Prayer Flag Layer Cake and a Give Away

This morning I tried to quickly choose which thread to quilt my Prayer Flag Layer Cake quilt with before I went to work...

 I always have to spend some time deciding, and I often leave the last word to my daughter. She's always so clear headed; looks, considers and simply says, "That one." But she wasn't here today and I actually had a mini anxiety attack until I thought, "I know, I'll ask my Facebook Page likers. And I'll offer them the chance to go into a draw for two  Aneela Hoey Cherry Christmas Charm Packs. I've always been too shy and scared to do that, but here's a chance to try out a give away." And so I did.

The question is - which thread to quilt with? The yellow or the parchment?

Lots of people have already commented.

This is the quilt top on the design wall. It's only a simple Framed design, like the one I wrote a tutorial about here. Made with a moda April Cornel layer Cake, Prayer Flag. The colours are truly reminiscent of prayer flags fluttering against the sky in Tibet.

So if you would like to go into the draw for two Cherry Christmas Charm Packs 

1.  comment on which thread you would machine quilt this quilt with - yellow or parchment.
2. You can comment here on the blog, or on Quiltopia!Design Facebook
3. The winner will be drawn on Friday 14/12 night.
4. Winner will be posted here, and on Facebook.

Thank You and Good Luck!

You could make a 9 Squared quilt with the two charm packs, like my new Vintage Modern one. This one is for sale on Etsy now.

For SALE $75.00

I got three Moda pre-cut quilts basted on the weekend. The Framed quilt is the only one that still needs quilting, and I'd like to get it done before we go away for Christmas!
back Friday with the winner's name,
Ann.

9 Squared, Framed and jelly Roll Race quilts all ready to be quilted.

Bags

I recently made some bags.

I've never been really into bag making - I'd rather make a large hand quilted quilt than a small and fiddly bag. However, I found some really good ones in Susan Briscoe's new book, Japanese Quilt Inspirations. I decided to make the Kaban (Tote) Bag and the Komebukuro Bag (Rice Bag).

Kaban Bag - one side

I really wanted to feature some of the gorgeous funky new fabrics in the Critter Community range by Suzy Ultman. I love the owls and some of the funky coordinates in this collection. I found the bag really easy to make. Just used some left over scraps of bamboo wadding to pad, and some old jeans (that no longer fit *sob*) for the base, trim and handles. I think the bag is nice with orange top stitching like on jeans, and I like the way I adapted the pattern from the original patchwork block, to the more modern casual look of two fabrics.

Kaban Bag - the other side

You can see my mum's old Singer in the pics. It's an original 50's model, manufactured in Australia and still goes like a steam train engine. Great for getting through some of the bulky seams on these bags. The Komebukuro bag was also fun to make. I used a Moda Charm Pack, Oh My!, instead of Susan's pieced blocks for the sides and it worked out really well - 2 bags from one charm pack. Bargain! Just another amazing use for the charm squares.

Komebukuro Bag

Dusty

Finally, the kitty story. Here's the lovely Dusty keeping me company as I cut I Spy Squares for the I Spy Packs I sell. He always manages to find a spot nearby in the early hours of the morning or the wee small hours of the night when I engage in sewing related activities!
I'm really not used to these new Blogger settings yet - nothing seems to go where you want it to...

 ♥ Just into the store - Alexander Henry, Itty Bitty Berry, and Moda  Always & Forever. Think sweet sticky peppermint candy and berry sorbet with these delicious new additions. Very girlie, very pink and pretty, with dashes of green and grey ♥

xo xo Ann

I Spy Crawl Quilts

I was recently contacted out of the blue by someone who bought one of my I Spy Crawl Quilts several years ago.

I started making these quilts when I lived in Darwin ten years ago, every time a friend or relative had a baby. They were inspired by the hard tile flours in Darwin and the number of soft little babies I knew at the time, including my daughter. Novelty fabrics were really popular then too and everyone was making "I Spy" quilts. When we first moved to Maleny, I started to make the quilts to sell in the local arts and crafts shop.

I designed a label which outlined all the positive features of the quilts and sewed them on the backs. I made the quilts using either a black or white sashing to stimulate the eyes of babies and because they both complemented all the colours in the fabrics.

That label has turned out to be one of my better business decisions, although I didn't know it at the time! I received so many repeat orders for the quilts then...and now a new generation of nieces and nephews have arrived and the orders have started up again. I wrote the label up in my design book at the time, so it was easy to go back to it and copy it out again. The original was dated 2004.

The latest quilts have evolved a bit from the originals:

The I Spy Charm Squares (you can get these from my eBay Store if you press that link)

are now 5 inches instead f 6 1/2 to make it easier to add Moda Charm packs to them if wanted,

(These are the latest two on the design wall.)

The sashings are 2 1/2 inches instead of 1 1/2 inches,

The wadding is 100% organic bamboo rather than thick polyester, and

The quilts are quilted in a crosshatch and tied with wool, rather than just tied.

They still have:

49 charm squares,

Multicoloured solid corner squares and wool ties,

Durable, funky cotton backings,

Bold stripey machine sewn double bindings, and

The same label.

The moral of this story?

Always label your quilts!

Happy sewing,

Ann ♥

p.s. Thank you Chelle, for the sweet photo of your little one on one of the original quilts.

I ♥ Valentine's Day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

My quilt is called I ♥ Valentine's Day

A little while ago I saw a tutorial on Moda Bake Shop about how to make a small Valentine Heart quilt from a combination of Moda Giddy and Red Bella Basics Charm squares.

I decided to modify it a little and make it myself for Valentine's Day.

I didn't have the red squares, so I used 30cm of Bella Solid red instead.

Then I used the left over Giddy squares, cut in half, for the border.

I added some red rickrack (It can only make a quilt better, right?).

I machine quilted a hearts stipple in the heart, then just straight line outlined the heart.

I used the solid red to bind the quilt.

Very simple, but cute. I can see other applications for this design as a larger quilt, and also smaller squares and hearts units.

Fun! What did you do for Valentines day?

♥ Ann.