I am so pleased to formally introduce you to my new quilt pattern Orbital Star. Thank you so much for everyone that came along for the ride that was making and writing the pattern for this quilt. It sure took a lot longer than I had originally planned but life, hey, it sometimes gets in the way. Hopefully it gives you a little snap shot into all the work that goes into designing and writing a quilt pattern! The original quilt that I made many years ago was in a class with Deborah Dorward. I had always hoped to release it as a pattern but I just needed to find the time. I added the border and the applique to Deborah's star in turn making it my own. I used all Kaffe Fassett fabrics and it was machine quilted by Elizabeth Zabinski. I wasn't sure what fabrics I wanted to make for my new quilt but I did know I wanted to use some Liberty as I get to work with them at Millrose Cottage.So here is my selection, I will go through the design names later in this post. The Lone Star in this quilt is all stripped pieced making it much quicker to assemble than you think. I couldn't resisttaking a photo of all the panels sewn up becuase they looked so pretty. Once the star points have been completed you need to decide which way to place them. I had always planned to sew mine the way I had planned bit it is fun tp see what it could look like if the colour order was flipped. The applique circles have been made using the "Perfect Circle" technique. This invloves gathering fabric around a cardboard circle. This method creates incredibly accurate circles and makes the next step of needle turn applique much easier. The finished quilt size is 65''x 65'' which is not huge, but it is also a very managable size for a Lone Star. The instructions are for machine piecing the star using strips and the circles are attached by needle turn appliqué. Of course if have another preferred method of appliqué like raw edge or even machine sewn the pattern can be easily adapted. The pattern comes with lots of diagrams and illustrations, I don't know about you but I'm very much a visual learner and it also comes with a colouring / planning sheet.There is also a template set available that helps with the making and piecing of the border. These shapes are included in the pattern so you can also make your own. Now please let me be clear, this is not a beginners quilt. You will need to have a reasonable amount of experience in making patchwork quilts and following patterns. If you are interested in the fabrics I used, here are the details. 1. A Day in the Country Stripe - pink on pink2. Liberty Tana Lawn - California Bloom C3. Cotton & Steel - XOXO @iamrashidacolemanhale 4. Liberty Tana Lawn - Mitsi H5. London Calling - @robertkaufman 6. Liberty Tana Lawn - On the Ball B7. Cotton & Steel - Mochi Folklore, Moon Rabbit @iamrashidacolemanhale 8. @annamariahorner - Love Always Overachiever9. Cotton & Steel - XOXO @iamrashidacolemanhale 10. Cotton & Steel - Sketchbook Jackrabbit Desert Taos @iamrashidacolemanhale 11. @artgalleryfabrics - Priory Square - Katy Jones @sometimes_katy_quilts 12. Eden - Ripple Teal @sallykellyfabric 13. @artgalleryfabrics - Natural Elements - Blue/Green14. Liberty Tana Lawn - Glenjade B15. Liberty Tana Lawn - Prosperity B Make your own Orbital Star:Orbital Star PDF PatternOrbital Star Printed PatternOrbital Star Template Set

Balderdash Quilt Sew Along Week 6 Welcome to Week 6 of the Balderdash Quilt Sew Along. I know there wasn't meant to be a week 6 but I wanted to announce the Week 6 winners and also share my quilting tips.Buy the Balderdash PDF Pattern Here.Buy the Balderdash Printed Pattern Here.Before I get into my quilting tips I just wanted to say WOW to everyone that participated in the sew along, your quilts are amazing! Thank you so much for joining in the fun and making this my most successful sew along. I am so happy that you loved the pattern and that many of you said you would make more.If you haven't already, do yourself a favour and check out the hashtag #balderdashquiltSAL. You will see so many stunning quilts made from so many different styles of fabrics. Your quilts are truly inspiring! QUILTING I have quilted my Balderdash quilts in a couple of different ways. The first quilt I made was done using diagonal lines, creating a cross hatching pattern. I think this looks really modern and suits the style of the quilt. For this version I just did horizontal lines. There is a trick to getting the lines straight and with no distortion of the quilt. I'll share my tips shortly. For my Anna Maria Horner version I just quilting it with straight lines going horizontally and verticaly, creating a grid. It's simple, easy and really effective. Once again I decided to just do a grid on this quilt and how good does it look! Below I have added some basic information on quilting that I previously included in my sew alongs. TOOLS OF THE TRADEAs this is the last newsletter, I thought I might talk a little about quilting. I love to use straight lines in all my quilts and I have discovered a few things that might help you too!Firstly, what you'll need:Walking Foot for your machine - you may have to purchase this separately as most machines don't come with one, unless you’re a lucky duck and have bought a quilting edition - sometimes they include these as part of the package. A walking food basically does the same thing as the feed dogs on your machine, except from above. It helps to feed the three layers of your quilt through evenly so that the fabric doesn’t bunch up.40wt Thread - now this is just what I like to quilt with, so if you prefer something else, go for it! I like it because it's a little stronger and it also makes the quilting a bit more of a feature. I like to use Aurifil Thread, 100% cotton.Basting Spray and/or Safety Pins for basting - I like to use both. I don't have a large sewing table to work on so all the help I can get, I take! The safety pins are stainless steel, size 2. There are some fancy curved pins on the market which are great too. The basting spray is called 505 Temporary Adhesive. I like this brand as it has hardly any smell and stays stuck!Hera Marker - A Hera marker is an awesome piece of plastic that allows you to mark your quilt without using a pencil/washout marker. The Hera marker places a fold in the fabric when your quilt top is basted that stays for a good amount of time. I love it because there is no need to wash out line markings afterwards. Just use your quilting ruler to get lovely straight lines. BASTINGThe first thing you’ll need to do is baste your quilt. Once you have pieced your backing, lay it down with the right side to the floor. Some people baste on their kitchen table, some on the wall and others on their dining room or lounge room floor. It’s totally up to you!I lay my quilt backing on my lounge room floor and tape down the edges to keep the backing taut. Then I layer the batting on top and baste it to the backing using the basting spray. Next, I layer the quilt top, right side up and baste it to the batting and backing. Finally, I plonk myself down in the middle of the quilt and start pinning from the centre out, every 3 inches of so! QUILTINGAfter you’ve basted your quilt, you need to do is increase the stitch length on your machine. I usually sew using a 2.5 length and then up it to 2.8 when quilting. My machine is a Bernina, so check yours as every machine is different. The quilt above has been quilted with ¾" spaced lines.The best way to explain how I do this is with a diagram.My approach for this quilt was to begin in the middle of the quilt. I quilted the first red line (marked with 1 on the diagram) and then continued sewing the rest of the red lines to the right hand side of the quilt. Then I went back and quilted all of the yellow lines in between the red lines. Once all the yellow lines were done I went back and did the blue lines.Then I went back again and did the green lines. The idea is that the red lines anchor the quilt. Then you go back and fill in the gaps. If you tried to do the ¾" quilting from the first row, your quilt would end up distorted and no-one wants that!Just remember, after you’ve completed all the red lines, you need to flip the quilt around, so you’re quilting from the other side and working from the middle to the right, before you go back and do the yellow, blue and green lines. To get the quilt into position to feed through the sewing machine you need to roll it up. It makes it must easier to handle and to fit through the throat of your sewing machine. See the pictures below.Please note the space at the end of the table, this allows the quilt to hang off the end as it passes through rather than getting bunched up. The other style of straight line quilting I like to do is cross hatching like on my first Balderdash quilt. This is done in the same way as the previous quilt. Start with your anchor lines of quilting and then go back and slowly fill in the gaps.Please note that my lines are not perfect, they never are. I wobble and move around with the best of them, but the wonderful thing about this style of quilting is it doesn't matter. Once it’s all done you notice the effect - not how straight the lines are. If you’re not comfortable quilting using just the force, that's where the fabulous Hera Marker comes in handy. This white piece of plastic creates a fold or indentation on the fabric that lasts for ages. Using your quilting ruler to keep the lines straight, run the Hera Marker along the fabric pushing down firmly. You’ll see that it leaves an indentation on your quilt which you can use as your guide for when you’re quilting. I used it in the quilt below. Just note, I did all the anchor lines first so I could then remove the pins. It makes it much easier to place a ruler on the quilt once the pins are gone. I also mark up with the Hera Marker on the floor. It's a bit hard on the back but unless you have a large table (I don't) the floor is the best option. So that's it my fellow Dashers!I’ve had an amazing time sharing my quilt with you all and a few tips and tricks along the way. I also love this little community we have created and I hope you keep sharing your EJJ creations on Instagram and in the Facebook group. I would like to say a big thank you to you all. Obviously this would not have been possible without you purchasing the pattern and sharing your photos on Instagram. I am so grateful for all the support and I’m hoping you got just as much as I did out of the sew-along.Until next Sew Along,Emma

Balderdash Quilt Sew Along Week 5 Welcome to Week 5 of the Balderdash Quilt Sew Along.This week we are sewing all the blocks into rows and completing the quilt top.If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! Buy the Balderdash PDF Pattern Here.Buy the Balderdash Printed Pattern Here. SHARE ON INSTAGRAM Don’t forget to post a pic of your completed quilt tops to IG and be sure to the use the #balderdashquiltSAL and #balderdashquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.Check out these amazing quilts in progress. I am so excited to see these blocks sewed together to make amazing quilt tops! ASSEMBLING THE QUILT TOP This week we are sewing all the blocks into rows, then piecing them together into a finished quilt top. EEEEEKKKKKK We are nearly finished. Make sure to follow the pressing guide in the pattern, this will ensure the seams nest together nicely and make matching the points much easier.Once the quilt top is together, step back and admire your fabulous quilt. Now I was going to share with you my quilting tips this week but as I have to announce the Week 5 winners I thought I would put it in an extra newsletter.Just in case you win the amazing prize from The Quilt Rookery and don't have to quilt your quilt! How cool would that be!However, next week I will be sharing all my tips for straight line quilting on your domestic machine in case you don't win. I love the look it creates and it's easier to achieve than you think. I hope I can give you enough confidence to try for yourself. I will be stalking the #balderdashquiltSAL hashtag all week to see your finished quilt tops. I hope you had an awesome time and love your finished quilt!Emma x

Balderdash Quilt Sew Along Week 4 Welcome to Week 4 of the Balderdash Quilt Sew Along.This week we are making all the Nine Patch Blocks, Side and Corner Blocks.If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! Buy the Balderdash PDF Pattern Here.Buy the Balderdash Printed Pattern Here. SHARE ON INSTAGRAM Don’t forget to post a pic of your finished blocks to IG and be sure to the use the #balderdashquiltSAL and #balderdashquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.How good are all the quilts looking so far! If you want to see just check out the hashtag #balderdashquiltSAL on Instagram for some fabulous quilty inspiration. ASSEMBLING THE BLOCKS Next up we need to make our blocks. If you are working off a design wall you will just be able to visually work out what needs to be pieced. You can also use your colouring/planning sheet as a guide.The blocks are a combination of the centre Nine Patches, Sides Blocks and Corner Blocks. They are made up using your chosen cross fabrics and your Half Square Triangles.Complete all the blocks required for the size quilt that you are making.No tips are really needed this week. I'm sure most of you have made Nine Patches before. My only advice would be how to press your block. You can see in the picture below I pressed the seams towards the spotty white fabric. I think the Half Square Triangles sit much flatter this way.How cute is that little girl playing the guitar in ther centre!! Next week we will be sewing all our blocks together to make our quilt top. We are definitely on the home stretch. I hope you have been enjoying yourself and having heaps of fun sewing this quilt together. I love sharing my tips with you and I hope they have helped you along the way. Emma x

Balderdash Quilt Sew Along Week 3 Welcome to Week 3 of the Balderdash Quilt Sew Along.This week we are making all the Half Square Triangles.If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun!Buy the Balderdash PDF Pattern Here.Buy the Balderdash Printed Pattern Here. SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your Half Square Triangles to IG and be sure to the use the #balderdashquiltSAL and #balderdashquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.Don't worry if you’re ahead, or you see other people sewing blocks already, this is supposed to be fun. If you feel like sewing, go for it. This sew along is all about enjoyment so there are no rules, stick to the schedule or move ahead, do what's right for you.I have been enjoying all your photos of neatly stacked fabric. It makes my heart smile. There is nothing better than freashly cut fabrics. Check out these gorgeous piles! HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES Next up we need to make Half Square Triangles or HSTs. If you have your own way of making HSTs, go for it, just make sure you trim your blocks to 3.5".If you participated in any of my sew alongs you will notice I have used the same step by step photos. I hope you don't mind, but running around after a 4 year old and organising a sew along can fill my days pretty quickly. This was a little shortcut that gave me heaps more time!!I usually like to make all my HSTs at the beginning of my quilt but with this one I did a block of a time. I found it much easier to keep track of which fabrics go with which block, however do whatever feels right for you. I will be adding a little video on Instagram and Facebook for you to check out. It's an explanation of my method for piecing the HSTs and also working with directional fabrics. PREPARATION Once you’ve paired up your squares, the next thing you need to do is mark the back of half of your squares. One from each pair.One of the best ways to get a straight line on the back of your fabric is to use a sandpaper board underneath. The sandpaper stops the fabric moving, which makes it so much easier to draw the line. How cool is that! I have a fancy sandpaper board but you can just use a sheet of sandpaper from your local hardware store.I like to use a mechanical pencil with a chaco lead to mark my fabrics. The chaco lead marks the fabric easily and is erasable later on.Take one of the fabric squares and mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric. Repeat for all your pairs! SEWING TIME Take one pair of squares with the marked square on top.Sew either side of the marked line with a ¼” seam.Repeat for all the pairs. CUTTING TIME Now take your rotary cutter, ruler and mat.Cut down the centre of all the blocks on the drawn line from before.Press the blocks. I like to press to the dark fabric, AKA the dark side! TRIMMING TIME The blocks you have just made will be a little big, they also might be a little wonky. I suppose it will depend on how much quarantine wine you’ve been drinking! Don't worry, that's where the trimming comes in.Using a square ruler (or a bloc loc ruler if you have one), line up the 45 degree line on your ruler with the seam through the middle of the block. Trim the block down to 3.5" square. Check out the pics below for a visual on how to trim your HSTs. • Please note these blocks were trimmed to 4" for another quilt, just remember yours need to by 3.5" trimmed. DIAGONAL SEAM TAPE I have recently been using this Diagonal Seam Tape by Cluck Cluck Sew to make my Half Square Triangles. It makes the process much quicker because there is no need to mark the fabric. The tape is stuck onto your sewing machine and you use the printed lines to make sure you sew in the right position.You can read all about the product here - Cluck Cluck Sew Diagonal Seam Tape. Bloc Loc Ruler Another tool I am very late in getting on board with is a Bloc Loc Ruler. These fancy little gadgets make trimming up your Half Square Triangles so much easier. They have a little ridge that grips on the centre seam so as you cut, it dosen't slip.You can read all about them here - Bloc Loc Half Square Triangle Rule. Next week we will be sewing our Nine Patches, and it's at this stage you start to really see what your quilt will look like. Exciting!!If you have any questions, you can always email me!Once again thank you so much for joining me on this sew along. I hope you are enjoying the process and meeting some other sewers from around the world.Emma x

Balderdash Quilt Sew Along Week 2 Welcome to Week 2  of the Balderdash Quilt Sew Along.This week is all about planning your quilt layout and cutting the fabric.If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! Buy the Balderdash PDF Pattern Here.Buy the Balderdash Printed Pattern Here. SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #balderdashquiltSAL and #balderdashquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.Don't worry if you’re ahead, or you see other people sewing blocks already, this is supposed to be fun. If you feel like sewing, go for it. This sew along is all about enjoyment so there are no rules, stick to the schedule or move ahead, do what's right for you.There have been some fabulous fabric combos popping up on Instagram and in the Facebook group and I'm excited to watch these quilts come to life. Check out some inspiring fabric pulls CUTTING TIPSThis quilt is made up of squares, rectangles and Half Square Triangles. Make sure that blade is sharp and get those fabrics ironed, then brace yourself for lots of cutting.To speed up cutting I like to cut 4 layers at a time. I know this can be a bit daunting but I promise if you have a nice sharp blade it's easy. Just remember to concentrate because if you make a mistake, you will make it 4 times!!If you are making a quilt using my fabric requirements from the pattern, just follow the cutting out instructions for the size quilt you are planning to make.If you are making the quilt from Layer Cakes or are using fat quarters for the large throw, keep reading below for your cutting instructions. PLANNINGLAYER CAKE:If you are planning on using Layer Cakes (10" Squares) to make any of the 3 sizes in this pattern, your first job is to plan your layout. The best way is to use the colouring/planning page which is included in the pattern.This will help you determine what needs to be cut.Here's a re-cap of the number of 10" squares required.BABY SIZE:12 - 10" Squares2 of each design for a total of 24 SquaresSMALL THROW SIZE:24 - 10" Squares2 of each design for a total of 48 SquaresLARGE THROW SIZE:40 - 10" Squares2 of each design for a total of 40 Squares Once you have decided on your layout you will need to cut your Layer Cake squares using the cutting guide below.To achieve the same look as in the original design you will need 2 x 10" squares of each fabric. FAT QUARTER LARGE THROW CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS:You will need 24 Fat Quarters to make the large throw.Once again you will need to plan your layout first. I know, this quilt has so much planning but I promise once it's done, the quilt comes together so quickly.Use the cutting guide below.Once you get your head around how this quilt is assembled you could use fabric from your stash to make it. You just need enough fabric for a large square or large rectangle and the matching HSTs.I'm planning a scrappy quilt next and I can't wait to dive into my stash and create a fabric pull.If you had smaller amounts of fabric you could match by colour and that would work too! Next week we will be making our Half Square Triangles. I will be covering the method used in the pattern plus a new technique that I have started using.If you have any questions, you can always email me!Once again thank so much for joining me on this sew along. I hope you're enjoying the process and meeting some other sewers from around the world.Emma x

Balderdash Quilt Sew Along Week 1  Welcome to Week 1 of the Balderdash Quilt Sew Along. This week is all about choosing your fabrics, and also some tips on how to use charm squares and also fat quarters for the large throw. GETTING STARTED: Make sure you’ve purchased your Balderdash Pattern. The Balderdash SAL will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #balderdashquiltsal and #balderdashquilt hashtags. If you are more of a Facebooker, there is a private Emma Jean Jansen Sew Along Group which has recently grown to over a 1000 people. I still can't believe there are over a 1000 of you that want to make my quilt patterns! The group is lovely and we're a very encouraging bunch of peeps. Post a photo of your fabric selection - In this newsletter we will be talking all things colour. Once you have chosen your fabric, post a photo and introduce yourself to all the other “dashers”, this is a great way to meet like minded craft folk! Pre-Cuts - I know a lot of you are interested in making the large throw size in fat quarters. This is totally possible and I will talk a bit about it this week and elaborate more in the cutting week. There will obviously be a bit more wastage but if you are fine with that, use up those fat quarters. I have also had a look at making the quilt in layer cakes - 10" squares, and it is possible, you just need lots. PLANNING YOUR QUILT: Your first step is to decide what size quilt you are making. The Balderdash Quilt comes in 3 sizes, Baby, Small Throw, Large Throw. It's not my usual larger range of sizes but as this quilt has a large repeating pattern, it's just the way it is. Hopefully there's a size to suit everyone! Emma Jean Jansen Sew Along Facebook Group CHOOSING YOUR FABRICS:This week we are concentrating on choosing fabrics. The original quilt was made using a mix of fabrics, mainly Ruby Star Society. There is a bit of Little Darlings, some Honey and the rest were just fabrics from my stash. I decided to make the crosses from my large collection of low volumes and I really love how it turned outMy second quilt was again made from fabrics that I already had. Now this quilt has some older fabrics that were actually designed by me back when I was designing fabric. The magpies are from my Melba range and then a number of other fabrics are from my Eureka range. Both of these ranges are still available from Patchwork with Gail B in Melbourne. The two florals are from Sally Kelly and Tula Pink from their ranges that are both called Eden. The big stripe was by Jodie Carleton from her range Bug City. The cute typewriters are from Little Darlings by Ruby Star Society and the yellow sun print and animals are from Cotton and Steel. So, you can see I have used a real mix of fabrics but I think they work. Large novelty prints are perfect for this quilt design and pairing them with stripes and spots can make the quilt really sing!I knew that as soon as I had finished this design that I needed to make one with Anna Maria Horner fabric. Her large scale florals work so well together with my quilt, it's like they were made for each other. I used a mix of of designs from a number of Anna's ranges and paired it with one of her low volume prints for the crosses. I think this shows how well large florals can be showcased and the fabulous possibilities that this quilt design gives. This fourth version, (can you believe I have made four of these quilts, I can't, well actually I can because they are very quick to piece) I made for my hairdresser who retired late last year. I choose a mix of soft pinks and grey and paired them with a gorgeous woven gingham. These are Leanne's favourite colours and it was fun to work out of my usually bright palette. The prints that I used are a mix, there is a Liberty quilting weight, and Dashwood Studio's floral, a spot from Tilda and also some prints from Yuwa. I also used a number of basic checks and stripes to complete the look.Black and white check - Handworks Yarn Dyed Medium CheckLarge pink and white floral - New Beginnings – In BloomPink Tulips - Liberty Quilting Weight Tulips In PinkThe softer pink floral is by Juniko Matsuda - Taupe-ism TS101395Strong pink gingham - Yuwa medium scale pink and peachFeathers - Jennifer Sampou Time to Fly CollectionFor this sew along I'll be making the small throw size using a selection of Heather Ross novelty prints and some basics I had in my stash. I'm going to fussy cut the white background novelty prints to use for the centres of the crosses. In my stash I had a fun tone on tone spot that I will use for the rest of the crosses. I am looking forward to watching this quilt come together and I'm itching to start sewing. Next up are some mock ups from current fabric ranges. Parisville by Tula Pink in the large throw size using 8 - ½ yards.I just added some solid pinks in my design program but I'm sure there would be something very similar out there that you could use.Now how super cute is this mock up using Petunia by Sarah Watts for Ruby Star Society? This kit was put together by Wendy from the Next Stitch and if you're lucky she will still have some left.I've always loved the range Florida by Sarah Watts so I definitely had to include a mock up of this one in the newsletter. Again the larger sized prints work so well and how about that colour pallette. So good.This is another range designed by Sarah Watts called Reign for Ruby Star Society. I used one of the darker colours for the crosses and don't they just pop. This range also features some sparkly gold and because the blocks are large enough you can see all the people hanging out. That's a pretty cool print.Last up, I had some requests for a Kaffe Fassett mock up. These are from Kaffe's 85 and Fabulous range. Once again his colours are so vibrant and delish and I see this design working with all of them. I had some fun adding the lighter colour in the centre of the squares. It shows you can have a bit of fun with the crosses too just by changing the up the centre square.LAYER CAKEI have had a number of requests asking if this quilt can be made from a layer cake. The simple answer is yes, so here you go.BABY SIZE:12 - 10" Squares2 of each design for a total of 24 SquaresSMALL THROW SIZE:24 - 10" Squares2 of each design for a total of 48 SquaresLARGE THROW SIZE:40 - 10" Squares2 of each design for a total of 40 SquaresHow amazing is this Balderdash quilt? All I can say is, goals.Made by Maria @quiltmomoffiveLARGE THROW - FAT QUARTERSI've also had a number of people ask if they can make the Large Throw using fat quarters and the answer is again, yes!There is a bit of wastage so that's why I didn't include it in the pattern but if you don't mind, here's what you need:24 Fat QuartersHere are two examples of using fat quarters for the large throw size. This is Heather Bailey's lastest range, Local Honey. How yummy!This quilt mock up has been done using Reverie by Melody Miller for Ruby Star Society. I am totally head over heels and love the print that has been used for the crosses. It's called Spark in Dove, also by Ruby Star Society. I just need to save up so I can buy all the fabric to make all the quilts!!Now check out this stunner. Made by Josephine @josephinek74 and she deep dived into her Cotton and Steel stash to make this quilt happen.This quilt is a bit of fun and it was made by Simone @piecenriot, and it features the crosses more than the squares. It makes me think that this quilt could be stunning in solids. Fingers crossed one of you make one so I can be inspired.Last one I promise! This amazing quilt has been made by Vanessa @_vanessa.griffin_ and I just think it's just the perfect mix of fabrics.Next week we will be cutting our fabric, so clean up your work space and change those rotary cutter blades! It's cutting time!Thanks so much for joining me on this super fun patchwork adventure. Whether it's your first or 20th sew along, I hope you get some joy from making alongside fellow creatives.Emma x

Ready to turn your fabric scraps into fantastic quilts all year long? Well, I have you covered! My pattern is part of an amazing bundle pack featuring 13 designers. It includes 13 scrap-friendly quilt patterns for just $19.99 (USD) for a limited time. 5 days onlyApril 3rd April 7th, 2023! BUY THE BUNDLE HERE Meet the designers and their project. Serendipity by May Chappell Cross Current by Me :) Bunny Hops by Porcupine Sews Threads Happy Thoughts by Jacquelynne Steves Modern Sampler by Fabric and Flowers 9 Patch Scrappy Stars by Leila Gardunia Gemstone Blooms by The Crafty Nomad Sweet Darlings by Lou Orth Dutch Windmills by Tamarinis Not So Ugly, Ugly Sweater by Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio Checkmate by On Williams Street The Scrappiest Quilt by Carolina Moore The patterns offer a wide range of designs and techniques. Including traditional patchwork, paper piecing, applique, and even some hand embroidery. There is really something for everyone, from beginner to advanced. And I know you’ll love putting your skills to use with these patterns. So remember it's only available to 5 days.April 3rd April 7th, 2023! GRAB YOUR BUNDLE NOW

I am so excited to share with you all my new quilt Somerset Avenue. Somerset Avenue is another excellent quilt to showcase those special large prints including fun novelty fabrics. The quilt pattern come with instructions for 3 sizes:SMALL THROW: 48” x 48” / 123cms x 123cmsLARGE THROW: 60” x 60” / 153cms x 153cmsDOUBLE BED: 72” x 71” / 184cms x 184cmsA colouring sheet is also inlcuded plus instructions to make a single block in case you wanted to go completely scrappy. How fun would that be! The quilt shown here is the Double Bed size which uses 18 Fat Quarters. All the fabrics are from Ruby Star Society but are from different ranges.A little Honey,  Darlings 2, Jolly Darlings, Smol and Strawberry and Friends. There is a Spark print in there too. As you can tell, I really like Ruby Star Fabrics. There is of course a story behind the name of this quilt, Somerset Avenue. Over 20 years ago I bought my first house. It was in a new estate and I purchased a house and land package for the ridiculously low price of $145K. Wouldn't be amazing if you could buy a new house for that price! Anyway, the house was in Somerset Avenue. Fast forward those 20 or so years and I am back living in the same street. A full circle so to speak. So this quilt means so many things to me but mainly that life can change, circumstances can change but sometimes you end up back where you started. However I have also changed. I am not the same person that bought her first house.This quilt design although simple has a layout that circles back. Much like my life.I hope you love Somerset Avenue as much as I do. BUY THE PATTERN

BUY THE CALENDAR I'm so excited to share something new! A patchwork calendar full of amazing creative designs and beautiful photos. What is the 2023 Patchwork Calendar? The 2023 Patchwork Calendar is a collaboration between 12 designers to bring you a gorgeous, printed calendar PLUS all 12 pdf patterns featured in the calendar. That's over AUD$200 (USD$130) worth of patterns, PLUS a printed calendar. AND, that's not all (no, not a set of steak knives) our designers have also included 10% off for the next year for items in their shops*. So you get a pretty calendar to hang in your home or creative space and enjoy all year and 12 pdf patterns to sew. It's also the perfect gift for your patchwork friends! The calendar will be available to purchase from Monday 10 October until Sunday 6 November. This is a limited-time offer. On completion of purchase, within 24 hours you will receive an email with a link to download the pdf patterns. Please do so by the end of November 2022 as the links will be taken down. I'm excited to share that the 2023 designers are: January: Lauren Wright | Molly and Mama February: Lynett Muhaso | Lyns Avenue March: Jemima Flendt | Tied With a Ribbon April: Kate Henderson | Kate Henderson Quilts May: Angie Wilson | GnomeAngel June: Emma Jansen | Emma Jean Jansen July: Kirsty Cleverly | Bonjour Quilts August: Ben Millett September Kristy Lea | Quiet Play Designs October: Nic Vaughan | Craftapalooza Designs November Jen Kingwell | Jen Kingwell Designs / amitie textiles December: Jo Westfoot | The Crafty Nomad Some details about the calendar: The calendar will be retailing at AUD$35, plus shipping. Which is amazing value: a printed calendar AND the 12 pdf patterns in the calendar Page Size: 21cm W x 29.7cm H (Rest of World), 8.5" x 11" (USA + CA) 1 cover page, 12 inner pages, 1 blank page Paper: 250 gsm / 100 lb semi-glossy silk paper Hanging hook for hanging calendar flexibly Sturdy wire-binding Your calendar is printed exclusively for you when you submit your order * The calendar informational pdf that comes with the pattern will include this code as well as the discount terms for each designer. GRAB THE CALENDAR NOW!

I am so excited to share with you all my new quilt Balderdash. Balderdash is an excellent quilt to showcase those special large prints including fun novelty fabrics. The quilt pattern comes with instruction for 3 sizes:BABY SIZE: 39” x 39” / 92cms x 92cmsSMALL THROW: 57” x 57” / 146cms x 146cmsLARGE THROW: 75” x 75” / 192cms x 192cms The two smaller sizes in this pattern are Fat Quarter friendly and the Large throw uses 1/2 yards. The quilt is perfect for showcasing large scale prints that you don't want to cut up. Easy diagrams and colouring sheets are included to make planning your quilt that little bit easier. There are also suggested layouts for all three sizes and fabric swatches. My first Balderdash quilt was made with a collection of fabrics from Ruby Star Society. Some were from the range Honey by Alexia Marcelle  and others from thier collaborative range, Darlings 2. I used some low volume fabrics from my stash to make the crosses. The 2nd Balderdash quilt was made using a number of different ranges, including a number of my own designs from past collections. The crosses in this quilt were made from a dark grey chambray. The third quilt was made using a selection of Anna Maria Horner fabrics. I am yet to quilt this version but have also picked some Anna Maria Horner fabric for the backing and binding.      There's a little bit of a story behind the Balderdash Quilt. I actually drew it up over a year ago but really struggled to work out how I could make it into a pattern.  Although this quilt is quite simple, just squares and half square triangles, I needed to be able to make it from pre-cuts and to make the cutting really simple. I ended up changing the original layout which made it so much easier to explain the cutting and piecing of the quilt. Now for the name, it was a suggestion from my friend Jodi over at Tales of Cloth. At the time of piecing the first version of the quilt, I was struggling with a bad back, a tooth extraction and my son Henry had gastro. It was actually amazing I got any sewing done at all that week. I had know idea for a name and Jodi suggested Balderdash. Meaning: senseless talk or writing; nonsense. It seemed like the perfect name for me.Fast forward to this week when I planned to released the pattern and Henry is getting over a pretty serious cough, I have his caught the cold that gave him his cough and then I also got conjunctivitis. Balderdash. Perfect.Fingers crossed now I have finished the quilts, life will get back to normal. Here's Hoping! Grab the Balderdash Pattern here!    

This quilt was made a number of years ago when Liberty released their first range of quilting weight cotton in 2012. The star is pieced with no y-seams, how good is that and would look fabulous in so many different fabrics. The pattern includes 3 sizes and is perfect for using up all those little bits of treasured Liberty fabrics.THROW SIZE: 56½” x 56½” / 143cms x 143cmsDOUBLE SIZE: 67½” x 67½” / 172cms x 172cmsQUEEN SIZE: 90” x 90” / 229cms x 229cms There is also a template available to help with the cutting. Grab the Liberty Stars pattern here!

Welcome to Week 6 of Around The Lake Sew Along.This week we are sewing our quilt tops together. This is the quick bit of the quilt!If you have just joined the sew along, make sure you’ve purchased your copy of the Around The Lake Pattern.The Around The Lake Sew Along will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #aroundthelakeSAL and #aroundthelakequilt hashtags.You can also join the Private Facebook Group here. This stage of the quilt is pretty simple. Lay out your quilt blocks. I like to do this on the floor but if I'm really honest I would love a really big design wall but in our current house that's not going to happen. Lucky you if you have one. Anyway back to crawling all over the floor.Once you have decided on your layout, start to sew the blocks together in rows.Then sew the rows together.My only tip is to make sure you iron the seams in each row in alternate directions. This helps the seams nest nicely together. and Ta Da, a finished quilt top! I thought I might now share some tips on quilting. I have written them in a previous sew along so you can check them out here. All three of my Around The Lake quilts have been quilted very differently.The first was done on a longarm and has a swirly quilting pattern design.Longarm quilting by Jackie from The Quilt Rookery. The 2nd quilt was done with horizontal lines. I think this one is my favourite. I decided to quilt the 3rd version with diagonal cross hatching. How good is that texture! So that's a wrap on this sew along. Did you have fun? I most definitely did.Thanks to everyone that joined in the fun, it always brings me so much joy to see the quilts that you make from my patterns.Stay tuned for the next sew along!Happy Patching,Emma  

Welcome to Week 5 of Around The Lake Sew Along.This week we are getting our blocks together. It's also a great week to catch up if you have fallen a little behind.If you have just joined the sew along, make sure you’ve purchased your copy of the Around The Lake Pattern.The Around The Lake Sew Along will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #aroundthelakeSAL and #aroundthelakequilt hashtags.You can also join the Private Facebook Group here. Let's get these blocks sewn together!First up, grab a Drunkard's Path Unit and a Flying Geese Unit. Place right sides together with the Drunkard's Path unit on top. I like to pin my blocks by putting one in each end. The reason for putting the Drunkard's Path Unit on top is to get a perfect seam allowance on your circle. Start stitching right on the sewing line for the Drunkard's Path unit and your circle edge will be spot on. Once sewn, press the seams towards the Drunkard's Path Unit. If you have followed all my other pressing guides in the pattern this will make all you seams nest together nicely. At this stage you have two choices. You can either keep this quarter blocks as is and then sew these together or you can make a full block.To make the full block, grab 4 quarter blocks and sew them together, easy peasy. Complete all you blocks for the size of quilt you are making.Next week we will be assembling our quilt tops, yay!I hope you have been enjoying this sew along becuase I sure have. The colour combos popping up on instagram are inspiring.Happy Patching,Emma

Welcome to Week 4 of Around The Lake Sew Along.Put your hand up if you are afraid of curves? Don't worry I've got you.It's all about finding the right technique for you. Hopefully my tips will make you love sewing all the curves!If you have just joined the sew along, make sure you’ve purchased your copy of the Around The Lake Pattern.The Around The Lake Sew Along will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #aroundthelakeSAL and #aroundthelakequilt hashtags.You can also join the Private Facebook Group here. When I sew curves, especially Drunkard's Path blocks I always put the convex curve on the bottom.This makes it much easier to keep an eye out for fabric tucks and gathers.First up, find the centres of both template A and B. I do this by folding the fabric in half and giving it a little finger press. Grab your pins. Now I prefer Clover Fine Patchwork pins because they are exactly as the name says, nice and fine and perfect to sew over without damaging your machine. Occasionally I may break a needle but mostly the pins just bend.The trick with getting this block to work is to make sure you line up the edges so they are parallel. If you don't it will definitely skew. When I make mine I only use 3 pins. One in the centre and then one at each end.In the photograph below, I put in the extra pins so it will sit flatter for the photo. However if you feel more comfortable using more pins, go for it. You need to find what works best for you. You can check out my little video tutorial on instagram here.Remember to press towards the Template A piece. It will make the block sit beautifully flat. Another method which might suit you is to glue baste. My friend Jackie has done a tutorial on instagram using this method. You can check it out here. Now hopefully that helps anyone who has been struggling with curves!I also wanted to share a little tip for those that might be wanting to get this quilt top pieced.When I made the original scrappy version I sewed each of the quarter units into blocks first. It's much easier to tackle a block at a time and then sew those larger blocks together. However for my TarryTown quilt I decided to sew the quarter blocks into rows. This was because of the layout I had choosen and the fact I don't have a big enough design wall to keep it all in the right positions as I sewed. So rows it was. I'm pretty happy with the way this quilt top turned out, because of how different it is to the other two versions I have made. I still have plans to make many more of these quilts. They are very addictive and so much fun! Next week we will be assembling the blocks. I am so excited to see your quilts come together.Happy Patching,Emma

Welcome to Week 3 of Around The Lake Sew Along.Now that we have finished all our cutting it's time to get our machines out and start sewing.I am very much a person who likes to completely finish each stage before moving onto the next. What's your sewing style? One block at a time or chain piece each stage?If you have just joined the sew along, make sure you’ve purchased your copy of the Around The Lake Pattern.The Around The Lake Sew Along will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #aroundthelakeSAL and #aroundthelakequilt hashtags.You can also join the Private Facebook Group here. FLYING GEESE UNITS:This week we are going to be making the Flying Geese Units.I decided to make these units using squares and rectangles. It's much easier than sewing with triangles and lessens the risk of the block being skewed.The bonus with this method is you get a bunch of half square triangles to play with. I made a whole new set of cushions for my lounge room but more about that later. I like to sew on the F square on first. Place the D rectangle right side up then place your F square on top so the right sides are together. The lines you marked the back of the F square should be visable.Sew on both the drawn lines. Grab your rotary cutter and cut through the middle of your sewing lines. To help the block sit flat, press towards the F square.With the bonus blocks I pressed towards the dark fabric. I then trimmed these to 3" square. Repeat the process for the C square.Please note: I sewed both sewing lines for the purpose of this tutorial but I didn't sew the rest of them, becuase that would just be sewing two of the same fabrics together to make a square. A bit of a waste of time don't you think? I ended up matching these two triangle off cuts with some background fabric to make more Half Square Triangles. Cut though the middle as before. Press this seam toward the C square and your're done! Repeat for the rest of the Flying Geese Units. Now I wanted to share with you my plans for my Half Square Triangles. I made the large thow size and ended up with 12 Half Square Triangles for each of the 25 fabrics.Then a grabbed some of the leftover fabric and made 4 more, making a total of 16 Half Square Triangles from each fabric.My plan is to sew them together in blocks and sash them like the mock up below. I'm not sure of the layout but I'll work that out once the blocks are completed.I have some friend's getting married in May and I'm hoping to get it finished in time! With the original quilt I used all the Half Square Triangles to make new cushions for our lounge room.Don't worry, we don't have them on the couch like this, it was just a good way to photograph them all together.I shared the different layouts I used for these in the pattern, but there also so many other options.  So that's it for this week.Next week we will be tackling the Drunkard's Path Rectangle Units.I have made a video with all my tips and I can't wait to share it with you next week.Happy Patching,Emma

Welcome to Week 2 of Around The Lake Sew Along.I've been loving all the fabulous combinations popping up on Instagram and in the private facebook group. They are so inspiring and I can't wait to watch them grow into quilts.This week it's all about cutting, so sharpen your blades and lets get cutting!If you have just joined the sew along, make sure you’ve purchased your copy of the Around The Lake Pattern.The Around The Lake Sew Along will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #aroundthelakeSAL and #aroundthelakequilt hashtags.You can also join the Private Facebook Group here. Before we get started I wanted to share this again from the Week 1 Blog Post. It's very important to keep your Template A piece the right way up when cutting,The Around The Lake pattern is designed to be cut with the fabric right side up. This means if you are tracing Template A, trace it on the right side of the fabric with the template right side up. (writing right side up) On a side note you don't have to be as careful with Template B.Just make sure your cut fabric pieces look like the photo below.If you would like to trace the template onto the reverse of the fabric, just make sure you flip the template, easy! MAKING TEMPLATES:If you have already purchase a set of the Around The Lake acrylic templates you can skip this step. If you would like to purchase a template set,  please click here.There are a couple of ways to make make the templates and cut the curves on template A and B. The acrylic templates obviously make it heaps faster because you can cut with a rotary cutter but there are other options too.The reason the fabric for both of these templates is cut into a rectangle first, is so the only part that needs to be cut, is the curve. Easy. If you have the acrylic templates then use a smaller roatary cutter (I prefer a 28mm) to quickly cut around the curve. I like to do this standing at a cutting table (or kitchen bench) as the extra pressure gained stops the template moving when cutting.No templates, no problems!1. Print out your templates from the PDF pattern or photocopy if you have bought the printed version.   Cut out accurately with scissors.   Pin the paper template right side up on the front of the fabric. Trace the curve using a water soluble pencil or marking tool of choice, and then cut on the line.    Alternatively you can just cut the curve with the paper template still pinned to the fabric. Just like in dressmaking. 2. Trace the template shapes onto templastic using a fine permanent marker. Cut out accurately using scissors.   Place the templates on the fabric and carefully cut with a rotary cutter. Take your time, if you go too fast you can cut the templastic.I created a little timelaspe video on instagram that shows the different techniques. You can check it out here.   CUTTING FAT QUARTERS:My best tip for cutting fat quarters is to follow the cutting diagram in the pattern.Once you get your head around what you need to cut you will discover that it's just as easy to cut the fabric into 4 x 4" strips. Then cross cutting them to take make the squares and rectangles needed for the quilt.To speed things up, I cut 4 fat quarters at a time. Just remember if you do choose to cut multiple layers at once, pay attention. If you make a mistake you will do it x 4. CUTTING FAT EIGHTHS:If you decide to use scraps, fat eighths are a great guide. That's how I made the original quilt using my stash. I didn't cut multiple layers at once becuase I was using different sized fabrics, from lengths to scraps so I found it easier to tackle one fabric at a time. SOLID FABRIC QUILT:If you are cuting large pieces of fabric I have made a nifty little video showing how I like to do it. Here.It involves cutting the fabric strips required and keeping them in place on the cutting board and then cross cutting them into the squares or rectangles required.By not moving the first lot of cut strips means I save lots of time and makew the whole cutting proces so much quicker. It takes practice but it is totally worth it for time saving. Juat a little reminder from last week about cutting. I mentioned that the version I am making requires the layout to have all the same fabrics in each quarter block unit, like the photo below. As you can see in the photo below there is actually no need to cut and sew the C square onto the Flying Geese Unit. So if you want to save time and fabric just completely skip this step.In the end I still decided to use the C square for two reasons, one because I had already cut them and two, I really like the texture the extra piece created. So it's up to you, I just wanted to give you another option. PREPARATION FOR WEEK 3:If you are keen to get going for next week you can mark up the back of your C and F Squares.I like to do this using a water erasable pencil and a sandpaper board. The centre line creates the Flying Geese Unit once sewn and the line to the side creates the bonus Half Square Triangle. I mention these in the pattern but I will also talk about these a bit more next week. You can use them to create cushions, a baby quilt or even use them to make a pieced back. However if you don't want to make these squares you can just skip the step and add the leftover triangles to your scrap box. This is a great task to do on the couch in front of the tv. I'm watching Mad Men at the moment and yes I'm a bit late to the party but I am loving it sooooooo much.Do you have any favourite tv shows that you like to watch when sewing? That's it for Week 2. Next up we will be making all the Flying Geese Units.I hope you are enjoying the sew along because I sure am.Keep sharing your photos and you could be in the running to win 3 of my PDF patterns, your choice each week.I already have so many new ideas for version of this quilt, stay tuned. It really is one of the most versatile patterns I have designed!Happy Patching,Emma

Welcome to the Around The Lake Sew Along.I've posted the first week of the sew along early but I think it takes more than a week to decide on fabrics, right! I might actually start all future sew alongs with all the colour suggestions in the welcome post. What do you think, is that a good idea?Anyhoo, lets get started on picking the perfect colour combination for your quilt. GETTING STARTED:Make sure you’ve purchased your Around The Lake Pattern.The Around The Lake See Along will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #aroundthelakeSAL and #aroundthelakequilt hashtags.There are lots of people participating in this sew along, so let’s start off with introductions! We’d love to see a picture of you in your sewing room or space and hear a bit about you.  Post a photo of your fabric pull (if you have one yet!) – in this post we’ll talk a bit about fabric choices. If you’ve already decided on your fabric, posting a picture may help to inspire others. Start shopping or raid your stash – supporting your local patchwork shop is fabulous way to help small businesses but this quilt is also a perfect scrap quilt.PLANNING YOUR QUILT:Your first step is to decide what size quilt you are making. The Around The Lake Quilt comes in 6 sizes, Baby, Small Throw, Large Throw, Twin Size, Queen and King. Hopefully there's a size to suit everyone!The next step is to decide on colours! CHOOSING YOUR COLOURS:This week we are concentrating on choosing fabrics.The original quilt was made up using a mix of fabrics from my stash and Tula Pink's fairy dust fabric as the background.  The original quilt was designed to be scrappy and so it uses lots and lots of fabrics. If you are looking to make one similar by raiding you stash follow the requirements for fat eighths. Just use the guide below. Fat Quarter - Makes one full blockFat Eighth - Makes 1/2 a blockFat 16th - Make 1/4 of a block The really interesting thing about this quilt design is the secondary patterns that can be created just by changing up the colour positions. So grab the colouring sheet and your pencils and have some fun. The quilt I'll be stitching up for the sew along will be made using TarryTown by Kimberly Kight for Ruby Star Society.I'm using fat quarters and a bunch of low volume prints for the background. I had a play on my computer and came up with a number of layouts. I am defintely making version number one because I love the colour wash, however how good do the circles look being made out of one fabric. I could imagine it working with so many fabric ranges. They look like lifesavers or donuts don't you think?          Now I know many of you fell in love with the Around The Lake quilt after I made the one using bright solid fabrics. I have written a blog post which includes all the fabric requirements and cutting instructions for this quilt here. Check out the quilt below. I thought I would also share all the mock ups that didn't make the cut. I must admit, there are a few in this lot that I still want to make. Maybe one of them will catch your eye and I'll get to see it as a real quilt and I won't have to make it. Win!                Then of course we have to talk about a rainbow version. My lovely friend Jackie actually made a stunning quilt top using Alison Glass fabric.You can see that she has used the same fabric for each quarter of the block and then put the colours together in a glorious rainbow. I did a mock of this on my computer too so you could see the colour placement a little clearer. This one is also rainbow but the layout is much simpler as you just make each corner out of one colour! My fabulous pattern testers also made some pretty amazing quilts.  I am always amazed at how others interpret my patterns and love seeing the different colour and fabric choices. Vanessa @_vanessa.griffin_ Josephine @josephinek74 The next 3 quilts were all made by Emma @sewnbyelf. She had so much fun playing around with the colour positions and the results are so interesting. I really do feel that this pattern has so many possibilities!      One last bit of inspiration I wanted to share was the restricted colour pallette featuring cool colours. I really like the idea of making a companion quilt for my riot of hot pink and red version. We will have to see if it actually happens. Henry has started 3 year old kinder this year and after being in isolation for most of his life we are getting all the colds. It's been a learning curve trying to teach Henry about blocked noses and tissues and how to blow. Funny but not funny if you know what I mean.           * New Content*I just wanted to add a couple of cutting tips in case you are keen to start cutting.First up, the pattern is design to be cut with the fabric right side up. This means if you are tracing Template A, trace it on the right side of the fabric with the template right side up.(writing right side up) On a side note you don't have to be as careful with Template B.Just make sure your cut fabric pieces look like the photo below.If you would like to trace the template onto the reverse of the fabric, just make sure you flip the template! The 2nd cutting tip is about saving a little time and fabric, that is if you choose to make a quilt like mine. My plan as I mentioned before is to make each corner of the block out of the same fabric like in the photo below.   This is something I discovered when I went to piece my version. I had unfortunately already cut my fabric because at the time of cutting I hadn't decided on a layout.As you can see in the photo below there is actually no need to cut and sew the C square onto the Flying Geese Unit. So if you want to save time and fabric just completely skip this step.In the end I still decided to use the C square for two reasons, one because I had already cut them and two, I really like the texture the extra piece created. So it's up to you, I just wanted to give you another option.   Well there you go, that's a whole heap of colour inspiration don't you think! I hope something tickled your fancy or you are inspired to create your own version of the Around The Lake quilt, and to be honest, I hope you do. All of your quilts are my favourite.Thanks so much for joining me on this fun ride, whether it's your first time or you're a sew along veteran, I really hope you have fun. If you have any questions you can always email me.Lets get sewing!Emma x

I had so much fun creating this solid version of Around The Lake and from the response I got from you liked it too! So I got out my calculator and worked out the requirements and cutting for 6 different sizes.                                               .           This version of the quilt is made up of two different blocks. One that features more red and one that features more pink.The centres stay the same for both blocks. If you want to make you own version using either Kona Solids or Moda Bella Solids, check out the table below. This is the original mock up I made for the solid version of the quilt. That's the wonderful thing about the colouring sheet that is included in the pattern. You can have so much fun playing with colour placement and directions. So if you would want to make your own version of this quilt, click on the link below and it will take you to a PDF that you can save and print. You will still need the pattern to finish the cutting of this quilt. I hope you appreciate all the extra maths that I did for you. My brain is still hurting :) Solid Version Around The Lake Requirements and Cutting Click here to purchase the pattern from my online store.

I have been so looking forward to sharing my latest quilt pattern with you all, Around The Lake.Ta Da, here she is: I wanted to make a super scrappy fun design to use up all those little bits of fabric I had in my stash. I'm pretty sure you have some of those too! The design came about about after I was playing around with a Drunkard's Path block and also a flying geese block. I originally made the block using a traditional Drunkark's Path and Half Square Triangles. However I felt that would be too much sewing and too many seams. I'm sure you will all appreciate me making it a simpler block. So I extended the Drunkard's Path to be a rectangle and completed the block with a Flying Geese unit. Around The Lake is a very unique term that locals from Ballarat use all the time. Hey, do you want to go for a walk around the lake? I thought it perfectly suited my new design as it reflected the circle in the middle of the block. Lake Wendouree has also become a big part of our lives since moving back to Ballarat just over a year ago. It is a short walk from our house and Henry and I go there all the time to ride our bikes or play on one of the many playgrounds. If you ever get to come to Ballarat, Lake Wendouree is a must see.   The pattern comes with instructions for 6 different sizes and there are also templates available to make cutting the quilt much quicker and easier. The quilt is both fat quarter and fat eighth friendly but it could also be made using your stash as I mentioned before. When making the quilt some bonus Half Square Triangles are created. The pattern includes some suggestions on how to use these to make some fabulous cushions. You could also use to make a cot quilt or to help back the quilt.                                    I have also been working on another version of Around The Lake using solid fabrics and my favourite black and white stripe. For all of you that I know are going to ask, it's called Clown Stripe in white from Michael Miller Fabrics. I haven't included the instructions in the original pattern as it would make the pattern way too long. I'm sure you could work it out yourself with just a little bit of calculating but I have decided to make it much easier for you all. The next blog post will have all the fabric requirements and cutting instructions for 6 different sizes in this restricted colour pallette. I hope it will helpful and maybe you will end up making a couple Around The Lake quilts. I hope you like my new pattern as much as I do and you can purchase the PDF Pattern, Paper Pattern and Template Set from my online store here. I am looking forward to seeing all the wonderful quilts you create from this pattern and remember to use the hashtags #aroundthelakequilt and #emmajeanjansen so I can find them. Thank you also for your continued support of my little business, I appreciate it more than words can say.

I have made a few different versions of this pattern but my favourite is defintely this one.The Tipsy Cushion is a great little project to work on and is a fun way to use up some of those favourite scraps of fabrics. My inspiration for this combination of low volume prints and Liberty fabrics actually came from one of my Students. She has made a number of these and I couldn't let her have all the fun!   I went thought my stash and found 36 of my favourite Liberty fabrics to use. I also couldn't help but lay them out in a colourwash. If you know my work you would know that this is something I have to do. I'm not great at full scrappy, I like a little bit of colour order. If you would like to make your own you can purchase the pattern as a PDF or you can grab the printed version complete with acrylic templates to make cutting out the pieces much quicker and easier. Both are avaible here in my Online Shop.

Week 6  Welcome to Week 6 of the Kiss Goodnight sew-along. It's the final week of the sew along and now we get to sew all those fabulous blocks together and make a quilt top! My first tip for sewing a quilt with sashing is to firstly sew all the rows together with the sashing in-between. Then measure all your rows. If all things are equal they should measure what I state in the pattern, however if they aren't, take the average and this will be the length of your sashing. Next up sew a sashing length to a row, by finding the centre of both pieces and pin together. Then pin at each end and evenly pin the rest.Sew together. So my simple trick to get the vertical sashings to line up, is to do a visual check. Lay the row of blocks on top of a row with sashing. Fold back the top row of blocks and check that the vertical sashing lines up. Then fold the row back and pin in place. To make sure you have nice flat borders repeat the same method for the sashing. Measure your quilt top and make your borders the correct size to match. Once again find the centres of both and pin, then pin ends. Sew together and voila, lovely flat borders! Thank you so much for joining me for this sew along. I have you have enjoyed it as much as I have and have finished up with a quilt that you love.Stay tuned for my next sew along and I hope you will join in the fun again.Happy Patching, Emma

Week 5 Welcome to Week 5 of the Kiss Goodnight sew-along. This week we are making the last of the blocks, yay!Grab the pattern here. SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #kissgoodnightquiltSAL and #kissgoodnightquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. I don't have much to share with you this week because we are just finishing off the blocks but I did want to share something with you all. For those of you that don't know, I used to design fabrics so these blocks are pretty special to me. They are made from my 2nd range of fabrics called Terra Australis 2 and were made by Noeline. Eeeekk I love them so much! PRIZES  Each week I will pick a winner from the posts using the hashtag #kissgoodnightquiltSAL to win a bundle of my patterns.That's three PDF's patterns, your choice! See you all next week, I can't wait to see all your quilt tops come to life. I'll have some tips on piecing quilts with sashing and matching up those seams! Emma x

Week 4 Welcome to Week 4 of the Kiss Goodnight sew-along. This week we are continuing to make blocks. I find that this is the easy part, all the decsions have been made so you just get to sew! If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #kissgoodnightquiltSAL and #kissgoodnightquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.The hashtags are also a great was to check all the other quilts that are being made. There are even some finished quilt tops popping up by the over achievers of the group. This black and white one with the sashing removed is particularly inspiring,Did you have a go at chain piecing? I would love to know if the tips from last weeks newsetter help you give it a try.   If you have been following me on IG you will have seen that I made another Kiss Goodnight quilt and I atually think it is my favourite so far. It has been made using fabrics from my stash, many that I have had for years. Lots of them are Cotton and Steel and there are some Ruby Star Society ones in there too. In this quilt I also used a different background fabric for each block. I think it adds a bit more interest, what do you think? PRIZES  Each week I will pick a winner from the posts using the hashtag #kissgoodnightquiltSAL to win a bundle of my patterns.That's three PDF's patterns, your choice! I hope you are enjoying making your blocks especially if you are in hard lockdown like we are. The extra time at home is great for sewing and I always become more productive. Just like the saying goes, quilting is my therapy in more ways than one.However having little ones, or trying to home school can be challenging so make sure you are kind to yourself.  Emma x

Week 3 Welcome to Week 3 of the Kiss Goodnight sew-along. I hope you guys had fun making your Half Square Triangles, getting your blocks organised and now you’re ready to get stuck into making these blocks!If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #kissgoodnightquiltSAL and #kissgoodnightquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. Check out these fabulous organised piles of fabrics that are ready to be made into blocks, aren't they inspiring!! PIECING THE BLOCKSFor the next 3 weeks we are making blocks! Whatever size quilt you are making, just divide the amount of final blocks by 3 and you will know how many to make each week.A quick note on pressing your blocks. Some of you will decide to press your seams open, others will press to the side. Obviously, you should find what works best for you! Check out Pages 6 & 7 of your Kiss Goodnight pattern for my pressing tips.To be honest though, it’s not the end of the world if you have to flip the seam as you’re sewing the blocks together to get them to nest!I like to work on one block at a time for this quilt, so the first thing I do is lay out all the squares in the correct position. Next up, I stack the rows from left to right. CHAIN PIECING  The Kiss Goodnight quilt blocks are perfect for chain piecing so if you have never tried it, now is the time. So the basic idea of chain piecing is sewing without cutting your threads, so the blocks are all linked and you save time. Start with row 1 and sew squares #1 and #2 together, then row 2 and do the same. Repeat for all 5 rows. Then start back at the beginning and sew square #3 onto each of the rows. Continue sewing until all the squares are added to the rows.  If you look closely at the photo below you will see all the threads in-between the rows. At this stage I like to cut the threads and then iron the rows in opposite directions so when you piece the rows the seams will nest nicely together. Then you need to sew the rows together. Ta Da, a finished block! PRIZES  Each week I will pick a winner from the posts using the hashtag #kissgoodnightquiltSAL to win a bundle of my patterns. That's three PDF's patterns, your choice! With so much of Australia in some stage of lockdown I hope you are finding a little joy with this sew along because I sure am. It gives me something to look forward to each week and I love looking through the #kissgoodnightquiltSAL hashtag to see all the beautiful quilts that are geting created.  So once again thank you so much for coming on this sewing journey with me, it means the world to me. If you are feeling isolated, reply to this email, I would love a chat. Or comment on one of the Kiss Goodnight sew along posts, you just might make a friend!  Emma x

Week 2 Welcome to Week 2 of the Kiss Goodnight Stars Sew Along.This week is all about cutting your fabrics, making half square triangles and getting organised to sew the blocks.If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #kissgoodnightquiltSAL and #kissgoodnightquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.Don't worry if you’re ahead, or you see other people sewing blocks already, this is supposed to be fun. If you feel like sewing, go for it. This sew along is all about enjoyment so there are no rules, stick to the schedule or move ahead, do what's right for you.There have been some fabulous fabric combos popping up on Instagram and in the Facebook group and I'm excited to watch these quilts come to life. Check out some inspiring fabric pulls below. CUTTING TIPS This quilt is made up of squares and HST's, so you’re basically cutting out heaps of squares! Make sure that blade is sharp and get those fabrics ironed, then brace yourself for lots of cutting. Follow the cutting out instructions for the size quilt you are planning to make in the pattern. To speed up cutting I like to cut 4 layers at a time. I know this can be a bit daunting but I promise if you have a nice sharp blade it's easy. Just remember to concentrate because if you make a mistake, you will make it 4 times!! ORGANISATION Once the cutting has been completed it's time to get organised. With my first quilt I sorted all the cut squares into blocks and decided on the layout once the blocks were pieced. With my second, I also planned the layout before any piecing was started. This ensured that I had an even balance of colours and prints throughout my quilt. The photo below shows all my fabrics sorted and ready to go. HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES  Next up we need to make Half Square Triangles or HSTs. If you have your own way of making HSTs, go for it, just make sure you trim your blocks to 3.5".If you participated in any of my sew alongs you will notice I have used the same step by step photos. I hope you don't mind, but running around after a toddler and organising a sew along can fill my days pretty quickly. This was a little shortcut that gave me heaps more time!! I usually like to make all my HSTs at the beginning of my quilt but with this one I did a block of a time. I found it much easier to keep track of which fabrics go with which block, however do whatever feels right for you. PREPARATIONOnce you’ve paired up your squares, the next thing you need to do is mark the back of half of your squares. I marked the back of my “C” fabric squares.One of the best ways to get a straight line on the back of your fabric is to use a sandpaper board underneath. The sandpaper stops the fabric moving, which makes it so much easier to draw the line. How cool is that! I have a fancy sandpaper board but you can just use a sheet of sandpaper from your local hardware store.I like to use a mechanical pencil with a chaco lead to mark my fabrics. The chaco lead marks the fabric easily and is erasable later on.Take one of the fabric squares and mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric. Repeat for all your pairs! SEWING TIMETake one pair of squares with the marked square on top.Sew either side of the marked line with a ¼” seam.Repeat for all the pairs. CUTTING TIMENow take your rotary cutter, ruler and mat.Cut down the centre of all the blocks on the drawn line from before.Press the blocks. I like to press to the dark fabric, AKA the dark side! TRIMMING TIMEThe blocks you have just made will be a little big, they also might be a little wonky. I suppose it will depend on how much quarantine wine you’ve been drinking! Don't worry, that's where the trimming comes in.Using a square ruler (or a bloc loc ruler if you have one), line up the 45 degree line on your ruler with the seam through the middle of the block. Trim the block down to 3.5" square.Check out the pics below for a visual on how to trim your HSTs.• Please note these blocks were trimmed to 4" for another quilt, just remember yours need to by 3.5" trimmed. LABEL YOUR BLOCKSAn extra tip for keeping organised to is to label your blocks if you decide on a layout before piecing. My technique was not very fancy, just a scrap of paper with the row and position noted and pinned to the top left coner of the block.EG: 1A, 3DIf you don't have space to keep your blocks laid out you might want to look in other options for storing them. Stacked up paper plates work really well, just put all the pieces for each block on a seperate plate and then stack them. It's a great space saver and an excellent way to store your blocks before sewing. PRIZES  Each week I will pick a winner from the posts using the hashtag #kissgoodnightquiltSAL to win a bundle of my patterns.That's three PDF's patterns, your choice! Next week we will be sewing blocks, yay! I've actually started sewing a scrappy version of this quilt and can't wait to show you more.If you have any questions, you can always email me!Once again thank you so much for joining me on this sew along. I hope you are enjoying the process and meeting some other sewers from around the world. Emma x

Week 1 Welcome to Week 1 of the Kiss Goodnight Stars Sew Along. This week is all about choosing your fabrics. GETTING STARTED: Make sure you’ve purchased your Kiss Goodnight Pattern The Kiss Goodnight SAL will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #kissgoodnightquiltsal and #kissgoodnightquilt hashtags. Let’s start off with introductions! We’d love to see a picture of you in your sewing room or space and hear a bit about you. If you are still working from home, I know many of you are, I hope this sew along will help you feel a little less isolated and a little more connected. Post a photo of your fabric pull – in this newsletter we’ll talk a bit about fabric choices. If you’ve already decided on your fabric, posting a picture may help to inspire others. Go shopping if nothing in the stash works – Why not support a small business? Most patchwork shops are selling online and they could all really do with our support right now. PLANNING YOUR QUILT: Your first step is to decide what size quilt you are making. The Kiss Goodnight Quilt comes in 6 sizes, Baby, Small Throw, Large Throw, Twin, Queen and King. Hopefully there's a size to suit everyone! CHOOSING YOUR COLOURS: This week we are concentrating on choosing fabrics. The original quilt was made up using Heather Bailey's range of fabric, True Kisses for Figo Fabrics. I fell in love with the beautiful colours and stunning florals and it was actually the inspiration for the quilt! The large florals from the range were not included in the final selection, they were just too big for the size of the squares. This is something I always take into consideration when choosing fabrics for a quilt. As much as I loved the large florals I knew that they just wouldn't work with the block and I would be disappointed with the finished look of the quilt. The background fabric is a small dot in a cream shade which I thought would be the perfect compliment to the bright colours. For this sew along I'll be making the large throw size using Tula Pink's Linework range of fabrics paired with a selection of designer solids. Then to make the colours pop I'm using the tone on tone black from the linework range as the background fabric. I've already made a couple of blocks and I love the way it looks. For anyone that is interested, these are the Tula Pink solids that I decided to use. The fabrics had to be ordered online as we were in lockdown and I'm happy with my selection, however there are so many fabulous colours to choose from that so many other combinations would work too. Next up I had some fun playing with the layout of the fabrics and colours and I wanted to share them with you. The plan was always to use the black as the background, but I also wanted to see what it might look like with white too. The next two images are where I had a play with the position of the white and black. I found it really interesting how much the block changed and also the possibilities for future Kiss Goodnight quilts. How many is too many, just asking for a friend? Need some more inspiration? Well here you go! I had lots of fun putting these mock-ups together and I hope they help you with your fabric selection. Summer Days. I'm calling this one Summer Nights. It's amazing the difference a dark background makes. Moody Blues. Emerald Forest. Springtime. I'm not sure what this one reminds me of but I really like the grey background. And finally my favourite, made using only solids and this is totally on my to do list.  Hopefully you found some inspiration with these colour combinations. If you are still stuck, ring your local quilt shop and ask them to put together a fat quater bundle for you, easy peasy! There is also the option of a scrap quilt. One of my fabulous testers made one using all different fabrics and it looks awesome. Check it out below. She worked on one block at a time and raided all of her stash. Would you believe she's only been quilting for 2 years?You can also check out the hashtag #kissgoodnightquilt for even more inspiration from my talented pattern testers. Each week I will pick a winner from the posts using the hashtag #kissgoodnightquiltSAL to win a bundle of my patterns. That's three PDF's patterns, your choice!I'm am still finalising some prizes for the last week, so stay tuned. If you have any questions, you can always email me! Next week we will be cutting our fabric and making all those half square triangles, so clean up your work space and change those rotary cutter blades!Thanks so much for joining me on this patchwork adventure. Whether it's your first or 20th sew along, I hope you get some joy from creating alongside fellow creatives. Emma x

I've been wanting to share all the photos of my latest Thora Belle Quilt.This one is made from Stay Gold, a stunning range by Melody Miller for Ruby Star Society. My Thora Belle quilt pattern features Raw Edge Applique but you could attach the shapes using your preferred method, either by hand or machine. I love the speed that the machine gives me and with a little one around, time is very precious. Quick is good for me! I attach the shapes using a fusible web. The brand I prefer is "Lite Steam a Seam 2"It's a fabulous product that it not too heavy and is very good at stopping the edges fraying. How good it that! I like to complete my applique when the quilt is still in blocks. It's so much easier to handle and you can just use your normal sewing machine foot. I prefer to use Aurifil 50wt thread in a colour that matches the applique shapes. However if the thread you have on hand is a little darker or lighter it's not the end of the world, it will still work too. To get the neat finish that I love so much I then reduce the stitch length to around 1.8 (I use a Bernina) and slowly stitch around the edge of the applique shapes as closely to the edge as possible 3 times. I know 3 times seems a lot, but I promise that it helps guarantee that the edges are sewn down and reduces the changes of the edges fraying. I decided to get this quilt machine quilted ny a lomg armer. Karen from @shecooks_shesews did a fabulous job with the quilting and I love the movement it gives the quilt.I usually quilt all my own quilts using straight lines but again I was a little time short on time. Sometimes it's great to out source, am I right? All these stunning photos were taken at my Brother and Sister in Law's house. How amazing is it? They recently had all the floors replaced with a beautiful coloured wood and all the walls painted. I love it so much. The requiremts for this quilt uses cuts across the width of the fabric so have fabric. However if you don't mind a little wastage you can use fat quarters. Just cut one background and one applique from each fat quarter. If you would like to make your own Thora Belle you can also purchase templates that make cutting out the applique shapes a breeze.You can find them here. The Thora Belle pattern is on sale until the end of the month. (28-02-2022)Grab it here! Check out lots of other version of my Thora Belle quilt on instagram here, or by using the hashtag #thorabellequilt

Welcome to Week 5 of the Whirligig sew-along. Are you ready to sew this quilt together? This week we’ll be piecing your quilt top using all your fabulous blocks and adding the border. If you have just joined the SAL… well friend… better late than never I suppose! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! There is also a Facebook Group for those of you that would like a little more interaction! SHARE ON INSTAGRAM Don’t forget to post a pic of your second lot of finished blocks on IG and be sure to the use the #whirligigsal and #ejjwhirligig quilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. PIECING THE QUILT TOP Now it's finally time to make all your fabulous blocks into a quilt top! Sew the blocks together in rows, and then the rows together. Just remember to press each alternative row of blocks in different directions so the seams nest nicely together.Then add your borders. To get nice flat borders I like to measure through the centre of the quilt to get the correct size, then cut my borders to fit. Sometimes your quilt doesn't end up being the correct size stated in the pattern due to slightly bigger or smaller seam allowance being used. When adding the borders on, I find the centre of the border piece and match it to the centre of the quilt. then pin each end. I also like to add a pin every two inches as well. Then Sew!I have cut and pasted the next bit from my previous sew along because it is all about finishing the quilt and that information doesn't change. It also gives me more time to sew!TOOLS OF THE TRADE As this is the last newsletter, I thought I might talk a little about quilting. I love to use straight lines in all my quilts and I have discovered a few things that might help you too!Firstly, what you'll need:Walking Foot for your machine – you may have to purchase this separately as most machines don't come with one, unless you’re a lucky duck and have bought a quilting edition - sometimes they include these as part of the package. A walking food basically does the same thing as the feed dogs on your machine, except from above. It helps to feed the three layers of your quilt through evenly so that the fabric doesn’t bunch up.40wt Thread - now this is just what I like to quilt with, so if you prefer something else, go for it! I like it because it's a little stronger and it also makes the quilting a bit more of a feature. I like to use Aurifil Thread, 100% cotton.Basting Spray and/or Safety Pins for basting - I like to use both. I don't have a large sewing table to work on so all the help I can get, I take! The safety pins are stainless steel, size 2. There are some fancy curved pins on the market which are great too. The basting spray is called 505 Temporary Adhesive. I like this brand as it has hardly any smell and stays stuck!Hera Marker – A Hera marker is an awesome piece of plastic that allows you to mark your quilt without using a pencil/washout marker. The Hera marker places a fold in the fabric when your quilt top is basted that stays for a good amount of time. I love it because there is no need to wash out line markings afterwards. Just use your quilting ruler to get lovely straight lines. BASTING The first thing you’ll need to do is baste your quilt. Once you have pieced your backing, lay it down with the right side to the floor. Some people baste on their kitchen table, some on the wall and others on their dining room or lounge room floor. It’s totally up to you! I lay my quilt backing on my lounge room floor and tape down the edges to keep the backing taut. Then I layer the batting on top and baste it to the backing using the basting spray. Next, I layer the quilt top, right side up and baste it to the batting and backing. Finally, I plonk myself down in the middle of the quilt and start pinning from the centre out, every 3 inches of so! QUILTING After you’ve basted your quilt, you need to do is increase the stitch length on your machine. I usually sew using a 2.5” length and then up it to 2.8” when quilting. The quilt above has been quilted with quarter inch spaced lines. The best way to explain how I do this is with a diagram.My approach for this quilt was to begin in the middle of the quilt. I quilted the first red line (marked with 1 on the diagram) and then continued sewing the rest of the red lines to the right hand side of the quilt. Then I went back and quilted all of the blue lines in between the red lines. Once all the blue lines were done I went back and did the yellow lines. The idea is that the red lines anchor the quilt. Then you go back and fill in the gaps. If you tried to do the heavy quarter inch quilting from the first row, your quilt would end up distorted and no-one wants that!Just remember, after you’ve completed all the red lines, you need to flip the quilt around, so you’re quilting from the other side and working from the middle to the right, before you go back and do the blue and yellow lines. To get the quilt into position to feed through the sewing machine you need to roll it up. It makes it must easier to handle and to fit through the throat of your sewing machine. See the pictures below.Please note the space at the end of the table, this allows the quilt to hang off the end as it passes through rather than getting bunched up. The other style of straight line quilting I like to do is cross hatching. This is done in the same way as the previous quilt. Start with your anchor lines of quilting and then go back and slowly fill in the gaps.Please note that my lines are not perfect, they never are. I wobble and move around with the best of them, but the wonderful thing about this style of quilting is it doesn't matter. Once it’s all done you notice the effect - not how straight the lines are. If you’re not comfortable quilting using just the force, that's where the fabulous Hera Marker comes in handy. This white piece of plastic creates a fold or indentation on the fabric that lasts for ages. Using your quilting ruler to keep the lines straight, run the Hera Marker along the fabric pushing down firmly. You’ll see that it leaves an indentation on your quilt which you can use as your guide for when you’re quilting. I used it in the quilt below. Just note, I did all the anchor lines first so I could then remove the pins. It makes it much easier to place a ruler on the quilt once the pins are gone. I also mark up with the Hera Marker on the floor. It's a bit hard on the back but unless you have a large table (I don't) the floor is the best option. So that's it my fellow Giggers!I’ve had an amazing time sharing my quilt with you all and a few tips and tricks along the way. I really enjoy being a sew along "hostess with the mostess" and I see more of them in my future. I also love this little community we have created and I hope you keep sharing your EJJ creations on Instagram and in the Facebook group.I would like to say a big thank you to you all. Obviously this would not have been possible without you purchasing the pattern and sharing your photos on Instagram. I am so grateful for all the support and I’m hoping you got just as much as I did out of the sew-along. Stay Safe,Emma x

Whirligig Quilt Sew-Along Week 4 Welcome to Week 4 of the Whirligig sew-along. This week it's time to sew the rest of your blocks but from what I’ve seen in the Facebook Group and on Instagram, some of you have zoomed ahead and have finished all your blocks and even your tops. How did you go? Whatever stage you’re up to, don't worry, I want everyone to enjoy this process and if you want to finish the blocks, go for it! This quilt is pretty simple with a single repeated block, so it does come together quickly!If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your second lot of finished blocks on IG and be sure to the use the #whirligigsal and #ejjwhirligigquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. PIECING THE BLOCKSThis week we are going to be making the rest of the blocks. YOUR BLOCKS I can't help myself, I just wanted to share some more of the gorgeous blocks that have been popping up on instagram. Maybe they might inspire you to make another one! NEXT WEEKNext week we will be assembling the quilt tops and adding the border. I must admit I'm a little sad that this sew along is nearly over. This 2nd more extreme lockdown that's been happening in Melbourne where I live, has been difficult. My little toddler is fun but I must admit I think both of us are missing other people. What has been saving me is sewing and also this little community we have created. I hope it’s been doing the same for you.Stay safe my sewing friends,Emma x

Whirligig Quilt Sew-Along Week 3 Welcome to Week 3 of the Whirligig sew-along. I hope you guys are having fun making your Half Square Triangles and that you’re ready to get stuck into making these blocks!If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your HST's on IG and be sure to the use the #whirligigsal and #ejjwhirligigquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. Check out these fabulous quilts that are coming together. Aren't the colours inspiring! PIECING THE BLOCKSThis week we are going to be making half of the blocks. Baby Size: Make 5 BlocksThrow Size: Make 8 BlocksQueen Size: Make 13 BlocksA quick note on pressing your blocks! Some of you will decide to press your seams open, others will press to the side. Obviously, you should find what works best for you! If you press to the side though, like me, you can follow the steps on pages 5 and 6 of the pattern. The arrows indicate which way to press which allows all the seams to nest nicely together. To be honest though, it’s not the end of the world if you have to flip the seam as you’re sewing the blocks together to get them to nest!I like to work on one block at a time for this quilt especially as my blocks are super scrappy. However if you are making a quilt using fat quarters it would be very easy to do some chain piecing if that's your thing.You can see by the photo below I have completed the centre block. I like to get all of these done first, it makes piecing the rest of the block seem quicker somehow! Next week we will be making the 2nd half of the blocks.I must say this sew-along has been a bit of a lifesaver for me this time round. Going into isolation again with an energetic toddler has been a little trying at times but man I love the distraction this SAL gives. I love scrolling through the hashtags, #whirligigsal & #ejjwhirligigquilt and looking at all the wonderful quilts that are getting made. It brings a little sunshine into my day. In the meantime, I do hope you’re enjoying the sew along and the community of fellow quilters that you see on IG and over on Facebook. I really do love seeing all of your quilts come to life!See you next week. Emma x

Whirligig Quilt Sew-Along Week 2Welcome to Week 2 of the Whirligig sew-along. How much fun has it been meeting all the Whirligiggers and seeing all the awesome fabric choices!If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #whirligigsal and #ejjwhirligigquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.Don't worry if you’re ahead, this is supposed to be fun. If you feel like sewing, go for it. This sew along is all about enjoyment so there are no rules, stick to the schedule or move ahead, do what's right for you.There have been some fabulous fabric combos popping up on Instagram! and in the Facebook group. Some of my favourites are shown below. I can't wait to see these made up into Whirligig quilts. HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES (HSTs)Week 2 is all about Half Square Triangles or HSTs. If you have your own way of making HSTs, go for it, just make sure you trim your blocks to 3.5".If you participated in my first sew along you will notice I have used the same step by step photos. I hope you don't mind, but running around after a toddler and organising a sew along can fill my days pretty quickly. This was a little shortcut that gave me heaps more time!! The half square triangles are used to make up the gigs in the quilt. You’ll need to pair up these fabrics first (if using a scrappy background like I did) to make sure you have enough variety in the blocks. PREPARATIONOnce you’ve paired up your squares, the next thing you need to do is mark the back of half of your squares. I marked the back of my background fabric.One of the best ways to get a straight line on the back of your fabric is to use a sandpaper board underneath. The sandpaper stops the fabric moving, which makes it so much easier to draw the line. How cool is that! I have a fancy sandpaper board but you can just use a sheet of sandpaper from your local hardware store.I like to use a mechanical pencil with a chaco lead to mark my fabrics. The chaco lead marks the fabric easily and is erasable later on.Take one of the fabric squares and mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric. Repeat for all your pairs!                                   SEWING TIMETake one pair of squares with the marked square on top.Sew either side of the marked line with a ¼” seam.Repeat for all the pairs. CUTTING TIME Now take your rotary cutter, ruler and mat.Cut down the centre of all the blocks on the drawn line from before.Press the blocks. I like to press to the dark fabric, AKA the dark side!                                                TRIMMING TIMEThe blocks you have just made will be a little big, they also might be a little wonky. I suppose it will depend on how much quarantine wine you’ve been drinking! Don't worry, that's where the trimming comes in.Using a square ruler (or a bloc loc ruler if you have one), line up the 45 degree line on your ruler with the seam through the middle of the block. Trim the block down to 3.5" square. Check out the pics below for a visual on how to trim your HSTs.                                                 That's it for Week 1. Next week we will be making half of the blocks. I hope you guys are having fun! How much fun is it checking out all the photos and fabric inspo on the #whirligigsal hashtag! And remember, this sew along is not fast paced, however please zoom ahead if you want to! This sew along is all about you, so please sew at your own pace.I am enjoying watching all your fabulous quilts come together and can't wait to see some photos of finished blocks popping up in my IG feed.Emma x

Whirligig Quilt Sew AlongWeek 1 Welcome to Week 1 of the Whirligig sew along.This week is all about choosing your fabrics and completing the cutting. If you don't have a big fabric stash to dive into, check out the shops selling kits here. I'll be making a scrappy rainbow queen size version using fabric from my stash! I was a little disappointed I didn't use more but that's what you get when you only cut one or two squares from each fabric!! Maybe I'll make another one.... GETTING STARTED Make sure you’ve purchased your pattern. Grab it here. The Whirligig SAL will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #whirligigsal and #ejjwhirligigquilt hashtags. There are lots of people participating in this sew along, so let’s start off with introductions! We’d love to see a picture of you in your native quilting habitat and hear a bit about you. If you are still working from home, I know many of you are, I hope this sew along will help you feel a little less isolated and a little more connected. Post a photo of your fabric pull (if you have one yet!) – in this newsletter we’ll talk a bit about fabric choices. If you’ve already decided on your fabric, posting a picture may help to inspire others. Now’s the time to buy up on fabric if it’s not in your stash – support for small businesses has never been more important and most fabric shops are selling online! PLANNING YOUR QUILT: Your first step is to decide what size quilt you are making. The Whirligig Quilt comes in 3 sizes, a baby, a throw and a queen size. The baby size finishes at 51” x 51”, the throw is 66" x 66" and the queen size finishes at 81” x 81”. The next step is to decide on colours! CHOOSING YOUR COLOURS: This week we are concentrating on choosing fabrics and cutting all the squares needed for this quilt. The original quilt is made up of 4 colour groups. You may choose to make your quilt from solids or prints or a combination of both. You may also decide to go raid your scrap basket and go completely scrappy or choose 4 main fabrics in each colour. The beauty of this quilt is that you don’t have to go out and buy more fabric (or better still, stay in and order online) – you can raid your stash and make a gorgeous quilt! For my original quilt, the one using my Melba fabrics I used pink, aqua, green and mustard with a dark grey background. The fabrics are not perfectly matched in these colour groups and that's what I love about this quilt. The pop of orange in the green block really makes the quilt interesting and allows the colours to sing. If you have a good look at the quilt you see that there are four gigs in each Whirligig. (I'm not sure that gig is a word but hopefully you get what I mean.) I like to choose four colours for each block and then repeat this block. The repeated blocks look so good when put together.Another great way to work out if the colours you’re thinking of using will work well in this quilt, is to use the colouring page from the pattern and have a play around with the colour placement. INSPIRATION I wanted to put together some different looks to inspire you all. Below are just some simple colour combinations that I think will look great. All of these can be achieved with different scales of prints, pattens and colour. MY QUILTI really want to show you the plan for my scrappy rainbow version of this quilt. I will keep the same colours in each gig and also the placement, but my plan is to use lots and lots of different fabrics. Please check the very orderly first image below. I really struggle with total scrappy quilts so mine are very organised. However if you are into the whole scrappy thing, I have added a few extra layouts to give you some inspiration! CUTTING TIPS This quilt is made up of squares and HST's, so you’re basically cutting out heaps of squares! Change that blade on your rotary cutting and get those fabrics ironed, then brace yourself for lots of cutting. Follow the cutting out instructions for the size quilt you are planning to make in the pattern.Here are some quick calculations for the number of squares needed for a scrappy quilt.I have broken it down into 1 Block, 9 Blocks (Baby), 16 Blocks (Throw) and 25 Blocks (Queen).1 Block8 - 3.5" squares (prints)4 - 4" squares (prints)4 - 4" squares (background)4 - 3.5" x 6.5" rectangles (background) 9 Blocks72 - 3.5" squares (prints)36 - 4" squares (prints)36 - 4" squares (background)36 - 3.5" x 6.5" rectangles (background) 16 Blocks128 - 3.5" squares (prints)64 - 4" squares (prints)64 - 4" squares (background)64 - 3.5" x 6.5" rectangles (background) 25 Blocks200 - 3.5" squares (prints)100 - 4" squares (prints)100 - 4" squares (background)100 - 3.5" x 6.5" rectangles (background) NOTE: If you are planning on making a scrappy quilt you might like to to make a template for the centre triangle. The instructions tell you to cut a 4 1/4" square and then cross cut it twice to make 4 triangles. If you are doing a scrappy version you probably won't want 4 triangles from the same fabric. I made a template using the same technique except drawing the 4 1/4" square onto templastic and cutting the triangle out. Then I just traced this onto fabric and cut it out with scissors. To create the more organised rainbow scrappy look of my quilt, check out the diagrams below. I've broken it down into colours to make it easier to work out the amounts required. *PLEASE NOTE* The pattern calls for you to cut larger squares from all the fabrics and the background fabric to make Half Square Triangles (HSTs). Lots of quilters like to cut their HSTs bigger and then trim them down to size. Just remember when you’re trimming that your unfinished HSTs need to be 3.5” square. If you have any questions, you can always email me! Thanks so much for coming on this fun ride with me. The world continues to be a strange place and I hope this sew along brings you some joy from your home and a sense of community as we all continue to physically distance ourselves. Stay safe and let’s have some fun!Emma x

Welcome Welcome to the Whirligig Quilt Sew Along! I’m so glad you have decided to join me for my second ever sew along. I had so much fun with the Wake Me Up sew along that I couldn't wait to do it again. In a strange coincidence I have ended up in lockdown again. During the first sew along it was the whole of Australia, however this time it's just Melbourne, which is where I live. Whether you are in lockdown or not, I hope this sew along will help you feel connected and not so isolated. I know it helped me last time that's for sure!I designed the Whirligig quilt five years ago to help promote the release of my fabric range Melba. This range was all things Melbourne and it's still a favourite of mine, I mean look at those Magpies and train tickets, so Melbourne. The reason I am pointing out these prints is because I wanted to show you how versatile the pattern is. It works with large and small prints, stripes and spots and because the quilt is fat quarter friendly, you can dive into those long hoarded special fabrics! The Whirligig Quilt pattern comes in three sizes, Baby, Throw and Queen. The Baby quilt is fat eight friendly and the larger two use fat quarters. This quilt is great for showcasing a range of fabrics or mixing it up and creating your own style. Swapping out the light background for a dark fabric can also make the quilt look more dramatic and if you want to use it as your everyday quilt, it's great to hide pet hair!          If you haven't decided yet what fabrics you’re going to use, wait for the Week 1 Newsletter which will be out soon. I’ll show you some mock ups I’ve created to give you some ideas including my super scrappy rainbow version. Rainbow Eeeeekkk! If you haven't purchased the pattern – grab it here now. HOW TO JOIN IN THE FUN:Follow along on Instagram using the hashtags #whirligigsal and #ejjwhirligigquilt to post your progress photos. You can start today by sharing the “Count Me In” button above and introducing yourself! You’ll receive a weekly newsletter sharing what’s in store for the week and all my tips and tricks.If Instagram isn't your thing, I have also created a facebook page for my sew alongs. You can join here. SUPPLIES: There are some fabulous shops in Australia and US who have been making kits.Australia The Next Stitch, QueenslandThe Quilt Shop, Eltham, VictoriaGj's Discount Fabrics, Melbourne, VictoriaFabric Pixie, Goonellabah, NSWMillrose Quilting and Gallery, Ballan, VictoriaRed Heart Designs, Dandenong, VictoriaUSSew Unique Threads, MichiganPink Door Fabrics Please click on the shop name to take you directly to their website. If no kits show up please contact them directly via phone or email.I am looking forward to meeting you all and I can't wait to get started!Emma x

Wake Me Up Quilt Sew-Along Week 6 Welcome to Week 6 of the Wake Me Up sew-along. There wasn't suppose to be a week 6 but because we now have prizes there is!If you have just joined the SAL… well friend… better late than never I suppose! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! There is also a Facebook Group for those of you that would like a little more interaction! This group will continue for future sew-alongs, Yay! Before announcing the two winners I wanted to share some photos of your finished quilt tops. There were so many delicious fabric combinations, so if you want to be inspired, check out the hashtag #wakemeupsal on instagram.This first group of quilts I am calling the Originals! Quilts made using similar colours to my first quilt, which I must say is still my favourite I think. Check out these hotties, all using gorgeous warm colours with pops of other colours for contrast! I never thought to use pretty florals with the Wake Me Up Quilt but this group sure shows you it's possible. How pretty are these! I'm a big fan of this group, because I am a lover of green. I really like how different these all look and the pops of red and orange just make them sing. I think this grouping shows how by changing the colour placement you can end up with circles as the feature or the crosses. I especially love the one in the middle that doesn't even look like the same quilt! This last group is where all the colours come together. How fun is the quilt using big florals and I even like the quilts using purple......purple is my least favourite colour!! Now on to the winners!The winner of the $100 gift voucher from The Quilt Shop is, Sally @sallyopthoog I love the way Sally has only used four colours and they are all solids. So stunning. The winner of the $50 gift voucher to Millrose Cottage is Mardi @simply_mardiI love this quilt for the subtle use of low volumes and contrasting red and black. Such a beautiful quilt. Wow, aren't all the quilts fabulous! I have enjoyed running my first sew-along so so much and it's all thanks to you!Thank you so much for joining in, taking the time to comment on each others photos and sharing your own. I feel like we have created a lovely little community and I hope it continues.Stay safe and stay tuned, there might be some more sew-alongs in the future!Emma x

Wake Me Up Quilt Sew-Along Week 5 Welcome to Week 5 of the Wake Me Up sew-along. Are you ready to sew this quilt together? This week we’ll be piecing your quilt top using all your fabulous blocks. If you have just joined the SAL… well friend… better late than never I suppose! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! There is also a Facebook Group for those of you that would like a little more interaction! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your second lot of finished blocks on IG and be sure to the use the #wakemeupsal and #wakemeupquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.HOORAY FOR PRIZES In some rather exciting news, we have some prizes! The wonderful and generous ladies from The Quilt Shop have kindly donated a $100 gift voucher, and Sue from Millrose Cottage has chipped in a $50 gift Voucher. All you need to do to be in the running is make sure your finished quilt top is posted to Instagram by May the 7th. If you’ve already finished your quilt top and posted a picture, don’t worry – you’re in the running for the prizes!These two shops have also put together some terrific kits for the Wake Me Up quilt if you felt like making another one! PIECING THE QUILT TOPNow it's finally time to put all your quilt blocks together! Sew the blocks together in rows, blah blah blah. If you have come this far, I'm quite sure you can work out how to piece a quilt top. Just remember to press each alternative row of blocks in different directions so the seams nest nicely together.TOOLS OF THE TRADE As this is the last newsletter before we announce the winners, I thought I might talk a little about quilting. I love to use straight lines in all my quilts and I have discovered a few things that might help you too!Firstly, what you'll need:Walking Foot for your machine – you may have to purchase this separately as most machines don't come with one, unless you’re a lucky duck and have bought a quilting edition - sometimes they include these as part of the package. A walking food basically does the same thing as the feed dogs on your machine, except from above. It helps to feed the three layers of your quilt through evenly so that the fabric doesn’t bunch up.40wt Thread - now this is just what I like to quilt with, so if you prefer something else, go for it! I like it because it's a little stronger and it also makes the quilting a bit more of a feature. I like to use Aurifil Thread, 100% cotton.Basting Spray and/or Safety Pins for basting - I like to use both. I don't have a large sewing table to work on so all the help I can get, I take! The safety pins are stainless steel, size 2. There are some fancy curved pins on the market which are great too. The basting spray is called 505 Temporary Adhesive. I like this brand as it has hardly any smell and stays stuck!Hera Marker – A Hera marker is an awesome piece of plastic that allows you to mark your quilt without using a pencil/washout marker. The Hera marker places a fold in the fabric when your quilt top is basted that stays for a good amount of time. I love it because there is no need to wash out line markings afterwards. Just use your quilting ruler to get lovely straight lines. BASTING The first thing you’ll need to do is baste your quilt. Once you have pieced your backing, lay it down with the right side to the floor. Some people baste on their kitchen table, some on the wall and others on their dining room or lounge room floor. It’s totally up to you! I lay my quilt backing on my lounge room floor and tape down the edges to keep the backing taut. Then I layer the batting on top and baste it to the backing using the basting spray. Next, I layer the quilt top, right side up and baste it to the batting and backing. Finally, I plonk myself down in the middle of the quilt and start pinning from the centre out, every 3 inches of so! You can see me basting my original Wake Me Up Quilt at light speed here. QUILTING After you’ve basted your quilt, you need to do is increase the stitch length on your machine. I usually sew using a 2.5” length and then up it to 2.8” when quilting. The quilt above has been quilted with quarter inch spaced lines. The best way to explain how I do this is with a diagram.My approach for this quilt was to begin in the middle of the quilt. I quilted the first red line (marked with 1 on the diagram) and then continued sewing the rest of the red lines to the right hand side of the quilt. Then I went back and quilted all of the green lines in between the red lines. Once all the green lines were done I went back and did the blue lines. After the blue I did all the yellow and so on until the quilting was a quarter inch apart. The idea is that the red lines anchor the quilt. Then you go back and fill in the gaps. If you tried to do the heavy quarter inch quilting from the first row, your quilt would end up distorted and no-one wants that!Just remember, after you’ve completed all the red lines, you need to flip the quilt around, so you’re quilting from the other side and working from the middle to the right, before you go back and do the blue, green and yellow lines. To get the quilt into position to feed through the sewing machine you need to roll it up. It makes it must easier to handle and to fit through the throat of your sewing machine. See the pictures below. Buffy is also showing how comfortable a quilt roll can be!Please note the space at the end of the table, this allows the quilt to hang off the end as it passes through rather than getting bunched up. The other style of straight line quilting I like to do is cross hatching. This is done in the same way as the previous quilt. Start with your anchor lines of quilting and then go back and slowly fill in the gaps.Please note that my lines are not perfect, they never are. I wobble and move around with the best of them, but the wonderful thing about this style of quilting is it doesn't matter. Once it’s all done you notice the effect - not how straight the lines are. If you’re not comfortable quilting using just the force, that's where the fabulous Hera Marker comes in handy. This white piece of plastic creates a fold or indentation on the fabric that lasts for ages. Using your quilting ruler to keep the lines straight, run the Hera Marker along the fabric pushing down firmly. You’ll see that it leaves an indentation on your quilt which you can use as your guide for when you’re quilting. I used it in the quilt below. Again, this version of my Wake Me Up Quilt was quilted with straight lines, but this time I decided to echo the seams by quilting a quarter inch either side. There were some parts of the quilting design that made it tricky just to eye it in, so I marked it up with the Hera Marker. Just note, I did all the anchor lines first so I could then remove the pins. It makes it much easier to place a ruler on the quilt once the pins are gone. I also mark up with the Hera Marker on the floor. It's a bit hard on the back but unless you have a large table (I don't) the floor is the best option. So that's it my friends. The last week of my first ever Sew-Along! Don’t forget to post a picture of your finished quilt on Instagram before midnight Thursday, 7 May 2020 to be in the running for the prizes! Keep an eye out for my final newsletter on 8 May where I will announce the winners and showcase some of my favourite sew along quilts made by you guys!I’ve had an amazing time sharing my quilt with you all and a few tips and tricks along the way. I plan to do a few more in the future so stay tuned!I would like to say a big thank you to you all. Obviously this would not have been possible without you purchasing the pattern and sharing your photos on Instagram. I am so grateful for all the support and I’m hoping you got just as much as I did out of the sew-along. Stay Safe,Emma x

Wake Me Up Quilt Sew-Along Week 4Welcome to Week 4 of the Wake Me Up sew-along. Did you manage to sew half of your blocks? From what I’ve seen in the Facebook Group and on Instagram, some of you have zoomed ahead and have finished all your blocks and even your tops, while others are still piecing away. Whatever stage you’re up to, don't worry, I want everyone to enjoy this process and if you want to finish the blocks, go for it! It's a simple quilt to piece quilt and once you get going it comes together so quickly! If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! Facebook GroupBy popular demand, and to facilitate the community we are all in need of, I’ve created a new Facebook group for this sew-along. The group is already humming along, sharing pics of their progress and getting to know each other a bit better. We’d love for you to join us over there! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your second lot of finished blocks on IG and be sure to the use the #wakemeupsal and #wakemeupquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.HOORAY FOR PRIZES In some rather exciting news, we have some prizes! The wonderful and generous ladies from The Quilt Shop have kindly donated a $100 gift voucher, and Sue from Millrose Cottage has chipped in a $50 gift Voucher. All you need to do to be in the running is make sure your finished quilt top is posted to Instagram by May the 7th.These two shops have also put together some terrific kits for the Wake Me Up quilt is you felt like making another one! PIECING THE BLOCKSThis week we are going to be making the rest of the blocks. If you are using Method 1 to piece your quilt, you’ll be making all of the Circle Blocks.The block below was made by Andrea, one of my fabulous patterns testers. If you are using Method 2, then you’ll be making the other half of your blocks!This block was made by me, it's from the 2nd Wake Me Up quilt I have sewn. YOUR BLOCKS I can't help myself, I just wanted to share some more of the gorgeous blocks that have been popping up on instagram. Maybe they might inspire you to make another one! NEXT WEEKNext week we will be assembling the quilt tops and I'm a little sad that this sew-along is nearly over. I hope you are doing well with social distancing, to be honest the "ground hog day" part of staying at home with a little one has been getting to me. What has been saving me is sewing and also this little community we have created. I hope it’s been doing the same for you.Stay safe my sewing friends,Emma x

Wake Me Up Quilt Sew-Along Week 3Welcome to Week 3 of the Wake Me Up sew-along. I hope you guys are having fun making your Half Square Triangles and that you’re ready to get stuck into making these blocks!If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun!Facebook GroupBy popular demand, and to facilitate the community we are all in need of, I’ve created a new Facebook group for this sew-along. The group is already humming along, sharing pics of their progress and getting to know each other a bit better. We’d love for you to join us over there! PAST NEWSLETTERS Welcome WeekWeek 1Week 2 SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your HST's on IG and be sure to the use the #wakemeupsal and #wakemeupquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.I love that lots of you have been cheeky and have already started sewing your blocks together. Some people have completed tops already! That kind of enthusiasm is inspiring so keep posting your photos for others to see. You may recall me saying that this quilt was simple and quick. It’s the kind of quilt that once you start, you just can’t stop! The fact that a number of you are starting a second quilt (and that I’ve just finished my fourth) just proves it. Check out these finished and almost finished Wake Me Up quilt tops: PIECING THE BLOCKSThis week we are going to be making half of the blocks. If you are using Method 1 to piece your quilt, you’ll be making all of the Cross Blocks.If you are using Method 2, you just need to make half of the blocks.A word on pressing your blocks! Some of you will decide to press your seams open, others will press to the side. Obviously, you should find what works best for you! If you press to the side though, like me, and you’re using Method 1 to press your blocks, then check out page 4 of the pattern. This is where the secrets to pressing both your Cross and Circle blocks are revealed so that they nest nicely. Take note of the arrows in the illustrations, as these are your pressing guide. If you press your seams in the direction of the arrows your whole quilt will be much easier to piece.If you are using Method 2 to piece your blocks, well… to be honest… you’ll have to make it up as you go along! I haven't actually found a way to easily make all the seams nest. One option is to make all your blocks the same way and then rotate them as needed. To be honest though, it’s not the end of the world if you have to flip the seam as you’re sewing the blocks together to get them to nest! CHAIN PIECINGThis week I thought I might share the way I chain piece my blocks. If you’re anything like me, you feel the need for speed! Chain piecing definitely helps make piecing super fast and fun! I usually piece 4 blocks at a time but to keep things simple I am going to give you step by step instructions for just one block.First things first, lay out your block. Then you’ll need to take each row and stack the squares of fabric in the order you’ll be sewing them. Next step is to take the first two squares in row and sew them together.The trick to chain piecing is not cutting your thread. If you look closely between the pairs in the first photo you can see they are joined by thread.Continue by sewing the next square onto the pair you’ve already sewn for each row.    Continue sewing the final square onto the end until all the rows are complete.The 2nd picture below is of all the rows pieced with the threads in between the rows still attached.    At this stage I like to work on one block at a time, so I don't mix up my rows and blocks. Cut the threads and press your rows. I always press the odd number rows, 1 & 3, from left to right, and the even number rows, 2 & 4, from right to left. Next up, sew your rows together!!!    Ta Da! A finished block!Next week we will be making the 2nd half of the blocks.As we enter Week 3 of the sew-along, many of us are exiting week 3 of self-isolation in the time of Covid-19. Here in Australia, lots of kids are starting their home learning journey and many parents will be pulling their hair out about Zoom classes and Google Classrooms. Remember to be kind to yourselves – you are doing enough and this will not last forever. If you can’t make half the blocks this week, there is always next week!And if you need to lock yourself in a cupboard with some stockpiled chocolate and wine for “self care” reasons then you’ll find no judgement here! In the meantime, I do hope you’re enjoying the sew along and the community of fellow quilters that you see on IG and over on Facebook. I really do love seeing all of your quilts come to life!See you next week. Emma x

Wake Me Up Quilt Sew-Along Week 2Welcome to Week 2 of the Wake Me Up sew-along. How much fun has it been meeting all the Wake Me Uppers and seeing all the awesome fabric choices!If you have just joined the SAL, welcome! Be sure to grab the pattern, read up on all the details and choose your fabrics soon so you can catch up and join in the fun! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #wakemeupsal and #wakemeupquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.Don't worry if you’re ahead, this is supposed to be fun. If you feel like sewing, knock yourself out. Who knows, you might end up making two quilts!!There have been some fabulous fabric combos popping up on Instagram! Some of my favourites are shown below. I can't wait to see these made up into Wake Me Up quilts. HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES (HSTs)Week 2 is all about Half Square Triangles or HSTs. If you have your own way of making HSTs, go for it, just make sure you trim your blocks to 4". There are two sets of HSTs that need to be made. Both are used in the Circle Block - one set to form the diamond centre, the other set is for the outside of the circles. You’ll need to pair up these fabrics first to make sure you have enough variety in the blocks. PREPARATIONOnce you’ve paired up your squares, the next thing you need to do is mark the back of half of your squares. I marked the back of my light grey ones. (Aqua in the original quilt)One of the best ways to get a straight line on the back of your fabric is to use a sandpaper board underneath. The sandpaper stops the fabric moving, which makes it so much easier to draw the line. How cool is that! I have a fancy sandpaper board but you can just use a sheet of sandpiper from your local hardware store.I like to use a mechanical pencil with a chaco lead to mark my fabrics. The chaco lead marks the fabric easily and is erasable later on.Take one of the fabric squares and mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the fabric. Repeat for all your pairs!    SEWING TIMETake one pair of squares with the marked square on top.Sew either side of the marked line with a ¼” seam.Repeat for all the pairs. CUTTING TIMENow take your rotary cutter, ruler and mat.Cut down the centre of all the blocks on the drawn line from before.Press the blocks. I like to press to the dark fabric, AKA the dark side!    TRIMMING TIMEThe blocks you have just made will be a little big, they also might be a little wonky. I suppose it will depend on how much quarantine wine you’ve been drinking! Don't worry, that's where the trimming comes in.Using a square ruler (or a bloc loc ruler if you have one), line up the 45 degree line on your ruler with the seam through the middle of the block. Trim the block down to 4" square. Check out the pics below for a visual on how to trim your HSTs.    That's it for Week 1. Next week we will be making half of the blocks. I hope you guys are having fun! I'm having an awesome time, checking out all the photos you’ve been posting. There is so much gorgeous colour and fabric inspo on the #wakemeupsal hashtag, so if you’ve had trouble deciding what fabric to use you can check out the hashtag. Don’t forget to post once you’ve decided to help others out. And remember, this sew along is set on a very relaxed speed. This means you can take your time. Lots of you will have time on your hands with the current pandemic keeping most of us at home. Others will be busier than ever juggling work, kids and elderly relatives. My hope for this SAL is that it brings you joy in a time of uncertainty and is a safe haven for you to retreat to For my part, I thought 4 Wake Me Up quilts would be enough but now, after seeing all your fab fabric choices, I'm not sure.Emma x   

Wake Me Up Quilt Sew-AlongWeek 1 Welcome to Week 1 of my first sew-along featuring my latest quilt pattern, Wake Me Up. I am super excited to be sewing-along with all of you. In fact, I am about to make my 4th version of this quilt, that's how much I love it! I’m planning on making a scrappy queen size version using fabric from my stash! GETTING STARTED Make sure you’ve purchased your Wake Me Up pattern!  The Wake Me Up SAL will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #wakemeupsal and #wakemeupquilt hashtags. There are lots of people participating in this sew along, so let’s start off with introductions! We’d love to see a picture of you in your native quilting habitat and hear a bit about you. Lots of people are working from home at the moment, so the community during this sew along may really help those people who are otherwise isolated. Post a photo of your fabric pull (if you have one yet!) – in this newsletter we’ll talk a bit about colour and placement. If you’ve already decided on your fabric, posting a picture may help to inspire others. Now’s the time to buy up on fabric if it’s not in your stash – support for small businesses has never been more important and most fabric shops are selling online! PLANNING YOUR QUILT: Your first step is to decide what size quilt you are making. The Wake Me Up Quilt comes in 2 sizes, a throw size and a queen size. The throw finishes at 56” x 56” and the queen size finishes at 84” x 84”. Lots of us are home at the moment and have a bit more time on our hands, but if you’re a bit time poor (can anyone say homeschooling?) then the throw size is perfect for a quick finish. The next step is to decide on colours! CHOOSING YOUR COLOURS:Yay! Any excuse to buy some more fabric, right? This week we are concentrating on choosing fabrics and cutting all the squares needed for this quilt. The quilt is made up of 4 colour groups. You may choose to make your quilt from solids or prints or a combination of both. You may also decide to go raid your scrap basket and go completely scrappy or choose 4 main fabrics in each colour. The beauty of this quilt is that you don’t have to go out and buy more fabric (or better still, stay in and order online) – you can raid your stash and make a gorgeous quilt! For my original quilt, I used aqua, navy, pink and yellow with a very subtle text print for the background. The key when choosing your colours groups is to choose colours that contrast well so the secondary patterns in the quilt are easy to see. The quilt has been designed to highlight 2 shapes – described as a circle block and a square block in the pattern – so the easiest way to find success with your quilts is to make sure there is contrast in these shapes. A great way to work out if the colours you’re thinking of using work well in this quilt, is to use the colouring page from the pattern and have a play around with the colour placement. This quilt can look so different just by changing the placement of your colours. Take a look at the four images below. The first image is the same as my original quilt. The next 3 are the same colours in different positions. How different does the quilt look in the other pictures!      WAKE ME UP INSPO There are so many lovely colour combinations to choose from. I’ve come up with a few combinations to help inspire those who are still struggling. Word of warning though, if you’re like me you’ll want to make all the versions! WARM QUILT COOL QUILT TONAL QUILT Sidenote – if you’re finding you’re a bit overwhelmed with all the options, you can also buy a kit from the ones curated by The Quilt Shop or Millrose Quilting and Gallery.MY QUILT The quilt I’m making for the sew along is for my parent's bedroom in their new, very modern house. I'm using a subtle palette of greys, blacks and yellows. The plan is to make a queen size, but I might even decide to go BIG! By making 64 blocks (8 x 8) my quilt will end up at 107" square. My folks have a king size bed so the queen size won’t be big enough. I’m excited about these colours though! CUTTINGHave you ever noticed that there are two kinds of quilters? There a quilters who enjoy making blocks and then there are quilters who want the recipe for the fastest way to put a quilt together – the chain piecers.Well in this pattern, I have catered for both. If you love to make one block at a time and then pieced the blocks together down the track, then I’ve got you covered. You’ll be making the circle blocks and square blocks!    If, on the other hand, you want to chain piece the quilt and get this thing done fast, then look no further! There’s a construction method to satisfy you too. CUTTING TIPS If your plan is to follow the first method of construction or you’re working from a limited number of fat quarters in each colour group, all the cutting instructions for the throw and queen size quilts are set out on page 1 and 2 of your pattern. You’re basically cutting out heaps of squares! On the other hand, if you’re planning on making a scrappy quilt using lots of different fabrics, then your first step is to make note of how many squares you need for each colour group. That part is simple – I’ve added the total number of squares needed beside each colour on page 1 and 2 of your pattern. Next, gather all your fabric pieces and scraps together and count them. Then divide the number of squares you need for each colour by the number of fabrics you have and you’ll know how many squares you need to cut from each! Example:In the queen size instructions, you will need a total of 72 of the “pink fabric” squares. Let’s say you have 9 different pink fabrics that you’d like to use. If you teleport yourself back to grade 4 maths (or ask your home schooled kids!) then a simple calculation will reveal that you’ll need to cut 8 squares from each of your 9 pink fabrics! Follow this simple rule for each of the remaining colours. *PLEASE NOTE* The pattern calls for you to cut larger squares from the “aqua”, “navy” and “background” fabrics to make Half Square Triangles (HSTs). Lots of quilters like to cut their HSTs bigger and then trim them down to size. Just remember when you’re trimming that your unfinished HSTs need to be 4” square. If you have any questions, you can always email me! Thanks so much for coming on this ride with me. The world is a strange place at the moment and I hope this Sew-Along brings you some joy from your home and a sense of community as we all physically distance ourselves. Stay safe and let’s have some fun!Emma x

Welcome! Welcome to the Wake Me Up Quilt Sew Along! I’m so glad you will be joining me for my first ever Sew-Along. The Wake Me Up Quilt is really special to me. Before I had Henry, my little boy, I had all the time in the world to spend designing fabric and patterns. Right after Henry was born, I realised that my quilting and designing window had become a lot smaller. I quickly found that as life got more complex, I really needed to simplify things and that included my designs! Wake Me Up is one of the first quilts I’ve designed since I had Henry. They say that necessity is the mother of invention and boy have I discovered that. Henry sleeps for around 2 hours in the middle of the day, so I really wanted to make a quilt that was easy to piece, came together quickly and was fun to make. I think the fact that I’ve already made 3 of these quilts shows just how fast and easy it is! The brilliant thing about the Wake Me Up Quilt… is that it your sewing squares and half square triangles and it only uses 4 colours. This means that it’s perfect for working from your stash or raiding your scrap basket! This quilt is all about colour placement! You can see from looking at the 3 versions I’ve made so far that the quilt can look so different just by placing the colours in different positions.     Follow along on instagram using the hashtags #wakemeupsal and #wakemeupquilt If you haven't decided yet what fabrics you’re going to use, wait for the Week 1 Newsletter which will be out soon. I’ll show you some mock ups I’ve created to give you some ideas. If you haven't purchased the pattern – grab it here now. HOW TO JOIN IN THE FUN:Follow along on Instagram using the hashtags #wakemeupsal and #wakemeupquilt to post your progress photos. You can start today by sharing the “Count Me In” button above and introducing yourself! You’ll receive a weekly newsletter sharing what’s in store for the week and all my tips and tricks. SUPPLIES: I have two Quilt shops in Australia who have been making kits.  The Quilt Shop in Eltham, Victoria. AndMillrose Cottage, Ballan. (You can contact them directly for kits, either by phone or email) PRIZES:While I haven't organised prizes just yet, I’m open to hearing from businesses who’d like to get in touch if they have a prize they’d like to offer. I’m conscious of how tough things are for lots of people and companies at the moment, so haven’t wanted to ask! Stay tuned for more details.I can't wait to get started!Emma x

My Chapel Street quilt was designed as an English Paper Piecing project, however that dosen't mean it can't be pieced by hand or even machine.I've made a little step by step tutorial to walk you through machine piecing. I hope that helped you if you are interested in machine piecing Chapel Street. Not so hard after all!The pattern is available as a PDF download and Printed paper version.

I am so excited to share with you my first ever English Paper Pieced quilt, Chapel Street.I will also admit now it will probably be my only one! I loved making it but for a designer that has limited time to work (full time caring of a nearly 3 year old) it just isn't the method for me. Lucky this design can also be machine pieced and I will take you through the steps in future blog post. The story behind my Chapel Street quilt is pretty simple. We were living in Melbourne last year during the lockdowns and I walked a lot. So much so I didn’t put petrol in my car for 7 months!! A least a couple of days a week I would make the walk to my local supermarket in Balaclava and on the way I passed a building. It had a tiled front and I always thought it would make the perfect patchwork block. The name comes from the location of the building, Chapel Street. The plan to turn in into an I Spy quilt came from the fact Henry was with my every time I walked past the building, just hanging out in his pram and because the playgrounds were closed this was the most exciting outing of his day. The fabric used in the quilt is mainly older Cotton and Steel fabrics and some newer Ruby Star Society prints. The black and white stripe is a 1/4" stripe from Riley Blake Designs but any 1/4" stripe would work. The pattern is 5” Charm Square, Fat 16th, Fat 8th and Fat Quarter Friendly. It can also be made using your stash and left over scraps. The pattern is available as a PDF download and Printed paper version. The pattern comes with requirements and instructions to make two sizes. Cushion Finished Size: 22" x 22" / 56cms x 56cmsQuilt Finished Size: 66" x 66" / 170cms x 170cms There are also acrylic templates as well as EPP kits for both the cushion and throw size.      I decided to make the cushion completely differently to the original quilt. I paired low volume prints with bright solids. I then choose a big bold stripe for the back and switched the directions so I didn't have to match the stripes!I think it looks very stylish, especially with the matching self covered buttons. The instructions to make this cushion back are included in the pattern.    Both the quilt and cushion were just simply quited using straight lines, my go to for modern quilting.I have a blog post on how I quilt if you are  interested here. I hope you like my new quilt pattern and already have ideas for fabric choices. I love that the quilt can be made from small scraps and the design perfectly suits that eclectic look. The pattern, templates and EPP papers can be purchased here. Wholesale orders from Creative Abundance and Checkers Distributors.

First up I am going to share with you my Tula Pink Linework Kiss Goodnight Quilt.I decided to pair the range of black and whites with a selection of Tula Pink designer solids. Here are the colours I choose: I spent a lot of time planning the layout of this quilt before I even started sewing which is something I rarely do.I also must say, what did we do without camera phones. How handy are they to take a photo of the final layout so you don't forget! How lovely are those colours all piled up and ready to sew. I don't often use plain fabrics but this quilt has defintely made re-think that and I will be planning some more in the future. I choose to quilt this version using horizontal lines. I used Aurifil 40wt in colour #2606.  It's a mid grey and it worked perfectly on the black, whites and colours. The next version I made from lots of old Cotton and Steel and Ruby Star Society fabrics. I decided I wanted to use a different low volume fabric for each block so I raided my stash and found some perfect ones. I tried to make this version as scrappy as possible and used most fabrics onlu once. Some of my favourites were used a little more. I quilted this one with diagonal lines as it was my plan to have a different finish on each version of Kiss Goodnight. I hope you have enjoyed having a closer look at my two Kiss Goodnight quilts. I think it shows how versatile the pattern is and the endless possibilities. The pattern is Fat Quarter friednly and comes with instructions to make 6 different sizes, from Baby up to King.You can purchase the pattern here as either a PDF or Printed pattern from my online store.Wholesale orders from Creative Abundance and Checkers Distributors.

I haven't been the most reliable blogger over the past couple of years but my new plan is to at least write and share my new quilts. First up is the original Kiss Goodnight quilt, which has been made using True Kisses by Heather Bailey. This pattern is fat quarter friendly and comes with instructions for 6 different sizes. Starting with a Baby size and going up to a King size! It also comes with a colouring sheet which comes in handy at the planning stage. The pattern comes together very quickly with half square triangle blocks and squares. The sashing is a great way to showcase the blocks and highligh the fabrics. It's a great design to showcase a collection but is also very suitable for scraps. Grab the pattern from my online store HERE! Next up I'll share the Tula Pink version!

Welcome to Week 7,  otherwise known as the bonus week!This week I will share my tips on straight line quilting and also announce the big winner. TOOLS OF THE TRADE As this is the last newsletter, I thought I might talk a little about quilting. I love to use straight lines in all my quilts and I have discovered a few things that might help you too!Firstly, what you'll need:Walking Foot for your machine – you may have to purchase this separately as most machines don't come with one, unless you’re a lucky duck and have bought a quilting edition - sometimes they include these as part of the package. A walking food basically does the same thing as the feed dogs on your machine, except from above. It helps to feed the three layers of your quilt through evenly so that the fabric doesn’t bunch up.40wt Thread - now this is just what I like to quilt with, so if you prefer something else, go for it! I like it because it's a little stronger and it also makes the quilting a bit more of a feature. I like to use Aurifil Thread, 100% cotton.Basting Spray and/or Safety Pins for basting - I like to use both. I don't have a large sewing table to work on so all the help I can get, I take! The safety pins are stainless steel, size 2. There are some fancy curved pins on the market which are great too. The basting spray is called 505 Temporary Adhesive. I like this brand as it has hardly any smell and stays stuck!Hera Marker – A Hera marker is an awesome piece of plastic that allows you to mark your quilt without using a pencil/washout marker. The Hera marker places a fold in the fabric when your quilt top is basted that stays for a good amount of time. I love it because there is no need to wash out line markings afterwards. Just use your quilting ruler to get lovely straight lines. BASTING The first thing you’ll need to do is baste your quilt. Once you have pieced your backing, lay it down with the right side to the floor. Some people baste on their kitchen table, some on the wall and others on their dining room or lounge room floor. It’s totally up to you! I lay my quilt backing on my lounge room floor and tape down the edges to keep the backing taut. Then I layer the batting on top and baste it to the backing using the basting spray. Next, I layer the quilt top, right side up and baste it to the batting and backing. Finally, I plonk myself down in the middle of the quilt and start pinning from the centre out, every 3 inches of so! QUILTINGAfter you’ve basted your quilt, you need to do is increase the stitch length on your machine. I usually sew using a 2.5” length and then up it to 2.8” when quilting. The Bronte's Stars quilt above has been quilted with diagonal cross hatching and I'll talk about that later on.Another style that I love is straight lines all in one direction, so I thought that I would show that technique first.Please excuse the Whirligig quilt in the diagram below, I am re-using some of my work from my previous sew along which gives me more time to design and sew! The best way to explain how I do this is with a diagram.My approach for this quilt was to begin in the middle of the quilt. I quilted the first red line (marked with 1 on the diagram) and then continued sewing the rest of the red lines to the right hand side of the quilt. Then I went back and quilted all of the blue lines in between the red lines. Once all the blue lines were done I went back and did the yellow lines. The idea is that the red lines anchor the quilt. Then you go back and fill in the gaps. If you tried to do the heavy quarter inch quilting from the first row, your quilt would end up distorted and no-one wants that!Just remember, after you’ve completed all the red lines, you need to flip the quilt around, so you’re quilting from the other side and working from the middle to the right, before you go back and do the blue and yellow lines. To get the quilt into position to feed through the sewing machine you need to roll it up. It makes it must easier to handle and to fit through the throat of your sewing machine. See the pictures below.Please note the space at the end of the table, this allows the quilt to hang off the end as it passes through rather than getting bunched up. The other style of straight line quilting I like to do is cross hatching. This is done in the same way as the previous quilt except the lines are done on the diagonal. Start with your anchor lines of quilting and then go back and slowly fill in the gaps.Please note that my lines are not perfect, they never are. I wobble and move around with the best of them, but the wonderful thing about this style of quilting is it doesn't matter. Once it’s all done you notice the effect - not how straight the lines are. If you’re not comfortable quilting using just the force, that's where the fabulous Hera Marker comes in handy. This white piece of plastic creates a fold or indentation on the fabric that lasts for ages. Using your quilting ruler to keep the lines straight, run the Hera Marker along the fabric pushing down firmly. You’ll see that it leaves an indentation on your quilt which you can use as your guide for when you’re quilting. I used it in the quilt below. Just note, I did all the anchor lines first so I could then remove the pins. It makes it much easier to place a ruler on the quilt once the pins are gone. I also mark up with the Hera Marker on the floor. It's a bit hard on the back but unless you have a large table (I don't) the floor is the best option. GRAND PRIZE WINNERDrum roll please............ and the winner is @msbookleafCongratulations, your quilt is absolutely stunning! So that's it, well done if you got your Bronte's Stars quilt top finished!If not, I hope you still enjoyed the ride and of course you can still access all the weekly newsletters on my blog.I’ve had an wonderful time sharing my quilt with you all and a few tips and tricks along the way. I hope they have helped with this quilt and maybe you have learnt a thing or two for your next quilt. I really enjoy being a sew along host and I definitely see more of them in my future. Also, how good is the little community we have created! I hope you keep sharing your EJJ creations on Instagram and in the Facebook group.I would like to say a big thank you to you all. Obviously this would not have been possible without you purchasing the pattern and sharing your photos on Instagram. I am so grateful for all the support, without you I would have to go and get a real job and not have my boy home with me full time. I'm a very lucky lady!Until next Sew Along,Happy Patching,Emma x

Welcome to Week 6 of the Bronte's Stars Sew Along.Are you ready to sew this quilt together? This week we’ll be piecing your quilt top using all your fabulous blocks and matching all those tricky points. BLOCK LAYOUTThis is the really fun part, well I think it is!I like to lay my blocks out on the floor to find the best layout. One day I would like to have a design wall big enough but for now the floor will do. I will also take photos after I've finished to see that the balance of the blocks works.Check out me laying out my blocks HERE!I then stack my blocks together in their rows and label them. Always label. There is nothing worse then mixing up your carefully planned blocks. PIECING THE QUILT TOPNow it's finally time to make all your fabulous blocks into a quilt top! Sew the blocks together in rows, and then the rows together. Just remember to press each alternative row of blocks in different directions so the seams nest nicely together. TIPS FOR MATCHING POINTSThe Bronte's Stars blocks have lots of points and we don't want to loose them, or not have them match do we?My method is not overly technical but it works for me.The first step is to lay the blocks together. I use my ironing board which is next to my sewing machine. As I'm sitting, I find it the perfect height to see what I am doing. The next step is to line them up visually.I fold the top block back so I can match the sides of the star point and then move it so the top of the point lines up too. I then send a pin right through the seam lines.This stops any movement and keeps the points matching.I use Clover Patchwork Pins (Fine) and I leave them in.My sewing machine drives right over the top. I might occasionally hit one with my needle but all that happens is you bend a pin! Here's another look at me lining up the points. I then pin the corner blocks too but they are just squares so I'm sure you have that covered. Ta Da, perfectly matching points! UPDATED PRESSING GUIDEAfter much indecision I have finally decided on the best way to press the Bronte's Stars Quilt Block.If you have an older pattern, the instructions will still work, however I think this way makes the block sit better. You can also download a copy Updated Pressing guide for the Bronte's Stars Block here to keep on your computer! WEEKLY WINNER:This week's winner is @matusronlineCongratulations and I hope you enjoy your patterns. Looking forward to seeing your delicious batik blocks come together as a quilt top! And that's it!We have one more week to go and I'll be sharing my tips on straight line quilting and announcing the Grand Prize winner.To make sure you are in the running to win, post a photo of your finished quilt top by Wednesday March 31st on Instagram using the hashtag #brontesstarsSALThank you so much for joining me on this sew along, it's been so much fun. I will be stalking my instagram feed looking for all your quilt tops, I can't wait to see them!Emma

Please note: After much indecision I have finally decided on the best way to press the Bronte's Stars Quilt Block.If you have an older pattern, the instructions will still work, however I think this way makes the block sit better. You can also download a copy Updated Pressing guide for the Bronte's Stars Block here to keep on your computer!

Welcome to Week 5 of the Bronte's Stars Sew Along. This week we’ll be piecing the rest of our blocks. Hopefully you have been able to keep up! SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your second lot of finished blocks on IG and be sure to the use the #brontesstarsSAL and #brontesstarsquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. WEEKLY WINNER:This week's winner is @we10momCongratulations and I hope you enjoy your patterns. I love the how the colours pop against the black background. GRAND PRIZEI have finally organised a prize for the final week of the Sew Along.To be in the running to win this bundle of goodies you need to post a photo of your finished quilt top by April 1st on Instagram. Make sure you also use the hashtag #brontesstarssal so I can find it!We have another week of block piecing coming up so there is still plenty of time to get your top completed.I am so looking forward to seeing your quilt tops come together! NEXT WEEKNext week we will be sewing all the blocks together and complete our quilt tops. This is where I think it gets exciting, I love seeing my quilts come togteher ans I can'r wait to see yours too!Happy Patching,Emma x

Welcome to Week 4 of the Bronte's Stars Sew Along. This week it's time to sew the rest of your blocks but from what I’ve seen in the Facebook Group and on Instagram, some of you have zoomed ahead and have finished all your blocks and even your tops. How did you go? Whatever stage you’re up to, don't worry, I want everyone to enjoy this process and if you want to finish the blocks, go for it! For those that still have blocks to sew, don't stress we still have lots of time to finish, SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your second lot of finished blocks on IG and be sure to the use the #brontesstarsSAL and #brontesstarsquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. You will also be in the running to win 3 PDF patterns designed by me! PIECING THE BLOCKS:Guess what? This week we are going to be making some more blocks! YOUR BLOCKS: I can't help myself, I just wanted to share some more of the gorgeous blocks that have been popping up on instagram. How amazing do they look and how different does the quilt look with a dark or light background? Maybe they might inspire you to make another one!    Chain Piecing:I thought this week I would share I how do chain piecing. It's not everyone's thing but it does speed up the piecing process if you are willing to give it a try.Basically instead of piecing 1 block at a time you piece multiple blocks together. With Bronte's Stars, I like to piece four blocks at a time.The first step is to sew all the squares to the background fabric for the corner blocks. The trick to chain piecing is to not cut the thread between the blocks, you just keep sewing. If you look closely you will see the thread still joining them. When you don't cut the thread it saves you so much time. At the end of the sewing you will have a string of blocks! Or even a chain ;)Next up you just need to keep piecing the blocks following all the steps I did last week, except repeating them all 4 times!Follow the photos below. Next up you just need to keep piecing the blocks following all the steps I did last week, except repeating them all 4 times!Follow the photos below. Now piece the centre blocks and the rest of the steps! Ta Da.... and just like that you have 4 blocks!I hope this explains how I do chain piecing. I love the technique, especially now that I have a toddler who is very demanding of my time, so every second I get to sew has to count! WEEKLY WINNER:This week's winner is @terisquiltlifeCongratulations and I hope you enjoy your patterns. I'm loving the woven fabrics paired with the low volume background, it's going to look so good! NEXT WEEKNext week we will be sewing the last of the blocks, how exciting we are nearly finished! Happy Patching,Emma x

Welcome to Week 3 of the Bronte's Stars Sew Along. I hope you guys are cut out and ready to start sewing. SHARE ON INSTAGRAMDon’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics on IG and be sure to the use the #brontesstarssal and #brontesstarsquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos.Check out these fabulous quilts that are coming together. Aren't the colours inspiring!             PIECING THE BLOCKSThis week we are going to be making blocks. There are 3 weeks of piecing blocks to allow people who are making the larger sized quilts time to finish their blocks. To work out how many you need to piece each week just divide your total number of blocks by 3. Simple.A quick note on pressing your blocks!Some of you will decide to press your seams open, others will press to the side. Obviously, you should find what works best for you!If you press to the side though, like me, you can follow the steps on pages 4, 5 and 6 of the pattern. The arrows indicate which way to press which allows all the seams to nest nicely together. To be honest though, it’s not the end of the world if you have to flip the seam as you’re sewing the blocks together to get them to nest!Please note if you are using woven fabrics or fabrics that a slightly more open weave you might like to starch your fabric pieces before you piece. I also like to spray the block once completed to help it sit flat. I use Best Press or Flatter.Follow the steps below to piece one block.I like to piece the corner blocks first and then the centre block.I also like to trim the little triangles off as I go, I think it makes it easier to piece and helps the seam press flatter.      I like to leave my pins in when I piece and my preferred pin is a Clover Patchwork Pins - Fine with glass heads. If you sew over them they just bend which is great for your machine.       As you can see, I like to make each element of the block first and then piece it together.      Now all the elements are complete it's time to do the final two seams. Be careful with the edges as many are on the bias and they can stretch easily.I like to use a number of pins where the seams match to keep the seams aligned.     WEEKLY WINNER:This week's winner is @craftfidgetCongratulations and I hope you enjoy your patterns. I'm looking foward to seeing your gorgeous fabric selection made up into a quilt! Next week we will be making more blocks and I'll share my tips on chain piecing.How good are sew alongs, and what did we do before them? It's such a fun way to sew and share because if your family is anything like mine, you don't get the excited feedback from them like you do from this group! Yay for our own personal cheers squads. I also love scrolling through the hashtags, #brontesstarssal & #brontesstarsquilt and looking at all the wonderful quilts that are getting made. It brings a little sunshine into my day. In the meantime, I do hope you’re enjoying the sew along and the community of fellow quilters that you see on IG and over on Facebook. I really do love seeing all of your quilts come to life!See you next week. Emma x

Welcome to Week 2 of the Bronte's Stars Sew Along. How much fun has it been meeting all the other sewers and seeing all the awesome fabric choices! SHARE ON INSTAGRAM:Don’t forget to post a pic of your cut fabrics to IG and be sure to the use the #brontesstarssal and #brontesstarsquilt hashtags to make it easier for others to find your photos. Another reason to post your photo each week are the prizes! Each week I will pick a photo from IG and give the winner a bundle of 3 of my PDF patterns. Just remember to post before the next week newsletter goes out.Don't worry if you’re ahead, this is supposed to be fun. If you feel like sewing,  go for it. This sew along is all about enjoyment so there are no rules, stick to the schedule or move ahead, do what's right for you.There have been some fabulous fabric combos popping up on Instagram and in the Facebook group. Some of my favourites are shown below. I can't wait to see these made up into Bronte's Stars quilts.       CUTTING TIPS:First up I wanted to share the cutting diagrams to all the different fabric cuts that I mentioned last week. This should make it easier to work how many squares you need to cut if you don't want to use fat quarters. Just to avoid any confusion:1 Block = 1 Full Block if made from all of the same fabric. To speed up cutting I like to cut 4 layers at a time. I know this can be a bit daunting but I promise if you have a nice sharp blade it's easy. Just remember to concentrate because if you make a mistake, you will make it 4 times!!When cutting the squares for Bronte's Stars I like to cut the larger squares first, the the next smaller ones and then the smallest last.Now I have my fancy cutting table it makes it much easier to make the diagonal cuts without moving the squares. I just walk around the table. This can also be achieved by using the end of your kitchen bench or by spinning the cutting mat. I find the less that the squares are handled, the less they move, which makes your cutting much more accurate. And we all want accurate cutting! TIPS FOR CUTTING THE BACKGROUND FABRIC:I don't like to spend much time on cutting so if I can make it quicker I'm all for it and one place you can definitely save time on is on the background fabric.First thing you need ia a cutting mat that's wide or long enough to accommodate a piece of fabric folded, minimum 22 inches.I'm going to give an example of how I would cut the rectangle pieces (E) from the background fabric.Iron the fabric in half really well and make sure the selvages are lined up perfectly.Make a first cut to trim the edges to make them perfectly straight.Then cut as many strips the width you need, being careful not to disturb any of the previous cuts.Then spin the board, or walk around the corner of your table and make the other cuts creating your rectangles. The trick is to carefully lay your ruler down each time without disturbing the fabric. To make triangles, I keep the fabric on the board and then make diagonal cuts.This is the quickest way I have found to cut fabrics for backgrounds.I hope it helps you go a little faster too!You can check me out doing some of this cutting in a little time lapse video I have on instagram here. RAINBOW BRONTE'S STARS QUILT:Next up is the cutting requirements for the rainbow version I shared last week. PAIRING THE BLOCKS:As you know just from looking at the quilt, each star is made up of two fabrics. It is best to take the time to sort through your cut fabrics pair them up before you start sewing. This way you won't end up with lots of the same fabrics. TIPS FOR DIRECTIONAL PRINTS:When cutting out the triangles for the blocks with directional prints, you will get the prints going different ways. However if you cut with your fabric doubled and right sides together you will get the pieces to have all the prints going the same way. See the first image below. I actually prefer to turn the pieces as in the second image, I think it makes for more movement!Lay the pieces out before sewing to make sure you have the layout you like best! MAKE A TEST BLOCK:Now it's time to make a test block. If you feel confident to sew it up, go for it, but if you would prefer to wait there will be lots of tips in next weeks newsletter.       WEEKLY WINNER:This week's winner is @sharonrodrigowilsonCongratulations and I hope you enjoy your patterns. I'm looking foward to seeing your quilt made up so much! That's it for Week 1. Next week we will be making blocks. I hope you guys are having fun! How much fun is it checking out all the photos and fabric inspo on the #brontesstarssal hashtag! And remember, this sew along is not fast paced, however please zoom ahead if you want to! This sew along is all about you, so please sew at your own pace.I am enjoying watching all your fabulous quilts come together and can't wait to see some photos of finished blocks popping up in my IG feed.Emma x

Welcome to Week 1 of the Bronte's Stars Sew Along.This week is all about choosing your fabrics. I'll be making an original size version using fabric from my stash and a little top up courtesy of some late night shopping fueled by wine. I have paired my lovely brights with a cream and black spot. GETTING STARTED: Make sure you’ve purchased your Bronte's Stars Pattern The Bronte's Stars SAL will be taking place on Instagram, so be sure your account is set to public so we can all see your posts using the #brontesstarssal and #brontesstarsquilt hashtags. There are lots of people participating in this sew along, so let’s start off with introductions! We’d love to see a picture of you in your sewing room or space and hear a bit about you. If you are still working from home, I know many of you are, I hope this sew along will help you feel a little less isolated and a little more connected. Post a photo of your fabric pull (if you have one yet!) – in this newsletter we’ll talk a bit about fabric choices. If you’ve already decided on your fabric, posting a picture may help to inspire others. Now’s the time to buy up on fabric if it’s not in your stash – support for small businesses has never been more important and most fabric shops are selling online! PLANNING YOUR QUILT: Your first step is to decide what size quilt you are making. The Bronte's Stars Quilt comes in 6 sizes, Baby, Small Throw, Large Throw, Original, Twin and Queen. Hopefully there's a size to suit everyone! The next step is to decide on colours! CHOOSING YOUR COLOURS: This week we are concentrating on choosing fabrics. The original quilt was made up using a mix of Alison Glass fabrics and paired with a Andover Chambrey in black. I have heard this fabric is hard to find so if you are looking for something similar your could try one of the Robert Kaufman essex yarn dyes. I think the quilt works really well with fabrics that have a good contrast. This helps each star shine and gives the finished quilt top movement. The contrast can be done with colour or tone. I love the selection of Alison Glass fabric that I choose. These fabrics have such high saturation and the colours just glow against the chambray background. This fresh bright version was made using Rock Pool by Jodie Carleton. Most of these are cute novelty prints which really pop against the white background. Another great way to work out if the colours you’re thinking of using will work well in this quilt, is to use the colouring page from the pattern and have a play around with the colour placement. I love getting out my old derwents from high school, some of them are getting really small! If you still can't decide, here are a few Australian shops that have put together kits for you!The Next Stitch, QueenslandFabric Sauce, New South WalesGJ's Discount Fabrics MY BRONTE'S STARS QUILT: I really wanted to share with you my process for choosing fabrics.It always starts with a fabric or a couple of fabrics that I love and in this case it was 5 prints from the Smol collection by Kim Kight for Ruby Star Society.My plan is to make the original size quilt with 36 blocks and I will be using 36 different fabrics so I have lots more to add to the first 5! Next up I added some nice bright raspberry fabrics and a number of warm caramel prints. I have always been a bif fan of lime greens and hot pinks so this was an easy choice. Then I needed to add some more greens and medium pinks to fill out the colours. The colours above look really great but I felt it needed a little more punch so I added some turquoise fabrics. This would be pretty much be my favourite colour so I had plenty to source from my stash including some prints from my range Eureka. I always love using some of my own designs, it always makes the finished quilt that much more special. So you can check out my full selection below which includes a mix of large prints, small prints and blenders. There is a good balance of warm and cool colours which will give the finished quilt top lots of contrast.This selction did not happen quickly. I always take a good week or so to put colours together. I leave them on a table and as I walk past I might some more or take some away. At one stage I was looking at adding navy to this group among other colours but I decided it wasn't the look I was going for. It's a process that takes time but I also find really enjoyable. INSPIRATION: I love putting together different looks to inspire you all. Below are some simple colour combinations that I think will look great. All of these looks can be achieved with different scale of prints, pattens and colour. It's so interesting to see how different the quilt can look just by swapping the background colour.  The star becomes more of a feature when the background is dark, the star shape seems to pop!       How good would this look if the fabrics were all florals!! I am imagining big Kaffe Fasset blooms teamed with spots and stripes. I really enjoy making these mock ups, however it just makes me want to sew more quilts and I hope it helps you decide on your fabric selecion too.    I also wanted to take this opportunity to talk about fabric requirements. I only stated fat quarters on the pattern because of lack of space. With 6 different finished sizes it was a bit tight.I have made a little table below which breaks it down into different fabric sizes from Fat 16ths to Half Yards. I thought this might be easier for you to get your head around different fabric options if you are using your stash or would like to purchase some new fabric.The quilt I am making is the original size and I am using my stash. I wanted a really scrappy look so I am using the cutting requirements for Fat 1/8ths and I'm making the original size quilt which is 36 blocks. This should give me the scrappy look I'm after. Now it's time to share one last mock up with you. In this stunning rainbow version the two star fabrics are just black and white while changing up the background. I also worked out the requirements for you if you would like to make it! I'll share the cutting requirements for this beauty next week. I'm crossing all my fingers that someone will attempt it otherwise I'm going to make another quilt! Each week I will pick a winner from the posts using the hashtag #brontesstarsSAL to win a bundle of my patterns.That's three PDF's patterns, your choice!I'm am still finalising some prizes for the last week, so stay tuned. If you have any questions, you can always email me! Thanks so much for joining me on this fun ride, whether it's your first time or you're a sew along veteran, I really hope you have fun. My family is going through some pretty heavy stuff at the moment and I am looking forward to the distraction that sewing and connecting with like minds brings.Emma x

Welcome Welcome to the Bronte's Stars Quilt Sew Along! I am so excited that you have decided to join me for another Sew Along.  This time I have chosen Bronte's Stars after many many requests. I also did a little pol in the Sew Along Facebook group and Bronte's Stars was a popular choice. My little family and I have recently moved from Melbourne back to our home town of Ballarat to be closer to our parents. Being in lockdown so much of last year makes you realise that time passes so quickly and not being able to see family was so hard. We are already enjoying seeing more of our families, especially Henry. His grandparents are his favourite.The quilt is actually name after my gorgeous golden retriever Bronte who passed away while I was pregnant with Henry. Funnily enough I had just moved down to Melbourne to live with my partner and was unable to bring my dog as the flat had a shared backyard and no fences. I was missing her terribly and thinking about her constantly while making the quilt that it just seemed right to name it after her.Bronte's Stars was made to help promote my good friend and fellow designer's fabric range, Rock Pool. Check out the first photo below. The fabric range is no longer available but you might be able to to find something similar. I then made another version using Alison Glass's range Chroma and paired it with an Andover Chambray in black for the background. The Bronte's Stars Quilt pattern comes in six sizes, Baby, Small Throw, Large Throw, Original, Twin and Queen size. This quilt is great for showcasing a range of fabrics or mixing it up and creating your own style. Swapping out the light background for a dark fabric can also change the whole look of the quilt and just between you and me, I love a darker background. It can hide pet hair and toddler spills! If you haven't decided yet what fabrics you’re going to use, wait for the Week 1 Newsletter which will be out soon. I’ll show you some mock ups I’ve created to give you some ideas.If you haven't purchased the pattern – grab it here now. HOW TO JOIN IN THE FUN:Follow along on Instagram using the hashtags #brontesstarsSAL and #brontesstarsquilt to post your progress photos. You can start today by sharing the button above and introducing yourself! You’ll receive a weekly newsletter sharing what’s in store for the week and all my tips and tricks.If Instagram isn't your thing, I have also created a facebook page for my sew alongs. You can join here. SUPPLIES: There are some fabulous shops in Australia who have been making kits. The Next Stitch, QueenslandFabric Sauce, New South WalesGJ's Discount Fabrics, Victoria Please click on the shop name to take you directly to their website. If no kits show up please contact them directly via phone or email.I am looking forward to meeting you all and I can't wait to get started!Emma x

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Go get yours HERE. Sale DatesMonday, November 27th @ 8 a.m. EST to Monday, December 4th @ 11:59 p.m. EST Price$29.97 Earlybird OfferFREE Craftsy offer during the first 4 days ($70 value)  What do you get? See below...... 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My new range Classics is not far from arriving in Australian stores.I thought I might share a little more about the range.There are 5 prints, all in 4 different colourways.The designs are from some of my previous ranges and have been recolouredinto a palette of black, whites and greys.BushsticksThe print was originally from Terra Australis, my first range.One of my favourite designs and I love using it for binding.BotanicalThe Australian wildflower print was first printed in my range Matilda.This design has also been enlarged and is part of the new range of backings from Ella Blue Fabrics.GumleavesThis print was designed for my 2nd range, Terra Australis 2.The Gumleaves have also been added to the Backing range from Ella Blue Fabrics.KangaroosOne of most popluar designs it was always going to be included in Classics.It featured in my first range, Terra Australis.TramsThis was an extremely popular print from my Melba range.Funny thing is I now live in Elwood and often cath the number 96 Tram!I also made a couple of quilts and named them after my cats!This first one is called Buffy's Blocks.This one is called Willow's Way.Hope you love my new range and can't wait to see what you make.Once I know what stores will be stocking the fabrics I will add themto my stockist list.If you are a shop and would like to have this range in store,please contact Ella Blue Fabrics.

I was recently asked by my quilty friend Patty Murphy to do a review of her book, Piecing Makeover.It's been a year since her book was released and she is celebrating by giving away some copies.I have a copy for one lucky reader to win on my Instagram Page.As I looked through this book I was blown away by the information that Patty has shared.All those little tricks and tips that I have learnt over the years (by trial and error) are here to help you.      Can't match seams? Do you have points missing on your triangles?Wobbly seams when stitching strips?All these problems are covered in this book and so much more.     The book covers common mistakes that patchworker's make and offers easy solutions.With step by step photographs, and lots of tips for any problems you might have had will be gone.The other part that I loved about this book, is Patty's detailed chapter on the 1/4" seam.It gives you heaps on tips on how to perfect the perfect seam.I also loved reading the Basic tool section. With tips on scissors, cutting mats, pinsand everything you might need to create your patchwork quilt.I would say this book is suited to beginners but I also think a more experiencedsewer could learn a thing or two!

Once again it has been a busy time for me getting ready for Quilt Market in Houston.This year I am releasing a new range called Classics.This collection revisits some of my popular designs from previous ranges,re-coloured in sophisticated blacks, whites and greys.Looking forward to showing you what I have been making with this range!

I have been very busy working on a new version of my Pickled Orange Peel Quit.I have always wanted to make a scrappy version of this quilt ever since I first made ita number of years ago.Here is the original quilt.Grab the pattern here!To plan this new version I first played with my coloured pencils.I then choose the fabrics. I knew I wanted to use low volume fabricsand contrasting brights.Then I did a test block and loved the black centre!Then it was cutting time. This alone took me a week with templates and scissors!Then it was basically lots and lots of sewing!Foundation piecing can be a slow process but I do love how acurate the technique is.Once all the foundation pieced arcs were completed it was time to assemble the 64 blocks!I lay all the elements of the blocks out first. I really didn't want any of the same fabrics next to one another.Lucky I have a lounge room floor thats big enough!Once the quilt top was complete I decided that I really wanted some special quilting.I asked Carolyn from Free Bird Quilting and she said yes.I am so happy with the quilting, Carolyn did an amazing job.After I completed the quilt I decided that it would be much easier with templates,so Creative Abundance and I made some.This will make cutting all the pieces from this quilt so much easier.I just wish I had them before I started mine.The finished quilt size is 203cms x 203cms (80" x 80")Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop.

I've been meaning to write this blog post to show my new version of Bronte's Stars.This qult has been made using Alison Glass's fabric range, Chroma.Grab the pattern here! I love how different a pattern can look by just using different colours! The finished quilt size is 185cms x 185cms (72" x 72")Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop.

I can't believe it is my turn to talk about Girt By Sea!Where has the year gone?When I was approached to be a part of this project, I immediately wanted to do Drunkard's Path blocks.The first reason was because it's my favourite block and the 2nd reason... because I love making them.The colours were chosen, I think they look like the sea!When I piece Drunkard's Path Blocks, I use three pins.Fold both the bottom and top fabrics in half, and match together with a pin.Right sides together of course!I then pin both ends.I find it easier to manipulate the fabric as I sew.If you have the option of the needle down position on your machine, use it!Sew slowly round the curve matching the edges of both fabrics.I always place the larger piece on the bottom.With these blocks I ironed towards the dark side to make a neater finish.Look at those beautiful curves!I had the pleasure of sewing the Girt By Sea Quilt together so I was the first one to see the finished result.I love how my Drunkard's Path blocks play along next to the previous round and in parts look like the Sydney Opera House!MONTH 5 PRIZESWhat’s a quilt along without prizes!This month, simply upload any picture of your progress (regardless of what stage your quilt is up to!) to Instagram using #girtbyseaquilt and one lucky person will win a signed copy of my Book,By the Bundle.It's definitley not too late start your own Girt By Sea medallion quilt – just grab the pattern here from Craftsy and have some fun! It includes the colouring sheet, so you can much more easily plan out your quilt. You can also join the Modern Makers Facebook group too!Check out all the Girt By Sea quilts being made on Instagram by looking at the tag #girtbyseaquilt

I was lucky enough to be asked by Jodie Carleton from RicRac to design a new quilt using her fabulous new range of fabrics called Rockpool.Grab the pattern here!I wanted to design a fresh bright quilt and also wanted to use stars. It's been a while since I have incorporated stars into my quilts to I was looking forward to the challenge.So first I got out my graph paper and pencils.Then once the fabric arrived I started sewing like the wind!Then basting!I had just recently moved to Melbourne so it was a good opportunity to see if I had room to baste. Lucky I did!I wanted to quilt it quickly but I also wanted to do lots of straight line quilting. I was working and teaching at this time so I had to quilt late into the night.Then onto binding. I decided to bind with a black and white stripe - my favourite!I named this quilt after my gorgeous girl Bronte. She is a 13 year old Golden Retrieverand unfortunately couldn't make the move with me to Melbourne.She is staying in Ballarat with my parents as the move would have been to much for a change for her, not to mention the lack of fences at my new place.I think about her everyday and really wanted something to remember her by.The finished quilt size is 185cms x 185cms (72" x 72")Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop.

I'm super excited to finally talk about a project that I have been working on with the the gals from Modern Makers Retreat. In collaboration with 6 Aussie designers, Modern Makers brings you an all Australian modern medallion Quilt made from my fabric range, Eureka. You can now purchase the awesome pattern - designed by Tales of Coth, keera Job, Down Grape Vine Lane, Blossom Heart Quilts, Emma Jean Jansen and She Quilts Alot. And don't worry - if you're not sure about curves and applique and EPP - we're starting a monthly sew along in April and the designers are going to do a tutorial and tips to help you along.This amazing Rainbow version has been made by Jackie Gillesusing Alison Glass fabrics!To stay up to date follow @modernmakersretreat on instagram.

I was recently ask to participate in Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane's Blog Hop tourto promote her wonderful new book, Quilt Petite.I have just spent the last couple of hours going back through all the wonderfulcreations that the other members of the blog hop have made.You can check them all out here.November 6: Sedef at Down Grapevine Lane (intro + giveaway)November 7: Wynn at Zakka ArtNovember 8: Sarah at A Little Happy PlaceNovember 9: Bridgette at The Family HearthNovember 10: Heidi at Fabric MuttNovember 11: Minki at Minki's Work TableNovember 12: Ange at A Little PatchworkNovember 13: Lauren at Molly and MamaNovember 14: Michelle at Cole & TaffyNovember 15: Nadra at Ellis & HiggsNovember 16: Amy at Nana CompanyNovember 17: Faith at Sarana AveNovember 18: Debbie at Happy Little CottageNovember 19: Erin at Why Not SewNovember 20: Amanda at Jedi Craft GirlNovember 21: Melissa at Oh How SweetNovember 22: Stacy at Stacy Olson DesignNovember 23: Ayda at Cafe NohutNovember 24: Peta at She Quilts A LotNovember 25: Amanda at A Crafty FoxNovember 26: Keera at Live Love SewNovember 27: Sharon at Lilabelle LaneNovember 28: Kate at The HomemakeryNovember 29: Jemima at Tied With A RibbonNovember 30: Jodie at Ric RacDecember 1: Anorina at Samelia's MumDecember 2: Alisha at Ministry of FabricDecember 3: Xanthe at Wife-madeDecember 4: Cheri at Tinker With ThisDecember 5: Kristyne at Pretty By HandDecember 6: Kimberly at Fat Quarter ShopDecember 7: Veronica at Vivid FelicityDecember 8: Shari at Doohikey DesignsDecember 9: Jina at Jina Barney DesignzDecember 10: Emma at Emma Jean JansenDecember 11: Sedef at Down Grapevine Lane (wrap up + giveaway winner)The book is stunningly photographed and full of different projects that won't take you weeks to finish. From place mats to wall hangings, the book covers a wide range of tecniques, including english paper piecing, raw edge appliqueand foundation piecing.I choose to make my own version of the Scattered Stars, creating a mini quilt for my sewing room wall.I teamed up my lastest fabric range Eureka with some Andover Chambray.I also choose to do lots of straight line quilting in a light gray thread.This project is foundation pieced. I choose to use the freezer paper method ofpiecing and it was easy to translate Sedef's pattern to this method.My new Mini Quilt will be hanging here in my sewing room which means I willget to look at it while I am sewing.Congratulations Sedef on a delightful book!!

Whenever I release a new range of fabrics I have always been busy making new projects for you to make from the fabrics!These are the quilts and projects that I have made using Eureka, my new range of fabrics due out in January 2016.Wheels of FortuneFinished Quilt Size: 2.15mts x 2.15mts (84’’ x 84’’)Go With The FlowFinished Quilt Size: 185cms x 185cms (72’’ x 72’’) Triple TrianglesFinished Cushion Size: 45cms x 45cms (18’’ x 18’’) Money Bags Finshed Bag Size: Height 18cms (7") Width 14cms (5½")Little CrossesAvailable finished sizes in pattern:Cot Size: 92cms x 127cms (36'' x 50'')Throw Size:165cms x 165cms (64'' x 64'')Queen Size: 2mts x 2mts (78'' x 78'')Gold BullionsA free pattern download available here.All the patterns are available as Paper and PDF downloads from my online store.Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop.

Eureka by Emma Jean JansenNow I have returned from Quilt Market at Houston I thought I might share with you the inspiration behind each of the designs. GOLD VEINSLike the name suggests this fabric is a shows the gold running through the earth.I also love that it looks a bit like a marble fabric with the fabulous touches of metalic. QUARTZI was fascinated by the quartz crystal I found as a child in the land around where I grew up.I used to head out with my pick and bucket and collect my treasure.Unfortunately I never stuck gold but had a fabulous time looking for it! MINE SHAFT MAPWhen designing this range I spent lots of time looking through books about Ballarat's mining history.In one of the books I found an amazing mind shaft map. It was much more complicated than the designI created but I loved the idea so I designed my own version. CORESThis design represents the changing colours in the earth when miners would core down into the earth.I always like to have a stripe in my range but wanted it to be a bit special.This print is great for binding and I love the movement it creates in a quilt. WAGON WHEELSAs a child I was lucky enough to be involved in a group called FOSH, Friends of Sovereign Hill.Sovereign Hill is an open air museum in Ballarat that depicts the first 10 years after the discovery of gold there in 1851.Once a month on a Sunday my Mum, Sister and Brother would go to Sovereign Hill and dress up in costume as volunteersand pretend that we lived on the goldfields. It was a fantastic experience and one of my favourite things to do wasto ride around in the stage coach, so I decided I had to have a wheel print in my range. SOUTHERN CROSS STARSThe Eureka Flag was used as the war flag during the Eureka Rebellion in 1854 and featured the Crux Australis constellation (Southern Cross) I really wanted to incorporate the stars into my range because of the strong symbolism and relationship to my range name Eureka. I hoped you liked finding out a little more behind the designs in my range Eureka.In the next couple of weeks I will be sharing the quilts that I designed from the fabric.I can't wait to show you!

It's that time of year again, when all I do is sew!!Quilt Market prep is exciting but also exhusting.Such a short time to get everything done.My new rage of fabrics for Ella Blue is called Eureka.I took inspiration from my home town of Ballaratand it's history of goldmining.Can't wait to show you more!!

I am finally excited to share with you all the my Book, By the Bundle will be arriving in Australia this week!To celebrate I am having some trunk shows and book signings.All the quilts from the book will come along with me and I willbe doing a talk and answer any questions.Patchwork with Gail BSaturday the 17th of September10am - 12.30pmGJ's Discount FabricsSaturday the 24th of September10.30am - 1pmJoy's CraftworxSaturday the 12th of NovemberTimes TBA

I had been holding onto a bundle of fabric for such a long time, waiting for the stars to align to give me a block of time to make something from it.The fabric is called Blueberry Park by Karen Lewis for Robert Kaufman.Grab the pattern here!I had an idea for a block for some time that involved foundation piecing.This is my test block!The colours are so wonderful in Blueberry Park I really wanted to do them justiceand also create a rainbow quilt of course!Lots of cutting and lots of sewing was involved but I enjoyed working with fabrics so different from my own.And finally the quilt top was finished.I just needed to decide how to quilt it.In the end I choose to do lots and lots of straight lines diagonally across the quilt.Simple yet very effective.For the backing I choose a Carolyn Friedlander fabricand another Blue Berry Park fabric for the binding.The finished Quilt!The finished quilt size is 2.05cms x 2.05cms (80'' x 80'')Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance.

I got to go to a retreat!! It's been years since I have had the time to get away and just sew and I had not long returnedfrom Quilt Market and there were no looming deadlines in my future.The retreat I attended was called The Creative Retreat and was held on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July 2016,at the beautiful seaside town of Point Lonsdale. The tutor that was organised for the retreat was the talented and inspiring Cheryl Arkison.Cheryl has written many books and designs with an improv based approach.The first day we started sewing straight away, which I loved!We were given a word and had to make a block based on it.My word was step.It was fun to just cut and sew without measuring!We next had a group chat about what we would like to acheive over the weekendand what our inspiration was going to be.I just wanted to sew and try out lots of new improv style blocks and piecing.I had chosen to bring along a group of fabrics that were in my stashand included designs from Carolyn Friedlander, Cotton and Steel and some other bits and bobs.I don't have a massive stash so some were purchased too.I started out just sewing blocks together.It had been such a long time since I had just sewn for mewithout having to write a pattern!I loved it more than I can tell you!We all worked in the same room and the creative juices were flowing for everyone.Designs walls were supplied that made working on our projects so much easier.The sewing continued late into the night and I got so much more sewing done than I thought I would.Cheryl was an extremely patient tutor espcially with someone like me, who hadnever done any improv piecing before.We also had an amazing show and tell session with Cheryl. She brought lots of heramazing quilts and it is always lovely to hear the stories behind the quilts.Alys, Erin and Mandy keeping warm with some of Cheryl's quilts.We also got to work on a pass the parcel style quilt blocks.Sew a bit and then pass it on! It was great fun and would love to do that again.Here are all our blocks together.Here is a photo of the progress I made over the weekend.I am dying to get back to it but it will just have to wait for the moment.I was still so inspired after the weekend that I came home and kept sewing. I made this circle block late Sunday night after I had driven home!The weekend was amazingly organised but the wonderful Julie McMahon.Everything was thought of and all the meals were delicious. She even looked afterme with all my wacky food intolernces!I would like to thank Cheryl for being such an inspiring and amazing tutorand to Jules who made the retreat run so smoothly leaving us to just create!If you are interested in attending next years Creative Retreat,check out the website and FaceBook page.Cheryl and I.

Matilda has been arriving in stores over the past couple of weeks.Here is a list of stockists!If you are a shop, and you have Matilda, please let me know and I will add you to the list.AUSTRALIAADDICTED TO FABRIC25-31 DUNDAS COURT PHILLIP ACT 2606 PEGS PIECES138 OAK RD KIRRAWEE NSW 2232CLAIRS FABRICSONLINE VICGJ'S DISCOUNT FABRICS 31 STEANE STREET FAIRFIELD VIC 3078 JOY'S CRAFTWORX 46 PERCY ST PORTLAND VIC 3305PATCHWORK WITH GAIL B202 CANTERBURY ROAD BAYSWATER VIC 3153SEWING CONNECTION VIC115 MAIN ST PAKENHAM VIC 3810 PERIWINKLE PATCHWORKSHOP 2 BAYSIDE CITY PLAZA24-36 FAIRY STREET WARRNAMBOOL VIC 3280 MY LITTLE PIPS FABRIC STORE21 PORTCHESTER BOULEVARD BEACONSFIELD VIC 3807 STEWART'S SEWING MACHINE CENTRE8 ROOKE STREET DEVONPORT TAS 7310 COTTON FACTORY128 CLYDE STREETBALLARAT VIC 3350BRAIDWOOD HERITAGE CRAFTSONLINENEW ZEALANDKITZ N THINGZ201 DEE STREETINVERCARGILL, NZUNITED STATESSPOOL1420 McCALLIE AVENUECHATTANOOGA TN 37404THE QUILT ASYLUM153 S CENTRAL EXPRESSWAYMcKINNEY, TX 75070CINNAMON'S QUILT SHOPPE4220 HOOD ROADJACKSONVILLE, FL 32257AIMEE'S PATCHWORK & QUILTING3526 LAKEVIEW PKWY, #B-150ROWLETT, TX 75088CALICO CREATIONS386 W MONTGOMERY STREETMT VERNON, WA 98273STYLISH FABRICS & QUILTS138 N MAIN STREETLOGAN, UT 84321OKLAHOMA QUILTWORKS9323 N PENNSYLVANIA AVENUEOKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73120LEWISTOWN'S SEW PIECEFUL214 W MAIN STREETLEWISTOWN, MT 59497PAINTED PONY & QUILTS1015 S BROADWAY STREETLA PORTE, TX 77571PINE NEEDLES1100 7800 S #29SWEST JORDAN, UT 84088 9323 N. Pennsylvania Oklahoma 

My new range Matilda will be arriving in stores very soon.I wanted to share with you my new quilts that I designed using this bright zesty fabric.The first quilt is called Outback Blooms.It features basic piecing and raw edge applique.The quilt has been simply finished with straight line quilting and a touch of free motion.The finished quilt size is 153cms x 153cms (60’’ x 60‘’)The next quilt I made is called Southern Cross Stars.It is made using squares and half square triangles.I think this quilt would also be very well suited to being a scrap quilt.Again I quilted this quilt with my walking foor using straight lines.I find this quilting to really suit the style of the quilt and very easy to achieve.Finished Quilt Size: Finished Size: 183cms x 183cms (72” x 72”)The third quilt is a study in colour and negative space and is called Bush Gems.I have had the idea for this quilt in my head for some time and was waiting for the perfect fabric to complete it.Bush Gems has been quilted using vertical lines and I love the effect!!Finished Quilt Size: 198cms x 206cms (78” x 81”)Grab the patterns here, Outback Blossoms, Southern Cross Stars and Bush GemsWholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop.

Introducing my new free quilt using my latest fabric range Matilda.This quilt uses the full range and is made from Fat Quarters.Matilda has 24 fabrics in the range and features bright zesty colours.The fabrics are inspired but Australian flora and include,Sturt Desert Peas, Kangaoo Paw, Flannel Flower and Boronias.You can download the pattern here.

This year at Quilt Market, Ella Blue had four designers releasing new ranges.Jodie Carleton"Bunny Trail"     Leanne Beasley"The Potting Shed"Rosalie Dekker"Gembrook"and my new range "Matilda"        I also got to sign a few copies of my new book, By the Bundle :)for more photos of quilt market, check out my instagram and facebook pages.

Once again I had a fabulous time at Quilt Market!Who wouldn't ?Catching up with old friends, making lots of new ones.Getting inspired, laughing and just having fun.Yes it is exhusting, and the jet lag is a killer, but I love every minute of it! I took a few photos to give you a taste of all the wonderful sights!Alison Glass    Elizabeth HartmanCarolyn FriedlanderTula PinkAmy ButlerPat BravoKatarina RoccellaBari JJen KingwellLucky Spool MediaRJR Fabrics

When I started designing and sewing quilts for book,By the Bundle, the end point seemed so far away. Now in less than a month it will be launched at Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, Utah.It has been such an amazing opportunity and I thank Susanne from Lucky Spool Media for making it all happen.Here are a few more sneek peaks of the amazingphotography that the talented Jade from Mojo Photography made happen.The book includes 12 quilt projects all using Fat Quarters.Ranging from simple quilts, to curved piecing and also foundation piecing.I will be looking forward to sharing lots more photos of the quilts very soon!

I am so excited to share with you my new fabric range for Ella Blue. Its called Matilda!This range features Australian flora in bright zesty colours.There are 24 fabrics in the range. And include Sturt Desert Peas, Boronia, Flannel Flower and Kangaroo Paw.I have been very busy designing and making some new quilts with this range and can't wait to share.Matilda will be released at Quilt Market in May and will be available in stores late June/July.Matilda is available wholesale through Ella Blue Fabrics.Ask your local quilt shop to order!!

I love Tula Pink's fabrics, I mean who dosen't.Ms Midge who is the organiser of the Aussie Charm Swaps, announced a Tula swap and I was in!Grab the Zip It Pattern here. It involved buying two metres of Tula Fabric, cutting it up into 5'' squares and sending it off.A few weeks later a pile of 112 different Tula Pink charm squares arrived at my place.I then had to decide what to make!I ended up adding some of my own Tula Pink fabrics and ended up with 209 different charm squares.I decided I wanted to make a simple quilt to showcase the fabrics and all the wonderful colours.I have named the quilt "Zip It"Lots of quilting later!I still have to bind but I am waiting on a fabricdelivery for that!Wholesale orders from Creative Abundance

The week before Christmas two of my dear friends were getting married.I decided about 3 weeks before that to make them a wedding quilt.I choose to make my Little Crosses pattern which is actually cot quilt size,so I made quite a few more blocks to enlarge it to a queen size. This is the original quilt, Little Crosses. I wanted to use modern colours with a soft grey background.Here is a photo of the first fabric pull.The fabrics are by Carolyn Friedlander, Cotton and Steel, and a few others that I added later as I needed more fabrics!The grey fabric is from the Art Gallery Fabric's Pure Elements range and the colour is Mystic Grey.I really like how the sashing is the same colour as the background fabric used in the blocks. It makes the crosses float and become the stars of the quilt!I then added a white corner block in the sashing.And a border which uses the same size squares as used in the blocks.For the quilting I just kept it simple.Lots and lots of straight lines!!The backing is a Cloud 9 organic cotton, so the quilt is extra soft.Another Cotton and Steel fabric was used for the binding.The finished quilt.I am so pleased to report that the happy couple loved it!Grab the pattern here!Little Crosses Quilt pattern available wholesale through Creative Abundance,or retail from your local quilt shop.

I am so excitied to see Melba arriving in Patchwork stores around Australia.I thought I would share some more photos of some of the things I have made from my latest range of fabrics.   Three Cushions.This is available as a pattern. My fun Melways quilt pattern.Using the Magpies as a feature fabric. Whirligig, my favourite :)The free quilt pattern I designed, Melba Paths.Available as a download here.The Sleepover Bag.This pattern is design by Melly & Me.This is the Fat Quarter Bag, another great design by Melly & Me.I hope you enjoying sewing and creating with Melba as much as I have. If you do make something and would like to share please send me an email with a photo, I would love to see!

I just heard today that Melba is arriving into patchwork stores!I am so very excited and can't wait to see what you make from the range.Grab the patterns here.Whirligig, Three Cushions and MelwaysI have made 3 new patterns to be used with Melba.Introducing Whirligig.A fat quarter friendly quilt made with quick piecing methodsand a great way to showcase a fabric range.Finished Quilt Size: 170cms x 170cms (66'' x 66'')Next up is my Three Cushions Pattern.This patterns includes instructions to make three very different cushions using the same fabrics. You can create a cushion with a flange, ruffle or piping, making a fabulous addition to any lounge room.Finished Cushion Size: 40cms x 40cms (16'' x 16'')And finally Melways.Melways is a fun quilt designed to showcase a feature fabric! This pattern also includes the use of arrows which would make it perfect for a boy's quilt. Easy instructions and detailed diagrams make creating this quilt a breeze.Finished Quilt Size: 158cms x 158cms (62'' x 62'')Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance.

What a trip!Quit Market was a whirlwind from the moment we arrived.Prop shopping and getting organsied to be able to pull our booths together.So much fun was had but it was also totally exhusting! The Ella Blue Booth Looked faboulous, if I don't say myself.I loved all the other designers ranges and it was fantasic to see them all together. I had so much fun introducing Melba to market,The response was great! We then had to turn around and have the Australian Quilt Market in Melbourne.There was two weeks between the shows but it still seemed very quick with jet lag :) Another great weekend was had, catching up with shop owners and friends. It was great to hang out with the Creative Abundance team tooat my first Australian Quilt Market with them. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and said hello.I had an awesome time :)Thank you also to all the support for my fabric and pattern designs.I am so lucky to be able to do I love what I do :)

Only one sleep to go! It's getting exciting now. All the hard work is done, lots of sewing and creating. Time to finish packing the bags and fly to Houston.Here is some of what I have been working on.Some other people have also been working in Melba too!Cathi from Gertrude Made created this stunning dress for me.Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon made this cute apron.Jodie from Ricrac made me the sweetest little elephant.and Christine from Monkey & Bee made me these adorable little purses.I still have lots more to show you and can't wait to share.Come follow me on instagram to see all the fun of market! 

I am so happy to be sharing this new quilt with you.The Ampersand Quilt has quickly become a favourite of mine featuring the & sign with raw edge applique. Grab the pattern here!I used the gorgeous range of basics fabrics from Ella Blue Fabrics.The inspiration for this quilt came from the lovely Janelle Wind.All the Ampersands were cut out by hand but there is a template set from Creative Abundance that makes tracing them out so much easier.All the Ampersands were appliqued using the wonderfull Aurifil Threads.The finished quilt size is 170cms x 170cms (66'' x 66'') Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance.

Today is the day I finally get to share my big secret, I wrote a book. I am still a little shocked that it has all happened but incredibly excited that I have done it. The book is called By The Bundle and is essentially a Fat Quarter book with 12 new and hopefully inspiring quilt designs for you to make. I look forward to sharing more about it in the next few months. It has been one of the biggest challengesso far in my patchwork career but also one I am most proud of. It will be here in Spring 2016 (Autumn in Australia) and is being published by Lucky Spool Media. You can even pre-order it here, I can't believe my book is on Amazon! To see my book and others from the Lucky Spool Authors click here to see the catalogue.

I am very excited to show you a peak at my new range Melba. The designs all remind me of my time living in Melbourne whilst I was a student and then in my first couple of jobs. The collection includes the iconic Melbourne tram, which I used to catch to university in the city of Melbourne and a list of the suburbs that I lived in and some of the ones I remember so much. I also designed a print using the old public transport tickets that I used everyday. A fabulous magpie print, these birds lived in all the placed I had houses and I love their morning song. There were also lots of gum trees so I also included a gum nut print and a striking banskia flower. These are such amazing plants and I love the texture of the seedpods after they flower. I also included a simple dot stripe that co-ordinates really well with the other designs.  Stay tuned for more peaks of the range and if you would like too see more regular updates follow me on instagram!

It's been a long time since I have done any needle turn applique or hand quilting! I totally enjoyed making my Lovely Liberty cushion and hope I can find some time to make another one soon.First I selected my fabrics.Who dosen't love Liberty fabrics, the colours the and the designs made it hard just pick 16 for this cushion. Millrose Cottage is where I purchased these fabrics, they have a ROOM full of Liberty fabrics, the largest range I have ever seen in one place! Grab the pattern here!Then it was time to start the applique. I used silk thread and Jeana Kimball size 10 straw needles.Once all the applique was complete I hand basted the cushion front ready for hand quilting.For the batting I used Hobbs 100% wool batting. I love this batting as it is very easy to needle and had a high loft that really shows off the quilting.I also loved using my clover hoop, this is much smaller than my usual quilting hoop but was perfect for this small project.Once I finished quilting I decided to make a button back for the cushion using some of the left over fabric to make covered buttons.And here is the finished cushion!   Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance.

This pattern is a favourite of mine!It combines gorgeous fabrics, raw edge applique and detailed quilting. Grab the pattern here!The requirements include enough fabric to make three co-ordinating cushions just by changing the colour placement. This project is a great introduction to raw edge applique because the work area for a cushion is small enough to manage on a domestic sewing machine.The finished cushions measure 18'' square.The reverse of the cushions feature a button up back.Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance.

I love making quilts with half square triangles and Ella's Scrapbag is a perfect example. Made using The Linen Cupboard, 60's Scrapbag and Ella's Basics this is a easy, fun project that would be perfect for beds or as a quilt to keep on the couch. Grab the pattern here!   The quilt measures 183cms x 183cms (72'' x 72'')I used an Art Gallery Pure Elements fabric for the background and the colour is called Moonstone. Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance.

When I started designing fabrics for Ella Blue fabrics, I knew I would always have bits of fabric left over from the sampling fabric. I decided that for my first two ranges,Terra Australis and Terra Australis 2, I would like to make a hexagon quilt as a special quilt to treasure. So I started collection scraps and making hexagons to piece together. I am making my hexagons from 1.5'' papers and I purchased them from Patchwork with Busy Fingers. I am also using the Sewline Fabric Glue Pen to attach my fabric to the paper hexagon. The thread I am using to piece with is Superior Threads 60wt Bottom Line and the needles I am using are size 10 Straw Needles. I have always wanted to make a Grandmother's Flower garden so I started putting the hexagons together like this.Very slowly they have been coming together. I really enjoy the fussy cutting element  of make these flowers, and creating fabulous patterns with the repeats.This quilt is definitely a long term project as I don't often get time to work on it. However, I don't mind at all. It's always nice to know I have something to hand piece if I need a break from the machine.

The lovely people over at Creative Abundance have made a fabulous perspex template to be used with the Peace Quilt Pattern. Grab the Peace Sign Template here and the Peace Quilt Pattern here.This makes the tracing out of the Peace Sign so much easier and eleminates the need to make a template yourself.Available Wholesale from Creative Abundance and retail from your local patchwork store.

The free pattern that I designed from my new range 60's Scrapbag is called Bella's Quilt. This is a simple quilt design using the full range of fabrics and half square triangles. The quilt is 179cm (70'') square. You can download the free pattern here.You can also visit the Ella Blue website for lots more free patterns!  

Every time I release a new fabric range I also design a few quilts using the new fabric.This is the first time I get to actually play with my new fabric designs and it is always heaps of fun.Grab the patterns here - Peace Quilt and Spin CycleThe first quilt I made using 60's Scrapbag is called the Peace Quilt. I wanted to design a quilt that used the iconic peace symbol that was very popular during the 1960's.Then I decided to sash the quilt using all the fabrics so the quilt had a flower power feel.It was heaps of fun matching up the fabrics!   I love the way the quilt turned out and I think the simple quilting made the Peace signs really shine!   The finished size of the Peace Quilt is153cms 153cms (60'' x 60'') In my next quilt I decided to use some of the fabulous new Basics Range produced by Ella Blue.These fabrics work perfectly with 60's Scrapbag!     I used a double pinwheel block which gives the quilt so much movement. I also enjoyed pairing up the fabrics! I quilted the quilt myself using my walking foot. I just did straight lines either side of the seams.   The finished quilt size for Spin Cycle is 183cms x 226cms (72'' x 89'')   Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop.

I am so excited to share with you my new fabric range which will be available in June! It is called 60's Scrapbag and is a follow up range to The Linen Cupboard. There are 4 designs in the range, named after my nieces. A funky floral called Sophie. A sweet daisy print called Olivia. A retro floral called Chloe. and a fun diamond check called Zara. All the colours in this new range work back perfectly with The Linen Cupboard. I can't wait to see what you make with these fabrics :) For Wholesale fabric orders please contact Ella Blue Fabrics.

Meadow Tracks is a modern quilt design that is also fat Quarter friendly and includes easy instructions to make piecing a breeze. Would suit all the fabulous modern ranges of fabrics and would also be striking in solids.This quilt was made using Leah Duncan's range of fabrics called Meadow.The quilt has been quilted simply using a walking foot and straight lines.Finished quilt size: 163cms x 203cms (64'' x 80'')  Grab the pattern here!       Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. 

Australis Diamonds is a new quilt design made using 2.5'' strips. Jelly rolls are perfect for this project.The pattern also comes with instructions for a pieced star backing.I use my first range Terra Australis to make this quilt, and teamed it with a hanky linen in a silver colour. It has been quilted simply using a walking foot and straight lines.Finished Quilt Size: 177cms x 203cms (69 1/2'' x 80'')      Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop. 

I was lucky enough to be invited to teach at the Hobbysew Creative Escape for 2015, along with two other very talented tutors, Anne Somerland and Katrina Hadjmichael.We had a fabulous time at this well organised event and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.I was teaching a Flower Power Mini quilt which featured raw edge applique.If students liked the mini they could go on to complete a Flower Power Quilt!This pattern will be available to purchase online from Hobbysew very soon.  Go to Hobbysew to sign up for their newsletter to find out all about next years Creative Escape! 

I have added all the dates for the classes I am teaching to my website!You can come to Patchwork with Gail B and learn the raw edge applique technique I use in the Australis Blooms quilt.In the class you will make the cushion below.Thursday Feb 19th  9.30am - 4pmYou can check out the details here. In March I have been invited to teach at the Hobby Sew "My Creative Escape"I am teaching a special project designed exclusively just for them. Flower Power Mini - Raw Edge Applique and piecing11th - 13th March Find out all the details here. If you just want to work on one of my quilts, Millrose Cottage has awhole range of dates for you. These classes are designed as a sitand sew and for you to ask any questions about completing one of my quilt designs.Contact Millrose Cottage for details.Saturday March 7th  10am - 4pmSaturday June 6th  10am - 4pmSaturday July 4th  10am - 4pmSaturday August 1st  10am - 4pmSaturday September 5th  10am - 4pmSaturday October 3rd  10am - 4pmSaturday December 5th  10am - 4pm In March I will be teaching The Daisy Quilt concentrating on raw edge applique and matching colours and curved piecing.The Daisy Quilt - Raw edge applique and curved piecing.Thursday March 26th  9.30am - 4pm You can check out the details here.If you have ever wanted to learn freezer paper foundation piecing, then this is the class for you.Learn how to piece accurately using this method and also curved piecing.Harlequin Stars - Foundation Piecing using freezer paper method.Tuesday April 14th  9.30am - 4pm You can check out the details here.  

Everytime I design a range of fabrics I also design a collection of quilts using the fabrics.Here are the quilts I designed using The Linen Cupboard.Grab the patterns here!The Daisy Quilt, Bubble and Squeak and Fruit Tingle. The Daisy Quilt Bubble and SqueakFruit TingleChloe's QuiltThis pattern is a free PDF download.To download this pattern click here. 

The Linen Cupboard has arrived in Australian stores!Check out my stockists page which I will be updating as I am informed of which stores are stocking the fabric.

I have just returned from my first US Quilt Market as a fabric designer for Ella Blue Fabrics.It was a fabulous 3 days full of meeting customers, other designers and getting inspired!Here is some photos of my booth. and here is a photo my Mum took of me setting up. It is a bit of a challenge designing a booth in Australia and then making it happen when we arrive off the plane. Ikea comes in very handy as we can make decisions onfurniture and actually see it and then cross our fingers that it will be in stock at the Houston Ikea.Here's a photo of Rosalie Quinlan, the other Ella Blue designer, and I on the Ella Blue booth.Another photo my Mum took so sorry for the quality. I was lucky enough to have some dresses made by Cathi from Gertrude Made.She designs and creates beautiful vintage style dresses usually from vintage sheets and fabric.However she made some from The Linen Cupboard to help showoff my fabrics on my booth.I just love this dress so lucky it fits me perfectly. Thanks so much Cathi!  I can't wait to go next year and maybe I will make it to a Spring Market too!Here's some more photos of my booth. The fabulous fabric tea set you can see in the next photo is a design from Jodie from RicRac.you can purchase the pattern here, I had fun making some old school fabric coathangers. I used to have a selection of these that had been given as gifts or made by my mum. I used to put my very special dresses on them. I will use these Linen Cupboard ones for my Linen Cupboard desses!You can also see in the background of the next photo my book shelf. I wanted to create a faux linen cupboard look. My mum got busy and sewed hems on the complete range of The Linen Cupboard so they could be folded around some cardboard to give the look of folded linen. I was very happy with the result. I also bought some Ball Mason jars and filled them with yo-yos made from The Linen Cupboard.The blocks on the shelves are soaps wrapped in fabric. They made my booth smell delicious!I also made some super sweet apple pin cushions with yummy felt leaves.  The Linen Cupboard fabrics will be in stores in Australia in December.

Only 3 more sleeps and I'm off to Quilt Market in Houston.To I am excited is an understatement and now all the work has been completed I am ready for it.All my samples are made, booth design sorted, outfits are chosen and bags are almost packed. The Tea Set is a pattern design by Jodie from Ric Rac and it can be purchsed here.I am looking forward to catching up with friends, hopefully making a few new ones and seeing all the new fabulous patchwork fabrics, quilts and amazing booths.I won't get to blog while I am away, so join me on instagram and facebook to see it as it happens.

Last Monday I was tagged by Jodie of RicRac  to take part in the Round the World Blog Hop. A blog hop where bloggers talk about their creative process. It's been really interesting answering these questions as it's not something I think about, I just create. Hope you enjoy reading a bit about my creative process.WHAT AM I WORKING ON?For the last couple of weeks I have been designing and making new quilts out of my new range of fabrics, The Linen Cupboard. This range of fabrics is my third and I am totally in love with it. It is inspired by the vintage sheets from the 1960's and 70's and if you read my blog regularly you would have seen some of the projects that I have designed using the original sheets. Besides designing and making 4 quilts to promote this range at Quilt Market I have also been creating lots of cute things to have on my booth. They are all laundry inspired and should decorate my booth perfectly. I am on the home stretch now and leave to go to Houston on the 21st of October so I am starting to get a little bit excited now most of the work is completed.HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF IT'S GENRE?This is a hard one to answer and I have been thinking about it all week. I don't think anything is totally original anymore in both fabric and quilt design but the way each designer puts colour and pattern together makes it original to them. I am very comfortable using bright colours in my designs and try to use new colour and design combinations.WHY DO I WRITE / CREATE WHAT I DO?I think the answer to this one is easy - it's because I need too. I have always loved drawing and colouring and made it into a career after doing a degree in Textile Design at RMIT. I don't think I would be happy if my day job didn't involve being creative. I am continuously thinking about new quilt designs and seeing patterns in everything around me. I am driven to come up with new block designs to create interesting and modern quilts. I have notepads full of fabric designs and drawings of new quilt designs and if I am not sewing I am drawing.HOW DOES MY WRITING / CREATIVE PROCESS WORK?As far as my fabric designs are concerned I try to find a hole in whats available at the time. My first two Terra Australis ranges were designed after noticing that there were no bright comtemporary Australian themed fabrics around. Australia had some fabulous iconic images and I just knew I needed to put them into a range of fabrics. The Linen Cupboard came from my love of vintage sheets and knowing that it was getting harder and harder to find them in the op shops. Also the quality of the sheets bought used can be a little inconsistent so I thought a range based around these was needed. When I design quilts I love to have restrictions as it forces me to be more creative. If I only have 30cms of 16 fabrics, I find I really push myself to create a pattern that uses those fabrics that showcases them in the best way possible. The next blogger I am tagging is Janelle Wind.  The is one of Janelle's lastest quilt patterns called "Hello Happy" 

I have been not so patiently waiting to share this new range of fabrics with you all.I designed it all way back in January and it's been a long wait to get the sampling into my hands. The new range is inspired by my love of vintage sheets that I remember sleeping on at my Gran's house as a little girl and also collaborating with Morgan from The crafty Squirrel on some gorgeous vintage sheet projects. I designed a range based around a large groovy floral and split the range into 3 colour ways although the fabrics do cross over. The range also includes slightly smaller floral with a great retro vibe, a paisley, a single colour all over floral, a great ditsy daisy and of course both a stripe and a spot.I have been madly sewing for the last two weeks to get samples made for Quilt Market which is on at the end of October. This year I am actually attending and will have my own little booth all decorated in The Linen Cupboard ! Can't wait to share the photos.The booth number is 2414 for anyone going to Quilt Market. I have created four quilts for quilt market and I hope to get them all completed for we leave, otherwise I might be binding on the plane! Once again I have been very lucky to have my Mum help me complete all the quilts.I just couldn't do it without her and I am very excited that she in coming to Quilt Market with me.It will be her first Quilt Market and I can't wait to show her all around. The Linen Cupboard is available now for wholesale order through Ella Blue in Australia and EB2 in the US. All details are on the Ella Blue website.The Linen Cupboard will be in stores at the beginning of December! To stay up to date follow me on instagram :)

A few months ago I made a quilt using 2 candy logs of Terra Australis.Candy logs are the same as jelly rolls, a pack of 2.5" wide strips.I really enjoyed putting the colours together in this quilt and the silver hanky linen really sets the diamond shapes off.Of course I had to call it Australis Diamonds! This pattern can be found in the current issue of Quilters Companion, No 69. 

Today I am going to share with you the fabric designs that are in my 2nd range of fabrics, Terra Australis 2.I wanted to design a range of fabrics that complimented the first range but also stood alone as a range. The colours co-ordinate with the first but I have added some yellow in the Desert Sands colourway and a rich royal blue in the Rainforest colourway.Terra Australis 2 should be in Australian stores by now and just arriving into US stores this week.Check my stockist page to find a store near you.The first design is the Terra Circles print that has elements from both ranges. Gum Flowers is a larger repeat showcasing the gorgeous gum flowers on a background of gum leave.A fun deisgn is of course the Geckos that are on a background that represents the cracked earth. The Wattle is print is one of my favourites especially in the black and grey colourway. The Boomerang print has great movement and is a great one to piece with. The Gum Leaf print is a great tone on tone print and the range of colours it comes in is fabulous. I also kept the stipe that I used in the first range and added the True Blue colourway.I love stripes in quilts, espcially in the binding. 

I have written this tutorial to help with the piecing together of this block.There are 16 points all meeting in the centre and with seam allowances it can get tricky.This tutorial will have a few tips and tricks I use to get all the points matching in the centre.Grab the Harelquin Stars Pattern here. To start piecing  the star together you need to make the points.This includes 8 right points and 8 left points.These can be completed by the freezer paper method of foundation piecing which I talk about in my pattern or your preferred foundation piecing method. You then need to join these two pieces togther.I like to pin and the top seam and then at the middle to make sure the seams meet.Start sewing from the wide end down to the small end. After you have sewn the points together, you need to trim the seam allowance at the base.I just trim with my scissors making sure I don't clip the stitching. Your completed unit should look like this.Make sure to iron in one direction and repeat with the other 7 units required for this block.You then need to sew two of these untits togtether to make a quarter block.Match the seams at the top and pin, and do the same at the small end.The seams should lock togther as you ironed them in opposite directions.Once again after you have sewn the seam from the wide end to the small end, trim the seam allowance making sure not to clip the seam.The finished quarter should look like the photo below.Remember to iron the seams in all the same direction.See photo below.Here is a close up of where all the seams meet at the small end.This is what yours should look like.Make 3 more of these quarters to complete the star. Add the drunkard's path piece to make the block into a square. Here's a photo of the reverse side too. Now take two of these quarters and sew them togther to create a half.Use pins to match the seams and sew from the outside into the middle of the block. This time iron the seam in the opposite direction to the other seams.See the photo below.For some reason this helps when piecing the 4 quarters togther.Repeat to create another half.Then you need to sew the two halfs togther.Use pins to match the seams, paying lots of attention to the centre. Here's a close up of the pinning.I like to pin either side of the seam, it stops any movement when you sew.You can also use fork pins. Once sewn, iron to one side and press well.I also use "Best Press" to help achieve a flat block. I hope these tips help you to create a block with neatly matched centre points!

As Terra Australis 2 is being released into Australian stores this week I thought I might share the free pattern I designed for this range. Click here to download the PDF pattern for this quilt. Boomerangs - Desert Sands Boomerangs - Rainforest I hope you enjoy making this quilt!

Terra Australis 2 is starting to turn up in stores this week!It's all very exciting. I have had my own delivery and will be busy cutting up packs and quilt kits this weekend.This is the Desert Sands colourway.and this is the Rainforest colourway. Check out my stockist list to find a Terra Australis 2 stockist near you!

Map Of Australia Cushion Finished size: The cross hatch quilting shrinks the cushion front and back in, to make a perfect fit for a 16” (40cm) cushion insert. REQUIREMENTS: 30cm zipper (approx.) Iron on Fusible web such as Vliesofix or Steam-a-seam. Spray baste such as 505 Spray and Fix for basting. Hera marker 16” (40cm) cushion insertPDF pattern for Australia Map, downloadable here - Map of Australia     FABRIC REQUIREMENTS Cushion Front:  Cut 1   12½” x 12½” square Linen fabric for centre square Cut 2   3¼” x 12½”strips fabric for side borders Cut 2   3¼” x 18” strips fabric for top & bottom borders Fabric piece at least 9” x 10” for the Map of Australia Cushion Back: Cut 1  18” x 18” square Linen fabric Batting: Cut 2  18” x 18” squares   CONSTRUCTION   ¼” seam allowance except for outer seams which are ½”. Firstly position and sew the side borders in place, and then the top and bottom borders. Press to the Border.  Trace the Map of Australia (don't forget Tasmania) onto the fusible webbing, and remember to reverse the image. Roughly cut out the Map of Australia shape and then fuse it onto the back of the fabric selected. Carefully trim around the Map of Australia shape, remove the backing paper and position in the centre of the made cushion front. Iron to fuse in place.  Choose a thread to match the Map of Australia fabric and raw edge applique (which means just using a normal sewing stitch), around the edges of the Map of Australia shape. Sew as close to the raw edge as possible, and sew around three times.   Baste the batting and the cushion top together with spray baste. Mark the first two diagonal quilting lines with a Hera marker.  Put your walking foot onto your sewing machine and sew the first diagonal quilting row. Stopping at the Map of Australia. Sew the second diagonal quilting row.  Set your machine walking foot with a 1” seam guide preferably on the left side of the quilting foot, and sew rows 1” apart, working out from the first diagonal rows sewn. If you do not have a seam guide on you walking foot mark all the quilting lines 1” apart with the Hera marker. Cross hatch the entire cushion top. Baste the Backing fabric and batting square together, mark the diagonal lines with your Hera marker as before, and then 1” cross hatch the entire back of the cushion. Now the back and front are completed it is time to sew the cushion together. There is a ½” seam allowance around the entire cushion.  Trim any excess batting, around both the cushion top and cushion back. Neaten the the edges (with a zig zag stitch or overlocker) of both the front and back pieces where the zipper will be placed. We placed the zipper at the bottom of the Map of Australia. Pin the two neaten seams together and using a ½" seam allowance sew  in 3" at both ends of the seam.  Please note: I have used the images from the Kangaroo Cushion Tutorial to show how to insert a zipper. I did this as the process is exactly the same.   Press the seam open along the entire length of the seam firstly from the wrong side to ensure the ½" seam allowance and then from the right side. With the zipper closed place it under the pressed seam and pin the zipper in place. Try to keep the zipper teeth directly under the center of the seam and the pins in the directions you will be sewing.  Attach your machine zipper foot with thread to match cushion fabric and start to sew at one end. The idea is to use the zipper foot as a guide to keep the line of stitching about ¼” away from the zipper teeth. When you reach the zipper pull, stop sewing, leave the needle down in the fabric and lift the foot. Carefully pull the zipper open for a few inches sew along a while and then reclose the zipper. Sew across the end of the zipper taking care to catch the end of the zipper fabric but not the metal end, complete the other side and end.  Once the zipper is sewn in, leave it open, and pin the back and front of the cushion together. Sew around with ½” seam allowance. Trim the fabric bulk from the corners and pull the cushion to the right side.  Place cushion insert inside cushion and admire your work.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to teach my Harlequin Stars quilt in Warracknabeal.The weekend was organised by Del and Shirley from the local patchwork store Quilters Harvest. Here's a photo of the quilt hanging in Quilters Harvest.I had two classes, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. All my students were very keen to learn how to foundation piece using freezer paper and all the blocks made were so different but all beautiful.1. Casey  -  using Terra Australis 2. Deb  -  using Millefiori by Sarah Filke3. Wilma4. Michelle - using Terra Australis 21. Margaret2. Meredith1. Pam2. CarolThe weekend was very well organised by Del and Shirley including the most delish food made by them too! The classes were held at the local football club rooms which had fabulous light and were nice and warm.Thanks so much to Del and Shirley for organising such a fabulous weekend and for inviting me to be a part of it! 

I recently attended The Melbourne Craft and Quilt fair with all my Terra Australis fabrics and quilt packs.I had a fabulous four days catching up with old friends and connecting with lots of new ones. Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by and said hello, your support is wonderful!

The lovely folk at Ella Blue got some of their talented sewers to make two of my patterns in the alternate colour ways.The first has become a favourite of mine.It is the Waratah Crowns pattern made up in the outback colour way.Grab the patterns here,Waratah Crowns and Nine Birds.The second is the ever popluar Nine Birds pattern in the Eucalyptus colour way.These two quilts and all the original Terra Australis quilt patterns will be available as packs at the Quilt and Craft Fair which is on next week. Hope you can come and say Hi :)Quilt and Craft FairMelbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, South WharfJune 26 – 29, 2014Thursday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm daily

A couple of weeks ago, Terra Australis 2 made it's debut at Fall Quilt Market in Pittsburg. This is the 2nd range of fabrics that I have designed and it follows on from the first range of Terra Australis.I wasn't able to travel to America but lucky I had the great team at Ella Blue and the wonderful Rosalie Quinlan (who also designs fabric for Ella Blue) looking after the set up. They did an awesome job and to prove it the booth was awarded 2nd place in the double booth catagory.My end of the Ella Blue booth. These Australia Map cushions will be a free pattern on my blog very soon.You can see to the right side of the photo, a re-make of Lime and Soda. This is one of my most popular patterns and I still love making them. I think the rainforest colourway looks great in the circle design.This is Rosalie's end of the booth displaying her new range of fabrics, Folk Festival.And last but not least, a photo of the ribbon and plaque that the booth won!

I have had lots of interest in my new quilt pattern, Australis Blooms.I made this quilt using Terra Australis 2. This range will be available July/August this year but I had so many requests for the pattern I decided to release it early. Enjoy.Australis Blooms Quilt pattern can be purchased here.

When designing Terra Australis I came up with so many fabric design concepts that I couldn't use them all in the first range. So I knew I had to design a follow up range that I called Terra Australis 2.I have had the sampling fabric for this range for a couple of weeks and have been very busy designing new quilts. Here are a few photos of what I have been making.Terra Australis 2 will be available in store July / August this year.

I think it is finally time for me to have a go at these hexigons. A nice little bit of handpiecing for me to take to sewing groups and while I am travelling.I have fussy cut some of the fabrics and love the look it gives.Just one question for all those hexi makers out there.Do you sew baste or glue the fabric to the paper hexigons?

I have been having a great time helping Morgan (The Crafty Squirrel) create some fabulous projects using her collection of vintage sheets. Morgan has been collection Vintage sheets for years and thats why she has such a fabulous collection to work with.The first two project were of course quilts!Vintage Chevron Quilt Kit.The finished quilt will measure approx. 60” x 72” (152cms x 183cms)This kits includes all the fabric, already pre-cut for to get sewing straight away including binding and the pattern. Vintage Circles and Squares Quilt Kit.The finished quilt will measure approx.: 152cms x 178cms (60" x 70").All the fabric is precut in this quilt too. The circles already have fusible webbing attached to the back of the circles so you can start straight away.The circles in this quilt have been stiched down using the raw edge applique method.I then did some hand quilting in maching colours using perle 8 cotton.We also came up with a cushion project using pre-cut squares of vintage sheet fabrics. This kits includes all the fabric, including the backing, a piece of cotton batting for quilting and 3 vintage buttons.We hope you like our vinatge inspired projects. You can purchase them all from The Crafty Squirrel, in store or online!

Just before Christmas I started making a quilt out of the brighter colours from Terra Australis.I wanted to design a new quilting using the flying geese block. Grab the pattern here! I love triangles at the moment!I had fun putting the colours together on this quilt. After I finished the blocks I decided that the quilt needed a border of more triangles!!I quilted this quilt quite simply, just stitching with my walking foot in the ditch.I also pieced the back using strips of 4 different kangaroo print colours. Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance. For retail pattern purchases, please contact your local patchwork shop.

A few months ago I was asked to create a project using the beautiful range of Liberty Fabrics.I chose to create a pair of cushions using raw edge applique and circles.I hope you enjoy making these cushions as much as I enjoyed desgining them!Pattern for Liberty Circles Cushions HerePDF template sheet herePDF’s for cushion One placement diagram sheets herePDF’s for cushion Two placement diagram sheets here

I have finished my economyblockalaong quilt!Just in time as I have to give it away on Sunday.I choose a colour palette to match my Brother and Sister in Law's loungeroom.They have a light neutral sofa and a gorgeous black and white rug.I hope they will like it as much as I do.There is a tutorial for this block on Red Pepper Quilt's blog.I made 8" finished blocks with a total of 100. The finished quilt size measures 80" square.There is also a flickr group that has been set up, you can see that here.Also see the hashtag #economyblockalong on Instagram for ideas and inspiration.

While I am staying at my parents place - just for a little while, I am living in their bottom room. It is quite a good sized space so I have managed to fit in my bed, couch and sewing tables.Everything just fits! My fabric stash is stored on top of the wardrobe inside plastic tubs. Lucky I only have a double bed, I don't think a queen bed would have fit! It's lovely having my couch down in the room too! I also managed to fit the cats favourite scratching pole.I am very lucky that my parents are happy to have me back home. It's nice to have no pressureafter running the shop for over 10 years!

KANGAROO CUSHION  Finished size: The cross hatch quilting shrinks the cushion front and back in, to make a perfect fit for a 16” (40cm) cushion insert. REQUIREMENTS: 30cm zipper (approx.) Iron on Fusible web such as Vliesofix or Steam-a-seam. Spray baste such as 505 Spray and Fix for basting. Hera marker 16” (40cm) cushion insertPDF pattern for Kangaroo, downloadable here - Download PDF     FABRIC REQUIREMENTS Cushion Front:  Cut 1   12½” x 12½” square Linen fabric for centre square Cut 2   3¼” x 12½”strips fabric for side borders Cut 2   3¼” x 18” strips fabric for top & bottom borders Fabric piece at least 7½” x 11” for the kangaroo Cushion Back: Cut 1  18” x 18” square Linen fabric Batting: Cut 2  18” x 18” squares   CONSTRUCTION   ¼” seam allowance except for outer seams which are ½”. Firstly position and sew the side borders in place, and then the top and bottom borders. Press to the Border.  Trace the kangaroo onto the fusible webbing (remember to reverse the image if you want the kangaroo to face the same way as the pattern). Roughly cut out the kangaroo shape and then fuse it onto the back of the fabric selected. Carefully  trim around the kangaroo shape, remove the backing paper and position in the centre of the made cushion front. Iron to fuse in place.  Choose a thread to match the kangaroo fabric and raw edge applique (which means just using a normal sewing stitch), around the edges of the kangaroo shape. Sew as close to the raw edge as possible, and sew around three times.   Baste the batting and the cushion top together with spray baste. Mark the first two diagonal quilting lines with a Hera marker. Put your walking foot onto your sewing machine and sew the first diagonal quilting row. Stopping at the Kangaroo. Sew the second diagonal quilting row.  Set your machine walking foot with a 1” seam guide preferably on the left side of the quilting foot, and sew rows 1” apart, working out from the first diagonal rows sewn. If you do not have a seam guide on you walking foot mark all the quilting lines 1” apart with the Hera marker. Cross hatch the entire cushion top.   Baste the Backing fabric and batting square together, mark the diagonal lines with your Hera marker as before, and then 1” cross hatch the entire back of the cushion. Now the back and front are completed it is time to sew the cushion together. There is a ½” seam allowance around the entire cushion.  Trim any excess batting, around both the cushion top and cushion back. Neaten the the edges (with a zig zag stitch or overlocker) of both the front and back pieces where the zipper will be placed. We placed the zipper at the bottom of the kangaroo. Pin the two neaten seams together and using a ½" seam allowance sew  in 3" at both ends of the seam.  Press the seam open along the entire length of the seam firstly from the wrong side to ensure the ½" seam allowance and then from the right side. With the zipper closed place it under the pressed seam and pin the zipper in place. Try to keep the zipper teeth directly under the center of the seam and the pins in the directions you will be sewing.  Attach your machine zipper foot with thread to match cushion fabric and start to sew at one end. The idea is to use the zipper foot as a guide to keep the line of stitching about ¼” away from the zipper teeth. When you reach the zipper pull, stop sewing, leave the needle down in the fabric and lift the foot. Carefully pull the zipper open for a few inches sew along a while and then reclose the zipper. Sew across the end of the zipper taking care to catch the end of the zipper fabric but not the metal end, complete the other side and end.  Once the zipper is sewn in, leave it open, and pin the back and front of the cushion together. Sew around with ½” seam allowance. Trim the fabric bulk from the corners and pull the cushion to the right side.  Place cushion insert inside cushion and admire your work.  

I have spent the last week re-making two of Terra Australis quilt samples. All the samples we unfortunately lost on the trip back to Australia. They should be found but unfortunately not quick enough for the Australian Quilt Market which is on this weekend in Melbourne.Ella Blue has added all the designs from Terra Australis to their website. Pop on over and check out the range.One of the quilts I re-made was Nine Birds. The quilt just suits the Terra Australis range perfectly. Another quilt I re-made is Waratah Crowns. This uses the main print from Terra Australis which is perfect for fussy cutting. Grab the patterns!Nine Birds and Waratah Crowns

As many of you know I am just slightly in love with rainbows. I have made a few rainbow quilts but this time I wanted to incoprorate the old row by row style of quilt.Grab the pattern here! This quilt has 13 rows (lucky for some) of rainbow goodness. Great for using up scraps, or a good reason to buy some more fabric.Wholesale patterns orders from Creative Abundance.

This is a re-post of my simple Rainbow Scrap Quilt Tutorial from my old blog!I recently made a quilt using all my colourful scraps. Whenever I have fabric left over and it's too small to put into the stash I cut the fabric into 2 1/2" squares. So I always have a large amount of squares on hand.I wanted to make a baby quilt for a friend and wanted it to be bright and colourful. I love putting colours together especially into rainbows. Using the old ROYGBIV colour theory, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Finished Quilt Size: 52" x 60" Rainbow Scrap Strip Requirements:Each row is made up of 24 x 2 1/2" squares Purple:  48 squares  (2 rows)Red:       72 squares  (3 rows)Orange: 72 squares  (3 rows)Yellow:  72 squares  (3 rows)Green:   72 squares  (3 rows)Aqua:     72 squares  (3 rows)Blue:      48 squares  (2 rows) White: 1.2 mts total (112 cms wide fabric)This includes 18  -  1 1/2" x 48 1/2" strips that go between the coloured rows.(includes seam allowance)You will have to join the 1 1/2" strips to get the 48 1/2" needed.And a border of 2 1/2" that goes around the outside of the quilt. I have pieced the quilt in a rainbow pattern and that is why there are less squares of purple and blue.I did it this way because I just don't have as much purple in my stash.The rows go in the order below and you can double check by looking at the photo of the quilt. PurpleRedOrangeYellowGreen AquaBlueAquaGreenYellowOrangeRed PurpleRedOrangeYellowGreen AquaBlue It is a simple quilt using colour as the main design feature.You could make it much larger by adding more squares and also more rows.  

A couple of days ago I posted a photo on instagram showing how I make quilt labels. I was asked to do a tutorial on my method so here it is! I either write the label by hand or print them on inkjet printable fabric. The brand of printable fabric that I like to use is Matilda's Own available through Victorian Textiles.If you can't get a hold of inkjet printable fabric you can try this other option.Jump on your computer and a come up with your label, then print it out. Then use a a light box (if you don'y have one you can use a window or a light under a glass top table) and trace onto fabric using a permanent pen. There are a number of fabrics pens out there on the market, I like to use a really fine one because most pens can bleed a little.. It's also needs to be washable so check the label on the pen. Fabric choice for the label could be a simple as a homespun or calico, matching the colours in the quilt obviously. This label was a left ove from my quilt labeling marathon. As you can see there is a spelling mistake so please just ignore that :) The size of this label is 3.5" x 2". So the next step is to cut the fabric for the edging. On this size label I cut my strips 1.5" wide. If you label is bigger you can use a bigger border, but for this size 1.5" looks good.  Then fold the fabric in half length wise and iron. Then sew two strips to either side of the label. Iron towards the label.   Then you need to sew the two top borders. The way we do this is by cutting the length of edging about an inch longer than the label. Pin in place.   The turn the ends under to the backside of the label and pin in place.  Sew in place. The little trick is you can now flip the border over giving a turned edge ready to slip stitch on to the back of the quilt. Iron in place and repeat on the bottom edge. Here is a photo of the back of the label, when sewing it on the back of the quilt just catch the outside border and tuck the ends in. Your label is now complete, ready to sew onto your quilt!  I often use the leftover binding from quilts to do these labels, but you can just use any left over fabric from the quilt.

Welcome to my new Blog! Since closing Ballarat Patchwork it has been extremely busy, packing up the shop, moving house and designing new quilts. As you know I have a new range of fabrics due out at the beginning of December with the Australian company Ella Blue. So I have been locked away designing and making new quilts for it's release at Quilt Market in the US at the end of the month. The range is called "Terra Australis" and is a fresh and bright take on Australian flora and fauna.        There are two colourways, Eucalyptus and Outback. The fabric as well as the patterns I am designing will be available for you to buy in my online store.         You can also purchase all my previous patterns and related templates from the online store too!           I also wanted to say thank you to all the people that sent me emails, cards and popped into the store to say good bye. I will miss seeing you all but hopefully we can stay in touch through the blog and also facebook!