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

Roundabout Quilt {Finished}

I am finally able to let the cat out of the bag for one of the secret projects I was working on in the middle of last year - my Roundabout quilt pattern appears in the latest Quilters Companion magazine, available now :o)

This quilt is 60" square, entirely paper pieced and caused me to question my sanity numerous times during it's construction. It is made using the gorgeous Schoenrock Cross block, which I fell in love with after making my cushion for the the tenth round of the pillow talk swap last year. And (hold onto your chairs) I simply quilted in the ditch for this one, no FMQ in sight! Having said that, I did free motion quilt in the ditch and there are a loooot of seams because of all the teeny piecing ;o)

I used a heap of favorite fabrics in this quilt - lots of Denyse Schmidt (mainly Chicopee and Shelburne Falls), Architextures and a few other coordinating prints from other collections. It is by far the most traditional and complex quilt I have made, and was gifted to my Mum last month for her 60th birthday. Happily, she loves it as much as I do.

I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts since it is kind of a Friday finish, and with Kristy's paper piecing party ;o)

xx Jess

Fussy Cut Doll Quilt

My little girl turned three today. We had a lovely day with some of our closest friends, lots of strawberries and homemade sushi for tea. And cake :o)

The doll quilt I made for her new doll was very well received - it's made using fussy cut pictures from Heather Ross's Nursery Versery, and a bunch of other 'background' fabrics (Oakshott cottons, some other HR prints and a few others). I ended up paper piecing the blocks to make it easier to keep the fussy cut pictures in the middle of the blocks - and to avoid too many bias edges. It's simply quilted in the ditch along the diagonals to keep it soft.

The back is the same fabric as the pillow (also from Nursery Versery) and the binding is a fabulous stripe I picked up from Sew Me a Song a while ago. It fits my mum's old doll bed perfectly - and looks right at home at the end of my wee one's toddler bed :o)

Apologies for the night time photo!

If any one is interested I might write up a little tutorial and share the templates?

Oh, you can also catch me rambling about my Bernina 440QE over on Rebecca's blog ;o)
xx Jess

Calling The Doctor

My long suffering partner had a birthday in *ahem* February. He asked me to make him something geeky for his desk at work (you know, Star Wars, Marvel, Doctor Who - that sort of thing) because he'd just started a new job. I googled Tardis quilts at the time, and came up with some totally amazing quilts, but no tutorials and they all looked far too scary to try to figure out myself. But then a month or so ago, Caroline at Trillium Designs announced that she would be co-hosting a Doctor.Who.Along.

The first block was published earlier this week, and just so happens to be a Tardis - so the birthday present is made. It's only three months late ;o)

The dark blue is Quilters Linen in midnight, the lighter blue is a sketch fabric and the background is a print from Tula Pink's The Birds and The Bees collection. I deliberately chose the background to give a sense of movement. It's simply quilted in the ditch using Aurifil thread (50wt in 2740) with some straight lines radiating out from the centre in a lighter blue (Aurifil 50wt 50060). It measures 12.5" square - so a big mug rug I guess. 

Hope everyone is having a great week!

xx Jess

Woodpecker {Forest QAL}

I've decided to join the Forest QAL hosted by Julianna and Joanna as I adore their designs. There are twelve blocks in the QAL, all paper pieced and the sneak peeks are spectacular.

The first block is a woodpecker (cause of much sniggering in our house. Yes, we really are that mature.) My points are a little askew in places, but overall it came together really well. There are some incredibly tiny pieces in it, but the detail is just amazing. The fabric I used for the body is really fine cotton (almost like a lawn), so I don't have too much bulk where the seams meet. I've been working on this over the last few nights, and finally put it together tonight.

I'm looking forward to seeing the other blocks they design!

xx Jess