Monday, 2 April 2018

BOM 2018: Morning Glory: How I made the Star Block

You've already seen my set aside Star Block of a few days ago, here's how I made it:
 These are my cut pieces for one block
 I marked my seam allowance with a dot so I would know when to stop, and then stitched. Do the same on all 4 x pairs.
 This is two halves of the block. Each consists of two units. 
Make sure all the seams go in one direction. 
That way, when you join the centre, the centre will butt together. 
 Joining in the middle 
 You can see that my seams are all turned smoothly in an anti clockwise direction. You can go clockwise too, what matters is that you keep it consistent. After sewing the middle together, I open the very middle seams that were bunched to lay them down flatter. 
 This is the front. I added the triangles at this stage
 You can see from this seam that I started from the centre and sewed down on each side. 
It's a Y seam. 
 Lastly, I added the squares 
 And again, I stitched from my my pre marked dot down. Then turn and repeat on the other side. 
 At this point I turn
 And stitch from the other side down 
 And this is the other side. Again, you can see my pen dot mark.
 Fully stitched
 This is how I pressed my star block from the back
And the front. 

As I showed in my previous star block post, I check all my blocks  against my 5.5 inch square. 
They always measure 5.5 inches because I keep my seam allowances at a quarter of an inch. 

Some people do a fat quarter or skinny quarter seam allowance. I always prefer a thread thickness less than a quarter. That way, when you turn the seam over, that thread width difference always creates the perfect quarter inch seam. I suggest you test on a scrap of fabric or make a sample block to work out your best seam allowance width for you own hand. There's nothing worse than having a Le Moyne star block that is too small. Neat, accurate seams ensure that this won't happen to you. 






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.

Saturday, 31 March 2018

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.

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

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?



Saturday, 24 March 2018

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!)

Wednesday, 21 March 2018

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?


Wednesday, 14 March 2018

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?


Monday, 12 March 2018

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.
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