Feeling Creative?

...then get out your stencilling brush!

One thing I really love about quilting is it's scope.... to challenge, delight, inspire and encourage - that's how I got into stencilling, and I haven't looked back.

If you'd like to try something new and you're in Melbourne next month, why not come along to the AQC - Australian Quilters Convention? I'm a tutor this year and my workshop will be exploring stencilling.

This wall hanging, Not Quite Shabby Chic is one of my favourite workshop quilts to teach - its so adaptable, just a switch of colours can change the whole feeling, the stencil roses bouquet in the centre is a really rewarding (and straight forward) piece to stencil.

If you have'nt tried stencilling yet, you're missing out!

Click the AQC button on the left hand side of this blog for more info!

CORRECTION!

The glitch gremlins are in....

Block 3, Love Apple, has 2 measuring mistakes.

A Block 3 correction sheet has now been added to scribd.com with the error positions highlighted and the correct data entered. Please download this correction sheet when downloading block 3.

Apolagies to all of you who may have been confused by this error, and thank you to Eugenie for pointing it out.


PLEASE NOTE:

When a block's finished size is, say, 16" by 9" and in the cutting directions I instruct that the background be cut to 16.5" by 9.5" - this is NOT an error. I always allow a half inch for seam allowance. There have been a few queries about this half inch, and this is the reason.

Finished size means no seam allowances, so when the block size is indicated at the beginning of the pattern, it is listing the finished size. When making the block, the seam allowance size is referred to.

What's enough red anyway?

Red and White is so stunningly simple...yet evocative.

Personally, I can't get enough red in my designing at the moment, and whilst Red Delicious has definitely started taking care of my fabric stash, I knew I wouldn't feel finished until I extended the red theme with some stencilling.

Stencilling is a beautiful, traditional and almost forgotten quilting technique - I utilise it alot as it allows you to make designs from your own sketches in an original, challenging and enjoyable way.

Here I designed a Red stencil cushion, I know, I know...I even thought about moving into Blue & White (also stunning) but my heart currently belongs to Red!

Country Craft and Decorating Magazine is now available, so why not add to your red project list?

Red Delicious, Block 3: Love Apple

Love Apple is launched

It's nearly time.....

No sneak peeks, just a reminder....it's nearly time to change blocks again

Farewell Grace

Farewell my dear friend Grace

'We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned
so as to have the life that is waiting for us'

...you are already sorely missed...

It's still a New Year

We're still in January, and already some fellow stash busters (who shall remain nameless) have faltered. I know it seems hard, but what better way to focus on creativity, and design, and resourcefulness than using what we already have? I'm commited to staying on track with this! In fact I've already started designing another stash busting quilt

It may be economy, shelf space or guilt, but whatever the motivation for stash busting, remember - hoarding fabric does not help quilts (even future quilts!) get made - I can vouch for this.

Just this week I caught my daughters wondering out loud about what they would do with all my fabric if I suddenly wasn't around...which motivated me to stop looking through my latest quilt catalogue ( I was just looking)

Now really, it's not that hard...and every month on the 15th its going to be just that little bit easier - with a new Red Delicious block and a new reason to use up whats already sitting on the shelf waiting to be used....