'Love Always' by Dottie Cincis

Love Always by Dottie Cincis of Southern California

Dottie Cincis of Southern California has created a jaw dropping Love Always in this beautiful colour pallette. Dottie tells us it's 'machine appliqued on an old 1970 Singer sewing machine using a zig zag stitch. Home machine quilted by Irene Chang. This is my favorite quilt I’ve ever made. It will be given to my daughter after I’ve had it in my home for a while (it’s going to be very hard to part with!)'

Well Dottie, I quilted my best quilts on a 1950s Elna so I can attest that old machines are the best machines and certainly no barrier to making incredible quilts. Wow, yours is a true beauty and I know your daughter will cherish it. Although, you may be tempted to make another. I'm personally making 3 x!

'Love Always' 

Read more about this quilt by clicking here now

 

--------------------------- Open Quilt Gallery--------------------------- 

Thanks to Dottie Cincis for sharing her finished quilt with us all to take inspiration from. If you'd like to see more finished quilts made from any of my patterns, visit my Open Gallery. It's a place for all quilters who make any of my quilts to show off their creations in a central online gallery. It's new and I hope you'll join us by adding your own quilt there. Submitting your quilt pics is easily done via an upload screen directly on my website. Click here now if you'd like to submit your own quilt.

'Queen's Garden' by Glenda Jean Hepburn

Be still my beating heart! Oh Glenda, you've done it again! 

Isn't this just drop stitch gorgeous? Glenda's Queen's Garden is a riot of colour and sunshine. The dark background just makes all these vibrant blocks zing into a happy, blooming scene. I love how all these blocks have come together and I love it when a quilt is so happy, it's infectious.

Every inch is fabulous, it just brightens my day.

'Queen's Garden' 

Read more about this quilt by clicking here now

--------------------------- Open Quilt Gallery--------------------------- 

Thanks to Glenda Jean Hepburn for sharing her finished quilt with us all to take inspiration from. If you'd like to see more finished quilts made from any of my patterns, visit my Open Gallery. It's a place for all quilters who make any of my quilts to show off their creations in a central online gallery. It's new and I hope you'll join us by adding your own quilt there. Submitting your quilt pics is easily done via an upload screen directly on my website. Click here now if you'd like to submit your own quilt.

WOW: Mess Making

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I can't show you what I'm working on today as it's sample piecing for the new BOM. But I can tell you this, it's not to wait until the big reveal!

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

WOW: Getting Ready for BOM 2019

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I try to set each Wednesday aside in order to complete some WIPs. It makes me feel good to know that I have a day devoted to actually completing the things I start. And I start many things. And it would take many lifetimes to complete the catalogue of ideas in my mind. But today my mind and attention is turning to 2019. It's nearly time to announce the BOM for next year and I'm thinking about how I want to spend it in terms of fabric, techniques and direction. 

I've started buying a bunch of flowers to celebrate each new pattern I complete and this is the latest bunch. These flowers in their cheerful yellow, orange and blue remind me of my blog. A good sign I think. I can't wait to share my ideas for the year ahead, it's the most exciting WIP in my mental stash.

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

My Stash Busting Stars Top

Remember my Stash Busting Stars quilt? I love that pattern. And as soon as I started cutting up the fabrics I had set aside from my stash, I saw I had too much of it. And I really wanted to use it all up (without bothering to make another quilt) so I added bits in. I added a sashing between the blocks and corners on the blocks and an extra border. Just because. 

For me, patterns are a 'guide', even when I intend to make the design 'as is', I rarely do. I don't think this pattern actually needs any adjustment, but I did decide to modify it as I went along in order to make it bigger and use up the extra fabric.I love this range and I knew I wouldn't be using the fabric for anything else so I couldn't stand to waste it. It's a stash buster for sure.

Some people just don't like stash busters, but I love them. They're the perfect way to test new skills, try new blocks and later, practice your quilting on. I think a quick stash busting quilt at least once a year is just the thing to use up a few fabrics from the mountain and try out some new threads too.

This beauty been on my wall all week and you know what? My DH is confused by it - he sees a mash up of colours and fabrics that don't make sense to his sensibilities... but I must admit that I LOVE IT! My DDs love it too although several guests to my house have agreed with my husband.

Some people just don't understand or see the beauty of quilts in the same way that I do. I mention this to remind any unappreciated quilter's out there that we're a special bunch and not everyone is going to 'get it' and that's fine. For me, everyone ooohs and aahhhs over my applique pieces and walks straight past my patchwork quilts without so much as a second glance.

And talking about all this reminds me of the time when I had a quilt on the machine for domestic machine quilting. A non quilting friend came around and was curious to see my quilting stitches. After admiring the top for a few seconds, she remarked 'oh that's great, I got one just like it from Ezi Buy'. For those of you who don't know, Ezi Buy is a kind of home living catalog and they sell commercially quilted bed coverlets - you know the room decor ones? I just thought that was the funniest thing. Imagine toiling away for hundreds of hours over a mere quilt when I could have simply shopped one for $89.95! Hahaha!

Anyhow, this beauty is complete now and I'll be taking it down and rolling it up ready for basting and quilting some other time as I'll be too busy to get it completed this year and will have to reconsider my quilting options in the new year as I'm developing quite a queue.

Phew! Another WIP just about done. I'm delighted. See you tomorrow for WOW.

WOW: Yarn Time

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I have hundreds of quilt WIPs but every year I like to complete at least one yarny WIP. My next yarn project will be made up with this merino blend from Peru. How gorgeous are these colours? As soon as I set eyes on it, I knew it would be perfect for a winter scarf. Although I prefer to crochet these days, this yarn demands to be knitted owing to the threads wrapping around the fibres. I'm thinking something super basic - I don't think any stitch variation would work with a yarn this busy so I'm hoping to get it stitched up as quickly and easily as possible. 

What's Your Latest Yarn Project 

& 
How Long Did It Take You To Finish? 

An InLinkz Link-up

Book Of The Week: Making Needle Felted Animals

It's time for me to learn something completely new and just play. 

Do you ever get that feeling? Sure, quilting is my first love but I like being an absolute beginner sometimes and just about now, I would like to learn how to make felted animals. 

True to my love for textiles, I'll still be working with a fabric of a kind and with my hands, but this is a challenge I really hope I can rise to. The idea of being able to craft a whole farmyard of gorgeous little creatures is just too tempting. 

Have you ever needle felted an animal?