Making the Heartfelt Centre

I love this sight, it means progress is on it's way. By now, I didn't see myself still doing it like this. I have a Brother Scan n Cut sitting on my table.. but I've been so busy, I haven't actually had time to 'use' it. How ridiculous is that? I have to finally tackle it before it gets covered in dust!

Anyhow, here are my template shapes, ready for cutting. I've already selected the fabrics. Well, most of them- you know I love to change things up as I go along..

follow the pattern to create your template units

 I'm creating my star with the templates

although I've noticed a lot of you are fussing cutting the shape instead - and that works perfectly too

I like to create two halves from my templates and then sew them together

Like so

I never tire of making stars, I think I'll have to make a star quilt one of these days 

and now it's time to sew my heart sets

I finally opted for a cheerful yellow that blends with the olive green and picks up the dark pinks in the star fabric

Looking good, huh?

As I go on, the more fun it gets..

Aren't these leaves the best? I'm so happy with the harmony between these fabrics

and this is my neat back view

I'm still deciding on what fabric I'm going to use for the area behind the Heartfelt Centre 

that is framed by the scallop border (not the background).

The Heartfelt Centre Fabrics

I'm having so much fun selecting my heartfelt centre fabrics. 

This print was calling me, I'm so glad the flower head fits within the template!

How's this for perfect leaves? They're already veined. Perfect!

I feel in love with this fabric for the second layer because of this romantic detail

I thought would be perfect for the hearts

but it didn't work!

It's lovely but the mood changed! So I kept playing and auditioning those fabrics

hmmmmm

Wonderful indecision.. so many fabrics, so many possibilities.. 

I'll let you know what I select.. just as soon as I do!

1 Quilt = 2 Colour schemes

I know, I can't believe it either. 

Hold Onto Your Heart is pulling me into two directions.. and I'm taking both roads!

Resistance is futile. My quilts have a mind of their own, I just follow their lead. Each pattern has a 'feel' to it and I can only audition fabrics until a 'fit' happens. Sometimes this is completely unexpected and different to what I envisioned. With Hold Onto Your Heart, I've been going back and forth and getting muddled with the in-between, so I'm going into two distinct ways:

The first calling is a gently romantic breeze in an almost monochromatic hue, it's subtle and sophisticated - and to that end, I'm still pulling the pallette together. I'm expecting the final delivery to arrive this week. I already have the base fabrics and they are just what I want to achieve. I've never made a monochromatic quilt before and this is something I want to challenge myself with. 

The second calling is a full colour 'love it as I go' selection and I've already made a start. There's much less pressure getting this one 'right' which is something I overthink and stress about a lot. I'm just going to have fun with bursts of colour. I love the idea of having a robust full colour quilt and a subtle sophisticated twin as well. They're both going to be fabulous and you'll be seeing me work on both. 

I'm also working on 3 x Love Always colourways ..so I guess I'm going to have to find a few extra hours in the day. Ha! What else is new?

BOM 2019: Look What Arrived!

When you open a box and are greeted with a sight like this, you know you've made a good decision. Those folks over at Craftsy know what they're doing. And phew, am I glad! I went a bit crazy and shopped their fabric clearance sale, picking up fabric ranges from a manufacturer I'd never heard of. I know, it's crazy. And I knew it would either be fabulous or .. a mistake. Gladly, I'm delighted with my purchase. Not only did I get slashed prices, but the fabric quality is excellent too.

I have been in such a pickle over selecting fabric for my latest quilt, Hold Onto Your Heart. I am so in love with this quilt and feel that a gentle colour scheme in antique reproduction tones (as used in the pattern which is a French General range by Moda) would be perfect. But by the time I went to purchase the range, the prints I wanted were sold out. It's still possible to pick up certain prints but the exact ones I had my heart set on are out of stock everywhere. This was a huge disappointment as I was really 'feeling' the fabrics and was sure my selection was set. Ha! as if! You know the course of my fabric selections never run smooth!

I spent days looking at fabrics everywhere and not feeling anything. I just couldn't see my pattern made up in them. That is, until I stumbled across the Craftsy clearance sale; suddenly the almost monochromatic idea I has been playing around with as a colourway option was coming into focus.. and this fabric seemed to fit the bill. I love how these tones work together..

and now they have arrived

and actually, I'm really impressed by the quality and the whole shopping experience in general

but I think you already know where I'm going with this - I'm not fabric ready yet.

The range as it currently sits in my kitchen doesn't give me enough scope to create the gentle, harmonious, romantic vision I have in mind. I need a few extra prints to expand these and create a fuller selection that still stays within the boundary of my gentle vision. 

So I went shopping again. And I expanded a bit into some blues. And now I'm waiting for that delivery to arrive before I make a start on my romantic beauty. Which leads me to my next point, I'll be making two Hold Onto Your Heart Quilts this year. I hadn't planned to, but I'm being pulled into two directions- fabric wise, so to be satisfied, I simply have to.

Wish me luck.

WOW: Book Day

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I'm having a book day today. It's stinking hot down my way and I'm cooped up inside with the aircon on, hoping my newly planted herbs survive the extreme heat. It's days like today that I like to take a moment to just take it easy. This gorgeous book arrived yesterday and I've been enjoying every page.  I love Yoko Saito's work, she is a hugely talented woman.

This arrived in a package (it's not THE package) whilst I was waiting on another one. Although it's not what I was eagerly waiting for, it's been a welcome distraction. 

At some point today, my Craftsy fabric is due and I'll be able to make a start on my Hold Onto Your Heart design. I can't wait!

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

HOYH: Part 1 is Launched

And so the journey begins..

The first thing to do is put the heart of this quilt into position. That place where the eye rests and returns and draws from. It's the centre of the scenescapes that surround it and it's the heartbeat behind this quilt. 

This is a flower with a star at it’s core that blooms out into three layers of expanding petals. The first layer consists of ‘heart’ shaped petals that come together circling the star. The second layer is perfectly sized and rounded for intricate fussy cutting or embroidery details and the third layer is a ring of leaves framing this beautiful, floral portal. 

This central focus reminds me of circular windows on old buildings and I love the possibility of how this motif can be transformed by fabric selections. Perhaps you also see a window, or maybe you see a town square or a floating and expanding flower head. Perhaps even, this is a kind of seasonal floral compass guiding all the elements that spring out from it. Who knows? This quilt design will be shaped by your love and your visions, so enjoy each step.

Members, Part 1 is now waiting for you over in the Members Only Area. Head over there to download it.

As for me, I'm still waiting for my fabric to arrive. It's actually due today, so as soon as I have it in my eager hands, I will be blogging my own process for creating Part 1. So if you'd like to wait until then to follow my lead before starting yous,  it will only be a few days. 

See you then!

'Hold Onto Your Heart' is a paid BOM 

It's a breathtaking quilt full of meaningful symbols and beauty. The floral border is a triumph which offers an additional  pieced option - making it versatile for all skill levels. Perfect for lovers and enthusiasts of applique. 

You can start this BOM today! 

Simply click the quilt image to learn more.

Be sure to visit my Online Quilt Group on Facebook where progress images are being shown all the time. It's a massive inspiration and I warn you, it's addictive!

Tick Tock! 3 Days To Go..!

'Hold Onto Your Heart' is a sentimental quilt: it's full of evocative motifs that represent all those values I hold dear to my heart; love, abundance, perseverance, sanctuary and journey. 

The middle section consists of applique scenes before the eye reaches outward and rests in the calm borders. At first glance, the design creates an impression of a life map (..or perhaps a treasure map?) before searching for and finding all those wonderful details that make this quilt so special. 

The floral border is a triumph; full of rose heads tumbling through the vines and spilling over into the previous border. For anyone not interested in the blooming rose border, there is also an alternative pieced border included in the pattern that has been designed to zig zag any gorgeous fabrics you may want to use instead.

Finished Size: 87 x 87 inches for the full floral border. If you opt for the alternative pieced border, the Finished Size will be 85 x 85 inches.

The BOM 2019 runs for 12 months: January 15th 2019 - December 15th 2019. 

All the BOM 2019 patterns will be available in PDF digital format, ready for home printing. Throughout the year, members of BOM 2019 will have access to download the blocks as they are released via an exclusive Members LOGIN page over on my website. 

If you've paid for this BOM, you can click here to login now. 

BOM 2019

Early Bird Discount*

Single one time payment

$83.00 USD

*Normally $95 USD single one time payment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WOW: Impatiently Waiting for the Post

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Well, you already know I'm waiting around for the post to deliver my new fabrics. I'm all excited about this new colour scheme I've opted for and I can't wait to show you. I love it when a new stash of fabric arrives. You can basically smell the possibility and excitement of those beautiful threads sitting there in the box. I know I'm not the only one who loves a new fabric arrival. In fact, I think I like oooohing and aaaahing over other people's fabric stories just as much as I do my own. 

I've already seen a few fabric selections over in my Group and I can already tell that Hold Onto Your Heart is just going to be one of those knockout quilts. Yes, yes, I do love ALL my quilts but I know you know what I mean. Sometimes, a real treasure stands out and you know it's somehow different to all the other beautiful patterns. And for me, Hold Onto Your Heart is my best quilt ever. That's a big call and I have no hesitation in making it. So, the fabric colouring was super important to me. This isn't just a quilt, it's one of 'those' quilts and I have to be completely in love with the fabric before I can be completely at ease about making a start. And you know, I'm itching to make a start. So my fabric delivery really can't come soon enough!

Anyhow, I will take this moment to remind everyone reading this WOW post that the year is going to be a fabulous and creative one. So don't forget, if you have made any of my designs, please be sure to add your finished quilt or project to my online Gallery. You can upload your pics on the spot and then I'll do the rest. The gallery is a great place for others to get inspired and share their talent. I really wish I'd thought of it sooner. 

Here's the link: https://www.estheraliu.com/estheraliuworldwideopengallery 

I can't wait to see your work!

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

Almost Monochromatic

This is my chosen colour scheme. I know, I can't believe it either!

I was really hoping that my chosen fabric for my latest BOM 'Hold Onto Your Heart' would have arrived by now; I want to show it off and share my fabric colourscheme with you all. I have stepped out of my comfort zone and into a scheme that I never thought I would embrace. Not only that, but this is an extra special applique quilt and I expect it to be in my family for, well, forever. So I was full of fabric indecision. Originally I settled on a beautiful range by French General which looks like this:

I saw this range in real life a few months ago and I thought it was very special, it has a reproduction feel to it and the antique styling of the hues really appealed to me. Frankly, it's just beautiful and looks much more inviting in life than the screen image here allows. Unfortunately, when it came time for me to shop the range for Hold Onto Your Heart, it was all but sold out. I could only find bits and pieces but not enough for the whole top. I've learnt the hard way that mixing and matching  between ranges can be a hit and miss affair owing to the undertones and pigment hues and I didn't want to be trying to match up colours the whole time I was working. For me, I like to have all my fabrics 'at hand' when I start out, so I don't have to overthink the fabric process with each little step.

I absolutely fell in love with my polka dot colourings- both the orange and the purple based bright beauties really spoke to me. And if I were making 2 x Hold Onto Your Heart quilts, one of these would have to make the cut - they're gorgeous. In fact, it's hard for me to even look away from them right now as I type this. They hold huge potential to be good love stories, fabric wise.

However, I am mindful that I'm making 3 x Love Always quilts and two of those will be bright and bold beauties just like these two so I want Hold Onto Your Heart to really stand 'separate' from Love Always. And that's how I decided on the black and whites on beige theme which is the first quilt pic at the top of this post.

It's almost monochromatic, but not quite. The beige background gives this otherwise decidedly cool tones quilt a bit of a pulse - it's sophisticated but not cold and the more I look at it and think about it, the more it grows on me. I know that taking this step will be a huge act of perseverance and control - working with low contrast hues like this is not something I've even wanted to do before; but sometimes a certain design calls for you and you can't resist. At least that's what happened in my case. I would never have planned for a cool, black and white on beige quilt, but now that I'm about to start, I really can't wait. I'm hopping foot to foot for my fabrics to arrive so I can see how they shine in real life.

Fingers crossed that I won't be waiting too long now..

WOW: Winners Hooray!

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I've started 2019 by giving away 5x entries to my BOM 2019 'Hold Onto Your Heart' Quilt. Crazy huh? I thought I'd share my love of WIPS! So I suppose you can say that I've started 5 x WIPs for 5 x fellow applique adventurer's! 2019 is already turning out to be a fabulous year and I can't wait to show you what I've decided for my own Hold Onto Your Heart!

Happy Congrats 

 Antoinette Gregan, Mae Adkins, Cheryl Doerfel, Joy Anderson and Judith Goodwin 

who have each been contacted via the original Facebook Post.

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

Merry Christmas 2018: Click the Card to Play!

Merry Christmas

Thank you for a wonderful year of creativity and support

I hope your Christmas involves good people, good food and good times. 

This year I'm a guest at my DDs table, so I'm feeling very grateful not to have any last minute food preparations. I've reached an age where I can just show up and enjoy the day (!!) Well, for this year at least. I'll keep you posted of my festive ooohs and aahhhs over on Instagram as I have no idea what she's planned and I'm taking this whole 'guest' role very seriously!

Lots of love, Esther