Paintbrushes at the Ready!

There's a new hot spot to learn everything you need to know about painting on fabric, making and using stencils and creating quilts with paints.

So, if you've ever thought about quilt stenciling or painting, I have a new Group over on Facebook that you might be interested in. It's called the Stenciled & Painted Quilts Group and the whole point of this group is to share, teach, encourage and learn all about quilt stenciling and painting.

Sounds good? It gets even better because it's completely free to join and I'll be adding new projects and sharing skills in this Group throughout the year, so whether you've been stenciling for years or are a complete novice, it's a great place to take part and build up a skill sharing community.

Why? I've been stenciling for over 15 years and painting on fabric for over 30 years. I love sharing stencil designs and projects and I need a hub where anyone who's interested can connect with other like minded people and learn, explore, create and make all year round. A Group is the perfect place to make this happen.

So go ahead, pull out those paint brushes and get set for a year of creativity skill share. And you know me, there's always an interesting project just around the corner..and now that I have a Group to share my stenciling and painting ideas with .. well, the sky's the limit!

See you there!

Stenciled & Painted Quilts Group

WOW: Quilting Home Beautiful

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

What a mess! This is what I have done to a usually, clean calm spot in my house. I need another house just to manage all my artistic pursuits and at least one floor will have to be dedicated to quilting and another to fabrics. A Quilter can dream, can't she? After all, I need something to keep my thoughts cheerful as I get through my mountain of quilt checking, unrolling, re-rolling, storing and tidying up.

I have a gorgeous new parcel of fabrics and 3 BOMs that I'd rather be playing with right now, but my recent moth attack has made me all house busy.

I can't wait to get over this bump.

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

How I Store My Quilts: Use Your Noodle!

I use plastic pool noodles to store my quilts. I prefer to roll my quilts, not fold them as I can't stand creases, particularly as many of my quilts end up on the wall.

I sew a calico 'pouch' over each noodle to protect the quilt form the plastic fibres. I have never encountered any colour transfer, but you can't be too careful. I always buy the lightest coloured noodle I can get my hands on - usually pink or yellow

 I roll my quilt carefully, taking care not to bend the binding. Once I'm sure the binding is nicely lines up with the covered noodle, I simply roll.

Than I tie my rolled quilt up with cotton tape, and finally I'll cover this rolled quilt with a calico long bag. Every few years I make a batch of new, long calico bags for this purpose. If I run out in between, I wrap the rolled up quilt with the calico - like a present- and then store it in a dark room. I actually store my quilts in a spare room with the UV blocking blinds closed.

I usually keep large sprigs of drying rosemary in this room to repel any moths or other fabric eating nasties and this has always worked. Except I haven't done this in the last few years as I got complacent. I will have to return to this habit as I'm currently cleaning up a moth attack in my wardrobe. Luckily they didn't reach my linen cupboard, bedsheets or fabric stash. That would have been a very expensive loss. When I dry rosemary in the room, the whole room smells like a herbal shop, it's very fragrant but stays contained and doesn't waft around the house. I find rosemary a bit irritating after a while so I might start growing lavender as someone suggested it had the same effect on moths. I will have to look into this as I find lavender very pleasant and would probably prefer it. As for now, I don't mind the cedar balls I've popped in my wardrobe.

Now it's time for me to finish my rolling and get back to making.. I have 3 BOMs to get started!

Checking My Bed Of Roses

Having checked out my linen cupboard, I'm now double checking all my stored quilts.This is one of the first quilts I made back when I stated, so it must be about 15 years old now. Boy, does time fly when you're busy quilting. It feels like just yesterday.

This is a pieced and stenciled quilt. I love stenciling and all these roses are stenciled with Jo Sonja paints and textile medium.

This quilt has been enjoyed and stored and enjoyed some more and I'm happy to report that the stenciling looks as fresh as it did the day I first painted it. This is the wonder of modern textile mediums - if you follow the manufacturer's instructions, any stenciling you create will last as long as commercially printed fabrics.

 It's a two sided quilt, with pieced and stenciled blocks on the front and the quilt back is a whole cloth stenciled design I made up just to satisfy my love of all things romance and roses.

 Another thing that captures my eye, apart from the crisp paint colours, is the quilting. 

Bed of Roses was domestic machine quilted on a 1950's Elna sewing machine and I was a total newbie, just playing around. I've been fairly disappointed with sewing machines in recent years and I can honestly tell you with what life experience I have, that they just don't make them like they used to. I don't currently have a sewing machine I love, so I can't offer any recommendations. When this changes, I'll let you know. Heck, I'll shout it from the rooftops. But for now I'll just admire my determination to get this quilting done back in the day with what I had.

When I started out in quilting, I came from an artistic background and mindset, so I simply did things. No one had 'got to me' or told me that it couldn't be done or shouldn't be done a certain way. I was lucky in that I really wasn't influenced by any one or thing or brand. Nowadays when I'm out and among Groups of quilters, I'm often taken aback with the snobbish and somewhat elitist attitude that exists out there with what Quilter's Should Be Doing.

I think you should whatever you can with whatever you've got. If you wait until you have all the nice new, expensive tools you'll never get anything done.

This is the other vacuum foot I have set aside for vacuuming my quilts. It looks tougher than the horsehair one, but the bristles are actually soft. The fibres you see in the fibres here are not scrapped off my quilt top, they're from my table from before I laid the quilt down, it was covered in fluff and threads.

 As I'm looking over my quilts, I'm giving them a quick dust clean just because it's convenient. I did this before I rolled them up for storage the first time and they probably don't need it at this point.

And these are the quilts yet to be checked, I'l; be so relieved when this day is finally over.

Moth Attack!

Urgh! I'm under a moth attack!

I haven't seen any evidence of them, but they must be somewhere sleeping off this great feast

They have very good taste, only bothering to nibble away at my favorite mohair items and completely bypassing those old woolens I probably wouldn't miss.

I'm particularly fond of this zip up item which I wear on my walks in winter as it's so light and warm. And, it was a good addition to my resolution to avoid wearing black. But now it's completely ruined and I can't buy another one in this shade, it can only be repurchased.. in black. I'm so annoyed!

This item below is my favourite ruby red, warm, cosy cardigan for winter.

It only has a little nibble, but they made sure to do it on the front side 

where any darning would just look shabby. 

There's another two of these size bites higher up on the same side. I really don't think it's salvageable. 

but back to my favourite zip up

I really don't want to part with it, even though it looks like I've wrestled it from the jaws of a Mastiff. 

So I was thinking, I could 'patch' it with cute fabrics? But my DH has put his foot down at me walking around with random love-heart appliques stuck around my zip up top. I don't know, I think it could be OK? I'm not even going to  mention it to my DDs as they'll surely just sneak in and dispose of it for me when I'm not watching.

Why doesn't anyone in my family have any sartorial vision?

This week has been all about soaking the cedar balls in cedal oil and auditing every single garment in the house. Tomorrow, I'm going through my entire linen cabinet - which is somewhat significant and will take all 3 woman of this family to conquer. I haven't been one of those people who vacuum seals garments between seasons, but now I will be. There's a mountain of those bags to suck down into airless cubes and store away until needed and it looks like I'm going to be busy doing it all weekend.

Happily they haven't touched any quilts or fabrics.

See you on the other side of my moth crisis.

BOM 2018: Monthly Option Ending

You already know how incredible this BOM year is shaping out to be and we've only just started. If you'd like to take part and pay installments by the month, 

this option closes on January 22nd

  BOM 2018  

$9.90USD per month for 10 months

Access the BOM 2018 for 12 months

WOW: Vacuuming My Quilts

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays 

I've been taking turns to bring down and vacuum my wall quilts since Monday, it's tiring work! I can't believe how much dust each one has collected in just a year and its taking me a good 45 minutes to an hour to thoroughly but gently brush every inch, front and back. I use a horsehair attachment I set aside only for this use. It's a boring job, but someone's got to do it.  

Next up, I have to check all my rolled and stored quilts for any moth damage as I've recently discovered some damaged jumpers in my wardrobe. I don't keep my stored quilts in my wardrobe, they are in a spare room, but I won't rest easy until I have checked each one over with my own eyes. Phew, it's going to be a busy day.

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

Queen's Garden: My New Free BOM !

Need I say more? Queen's Garden is a fabulously fun and cheerful walk through a fantastical blooming garden.The brighter, the better. This is definitely one for the Kaffee Fassett stash!

Members of my BOM Group, Intro & Part 1 is already waiting in the FILES area for you to download this beauty.

Everyone else, go to the Queen's Garden BOM Group. 

WOW: Prepping my Morning Glory

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays 

Oh yes, I'm busy too! I'm seeing all the stunning progress pics being shared over in my BOM Group and I'm already in a spin over how fabulous it all looks. It's going to be a year for swooning, that's for sure.

As for me, I'm busy prepping my fusible with Morning Glory shapes. I'll be posting a detailed step by step as soon as I make some progress and will also update my applique techniques for those of you who have been asking.

As I do this, I'm thinking about the best way to draw my pattern onto my dark background. There are a few techniques and I think I'm going to try something completely new. This is actually my first dark background applique quilt so I can't wait to see what happens, and of course I'll be sharing what I learn right here in a blog post.

It's been an incredible start to 2018 and I'm really excited to see what's new in the pic updates each morning. What a way to start January :)

What's Your WOW? 

An InLinkz Link-up

Applique Q & A

It's a new year and with 3 new BOMs now in full swing, it's only natural that I'm being asked about my applique preferences on a daily basis. So many of you want to improve your applique and my email in-box is full of questions and requests for recommendations. I've said it before and I'll say it again. My own recommendation for applique is 'Simply Successful Applique' by Jeanne Sullivan.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you already know this. I've praised this book many times over the years. In fact, it's the only publication I purchased 3 of - one for myself and one for each of my DDs. Although my daughters are not quilters, I know that if they ever want to take up applique for quilting or any other reason in the years to come, this is the only real guide they will need. Everything you need to know is in here. If this book isn't already in your library, it should be. 

Next on my list of most asked questions is my preference for wash away fusible. I'm always looking for new products, but I haven't found anything better than Floriani Wash Away Fusible Webbing. This product is currently my preference. Unfortunately, I'm finding it difficult to source. This means that I can't direct you to a spot where you can buy it quickly, easily and affordably because I haven't managed to do this for myself. I'm just always on the lookout for it and am currently working from a stash I stockpiled a few years ago. If you have any advice on this, I'll happily receive it.

Do you have any burning questions you'd like me to answer? Go ahead and ask!

In the meantime here are some applique related posts you  might find helpful / useful to browse through:

An InLinkz Link-up

Morning Glory: My Fabrics

 

My fabric selection for Morning Glory arrived in the week before Christmas which was perfect timing, although I didn't have time to unwrap and take a proper look at it until just this week, things have been so hectic. First of all, I'm relieved. Sometimes when you buy fabrics online it can be disappointing to see them in real life, but with this selection, that hasn't been a problem. They're gorgeous. The range I selected is called 'Crystal Farm' by Editar Sitar. I don't know why, but this range just spoke to me the moment I saw it and I knew it was destined for Morning Glory.

I love it when that instant connection with a fabric happens because I am so notoriously indecisive over fabrics. It just felt right and after my bad choices last year, this time around I'm following my gut feeling. Of course it wouldn't be 'me' if I didn't fiddle around a bit and in these pics I'm playing around with different greens and pinks to check the contrast levels.

I'm really in love with some Di Ford Hall pinks and greens from my stash that I thought would pick up against the blue beautifully so they're in the mix too. All the Crystal Farm fabrics are gorgeous but working on a navy blue does mean I had to check and double check and play around ..before opting for my first choice after all. You know, the same old story..

I picked the blue background over a year ago. I was in a fabric shop with my DD when I fell in love with this shade of blue. These pics don't do the shade justice, it's really beautiful without being too dark and the minute I saw it, I knew I had to buy the bolt. My DD tried to wrestle it from my arms, reminding me that I promised I wouldn't be buying fabrics except when allocated to a specific project. But you know what? Rules are made for breaking and this is one rule I'm so glad I did break. I had no idea why but I knew it would come in handy at some point. And that point is now.

The blue is 'Textured Solids in Indigo' by Andover. 

These pics don't do the range justice, I don't know what is going on with my lighting. But I just wanted to show you what I'd purchased. You'll be seeing a lot more of it in the months to come. I can't wait to make a start. 

How are you getting on with your fabric shopping?

This post relates to my BOM 'Morning Glory'

'Morning Glory' is one of my current paid BOMs for 2018. This year I'm celebrating 10 years of blogging and BOMs, so to celebrate I'm having a BOM party. What does that mean? It means that for the price of 1 x BOM, you get access to all 3 x BOMs I've released plus additional projects throughout the year. It's my biggest adventure ever and you're invited to join me. It's my way of saying thank you for your friendship and support. You can join anytime. Pay once and play all year.

Click on my BOM Birdy to learn more :) 

WOW: Playing With Swatches

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

Today I've been shopping online for some fabrics to top up my stash for my 2018 projects. I've already purchased my Morning Glory pallette along with some extra jelly rolls for scraps. Looking through my roll now, I notice a floral dark teal background fabric that I've kind of fallen in love with. And I'm thinking I might even bring up another quilt design just to find an excuse to use it.

But right now, it's all about the current three BOMs. I'm keen to make a start..

What's Your WOW?

An InLinkz Link-up

Let's Talk Applique Tips, Techniques & How To

Here are some links to get you started with your applique. You'll notice that these posts relate to various quilts I've made and by reading through them, you'll pick up techniques and ideas to help you decide on which technique works for you.

Happy Applique-ing !

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BOM 2018: Morning Glory Is Launched

'Morning Glory'

Elegantly modern, this design is rooted in tradition. 

It's a perfect balance of applique and piecing. 

Finished Size 72 x 72 inches 

The central applique is full of symbolic beauty—an evergreen vine, fruiting berries, blooming flower heads and birdsong. This wonderful applique sets the tone for the blocks to come. The first zigzag border frames the evergreen vine with an up and down motion of light and shade before meeting the four corner curve blocks which represent doorways, passages and seasons.

Surrounded by classic star, log cabin and rail blocks, these blocks take on extra significance within the design: a morning star, a good foundation and lines to represent moving wind.

The corner Dresdens represent rays of sunshine and the semi circle blocks of the border represent the circle of life, continuing in pattern. The namesake, Morning Glory block is placed at four on point positions around the quilt, trumpeting towards the central applique.

Whether your own Morning Glory captures the beauty of a dawn about to break (with a dark background like mine) or whether you opt for a light background or a bright background, this quilt is sure to shine. Enjoy each month and take pleasure in the installments, this is one very special quilt which will be perfect as a either a bed quilt or wall hanging.

The quilt is released as a Block of the Month pattern, 11 installments over 10 months, Jan—October 2018. Parts 10 & 11 will be released together for your convenience at the end of year.
Remember, this mixed applique and pieced quilt is suitable for raw edge, turn edge and fusible techniques.

I cant wait to see how you envision your own Morning Glory and hope you’ll share pics of your progress and work over in my BOM Group. See you there!

Welcome 2018: Let's Start These BOMs!

It's a wonderful day for starting out on a marvelous adventure. Let the creativity begin! I had this crazy idea to spend all year celebrating 10 years of blogging with one huge BOM party and today it's become a reality. Yep, my head is all in a spin. I can't wait to stuck in.. and the best bit? This is just the beginning! The year ahead is going to be packed full of fun and surprises with extra exclusive projects for everyone taking part in my BOM 2018. Phew!

Today, Love Always, Morning Glory and Daisy Blue have been been released and Part 1 is available for each of these BOMs. Go and collect your file download over in the Members Only Login Area.

I'll be sharing more posts during the week, so stay tuned. I know it's hard, but please take a moment to read through the Quilt Introductions before beginning. I'll be showing off my fabrics tomorrow, so check back then.

I got so many emails asking me if it would be possible to make a 'mini' version of Love Always that I caved in and created one just for those of you who want to make this beauty - but don't want it so large. So now you're spoiled for choice. A large one or a small one? It's up to you!