fabric all around - no particular reason for this, but it seems to work!

Finally, I lay my quilt top over the top of the backing and batting. I align one of the sides with the edge of the board, making sure it is in an inch or two from where the backing fabric is, and spread the rest of the quilt top out from that side (so the grain of the backing fabric will be running in the same direction as the quilt top). Then it is simply a matter of smoothing the quilt top in large sweeping motions, starting at the centre of the quilt top and working my way out.

To pin baste, I start in the centre seam and place a pin every 4-6". For the Giant Chevron, I am pinning on every horizontal and vertical seam, and half way between these as well (so roughly every 4.5").

So there you have it - my slacker basting method. If you don't have a large floor space available for basting, Pat at Color Me Quilty has a really fabulous tutorial on using a table top and board for basting quilts which is worth thinking about. 

I would love to see where you are all at with your quilts, so if you'd like to link (to a blog post or Flickr photo or IG photo) please link up below :o)

An InLinkz Link-up

I will be back in two weeks to talk about stitching in the ditch, so you have plenty of time to keep working on your quilt and get it basted :o) And then we will start the real fun!!

xx Jess