Bloom Bloom Pow – Finished!

Yes creative title I know. But you get the idea, I”m sure! You’re welcome to imagine a better title for the post if you’d like. Feel free to imagine better photos while you’re at it. A photographer, I am not.



It is done and it is big! It’s King Single size – one of the biggest quilts I’ve done in awhile! I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I’m even loving the neutral binding, instead of the bright pink I had first imagined.

Quilting is pretty simple. Some double straight lines across the blooms and then outline quilting around the borders.



I had grand visions of doing so much more with the quilting and even trying some FMQ. But my neck said no. So did my back. So did the fabric. And the basting pins. And let’s just say everything was conspiring against me. For the sake of the quilt, I quit while I was ahead and still like the thing.



Here’s a sunlit pic of the pieced back. It’s not actually that transparent. I did add batting I assure you, thought it may not look like it with this pic (see above note about imagining better photos). It’s very sunny outside. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.



Little Miss 3-next-week chose the backing fabric. Would have loved to have done a complete back in that pink, but at $16.99 a metre, it wasn’t going to happen. So pieced it was with some cheaper fabric. Hey it’s the back, it’s going on her bed. She won’t notice. Much.



And here’s what it will look like on her bed. Pretty pretty.

Please ignore the hideous wall paint colours – we are renting, so no choice on that. I did however edit out the incredibly badly red stencilled hot air balloons that adorn the walls. Seriously, what were those people thinking?!

All in all it’s a happy quilt. I really enjoyed the QA at Freshly Pieced and loved hanging out in a little group of Aussies cheering each other on (Quilt love to Molli, Midge, ChristieLeigh and Janine!). I’m particularly happy it’s done with plenty of time to spare before the birthday. Whew.

And finally – I’m still tinkering with the code for the Paper Piecing Party button (God save me from html), but hoping that you are tinkering with something fabulously paper pieced to share in the inaugural linky party this weekend! I have something super fun to share – can’t wait!

Introducing - A Paper Piecing Party!

I heart paper piecing. Pretty sure you’re likely to have figured that out by now. I love piecing, making patterns, seeing other people’s paper piecing, discovering new patterns. I love all of it. Except for pulling off the paper on the back. But even that I can live with.

So I thought it was about time that we truly celebrated paper piecing – and what better way than with a party? Not only that, a regular weekly party!

How about a linky party just for paper piecing? Oh I can hear you shout “Yes please, our lives have been so lost without one!”. Well worry no more my friends, problem solved.



Each weekend, I’ll be hosting a Paper Piecing Party right here on my blog. All you have to do is come join in the fun and link up something paper pieced you’ve been working on! It might be a finished project, a block, part of a block, a new pattern you’re planning to try… anything you like. So long as it’s related to foundation paper piecing, we’ll all be happy quilters. :)

Thought it might be fun to add in a prize each week for linking up – because really, we all love prizes right? So each week I will pick one of the links to win a free pattern of their choice from my Craftsy shop. That’s right, I’m totally enabling you to keep on paper piecing!

Keen?! Who wouldn’t be?! Pop back here on the weekend and share your paper piecing prowess! The linky will be open from late Friday night to early Monday morning (Aussie time). Share your project with us, link back to my blog (or add the button to your sidebar!) and visit some of the other paper piecing fanatics. Let’s spread the paper piecing love!

Fontastic - Blogger's Quilt Festival

It's that time - the Blogger's Quilt Festival! A time to check out awesome inspiring quilts and discover new blogs along the way. What's not to love?!

Hardest part is picking what to enter! I've decided to enter Fontastic for the festival. It's one of my favourite quilts so far - mainly because of all the love that has gone into it. Not just by me ;) It's a fabulous collaborative entry!

I've posted about this previously, but this is a new post for the festival. Even took a couple new pics for it! Need pics right?

Here it is! 33 inspiring and encouraging words, pieced by 28 different quilters. These lovely ladies helped me out by testing my paper pieced alphabet pattern (Just My Type available in my Craftsy store). My lovely friend Erin suggested making a word quilt with the tester blocks. And so we did!

 It is backed with a really lovely snuggly fleece so it'll be nice and cosy.

I love that without much (any?!) discussion amidst the testers involved, we got a really great rainbow of blocks! So of course to finish off the quilt, what could be better to go with that than a bit of Simply Color?

I was surprised at how easily the blocks went together with so many different contributors. But it was so easy to put together. I just did very simple straight line quilting as I didn't want to take away from the effect of the blocks. I think they are outstanding on their own :)

Again - a huge thank you to all the wonderful girls involved in making this - from Erin's idea, right down to Gina naming it Fontastic. It's been collaborative through and through. And fitting for such a quilt - it will be donated to charity.

Final stats:

Quilt name: Fontastic

Measurements: Big haha! Around 80"x 90""

Special techniques: Paper piecing

Machine quilted: by me (very basically!!)

Entering this in the group/bee category for the Blogger's Quilt Festival.

A Post Pertaining to Paper Pieced Paper Planes. Perplexing? Perhaps.

Don't mind me - I can't resist a little bit of alliteration. There are just too many P's in the title of this quilt to ignore.

So may I present A Paper Pieced Paper Plane Quilt, affectionately known as the plane quilt.

This quilt is all because of my friend Erin. It was her brilliant suggestion to make a paper plane block for Le Challenge. Well I can't let my friends down, so I came up with this block. Here's the EQ7 sketch with the finished block.

Which was all fine and dandy. But a block wasn't enough. It needed to become a quilt. After many sketches, many ideas, and much time quizzing the wombats and my mum and sister on which design they liked best... I went with the above layout with 6 little paper planes happily flying about.

A bit of ouline quilting around the planes... and I even attempted some FMQ to add some squiggly bits behind each plane.

 It makes for a pretty cool looking back I reckon!

And I did a quick and easy binding - using the backing fabric pulled over to the front. Perfect!

 Better still - I can now tick off a finished project, and have only 3 more baby quilts to make. Woohoo!

If you're keen to try your own paper pieced paper plane - it's a free pattern in my Craftsy shop.

 Yep I'm happy with this one. You might say I'm a pleased paper plane paper piecer perhaps.

 Linking up with Le Challenge this month for the theme of Wings.

Can't stop making things

Once upon a time, I was the kind of quilter who worked on one project from beginning to end before embarking on a new one. Somewhere along the line I have become the kind of quilter who has a bazillion projects on the go.

Take today for example.

First I quilted a baby quilt I've been working on. It will be done by Wednesday for Le Challenge. But here's a sneak peek of some of the quilting.

Then I decided to make the backing for the other baby quilt I've been working on. No pic of the backing yet but here's the front again - because I like showing it off ;)

Then I switched quilts again and made the binding for Bloom Bloom Pow. I've started attaching it but it's still sitting in the machine looking pretty much like this photo.

Oh yes my friends, that is white binding going on a quilt with a lot of white. A bold choice perhaps but I'm too impatient to wait for my order with more Bubble Gum pink Kona to arrive and I had enough white on hand... so white it is. In addition to being an easily distracted quilter, I am also an impatient quilter. Apparently.

Yeah I don't know what's going on with me. Old me quilter would have finished these in a logical order before moving on to the next. But this inner quilter of mine who insists on exerting herself and making ALL the things? Yeah who knows what we'll do tomorrow. Maybe start a new project instead!

Lucky + Simply Color = Happy quilt

I love Simply Color. I love Camille's new pattern Lucky. With their powers combined, there's some pretty happening here.

This one is my favourite block.

 But I guess you'd like to see the entire quilt top, yeah? Okay!

I picked out the diamond pattern prints from a Simply Color Layer cake and paired it with a white solid. Mainly because that's the solid I had the most of and I thought it'd look pretty. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm all about pretty in my quilting.

The cornerstones in the sashing are also from Simply Color - just went with the flowery prints for this. 

I probably spent the most time of this quilt top trying to decide which way I should lay out the squares. it was a tough decision between random scrappy and matchy matchy.

 With a bit of consultation with the Wombats (seriously, where would I be without their second, third, fourth etc opinions?!), matchy matchy won.

 I decided to just go with the four blocks to make this into a baby quilt. It's just over 40"square. As with all Camille's patterns, it was easy to put together and gives a great result. I just might have to go and get Fireworks next. I love that one too.

Perhaps though, I should actually get this (and Bloom Bloom Pow) made into a finished quilt before I go off on other projects. Perhaps.

Wednesday, blooming Wednesday

And I mean that in the nicest possible way of course. Because today's WiP Wednesday is all about blooms. Bloom Bloom Pow to be precise!

I have my quilt top done! That sound you're hearing right now? That's cheering with a few "hallelujahs"thrown in for good measure. I was surprised at just how quickly it came together! Now the actual basting, quilting and binding... may not be so quick (though my gorgeous friend Ms Midge finished hers in record time!).

 So I went with the smaller version of the QA (hosted by Lee of Freshly Pieced - directions are staying up so no worries on missing out on making one of your own!). But when it came time to square up the quilt top, I couldn't bear to cut off the edges of the blooms on the sides. So I added some extra pieces in to the sides.

 I sewed 8 v-seams without marking first. On the same day, my sister went bungy jumping. Clearly we are a family that like to live on the wild side.

There were a lot of scraps leftover from the Blooms but I didn't have my creative genius cap on that day so couldn't figure out how to piece teeny triangles and strips into a border without sending myself crazy. So I settled for using more of the solids in 4"squares. Happy with that decision!

So with the borders added - the quilt top fits beautifully on a single size bed. Now I just have to get busy and make the backing (fabric bought today, woo!) and figure out how to quilt it. maybe I should get adventurous and do some FMQ like Ms Midge did! I love that she quilted her daughter's name into the quilt - they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Consider yourself flattered Midge. ;)

 It's been a very fun quilt top to put together - helped along by a fun group of friends (oh and hey Molli, I'm thinking maybe you're right, white binding?! Don't be too shocked!).

One last pic of pretty then I'm done. For now.

Linking up with WiP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced!

P.S. You might have noticed a giveaway or two (or two hundred?!) happening around blogland care of Sew Mama Sew. You can find and enter my part of the giveaway craziness here!