BOM 2018: Morning Glory Part 4

This month it's time for another classic block. 

It's all about the stars. And how lovely they are!

Here's my front and back

and a close up of my centre front seam. It's pretty good, but there's still room for improvement. 

I suppose I'll have a perfect one to show you by the time I make the 16th block!

Don't forget to iron your seams. I'm using starch (which is optional) so I have a crisp and neat block to sew into position when it's time. As I iron down my seams, I move them to the side moving in a clockwise rotation, I find this creates a nice flat block.

OK, 1 x down, 15 x to go!
Tomorrow I'll show you how I did it..

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

WOW: Morning Roast Chickens..

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Thank heaven for husbands. My DH was up at 5.30am prepping these chooks and getting them in the oven before I'd even stirred from my warm, cosy bed. They're being prepped for my sewing group breakfast this morning. My job is to bring the mini chicken rolls. My DH is already out of the house getting fresh sourdough bread rolls from the bakery and last night I made fresh mayonnaise. I was feeling completely smug and well organized until I realized I had run out of disposable gloves, so now my DH has to stop by the supermarket too. Thank goodness I have some help this morning so I can get out on time. 

It's going to be a morning of shared food, encouragement and a round table 'showcasing' what each new sewing student has managed to create these last 3 months. It's a lovely way to end the term and enjoy each other's company before breaking for Easter.

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

FREE: 'Queen's Garden Easter Party' Table Runner!

Table Runner Finished Size: 44 x 24 inches

The hunt is on! This Easter, a mischievous rabbit has snuck into the Queen’s Garden Easter Party and is on the loose, running amuck between the flower beds. Could a naughty bunny be any cuter? Let your imagine and colour run wild as you make this gorgeous table runner to compliment your Queen’s Garden quilt. This table runner is a whole lot of fun and is the perfect project to make alongside your Queen’s Garden quilt. 

It's completely free and available to all my Facebook Group members (download it from "files") and for my BOM 2018 members, it's already in your download area. 

You know how much I love seeing your work, so be sure to join my Facebook BOM Group and share your own thoughts and ideas as you make your block.

Queen's Garden is the free BOM for 2018

We are currently up to Part 3. You can join anytime and download all missed parts.

The Queen's Garden Easter Party Table Runner is now available to all members as a free bonus Easter project. To take part, simply join my BOM Group OR the Queen's Garden BOM Group (this BOM is so popular it has it's own separate group!)

WOW: Bouncing Back After The Flu

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

This past week I've been battling a nasty virus, coughing and spluttering and trying to rest as much as possible. It seems like everyone has a bout of something at the moment so I've been staying indoors determined not to spread whatever it is I have.

Today I'm finally out of bed, although still a bit woozy. I'm planning to conquer this messy corner of mine. It's full of fabrics that I tried to shelve in some kind of 'style' or colour blocking, but it's not working for me. I've decided to pack all these fabrics away and leave this shelf area for my WIPs exclusively. Yes, I'm serious. I have so many projects on the go, my usual WIP chair that I usually drape projects on and around simply can't cope. It's time to get organized and upgrade to an entire shelf.

Also, I just realized that it's Easter in just over a week. So I have to get cracking with my annual Easter Project.. as soon as I make some shelf space for it.

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

WOW: Loving the Fabric Jackpot!

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays 

Lately I've been spending a lot of time eagerly 'waiting for the post.' I have so many projects currently on the go that it feels like each new day = a new delivery. Yep, I've been shopping up a fabric storm and although I have been shopping online for years, but this is the first time I've been rewarded in such a fun way.

A whole extra yard of fabric for free? Yes please! 

What's YOUR WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

BOM 2018: Morning Glory Part 3

In Part 3 it's time to make the 16 x Log Cabin blocks. I love the simple heritage of these blocks and  they really shine in this quilt - the mix of all the gorgeous main fabrics coming together just zings.

Simple but highly effective 

Once I had prepped my pieces, I turned my afternoon into a Log Cabin Production Line..

To make sure my blocks didn't grow, I drew a 5.5 inch square on my mini ironing board. My mini ironing board is simply a wooden board that I cover in layers of freezer paper by ironing them down on top of each other. 

When I'm creating something specific, like this production line, I draw the template down on the freezer paper before ironing it. Then, when I'm finished, I simply tear away that freezer paper sheet and iron down a new sheet. I also do this in-between applique sessions that use glue to keep my ironing board spotlessly clean. It works for me!

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

WOW: Collecting KFC WIPs

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays 

Do I look busy enough already? Apparently not, because I've gone and added a KFC kit to my list of things to get done in 2018. Nope, I don't know what I'm doing either. 

Like many people, I went and stockpiled some KFC fabrics these last 2 weeks and I'm glad I did because it made me list and commit to those quilts I knew I definitely wanted to make. It also increased my WIP list by about a metre. I have no idea how I'm going to squeeze it into my schedule, but what can I say, this Lattice With Vases kit was just too good to pass up.

What's Your WOW? 

Did You Panic Buy KFC to secure your Fabric Stash?

An InLinkz Link-up

BOM2018: Morning Glory Leaf Details

When I stitched the berries on my leaves, I thought they looked a bit empty, but I didn't want to fill them in with thread as I thought it would look too 'red' heavy.

 Instead, I opted to cut out little circles and pop those in as each little berry.

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

BOM 2018: Morning Glory Bird Details

I love it how these applique shapes take on their own personality as you make them, they end up being proper little characters. I can just about hear this bird chirping with glee. I have a lot of noisy birds in my backyard and I think it's really influenced a lot of my designs. 

 Everyone always wants to see the back of my work, so here it is.

I use Floriani Stitch N Wash Fusible and turn the edges using Elmer's Glue and a manicure stitch. 

If you'd like to read more about my applique techniques, I have a link to all my Applique posts and you can find it on the top banner of this blog page. 

 Glue it into place using liquid stitch

 This is the back of my embroidery stitch for the feet

 and this is what the front looks like.

As the eye fell right on a polka dot, I didn't make a separate circle piece to enhance this area which is what I usually do, I simply pulled a knot for the eye

 and these are my birdy feet in position on the stem

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

BOM 2018: Morning Glory Centre

 Just glue basting my applique shapes into position

 until I'm ready to sew them down

I use Roxanne Basting Glue to do this

Now that I can see my centre in all it's beauty, I'm really pleased I opted for a dark background. I was in two minds about it, and the fabric had some flaws that irritated me, but I'm glad I stuck with it. 

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

BOM2018: Morning Glory, Flipping My Centre!

You know how I went to all that effort and 'pounced' my quilt top centre to transfer the pattern design? Well it turns out I was just overthinking everything, as usual. In fact, I don't even know why I wasted any time thinking about it at all. Because in over thinking it, I unnecessarily complicated it. I'm just one of those people who needs to get stuck in and find ways around challenges on the spot. When I give myself time to think it over, I usually think it into a complicate knot system.

So obviously, the most logical way to transfer the applique design onto a dark background is to first trace it onto transparent paper (I used baking paper which I think is also called grease paper),taped together to get the square size. I traced the design down. Then I pinned the shapes down, reversed.

And I did all this 'automatically' as I was progressing with my applique. It was only once I was half way done that I realized that I didn't need to do it... because I had already pounced the design.

 Yes, really. 

 So anyway, I decided to keep going with it because it just made sense to.

 When all my pinned pieces were in position, I then flipped my paper over

 and wiggled it into perfect placement

 Now, I already had my bias stems in place, so this is why I didn't need to transfer them.

 I lifted the paper, and unpinned the shapes in segments, leaving them in position on the background.

And now I will glue baste them into position for sewing down later. 

Morning Glory is my current paid BOM. It's an applique and pieced quilt. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.