Saturday 9 April 2016

Blue Wren Cushion {Finished!}

The last two weeks have been a flurry of pattern writing, fabric cutting, sewing and general organising at work. Some of the Frangipani Fabrics team (Briony, Cath and myself) are heading over to Melbourne tomorrow via boat to have a stall at the Australasian Quilt Convention, so we have been super busy getting ready for it. Our stall will be focusing on Indigenous Australian fabrics, including seven quilt patterns we are releasing, and it's going to be SO much fun! If you're heading to AQC, please come and say hi at Stall 153 :o).

I'll be teaching a short class (a Make and Take class) each day the convention is on. Briony and I came up with this design, and we are so pleased with it! It was a real team effort in terms of its construction too - I cut and basted the pieces, started the sewing and then Briony took over and completed the wren and appliqued it onto the background (which I put together). And then I quilted it and finished the cushion :o).  It's an English Paper Pieced Blue Wren, made entirely with Indigenous fabrics, and finishes up as a 20" square cushion (or mini quilt.) Kits for this project will be available at the show - and we are taking preorders for kits for those of you who aren't coming to AQC! We are also taking pre-orders for the pattern (which will ship once we get back from AQC).


We have also made up an Australian animal quilt, using Kristy from Quiet Play's fantastic foundation pieced pattern. This will be available as a kit at the show as well. Cath made the blocks for this one, and I pieced and quilted the quilt. These animals look fantastic using Indigenous prints :o)



I'll share more of our booth next week (probably on IG, but also in this space if I get a chance!)

I hope you're having a fabulous weekend!

xx Jess


Finish A Long 2016: Quarter 2 Link Up

2016 button 250 best

I know I've said it before, but this year is speeding by at a slightly scary pace. My kids have just started their end of first term holidays, and I'm finding it hard to grasp that the school year is a quarter over already! Not only that, as we are into April, the Q2 of the Finish A Long is starting as well.  As you are already aware, the 2016 FAL has gone global - a community of bloggers across the world, jointly hosting the FAL. Our hosts are:
For those of you who are new to the FAL, it is a place to find motivation and encouragement to complete those unfinished projects that are hanging about becoming UFOs. And seriously, it is such an amazing community! We had over 800 finishes linked up in the first quarter, which is absolutely incredible - so if you have WIPs hanging around that you would like to finish, it's a brilliant way to keep motivated and get encouragement from other quilters.

I have quite a few projects I'd like to finish this quarter - firstly my improv quilt I've been sharing over the last few weeks. I'll be teaching this as a series of classes starting in June, so I really do need to get it finished quite soon.


My other priority is another class sample I need to make - I'm teaching this amazing Modern Sampler quilt, designed by Yoshiko Jinzenji. I do have a pile of fabric I've pulled for this quilt, but I haven't had a chance to take a photo yet. Lots of Suzuko Koseki and low volume will go into this one!



The third project I'd love to complete (but honestly, it's probably a long shot with the other two quilt I want to get done!) is the quilt I started in my workshop with Kaffe Fassett back in February. I need to cut a bunch more pieces, piece it, quilt it and bind it - so honestly I think this will be a Q3 finish, but you never know!



Every quarter you post a list of projects you hope to finish in the next three months, and then at the end of the quarter, you post a link from your blog, Flickr or Instagram of each successful finish from your original list. Each finish is an entry for wonderful prizes from our sponsors. There is no penalty for not finishing a listed project, so feel free to make your list long or short, as you wish. I've been known to make ridiculous lists in the past - there is no shame in carrying projects over from one quarter to the next!

The 2016 Schedule and Rules for the FAL are on my permanent FAL page, please let me know if you have any questions.

Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q2 of the FAL - you can see each of their prizes listed under their logo. We are so grateful to have such a brilliant bunch of sponsors - and it's certainly great motivation to get projects ticked off your Q2 list. Please think about heading over and checking out our sponsor sites and saying thank you!


As you may recall from Q1, there was a return of tutorial week at the end of each quarter, between the opening of the link for finishes and the day that link closes. The first quarter tutorials were fabulous, so I encourage you to check them out (the list of tutorials can be found in my end of Q1 post). This tutorial week will take place each quarter. If you have a tutorial that you would like to share, please let me or another host know.

 It's time to round up those projects you want to finish over the next three months, take a photo of where you are now, and make your list. Please ensure that you have at least started your projects - pulled fabric with a pattern or plan, and remember that it is finished projects that will get you entry toward the above listed prizes. So while we love to see your bee blocks, the "finish" is when they are a completed, usable project. It is very helpful if you tag your Q2 list as #FALQ2yourname on IG so that we can find it at the end of the quarter.

 The 2016 Q2 link for your list of proposed finishes is now open below on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs. You only link your list once, on one blog - and that link will show up on all of the blogs.

If you are using Flickr or Instgram, link a mosaic and put your list in the description. Katy of The Littlest Thistle has a great tutorial on how to link-up if you have need it.

 We also ask that you become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others and visit and comment on their lists. We all need encouragement to get those finishes done, so please share some of your own too. When creating your list there is one thing to remember....No deductions for not completing something so ..... Aim High! Nothing to lose!!!

So, get those lists together and get linked up. The Q2 linky party will stay open until 11 pm EST, April 16th - as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link. Remember: you only need to link up on ONE hosting blog and it will automatically show up on all hosting blogs. I'm looking forward to another amazing quarter of finished projects!




Wednesday 6 April 2016

Improv Quilt Progress

I've been sewing up a storm over the last few days - lots of prep for AQC next week, but I've also managed to finish a quilt (more on that later this week!) and make some great progress on my improv quilt. This one is a class sample for a series of workshops I'm teaching at Frangipani Fabrics later this year. 

I've been slowly doing some strip piecing over the last week or so, to add to the blocks I shared last week. And as I was making them, I decided on a quilt-layout-plan of sorts - columns of each colour, gradually fading out as they go down the quilt. I actually think this will end up being horizontal rows of colour rather than vertical - but it was much easier to work on my design wall in this orientation.


Today I made a bunch of improv triangle blocks. My design wall doesn't have great lighting for photos - but I'm really happy with how it's looking. I'm also very thankful for a pretty big design wall - this is about 70 or 80" wide, so it's going to be a pretty big quilt.


I could happily work on this all day everyday - I get so absorbed in this project, I totally switch off from everything else and find it incredibly relaxing to work on. I'm hoping to start piecing it gradually each evening until I leave for Melbourne on Sunday - and I'm pretty sure I'll be dreaming about it when I can't work on it ;o)

xx Jess