Neptune.
Posted on June 20, 2025 | 5 Comments
I think that is the name of the fabric in this quilt. I know I bought it quite some time ago, maybe 10 years?
Not totally sure.
I found a pattern designed for layer cakes, but also altered for charm packs. That was what I had in my pile and thankfully there was enough to make this quilt. It ended up at 40 X 54 inches.
The pattern is a free one from The Fat Quarter Shop and is called Layer Cake Crepe. Sometimes I have pre cut fabrics that I am not sure how to use, so this might be a pattern to use again.
I used a soft green thread to quilt the teardrop design. It hides on most of the blocks, but I do like seeing it on the darker backgrounds.
This gives a better representation of the quilting.
The backing is another of the fabrics I bought at a closing down sale.
Yes, the lemons on the tree are ripening up.
I found green and black fabric to use for the binding, and all was done.
A couple of smaller projects have also been completed.
This is a little wool felt hoop project from Fig’n’Berry. There is a tape measure hiding on the side to show how small it is.
Next up is a little Easter ornament.
This is from a pattern by Needle Finery called Elegant Eggs.
It has been very cold here, but every now and then we get some lovely sunshine. On this particular day we were visited by many of our native birds. We had king parrots, crimson rosellas and these ones – maybe eastern rosellas or lorikeets. I need to get my bird book back out.
They do help to brighten the day.
( I have just had a good laugh at spell check – it wants to change rosellas to lacrosse, and lorikeets to strikeouts. Oh dear!)
I hope you all have a good weekend planned. I have lunch with friends and a sewing afternoon tomorrow, and then a catch up with my sisters and our mum on Sunday. And son, DIL and grandies and Monday. That should keep me going for a while.
Cheers, Karen
Paris Again.
Posted on June 13, 2025 | 7 Comments
Paris the fabric, not the city. Although I would enjoy being in Paris.
I have been using the left over Dance in Paris fabric. I made another quilt over two years ago but still had a fair bit left from the fat quarter bundle. There was enough to make this quilt. It is called Fat Quarter Fancy and is a free pattern through Sew Can She.
I think I changed the size to make it slightly smaller so that I could use the fabric I had left- only maybe half an inch off .
It is a very easy pattern to adjust.
I didn’t do a lot of quilting, just straight lines following the seams.
I had enough of one of the green fabrics to do the binding.
I had this bird fabric that I liked, so this quilt was the lucky recipient.
It was one that I didn’t want to cut up, so a backing was the perfect way to use it.
I like it when I can get two good sized quilts out of a fat quarter pack.
Next up, I am playing with hexagons. This is very unusual for me, but the bug has bitten.
I saw a design called Tussie Mussie by Emma Jean Janson, and loved the colours and the different backgrounds. This is my progress so far.
I will need to sort some backgrounds soon to go with these.
Heading in a different direction now, our citrus trees have been very productive this year. We have started picking the ripe mandarins by the bucketful. For a small tree they produce a lot of fruit. We are giving lots away so that they are not wasted.
I love being able to pick fresh fruit in Winter. In another month our oranges should be ready.
Have a lovely weekend. Cheers, Karen
Welcome To Winter.
Posted on June 7, 2025 | 7 Comments
Brrr. It is a holiday weekend here as well as the first weekend of Winter. I think my holiday will be staying at home and keeping warm.
My trees are still in Autumn, but with the winds we are having, I am sure the leaves will be gone very soon.
My taxi driving requests are slowing, so I am able to return to some regular sewing time. As a result I have completed a soft and subtle blue and white log cabin quilt.
It measures about 54inches square and is made with two inch strips, all from my scraps and stash. These pics give and idea of the range of fabrics.
I seem to have used them in many projects over the years.
I did a simple meander for the quilting.
The backing is a dragonfly print.
And the binding is a soft blue and white stripe.
We have managed a short weekend trip away last month to Bendigo to see the Frida Kahlo exhibition.
The gallery there always comes up with exciting displays. Very informative and inspiring.
Of course we made a side trip to the Woollen mills for some purchases. Can’t go to Bendigo without doing that.
Well, I could go outside to rake up the leaves, or I could stay inside and sew.
No decision yet.
Cheers, Karen
Catching Up, Again!
Posted on May 9, 2025 | 7 Comments
I feel a bit like a stranger who has been gone too long. I know I have been busy, but hadn’t realised I had missed a whole month. Plenty of medical issues have kept me busy and none of them were mine. Lots of time has been spent in waiting rooms and next to hospital beds, and being a taxi driver. As a result, sewing has slowed, but knitting and embroidery have kept me company. So now it is time to catch up.
Meet my little cheer squad.
I had run out of my gift supply of knitted monkeys and koalas, so they were a perfect carry along project. There is one more koala waiting to be completed.
I reached a small milestone with my Sue Spargo quilt, Homegrown. The centre panel is now complete.
I have now manged to sew all the houses together and they are waiting for some work with an iron.
The only machine sewing was this small child’s quilt made in the style of the jelly roll race.
Many thanks to Nancy from Grace and Peace Quilting. Nancy gave me the measurements and directions to make the quilt this size – 40 X 50 inches. Greatly appreciated. I had admired hers for quite a while. What a great way to use up lots of left over strips.
The backing is a fine white pin dot on blue. And a striped binding.
It feels good to have caught up, just a little bit!
Mother’s Day weekend is coming up. Hope all the mothers have a lovely and special day.
Cheers, Karen
Adding To The Collection.
Posted on April 6, 2025 | 8 Comments
I am getting towards the end of this burst of donation quilts. The collection is steadily growing. I will now get back to a few of my own quilts, which are waiting impatiently on the sidelines.
This little lap quilt is made from leftover charm squares from the Sherbet Pips fabric line. I had to add in a couple of strays to make up the numbers.
I have been lucky to pick up a few fabrics at a closing down sale that work well as backings. This one with the blue crabs is rather cute.
Next up is another Strippie variation. I had pieces of different fabrics from this range and managed to cobble them together to make suitable sized pieces for a quilt.
And last of all, another group of the little teddy quilts. These are a great way to use up a lot of smaller pieces, both front and back.
Small cuts of flannel fabrics made up the backings.
That’s where I am up to.
I am really enjoying our cooler Autumn days and especially the nights.
And I am looking forward to Grandchildren visiting and Easter.
Cheers, Karen
A Little Catching Up.
Posted on March 22, 2025 | 7 Comments
I had set aside several projects prior to Christmas, but now I have decided they need finishing.
First up, I completed the 4th, 5th and 6th of the Christmas decorations from Fig’n’Berry Creations.
They are a delightful set. Here they are together.
Next up, I need to move on with the centre block from my Sue Spargo quilt, Homegrown. I have managed to complete the inner section and have attached the applique pieces to the border. Now for the embroidery.
I have only completed one of the five flowers, so still a fair bit to go.
And this last picture will look slightly familiar. Yes, another strippie, and yes, another surf quilt.
This time I have made it without borders, so it is slightly smaller. Works well as a bed topper. This goes with the others in the donation collection.
It seems to be a busy time here, so not as much sewing as I would like, but it is nice to be out enjoying the Autumn days. Enjoy your weekend.
Cheers, Karen
Bird Houses And Teddies.
Posted on March 8, 2025 | 7 Comments
I have continued to make more of the Strippie quilts with fabric that has waited patiently in my stash. I will get a few more made for donations, in between some of my own quilts. This one stood out with its bright colours and bird houses.
The birdhouse fabric and the flowers on the blue background are the same fabric range.
I added the stripes from some stash fabric.
The backing is also from that range. I also used it for the binding.
It is lovely to have another ready for the donation pile.
I spent some time this week with friends making a few cards. Very handy to have spares.
I had some panels that were supposed to be used for cushions, but I couldn’t see us using them as such. I saw another post from https://blog.maryquilts.com/, where she uses leftover blocks or small amounts of fabric to make teddy and doll blankets to donate. So I thought I would try the idea, too.
There were two of them.
And then I had to buy some teddies to go with them.
I think I will have to watch this as it could easily become quite addictive.
We have a holiday weekend here and the weather is quite warm, which will be great for all those holidaying, especially at the beach.
Enjoy your weekend.
Cheers, Karen
Abandoned.
Posted on March 1, 2025 | 8 Comments
This quilt is made using the Tim Holtz fabric called Abandoned.
It is made using 10 fat quarters using a design named Geneva. Very simple and basic but making the most of the fabrics.
That made the quilt 48 by 60, but I felt it needed to be bigger, so I chased up some more fabric to add some borders. A thin green strip, then a wider creamish and rusty border.
It has ended up at about 60 by 72 inches.
I decided that this one needed to go to the LAQ and we decided to use a design that has been on one of my previous quilts – Zipper. It creates all these lovely flowing wavy lines.
I had a wideback that I wanted to use.
The quilt is finished off with a light cream/grey binding. All fabrics are from the same range.
The fabrics in this quilt are a far cry from my usual selections, but when I saw this bundle on a recent trip to the US, I knew it would appeal to our grandson. I was right. And he was very impressed. He has seen it before the borders went on, but I know he will love it in its larger format.
I am always happy to make a grandie happy!
As a side note, a fabric shop told me that Tim Holtz is not going to be designing any further fabric. He is moving on to other pursuits. So get his fabric while you can.
Cheers, Karen
Surfs Up!
Posted on February 21, 2025 | 6 Comments
The title of the post makes sense as soon as you see the fabric in the quilt. Surfboards aplenty!
This is the sort of quilt that is perfect for a child who loves the beach and goes surfing.
I have used the strippie idea again for the centre of the quilt. That lets me keep the larger prints in one piece.
Each large strip is bordered by the blue and white palm tree foliage.
There were pineapples in the green strips and also in the blue in the border fabric.
The backing is a gorgeous blue crackle design.
The quilt is finished off with a striped binding.
All the fabrics in the quilt top are from a range called Summer Dayz by RJR Fabrics.
I have a few more strippie quilts cut out, ready to sew. And I am waiting on another quilt from my LAQ. Plenty to keep me going in the meantime. Enjoy your weekend.
Cheers, Karen
Quilt Monopoly.
Posted on February 14, 2025 | 9 Comments
There are so many monopoly variations that I wonder if there is one dedicated to quilting. I wouldn’t be surprised!.
A friend recently gifted me some monopoly themed fabric to make a donation quilt. The width of the pieces led me to make a Strippie quilt as per Mary’s instructions. Click on her name for the link. Mary has a great blog with a huge list of basic quilts which are perfect for donations.
Our grandson enjoyed identifying all the symbols on the fabric.
These quilts can be made larger by adding a border, but I chose to keep it this size.
I had some fabric left to use in the backing, and then added some extra strips.
It is finished with a red spotty binding.
There were even a few scrappy bits left that I turned into a cushion to match the quilt.
Just on a side note, I went to a local store to buy a cushion insert. I had picked it up and was walking out when I saw complete cushion covers and inserts for half the price of just the insert. So the insert was returned to the shelf and I bought several cushions to use instead. They work perfectly. Crazy.
I had a day making a few cards with friends.
Next up is a little floor mat for a baby, about 30 inches square. This is another donation.
In keeping with the donation theme, I have started making gift bags. At the end of the year they are filled with special gifts before being distributed. I hope to make a few of these.
I will finish off with some very good news. I mentioned my 96yo mother having a fall, breaking her hip and having surgery. Believe it or not, after four weeks in hospital and rehab, she has gone home. I find that quite remarkable. Thank you for all your kind comments about mum.
Cheers, Karen
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