Outlander craft swap

This week I mailed off another swap package for the Outlander Craft Swap on IG.

I was on #teamLallybroch and decided to make my partner a pillow using a fabulous paper pieced kilt pattern by Juliet @ Tartankiwi. 

The pillow is bordered in a celtic print fabric -  I added in the kilt pin for decoration so it can be removed by my swap partner later on if she wishes.

The pillow is backed in a deer print home dec weight fabric as the deer features on Jamie Frasers' clan crest in the series.

I also made a zip pouch using a few fabrics also following the "Outlander" theme - some dragonflies for the second book "Dragonfly in Amber", Scottish thistles and more deer.

And a couple of extra items for my partner - a notebook with deer and roses for Claire (the English rose) and some Scotch finger Shortbread biscuits.

And I included a card made using a photo of the Australian Standing Stones monument at Glenn Innes, NSW, Australia which I took a few years ago. The annual Celtic festival is being held there this weekend but there are severe weather and possible flood warnings current in our area so we decided not to risk going away - maybe next year...

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday @ Quiltstory.

This was on my Q2 FAL list for this year so linking up with Adrianne @ On The Windy Side.

Kirsten.

FAL

http://www.onthewindyside.co.nz/2015/04/introducing-official-2015-finish-along.html

A few of you may have seen that Adrianne recently introduced her FAL cheerleading squad to help her out with the 2015 FAL and along with Rhonda, Leanne, Helen and Wendy, I am thrilled to be a part of this great team. Adrianne very kindly commented that I have (and I quote) "been kicking some WIP butt this year" so I thought I would do a quick post with some hints and tips for getting things done.

Now I do like having a list to work from and it is really just about being organised. It is like what is often said about going grocery shopping...you are more likely to stick to what is on your list and not get sidetracked if you actually make a list in the first place. But it also needs to be a manageable list - if it all looks too overwhelming then you might think that it is all too much when really it is quite achieveable just by chipping away at it a little at a time.

In saying that , there will always be those projects that you just have to do now!! Either a new fabric or a pattern might come out that looks amazing and you want to use it right away and that is fine too - there will always be a few things that sneak in on top of the list and regardless, it is another finish anyway!!

1. Gifts:  try to plan ahead for any birthdays/special occasions that are coming up so that the present can be delivered on time. I usually have something in mind to make and just have to choose fabrics to suit the person.

2. Crochet - I recently took up crochet again and have found this a very relaxing project as it is something that can be put down and picked up again easily.  I just do a stripe of colour every evening whilst watching TV which takes me about an hour to do. So to crochet a blanket that is 60-70 colour changes long, that is only about 2 months work but as I am doing it in little bits at a time, it gets done without even really noticing it. And you can also save a lot of time by weaving the ends in as you go!

3. Swaps: I participate in a lot of swaps (mainly mini quilts or pillows) as I find it is a great way to try new sewing skills and also to connect with other quilty people around the world. There is usually a few months before the swap items are to be mailed but I like to get in ASAP and get it done just in case something goes wrong and I have to start again so that I can still be on time.

4. WIP's: these are partially finished projects that for some reason didn't quite get done - and often only take a little more work to actually be a finished project.

5. Smaller projects like epp hexagons or embroidery, and even hand stitching binding on quilts are quite portable and can be taken to things like kids dancing lessons or sport training sessions or on long car trips - it is surprising how doing little bits here and there can add toward a finished project.

6. Quilts: being a part of a quilting bee means that each month or so, you make a few blocks for another person in the group and by the end you all end up with enough blocks to make a quilt top. This is a great way to 

X-factor pillow swap - round #9

The X-factor pillow swap recently held another round with Drunkards Path blocks as the feature.

The pillow I entered is named "Tibouchina" after the purple flowering trees that are quite prolific in our area at this time of year. 

One variety (Tibouchina Alstonville) is named after the northern NSW town where it was developed which is also where I lived when I first moved down here from Brisbane over 25 years ago.

The late afternoon Autumn sunlight catching on these blooms is almost identical to the colour of the fabric in the pillow.

I used Lizzy House jewels in Magenta from Hello Pilgrim to make the "petals" of the flower.

Then quilted the pillow in a cross hatch design and backed it in a cute spot print, before binding in a coordinating fabric which has touches of the pretty purples in it.

So now that we have voted on the pillows in the swap, this one will be mailed off to a new owner this week:)

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday @ Quiltstory. 

Kirsten.

Q2 Finish-Along goals!

We were away on holidays last week and I had plenty of time to have a think about what to put on my Q2 finish-along list so here goes... 

 1.  Bruce: this project is first on my list as I didn't get around to it last quarter...

2. Pattern testing for Jess @ Elven Garden Quilts again - this time I am using colours inspired by this Astrid bundle by Erin McMorris from my LQS Rainbow Patchwork.

3. Outlander Craft swap - I am on Team Lallybroch and have chosen some Scottish themed fabrics to use to make a couple of projects including a paper pieced pillow...

  4. Tessa basket by Green Letter Day - planning on doing some Cotton &Steel patchwork for this....

5. Wildwood fabric: I would like to try making a downsized Noodlehead "SuperTote" with these beautiful organic Cloud 9 fabrics.

6. Lizzy House MQS: I am on Team Riddle and have my partner already so am going to dig into my Lizzy House stash to make a mini quilt using one of the Thimbleblossoms mini quilt patterns. I just bought some of the new mini pearl bracelets to use too:)

7. DUACAL: I have done the first set of rows on this blanket but haven't gotten much further...

8. Table runners for Mothers' day: using some Terra Australis fabrics.

9 Cotton and Steel MQS: I have made a couple of practice blocks already which I might incorporate into an extra item ...

10.  I would like to make this shirt using a pattern from Anna Maria Horner with this lovely rayon.

Linking up again with Adrianne @ On The Windy Side for the Q2 FAL....

Kirsten.

2015 Finish Along Q1

I had quite a few projects on my list for the first quarter FAL 2015 and I am happy to say that I got most of them done!!

1. A mini Swoon quilt using Terra Australis fabric - check!

2. The #aussiebagswap2015 Cotton and Steel 241 bag - check!

  3. The #kittenmqs2015 mini quilt swap - check!

  4.  Bruce  - pattern by Jodie @ Ric-Rac: well Bruce din't get much of a look in this quarter - maybe next time!

5. Marsala Maples quilt using prints from various Denyse Schmidt fabrics- check!.

6. A Queen Bee bag from the Moda Bake Shop - check!

 7.My Rainbow Ripple Rug  - check!

8. A Quick Brown Fox pillow - check!

9. Pattern testing the "Star Jump" quilt for Jess @  The Elven Garden - check!

 10. A "Foxy Ladies" mini quilt for the #igminiswapOz - check!

So that is 9/10 for the first quarter - now to make a start on my list for Q2 FAL.

.Linking up with Adrianne @ On The Windy Side for the  Q1 2015 FAL - thanks so much for hosting and keeping us organised Adrianne!
Kirsten.

Queen Bee bag

A friend of mine needed a bag to store her quilting mat and rulers in and after showing her the "The Queen Bee Bag" from the Moda Bake shop, we decided that it would be the perfect pattern. 

She chose some lovely Japanese Buzuko Duck fabric, and some solid black for the handles.

To make the bag study enough, I did some straight line quilting through the layers of duck, batting and canvas to form the panels for the bag.

I resized the bag slightly to fit her cutting mat which was wider than my one, and she said that it fitted perfectly!

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday @ Quiltstory. 

This was on my FAL Q1 list for this year so linking up with Adrianne @ On The Windy Side.

Kirsten.

IG mini Oz - Foxy Ladies

The #igminioz Foxy Ladies mini quilt is now on its way to my partner...

I used the Fancy Fox pattern by Elizabeth Hartmann @ Oh Fransson but I made these foxes smaller so they finished at 3 x 4".

These fox blocks are quite addictive to make and it didn't take me long to have a skulk of them ready for the mini quilt.

To send along with the mini quilt,  I made an Armchair Sewing pincushion using the tutorial by Amy @ During Quiet Time,

Along with a matching needle case in some sewing themed fabric.

This project was on my FAL Q1 list for this year so linking up with Adrianne @ On The Windy Side.

Kirsten.